Lord’s creation is Acintya, beyond our capability to know
DELHI [1:9:36]
youth lecture

varsa-puga-sahasrante
tad andam udake sayam
kala-karma-svabhava-stho
jivo ‘jivam ajivayat [SB 2.5.34]

Translation: – Thus all the universes remained thousands of aeons within the water [the Causal Ocean], and the Lord of living beings, entering in each of them, caused them to be fully animated.

Purport: – The Lord is described here as the jiva because He is the leader of all other jivas (living entities). In the Vedas He is described as the nitya, the leader of all other nityas. The Lord’s relation with the living entities is like that of the father with the sons. The sons and the father are qualitatively equal, but the father is never the son, nor is the son ever the father who begets. So, as described above, the Lord as Garbhodakasayi Visnu or Hiranyagarbha Supersoul enters into each and every universe and causes it to be animated by begetting the living entities within the womb of the material nature, as confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita (14.3).

After each annihilation of the material creation, all the living entities are merged within the body of the Lord, and after creation they are again impregnated within the material energy. In material existence, therefore, the material energy is seemingly the mother of the living entities, and the Lord is the father. When, however, the animation takes place, the living entities revive their own natural activities under the spell of time and energy, and thus the varieties of living beings are manifested. The Lord, therefore, is ultimately the cause of all animation in the material world.

Thus all the universes remained thousands of aeons within the water [the Causal Ocean], and the Lord of living beings, entering in each of them, caused them to be fully animated.

The animations are very popular and that is considered to be very advanced or very intelligent thing to do. Animations in television, they get different dolls to fight with each other or they seem to be talking, running after each other. That’s extent of our abilities to animate things, which then we sit in our sofa and watch our own creation and enjoy or be amazed, ‘Oh! What an animation look, amazing, the Disney world’. You know in America, their most famous animations are by the Disney world in North America.

So we are parts and parcels of the Lord and like father like son, the ability of the Lord is also in us in minute quantity and this is what little minute animation that we become the cause of. Or off course we create, we create little children. Lord has crated all of us and we create few children. Lord begets living entities within the womb of material nature. mama yonir mahat brahma [BG 14.3] Lord makes mahat-tattva, that is the womb and Lord’s glances, He glances upon that total material energy mahat tattva in front of Him. He doesn’t even have to touch it.

Just by looking at it He does the impregnation and how many? Countless living entities, they get animated as per kala, karma, svabhava, their karmas which they had committed during previous creation, and their bhava, inclinations, tendencies.

So we create few living entities or few, we don’t create living entities. They always exist. Give bodies, become cause of giving bodies to few children, but look at the Lord, how much He could create.

tasmin garbham dadhamy aham
sambhavah sarva-bhutanam
tato bhavati bharata

He becomes cause of sarva bhutanam, of all the living entities and giving them bodies also. First of all they are His parts and parcels. So whenever it is difficult to stress the history, when the living entities were created, mama amsa, purna amsa, some parts and parcels were created. We don’t know, difficult to find out.

So that creation of living entities and later on giving them bodies also, to sarva bhutanam, of all living entities.

I never heard this saying, this creation as the lila, sristi lila, Devakinandan Prabhu was explaining, different incarnations have different lilas or even there are lila- avataras. For first time I was thinking ‘Oh!This is also lila of the Lord. Creation is also lila, sristi lila. And the three Purusa-avataras put together, performing this lila. So what we do little bit is not described as lilas. We also have little creation, few children okay, big house okay, housing colony, or that kind of creation. Big bridge we build or little space Apollo 8 or Apollo 11, little Sputnik, there are unlimited ocean. At night time there are so many planets floating like a dust particle float in the air and then we say little sputnik floating. So these are the tiny creations of the tiny living entities. So they are not described as lilas, but when Lord performs the herculean tasks, big big tasks, creation of the universes, not just one but unlimited universes and within each universe so many planets and so much variety. For a tiny tiny living entities as we are, from where we are sitting, or wherever we are existing, from there to take a look at the one universe and so many universes and beyond that there is another kingdom, the spiritual kingdom, and living entities are tiny, and that tiny living entities’ brain is further tiny brain.

Prabhupada used to call ‘tini brain’. He would describe, ‘so that tini brain how much tini living entities, tini tiny how much that could understand? I mean what we know is very very little. There is a planet and there is space, so many planets in that space and there is ocean and there is whole world out there or in there in that ocean, so many varieties in there. I mean of the total creation of the Lord, all that exist, how much does living entity know? How much do living entities know? Just a fraction! Who was that? I think he was Einstein, he said “You admit that how much ignorant you are. If you could admit that I am so much ignorant means you are kind of knowledgeable, but one who thinks oh I know everything that is how the ignorance is described.” One who thinks that I know everything, that means you are ignorant. But if you admit, yes yes I am ignorant; in fact I don’t know so many things. Oh! He is knowledgeable. At least he knows that he doesn’t know. That is one scientist, Einstein was admitting.

You go to the beach and you take one sand particle from that beach, Juhu beach, where Prabhupada used to walk and then you admit that my knowledge is one particle that now I am holding within my pinch, that particle, may be that much or may be even less than that I know, compared to the number of sand particles on the beach. You know there are so many beaches also. So how much could living entity know? Not much!

So when Lord performs His lila, the sristi lila, the creation, then it is just mind boggling. It is just achintya, just beyond the grasp, the capability of living entity to know it. But in order to make the living entity knowledgeable or at least as much as living entity could know to the extent they could know here in, in this part, in this section of Bhagavatam, the creation has been described, not just theory of creation, the facts of creation have been described. I was thinking how Narada Muni, he had gone to the authority in the creation, next to the Lord or Lord’s right hand man. Lord is cause of all causes, that is the chapter here we are dealing with, Lord is cause of all causes, sarva karana karanam. So the popular fact is, Brahma is the creator, but even Brahma had to be created by the Lord before he creates more things. So Lord is cause of all causes, even cause of Brahma who is kind of secondary cause of creation. Lord is sarga and visarga is, we were hearing and understanding in yesterday’s class also. So Brahma certainly has a big role. If anyone has to play role besides the Lord, that is Brahma. He has big big role to play in the creation of brahmanda.

So what Narada muni is doing? He is going all the way to the top authority in this creation, who is responsible for this creation. He goes there, he says okay Brahmaji. He does interview. We heard those ten questions yesterday which are at the beginning of this chapter. Yad rupam, yad adhistanam, and total number of ten questions were raised. So Narada Muni, who also has inferior position, he is going to the superior authority. He is going to father also, Narada muni is son and Brahma is father. ‘Oh! Father, daddy daddy, could you please tell me, explain to me, be kind upon me’.

So keeping in mind, these things human beings should know, or they should know these things even as lila of the Lord. The creation is lila of the Lord and oh my dear father Brahmaji, and he is asking all those questions, all possible questions that human beings would want to know about the creation, those questions were raised by Narada muni. Probably he sat in Badrikasrama and made a list, oh! these questions probably people from Delhi would ask and these questions people from Ney York would ask, and these questions from here and there, and he made up a list and Badrikasrama because that is his headquarter, Badrinarayan he worships in Bharat varsha.

Narayana, Narayana, Narayana, that’s why when you see Narada muni, you remember Narayana or he reminds whole world about Narayana, he gives out Narayana. So Badrikasrama is his place and when he comes back, he probably prepares or he thinks, reflects, he plans. Anyway somewhere he made this list and he approached Brahma, ‘Could you please tell us about this creation, this this this tell us, ten questions.’ And what we are hearing these days in Bhagavatam class including today’s verse is reply, is a response to Narada muni’s questions.

The person who is asking questions, who has made list of these questions is a topnotch authority himself. Pure and he is representative of all the people. And he has to go around and what if someone will ask me about creation? You know I go every where. Then I better know, I better equipped myself with answers to these questions. Otherwise could be very embarrassing position as those Yamadutas were embarrassed.

Prabhupada writes, if you are representing someone, before you go out there to represent, you better be knowledgeable about the representation, about what you have to present. So Narada muni is world preacher and he is going to the topmost authority and wants to know all the things about creation. And the answers given were nothing but the truth. If anybody knows about the creation, of course Lord knows, and there is another person who knows and that is Brahma, because he is directly involved with the creation. So that person had been interviewed by Narada muni and these are the answers to those questions.

And these are facts, this is the truth for all the time to come. And Narada muni and Brahma both of them, they want to go on record and that record is here, in Srimad Bhagavatam, several chapters. Many many chapters dealing with creation, sarga visarga, very in depth or mystical also and so many great details and very interesting details about the creation of the Lord. So this is it. In fact this is, if anyone any where any time is interested in knowing about the creation of the Lord, creation which is out there, this is the place, this is the source. You go into the Bhagavatam, Vedic texts Upanishads and puranas, like that essence of all that is in here in this amal purana, Srimad Bhagavat purana. And you hear this you read this and you become knowledgeable about the creation of Lord……….

The creator mentioned here is jiva, jivo ajivam ajivayat, close very nicely, even sounds very nice. Jivo ajivam ajivayat, one jiva, jiva also means life, jiva. Oh! This is nirjiva, they say, this doesn’t have jiva, this doesn’t have life. So the first person, Prabhupada is describing that person is leader of all the living entities. And he is also jiva because he is full of life. Infact life comes from life. Prabhupada made that bold statement, life comes from life. So that is right here. Jivo, in the beginning there was jiva, the Supreme living entity and he is the cause of all causes and from that jiva from that life rest of the life has come into existence.

hiranyagarbha-antaryami , that jiva has been described as hiranyagarbha that is Garbhodakasayi Vishnu. That jiva also has been described as antaryami, antaryami Krsna, Lord in the heart, or Supersoul.

Samsar vyatirikta paramesvarah, jiva is samsar vyatirikta means someone who is beyond this samsar, this material existence. This jiva doesn’t come from, He is not part of this creation, samsara. Living entities are also samsar vyatirikta. Living entities are also from beyond this material existence but He is not only samsar vyatirikta but He is samsara vyatirikta parameshvarah, He is Supreme Personality of Godhead and He is creator. Yesterday also the word ubhayam, means two had appeared. He creates Brahmanda, anda, egg like shape, anda, egg and brahmanda, brahma mahad yonir. So brahmanda is universe and He is also creator of pinda, another word had been used for the living entities. The brahmanda is universe, and one is anda, one is pinda, brahmanda is material universe and pinda, each one of us is a pinda. Like we hear, pinde pinde matir bhinna or munde munde matir bhinna Mati means intelligence.

Devakinandan Prabhu was also throwing light how each one is different or thoughts are different, everything is different. You could see, he gave a class and I am also giving a class. He said each one of us could give a class, would be talking, talking the truth but differently. This is also amazing creation of the Lord, though two persons look alike, there are hundreds of you are sitting and each one is different looking, except who? Jananivas and Pankajangri! Even after 30 years I cannot figure it out. I have to take few minutes to understand to whom I am
talking with, this is Pankajangri or this is Jananivas. One has bigger shikha, one has small. There is some difference. Difference is there but it’s very subtle. Isn’t this amazing!

And sometimes we could hear, it could be true, that at the beginning of creation till now all the bodies created by the Lord, not two bodies are alike. Not that present batch each one is different, but the previous batch and the previous, each batch, no two bodies were created just alike. At least some slight difference, little scar, something will be different. And this is something amazing, that we could just sit and appreciate and become Krsna Conscious. If we could just sit and be amazed. Instead of going to see Agra, to see the eighth wonder of the world, you could just sit in Vrindavan and hear about the creation of the Lord and be amazed, such a wonderful Lord is. Of course Krsna is wonderful, there is chapter Prabhupada gave title as a wonderful Krsna, but even there is wonderful Maha- Vishnu, wonderful Garbhodakasayi Vishnu, wonderful Kshirodakasayi Vishnu. We don’t have to, yeah I mean only appreciate rasa dance and talk about rasa dance, and how amazing and appreciate and relish. But here this Sristi lila is also such a amazing thing, we could relish and we could really go deeper and understand step by step the creation of the Lord and the subtleties and the details and the flavor, and just amazing thing what Lord does. Amazing, wonderful creation of the Lord!

Brahmanda and that anda and this pinda and all that is in anda is also in pinda, all that is out there is also in this body in minute quantity, different elements out there, bhumir-apo nalo vayuh kham all are out there and in here also. So the whole brahmanda you want to sample, just sample your body, and analyze your body. And by knowing pinda you could know lot about anda, the whole brahmanda.

So what attracted my attention is Prabhupada writes in the purport of the second verse of the same chapter, this is Srila Prabhupada ki jai! ‘Contrary to such mental speculative theories of creation, however, Narada Muni wanted to know all the facts of creation in truth, and not by theories.’ So many theories are floating, many be at the time of Narada muni also, and big bang theory and many other theories are there and Narada muni just wanted to smash those or expose those or establish the facts. Not just go by the theories but he wanted to establish the truth about the creation.

Srila Prabhupada being a representative of all the previous acaryas and Brahma and Narada muni, is really wanting to attract attention of the whole world, ‘are you interested in knowing the truth how the world was created’ and if you say yes, then here, Bhagavatam is the way. You may be studying the theories which are full of mental speculations but the facts are these. This is spoken by the person who was involved with the creation. Right then and there, millions of year ago, when the creation took place, this person Brahma, he was right there. Not
just witnessing but he was involved, making his hands dirty. Look his hands are still dirty. He is holding the microphone and giving interview.

I have not studied Bible in depth but what we hear from our devotees, with the Christian background, is the description of the creation of this world. Of course the great thing is that we appreciate, that they admit. Bible admits that this world was created by the Lord, that is a good thing. This world was created by the Lord, not much detailed. And He took some, six days to create. And by that time He was kind of exhausted and on seventh day He took some rest and that was sunday. And following the footsteps of God, who took rest on sunday, we also. Of course we are fighting for more rest. So beside sunday now we have saturday for half day. We want to work less, more pay, work less more pay.

In the beginning there was sound, shabda. From sound, shabda, then sparsha, rupa, rasa, gandha like that, each of these five elements, earth, water, fire, air, ether, ether has only sound. Ether is most subtle element and it has only sound and the next one has sound and touch, like that. You go to next one, there are three things, fourth one four things, like that. So whatever is written in Bible is also true, giving credit to God, the creation of the God. Of course He creates. He existed before creation. He was there at the time of creation. But the only trouble is, how much you could relish, whatever written in the Bible, although that is also lila, but described in such a summarized way that you can not really relish. And for the fact, cannot appreciate also, unless you get into the details of creation you cannot appreciate it. So what is in the Bible although truth, but not much we could relish because so many missing links are there. And some holes are there, and doesn’t make sense some times. So this is how devotees has explained, this is what Christians has to say or Bible has to say.

Very recently I came across the statement from Kurana about creation. They kind of agree with the description of creation given in the Bible, the Muslims agree with what is written in Bible. Only disagreement they have with the Christian or with the Bible is, they are saying, hey come on, you are making our Lord, Allah kind of ordinary person. You are saying that He was working for six days for creation and then He was exhausted, He was tired. Come on, God cannot be tired. He is never tired. And He created for six days and on seventh day He took rest, they don’t agree with His taking rest. Lord and taking rest, doesn’t go together, they think so. And that’s the only difference Christians and Muslims have to say about creation. Of course both the parties fully agree that Lord has created this world. But because what has been presented in Bible and Kurana is not complete and perfect and in great detail, some places it doesn’t make sense, and that has given rise to the speculation of the scientists.

The scientists or intelligent beings, intellectuals, they always want to keep their brains busy and active and do exercises. Others do exercise with the muscles, the intellectual persons they do exercise for their brain muscles. Their power is in brain muscle and they want to keep it fit and active. So they were referring to this Bible and Kurana theories and that was not convincing and some intelligent theory has to be presented to the world, so they came up with the popular theory of creation which is known as big bang. What is the name of the theory? Big Bang!
What was big? The bang was big. The sound that explosion had made, they kind of talk about some kind of mahat tattva. Or the mass of matter was just sitting there, the mahat tattva. They don’t know, not talking about that, but the matter was there. And then for nothing or suddenly or for no prior cause or notice because there was no person according to them, for the creation, just a big bang, big explosion took place and whole matter started to scatter everywhere. And then came into, beautiful round shaped ball started floating.

But that’s not the experience. When the explosion, when the terrorist came, they also went to the State towers and they exploded those twin towers. Did some beautiful thing came out, that you would go and take photograph, ‘Oh! Wow what a beautiful creation this is.’ Or in Japan, Americans when they got the karma back, in Japan they used their bombs, the most powerful bomb was exploded, and did some housing societies, planets, some beautiful things came out of that explosion? So the experience that we have of the explosions is that nothing beautiful nothing wonderful nothing that you could use that comes into existence as a result of some small or big bang or some explosion.

So with this we reject and I am sure there are so many others arguments, who was, behind every explosion, there is a person, either he is right there lighting the bomb, may be the crude way to light the bomb is you go with candle and you light it. May be that was being done some 50 years ago. But now remote control, but still there is a remote, machine is there and person to push the button is there. So no explosion is automatic, unless some person is involved.

So this is how the big bang theory is down the drain. I also was thinking how, because what was available to the western world, the information or views or news of creation from Bible and Kurana, that did not satisfy the scientists and intellectuals. And then they had to speculate and speculate and they speculated to their heart’s content. There was no one to stop them. Generation after generation, they went on speculating and supporting these imaginary theories, big bang and some other theories. And they did this because the facts were not available to them. The Bhagavatam theory was not made popular. Of course this big bang theory and this is all from last 500 years and few thousand years there was a time when this was a theory. This was a common knowledge. ‘Oh! How was the world created?” Everyone knew. You could stop anyone on the street and ask them how the world was created. And they would refer to the conversation between Narada muni and Brahma or Maitreya muni and Vidura. They knew, that every student, his schooling began with the guru’s asram.

brahmachari gurukule vasandantam guraur hitam

They all went to guru’s asram. The perfect narottamas, thoroughly purified and honest persons as they were, they were only speaking the truth and spreading the truth, travelling extensively. Wherever there is some black spot, some ignorance, wherever, they would go with the torch light of knowledge and dispel the darkness by discussing these topics of creation from Bhagavatam and other scriptures. So one time, 500 years ago, 5000 year ago in satya yuga, in treta yuga, every single human being practically everyone knew how the world was created.

So the present theories are just few hundred years old concoctions or mental speculations which world is buying because there was nothing substantial being presented. But now the task has begun with Srila Prabhupada entering the field of the whole world with the original facts from Narada muni and Brahma which are right there in Bhagavatam which are being distributed far and wide. So this big bang theory doesn’t have much future; not much longer into the future this big bang theory would be accepted as something intelligent. Like so many other
theories are being challenged not only by Hare Krsna’s, but other intelligent beings are challenging theories.

One of such theory, very popular theory, theory of Darwin, theory of evolution being challenged all the time. I had read in the newspaper before about the challenges and rejection of Darwin’s theory of evolution, but something very recently, a week ago, what I, Darwin under attack by US school boards. US that is American school boards are attacking Darwin’s theory, appeared in a front page of Sunday Express on 2 nd January. And the writer, of course the whole news is from America, as it is, and God or Darwin, report says, God or Darwin choice is yours And this is US school boards; they want to go for God. They want to reject this Darwin. All or most of the report says, okay we may could accept this as a theory but not a fact. May be something let it be there before it dissolves, completely dead, but as a theory and not as a fact.

Report also says, I definitely would preferably believe that God created me and I am not the cousin or descendant of the ape, monkey. The Darwin was presenting that the most evolved being was ape, monkey, some 5,6,7 thousand years ago. The human being from the monkey, monkey was using all the four feet, he kind of stood up, started up gradually. Then his four limbs became his hands and the tail went inside from back and this became feet hands, feet became hands and no tail and he stood erect. And this all happened some few thousand years ago and then first edition, first version of human beings, they were such uncivilized, uneducated. They were living in the caves, cave man theory and they used to fight a lot amongst each other, men of one cave with men of another cave. They had no instruments. They just used rocks, throwing rocks at each other.

At the time of your battle of Kurukshetra its described amazing kind of weapons were used in Mahabharat war around that time. Actually human being has just now has come into existence and he was using rocks and some sticks to beat each other and there were no towns and cities. And from time the human being has further evolved and he is becoming more and more intelligent and intelligent and most civilized human being in the present version of human beings. So in brief, and in the beginning was amoeba, when the world was created in the beginning was amoeba, not Brahma but amoeba. So that’s Darwin’s theory of evolution which was being taught in all schools and colleges in all over the planet including India, unfortunately. I am sure, even in Mathura University, vidyapith is teaching evolutionary theory of Darwin. Vaisnavas never taught such theory.

Prabhupada not even spit at such theories, why even spit, waste of spit on such a garbage. He just used his boot to kick. He didn’t want to kick the face but with the boot only.

So one by one, let us maintain some strong faith and some more patience and we would realize that all those things which are presented as some kind of truth all over the world will be exposed. They would be proven wrong when we know what is right. And gradually there is a major change.

I was talking with Bhakti Svarupa Damodar Maharaja, on the phone just few days ago. He conducted his world conference, scientific conference in Rome, in Italy just few months ago to celebrate Prabhupada’s 108 th birth anniversary. And he said there were so many scientists, but 32 of them, he had a list of then, but 32 scientists talking in favor of God or God’s existence. There was a time when scientist would say, prove it, can you show me God? Yes yes? Okay then I can accept. But now same scientists are coming to the senses and gradually there is global revolution in consciousness. And certainly the chanting of, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare And study of the scriptures and the air is getting filled with truth which is defeating the myth and that truth is inspiring so many individuals all over the planet now.

There is a study first time, Rasaraj was mentioning to me, ‘For the first time you would be amazed to know,’ I was amazed, ‘first time the research on consciousness is being done.’ The scientists are doing research into consciousness, consciousness means conscientious. You go beyond, it’s not just matter, something living, something conscious. They want to study consciousness, because they may have different, whatever idea they may have, what the consciousness is. But at least they are coming to the conclusion that this world is not just the dead matter, as Darwin was also trying to prove, this is bunch of chemicals and interaction of this chemical, life come to existence.

No! this verse is talking that original jiva that samsara vyatirikta parameshvarah, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was full of life, He gave life, He put life into everything was there around, the living entities and got them working as per their karma and svabhava. Ajivayat, He becomes cause of giving life to others, life comes from life. So life is being studied as a consciousness for the first time and this is happening.

Of course you know when Prabhupada, in easy journey to other planets, Prabhupada writes, the scientists are coming to the conclusion, if there is a matter, oh possibly there must be antimatter also. If there is material then there must be anti-material, something anti-material. What is anti-material? That is a spirit. Matter is matter and anti-matter is spirit. Some scientists are waking up to the reality. It is their good fortune and good fortune of so many others, because in this day and age, the scientists have become the gurus of the masses. The guru’s or acarya’s position has been taken over by the scientist. If scientist says something, everyone, Prabhupada says, double standard, double standard here.

When sadhu is talking, acarya is talking then you challenge him, show me, could you prove it? But when scientist says something, lot of things which are not proven, people don’t ask those questions any more, even, oh could you prove it. Their speculation, they are just blindly accepting it. And Prabhupada said, this is double standard. You are asking us to prove, show me, but you are not asking similar questions to the scientist to prove it.

So it is very important for the spread of this Hare Krsna movement all over the planet, the scientists are big stumbling block, because they are taken as the authority and they are presenting so many theories, bogus theories, they don’t know they begin with, their source and anybody’s source to become scientist you don’t have to be man of any kind of character, no. you could be a woman hunter, you could be meat eater, you could be speculator and what else, what did I miss? Drunkard, yeah, you can have a wine bottle in one hand and you are punching your keys and theories you are typing on the screen and it’s fine. It’s fine. They may be murderer, they may be terrorist, they could be anything. No questions are raised. Only their theories are accepted, because with those theories you could

exploit this material world and that is when you could be ishvaro aham, and you could declare, not only declare but practically be that Ishvar, the controller, the enjoyer. So it’s a good team, right? Good team, the scientists are making job easy, facilitating the demoniac nature and giving them how to be enjoyer, ishvaro aham. So from that isvaro aham status, human being want to achieve, they want kingdom of God without God. Srila Prabhupada ki Jai!

Wonderful Prabhupada, kind of statements Prabhupada has made, he was the first one to speak this kind of language. It was most relevant statement, Prabhupada has made. So from that position human beings are taking, isvaro aham, we have to bring them down to daso aham, dasosmi, not bossosmi, boss asmi. So these theories and the scientists and they are just eager for the exploitation of the world, this is how they are helping and people are getting distracted and as a result, in fact suffering. They want to enjoy, but they are suffering.

So the last lecture series Prabhupada gave on the planet in Mumbai was, the present day, modern civilization is a total failure. Only alternative is Krsna consciousness, this was his topic. From Mayapur he went straight to Mumbai and everyday he was roaring like a lion, although we have to lift him, literally lift him and put him on a vyasasan, but once he was on a microphone, he was getting the audience trembling. He was very bold and outspoken and this civilization is total failure, only solution is Krsna Consciousness.

So many myths are being spread, but now the Prabhupada’s books are everywhere. Do you know, I am sure this is, another place also this hold true, that Delhi distributed 86000 Bhagavad Gitas in marathon. Devotees of Delhi and Panjabi Bagh, 86,000 Bhagavad-gitas out there. And like that, this is just one city’s score and wait till you hear about what Bombay did and other temples did and to distribute books and to spread this knowledge. This is Prabhupada’s program, so that truth is established this way.

dharma samsthapanarthaya and then sarve sukhina bhavantu, people could be happy and in real sense will be prosperous and that’s life. That’s real life. So let us push on Prabhupada’s program, Prabhupada’s movement, spreading the Holy name and Bhagavatam, the knowledge based on Bhagavatam. This way spread the truth. World will be benefited and this is the topmost welfare work, Prabhupada used to say.

Qualities of the Lord are unlimited
Bhagavatam katha -Day three
Venue: Pune
Dated: January 9, 2019

All of you have come with great eagerness to hear katha I welcome you all. Series of katha is going on here. We are meditating on the svarupa of the Lord like in Maharashtra we have chintan baithak. Meditating on the Lord is the best meditation.

When person meditates on the material subject matters he gets attached to them.

dhyayato visayan pumsah sangas tesupajayate
sangat sanjayate kamah kamat krodho ‘bhijayate (BG 2.62)

While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.

When one meditates on the object of senses person gets attached and from attachment lust develops and from lust  anger arises, this the sequence.

krodhad bhavati sammohah sammohat smrti-vibhramah
smrti-bhramsad buddhi-naso buddhi-nasat pranasyati (BG 2.63)

From anger, delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost, one falls down again into the material pool.

The intelligent in the driver, our body is a chariot. The senses are the horses and reins are in the hands of the intelligence.

The human society is falling down there is no development but everything is going down. All glories to the technology and the scientist group. Every parent wants his child to become engineer. My parents were not an exception they also wanted to make me engineer. Everybody in my village used to call me engineer. So what has to be been?

We don’t say you don’t meditate but what should be the subject of meditation? One should meditate on the Lord. We should make the Lord the subject of meditation. Making Lord the subject, meaning making His name the subject of meditation, also His guna, His rupa, lila like Tukaram Maharaja. .

pahine  sri mukha avadine

He made Lords beautiful form as his topic for meditation.

Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate  (CC Madhya 19.170)

This is definition of Bhakti.  Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and, simply by being employed in the service of the Lord, one’s senses are purified.

‘One is bhakti and another is bhukti. One is yoga and another bhoga. But the world says bhogi bhava, become enjoyer and Lord says yogi bhava, become yogi.  World says enjoy. So if you become bhogi then be ready to become rogi. First go to five star hotels to enjoy then finally get transferred to five star hospitals. This is their style, they say we will die in style. This is slow death process and we are moving on that slowly. This is all kali puran.

So if you want to meditate, meditate on nama, rupa, guna, lila and dhama of the Lord. So that’s why we made it as the topic of this year’s Bhagavat katha. So that we can meditate and also speak on it.

Yare dekho tare kaho krishna upadesa (CC Madhya 7.128)

Whomever you meet tell about Krsna. Whatever we meditate on we become attached. This in law, that is what happens. Whatever you think about you become attached. If the subject is material then you get attached to it but if the topic is spiritual then you get attached to the Lord. The law is same. So meditate on name, rupa, guna, lila and dhama and become attached to them.

We become lusty by mediating on the material topics but if you meditate on Lords subject then you get attached to them. There are only two thing- lust and love. When we call people for katha they say I am busy ‘may kama may hu.” But if somebody is in love he is premi he will run to hear katha. Then there is no question of anger or krodha. We will get attracted to the Lord and Lord is Madan mohan

tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te (BG 10.10)

Vinasakale viparita buddhi

Lord says, to those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.  So l give them intelligence and he uses that intelligence to come to Me. But on the other hand lusty person will go to hell and he will fall down.

So these are the teachings of Gita. Lord appeared for us and showed us the way of ISKCON. People are also joining.  This is the third session only two are now left. Five days we had five topics. So today’s topic is qualities of the Lord. I will briefly discuss about all the topics.

Lord has lakhs of names. How does He have so many names? Just  food for thought. Subhang – Lord’s anga is all auspicious. So He is called Subhang Balaram. And how is His beauty He is Shyamvarana so called as Shyamsundar.

His name is Krsna, ya karsati sa Krsna, because he attracts everyone. So also He is called Cittachor also known as Makhan chor. Then is called Shankadhari as conch is part of His body. Then Padadhari and Gadadhari. Like that He has lakhs of names. Chakradhari and Chakrapani beause He holds chakra on His finger. Also called as Damodhara because of damodhar lila. Damodhara because his udar is tied with rope.

bandha ukhadala yala  bandhaukhadala

Murlidhara is famous name as He holds murli, and veenudhara, Vamsidhara. Yesterday we heard about three types of flutes Krsna uses. So accordingly are the names. In Kuruksetra He was chariot driver of Partha so called as Parthsarthi.  His father said to Him hurry up bring my shoes. He is ordering the Lord. As Lord is his son. According to the lilas He is named. So much love.

suhrdah sarva-dehinam

I am the best friend, you will never get such friend. To such Krsna i pay obeisances again and again. He is also called Bhaktavatsal because of His love for His devotees. Gopal go-cows, pal-palak protector.

Nandagodhan rakhavala, Dauji ka bhaiya, Dauji is elder brother of Krsna. Giridhari, Rasarachaiya. There is a song which is full of names of the Lord.

Vibhavari sesa alok pravesa….
Rasakhan is Krsna.
aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya yasasah sriyah
jnana-vairagyayos caiva sannam bhaga itingina

6 opulences of Lord these are also His qualities. How much wealthy He is? samagrasya, nothing is left for you. He is proprietor of everyone but such Krsna is ours. That’s a good news. Viryavan, He is strong He is victorious there are names in marathi we call Yashvan. But original Yashvan is Lord there can be Yashvan das. The person who has these 6 qualities is Lord. This is knowledge. There are many such Gods moving around in India be alert. We should have this knowledge or we will be cheated.

vedaham samatitani
vartamanani carjuna
bhavisyani ca bhutani (BG 7.26)

Supreme Personality of Godhead says, I know everything that has happened in the past, all that is happening in the present, and all things that are yet to come. These are the qualities of the Lord.

Many liberated souls get attracted to the qualities of the Lord.  All different varieties of atmaramas [those who take pleasure in atma, or spirit self] also get attracted like Sukadev Goswami, he stayed for 16 years in the womb of his mother he was absorbed there he did not want to come out, then his father made him hear the glories of nama, guna, lila then he came ou t of the womb. As soon he was born he ran towards the forest to have darsana of the Lord. In a big assembly Shaunaka rishis asked how this happened? There 88000 rishis were sitting.  How did Sukadev Goswami come out?  Mukti and bhakti are different we have to become bhakta. Lord has such qualities that he attracts even the atmarama.

atmaramas cha munayo nirgrantha api urukrame
kurvanti ahaituki bhakti itthambhuta gunah Hari (SB 1.7.10)

All different varieties of ?tmaramas [those who take pleasure in atma, or spirit self], especially those established on the path of self-realization, though freed from all kinds of material bondage, desire to render unalloyed devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead. This means that the Lord possesses transcendental qualities and therefore can attract everyone, including liberated souls.

‘guna‘ sabdera artha — krishnera guna ananta
sac-cid-rupa–guna sarva purnananda (CC Madhya 24.41)

“The word ‘guna‘ means ‘quality.’ The qualities of Krishna are transcendentally situated and are unlimited in quantity. All of the spiritual qualities are full of transcendental bliss.

Lord is always full of qualities.

suno, he rasika jana krishna-guna aganana
ananta kahite nahi pare krishna jagater guru,

krishna vanca-kalpa-taru navika se bhava-parabare (Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s famous Bengali songbook, Kalyana Kalpa-taru)

Listen to this, oh wisest relishers of mellows! The transcendental qualities of Shri Krsna are innumerable; indeed it is not possible to describe such unlimited divine attributes. Krsna is the spiritual master of the entire universe, He is like a wish-fulfilling desire-tree, and He is the helmsman of the boat on the ocean of material existence. You all rasikjana.

One form of the Lord is Anantasesa. He comes form Balaram. He is called Sahastravadan because He has 1000 mouths. He reciting the nama, rupa, guna and lila He has started since the creation. On His hood He carries all the universes  and keeps them moving that is how they stay in orbit which the scientist call law of gravity.  So Anantasesa keeps reciting Lords nama,rupa, guna and lila. When He got the service of carrying the universes on His hoods He asked how long I have to carry them. You keep reciting the nama, rupa, guan lila katha of the Lord and once you finish that you can keep them down. So since the recitation has started it’s going on till now. We are fallen jiva we can’t even imagine how many qualities the Lord has.

The smallest particle is atom and then there is electron and proton. The earth is made of many atoms, one can count the atoms in the earth but to count the qualities of Lord is impossible. Also the snow particles they keep falling the whole night. When Srila Prabhupada saw snow in New York for the first time . He said who did this white wash. One can count the snow particles but to count the qualities of the Lord is impossible. Similarly the sunray particles one can count but Lords qualities counting is not possible.

When asked how’s the Lord? We all say Nirguna. This preaching is done by the mayavadis. In Sastras also Lord is called Nirguna that’s ok one should know the meaning of the word Nirguna. That means He has no material qualities He is away from material qualities.

Bhagavatam is our authoritative sastra. In first canto queen Kunti prayers,

namasye purusam tvadyam isvaram prakrteh param
alaksyam sarva-bhutanam antar bahir avasthitam  (SB 1.8.18)

She was standing in front of  Krsna as He was moving for Dwaraka. So she recites the prayers.

O Krsna, I offer my obeisances unto You because You are the original personality and are unaffected by the qualities of the material world. You are existing both within and without everything, yet You are invisible to all.

You are Adi Purusa, you are Parmeshvara and you are beyond this material nature. Your qualities are divine. So nirakar means He does not have material form.  So when Anantasesa recites katha there is crowd of people at His every mouth.

adyapiha ‘sesa’-deva sahasra-sri-mukhe
gayena chaitanya-yasa, anta nahi dekhe  (Sri Chaitanya-bhagavat: Adi 1.69)

“To this very day, Lord Sesa chants Sri Chaitanya’s glories with thousands of mouths and still does not see their end.”

vrndavana-gamana, prabhu-caritra ananta
sahasra-vadana yanra nahi pa na anta (CC Madhya 18.223)

Krsna Dasa Kaviraja described how Caitnaya Mahaprabhu  was welcomed in Vrndavan. Brids are singing and trees are shaking their branches and flowers are falling on His feet welcoming. Some trees are giving fruits. Caitanya Mahaprabhu reaches bank of Yammuna, there came deer and started licking Him. Yammuna was bewildered oh My Lord has come. She moved towards Him and washed His feet. This Krsna Dasa Kaviraja has described but he said at the end only Anantasesa can glorify the qualities of the Lord I can’t do that.

There are many qualities in the Lord but Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu states 64 qualities. Of  them 50 qualities are there in us in lower degree. Like a mountain of gold and ring of gold. 5 more qualities are found in Demigods Brahma, Shiva. 5 more qualities are in the expansions of the Lord.  4 more qualities are there Lord Krsna only. Lord Krsna is avatari.

Four qualities are Rupa madhurya, Guna madhurya, Lila madhurya and Veenu madhurya. Demigods are not expansions of the Lord. They are svargavasi but the expansions of the Lord stay in Vaikuntha. Try to understand this.

Then comes the 64 qualities of the Lord.

Shrila Rupa Gosvami, after consulting various scriptures, has enumerated the transcendental qualities of the Lord Shri Krishna as follows:

(1) Beautiful features of the entire body; 
(2) Marked with all auspicious characteristics; 
(3) Extremely pleasing; 
(4) Effulgent; 
(5) Strong; 
(6) Ever youthful; 
(7) Wonderful linguist; 
(8) Truthful; 
(9) Talks pleasingly; 
(10) Fluent; 
(11) Highly learned; 
(12) Highly intelligent; 
(13) A genius; 
(14) Artistic; 
(15) Extremely clever; 
(16) Expert; 
(17) Grateful; 
(18) Firmly determined; 
(19) An expert judge of time and circumstances; 
(20) Sees and speaks on the authority of Vedas, or scriptures; 
(21) Pure; 
(22) Self-controlled; 
(23) Steadfast; 
(24) Forbearing; 
(25) Forgiving; 
(26) Grave; 
(27) Self-satisfied; 
(28) Possessing equilibrium; 
(29) Magnanimous; 
(30) Religious; 
(31) Heroic; 
(32) Compassionate; 
(33) Respectful; 
(34) Gentle; 
(35) Liberal; 
(36) Shy; 
(37) The protector of surrendered souls; 
(38) Happy; 
(39) The well-wisher of devotees; 
(40) Controlled by love; 
(41) All-auspicious; 
(42) Most powerful; 
(43) All-famous; 
(44) Popular; 
(45) Partial to devotees; 
(46) Very attractive to all women; 
(47) All-worshipable; 
(48) All-opulent; 
(49) All-honorable; 
(50) The supreme controller.

 (51) Changeless; 
(52) All-cognizant; 
(53) Ever fresh; 
(54) Sac-cid-ananda (possessing an eternal blissful body); 
(55) Possessing all mystic perfections.

 (56) He has inconceivable potency. 
(57) Uncountable universes generate from His body. 
(58) He is the original source of all incarnations. 
(59) He is the giver of salvation to the enemies whom He kills. 
(60) He is the attractor of liberated soul.

 (61) He is the performer of wonderful varieties of pastimes (especially His childhood pastimes). 
(62) He is surrounded by devotees endowed with wonderful love of Godhead. 
(63) He can attract all living entities all over the universes by playing on His flute. 
(64) He has a wonderful excellence of beauty which cannot be rivaled anywhere in the creation.

Srila Prabhupadaki..jai. I remembered Prabhupada because Prabhupada has translated Bhakti Rasamrita grantha for us, so you should all keep this grantha in your house you can take it from the book stall.

I wanted attract your attention , to this pranam mantra

namo maha-vadanyaya krishna-prema-pradaya te
krishnaya krishna-chaitanya- namne gaura-tvishe namah

The name, form, qualities and pastimes are mentioned in this pranam mantra.

Lord is very very magnanimous. Most magnanimous Lord is Caitanya Mahaprabhu, mahavadanyaya. That’s the quality.

Krishna prema prada- The giver of Krishna prema. He gives Krishna prema. The pastime of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is to distribute Krishna prema.

krishnaya krishna-chaitanya

krishnaya meaning I offer my obeisance’s to Krishna . krishnaya namah. But which Krishna I offer my obeisance’s unto?

“krishnaya krishna caitanya namine”

Whose name is Krishna Caitanya unto that Krishna I offer my obeisance’s. So His name is Krishna Caitanya.

gaura-tvishe namah

Tvisha means complexion. And His complexion is golden. So that’s the form. In this one little pranam mantra Rupa Goswami has mentioned all the four features of Caitanya.

Gaudiya Vaisnavas are specialized in Radha Krishna
Venue: Russia, Sadhu sanga
Dated: September 13, 2017
Second session

We continue to our talk about the Gaudiya Vaisnavaism. The subject is very vast and deep. We did say that Krishna consciousness is Gaudiya Vaisnavaism. When we say that, then everything about Krishna consciousness is also about Gaudiya Vaisnavaism. All the talks have direct or indirect relationship with Gaudiya Vaisnavaism.

sri radhika m?dhav yor apaar madhurya lila gun Rupa namnam
pratikshana aswadan lolupasya vande guroh sri charnarvindam

So what do our Acaryas do? We offer our obeisance to such special masters, to such acaryas. What do they do? Every kshan –kshan is moment.

lava matra sadhu sange

That lava is also one measurement of time. Lava or kshan means moment.

nimishen chakshusa pravrishayitam

nimishen-nimish is another measurement of time, it means fraction of a second-lava, nimish or kshan.

pratikshana aswadan lolupasya

So our acaryas, there is addiction. They are addicted to talk about Sri radhika madhav yor apaar. We have Radha Madhav or Radha Krishna here. Our acaryas are busy addicted to talk, discuss, hear about Radha Madhav- Madhurya lila guna rupa namnam. Different names of Radha Madhav, their guna –qualities, lila-past times.

Sri radhika madhav yor apaar Madhurya- lila

Past times of Radha Madhav, dhama of Radha Madhav. So they talk about Radha Madhav , their names, their qualities, past times their abode, their associates, their emotions , their bhava and their bhaktas .

All these are Gaudiya Vaisnavaism topics and discussions. These are Gaudiya Vaisnavaism subject matter. If it is Radha Madhav then there is Gaudiya Vaisnavaism. Where there is Lakshmi Narayan there is Sri Sampradaya, where Ramanuja- Ramanujaism. So we are Gaudiya Vaisnava specialized in or with Radha Krishna. So when we talk of Gaudiya Vaisnava, of course Vishnu comes in the picture. But for us, Gaudiyas –Vishnu is Krishna. For some Vishnu is Vishnu, for some Vishnu is Ram, for some Vishnu is Dwarkadhish but for Gaudiya Vaisnava, Vishnu is Krishna.

“Vrindayai tulsidevyai priyayai keshwasya cha”

There what do we say,

“vishnu bhakti prade devi satyavatyai namo namah”

We do say Vishnu bhakti but we mean Krishna bhakti. For us Vishnu is Krishna, Krishna is Vishnu.

“tulsi krishna preyasi namo namah
radha krishna seva paba aei abhilasi”
Immediately we pray to Tulsi- radha krishna seva paba
“sri radha govind preme sada yena bhasi
tulsi krishna preyasi namo namah”

We pray at your feet, Tulsi Maharani give us Radha Govinda prema. So for Gaudiya Vaisnava’s, of course Vishnu is in the centre, Vishnu is in the focus and that Vishnu is Krishna. When we say Gaudiya Vaisnava certainly Vishnu is in the picture also. Vishnu and the Vaisnava go together. Now who is Vaisnava?

“bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate
vasudevah sarvamiti sa mahatma sudurlabhah”

After many, many births who has come to understand vasudevah sarvam-vaasudev is all in all, is a Vaisnava. Until now we were saying Vishnu. Vishnu -now another name came up Vasudev. For us Vishnu is Krishna, Vaasudev is Krishna, son of Vasudev. Father is Vasudev and mother Devki and son is Vaasudev. This is how it works in Sanskrit. Son of Vasudev becomes Vaasudev, son of Kunti becomes Kaunteya like that. One, who has come to realize that Vaasudev is all in all, Krishna is all in all, is a Vaisnava .Krishna is the Supreme.

There are 4 sampradayas and acaryas. For them Vishnu is Supreme or Ram is Supreme, Varah is Supreme or Lakshmi Narayan is Supreme. But for Gaudiya Vaisnava Radha Krishna are Supreme. We are Vaisnava and there are other 3 Vaisnavas. They are Sri Vaisnavas, Nimbark Vaisnavas etc. but we are Gaudiya Vaisnava.

Yesterday we talked about Krishna making His appearance at the end of Dwapara yuga and then soon after Krishna’s appearance Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared. He appeared with His associates.

“krsnavarnam tvisakrsnam sangopastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana prayair yajanti su-medhasah”

Bhagavatam says this is one verse that talks about Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s appearance mentioned in 11th canto, chapter 5, text 31.

“krsnavarnam krsnavarnam tvisakrsnam”

That Lord appeared and He was doing varnam-varnam means also varnan- description. He remained busy in describing Krishna or He chanted.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Ram Hare Ram, Ram Ram Hare Hare

And then He talked also krsnavarnam –varnam are also syllables like ka, kha, ga, gha, ta, tha, da, dha, pa, pha, ba, bha etc. These are varnmala. By using these varnas, aksharas Lord described the Lord, Caitanya Mahaprabhu described Lord-Krshnavarnam. Now sangopastra prasadam. He was associated with His angas and upangas – different associates. Vishnu, Krishna, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and all His associates put together are part of Gaudiya Vaisnavaism discussion.

Yesterday we mentioned Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. What is His Name, Guna, Rupa, Lila.
“namo mahavadanyay” prayer. What is the quality of Caitanya Mahaprabhu mentioned in that pranam mantra? What is He known for? What does He do? Ok He is Patit pavan.

“krishna prem pradayte” is His lila- His past time. Then He is mahavadanyaya. So what is mahavadanyaya-magnanimous? Lord is charitable. He shared Krishna consciousness with the world. He shared Krishna with the world. He gave Krishna in the form of Krishna’s name. He described Krishna. That is why Lord was known as Mahavadanyaya-magnanimous. He is doing this activity, magnanimity, charity, giving Krishna to everybody with the help of His associates.

During Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His associate’s time, Bengal was called Gaudadesh. India was divided into North India and South India. North India was known as Pancha Gauda .There were 5 parts of North India. We have Pancha Gauda Prabhu as the temple President of Vrindavan. South India was divided into 5 provinces during ancient days known as Pancha Dravid, so Pancha Gauda and Pancha Dravid. I also had a god brother. He is still there, Prabhupada named him Pancha Dravid Swami. When I received my first initiation, he received his sannyasa initiation. My name was Raghunath, Prabhupada made me Lokanath and he received the name Pancha Dravid Swami. Gauda is a state, region in the country-Bengal, Orissa. Especially Bengal is Gauda. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in Bengal and His whole sampradaya is called as Gaudeshwara sampradaya, another name. We are Gaudiya Vaisnava or Gaudeshwara Sampradaya connected with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and all His associates together are magnanimous. They shared Krishna, they gave Krishna in the form of past times of Krishna.

“ami to kangala ,krishna krishna boli, dhai tava pache pache”

This is the prayer of Narottam Das Thakur where he says `O Vaisnava` I am running after you.

“krishna se tomara, krishna dite paro, tomara sakti ache”

You are very much competent to give Krishna to me. You have Krishna, you have Krishna and you are competent to give that Krishna to me. `O Vaisnava`, I am running after you. I am poor, I am bankrupt. Please give me Krishna. Please, please give me Krishna.

Chaitanyan Mahaprabhu and all His associates, a big team –they gave Krishna to the whole world. Not to the Indians, not to the Hindus only. What they were giving was meant for the whole world. That is why Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said that He had brought with Him

“goloker premdhan hari naam sankirtan”

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu described this Hari-nama as the wealth. Is anyone interested here to become wealthy? I am not surprised, not everybody interested. So

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Ram Hare Ram, Ram Ram Hare Hare

So you have become wealthy now. Hari Bol. In order to be happy, you need wealth, right .In general if I need to make money, I want to become wealthy so that I could be happy, I could enjoy. So anyone is interested in being happy? Now everyone is interested .So Prabhupada said, Chant Hare Krishna and be Happy. You need wealth to be happy and Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna is the wealth. If you acquire this wealth more and more, and more and more you become enriched. You become wealthy, richer in consciousness. Your emotions become purified and solidified and the outcome is happiness.

So, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and company, associates gathered and gave the wealth to this world in the form of Holy Name. Especially the talks about the Lord, in other words the literature of Gaudiya Vaisnavaism is amazing. The contribution of Gauranga and company His associates, what they left behind the wealth in the form of their writings, granthas, scriptures, commentaries and bhasyas are amazing. This is their charity and their magnanimity. They are such high grade literature-the top class with so many minute details. You cannot find nothing in the world of literature whether Russian literature, German literature, American or in India- this literature, that literature or in any scriptures, the Quran, the Bible. But the scriptures the granthas given by Gauranga and Gauranga associates are top notch.

When Prabodhananda Saraswati “Prabodhanada saraswati Thakur ki jai”. He joined Krishna consciousness movement, he got a kind of converted as he was part of another sampradaya, then he became Gaudiya Vaisnava. He was already a part of another sampradaya, but after joining Krishna consciousness or Gaudiya Vaisnavaism then he was comparing what he had received, heard or read before with Gaudiya Vaisnava literature. He was in Sri Rangam. He was the uncle of Gopal Bhatt Swami. When Chaitanya Mahaprabhu visited Sri Rangam, He stayed there for 4 months during chaturmasya once one year. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu stayed with this particular family of Venkata Bhatt and Gopal Bhatt. The family came in contact with Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Then they were all attracted to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His teachings, Krishna Conciousness, Gaudiya Vaisnavaism. At least two members of the family Prabodhanand Saraswati and Gopal Bhatta, his nephew left Sri Rangam and migrated to Vrindavan. Prabodhananda Saraswati Thakur was a big name, acarya. He wrote several scriptures, granthas like Vrindavan Mahimamrita, Glories of Vrindavan and Chaitanya Chandramrita, is the another one. Anyway in these scriptures, he wrote his realizations.
“vanchitosmi vanchitosmi vanchitosmi asansayah”

I was very badly cheated, `O` I was very badly cheated.

“vancito smi vancito smi vancito smi na samsayah

Visvam gaura rase magnam sparso pi mama nabhavat” (The Nectar moon of Lord Caitanya by Srila Prabhodananda Saraswati) Gaudiya Vaisnavas were absorbed in Gaura rasa, the juice or nectar given by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Gaudiya Vaisnavas were drinking that nectar and absorbed in the nectar and were swimming in the ocean of nectar. “sparso pi mama nabhavat” not even a single drop has touched me. I was cheated, very badly cheated.

Anyone who comes in contact to Krishna consciousness with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement, receives the benefit and the nectar and will say similar to what Prabodhananda Saraswati Thakur said-I was cheated, I was cheated-anyone here feels like that? Compare with what you had received before as part of this religion, that religion, this `ism`, that `ism etc. Since now you have received Gaudiya Vaisnavaism can you see the difference? Yes or no? No comparison, we can’t compare.

Then same Prabodhananda Saraswati Thakur made another statement.

“avatirne gaurachandre vistirne prema sagare, en majyanti majyanti te maha anartha sagare”
He says Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu made His appearance, “avatirne gaurachandre”
Gaurachandra appeared and what did He do? “vistirne prema sagare”.He expanded the ocean of nectar-expanded, expanded. Maybe it was Mayapur Vrindavan limited, India limited. But soon then, “Srila Prabhupadaa ki jai”, Srila Prabhupadaa cut the canal. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had predicted this or expected this to happen.

“prithivite ache yata nagar gram, sarvatra prachara more naam”

These are the words of Chaitanya Mahaprabh. He said prithvi-prithvi, could you say prithvi” What is prithvi?” Earth is prithvi. “prithivite ache yata nagar gram” as many towns and villages are there on prithvi, on planet earth,-“my name will be chanted in every town, every village all over the planet”. Srila Prabhupada did that on behalf of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Prabhupadaa by founding the International society for Krishna Consciousness, he made Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s prediction true, the Lord’s prediction. Lord was thinking of the world. Why would He think of only Hindus or only Indians? Why would God think like this? Even Vaisnavas do not think like this then why would Vishnu, Krishna, Chaitanya think like this? You may also call it as Gaudiya Vaisnava’s world’s view. They think `vasudhaiva`-vasudha is another word for prithvi. I said prithvi some minutes ago prithvi is planet. Vasudha is also the name for earth .From vasudha-vasudhaiv kutumbkam. You have heard the word` kutumba`. Some of you know, kutumba. Kutumba means family. So vasudhaiv kutumbkam, all the people on this planet are part of my family. How big is your family? Everybody on this planet especially humans are part of my family. This is how Vishnu thinks, Vaisnavaas think.

“ayam nijah paro veti ganana laghu chetsam”

To think these people are my people and these people are outside people. To think like this is laghu chetsam, laghu is opposite of guru. You know guru, guru means heavy, broad or big is guru. Light or low is laghu. Laghu chetsa, chetsa means consciousness or thoughts. Those who are low thinkers, small minded, they think these are my people and these are outside people. But the Gaudiya Vaisnavas thought is, everybody is part of my family because who is the head of the family, Krishna, Krishna’s family, Krishna’s children.

“aham bija pradah pita”

He did say I am the father of all the living entities. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu did predict that His holy name will reach every town, every village not just the Holy Name but Gaudiya Vaisnavaism will spread everywhere, and this Gaudiya Vaisnavaism , the Krishna Consciousness is for the benefit or for the upliftment of all the living entities. Ok, we could quickly say, Prabhupada said Gita is the primary text book, Bhagavatam is for graduation study and what he said about Chaitanya Charitamrita-post graduation. Chaitanya and His associates have given us the syllabus for post- graduation study. Rest of the world has Bhagwatam but Gaudiya Vaisnava has Chaitanya Bhagavat. Srila Vyasdev compiled Srimad Bhagavat and when he found that Krishna has appeared again, Srila Vyasdev appeared again. Then he wrote another Bhagavatam and that Bhagavat is Chaitanya Bhagavat. Author of Srimad Bhagavaat and Chaitanya bhagavat is same, Srila Vyasdev. Chaitanya Bhagavat is for post-graduation study, higher study. Then we have Chaitanya Charitamrita, Chaitanya Mangal, Chaitanyacharita. There are several scriptures which talk about Chaitanya Mahaprabhu His appearance, His past times. Then Gaudiya Vaisnava’s literature is there. Chaitanya Charitamrita, Chaitanya Bhagavat as well as Gaudiya Vaisnava literatures reveal Krishna more and more-revelations, revelations. The writers of the Gaudiya Vaisnava literatures are the associates of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu like the six Goswamis of Vrindavan Rupa Goswam Prabhupada ki jai”.

“Sri caitanyo mano-bhistam sthapitam yena bhu-tale
Swayam Rupaah kada mahyam dadati swa-padantikam”

What is the speciality of personality like Rupa Goswami. He has access to the mind of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. “chaitanya manah”-manah is mind. Sri Chaitanya manah abhisthah, whatever Mahaprabhu is thinking, Rupa Goswami gets to know. So, that kind of personality is writing. Who is Rupa Goswami in Chaitanya’s eternal lila? He is Rupa manjari .He is the leader of all the manjaris. Manjaris are in some sense better and purer, innocent and very close to Radha Krishna. So, is there anything hidden from the vision of Rupa manjari? She is always with Radha Krishna, day and night. So that Rupa Manjari appears as one of the six Goswami’s of Vrindavan. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has instructed the six Goswamis to discover, uncover the past times places of Krishna, worship Radha Krishna in Vrindavan and specially to write books. Srila Rupa Goswami writes about,

“radha-krsna-padaravinda-bhajananandena mattalikau”

He is absorbed in Radha Krishna bhajan Himself. He has written so many, many scriptures. Most popular is which Srila Prabhupada also translated from Sanskrit into English, the summary study of Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu is the Nectar of Devotion in English and the subtitle, the science of bhakti yoga. And you could study the Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu-Nectar of devotion, rasa. The topic is also rasa. When there is lot of ras then it is called raas. From ras comes raas- raas dance, raas krida ,raas lila. There is shanta rasa, sakhya rasa, dasya rasa, vatsalya rasa and madhurya rasa. He describes each of these rasas. There is nothing in the world that could be compared to Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu of Rupa Goswami that talks about emotions, devotion to the Lord. You have studied Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu? Not many. Is it available in Russia? You will be amazed when you read it. So everything is, as it is, as experienced by Rupa Manjari, he has revealed that. The revelations, the Christianity, the Islamic are revelations, when those revelations come, they become shastras or scriptures. What is revealed in those scriptures or unto those personalities is very preliminary, very basic.

The Moses and the Lord they were having dialogue and the Moses says, Lord reveal something more. Who are you Lord, who are you? Something like that .The response was, I am what I am. Ok, Lord spoke everything, I am what I am, full stop. Did He say much? He said everything , I am what I am. Why are you bothering me? I am what I am. So, not much revelations but from Gaudiya Vaisnava Acaryas there is nothing hidden from them. So Rupa Goswami not only writes Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu, he continues Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu writing. He writes Ujjwal Neelmani which is like continuation of Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu, Nectar of Devotion. The details He talks about, writes about are out of this world. Of course they are out of this world because he is writing about another world, the gopis and kinds of gopis, their bhava, their emotions.

I think that was Vishwanath Chakravarti in Aishwarya Kadambini and Madhurya Kadimbini, there he talks about shraddha to prema. Adau shraddha, we start from shraddha and we go up to prema. Prema prayojan.

“prema pumarto mahan”

Prema as the destination or finally to achieve something is prema. But then in Gaudiya Vaisnava literature, Rupa Goswami adds, there are more levels of prem. He says when Prema become condensed, it is called Sneha. When Sneha is solidified, more condensed, then it is known as Mana. When Mana becomes more condensed, becomes Pranaya and then like that. There is Raga and Anuraga, Bhava and Mahabhava, Madana, Modana. He defines each one of them and illustrated them with examples, how it works in spiritual sky, how it works in Golok, how it works in Vrindavan, how Krishna’s deals with Radha and Gopis. This whole rasa sastras, the science of rasa- the mellows all were explained. All of them contributed Sanatana Goswami has his scriptures, a big list, Rupa Goswami so many and Jiva Goswami too. They say the world has not seen such scholar like Jiva Goswami. He could be compared with Srila Vyasdev. His contribution was Bhagavad Sandarbha. He has written six granthas. They all talk about Bhagavatam, how to understand Bhagavatam, the position of Bhagavatam, Parmatma sandarbha and Priti sandarbha amazing. Like that I am just pointing out few drops. Then there were six Goswamis.

“nana – sastra-vicaranaika-nippunau sad dharma-samsthapakau
lokanam hita-karinau tribhuvane manyaou saranyakarau
radha-krsna-padarvinda-bhajananandena mattalikau
vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri –jiva-gopalakau”

We will talk talk more about Gaudiya Vaisnava vangmaya or literature. I could say only one thing before we end today. This is what Jaidev Goswami said, so there is no scripture like Geet Govinda. Geet Govinda is nectarian and the nectar of this world is nothing (feels like spitting). The nectarian nature of Geet Govinda and the other scriptures which I just mentioned the Gaudiya literature, Gaudiya Vaisnavas writings are of same calibre as Jaidev Goswami’s Geet Govinda. What Jaidev Goswami has said about Geet Govinda could be easily applied to other writings of other Vaisnava Acaryas. He says “you sugar in front of my Geet Govinda, you have become karkasha.” Sugar in Sanskrit is called sarkara and salt is called karkasha. He is playing with the words.

“You are just like the sand. The world glorifies you. Sugar is glorified, sugar has big name, sweet sugar but in front of my Geet Govinda, you are just like sand on the beach of black sea. Everyone kicks you, you are just sand`O sugar.”

Then he says, drakshe-draksha is grapes. Grapes are called draksha in Sanskrit. He is addressing those grapes, `O grapes`-grapes also have big name –grape fruits, grape juice. People make wine out of it. But he says, drakshanti-draksha means to see and there is this another verb. “O draksha who will see you now”? drakshe ke drakshanti-O draksha, O grapes who will see you now? Nobody will care to look at you in the presence of my Geet Govinda.”

Then he turns to amrita-amrita, you know amrita- this amrita that amrita. When the asuras did the churning and what did they obtained amrita. There was Amrita mahotsav and they were battling for the amrita, Mohini Murti, amrita kalash. So everyone fights for amrita. Amrita is in big demand but Jaidev Goswami says, “amritam mritam asi”
“You die now” Amrita means eternal or immortal but “In front of my nectarian geet govinda, you just die now. You are supposed to be eternal but now you die. Your death is here.”

Then he turns to ksheer not kheer. Ksheer is different from kheer, ksheer chor Gopinath. Condensed milk with no rice is ksheer and when there is rice, it is kheer. So condensed milk preparation is ksheer. He says,
“ksheer neeram rasate”

ksheer is milk and neer is water. Now your value “O ksheer, O milk preparation your value is as good as water, you are just water.”

Then he says,
“makande kranda”

Makanda is mango juice, mango the king of all fruits and now the juice a big potful of mango juice. “makand kranda” kranda means cry. “O mango juice now in the presence of my Geet Govinda nectar you do kranda, you cry now” (imitates to cry). You could only cry, makanda kranda “O mango juice, now you cry, you can only cry”.
The last item he says,

“kanta adhar dhara tula gacha”

He has put at the end of this list, kanta adhar, the lips of woman. The whole world is aspiring for the nectar of the lips the kiss of a woman. The topmost nectar relished is the adhar, the lips of woman. Now what he has to say about this nectar, You go down now, you go to hell. Only place you will find now is hell. You go to hell, no buyers for you, no takers for you. Those who relish the nectar of my Geet Govinda, they would spit at the nectar of the adhar, lips of woman. So all Gaudiya Vaisnava literatures are like that.

“param dristwa nivartate”

As soon as you get the higher taste, you are ready to kick the lower nature, lower thinking, lower status and then stay high for ever.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare: Hare Ram Hare Ram, Ram Ram Hare Hare.
We will talk more about the Gaudiya literature in the following presentation.
Thank you

How, when and why Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared
Venue: Russia
Dated: 12 Sept 2018
Occasion: Sadhu Sanga Festival “Gaudiya Vaishnavism” -Day one

Hare Krishna

You are welcome. Thank you for coming. We are happy to see you. I wish I could see your souls by the symptoms of the soul we could see your souls, your spirit. With the kind of spirit that you have come. That’s the spirit, that’s you, that’s your real self. So I am happy in the company of so many souls . The sadhu sanga festival is for the souls and our seminar here is also for the souls. We want only your souls, your spirit. And for the benefit of the souls we have this sadhu sanga festival and also the seminar. As the souls now we are trying to become Gaudiya vaishnavas we are not only trying to become Vaishnavas but Gaudiya vaishnavas. Yes? Not sure, “yes” Haribol.

There are different vaishnavas. Lots of them are avaishnavas, they are nothing. But there are vaishnavas also, different traditions sampradaya. Amongst them the gaudiya vaishnavas are very very special. And that is what we are trying to be. So I thought it would be good to know our Gaudiya vaishnavism, Gaudiya tradition. The history and the development, lifestyle and the literature, Gaudiya vaishnava literature . We have our own deities and our own mantras. We have our own dhama, abode of the Lord. So Gaudiya vaishnavas have their own world. We are trying to enter that world, revive our spirit and become fit to fit into that world. So something like that came in mind. So I thought of presenting this seminar called Gaudiya Vaishnavism. To know our roots, etc.

Today we will mostly talk about how, when and why Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared. Brief descriptions and development in that regard. And then to achieve His goal of why He makes His appearance, how He creates the scene or setting. And how did Gaudiya vaishnava parampara got established. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu made Himself part of it. He became a member of Gaudiya vaishnava parampara and He practised. God became Gaudiya Vaishnava. God became devotee, bhakta avatar. He is a bhakti, He is a devotee. And that way setting an example for all of us, the aspiring Gaudiya vaishnavas, Haribol.

paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge (BG 4.8)

You know that mantra right? Lord said I appear, I am here. I make appearance in every age yuge yuge, in every yuga. Okay He appears, Krishna says I appear but that who appears is not Krishna Himself but His expansions, His avatar, His plenary portion appears in each age. So there are different kinds of avatar. There is Yuga Avatar, Lila avatar, Guna avatar, Shaktyavesa avatar. One of them is Yuga avatar.
So every age avatar. Satya yuga, treta yuga, dwapara yuga, kali yuga there is avatar. And there is another kind of avatar which is in the same category as Yuga avatar and that is Manvantara avatar. In one day of Brahma there are 14 Manus . And during period of each Manu there is one incarnation of Lord called as Manvantara avatar. During one day of Brahma, which is called as Kalpa. As mentioned there are 14 Manu’s and during the period of 7th Manu that is Vaivasvat Manu . Right now there is rule of Vaivasvat Manu. And there are 72 cycles of yugas in one Manu’s period. Out of that 72, when there is the 28th cycle of Dvapara yuga , at the end of Dvapara yuga, Lord Sri Krishna appears, Haribol. And that Lord is Svayam Bhagvan.

krishnastu bhagavan svayam

Svayam Bhagavan appears once in one day of Brahma during Vaivasvata Manu’s dvapara yuga, 28th dvapara yuga. The Lord appeared in Vrindavan which is known as Madhurya Dhama. There is Aishwarya dhama of Narayana and other avataras and Vrindavan is known as Madhurya dhama where Lord Krishna becomes very Madhur.

“madhuradhipater akhilam madhuram”

Everything about Krishna is very sweet very nectarian. Especially He is known for 4 kinds of madhuryas, sweetnesses of nectars. That makes Him very special Lord or that makes Him Krishna. You know what those are?

The four madhuryas :
1. Rupa madhurya : the beauty of Krishna
2. Venu madhurya: He plays on His divine flute, thus attracting all souls
3. LIla madhurya : His pastimes sweet pastimes
4. Prem madhurya : His loving dealings with His devotes.

So Lord Krishna performed His pastimes, sweet pastimes in Vrindavan and all these sweetness of Krishna are because of Radha Rani also .Jaya Radhe. Krishna is incomplete without Radha. And Radha and Krishna is together is complete unit or personality. So while Krishna was performing His pastimes along with Srimati Radhika. It must be at the end of His pastimes the Lord must be revealing His pastimes, contemplating on His pastimes which He had been performing. And Lord’s realisation was that when Me and Radharani deal with each other, it seems that Radharani gets the better deal. She enjoys more. She is more happy than I am, why is that? Then He becomes eager to understand Radharani. In fact He becomes greedy to know Radharani.

Rukmini has also said in Dwaraka, “My dear Lord there is something You do not know.” What do you mean I don’t know? I am the Lord. Bhagavatam says I am abhijnah svarat – the knower of everything and you say I don’t know something. Yes yes there are somethings which only Radharani knows. I also know but Radharani knows more. And Krishna keeps thinking and He wants to know. He wants to know something that Rukmini said you don’t know.

So with that as the pastimes of Vrindavan closed Lord made up His mind. Next time I make My appearance, I will become Radha. I will take the mood of Radharani. I will play the role of Radharani and that way I will find out Radharani. So then Krishna had appeared in the last 125 years of dvapara yuga or Krishna’s pastime years.

“shyam tyaktva svapadam gatah tad dinat kalir ayatah“

The scriptures say the day when Krishna returned to His own abode was the first day of the age of kali. Then at the very beginning of the age of Kali.

“kaleh prathama-sandhyayam” (Brahma Puran)

Lord appeared again. May be just a gap of 4 and 5 or four and a half thousand years, Krishna appeared again. Haribol.
And this Krishna is also Svayam Bhagavan Krishna. And this time during Vrindavan pastimes there was Him Krishna and there was Radharani, Radha Krishna-two. But when He appeared 500 years ago they were not two they were one. Now that is Gauranga… Gauranga… Gauranga. Now why is He called Gauranga? Gaura- anga whose anga is Gaura. Whose bodily complexion is golden is Gauranga.

“ekatmanav api bhuvi pura deha bhedam gatau tau”

Caitanya Caritamrita describes in the very beginning. Radha and Krishna are ekatmana, they are one. But to perform their pastimes they become two. “deha bhedam gatau tau” they become two.

caitanyakhyam prakatam adhuna tad-dvayam caikyam aptam

So they are one they had become two. But then again those two become one “tad-dvayam caikyam aptam ” that is Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
“anta krishna bahir gauraha” Chaitanya Bhagavat says. Krishna is hiding inside and outside is Radharani. He is hiding within Radha or behind Radha . And now He has become a devotee. Radha is a devotee. And He worships Krishna or experiences Krishna through the eyes of Radharani through the consciousness of Radharani.

Because Lord has accepted,

radha-bhava-dyuti-suvalitam naumi krsna-svarupam (CC Madya 8.282)
Navami is what it is 9th day also. Navami means I offer my obeisances.

naumi krishna svarupam

I offer my obeisance’s unto that form of the Lord. You like to offer also your obeisance?Haribol. But what kind of svarup is this? Svarupa which has Radha bhava- Radha’s emotions, Radha’s devotion, Radha’s consciousness, Radha like thoughts, that is one. Radha bhava is one. Radha dyuti – someone here has a name called Radha dyuti? Anywhere in Russia? It’s a nice name. Many devotees have. In Mayapur there are several devotees called Radha dyuti. What is dyuti? Dyuti means complexion. Radha bhava Radha dyuti. You understand Bhava right, there is no need of translation. Radha bhava Radha dyuti. Dyuti means complexion, colour. The kind of colour-Gauranga-Gaurangi. Radharani is Gaurangi and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Gauranga. So this Gauranga Gauranga. So He is Radha and Krishna combined. And He wants to practice Krishna consciousness. He is playing the role of a devotee.

“panca-tattvatmakam krishnam bhakta-rupa-svarupakam”

Panca tattva, pancattavatmakam Krishna. Panca-Krishna has become five and tattva- truths. Five truths panca-tattvatmakam krishnam.
First one is bhakta rupa that is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Rupa is form. He has taken the form of a bhakta. So now Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is svayam Bhagavan. Are there two svayam Bhagavans? Krishna is one svayam Bhagavan and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu another svayam Bhagavan. Are there two? One plus one two. How do we understand? How many svayam Bhagavans are there? There could be only one svayam Bhagavan.

Then there are svayam prakash and many other vibhina amasas, svamsa like that. Amsas plenary portions are there, parts and parcels. But svayam Bhagavani s only one in number. How many svayam Bhagavans are there? One. So that is Krishna? Then what about Caitanya Mahaprabhu? Does that make two svayam Bhagavan? Same svayam Bhagavan Krishna appeared again. Only difference is change of name. One svayam Bhagavan is known as Krishna other svayam Bhagavan is known as Krishna Caitanya.
namo maha-vadanyaya krishna-prema-pradaya te

krishnaya krishna-chaitanya- namne gaura-tvishe namah

So in this prayer that you just recited the name of Krishna is mentioned here. Four things are mentioned here. The name, form, qualities and pastimes are mentioned in this pranam mantra.

namo mahavadanyaya

Lord is very very magnanimous. Most magnanimous Lord is Caitanya Mahaprabhu, mahavadanyaya. What is that? Is that a name, form, quality pastime? That’s the quality. Quality is covered.

krishna-prema-pradaya te

Krishna prema prada- the giver of Krishna prema. He gives Krishna prema. What is that? Lila. It’s the pastime. The pastime of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is to distribute Krishna prema.

krishnaya krishna-chaitanya

krishnaya meaning I offer my obeisance’s to Krishna . krishnaya namah. But which Krishna I offer my obeisance’s unto?

“krishnaya krishna caitanya namine”

Whose name is Krishna Caitanya unto that Krishna I offer my obeisance’s. So His name is Krishna Caitanya. Say Krishna Caitanya.

Caitanya means spirit, the consciousness, the life that we feel we feel that. So He is known as Krishna Caitanya, full of life, ecstatic life- Krishna Caitanya. So that is His name.

gaura-tvishe namah

Tvisha means complexion. And His complexion is golden. So what is that one? That’s the form. In this one little pranam mantra Rupa Goswami has mentioned all the four features of Caitanya.

namo maha-vadanyaya krishna-prema-pradaya te
krishnaya krishna-chaitanya- namne gaura-tvishe namah
Now probably you understand more what this pranam mantra means. So svayam Bhagavan Krishna has appeared as Krishna Caitanya. Appeared as a bhakta rupa and now He wants to perform bhakti like Radha. Radha bhakti, Radha Bhava. Krishna wants to become Radha conscious. Of course Radharani is Krishna conscious. Yes you understand. Radha is Krishna conscious and Krishna is Radha conscious.

So Krishna wants to become Radha conscious. Radha’s consciousness. Radha’s emotion. Radha like devotion. So in order to practice that the whole scene has been set. And the Gaudiya Vaishnavism has been put into place. Beginning with Madhavendra Puri. He is the first Gaudiya Vaishanava acharya. Have you heard of Madhavendra Puri? Jai Madhavendra Puri. It’s a big name. So Madhavendra Puri was initiated by Lakshmipati Tirtha.

Lakshmipati Tirth was one of the acarya in the disciplic succession of Madhvacharya. Brahma Madhva then many acharyas and then Lakshmipati Tirtha. And Madhavendra Puri was initiated by Lakshmipati Tirtha. And although he was initiated in the line of Madhva, he had some different dimension to his life and consciousness and practices. Yeah we could say that the two kinds of practioners of God consciousness Krishna consciousness. This is the described also in Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu by Rupa Goswami.

One is called Vaidhi sadhana bhakti and the other one is Raganuga sadhana bhakti. So Madhavendra Puri he became Raganuga sadhana bhakti practitioner. Those who practice vaidhi sadhana rules and regulations. Vaidhi comes from vidhi – rules and regulations. Such practitioners go to Vaikuntha loka. The Raganuga practitioners are different. Raga anuga- ragamarga, Gaudiya vaishnava path is also known as Raga marga. Marga means path the way and raga is, there are different ragas. Different kinds of attachments to the Lord. Specially in Vrindavan, there is vatsalya, sakhya , madhurya. These are different bhava or raga, devotees attached to those different mellows. In Vrindavan there is no practically no dasya, very little smell of dasya. Krishna has mostly His friends – sakhya bhava. Krishna has His parents- vatsalya bhava and Krishna has His Gopis that is madhurya bhava or rasa.

“parakiya bhave jahan prajete prachar”

And Vrindavan there is a practice of parakiya bhava . In Sringar rasa or madhurya rasa has two categories two kinds of Madhurya rasa. Parakiya bhava in Vrindavan and svakiya bhava is practiced in Dwaraka. So Gaudiya vaishnavas are practitioners of Raganuga bhakti. They pick up a devotee in one of the higher rasas or ragas and they just follow.
Ga means to go. Anu means to follow. They follow the footsteps of ideal devotee in Krishna’s pastimes. That becomes his hero or his model. So that is called Raganuga sadhana bhakti. In general we all Gaudiya Vaishnavas are called Rupanuga sadhana bhaktas. We are Rupanuga. Our leader our hero is Rupa Goswami. But then who is Rupa Goswami? Rupa Goswami is Rupa Manjari. So like that. The Raganuga bhaktas they select a devotee in one of the higher rasas and following their footsteps.

Madhavendra Puri the first acharya of Gaudiya line, he was practicing Raganuga Bhakti. The other vaishnavas they mostly restrict to dasya rasa, servant. There’s lot of awe and reverence. The God is great and I am just a nobody. I am just a servant. And then they offer their obeisance’s. But Raganuga is another experience.

“tumi ami sam”

Who do you think you are? Sometimes friends of Krishna say who do you think you are? Who are you? You and we are equal. We are friends. They talk like this. So this sakhya is also called Visrambya sakhya. Arjun and Krishna are sakhas, they are friends.

“bhakto ‘si me sakha ceti”

Krishna says. You are my friend. But that friendship is in the level of aishwarya friendship between Krishna and Arjuna. When Arjuna realises the greatness of Krishna when Krishna showed His Universal form then Arjuna was he was begging I am sorry I am sorry I didn’t realise you are that great. I thought we were equal but now I could see your greatness. Please forgive me. So that friendship is called aishwarya sakhya rasa.

In Vrindavan its Visrambha. The friends of Krishna they never beg forgiveness. I am sorry Krishna. Please please forgive me. I will never do this again. So there is difference. The relationship is raga, mellows between Krishna and His Vrindavan devotees are in higher level. So practicing that is raganuga sadhana bhakti. So Madhavendra Puri is our first acharya. He initiated even some of the members of Pancatattva. Advaita acharya was a disciple of Madhavendra Puri. Nityananda is disciple of Madhavendra Puri. Ishvara Puri is a disciple of Madhavendra Puri. Sriranga Puri is another disciple of Madhavendra Puri. Just 4 – 5 days ago we were in Pandharpur. Place called Pandharpur in Maharashtra. Pandharpur is holy place which Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited. There Caitanya Mahaprabhu found out that this Sriranga Puri who was a disciple of Madhavendra Puri was in Pandharpur. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu immediately found out and where is Sriranga Puri? Where is he? Where is he? He went there. When he saw Sriranga Puri who was godbrother of his spiritual master. Ishvara Puri is a disciple of Madhavendra puri and Sriranga Puri is also disciple. So in Pandharpur, Caitanya Mahaprabhu met the god brother of his spiritual master. And then they embraced each other. When Sriranga Puri when he saw Caitanya Mahaprabhu coming in offering obeisance’s with all this emotions and feelings. Immediately he was suspecting this person must have some Gaudiya connection. He could tell, he must be some Gaudiya Vaishnava. He could detect. Anyway that was true.

And they both sat and they had Sadhu sanga festival for 7 days. How many were attending that sadhu sanga festival? Two persons. For 7 days but how many were attending? Only 2 persons. They had Hari katha. They were relishing Hari Katha, 7 days 7 nights. They were absorbed in Hari katha. Gaur Premanande Hari bol.

We were just there, we took bath in the same river almost same place where Caitanya Mahaprabhu took His bath. That time Caitanya Mahaprabhu was chanting and dancing taking darsana of Vithal Panduranga. And in fact my village is not far from Pandharpur. You may not believe to hear this but Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited my village. “Hari bol”. Not after I was born. But 500 years ago when He was in the south India tour. One day He walked through the village where we have ISKCON, it’s my village. And some months ago we installed the footprints of Caitanya Mahaprabhu in my village to remind everyone that Caitanya Mahaprabhu was here.

So Madhavendra Puri initiated many of our senior Lords. Pancatattva members and other devotees including Ishvara Puri. Then Caitanya Mahaprabhu becomes disciple of Ishvara Puri in the line coming down from Madhavendra Puri.
So now what did Caitanya Mahaprabhu do? As there are 4 sampradayas. You know which they are? Brahma Sampradaya, Sri Sampradaya, kumar Sampradaya and Rudra Sampradaya. These are the four Sampradayas. And these are authorised Sampradaya. These are paramparas or authorised schools of thought in order to perceive the truth, knowledge, realisation you have to be connected to one of these authorised paramparas.
“sampradaya-vihina ye mantras te viphala matah”
Padma purana has declared. If you try to obtain knowledge outside this 4 paramparas that would be useless, fruitless. You will never know the truth if you try to obtain knowledge outside these 4 disciplic successions. Our Gaudiya is gradually like a fifth sampradaya is coming into existence, unofficially. And naturally from Brahma sampradaya we branched out. I mean from Madhva we branched out.
Brahma Madhva sampradaya continues from Laxmipati tirtha – Madhavendra puri -Ishvara Puri- Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And we already understood that Madhavendra Puri’s practices and teachings were already different, some dimension was added Raganuga bhakti. Then Caitanya Mahaprabhu what He does is He takes two essential or best qualities from each of those 4 sampradayas. And adds those qualities into Gaudiya line, Gaudiya sampradya. Bhakti Vinod Thakura in Navadvipa Dham Mahatmya guide book which Bhakti Vinoda Thakura has compiled, he mentions this, in a dialogue between Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nimbarka acarya.
In fact all the four acharyas had encounters with Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This is even before Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s advent, these things are going on. In that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Nimbarka acharya dialogue, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says that I have taken 2 best essential qualities from each of those sampradayas. And he also mentions which 2 from Madhva, which 2 from Nimbarka, which 2 from Vishnu swami, which 2 from the fourth one.
Mayavada khandan, Madhva acharya he was really battling with Mayavadi, impersonalism. So that spirit of Madhvacarya, Caitanya Mahaprabhu has accepted. Deity worship also from Madhva. Ramanuja was known for Vaishnava seva, serving Vaishnavas. Like that from each of them he took 2 qualities making a Gaudiya sampradaya or Gaudiya Vaishavism more complete and perfect. But still our Gaudiya parampara was not taken seriously, when there was a question of worshipping the deities of Radha Govinda deities, Rupa Goswami’s Govinda.
“Govinda” (audience)
Do not say this in Jaipur, they say Govinda in Tirupati. Govinda Govinda. Sri Radha Govinda, we pray like that. When Vishvanath Chakravarty thakura was in Vrindavan and he was the protector of Gaudiya line, Gaudiya Paramapara rakshakacarya, protector. So the deities of Govindadev in Jaipur were being worshipped by Ramanandis, the sect of Ramanuja. The Gaudiya Vaishnavas also of course they wanted to serve their deities. There is Rupa Goswami’s deity, its Gaudita Vaishnava deity. But they were saying oh if you claim your Gaudiya Vaishnava parampara sampradaya where is your commentary on Vedanta. In order for accepting sampradaya as authentic there has to be commentary on Vedanta. Or they also call Prasthana -traya. All the scriptures are divided into 3 parts – Shruti prasthana, Smriti prasthana and then Nyaya prasthana. All the scriptures are put into these 3 categories. So each sampradaya each parampara, they have their understanding, their commentary. What do they understand? How do they understand shruti mantras? How do they understand smriti? Sastras .

So they have to make their presentation. So all these other 4 sampradaya acharyas had their commentaries. Madhvacarya had his commentary on Vedanta, Dvaita siddhanta. Ramanuja acharyas -vishishtha advaita. These are technical names for each of those kind of commentaries. But where is yours? You have no commentary. So we don’t accept you as bona fide authorised. So that time Vishvanatha Chakravarty Thakura, who was very elderly at that time not able to travel. So they have to go to Jaipur travel there and make a presentation of our school of thought / our parampara / our comment / our understanding. Then Vishvanatha Chakravarty Thakura had deputed Baladev Vidyabhushan. He had travelled to Jaipur. And he had debates with the sastrartha with the Ramanuja and Gaudiya. So there Baladev Vidyabhushan, he wrote a commentary on Vedanta. When the commentary was revealed unto Baladev Vidyabhushan. He was kind of taking down the dictation. Govinda was speaking and Baladev Vidyabhushan was writing and there was a commentary ready. And Baladev Vidyabhushan named that commentary as Govinda Bhasya. This Bhashya is not my Bhashya. This is not my commentary. This is whose commentary? This is Govinda’s commentary. Here it is Govinda Bhashya. So that was presented to the assembly of scholars and other sampradayas especially to the Ramanuja Sampradaya. They were amazed. They were stunned to see. And that way Gaudiya Vaishnava parampara’s got stamp of approval.
Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya ki Jaya.
Baladeva Vidyabhushana came to be known as Vedanta acharya. Gaudiya Vaishnava Siddhanta or Vedanta acarya Baladev Vidya bhushana. Vidya, the knowledge was his ornament, his alankar, his decorations. The knowledge the realisation the commentary was his. So then finally everything was set to go and our Gaudiya Vaishnava siddhanta or philosophy is kind of summed up by Caitanya Mahaprabhu in one verse.
“sri-caitanya mahaprabhor matam idam tatradaro na parah”
So this is opinion of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. At the end of the verse it’s said
Caitanya Mahaprabhor matam idam
idam means this is matam- is opinion of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So what is his opinion?
aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavanam
ramya kacid-upasana vrajavadhu-vargena ya kalpita
srimad-bhagavatam pramanam-amalam prema pumartho mahan

sri caitanya mahaprabhur-matam-idam tatradaro nah parah

Basically Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s opinion is mentioned in this verse is which is Gaudiya Vaishnava’s mat or opinion. Just some major items are mentioned. Aradhyo bhagavan-we worship Bhagavan what is His name? aradhyo bhagavan brajesha tanaya. Brajesh-who is Brajesh? Nanda Maharaj. Braja means Vrindavan and esh means master. The master of Vrindavan is Nanda Maharaj. Krishna is just his son. Father is the king. So brajesha tanaya. We worship brajesha tanaya, son of Nanda Maharaj-Nandanandan. He is our worshippable. Gaudiya’s worship Brajesha tanaya, Nandanandana. And the worshippable dhama for us is Vrindavana dhama ki Jaya.
Of course we practice our sadhana in Mayapur dham. Through Mayapur, goal is Vrindavan. Through Mayapur go to Vrindavan. Okay you want to worship Lord Sri Krishna Brajesha tanaya but how He should be worshipped? Caitanya Mahaprabhu gives His opinion again.
ramya kacid-upasana vrajavadhu-vargena ya kalpita
The example is that of Vraja vadhu varga means Gopis. The mood of gopi’s is the right mood or mode of worshipping Krishna. The way Gopi’s Radha worships Krishna that is exemplary. That kind of mood. Ok then when it comes to scripture. Which scriptures do Gaudiya Vaishnavas study and relish? Srimad Bhagavatam. Why Srimad Bhagavatam? Pramanam – its authoritative. Praman. Srimad Bhagavatam is most authoritative and amala -spotless puran.
And then what is the prayojan? What is the destination? There is sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana. What is the goal? What is destination? What is the gati? Destination? prema pumartho mahan. And this is called pancham Purusha . The 4 purusharthas are dharma, artha, kama, moksha these are four and fifth is prema pumartho mahan. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is sometimes called Prema Purushottam. Prema Purushottam. Prema Purushottam.

So to achieve love of Godhead, that is the goal. So this is sri caitanya mahaprabhur-matam-idam. Okay time is up. And we will continue other different aspects as we said Gaudiya’s have their own world. We have our acharyas , Gaudiya vaishnava acharyas . Gaudiya vaishnava literature is there. We have our own philosophy. We have our own culture. We have our lifestyle. We have our own dhamas. We have even our own mantras. We have our own deities distinct from everyone else. And this is the topmost and this is the best. So we will talk in the following days from different angles we will to approach and understand the Gaudiya vaishnavism.

Thank you.

yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado- This is the principle
Venue: ISKCON Pandharpur
Dated:26th July 2016

Occasion: Online address to english devotees on 67th Vyasa Puja

In the beginning we miscalculated my birthday and then finally we got it right. It was concluded that my birth 66 years ago. Now 66 years passed today. I was born on this Ekadashi day which is a very big day here in Pandharpur. There are one and half million pilgrims they have come to Pandharpur. And, of course, there are 5 -10 thousand Hare Krishna devotees assembled here for celebration of ashadi Ekadashi, they also call it Shayani Ekadashi. Today is the day, the Lord goes to bed for 4 months. Just prior to His going to sleep, pilgrims come and they like to have darsana of Lord. They come in big numbers. So, this is very big day for Pandharpur dhama today. This is the biggest day, in fact, for this dhama. So, I was mentioning that I consider myself very fortunate when in fact we found some 10-12 years ago that I was born on this day. I was very much moved emotionally and surcharged to know that Lord gave me birth on this day. 1949 that is my birth year. It was Tuesday and I was born. Tuesday is the day of Sri Rama. Lord Rama appeared on tuesday and Krishna appeared on wednesday. So because I appeared on tuesday, mangalwar, I think this could be possibly the reason why I was given the name, “Raghunatha” which is one of names of Sri Rama. So, all day there are festivities here.

I think possibly some of you watched live on Mayapur TV or and Vrindavan TV. Mostly, the offerings were in hindi, few in english and few in marathi. Possibly you may be watching. So, we had this Idea because devotees who were not present and for those who do not speak hindi or marathi. In fact, Vashughosh Prabhu, my god brother made his offering in Sanskrit. So, many of you listeners, my disciples, followers or may be some of you are friends. So, I could say something in your language, this idea came up of short broadcast which we are doing. I have no idea how many of you are there and where are you stationed. I hope many of you are able to see and hear me. I wish you were here. So you are here and you are not here.

Vyasa puja book was offered to me and your Vyasa puja offerings which you have written have reached me and which I am going to read in coming days. So honouring spiritual master on Vyasa puja day is eternal if not only an ancient or old tradition on Vyasa puja day. Spiritual master represents Srila Vyasadeva. “Vyasa” also means elaboration or expansion. And spiritual master does expands elaborates on the teachings of Vedas or sastras compiled by Srila Vyasadeva. They expand those teachings in the sense that they speak original text that are in sanskrit. So, spiritual master expand it by sharing that in original language. That’s why there is expansion. They may also write some books in pursuance of the Vedic version. So, that also makes them representative of Srila Vyasadeva. Of course between Vyasadeva and us, there are many acharyas; the disciple succession.

Yes, we represent Brahma; we represent Vyasadeva; we represent Madhavacarya and the whole parampara. Lord Himself appeared in that disciplic succession. Then, so many other Gaudiya acaryas and then for us, Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada ki jaya. ISKCON Founder Acarya is one that we directly represent. In that way, we are representing all the members of the disciplic succession and Gauranga, Madhavacharya, Srila Vyasa Dev and Brahma himself. Today we were remembering how I was made fortunate by the Lord as we hear,

brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru krishna prasade paya bhakti lata bija

So by grace of Krishna, I was put in touch with Srila Prabhupada. Today I remembered and shared that how I was doing my college education in a town called Sangali. But, then I had this thought, no! no! I should be graduate of Bombay University. I should go to Bombay which is now known as Mumbai because Bombay University had bigger name. So, the dictation from within brought me to Bombay. Soon after my arrival, when I was studying there, Srila Prabhupada had come with his followers from the West and holding big Hare Krishna festival downtown Bombay.

There was advertisement that there were sadhus in town. American sadhus are here! European sadhus are here! So, I had gone there and we were not sure. Indians were not sure. OK, they have advertised as sadhus but whether they were really sadhus. I too like everyone else was impressed and convinced. Srila Prabhupada’s followers wherever they were from, they were sadhus and genuine practitioners of Krishna Consciousness. So, that’s how I came in contact of Srila Prabhupada and his followers.
As it is said,

sadhu sanga sadhu sanga sarva sastre kaya
lava matra sadhu sange sarva siddhi haya

So, my life was transformed. I mean I was kind of on this path. Everything was concluded; everything was made clear and it was conclusive, as I met Srila Prabhupada. I did not personally meet. He was on the dais, addressing the gatherings. He was there on the dais and doing kirtan with his followers or the followers were doing kirtan themselves in presence of Srila Prabhupada. So, that was turning point in my life. I was reconnected or my Krishna Consciousness was revived and rekindled. I bought some books, small books in those years like “Lord in the heart”, one chapter in one booklet. I bought couple of books. I was very much impressed with kirtan performances of Hare Krishna western followers.

So after the festival, I started studying Srila Prabhupada books. Whenever my roommates were not in the room, I would close the windows and doors and just by myself use to chant and dance. And it took me another year till next Hare Krishna festival on the Hare Krishna land. Srila Prabhupada was there and I rushed to that festival. I got a kind of my life back after 1 year. In 1971, first festival was held and in 1972 the next festival was celebrated at Juhu. I had the opportunities to hear form Srila Prabhupada more and associate with his followers more. I made up my mind that this is it what I want to dedicate my life, in service of Srila Prabhupada. I had not accepted any other person as my guru in my life. So Srila Prabhupada was my first and last spiritual master.

After end of that festival, I moved into ashram at Juhu. I had gone with an application addressed to the temple president. I was inquiring where abouts of temple president of ISKCON Bombay. In fact, the person I asked where I could meet the president, he said, I am the president. So, I handed over my application and he was kind to read it right there and then he made a big declaration or announcement, “a new bhakta is here, a new bhakta is here”. Now, sadhus mostly American and European, they came running and were delighted to know that someone is wanting to join Hare Krishna movement, young man. So, I was accepted.

Then later on during that year in Kartik, I was duly initiated by Srila Prabhupada. You know these things? some of these things you have heard before. So, whatever I am, I am made by mercy of Srila Prabhupada. I am indebted to Srila Prabhupada that he showed me this path, gave me the mantra for my deliverance and gave me my life back. Life without Krishna or Krishna Consciousness is death or you are dead without Krishna or Krishna Consciousness.

Srila Prabhupada gave me Krishna and Krishna Consciousness. He gave me employment in service of Krishna. He gave me association of devotees, my god brothers and god sisters and later disciples also came in picture and became part of Srila Prabhupada family. So, I am grateful to Srila Prabhupada. I wanted to express my gratitude on this occasion, on this day. And then, we also said that I am in ISKCON as initiating spiritual master or instructing spiritual master. However, Srila Prabhupada is founder acarya of Hare Krishna Movement. He is principle siksha guru of all of you. So, I am indebted as well as you are also indebted to Srila Prabhupada for what he has done to you. So, we are indebted as I said I am indebted.

Once Srila Prabhupada was approached and his dear devotees and disciples expressed their sentiments. They said, “Prabhupada, we are indebted to you, we are very much indebted” and Srila Prabhupada agreed, “that’s true”. Devotees wanted to know anyway if they could be freed from this debt. And Srila Prabhupada’s first response was, “no, there is no way you could be freed from this debt.” Then he thought for a while and said there is one thing you can do. “What! What Srila Prabhupada we could do? He had said that time, “You do as I did.” So many things, many many things he did to establish, protect and propagate Krishna Consciousness movement. So, “you do as I did” meant we also as his followers, his direct disciples and his grand disciples have to try to do as he did. You also as disciples try to do as your spiritual master is doing. Then Srila Prabhupada will be pleased with me and pleased with you all also.

As I so much to do to propagate this Krishna Consciousness movement and that is where you all come in picture. Narottam Das thukar said,

“ekaki amaar nahi paya bala, harinam sankirtane”

I, by myself cannot propagate or spread Krishna Consciousness I need your help. And, so you are assisting us, and then we are in big parampara system. Srila Prabhupada is assisting his spiritual master like that. So, this assistance, these services are ultimately offered to Krishna and He is pleased.

“yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado yasyaprasadan na gatih kutopi”

So, that is the principle. This is guru tattva. Sundarlal, one of your god brothers, was saying that guru tattva is so deep and vast that he doesn’t fully grasp or understand guru tattva. As Vishnu tattva, the other tattvas, there is guru tattva. Then guru has big role to play in lives of his disciples and followers.

So, on this occasion, I thank everyone who is helping, assisting, cooperating with our Krishna Consciousness activities or plans to propagate Krishna Consciousness. I thank as well as appeal further to continue your support. Of course wherever you are, you offer your support, stay busy with Krishna Consciousness activities. Keep chanting Hare Krishna.

Devotees were saying, happy Vyasa puja day Maharaj, happy Vyasa puja day. My response was, “yes, I also wish you happy life, happy journey. You chant Hare Krishna and you be happy.” So, let us propagate this mantra, this message. Go far and wide. There is so much suffering in this material existence. There is no end to it. So many problems but only solution is Krishna Consciousness. Somehow we have been brought in contact with Krishna Consciousness movement/Krishna Consciousness and received Krishna Consciousness. So, it is our duty or obligation to share that with as many fellow human beings as possible. Srila Prabhupada, in one letter, in fact, he wrote to President of India, “I have got a clue.” And what is that clue, “When I will leave this body, I will be going back to Godhead; I have this clue and he said that I want to bring as many fellows, as many citizens with me as possible.” And he was, of course, seeking assistance from President of India. In way back in early 1950, he wrote this letter. Srila Prabhupada had made a lot of noise of this, Go back to home, go back to Godhead as they said.

So, let us propagate this Krishna Consciousness by doing so many things. So many varieties of activities are there for you to stay busy with. And this is the topmost welfare activity. I need to stop here and go back on the stage to have 2nd session of offerings, some cultural events etc. So, I offer my best wishes.

Birth of Lord Krishna is very special
Venue: ISKCON Boston
Dated: June 8, 2010

Today’s topic, I thought of Vaasudeva, who is Vaasudeva? Is there any Vaasudeva hear in Boston. Vaasudeva is son of Vasudeva. That’s the meaning of Vaasudeva son of Vasudeva. There may be somebody who is Vasudeva and then his son is Vaasudeva, sometime people do have name Vasudeva. But this Vaasudeva is

om namo bhagavate vasudevaya

Bhagavan Vaasudeva, Bhagavate unto Bhagavan. Not only son of Vasudeva, hence is Vaasudeva but He is also Bhagavate the Suprime Personality of Godhead, who has not become son of Vasudev. And Lord got this title. He took birth in prison house of Kamsa. Then He became celebrated as Vaasudeva, Jai Vaasudeva…Jai Vaasudeva.

Then there was darsana and whole dialogue and prays between Vasudeva and Vaasudeva and with Devki also, Devaki offered prayers. In conclusion Devaki also asked is it possible to have only two hands? As He had appeared as four handed. Then we could hide You then we could say, he has nothing to do with God he is just a child, he just has two hands. But if there are four hands it’s difficult to hide the ID of Supreme Personality. Then Lord obliged and He became two handed little baby.

He already had cloths on and He was smiling this is an exception. When children take birth do they smile? Do you remember what you did? Mothers know. First thing child does is he cries and that’s good news also when child cries means he is alive. If he doesn’t even cries forgets the smile part, if he doesn’t even cry then it could be trouble. So babies cry is welcomed, babies cry because they just were in big trouble.

punarapi jananam punarapi maranam
punarapi janani jatare sayanam

If someone walks out of the door crying, you could imagine what he went through when he was inside. Anyway in case of Lord, He was smiling. He is not suppose be taking birth. He has nothing to do with birth. He is ajanma unborn. This is His pastime, He likes to be a son. He is waiting for vatsalya rasa, He becomes a baby. He has a mother, He has father. Otherwise, om jai jagdish hare, all prayers, awe and reverence every time. It’s too much; someone approaches Him and prays to Him. Lord wants to experience something different. So He is appearing as a baby son of Vasudev, Devaki and He is smiling. He has all the clothes on, already He has clothes not that Vasudev, Devki order they go Loi bazar. He has all the ornaments on. The dimly lit prison room is filled with light and Lord appears. Even prior to that when Lord was in womb there was brilliant sun light. Not just one sun, koti surya samaprabha Millions of suns light was there in the prison house. Then Lord had this idea that he should be taken out of there, get me out of here. Oh, where would you like to go? Please bring it to Gokul. What who would bring it to Gokul? Of course you. But I am shackled. No just left me and see what happens.

Vasudeva was willing to bring Lord to Gokul and he attempted and lifted. Immediately all the bonds all the shackles were into pieces. And this is what happens when anyone accepts Lord within his life he becomes free from all the bonds. Not only Vasudeva that’s not the only exception anyone who accepts Lord he become free from all the bonds, all the string attached are cut.

Then he begins walking towards the door, there are many doors to go through. He already has the whole baby and he only has two hands and they are busy. How is he going to open the door? But not necessary, he doesn’t have to do anything; he just wants to bring the Lord to Gokul that’s all. That’s what he knows and he is ordered to serve and he is on the job and moving on. And as he come to the door what happened? Automatically lock is unlocked, door is opened, how?

Automatically. So this automatic business is not a new thing (laughter). This existed 5000 years ago. First time I went to airport with my luggage trolley and I came to the door and door was closed, but on the top it said entrance enter here but the door was closed. I parked my luggage on the side and moved forward to open, but again I did not open it, it opened automatically. But then this is old fashion nothing new it
existed 5000 years back we are just imitating.

The philosophy of Krishna consciousness is topmost
Venue: ISKCON Bangladesh

Hare Krsna, say loudly Gauranga! Wake up call! As they say there are two famous mantras in ISKCON, one which puts you to sleep and one which really wakes you up. Do you know which one is which? Om namo bhagavate..(laughter) and the other one is mahaprasade!. You really jump with that.

aham purvam aham purvam, me first me first with all enthusiasm!
kabe habe sei din amar

When that day will come, when we will hear om namo bhagavate vasudevaya, that will really wake us up? We sit straight, attention! So maintain that posture. One straight line that is yogi posture. Bhogi is (Maharaj is leaning at side). yogi bhava, Krishna’s message is that you become yogis. Of course all over the world there is propagation ‘bhogi bhava’. What is your choice? Take a pick, yogi bhava, bhogi bhava. How many of you want to be yogi? So we welcome all the yogis here. Bhogis are not allowed here (laughter). Hari Hari Gaur Hari!

I told Bhakti Purushottam Maharaj, that I have come with stick (Maharaj holds danda). When anyone seems sleeping (showing danda). This is to pick you up from the ocean. Yeah sometimes when we travel in the west with this danda on the flight, entering the plane some people are scared. Or some also think this is fishing rod, because lot of time we go in summer time which is there fishing time. And we tell them, yes this is fishing rod. This is ocean of material existence and we are fish enjoying there. When devotees come, they fish them out, out of this world (applaud).

So we are happy to see many more devotees today. Seeing your happy faces, seeing your prasanna vadan we become prasanna, haribol. There is no power point as I was expecting, nothing worked here so I will just speak. (Maharaj speaks Bengali).

ami bolbar chesta karbo (Haribol)

Gaudiya vaishnavism is most excellent thing in this world, its super excellent, haribol! And that is the gift of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And that gift is meant for the whole world. By receiving that gift the whole world is getting benefited, united and developing their family spirit or friendly spirit. United nation of the spiritual world! That UNO could not do which is based in New York that is accomplished by International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

How many countries are representing here? If you are from out of Bangladesh, raise your hand. I was told that there are devotees on the safari, from 20 or 25 countries. 32 countries! And we just had Mayapur festival and we had devotees from 70 countries. And the last Krishna Janmastami was celebrated in 150 countries. So devotees, souls from all those countries are getting together, family spirit and getting united. What is uniting them is the Krishna Consciousness. That Krishna Consciousness is inherent, it’s part of soul. Soul is Krishna conscious. All the souls are basically Krishna conscious souls. Not only Indian souls, there is nothing like Indian soul and American soul and African soul.

Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai!

Long back when I was just a little boy in school in Maharashtra, we were shouting slogans. That was the time when China and India were battling. And India is friendly country wanted to invoke spirit of brotherhood. So all over India the school children were going on the streets shouting Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai. So I was a small boy and coming from Maharastrian village, I could not understand, hindi is language and chini is something that you eat and they are supposed to be bhai, brothers. So when I grew up, I understood, chini is referred to China, people of China are called Chini and people of Hindustan are called as Hindi. So later I understood the meaning that people of China and people of India are brothers.

Now when the two persons are brothers, what does that mean? What does that imply? When there is a common father, the two persons have common father then they are brothers. So people of China and people of India are brothers, that implies that they have common father. So who is our common father? Could Modi be the common father or president of China could be the common father of all the people of China and India? No way! Ok you got it, thank you!

So when I finally came to Srila Prabhupada, and he taught us Bhagavad Gita and I read Bhagavad Gita As It Is. Where in Krishna has declared, aham bija pradah pita mata dhata pitamah (BG 14.4)

I am the father of all the living entities.

tvameva mata cha pita tvameva tvameva bandhu cha sakha tvameva,
tvameva vidya dravinam tvameva tvameva sarvam mama dev deva

You are all in all. So then I understood, yes, all the people of China, all the people of India are brothers because common father is Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

And I also wanted to talk on ‘the philosophy of Krishna consciousness is topmost, complete and perfect.’ 25 hundred years ago Lord Buddha appeared. And He propagated sunyavada, voidism. He rejected the Vedas.

veda nindakah nastikah,

Definition of who is atheist? One who rejects Vedas is atheist. So as a result he concluded everything is zero, sunyavada. He did it under some circumstances. He wanted to stop animal killing. Animal killing was so much going on that time. And they were pointing out, oh in karma-kanda section of Vedas, animal killing is strongly recommended. So He had to say, no Vedas. If the Vedas are encouraging you and inspiring you, authorizing that killing then no Vedas! Then Shankar appeared as Sankaracarya and he propagated what is called as advaitavada, nirguna, nirakarvada, also known as mayavada.

mayavadi-bhashya sunile haya sarva-nasa [Cc. Madhya 6.169]
Caitanya Mahaprabhu warned everyone, mayavada bhasya, if you hear that, your

devotion would be destroyed. In fact before Sankaracarya appeared, he was still up there, in Kailash, having a talk with Parvati.

mayavadam asac chastram pracchannam bauddham
uchyate mayaiva kalpitam devi kalau brahmana rupina (Padma Purana 6.236.7)

He said, ‘I will be making my appearance in the age of kali as a brahmana. And I would propagate mayavada which is asat sastra, false. He himself declared, what I am going to propagate is mayavada, it is going to be false, asat sastra. mayaiva kalpitam, I will be doing some kalpana, and I will propagate that. So that mayavada is also known as nirvisesa vada. There is no variety, no variegatedness in Krishna consciousness. Everything is one. Living entity and the Supreme Lord are one. As soon as there are many that means variety, visesa, vaisistya, many
features. He said no everything is one. A-dvaita, not two, a means no and dvaita means two, not two, means everything is one.

So Buddha had come to conclusion that everything is zero, what did he say? Everything is zero. And then Sankaracarya made some progress, he said, no no not zero, everything is one. So one was sunyavada and one was nirvisesa vada, advaita-vada. Then comes Sri Krishna Mahaprabhu. Someone else is also coming in between, but ok Caitanya Mahaprabhu comes. And His vani is Gaurvani, Krishna consciousness.

namaste sarasvate deve gauravani pracarine
nirvisesa shunyavadi paschatya desa tarine

So that Srila Prabhupada, we offer our obeisance’s unto lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada. Keep eye on your neighbors, what they are doing (sleeping). This is additional duty. Help your neighbors. Love thy neighbors as thyself. So Srila Prabhupada protected. When this pranam mantra was compiled and devotee started saying this pranam mantra, Srila Prabhupada was preaching in West that time. That is why it is said, paschatya desa tarine, people of western world were saved protected from this voidism and impersonalism.

So after Sankaracarya the four sampradaya acaryas appeared. They all appeared in south India and they propagated, they wrote their commentaries on Vedanta sutra. They concluded the philosophy as two, davitavada. Not zero not one but two! Especially Madhvacarya really stressed on this two. So this living entity and the Lord being two was stressed so much, this became like a pendulum effect. Living entity and Lord is one, this nirvisesa-vada was stressed so much. In order to talk against or do khandan of this mayavada, these four acaryas they stressed on
two, daivta too much stress. Living entity and Lord they are kind of distant from each other. So this was also not fair, they are also very close and similarities are there, they are ghanista.

mamaivamso jivaloke jivabhuta sanatana

So this stressing two too much was unfair. Similarities were not stressed only dissimilarities were stressed.
Then Gaudiya vaishnava acaryas made their presentation. And that was Baladeva Vidyabhusana ki Jay! He wrote commentary on Vedantasutra. One time we Gaudiya vaishnavas did not have our own bhasya. As a result we were not getting rights of worshipping Radha Govinda, Rupa Gosvami’s deity in Jaipur. ‘You are not authorized. Where is your commentary on Vedantasutra?’ Then Baladeva Vidyabhusana was sent by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur to Jaipur. There was big sastrartha and debate and Baladeva Vidyabhusana won, he became victorious.

He wrote a commentary but he gives credit to Govinda to write commentary. It is like Srila Vyasadeva is speaking and Ganesh his secretary is writing. So Baladeva Vidyabhusana took pen and paper and Govinda was doing dictation. Bhasya was completed. Baladeva Vidyabhusana named that bhasya, Govinda bhasya. This is commentary compiled by Govinda. Govinda! Govinda! That bhasya, that philosophy of Gaudiya vaishnavas became known as ‘acintya bhedabheda tattva’. So it has taken 2000 years from Buddha to Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s time. From zero to one to two to one and two, acintya bhedabheda!

Then something more happens. As a result our gaudiya vashnavism became enriched. Before appearance of Caitanya Mahaprabhu all these four acaryas they had come to Mayapur, Navadvipa and Caitanya Mahaprabhu revealed Himself
unto those acaryas and had blessed them also.

So one time Nimbarkacarya was touring Navadvipa and he was in Rudradvipa. He was also blessed by four Kumaras there and they had recommended worship of Radha and Krishna and he was worshipping Radha Krishna in Rudradvipa. And as
he was worshipping Radha and Krishna, something amazing happened. Soon there was no Radha and Krishna, there was Caitanya at the place of Radha and Krishna.

sri krishna caitanya radha krsihna nahi anya

In the age of Kali and especially in Navadvip I appear in combined form.

ekatmanav api deha-bhedam gatau tau caitanyakhyam
prakatam adhuna tad-dvayam caikyam aptam

Original Radha and Krishna are ekatma, one spirit, one entity. For sake of pastime they become two, deha bhedo gatau tau. But now in age of Kali, the form of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, tad dvayam caikyam aptam, those two Radha and Krishna became one.

So that experience was given, offered by Caitanya Mahaprabhu to Nimbarkacarya. So during that darshan, there was dialogue between two of them and Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, I will be accepting two best qualities from each of those four sampradayas. From Sri sampradaya I will accept ananya bhakti and bhaktajan seva, unalloyed devotion unto the Lord and serving the vaishnavas. Then He said, ‘from Rudra sampradaya I will accept their two best qualities. This is based on Bhaktivinod Thakur’s Navadvipa Mahatmya.

So from Rudra sampradaya, sarvasva tadiya, everything is yours, that kind of spirit and then raga marga. From Madhvacarya I will accept advait khandan or defeating mayavada and nitya krishna murti seva. Madhvacarya and their
sampradaya is known for deity worship, taking care of Krishna, Udupi Krishna.

And from Kumar sampraday I will accept ekanta radhika asraya, exclusive surrender unto Radharani and also Gopi bhava. So this way Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu made His disciplic succession, His parampara, Gaudiya vaishnavism, complete and perfect. So there was

shunyavada-zero then there was one then two then two and one- bhedabheda tattva and further Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted these two qualities from each sampradaya. This way our Gaudiya vaishnava sampradaya, the Krishna
consciousness has become super excellent, Haribol!

So the evolution is complete now. There is no further progress or evolution or adjustment has to be made. It is complete and perfect. And this school of thoughts, this Gaudiya vaishnavism, Gaudiya vaishnava philosophy would be
propagated for next ten thousand years all over the world.

sankirtanaika pitarau

500 years ago we had founding fathers of this Hare Krishna movement or two, sankirtanaika pitarau.

ajanu-lambita- bhujau kanakavadhatau
sankirtanaika-pitarau kamalayataksau
visvambharau dvijavarau yuga-dharma- palau
vande jagat priyakarau karuna-avatarau

Two of them, that is why au au au, sankirtanaika pitarau, kamalayataksau, visvambharau, dvijavarau, yuga dharma palau, you see au au? Dvivachan, like Ramau, ramah ramau.

So these two are Gaur and Nityananda, they have given this super excellent Krishna consciousness. They both came down with this gift of Holy name,

golokera premadhana harinam sankirtana

Both of them were also relishing and propagating Krishna consciousness everywhere. Then Mahaprabhu predicted that His name will be chanted in every town, every village of this world, Hari Bol!

So Srila Prabhupada in order to make this prediction true and to propagate Krishna consciousness all over the world, spread Krishna conscious culture all over the world, spread Krishna conscious festivals all over the world, spread Mahaprasade Govinde all over the world, and spread the Bhagavat dharma and Bhagavat all over the world.

That instruction, Srila Prabhupada received from Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakur in 1922. ‘You seem to be very intelligent young man.’ Do you think this was some kind of accident or was it arrangement? Caitanya Mahaprabhu was behind this. He made Bhakti Siddhanta instrument to say this, ‘you propagate in english language, all over the world, western world.’

And Srila Prabhupada took it so seriously. What was said may be just within couple of minutes became the whole foundational thoughts and planning and preparation so that Krishna consciousness will spread all over the world based on that dialogue which lasted for just couple of minutes. And Prabhupada was preparing all life long, life time preparation. So many hardships! You should study the life and teachings of Srila Prabhupada ki Jay!

Then he established Krishna consciousness movement in America and 14 times around the world he went and wherever he went Krishna consciousness was in big demand. And soon the Holy name reached so many towns and villages all over the planet. All the temples go out on the streets for nagar sankirtans in surrounding areas. Prabhupada asked us to do padayatras which is a medium, forum for propagation of the Holy name of the Lord. And we did padayatras in more than 100 countries. And ISKCON padayatris from 100 countries, they have walked 250 thousand kilometers, Hari Bol!

And padayatris do not take one foot out, in front without chanting Hare Krishna mantra. One of our teams started walking from Glasgow in Ireland, Glasgow to Moscow, 5 years every day, devotees were walking and walking, chanting and dancing and in other continents also, so many places. Padayatris not only chant in towns and villages but in between the towns and in between the villages also. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s prediction is being made true, more than true. So this Krishna consciousness movement, holy name and holy books and holy Prasad and holy men, this is the gift of Gauranga to this whole world. As

devotees receive Holy name, wherever living entities, Australia, America, Canada, here there everywhere, they receive Holy name of the Lord. In the beginning they receive holy name then they receive so many other things. They get to know so many many things. They begin reading or sometimes they read first then they chant Hare Krishna. Then from Nama to Dhama, nama the noly name brings you to holy dhama. Everyone who begins chanting the Holy name of the Lord, they come to know about Mayapur dhama ki Jay! Right? And immediately as they chant the holy name of the Lord, they keep thinking, I wish I would like to go to Mayapur one of these days. I want to go to Mayapur.

Mayapur Dhama ki Jay! I want to go to Vrndavan. Yes or no? Then Mayapur becomes our Makka, more than Makka. Hari Bol!

Srila Prabhupada established headquarters of Krishna consciousness movement in Mayapur, the birth place of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We would also want to say that Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s prediction of spreading the holy name to every town and village was fulfilled by Srila Prabhupada. Gauranga Mahaprabhu’s prediction was made true by Srila Prabhupada. Nityananda Prabhu also made one prediction. What was that?

adbhuta mandir hoibe prakasa gaurangera -nityaseva hoibe vikasa

‘There will be astounding temple’, as Nityananda prabhu was taking Jiva Gosvami around Navadvipa, he pointed out, ‘there will be astounding temple, adbhuta mandir hoibe prakasa.’

So that adbhuta mandir prediction also made true by Srila Prabhupada. TOVP ki Jay! Temple Of Vedic Planetarium! It’s almost ready. This year last month we had Sudarshan chakra installation. When that temple will open, ten thousand, how many devotees are here right now? (1,200 something!) So ten times as many devotes, could sit or whatever, not sleep, stand at a time in TOVP. It is that much huge. And that temple will be finally open in four years’ time. 2022! Make note in your diaries. So be there.

That will be 50 th anniversary of ISKCON Mayapur festivals. And that would also be the 100 th anniversary of instructions; Prabhupada received instruction from Bhakti

Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakur in 1922. Add 100 year, it becomes 2022. Instruction received and instruction fulfilled in 2022. And that is going to be your temple. That is the temple of the whole world, all the devotees from every town, every village, that is their mother temple. Temple of temples! Which will further unite the world; plans made to propagate Krishna consciousness to different frontiers. ‘How to flood the whole world with Holy name and Krishna consciousness’, this is always plan in Mayapur’s GBC meetings. So the way Krishna consciousness is uniting people, uniting all the countries, all the races, economic backgrounds and genders and colors; there is no other institution, no other organization, no other religious institutions or any other body is accomplishing this task as ISKCON is doing or Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s Hare Krishna movement is doing.So world needs Krishna consciousness movement, world needs

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!

World needs Bhagavatam. So what you have accepted and relishing this Krishna consciousness, you should always think how you could care that with others, propagate it far and wide. This is the topmost welfare program on the planet.
Very unique and matchless!

bharat bhumite manusya haila janma jara
janma sarthaka kari karo para upakara

Do this para upakar, propagation of Krishna consciousness.

sarve sukhina bhavantu sarve santu niramayah
sarvani bhadrani pasyantu na kvacit dukhabhabhavet

This is one of the prayers. Let every one be happy. Do you wish this? Is this your prayer? Sarve sukhina bhavantu, sarvani bhadrani pasyantu, let everyone experience auspiciousness. Sarve santu niramayah, let everyone be free from
disease.

I remember, there was hospital opening and I was invited to be guest speaker. And I was praying, sarve santu niramayah, let everyone be free from disease. Owner of the hospital said, ‘maharaj! What will happen to my hospital? If everyone will be free from disease, I better then close’. So certainly that doctor or owner of the hospital, he was not thinking

sarve sukhina bhavantu, sarve santu niramayah

Let everyone be diseased, let my hospital be full, all the indoor beds of indoor patients. Par dukhe sukhi! That is avaishnava. Vaishnavas are par dukhe dukhi. That is why Srila Prabhupada left Vrndavan. He was sukhi in Vrndavan but he left Vrndavan because he saw the whole world is suffering. So take to this Krishna consciousnmess seriously. Understand this Krishna consciousness movement and Krishna consciousness. Relish Krishna consciousness and share this Krishna consciousness; like the ants as soon as they come across a grain of sugar, before they doing mahaprasade govinde and eating, they invite all the ants to come.

Then they are all around there and then mahaprasade govinde.

Damodhar lila and killing of vatsasura
Dated : July 2004 (Bhagvat Saptah-Day one)
Hare Krsna!

Thank you for coming in this endeavor of worshipping Bhagavatam. We took Bhagavatam on the procession today. When we want to glorify someone, the players also do, when someone wins the match, they lift him, really give him lift. So we lifted Bhagavatam to worship Bhagavatam. Of course we were chanting Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare! We glorified that Bhagavatam. Bhagavatam is incarnation of Krsna. There are many forms, that is one form which stands before us. Bhagavatam is also the Lord, Lord’s pastimes are also the Lord, non different than Lord. His dham is Bhagavat svaroop, non different. Sva, His own rupa, another form of the Lord.

Everyone runs to see Rukmini Dwarakadhish. I don’t want to minimize the importance of running to Rukmini Dvarakadhish, and seeing them, but Prabhupada did emphasize hearing. Unless you hear you will not understand or really see. That’s why Bhakti Siddhant Saraswati Thakur one time asked one of his followers, who had left the dharma sabha where Bhagavat discourse was on and he went away and returned. ‘Where did you go?’ ‘I went for darshan’, he thought my spiritual master will be pleased to hear such reply. Instead he asked, ‘so how was your eye exercise? You went, you opened your eyes and closed them many times. So how was your eye exercise? I was here teaching technique or science of how to see Krsna, with the help of Bhagavatam, Bhagavad Gita and you ran away in middle to see.’ So this way our previous acaryas and certainly Srila Prabhupada has emphasized hearing process.

That’s certainly number one business, nitya siddha krsna prema sadhya kabu naya sravanadi suddha citte karah uday We all have love for the Lord. It is not something to be purchased from the market near by. It is in there, it is part of you. So how to get it out? How to manifest it? Sravanadi suddha citte karah uday, sravan, then citta shuddha, consciousness is pure then Krsna prema uday, manifest naturally. So Srila Prabhupada certainly wanted us to distribute his books. He also wanted us to read them, not only read them but study them. Many of us read but not everyone studies Prabhupada’s books. Anyway we will attempt to study Bhagavatam, contemplating on Bhagavatam. This is very very favorable time, nice time. Any time is good, shubhasya shighram.  If it’s a good think. Do it when? Tomorrow? No. this evening? No. Do it now. When there is the best thing to do then you don’t have to check our watch, one day, no. but there are certain times certainly beneficial. We get more benefit out of those times. And this is that time. Staring from today is also Caturmasya, right? Today marks beginning of Caturmasya. What is business of Caturmasya? Eat less, circular was distributed, don’t eat salt, sweet voice. So minimizing, cutting down eating sleeping etc and maximize certainly hearing and we would like to do that. Today also guru pornima, it’s guru day, also Brhaspati var (wednesday).

We don’t do this as a money making thing. That is why Prabhupada was against this ‘saptah business’. Yeah this has become a business. Contract has to be sign. How many lacks? They are not shy about this. And some other reasons why Prabhupada was against this reciting for 7 days, but he was not against reciting Bhagavatam. It’s popular thing and few extra people do come in the name of Bhagavata katha. So we could take advantage of that trend that tradition. And don’t do this this and this while studying Bhagavatam or reciting Bhagavatam.

So last time we did childhood pastimes of Krsna, Krsna in Gokula, circumstances before His birth, Bhumi-devi crying and demigods go to Brahma, and Brahma said, ‘let’s go to Supreme Personality of Godhead’ and Lord heard the prayers. Prabhupada said ‘wireless communication’, from the beach of Svetadvipa Brahma communicated. He was on the beach and Lord was in Sveta ocean. Sveta means white, why white? Because there is milk all around, Lord in the middle. And He said, ‘ok, sure, you go ahead, you Demigods you take birth’.

So they took birth and then Lord also took birth. And then He was taken across through Jamuna to Gokula and baby girl back to Mathura and an attempt to killing and that did not work out and more pastimes. Krsna was 6 days old and what happened? Putana! And she was killed, then name giving ceremony was there, Gargacarya came. Krsna Balarama’s names, privately in a goshala, no big affair. He did not want; otherwise news will easily reach Kamsa and then more trouble. Why invite trouble.  Then more pastimes and Krsna as child eating dirt; ‘open your mouth.’ What was inside? Whole universe was inside. ‘Oh you heard that I ate dirt. Ok you may see inside. There was so much dirt, whole universe, it is made of dirt. I took few pinches. Please look inside. Not only dirt, there was water, fire, air and ether and earthly planet was there. Bharat varsa, New Delhi Agra highway road and Bhaktivedanta Swami Road and Jamuna and there is Gokula too and as Yasoda looked more closely, there was Yasoda inside chastising Krsna.

Wonderful Krsna! But He was thief also. Nice child but stealing. So, so many complaints; everyday complaint box would get full. Yasoda said ‘you have to prove.’ Then attempts were made to catch Krsna, red handed or white handed? Butter in hand then hand becomes white. White handed. Bluish hand covered with white butter. So many attempts were made to catch hold of Krsna. One lady was successful. And her name was Prabhavati.  She caught hold. She thought she caught hold of Him and dragged Him. As she got closer, she started yelling, ‘Yasoda please come, I caught hold of your son look.’ And she enters Nanda bhavan. Yasoda comes running. This lady’s face was covered like this.

(Guru maharaj shows with action, Vrajwasi ladies cover their face with sari) Brajavasi ladies! With one hand she was dragging Krsna. She said ‘look, here he is.’ And Yasoda went close, ‘remove your veil please’. And when she really looked there was no Krsna, there was son of Prabhavati. You could imagine the embarrassment of Prabhavati. She was thinking, I am the one, I will get the special reward. I will be in the front pages of Mathura newspaper, ‘thief was caught by Prabhavati’.  But instead her son was there. Then she rushed out of Nanda bhavan back to her home. On the way to home there was Krsna waiting for her. He said, ‘Ok, next time you try this, I will become your husband.’

How could Krsna be a thief? Who is a thief? We are. Everything belongs to Him. So that is just pleasure pastime. Not for His pleasure but everyone was highly pleasing with Krsna’s stealing butter. Ladies got up early morning. Why would they get up early morning? If Krsna comes to steal and butter is not ready, He will go disappointed. Keep all ready, just in case thief comes to steal. So there was competition for getting up early in Vrindavan to prepare butter. So many pastimes stealing butter related. And everyone just loved this Krsna, the butter thief.

One day stealing took place in Yasoda’s own home. Krsna was hungry and then Yasoda runs to kitchen to take care of milk dropping the hungry child middle of, He was drinking the breast milk. She just threw Him on floor and ran to the kitchen. Krsna was very angry. He did not like this and He became so angry that His lips were trembling with anger and He broke that pot in which Yasoda was churning butter that morning. And He was hungry so He did stealing. Yasoda came. He was watching. He thought He was smart. He was seeing this way and that way. But Yasoda was smarter. She came from behind. Krsna still noticed and not only she was coming, she had a stick. And He jumped down and ran. And attempts were made to catch hold of Him.

Yasoda is well built and Krsna is liitle. He is running and she is running behind Him. It took a while to catch hold of Him. Even yogis can not catch, but Yasoda caught and trying to bind Him. Not Him only but also the mortar. Why mortar? Because mortar also has to be punished. What is mortar’s fault? Mortar helped Krsna to climb up and reach butter. So one who helps stealing, he also gets punished. So Krsna and the mortar both are getting punished. She trying to tie and ‘two inches short’ story and finally it worked out.

And He wanted to do some more naughty things. He crawled as mother Yasoda was busy in some other activity. Behind at the backyard two trees were waiting from a long time. Yamalarjuna trees, they were cursed and blessed at the same time. So now was a blessing time. Otherwise also these trees had good time. They were with Krsna, seeing Krsna in court yard of Nanda maharaj. That’s not the curse.  Would you like to be tree in the court yard of Nanda maharaj, anyone here? Many hands are there. Anything in Vrindavan, anybody. And so Krsna uprooted those two giant trees. They crashed and there was dust storm.  Everyone came running. ‘What happened?’

Yamalarjuna trees were liberated. They were sons of Kubera. And they were trying to untie the knots. ‘May I help you’? These two demigods asked, seeing Krsna in awkward condition, ‘May I help you?’ Krsna’s response was, ‘thank you for the offer but this knot has been tied by my mother. Only someone with equal amount of affection could untie this knot. This is knot of affection, my mother’s affection for me. You won’t be able to do untie this.’ So they had circumambulated Krsna and went happily. So right in there in the middle of this story, Sukadeva Gosvami describes another pastime just in two verses, beautiful. One lady she comes with big basket of fruits. And ‘please buy fruits. I have this fruit, that fruit. Kela lelo, amruda lelo, buy gvava, by chikoo.’ And she is going around and around more to Nanda bhavan than any other place. Because this fruit vendors, they come with intension of hoping to get glance of Krsna, to meet Krsna. The selling business is just secondary thing. Primary goal is how to get to meet Him, see Him. So for sure, Krsna heard, ‘take fruits, buy fruits’ and Krsna, ‘oh fruits,’ was excited and hurriedly ran out of the door of Nanda bhavan.

Sukadeva Gosvami describes, Krsna who is sarva phal pradah, the Personality Of Godhead who gives fruits to everybody, fruits of their labor to everybody, every time, that Personality is now in need of fruits. He is giving fruit to everybody but now He becomes phalarthi, He likes to get a fruit for Himself. Those were not the time for dollar, rupees and currencies. Those were time of barter system. So Krsna caught hold with both hands, full of grains. Lady is now comfortably sited. Potential buyer is there. Krsna is coming with His small, baby steps, taking longer, and that is fine with her. She wants Krsna as long as possible in her site, vision. So she could take darshan. What fun is it if He ran out and ran in with fruits? No, she wanted it, ‘take your time baby’. He is coming and He is trying to hold those grains tight. Tighter as He holds, they are spilling more, they are losing the grip. First of all how small fist, just a little child, how many grains could He hold. And by the time He reached, He had hardly anything there. But she took it and she is returning now.

He has been described as Acyuta, means what? Infalliable, but the grains are falling from His hands. He is Acyuta but grain is cyuta. He can not even hold dhanya (grains). So He is loosing grains. So she accepted those few left over grains and in exchange she is giving fruits to the beautiful darling of Yasoda, and as she is looking at Him, fully focused on the beauty of the Lord, beautiful moon like face, blooming lotus like face. And while doing so she lost the track, how many fruits she is handing out. She also wanted to stay longer and she knew as soon as she stops He will turn around and go away. What good is that? She is trying to keep Him longer. So in the process she emptied her whole basket.

And He is also looking for more fruits. You have some more you know. We hear sometimes, when you give, He takes note of that and what you haven’t given, Krsna notice that. He tries to go deeper into the person. ‘Hey that’s moha, you know.’ So Krsna knows what he has kept. Krsna would like everything.  So this is what this lady has done. She has given everything. But is she the looser? Look at her basket. It is getting full of jewels, diamonds and rubies.

Sukadeva gosvami, middle of all this lila, he has talked of this pastimes and then Krsna was rescued, Nanda maharaj came at the site, and picked up baby and was delighted to know if the baby is safe. He started to pray to the Lord for protection of the child.

And following that there was big ista-gosti held in Gokula dham. All the leading citizens gather together. They wanted to review all situations and come to some conclusion. Is there some way out? Elderly persons, in the forest, there are 12 forests in Vrindavan and Gokula is Brihad vana, big vana, Brihad Bhagavatam like that. So in Brhad vana, Gokula, all the elderly persons after experiencing the recent disasters, terrorist attack; Nanda maharaj and others have gathered. And in that assembly there is Upananda, who is eldest brother of Nanda maharaj.

There are five brothers. Nanda maharaj is number three,  Upananda is number two. So Upananda is there in the assembly and he is well known for, first of all he is superior, he surpasses everybody in two things. First of all in age he is eldest member present and in jnana, experience also he is most experienced. That’s not always the case, right. You may be oldest but you may be.. Hiranyakashipu was very old but so far jnana is concerned he was just a baby. And Prahlad maharaj was older in jnana, and his father was older in age. But Upananda was older in age and in jnana, experience. He was also known for, someone who is always concerned, care for Balarama and Krsna.

So what he had been doing, he had been travelling all over Brajamandal. He had been thinking that we have to leave this Gokula.  We have to get out of here to a safer location. No one appointed him but because of his concern for Krsna and Balarama and other residents of Gokula also, he had been doing this research. And travelling and travelling and he had just now returned from his travel, and he is proposing, ‘you know we have to leave this place. We care for all residents of Gokula, and for everyone’s benefit, especially for the benefit of Krsna and Balarama we have to leave this place. And it is seen that target of these attacks are children and specially Krsna and Balaram.’

And he is reminding everyone ‘do you not remember, that Krsna was only 6 days old, Putana appeared. Luckily Krsna managed. Then Krsna was 3 months old, then Sakatasura, he just kicked the cart, flying and broken into pieces, but attempt was there, trying to kill this child. Then he was 100 days old, 3 months old and Trinavarta came, took the baby in sky. Of course baby did not mind. He was enjoying seeing whole Braja, great opportunity to fly in the sky, free. And Krsna became heavier and heavier and He killed the demon. And before us this ghastly disaster you could see, the trees uprooted and Acyuta, Lord Narayan is protecting our children but how long, you know. One of these days, who knows? So far so good, protected, but we can’t take risk. We have to go, take everything with us, all the residents, all the cows, all the basic needs. We have to leave this place.’

‘Where to go?  What are you talking about? Do you any concrete proposal?’ ‘Yes yes I have been travelling through out Brajamandal and I have found a place. Place called Vrndavan. Let’s go to Vrndavan.’ Are you ready? (Hari bol!) Then what about katha? You have taken sankalpa. We are in Vrndavan! As we listen to katha of Krsna and Vrndavan, we are in Vrndavan. We are with Krsna, trying to become part of Krsna’s pastimes, witness those pastimes through the eyes of the Bhagavatam.

Bhagavatam has two pages. See through one page with this eye and another page with another eye and there is window through which you could see things, sastra chaksusa.

‘And that Vrndavan is very appropriate, suitable place for cows.’ Always the concern is cows. ‘For the cows very good place and for us also.’ And especially he is mentioning, ‘there is one mountain called Govardhan. There is lots of grass and creepers and lakes, everything is there. Beautiful place I have come across. And we should go there right away.’ Now he made this presentation, proposal in front of residents of Gokula and he says, ‘if you like we will go. If you think its good place then we go.’ What do you think what was the response of the residents? Jay Jay they said sadhu sadhu, speaking sanskrit now. Forgot english! Yes that’s what they said, ‘sadhu sadhu, wonderful. Yes let us go to Vrndavan.’ And they got ready to go to Vrndavan. They have long way to go. Residents of Vrndavan are also singing on the way.

So everything is ready to go. Everything is getting loaded into bullock carts. Every family has at least one bullock cart or more. So many cows and so many bulls.  And that’s the mode of transportation. Krsna had never gone, His travels were limited to Brhad vana, more into Gokula, into the town, around the bank of Jamuna. This was the first time He was going on very long travel. Going to another country. ‘Mummy mummy where are we going?’ ‘We are going to Vrndavan.’ ‘Vrndavan!! Why Vrndavan?’ ‘You know there are big big playgrounds, you can play there.’ ‘Hey!!’ Krsna started jumping in the cart.  So there are so many carts. Cart after cart after cart. Carts were mainly for elderly folks, old people and children and ladies were in the carts. Everyone else were walking. And Cows were all the way in front. And priests were chanting the prayers. And they also have weapons for protection of cows. Cows have been described repeatedly ‘the wealth’, go-dhan of Vraja. So they used to protect them. So they are going. They left Gokula.  There is no one in Gokula. They all left. Ghost town! And they went in northerly direction.

There mention of this special cart where is Krsna, Balarama and Yasoda and Rohini, four of them in one cart. We also hear that, everyone would like to have his cart next to this cart and Krsna makes them experience. Everyone was thinking, ‘my cart is next to Krsna’s cart. Everyone else’s cart behind or ahead, my cart is just next to Krsna’s.’ Krsna is expanding, His cart has been expanded, He had expanded.  So because it was getting late, sunset time, they camp at the bank of Jamuna. Some distance in north. Whole camping has been described. The next morning as they got up, they wanted to cross. So what they do? They tied carts, one cart to another. What is this going on?  Bridge! They are walking, and crossing, many bridges like that. Other cowherd men carrying calves little baby calves on their shoulder and swimming Jamuna, going across. And as they are swimming across with the calves on their backs, who is swimming right behind you think? Mother cow! So many men are carrying the baby calves on their shoulders and they are swimming and the Cows are swimming right behind. Thousands of them are swimming across like that. Go mata ki jay! And now they all have reached Vrndavan. Vrndavan dham ki jay!

We are in Vrndavan now. There are 12 forests. All of them put together is we call Vrndavan but one of those twelve forest is also Vrndavan. Between Jamuna and Govardhana is Vrndavan forest and beyond also. So after entering Vrndavan they parked their carts in semi circular format. And made that as compound and they started residing there. Temporary housing facility and they stayed there for several years. According to Visvanath Chakravarti Thakur, Krsna stays for 3 years and 4 months in Gokula and He stays 3 years and 4 months, where they have just now come, Shakatavarta. Probably you have heard the name Chatikara. You go to Delhi Agra highway; then you take turn to go to Krsna Balaram temple, the Bhaktivedanta Marg. So at that junction, highway, you are turning left to go to Krsna Balarama temple. So that junction, there is village called Chatikara, that’s where they parked their carts. Big area! So 3 years and 4 months there and finally from there they go to Nandagrama. Krsna stayed for 3 years

and 4 months in Nandagrama. And then comes Akrura to invite Krsna to Mathura. So just to give idea where is Krsna now? Where is his family? So here at this place, Krsna becomes a calf-herd boy. He was given the task of herding calves. He was little boy and He could only manage herding little calves.

choti choti gaiya, chote chote gvala,
chotoso mero madan Gopala

Everything is chota, Krsna chota, cow choti choti everything choto. So Krsna is very anxious to take this assignment. So with this sakhya bhava, in Gokula basically vatsalya bhava; He is spending time with Yasoda and parents and little bit sakhya, few friends. But having come to Vrndavan, now the friendship became more dominant, sakha bhava. So He has to be away from home playing with friends, so this calf herding pastime, more opportunity to be with friends and more play, to give excuse to be away from family but play with friends.

So when Krsna first time proposed, Yasoda said no no you are going into forest? Forget it. She was not ready. Stay home. You are still tiny baby. You don’t have to go to work at this age. But He was insisting and then Nanda maharaja took Krsna’s side. Father and mother debating. And Krsna and Nanda maharaj won the debate. And Krsna was allowed to go out, to be cowherd boy. First day Nanda maharaj, he gathered small group of calves and he had friends. They had small group of calves also. And Nanda and Yasoda personally were accompanying Krsna and Balaram, training them, how to control the cows, how to turn them. They gave little ropes in the hands of Krsna and Balarama and little sticks. ‘But don’t go deep into the forest ok, come back before lunch.’ ‘Yes yes daddy, yes yes mummy.’

So they were proceeding towards forest and then lots of playing and then they came back. This is going on for some days and one day; once upon a time, at the bank of Jamuna, other side now, everyone is staying at western bank, and now Krsna and Balaram and others are going across Jamuna to estern bank of Jamuna. They are herding their cows and one demon arrived on the scene. With the aim of killing Krsna and Balarama, he has come. And Krsna noticed. And this demon has come in the shape of calf. Easy right? So many calves there, one more calf. So demon thought it’s easy, no one will notice me. But Krsna noticed, not only noticed, He brought in notice, ‘hey Balarama, you see? What about him? That’s not regular calf, strange kind of.’ ‘Yes yes, something we had never seen. This is extra one.’

Krsna showed him to Balarama and Krsna is moving forward then closer and closer and closer to that calf. As He got there, He caught hold of that calf’s two hind legs and the tail. And then next thing He did, whirling and demon felled on top of a big tree. The demon lost his life in this process. And as he has been thrown, whirl around and thrown, this calf, it was no more calf, it was gigantic demon form. Big from and he was so heavy. That tree fell down with so many other trees. Demigods they were highly pleased, and they started showering flowers. And all the cowherd boy friends they were kind of hiding. Krsna was handling the demon. They were not sure what could be outcome of this. So they were maintaining safer distance and watching from behind the trees. And once the demon was killed then they came forward and sadhu sadhu, well done.

Next thing they are doing is some special kind of fruit tree. So the tree fell and there are so many fruits and all the cowherd boys are running after the fruits. There is breakfast time. Someone lost life and no big deal. They just wanted to enjoy fruit. Ran for the fruits!

So like that they would have good time, herding calves and playing with friends.  And another day they were all thirsty. These are two pastimes. One demon killing which was Vatsasur and there is more. There is news of Vatsa the calf.  Some residents of Vrndavan, ‘hey Krsna you killed the cow, you have to take bath. You have to take holy deep now for self purification; go take bath in Ganga.’ So Krsna was willing but He doesn’t leave Vrndavan. How does He manage? He creates Ganga from His mind. That is Manasi Ganga. When you do Brajamandal parikrama, you take darshan of Mansi Ganga. So that comes from mind of Krsna. Krsna takes bath, everyone taking bath now in Mansi Ganga. Some other pastimes also mentioned in connection of this Mansi Ganga. This is one of them.

So another day boys were thirsty. There was another demon coming. He is Bakasur, brother of Putana. Putana has been killed. Now second member of family, he has come as big duck. So they drank water and suddenly they saw big big huge size duck. So Bakasura comes with big pointed beak and catches hold of Krsna and he swallows. Where is Krsna now? He was just playing with the friends and demon came and he just swallowed Him. And cowherd boys were right there. Where is Krsna? Seeing His friends disturbed and Krsna inside the throat is becoming very very hot and very bitter also. Could you swallow something that is so hot and bitter? You will vomit. So this demon vomits. And what came out? Krsna! Krsna held beak of this demon and Bakasur also was killed.

We are rushing because idea was to kill another demon today. Aghasur! So Putana is sister, and Bakasur and Aghasur are two brothers. So Aghasur’s time for killing. Cowherd boys, as the news spread of Krsna killing another demon, residents of Vrndavan, Nanda maharaj reminded of Garga muni’s prediction, ‘this will happen, that will happen, but Krsna will always come victorious, always depend on Him, He will protect you.’ And the way he predicted is exactly happening. They all are talking.  So these topics are giving great pleasure to residents, protectors of the town, Nanda maharaj and ohers. This Rama Krsna katha they are absorbed, this is their life.

mat cittah mat-gat pranah, bodhayantah parasparam
kathayantas ca mam nityam tusyanti ca ramanti ca

Krsna says in Bhagavad Gita. Same thing; residents of Vrndavan are busy, absorbed talking about Krsna. We also wish, before we talk what we have to do? You have to hear, you have to read. Otherwise what would you talk about? Whatever you hear about, you talk about. Gramya katha! Simple thing! What goes in, input, is the output. If katha goes in, katha will come out. You will relish. We also wish to how Krsna katha is topic of devotees. Krsna is expecting that we talk about Krsna, hear about Krsna, hear more and more and then do mananam. Krsna is reminding us, ‘you hear Me, hear and then come back tomorrow to hear more, but in mean time what happens? Mananam, bring those pastimes back to the mind, contemplate, relish and take them in again. Just like cows or animals they eat twice. First time they gobble up, grazing, and when they sit down, then what do they do? Chewing the chewed. They bring whole thing back into the mouth, then chewing it finer and finer and they assimilate it into the system and they get nourished.

So here we hear, gobble up in couple of hours. Then we have 22 hrs more. To do what? Bringing these pastimes back into the mind and relish them, then they will become our property. Then we will not forget them. Bring them back again.

So the person who did this katha, I told you in beginning only, he was Gokarna. This is part of Bhagavat Mahatmya and he was reciting this Bhagavat for seven days for the benefit of his brother Dhundhakari. Dhundhakari was kind of not good fellow. His brother Gokarna showed special mercy. This person was turned into ghost in fact. Dhundhakari had no body, just subtle body. So he took shelter in bamboo which had seven knots. Otherwise the wind comes, they he will go away. It ‘s not heavy 100 kg body, just 50 gm body. So he took shelter of this bamboo of seven knots. So what was happening, at the end of each day, one of the knots was getting opened. And another recitation, another day, by the end of second day, one more knot was opened. Like that the end of the seventh day, that bamboo was no more and there comes out four handed beautiful person.

And mean time there was one aircraft that had come from up above, the trance airline, TWA, and landed and airhosts were signaling please come please come. He was about to got the steps and take his seat, but before they took off, this Gokarna said hey hold on. What’s the matter? In audience I have so many listeners, not just one person. I was expecting you would bring big jambo jet and board everyone to take back home. But how come only one person is boarding the plain? Haridas, Visnudas, they were captain, airhosts, they said, the question was raised by Gokarna that the speaker is same, same subject matter was shared by me with everyone and they all were listening. So how come not the same fruit. How come one person become capable of going back to Vaikuntha and everyone else is staying behind? Why there is discrimination? What went wrong?

Several things were pointed out by these Haridasas. One of these is mananam, this contemplation, what had been heard. This person was thinking, contemplating, relishing, bringing into the mind and others were not doing. This was the reason. Faith of the listener is also other factor. But main thing was pointed out, mananam. So sravanam kirtanam, and the mananam pat. So he said, ‘but we have no problem. You can organize another katha and let them follow the guidelines that we have just mentioned and we will have bigger plane next time.’ and that is what happened. Another katha was organized, Gokarna spoke. Eveyone who was attaining that katha, ‘hey mananam, hey mananam. Unless we do mananam, no going. Mananam mananam. And we need to have attention. Turn off mobile phone and children … ‘ like that.

And everybody was so alert, so respectful. No offenses, attention and the result was at the end of those seven days of recitation of Bhagavatam, big jambo jet arrived. And this time Lord personally accompanied pilots and the staff. And everyone was shown the door of the aircraft, please get in please and the engine started and everyone went back to the Lord.

So the quality of hearing, contemplation, attentions, etc. kind of few things mentioned there in Srimad Bhagavat mahatmya. These things mentioned by four Kumaras, also how fund should be raised.  Just like at the time of marriage you raise funds somehow. First thing mentioned by four Kumaras is fund raising and invitaion. And they have given little draft, how to invite, and what should be location, where should be katha to be conducted and which part of the year. What kind of speaker has to be vaisnava, Hari bhakta and like that it goes. The main thing is hear about subject matter. So we are trying to stick to what Sukadeva Gosvami speaks and how Prabhupada has explained that in purports, something from purports and something from previous acaryas. We are going to try to share this with you. Hare Krishna