Lords beautiful form is described as 24 and half chandras

Nagpur

Today we have 636 participants. I am happy that more and more japa participants are joining. Anandamayi Radha mataji’s father has joined us today. And I am sure there are some other new faces. Don’t remain new faces, become old faces by keep doing chanting and become familiar faces. Introduce yourself, let Krishna acknowledge your presence and show yourself to the Lord, present yourself to the Lord, ‘I am here Oh Lord! I had turned my face away from You for such a long long time, but now I am here facing You. I am sanmukh now. Please accept me Oh Lord.’ You could pray like that.

Of course you could also begin, facing the devotees first or the gurujans, the spiritual master first. You face them and they will also introduce you to the Lord. They will recommend your case to the Lord, ‘Here is someone my dear Lord. He has turned his face towards You, please accept him.’ So that also could be there. You begin facing devotees and then they would turn you towards the Lord, introduce you to the Lord.

So chanting stirs up our thoughts and we think and we remember as we chant, the expected remembrance of the Lord.

I had some thoughts as I was chanting this morning and I was remembering dialogue between Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sanatana Gosvami. And this is something, the way Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu was remembering Krishna, He was sharing that with Sanatana Gosvami. And that sharing was going on and on for almost two months. Then just cross section of that dialogue or just one or two statements of that, we are going to talk about. I am trying to share something which Sri Krishna Caitanya Maghaprabhu was thinking. Srila Krishnadas Kaviraj Gosvami has kindly presented that dialogue between Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sanatana Gosvami in Caitanya Caritamrita.

So Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu although He is Lord Himself, but He is thinking this way in the mood of the devotee of the Lord and Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu at one point during that dialogue with Sanatana Gosvami, He was more ecstatic and more excited when He said something that I am going to share. So Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is talking of the beauty or beautiful form of Sri Krishna. That we always hear and say and write that Lord is Sri Krishna or Caitanyacandra or Ramachandra or Krishnachandra is compared with the Chandra. Lord is called as Chandra, Ramachandra, Krishnachandra. The reason why we call or address Lord as Ramachandra or Krishnachandra, because They are, some parts of Their body are compared with Chandra. They act like chandra- moon, shining, dazzling, and effulgent; rays emanating from certain parts of Lord’s body.

So Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is talking of Sri Krishna having 24 and half chandras, 24 and half moons in the Personality of Krishna. Beginning with the Lord’s face, this is the main principle. Moon face of the Lord is moon like face. So, that is the main principle moon of the Lord. He describes the moon like face, this moon is principle Chandra and other chandras are subsidiary chandras.

So this moon like Chandra, mukhachandra or shashimukha, makes whole body of the Lord, full form of the Lord like His asana, like His seat and He takes the main seat and He represents the face of the Lord. And the description goes on, the counting of 24 and half moons, which ones are 24 and half; so the face is one. And the cheeks, these are the two additional moons, so three moons. Then tilak Lord wears, this is yet another moon, say fourth moon. The forehead of the Lord is half moon. It doesn’t make complete round, astami’s moon, Chandra chakor. Then the fingernails of the Lord, ten more moons are the reddish complexion, dazzling moons are the fingernails of the Lord. And the toe nails which are again ten in numbers those are additional ten moons, nakhachandra.

In Bhagavat Mahatyma it is also described as Chandravali, it is awali like dipavali (rows of lamps) there is chandravali (rows of moons), all those chandras, each toenail is one Chandra and another Chandra and another. Even Chandravali gopi, presence is felt on the toenail of the Lord. The yogis do meditation and lot of time they meditate on this effulgence which is emanating from the form of the Lord, coming from His face or His toenails or fingernails, specially from the toe nails, that effulgence becomes the object of meditation, but unfortunately their realization is incomplete and they consider this effulgence complete in itself and they do not understand source of that light- Effulgence (jyoti) is the form of the Lord. So that is unfortunate!

Vaishnavas, of course, they understand the effulgence, Brahmajyoti and the source of Brahmajyoti is form of the Lord, the moons of the Lord are the source.

And Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is talking with Sanatana Gosvami and He goes on and states that when Lord Sri Krishna plays His flute then His fingers and fingernails are dancing, so it’s just like moons are dancing as He is playing flute. Similarly, Nataraja Sri Krishna, ‘natavarvapuh karnikaram’, that ‘Natavara’, as He dances then the moons on the toenails of the Lord, those moons are dancing. So while playing the flute those fingernails moons are dancing and while Lord dances, the toenails moons, Chandravali they dance.

Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu goes on and on and on to describe in great detail and then He says the flute playing, those moons are glorifying Sri Krishna, the sound, the murali-dhvani, the vibration emanating from the flute of Sri Krishna, those moons are singing the glories of the Lord. And while the Lord is dancing, the ankle-bells, nupur around the ankles of the Lord, that sound and the moons on the toenails, they are talking, they are glorifying the Lord.

These 24 and half moons, this has the connection with one of the Gayatri mantra called Kama Gayatri. That 24 and half letters in Kama Gayatri and each one of them represents moons in the form of the Lord and as one chants Kama Gayatri, he meditates on the form of the Lord- Lord’s form with 24 and half moons.

Srila Vishvanath Chakravarti Thakur gave commentary on Kama Gayatri called, I think Mantradipika, that’s his bhashya, commentary on Kama Gayatri. So in the middle of writing commentary, in Vrndavan, on the banks of Radhakunda, he had questions. So he was trying to understand the 24 and half moons represented by 24 and half letters or syllables of Kama Gayatri. He was not able to ascertain, come to conclusion, which one is half letter in this Kama Gayatri, half letter representing half moon in the form of the Lord, which letter? So he was thinking it should be only 24 moons, or 24 syllables or maybe 25. I don’t see which one these is half letter or half moon. Is Krishnadas Kaviraj Gosvami who has mentioned, talked about 24 and half-moons, is Krishnadas Kaviraj wrong in mentioning 24 and half? He should have mentioned 24 or maybe 25, but not 24 and half. So he was confused and not able to come to conclusion what is right, what is wrong. When he was thinking and thinking and he was not coming to right conclusion, right realization and he was also thinking if Krishnadas Kaviraj could he wrong, or my thinking may be offensive as I am thinking that Krishnadas Kaviraj may be wrong and it is described in the life of Vishvanath Chakravarti Thakur that he was even considering, I should give up my life if I could not understand what is reality, what is the fact. And Radharani kindly appeared to Vishvanath Chakravarti Thakur and Vishvanath Chakravarti Thakur was face to face with Radharani and Radharani gave all the explanation and also explained which letter is half letter and certainly Krishndas Kaviraj Gosvami couldn’t be wrong in stating 24 and half moons and they are not 24 or 25 but they are 24 and half. Krishnadas Kaviraj was right, Radharani was insisting, emphasizing and clarifying this in person. The forehead which is half moon, which is difficult to understand, which one is half, ‘lalatapatale kasturi tilakam, so kasturi tilakam’ is one full moon, but the whole lalata, forehead is half moon. And the last letter of the Kama Gayatri mantra is ‘halanta’ but that is considered as full letter, but then which one is half letter? It was explained that the fifth letter of the gayatri mantra is Kamadevaya, that one is half and not the last one is half. Middle one, fifth letter is half! So Radharani, kindly revealed all the truths and facts and saved the life of Vishvanath Chakravarti Thakur with Her darsana. She blessed him.

So while chanting Hare Krishna, this could be very useful, substantial thing to think about. Thu, Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is revealing the form of the Lord, the beauty of the Lord, this is one Chandra, this is another Chandra, 24 and half chandras. So this is a nice topic, wonderful topic for our meditation as we chant Hare Krishna- the great detail of Personality of the Lord reveals. Lord is chanting and talking also, japa, ajapa, japa that we always do, the formal way of chanting with the beads we chant prescribed number of rounds, but then there is state of life or practice of Krishna consciousness, which is called ajapa, they are not chanting japa, but the chanting is going on. It becomes so natural, unknowingly you are chanting, so Sri Krishna Mahaprabhu is doing japa, ajapa. And while doing japa and ajapa, He is thinking and talking. So it is authorized, while chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna to think like this, remember like this.

Hare Krishna

Reading and hearing about Lord helps us in chanting

Keep chanting and keep dancing, let your soul dance.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says,
nama nache jiva nache nache prema dhana

When there is chanting, the name is dancing, living entity is dancing, love of Godhead is dancing, everyone is dancing. Now if we could come to that stage of chanting or that evolution that sort of revival has taken place in our heart and soul, that our soul is chanting then we are free from all sort of distractions, totally, fully absorbed in our own world where singing soul is dancing and enjoying. If your soul is dancing whilst dancing the soul would not be thinking about anything else in the world, soul is enjoying chanting and dancing while chanting.

Your tongue must vibrate; you should be able to hear what you are chanting. So, when we are doing just kind of mental japa then we are kind of absorbed in so many other thoughts, absorbed in thinking and contemplating. So, in order to stop that, we need to say
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna and hear what we are saying and get our mind off from other thoughts which are going through our mind so distract our mind and get our mind to listen to the holy names instead of listening to other thoughts.

We always say that attentive chanting or dhyana purvak japa, so we have to be attentive while chanting of Hare Krishna Hare Krishna.
Be attentive pay attention to Hare Krishna, if you are not saying how could you hear and be attentive. How could you do contemplation or meditation? Sometimes when we are at some function some VIPs are there, we check that who is attending to that person and making sure the VIP is taken care of.  Who is giving him seat to sit, who is giving him drink who is attending him?  So like that when we are chanting Hare Krishna, Krishna has come and we are attending to Krishna. Who is attending? We are attending. Our mind focused on that Krishna. So, when we chant, we are hearing, our mind is busy hearing that Hare Krishna Hare Krishna.

So whatever different activities are done by our senses, all our senses connected with, manah-sasthanindriyani [BG 15.7]

These six principle senses, all those senses- sense of touch, sense of hearing and seeing, they all do the reporting to the mind. The mind knows which sense is doing what, so as we say Hare Krishna Hare Krishna with our tongue, then that is a topic for mind to attend to or think about or be busy with.
So, we have been talking of this we have heard Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, these are not empty words, these are Persons, and these are Personality of Godhead. So, we hear Hare Krishna we are supposed to be hearing so much and everything reminding ourselves about Krishna. Whose name is Krishna? We are saying Hare Krishna Hare Krishna; question can arise is this someone’s name? Yes, this is of course Krishna’s name, then who is Krishna? How does He look like? Where does He stay? There could be hundreds and thousands of questions like these not only who is He? And answer to that question could be the whole world of the scriptures.

ādāv ante ca madhye ca hariḥ sarvatra gīyate  [CC Ādi 7.131]

In the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the scriptures. As we chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna this results in Smaranam – we remember His form. Lord assumes different forms and they are so many beautiful forms, there are detailed description of these forms of the Lord. Then you are remembering the qualities of the Lord. There are 64 qualities and more qualities can be listed. There are so many topics to think about, Nama, Rupa, Guna and Lila. So, this chanting of Hare Krishna should remind us of all these topics and this is what we think and contemplate upon as we chant Hare Krishna and be absorbed in chanting.

You should also be reading Srila Prabhupada books, that is also sravanam, kirtanam and the smaranam.

nityam bhagavat sevaya

Shravanam is also there as we read Srila Prabhupada’s books or as we read Hari Katha that is also sravanam. And then we say what we heard is kirtanam and then smaranam or as we chant Hare Krishna, we will be reminded of what we read about Hari.

So, this also goes hand in hand or becomes helpful, that kind of studies hearing Hari Katha, nityam bhagavat sevaya, concentrating our minds focusing our minds that would give us a topic to think about when we say Hare Krishna.

Oh! That Krishna, He looks like this, these are His pastimes and He also appeared as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, He is Jagannath,
Jei Gaura sei Krishna sei Jagannath. They are non-different.

So, in order to be attentive and our mind focused on chanting, the reading and hearing of studies you do is very helpful. We will be more focused, more meditative in chanting. Otherwise we sit down for chanting we will be reminded of other things we have heard and read and that are worldly kind of things, all that has happened prior to chanting your previous days, all those thoughts are going to be hovering over. Me too, me too, think of me, what about me think about me too. So many things come to our mind and distract us.

So, one-time Dronacharya was teaching archery, how to use bow and arrow to his students, all the Pandavas and Kauravas in the forest. They were getting their lessons on how to hit the target. Dronacharya had hung one bird on the branch of a tree and his students had to hit the eye of the bird.
So, one by one students were coming to shoot the bird and as they held their bow and arrow, Dronacharya was asking them, so what are you seeing? So, the first student said, “Well I am seeing the sky, the tree, the leaves.” So Dronacharya said “get out”. So, second student was not seeing everything but still seeing a lot of things other than bird and he was also asked to get out from there. Next one said I am seeing the tree, leaves, so many branches, but he is still not seeing or not focusing on what he is supposed to see the target. So finally, the good student Arjuna came and Dronacharya asked him “Can you see the sky?” Arjuna said no. Can you see the mountain, Arjuna said no, what about lots of tree, no. What about the branches of the tree, no. Can you see the branch where the bird is hanging? no. Can you see the whole bird? no. Then Dronacharya finally asked “What are you seeing?” Arjuna said “I can only see the eye of the bird and nothing else.”  Then Dronacharya said shoot now. Now you will hit the target well as you are only seeing the target.

So, I suppose you are learning some lessons from this illustration and that is how while chanting we have to get out the whole world which is in us or on our mind, get that out. So many things to think about and mind does keep thinking about, not this, not this, don’t think of this, don’t remember this and only,

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

This is all that we are supposed to remember. We say and we hear we keep our mind busy with hearing and as we hear we are reminding ourselves of Krishna, who is Krishna, His names, form, qualities and pastimes. This is the subject matter of our hearing and remembering.
Mind is flickering, mind is not steady, this was also complaint of Arjuna in 6th chapter of Bhagavad Gita. Krishna said you have to do abhyasa- practice of controlling the mind, taming our mind and that has to be done by the spirit of detachment. ‘viragyena  abhyasena’, these two things do constant practice with the spirit of detachment, attempting to detach ourselves from the world, separating ourselves from the world and do practice of that day in and day out. And that is what we are trying as we chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna everyday as chant our prescribed number of rounds.

Hare Krishna

YAMARAJ’S INSTRUCTIONS TO YAMADUTAS

Congratulations to all of you chanters as the score has increased. Yesterday I had said, today’s talk will be by Yamaraja. Have you ever met him? Many times, many many times, but you have forgotten. So, today we will hear from Yamaraja. We will listen to his thoughts. Due to time constraints we can’t make it like storytelling, but some of his thoughts we will present.

This talk of Yamaraj comes in the beginning of sixth canto of Bhagavatam, chapter 3. At end of fifth canto there is description of hellish planets. So, Parikshit Maharaj inquired, whether there is any way, so that suffering could be avoided. In response to that inquiry by King Parikshit, Sukadeva Goswami narrates the glory of the holy name & hence he described this story of Ajamila.

Another way he said, “The way you could avoid going to hell is chanting of the holy names.” Harer nama eva kevalam.

(CC Adi 7.76)

Yesterday, we talked about how first time Yamadutas returned empty handed & they couldn’t bring Ajamila. When Yamadutas returned to Yamaraja their first question was:

yamadūtā ūcuḥ
kati santīha śāstāro,
jīva-lokasya vai prabho
trai-vidhyaṁ kurvataḥ
karma,phalābhivyakti-hetavaḥ (SB. 6.3.4)

Their question was ‘How many controllers are there? We thought you were the only one. But today we had some other experience. Someone intervened & stopped us from bringing Ajamila to you.’

Yamaraja explained, no! no ! I am not the supreme controller.’

yama uvāca
paro mad-anyo jagatas tasthuṣaś ca
otaṁ protaṁ paṭavad yatra viśvam
yad-amśato ‘sya sthiti-janma-nāśā
nasy otavad yasya vaśe ca lokaḥ

(SB 6.3.12)

He admitted. Iam not the supreme controller. He is the Supreme Lord. Yamaraja explains & reveals the fact that, Supreme Lord is superior to him. Then there is long talk in great detail about how He controls.

ahaṁ mahendro nirṛtiḥ pracetāḥ
somo ‘gnir īśaḥ pavano viriñciḥ
āditya-viśve vasavo ‘tha sādhyā
marud-gaṇā rudra-gaṇāḥ sasiddhāḥ.
( SB 6.3.14)

All these parties are governed by the Lord. We may be Ishwara, but Lord is Supreme controller – Parameshwar.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (BS. 5.1)

Like that Brahma also has said that, Parameshwar is Krishna.

dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītaṁ
na vai vidur ṛṣayo nāpi devāḥ
na siddha-mukhyā asurā manuṣyāḥ
kuto nu vidyādhara-cāraṇādayaḥ (SB. 6 3.19)

Yamaraja explained, that dharma is given by the Lord. Dharma means laws of the Lord, which governs the world. This dharma is given by the Lord. Yamaraja says, all of you my dutas should understand, that dharma which you follow, that laws are not given by me. They are given by Param niyamak – Parameshwar.

We follow, we abide by the laws given by the Lord, in the form of codes of dharma. Yamaraja is a kind of giving his ID, or introduction. He says there are twelve persons called ‘Bhagvats’. They are the knowers of that dharma given by the Lord. Swayambhuva, Naradha, Shambhu, Kumaro Kapilo Manu Balir Vaiyasaki vayam.

He gives the list of ‘Dwadash – Bhagvats’ or Mahajans. He explains, I am included in those Mahajans & we know dharma & we practice that dharma. Yamaraja is kind of big judge or supreme Court judge, when it comes to judgement. He is not only strict punisher but he is knowledgeable. He has to make so many decisions, about each living entities’ destination. It’s a big responsibility. But he doesn’t take those decisions, whimsically. He follows, the code of conduct given by the Lord.

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa
jantur dehopapattaye
striyāḥ praviṣṭa udaraṁ
puṁso retaḥ-kaṇāśrayaḥ (SB 3.31.1)

He analyses whether someone has done ‘karma’, or ‘akarma’ means devotional service or vikarma – sinful activities, & taking all that into consideration, he gives the judgement. So, now Yamaraja is giving some special instructions or even warning to Yamadutas, his messengers. Please take note of this, Beware! Yamaraja was giving them job description, or reminding them of do’s & don’ts. You do this! & don’t do this ! Bring such person to me but don’t touch or even look at that person. Then Yamaraj tells

tān ānayadhvam asato vimukhān mukunda-
pādāravinda-makaranda-rasād ajasram
niṣkiñcanaiḥ paramahaṁsa-kulair asaṅgair
juṣṭād gṛhe niraya-vartmani baddha-tṛṣṇān
( S.B.6.3.28)

Bring those people to me who are vimukha, those who are against Lord. Whom you should bring,

mukund padaravind makarandam

Also those who have not developed attraction for the holy name. But others for whom the holy name has become ‘makarand’ or nectar. Those who are relishing the ‘makarand ‘of holy name, those who are offenselessly chanting so they are relishing the nectarine holy name, those who are attentive, don’t bring them. Those who have not developed attraction for holy name or Krishna or Krishna’s dham or devotees , they have not developed love for them, to all those ‘vimukhan, tan anayadhwam’. Bring those. Then he also says

jihvā na vakti bhagavad-guṇa-nāmadheyaṁ
cetaś ca na smarati tac-caraṇāravindam
kṛṣṇāya no namati yac-chira ekadāpi
tān ānayadhvam asato ‘kṛta-viṣṇu-kṛtyān
( S.B. 6.3.29)

Yamaraj says one whose tongue doesn’t utter the holy name, tan anayadhwam….. who else cetaś ca na smarati tac-caraṇāravindam

Those who doesn’t remember Lord’s lotus feet, tan anayadhwam…… Krishnay yo na namati Shir ekadapi…. Those who had never bowed down in front of Krishna – tan anayadhwam…… akrit Vishnukrtyan……. Those who are not performing devotional service unto the Lord, bring them. Then towards the end he says

tasmāt saṅkīrtanaṁ viṣṇor
jagan-maṅgalam aṁhasām
mahatām api kauravya
viddhy aikāntika-niṣkṛtam
(SB. 6.3.31)

Therefore it is advised, conclusion or instructions to us for our knowledge. Yamaraja says ‘tasmat’therefore, ‘sankirtanam vishnum’ – Vishnu’s sankirtan or Krishna’s sankirtan.

‘Jagan-mangalam’ – it is all auspicious for the world. ‘Ambhasam’ those who are sinful, their lives will become auspicious if they go for sankirtan of Vishnu or Krishnasya sankirtanam, Chaitanya’s sankirtanam so ambhasam, those sinful souls in this world there lives will also receive auspiciousness.

Shreyaha kairav chandruka vitaranam
Vidya vadhu jivanam. ( Shikshastakam verse 1)

Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also has said, that this sankirtan will spread the rays of moon in lives of those sinful folks.

śṛṇvatāṁ gṛṇatāṁ vīryāṇy
uddāmāni harer muhuḥ
yathā sujātayā bhaktyā
śuddhyen nātmā vratādibhiḥ (SB. 6.3.32)

Yamaraj continues by saying we should always hear, chant, glorify the powers of the Lord, pastimes of the Lord, powers of the Lord, beauty of the Lord, names of the Lord.

muhuhu – again & again & again.

So to summarise, you could study this talk by Yamaraja. Now you know where to find. Sixth canto, chapter 3. There is Yamadutas talk. Then Yamaraja has revealed the facts, including the glories of the holy name. This is a homework. By accepting holy name also, one will not have to go through the ‘Yam-yatana’ or

punarapi jananam punarapi maranam punarapi janani jathare shayanam iha sansare khalu dustare krpaya pahi pahi murare.

Pahi pahi murare.
(‘Bhaja Govindam’ prayers by Adi Shankaracharya)
Hey Murari please protect me.

Hare Krishna!

Change of Heart

Today is birthday of Janaksuta Mataji, all the way from Mauritius. Happy birthday Janaksuta Mataji. Let us all shower our blessing on Janaksuta Mataji by chanting Hare Krishna maha-mantra.

As the tradition in ISKCON, we say happy birthday to you and you may never take birth again. May you be very happy eternally. Birth in this life in this body is source or beginning of suffering. We will be only happy as we practice Krishna consciousness, finally we don’t have to take birth again. We survive, thrive or even act just as a soul without body in relationship with Krishna, being with Krishna existing as a soul.

Lord is waiting, ready to welcome all of us let us go back home. Do not come into this material world again that is possible only if we had complete change of heart. Until there is complete change of heart we will keep coming back. Do you all like this world? Do you want to come back again? People don’t even know about the spiritual world and that’s why, ‘jina yaha marna yaha, isake siva jana kaha’.

Then we don’t have any choice and we keep suffering in this body in the material existence. But as we come in contact with Krishna consciousness, you can return to another world, Krishna is waiting for you. There is another eternal world where we can go.

Change of heart, Sukadeva Goswami has talked about diseased heart- hrtrogam. At the end of the Rasa panchadhyay he says, we are rogis, we have disease of the heart. Srila Bhakti Vinoda Thakur has said,

enechi aushadhi maya nasibaro lagi’
hari-nama maha-mantra lao tumi magi’
[Jiva Jago Jiva Jago- Vaisnava Bhajan]

So Sukadeva Goswami says of course we have heart, but it is diseased heart. Srila Bhakti Vinoda Thakur says, “oh there is a medicine for curing this heart.” Harinama is the medicine to cure the heart and purify the heart. We call that as change of heart and it’s possible. Srila Bhakti Vinoda Thakur has also said, who else is your friend other than Gauranga. A friend in need is friend indeed. You are in need of friend and that friend is Gauranga. You needy friend, you diseased friend, you troubled friend here is the cure. Here is the solution for you, take the holy name, change your heart and purify your heart.

I have heard this many time from Srila Gopal Krishna Maharaja, ISKCON temples are like hospital and devotees in hospital are like doctors and specially chanting is medicine. Once a very old Gaudiya vaisnava was ill, doctor had come and he was doing his diagnosis using stethoscope. He was checking the heartbeat and he heard something a kind of sound which he had never heard. He was surprised “What is this? Who is this? He is saying something and he was hearing with his stethoscope. The sound was,

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

And he looked at the mouth of the elderly vaisnava, he was hardly uttering anything, in fact he was not in position of saying the name out loudly but the soul in the heart was crying for the Lord, calling for the Lord loudly. And that Hare Krishna utterance was heard by the doctor as he was doing the diagnosis.

He was not in a position to chant; he was barely chanting he was not even using his lips and other body parts or the throat to say the mantra. These parts do not have to say the mantra the real chanter is soul. And his soul was chanting. His soul was calling out for the Lord he had a change of heart. Change of heart is change of consciousness.

That is what Srila Prabhupada always said, there is a relation between revolution in consciousness and change of heart. Srila Prabhupada wanted to revolution in consciousness otherwise he used to say ‘oh the world has seen so many revolutions like French revolution, Russia revolution, industrial revolution. So, these revolutions they come and go and provided no solution. But if there is revolution in consciousness there is a permanent change and that change of heart is forever for better.

This revolution in consciousness resulting in change of heart or purity of the heart.

This whole revolution was inaugurated by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu 500 year ago. Gauranga Nityananda they are the inaugurators of this revolution.

ajanu-lambita-bhujau kanakavadhatau
sankirtanaika-pitarau kamalayataksau
visvambharau dvija-varau yuga-dharma palau
vande jagat-priyakaro karunavatarau
(CC Madhya 17.108)

Those two karunavatarau, two Lords- Gauranga and Nityananda they are the founder of this, inaugurator of this revolution in consciousness concept, which leads to ultimate purification of heart.

Srila Prabhupada founded this ISKCON organization and this Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON is executing the will of the Lord so that the world undergoes transformation and change of heart. This will of Gauranga Nityananda is being executed by the members of International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

That revolution of Gauranga and Srila Prabhupada wanted transformation. What good is information? We would like to see the transformation, change of heart, change of consciousness.

Once we were doing padayatra in England and theme of our padayatra was “Walking for change.” We were walking for the change in that country. Of course, our padayatra is to bring about change in the world, all over the world. This is the one of the strategies of Srila Prabhupada, this padayatra. To change the heart, change the world, to bring about revolution. If you wish to see the world undergoing the change, the change has to begin with our self. Let us have that strong will and great determination to see change within us and then see the change in the world.

vyavasayatmika buddhir
ekeha kuru-nandana
[BG 2.41]

The great determination will bring about change then we will be fixed on ekeha kuru-nandana, with great determination.

bahu-sakha hy anantas ca
buddhayo ‘vyavasayinam

There are so many ideas this and that because mind always changes, its ever changing, sankalpa –vikalpa.

We have to capture the mind. The intelligence should say what to do and what not to do.

This is a mission of our life this is to be done in rest of our life to achieve the mission of change of heart. We fix our vision to achieve our mission. So always be in this missionary spirit to achieve your goal.

Hare Krishna

How lila makes connection with the chanting?

We welcome you all to the japa talk. Of course, you had japa session also and now japa talk. This is japa talk. This is a part of our japa session. Today, we will talk about Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu dancing in front of ratha yatra. We will talk about pastimes of Lord which are sweet , brief and humorous.

Then you will all think what this lila has to do with chanting? Why talk of lila, this is japa talk, what is the connection of chanting and lila? Then I may not end up saying that lila but give explanation, why, how lila makes connection with the chanting. Yes, so it’s very difficult. It’s not possible to say. Ok, this is the name and we stop the name now and we are turning to the lila. This is lila, this is name. No, it is not like that. Name is lila and lila is name. Name is Krishna, lila is Krishna. So, you cannot say, this is name, this is lila this is pastime, this is quality, this is abode and these are some devotees of Krishna. In fact, this all is Krishna. This is Krishna consciousness, all is Krishna.

So, simultaneously you are chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna and also the purpose is,

‘shravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam’(SB 7.5.22-30)

So, while chanting also remembering should be there. So, what are we remembering? We are remembering Krishna and the pastime is Krishna, the pastime is Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. So, it is said, well known fact, ‘harer naam harer naam harer naamaiva kevalam’. Only holy name, nothing else. Holy name is the only way. So that doesn’t mean harinama only and no pastimes, no lila or no archanam, vandanam, sakhyam, dasyam or atmanivedanam. We don’t care for other processes, only nama. That is misunderstanding which Jiva Goswami has clarified.

The way Jiva Goswami explains in one of the sandarbhas is meaning of harer namaiva kevalam. Only Hare Krishna he says, with every process, with smaranam- the chanting of Hare Krishna, with padasevanam -Hare Krishna has to accompany, with atmanivedanam -there has to be Hare Krishna. So that’s the meaning Hare Krishna is associated, has to be associated with all other processes. So, then we could understand with smaranam- there is Hare Krishna.

And deity worship is incomplete without Hare Krishna chanting or some glories of the Lord should be chanted or kirtan. You cannot perform arati if there is no kirtan accompanied during that arati. So holy name is everywhere. When remembering the pastime of the Lord, the holy name is there. Anyway, this is talk of siddhant or philosophy but there is pastime we wanted to talk or remember, one pastime of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu during ratha yatra.

Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, that pastime when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is dancing in front of Jagannath’s cart. And He is doing ‘udanda nritya’. He is jumping high in the sky and then suddenly He lands, there is crushing on the ground. He has become center of attraction, of the assembled devotees in particular ratha yatra procession. How could they be thinking of anything else looking at anything else other that Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s dancing? Chaitanya Mahaprabhu begins going round and round on the ground while chanting and dancing. And Chaitanya charitamrita describes or compares Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s dancing with, sometime they hold there is a rope and at the end of the rope there is a fire ball a ball of fire and they move very swiftly, you get the feeling that fire is everywhere that one ball has made the round of fire.

Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was going round and round very swiftly and His body is also golden like fire, fiery flame, all those who were present there they were seeing a circle of fire. Circle of that golden form of Lord like a fire band. Then Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is exhibiting all the symptoms. Tears are coming from His eyes, like torrents of rain. As He is going round and round, the tears are coming out with great force of His eyes and all around devotees all around are getting wet like a shower. With the tears of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, they are all getting drenched; all drowned with the tears of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

In the middle of that kirtan, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, He falls on the ground and begins rolling on the ground. And as He rolls on the ground that is like a golden mountain which is covered with dust, is rolling on the ground. That kind of experience everyone is having those who were watching Chaitanya Mahaprabhu rolling on the ground. Then Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gets up again and dancing continues. And assembled devotees hundreds and thousands of them are watching Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s dance.

Jagannath in chariot, sitting in the chariot, also fully focused on Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s dancing pastime and the reason Jagannath Swami is looking at Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is, Jagannath considers Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as Radharani. Radharani is dancing in front of Jagannath who is in chariot. So, this is like a Rasa dance going on in the middle of Jagannath ratha yatra. There is Radha and Krishna. Radha on the ground dancing, Gauranga and Jagannath seated in the chariot.

So, procession is on. Everyone is moving forward in the direction of Gundica temple.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu continues His dance. And there are devotees around, keeping the crowd away from Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. So, in order to keep public away who were also very eager to get closer and possibly touch His lotus feet or embrace Him. So, this public, eager public is to be kept away.

So, Chaitanya Caritamrta describes that there are three circles around Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. There are circles of devotees around Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. These circles are doing the function of fencing against, the fence off, stay away stay away. So, the first circle is created by Nityananda Prabhu. He is next to Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And wherever Chaitanya Mahaprabhu moves and He moves like lightening. Nityananda Prabhu is right there and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu could fall on the ground. So, it is job of Nityananda Prabhu who is Balarama, He is Anantsesa, to hold or protect Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu from falling down or other people coming near to Him.

The second circle is of very close associates of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu like Kasiswar, Govinda and others who are holding hands of each other and not letting anyone to come near Gauranga Mahaprabhu. They are trying to keep them away. As they are holding the hands and they are also moving in circle around in second circle around Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

The third circle and is the outer most circle is of King Pratap Rudra and his men; he is the king and he has whole battalion around holding again hands of each other and protecting Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu from the public. So, as these three circles are active, all the members in the circles are actively protecting Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

As one-time King Pratap Rudra , he was leaning on shoulder of one devotee called Hari chandan. His name is Hari chandan and King Pratap Rudra is taking close look at Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He is fully absorbed in relishing the beauty and the dance of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And while he was relishing and absorbed in drinking the beauty of Gauranga Mahaprabhu’s form, Srivasa Pandita- he is Narada Muni, Srivasa Pandita came, he was also trying to find a spot somewhere to stand and meditate on Lord’s form. Lord’s dancing and visualizing Him. So he had come and he stood right in front from where King Pratap Rudra was watching the scene and that blocked darshan of Pratap Rudra.

So of course, he had no dehabhan, bodily consciousness, he was just concerned on I want to see I want to see. He did not know where he was standing and he was happily standing wherever he stood but then Hari chandan, one of the assistants of, follower of King Pratap Rudra, he started giving signal to Srivasa Pandit, “aye, aye, move, move King in the back. He wants to see, take a darshan or see the dance of Gauranga, move, move and he was trying to push Srivasa Pandita. So, Hari chandan was giving signals and yelling and trying to move him physically.

Initially Srivasa Pandit was so much absorbed in taking darshan, he did not take note that someone was trying to bring something to his attention. But finally, he did took note that someone from behind is pushing him, trying to get him out of there. And then Srivasa Pandita, a bit annoyed and he turned behind, he gave a slap to this person Hari chandan. Why don’t you keep quiet? Don’t you see I am taking darshan? Hari chandan, he had lost his temper too and he was about to react angrily. But then King Pratap Rudra stopped, pacified Hari chandan. No, no don’t do this. This is Srivasa Pandit. He is Srivasa Pandit and you are very fortunate that you are beaten up by him. I was not as fortunate as you are that he touched you. I wish he had touched me, he had beaten me. Don’t do this. He is Srivasa Pandit let him take darshan.

So then Hari chandan was pacified and then kirtan and dancing of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is on and they all moving towards Gundica temple. So, while chanting ‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna’ japa, we should remember this pastime, also pastime of Gauranga which is non-different from chanting. Name is non different from pastime. This is how we chant the mantra meditation. It will be a meditation fully absorbed in chanting.

The holy name brings us to introduce us to realize the name is His form, His name is His qualities, name is His pastime. There is no difference with the Lord or with the soul as we are chanting with the Lord and we will be reunited we will be reconnected; this is Bhakti Yoga

Today’s conference is being attended by 683 participants. Hari Hari bol! Congratulations for joining.

I do believe that we have achieved the target of 600 as we had desired. We are doing so far so good. It is the end of the month, 31 May, and we have exceeded the target! This number is beyond our expectation. Although we are not entirely steady with this number of 600, but we are almost there. It will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow which is our deadline for this target. Keep going ahead, keep chanting and get more of your friends and family to join us. Devotees have assembled in Vallabha Vidyanagar, almost 300 devotees are chanting. Sacidanandan Prabhu has organized retreat for change of heart and I just saw hundreds of devotees chanting in open field. I am very thankful for the retreat and I congratulate all those who have joined. I am happy. Special thanks to Sacidanandan Prabhu .

The name of that retreat in Vallabha Vidyanagar is ‘change of heart’ but I have not seen the devotees going to any operation theater, they were not lying on the hospital beds. I did not see heart being transplanted. So, what is this change of heart? Its change of values, its change of attitude, its change of consciousness. Or it is also change of soul because soul is in the heart, soul resides in the heart. When I saw devotees of this retreat I was reminded of 10,000 sons of Daksha who were sent to forest for some rituals but Narada Muni reached there and gave discourse to them and there was transformation in the hearts of those 10,000 sons of Daksha. As there was change in heart they did not return home to their parents but they were going towards Vaikuntha, this is example of change of heart. Mrigari the hunter was killing animals and was happy to see their suffering then, Narada Muni gave answers to all his arguments and changed his heart, changed his consciousness, changed his attitude, changed his philosophy, changed his vision. Narada Muni also gave him japa mala to chant. He had agreed to chant Hare Krishna, and all change took place. Mrigari was no more the hunter, the killer of animals. He used to chant with his wife, keeping Tulsi Mahrani nearby. Initially he was thinking if I chant how will I take care of my family? Narada Muni said,

keep chanting don’t worry. Lord has said in Bhagavad-Gita,

yoga-kṣhemaṁ vahāmyaham [BG 9.22]

I provide what they lack and preserve what they already possess.

So as he was chanting and chanting there was purification of heart and Lord was pleased with him. He was chanting and calling out for the Lord. So many visitors were coming. They were all surprised to see Mrigari one-time hunter, killer of animals he has now become Hare Krishna. He is sitting down and chanting. They were amazed and pleased and started getting so many gifts. All his needs were fulfilled, by what they were bringing.

Patram pushpam phalam toyam (BG 9.26)

Take clothes from us, take milk for us, take this, take that. Lord was fulfilling all his needs. So Mrigari was following Krishna consciousness.

Once Narada Muni came to meet him, he was walking very slowly in zig zag fashion. Narada Muni asked what happened, you could come to me running when you saw me but you took so much time? Mrigari explained I could but there were so many ants on the path so I was clearing the path, so it took me longer to reach your lotus feet. When he heard this he was very much pleased so see the transformation in heart of his disciple. He said well-done. You were killer of animals now you don’t want to kill ants. This change of heart you have under gone, I am very much pleased. Now you are not killing animals you are not drinking their blood you have gone for pataram pushpam phalam. You are following all the principles of Bhagavad dharma, you are not killing animals any more you are only honoring Krishna prasad. I am very happy with this change of attitude, change of consciousness, change of values.

Once Prabhupada was asked in UAE by reporter “Swamiji, you have come so what change you would like to see, what change you are looking for?” Prabhupada responded “I want to see in the way people think.” Thinking, feeling and willing in other words change of heart, purification of minds. From dirty mind make pure mind so that is change of consciousness, change of heart, change of intelligence –pure intelligence. And all this change of heart and consciousness occurs by process of Krishna consciousness or basically by chanting Hare Krishna, reading Bhagavad-Gita, Bhagavatam, following 4 regulative principles every day we change. Gradually our attitude changes, our consciousness changes, our mind changes, its purified. Thus we have fully developed Krishna prema, evolution has taken place and we have achieved full Krishna consciousness. Complete change has taken place from mundane consciousness to spiritual consciousness.

Initially we were lusty now we are premi. Now we have love for Krishna, love for spirit soul initially we had love for matter. So it’s a big thought these are the thoughts of change of heart. Krishna consciousness is meant to bring about change in heart and change in consciousness. So keep changing every day, every day we want to be a changed person, every day changing evolving going higher and higher we are not stopping then we are fixed and confident. Now we are on the way back to home. We are going back to home back to Godhead and we will invite others also. Come to this ISKCON boat, we are going back there we will get Darshan of Lord’s lotus feet. We will also move forward and help others also move ahead.

Hare Krsna

Today’s conference is being attended by 645 participants. Hari Haribol!

I do believe that we have achieved the target of 600, as we had desired by the end of this month, 30 May, and we have exceeded the target! This number is beyond our expectation. Although we are not entirely steady with this number of 600, however we are almost there. It will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow which is our deadline for this target. Keep it up, keep going ahead, keep chanting, and get more of your friends and family to join us.

That could be the reason for this huge number because today is Ekadasi. This is a serious day, a day for serious chanting. Of course, we should be chanting seriously everyday but on the occasion of Ekadasi, we should become more serious about chanting. The day has just now begun, so keep chanting seriously with attention, meditation and prayers.

Speaking of our target, target was set for King Parikshit,

‘ante narayan smriti’

At the time of death last moment of death he remembered Krishna. You can also remember Narayana, Govinda, your Istadev, your worshipable deity, or the Lord of your heart. That’s the target, the goal, that’s the vision for all of us, not just for Parikshit Maharaja.

So to achieve that goal of remembrance of Krishna, we have to practice the remembrance of the Lord every single day. That is what we attempt to do during these chanting sessions. As we noted yesterday, there are so many, unlimited number of chanters of the holy name or devotees of the Lord. There are practitioners who have been chanting the holy name of the Lord seriously, and they have achieved the goal. Now it is our turn, through our practice, to achieve the same goal.

But we may think and argue that no one has seen death, and therefore believe that “I have nothing to do with death, I am not going to die, or I am not going to die that soon.” This may be a reason why we are not taking chanting seriously. We should get rid of this thought that we will not face death at any given point in time. We could die at any time.

Padmaja, your God sister, my dear disciple, just reported to me that she lost her mother. We must remember that we could die any day. Devotees who are serious, think that this could be their last day, and they chant the Maha-mantra more seriously. Unfortunately as we are talking about death, last night, a devotee who chants with us from Burma lost her mother who was chanting with us as recently as yesterday. Today, the mother is no longer with us.

These things happen daily, at every moment and it could happen to me, or to you! In India, while the body is been taken to the cremation ground, the family chants

ramanama satya hai

This means that the name of the Lord is the only reality, the name of Ramais the only truth. Those who are carrying the body will realize that it is too late for the dead body. What good is that reminder of Rama Rama now to that dead body?

In the Mahabharat, there is a dialogue between Yaksha and Yudhiṣṭhira Maharaja. The episode known as Yaksha Prashna in Mahabharata relates to the exchange of questions and answers between Yama in the guise of a Yaksha who poses 126 difficult questions to Yudhishthira, who gives the most fitting answers to those questions. In this dialogue, Yaksha asks several questions to Yudhiṣṭhira Maharaja. One of these was ‘kim ashrayam’ what is the most wonderful thing of this world, or the wonder in this world? The following is the famous statement that you may be familiar with:

ahany ahani bhutani gacchantiha yamalayam
sheshaḥ sthavaram icchanti kim ashcaryam atah param

“Yamaraja once asked Maharaja Yudhisthira, ‘What is the most wonderful thing within this world?’ Mahārāja Yudhisthira replied (Mahabharata, Vana-parva 313.116:

“Hundreds and thousands of living entities meet death at every moment, but a foolish living being nonetheless thinks himself deathless and does not prepare for death. This is the most wonderful thing in this world.”

Every day, every moment, in the morning, during the day and the night, people are leaving their bodies. For those who are not, they think Sthavaram, I am going to stay on, I have nothing to do with death, we will be here forever or for a long time.

Yudhishthira asked a counter question, “Could there be a more wonderful thought or thing in this world than this. “Oh I am okay, I will stay on, this is the wonder of the world. Some go but I am ok. This is a wonder of this world; it is one of the wonders of the world. When he was asked ‘kim ashcaryam’, he did not say Taj Mahal is the wonder of the world or Tower of Italy or Victoria Falls or the Great Wall of China. Yudhishthira Maharaj did not mention any of those as a wonder of this world, however, he said that the wonder is that people think “I am Okay”, this is a wonder. I think we should take this death business seriously, and prepare for the last moment. That is what all the sastras and acaryas are saying. The whole of the Krishna Consciousness movement is designed to achieve this target of remembering the Lord, and never forgetting Him, and becoming Krishna conscious at the time of death ante narayana smirti.

yam yam vapi smaran bhavam
tyajaty ante kalevaram
tam tam evaiti kaunteya
sada tad-bhava-bhavitah (BG 8.6)

Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.

Lord Krishna says that whatever you remember at the time of death, that thought becomes the cause for your future birth. So let us keep chanting,

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare,
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare.

Chant, hear and remember. Narayana smriti comes from,

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ
smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23)

Keep chanting and hearing, and this will result in remembrance.

As you sit for chanting and begin chanting the holy name of the Lord, whatever you have done prior to the chanting, the previous day, weeks and months and years and births all that is there on your mind as we begin chanting. That influence is constantly there, the kind of consciousness that we developed, conditioning that we developed through so many acts, thoughts, so many kinds of hearing and talking or eating, our entire lifestyle, that is very much with us as we begin chanting.

So during chanting we have to neutralize or counteract all those forces, all those thoughts and all those anti-Krishna consciousness thoughts. That is also called in language of Yoga- ‘pratyahar.’ We have fed ourselves through all five senses and now we have to counteract the effects of sense gratification by chanting. Using the power of the intelligence, we will be able to discriminate, and with the intelligence we have to take cognizance, of worldly and mundane thoughts, and be able to discriminate and select thoughts that are spiritually positive.

Not this not this, the battle between the mundane and the spiritual is ongoing during the chanting, and we should try to sort out, this thought must get out, or this one must stay on. If they are thoughts of Krishna, His qualities, form, or pastimes, then these thoughts should stay. This should form part of the meditation. So, after pratyahara, you will go higher and higher towards full concentration.

After pratyahara comes dharana, then dhyanaand samadhi which is the final stage. After pratyahara comes retention: we retain, maintain, nourish and flourish only Krishna consciousness thoughts and we try to eliminate anti-Krishna thoughts. First discrimination then elimination.

That is more than enough food for thought on this auspicious day of Ekadasi. On this day, minimize other activities and maximize Krishna consciousness activities.

I am noting that some devotees are making comments, and others are offering dandavats. Continue chanting and dancing and taking prasadam.

Hare Krishna!

As we chant, realize Krishna, the Lord as a person

Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Jagannath Puri, He was meeting devotees from Kulia, Kulingram. So one year devotees asked,” how are followers to be recognized? What is their identification? What is the expectation?“

So in that year, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ki Jai! He was personally talking to devotees and others; we also should talk and have dialogues. We should have the same mood and imagine and visualize the Lord’s physical presence in Jagannath Puri. Of course, there is nothing physical in the Lord’s form, because He is fully spiritual, and presents a fully spiritual form as He speaks to the assembled devotees.

The impersonalist mayavadis, wish to merge with Brahmajyoti, Brahaman, and are unable to understand the chanting of Hare Krishna. How could one relate or address to Brahaman?

Towards the end of Bhagvad Gita, Lord is asking His devotees to do four things.

man mana bhava mad bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
[BG 18.65]

Remember Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your obeisances unto Me.

So, if you are an impersonalist, how will it be possible to follow the Lord’s instructions? What would they remember about Brahman, because there is nothing much to remember, just light, and nothing more. The Lord wants us to remember Him, but if you are nirakar, nirguna, impersonalist follower of Shankaracarya, what are you going to remember in Brahmajyoti?

When we chant Hare Krishna we can remember so much. There are thousand names by which you can remember Krishna while chanting, and you can think of the meaning of these names of the Lord. Krishna says ‘mad bhakto’, become My devotee. So, how can you become a devotee of brahmajyoti?

In India, there are many impersonalists, like our Muslim brothers. There are also those other religions that subscribe to impersonalism. Unfortunately, you cannot remember and become a devotee of brahmajyoti light.

If you are chanting Hare Krishna you have to be personalist, you have to understand Krishna’s personality, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is a person, like you and me, as noted by Srila Prabhupada.

namaste saraswati deve gauravan pracarine nirvisesa sunyavadi pastatya desatarine (Srila Prabhupada Pranati)

In chanting these words, we offer our most humble obeisances to the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada who saved us, saved the eastern and western world from this Shunyavad and Nirvisheshvad among so many Vads or isms, theories and philosophies. The predominant is Nirvisesvad, impersonalism, this Brahmajyoti business and Shunyavadi or Buddhadev of Voidism.

We have been saved by Gauranga, Gauravani Pracharine. Gauranga Mahaprabhu’s message, His presence, His lilas, His preaching which Srila Prabhupada presented on behalf of Gauranga. This is what we are now presenting on behalf of Srila Prabhupada, so we are being saved from this onslaught of impersonalism and voidism.

‘Man mana bhava mad bhakto mad yaji’

Worship Me, how can you worship Brahmajyoti? Can you offer a garland to brahmajyoti? Can you offer Chandan to the Brahmajyoti? Where could you smear chandan on the Brahmajyoti? Forget all of this because the Lord says worship Him. Those who understand the Lord as brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate.

[SB 1.2.11] sees the Lord as having three features and one of them is Bramhajyoti, but that’s not all, the Lord is more. He is also Paramatma, He is also Bhagavan. So the chanters of the Lord’s Holy name have to understand the Bhagavan or revive their bhagavata as we chant. We have to realize Krishna, the Lord as a person, with His pastimes, His abode, and His associates.

To become an impersonalist means it’s the end of Bhakti, because there is no devotion, nor is there a flow of feeling of emotions unto the Lord. There is no Bhakti, there is no Bhakta, and there is no Bhagavan because as per this philosophy, there just exists just a light -merge into Brahman! This is the last snare of maya, Prabhupada writes, this BrahmaJyoti.

He refers to it as Nirakar which is big maya. “I am that light, Aham Brahmasmi” you forget becoming somebody’s devotee, you want to be the Lord. Not that you are becoming devotee or servant of the Lord, but the idea that “I am Lord”.

man mana bhava mad bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru

The remaining item is namaskuru, we write and we say, “Koti Koti Dandavats” to you or to the Lord. There is no question of offering any dandavats or even one dandavat to the light, He is not a person, just a light. Offering obeisances is not possible, unfortunately they maintain that “I am that Lord”, so to whom is he going to offer obeisances ? Unto whom are you going to offer obeisances, “I am Him” this is big maya. We can say that this Mayavadi philosophy is a big illusion. Sadly, this is going on, being propagated and is continuing to spread.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said,
mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa

If you listen to Mayavad theory or philosophy, everything will be finished, your devotion will be finished, and your bhakti will be finished.

Finally the Lord says in this beautiful statement of Bhagavad-Gita, ‘mām evaiṣyasi satyaṁ te’, meaning that if you remember Me, become My devotee, worship Me, offer obeisances unto Me, then you will certainly, surely, come to Me, come back to home, where I eternally reside, that’s where you will end up if you do these four things.

If you are an impersonalist, those who are, a lot of them out there are, there is no question of them going anywhere. There is no Vaikuntha for them, there is no Goloka for them, there is no going anywhere, even if they believe they are, this activity of going for them is maya. Form is maya, everything is maya only – the light. For them nothing else exists only Brahman, this jyoti, there is no question of going back to Godhead. The Lord wants us to go back to Him, ‘mām evaiṣyas’ meaning, “Come, where I am residing eternally.” So this mayavadi philosophy is all anti- Krishna statement and is anti-Bhagavad Gita.

Lord Chaitanya had been meeting devotees from Kulingram in West Bengal. When asked about how devotees were recognised, He said “One who chants the holy name all the time, Kirtanya sada hari all the time, that is Hare Krishna devotee, that is my devotee.”

The following year the devotees from everywhere met in Kulingram once again with Lord Chaitanya. The devotees raised the same question, “How do you recognize your devotees, Gaur bhaktas, my dear Lord.”

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, “As soon as you look at a Hare Krishna devotee, see what he is doing? He will remind you of Krishna, his this act and that act will remind you of Krishna, he will be a big reminder of Krishna, that’s my devotee, that’s a Gaur bhakta.”

Yet again the same question was raised the following year. The Lord said that “as soon as he begins to chants Hare Krishna, all the symptoms of ecstasy manifests, as he chants Hare Krishna you will see tears roll down his cheeks, his body will be trembling and you can read all the symptoms of ecstasy in him, that is my devotee.”

The Lord spoke about devotees from one level to another and another beginning with one who is at least chanting all the time. Then his life is full of devotion, and then he reminds others of Krishna that is another higher level. Then highest, he is fully absorbed remembering the Lord and exhibits all the symptoms of ecstasy in his personality.

Hare Krishna

Siksastakam: Importance of singing and chanting the holy names of Lord

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has given us Siksastakam. This needs to be read carefully and studied. We should concentrate on each verse and meditate on these while chanting. For chanters, this is an appropriate way start to japa. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Himself would meditate on the mood of these verses before japa. Many temples recite Siksastakam before chanting to create the right mood and right focus for our mind.

The Siksastakam which is a Gaudiya vaisnava prayer of eight verses was composed in Sanskrit by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. These eight verses are concise but profound.

krishna nama-sankirtana
1. Cleanses our chitta which is compared to a mirror.
2. Extinguishes this great forest-fire of material existence.
3. Like lotus of excellence spreads cooling moonlight.
4. Gives knowledge of life which is compared to a spouse who helps us flourish.
5. Increases our bliss-intellect.
6. At each step gives taste of complete amrita (nectar).
7. Is all atma-attractive / attracts atma fully.
8. Victorious is Sri Krishna’s sankirtana.

Within his Siksastakam, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu stresses the importance of singing (bhajan) and chanting (japa) the names of God. Nama ruci can be achieved if you want to increase your taste for chanting then chant with accomplished and other faithful people. By serving the vaishnavas, nama ruci will grow. If you want to chant with more attention and offenselessly, chant with the attraction for the holy names, with feeling, then serve the vaisnavas.

Do some vaishnava seva with all those that you will associate today by sharing kirtana, Srila Prabhupada’s books with them or darsana of the Deity. By doing this, Krsna will be pleased with all these endeavours and when you chant after doing all this, your taste for chanting will increase, (nama ruci will increase).

All those who are chanting with us can tell your friends and family to join. We need steady chanters. It’s not just for my disciples, it’s not sectarian anyone can join. Chanting is a meditation. And we have example of Akrura while he was on the way to Vrindavan expecting meeting. On the way, he was doing his manorath. He was contemplating on how he would meet the Lord at the end of the day, end of his travel. He was meditating. So,it is not that we do not meditate, every person in the world meditates. Every person in the world is always constantly meditating, contemplating, aspiring to meet this person, that person. And once I meet him, we will die together and we live together and people will have this kind of fun that kind of experience. Whole world is meditating contemplating.

We Hare Krishna devotees, Hare Krishna chanters they just have to change the meditation topic or object of meditation has to be changed. They don’t have to stop meditation. Again, the topic of meditation is Krishna that we have to include during chanting. As we chant,

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA
KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA
RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

We begin meditation or we could aspire for meeting or reunion with the Lord. As we chant Hare Krishna and then we could and we do say that we meditate upon name of Krishna, fame of Krishna, qualities of Krishna, pastimes of Krishna and abode, the dhama of the Lord, this is topic of our meditation.

I mean Krishna is object, these are the topic of details, these names, form, qualities, pastimes. So Akrura, while riding on the chariot on the way to Vrindavan was considering himself fortunate that he had such a rare opportunity now to meet Krishna. So, that is also meditation that is also appreciation in relationship with Krishna. So we could also be thinking like that ‘how fortunate I am able to chant Hare Krishna instead of singing or chanting some worldly songs. I am very fortunate for spiritual superiors and spiritual master. Krishna has arranged that through or from my spiritual master from other way and I am in such a fortunate position or situation’. Thar also could be there, as we chant Hare Krishna.

Also at some point prior to his journey, he had arranged his travels so that he could meet Krishna returning from the forest, cow herding pastimes. He had made this plan, strategic planning to meet Krishna at appropriate time and circumstances so we could also make such a plan or such a lifestyle reorganize, reshuffle things and try to meet Krishna early morning. I will perform arati to the Lord, and I will dance and chant in association of devotees so that kind of planning and organization this is also the part of meditation or preparation for meditation on Krishna.

This way Srila Sukadeva Goswami has described Akrura’s manorath or his meditation or his contemplation. “When I see Krishna I will stop this chariot. I will jump down as soon as I see Krishna and Balarama”, he is thinking like that. I will touch Their feet, he is thinking like that and I will eventually look at Their kind and beautiful lotus faces. He is thinking like that I will touch Them or They may embrace me also he is thinking like that and they will address me uncle so he is on the way, he is thinking this is his meditation and gradually he is going to the whole body and touching and more things to happen. He is contemplating, fully absorbed like that. And then he is also thinking that Krishna will hold one of my hands and Balarama will hold the other hand and they will both bring me inside Their home and on the way they will keep saying and greeting me and kissing me ‘uncle’. They will be very jubilant as They receive me. He is contemplating like that. So he will also address them oh! Krishna Oh !Balarama Oh! Krishna Oh! Balarama, so as we say Hare Krishna Hare Krishna so he will also say he will also address them, but at the same time he is saying Krishna Balarama Krishna Balarama Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, while saying Hare Krishna the name he is also seeing Their form. He is also experiencing Their magnanimous, Their kindness, Their quality or the whole pastime or They may be just returning from milking the cows or They are on the way to milk the cows, so he is also thinking of that pastime of the Lord, meeting Nanda Maharaj or Krishna Balarama or parents of Krishna Balarama and of course the whole thing is happening in the context of dhama Nandgram so he is also thinking.

The name is being uttered and qualities of Krishna are being experienced and beautiful form is being visualized and the pastimes are visible and the associates of course, without associates, pastimes is not possible so everything is happening the name, the form, the qualities, the pastimes and abode of all these features and aspects of Sri Krishna revealed as he is meditating.

So sometimes devotees wonder no I am only going to chant Hare Krishna, nothing else only focus on hearing and I am not going to think of anythjng else. Yes, this is misunderstanding how could you chant and not think of or contemplate upon form and how could you only chant without thinking. How could you keep the pastimes away or separate the qualities of Krishna and associates of Krishna so this what non-difference ‘abhinatvat nama namino’,

Name and the person name, we chant and the person that Krishna’s form is non-different from His qualities non different from His pastimes and His pastimes are non-different from His dhama. His associates are not some extra additional entities they are part of Him they are parcels of Him. We cannot get rid of them when we think of Krishna, I mean think of Krishna then associates are also there you are chanting and of course chanting is bringing into the form, the qualities, the whole contemplation. That is expected to happen as we chant.

So, of course this we call as mantra siddhi, the perfection in chanting of the holy name of the Lord.

So, when our chanting is perfect & pure with full attention then all these revelations are going to take place. So, this is perfection of chanting Hare Krishna, this is mantra siddhi, Krishna has revealed ,the holy name has revealed Himself. So then addressing Hare Krishna and these are My pastimes and these are My qualities and these are my associates, look and this is my Dhama. So, this is of course ultimate perfection that we talked, this is holy name as one chants and he will utter Krishna, the form, the qualities and pastimes.

So this is of course, perfection stage we are talking about perfection of chanting mantra siddhi. So those sadhakas who have not become sadhana siddha so we are only sadhakas so this is sadhana stage. Everyone does meditate, every single person in the world, the dog, even animal they are all meditating they are all doing dhyana

’dhyayate vishayan punsa sangasteshupjayate’

So they are meditating on the objects of senses. The tiger, king of forest, he is thinking of some animal as object of his senses, he is looking for some food. Like that every single entity does meditation- contemplating. Is planning to achieve that object of their so-called meditation. So in perfection, I mean in sadhana stage as we are, so we should try to get free from that kind of meditation that we have mentioned. Practicing that mundane meditation, so we have to say not this and instead ok this one, you can think of Krishna.

Krishna’s form not mundane form, Krishna’s pastimes, not activities of the politicians or worldly people, Shimla or Dehradun or kind of abroad that kind of destination no he would like Vrindavan.

yato yato nischalati manaha chanchalam asthiram
(BG 6.26)

Wherever mind goes or mind has been going so we have to drag our mind back, replace substitute mundane thoughts are to be substituted by Krishna, Krishna as object, Krishna’s form like that.

And then we have to do our manorath or planning or meditation. As we are following on the footsteps of he did. He is one of the example, as Prabhupada said, “Akrura is our hero those who wish to go to Vrindavan and see Krishna, do the way Akrura did it.”

So we could read the pastimes of Akrura’s manorath or journey to Vrindavan. How at every step he is thinking like this way, that way how will I meet and once I meet, I will do this or Krishna will do that to me so we are given this example to follow his footsteps.

This is homework for rest of our life, this is something we want to achieve in and be perfect. And attain perfection in this homework overnight, you have to practice it or do this homework day in and day out with enthusiasm and determination.

So, this will keep you busy for long time or till last breath of my life or your life so this is homework, something to contemplate upon and then implement and practice it.

Stop our talk here.

Hare Krishna!!