8th April 2019

DO NOT STOP TILL THE GOAL IS REACHED!!

We had been doing this Japa session for three to four months. All the devotees from Latur can also join the conference and chant with the devotees all around the world. You need to have a smart phone. Some of you are trying hard to get other people to join the conference. Our target is to make seven hundred participants till Sayana Ekadasi.

I was thinking for chanting Hare Krishna we all have to make an effort, to take some trouble. That trouble could be getting you out of the bed. Effort is necessary. Chanting should be with attention and with effort, extra special effort is needed to chant with attention. Even the Bible says ‘ love thy Lord with all thy heart, with all thy strength.’ Unless we make efforts, nothing could be achieved.

Na hi suptasya sinhasya mukhe pravishyantihi mrigaha.’ ( Sanskrit Subhashita) There is a saying that the Lion is a very powerful animal, king of the forest. But just because he is the king no animal will enter his mouth. Oh! I am hungry , so the lion cannot expect that other animals will enter his mouth. He has to get up , run and chase other animals and then with great efforts he catches the deer or hare. So without effort even a lion can’t get his food. He has to make an effort. Without effort we can achieve nothing.

I was thinking when Yasoda wanted to catch and tie Krsna to the mortar she had to make a lot of efforts to catch Krishna

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

When we are chanting our goal is also to catch Krsna, to see Krsna, to touch Krsna. Yasoda was trying to catch Krsna. While chanting we are also trying to catch Krsna – from dhyana, dharana up to samadhi. So in the state of samadhi we want Krsna to sit on the throne of our heart. By chanting Hare Krishna with Krsna we want to retain Krsna, gain Krsna, catch Krsna, imprison Krsna within our hearts. When Yasoda was trying to catch and tie Krsna, it wasn’t an easy task for her. So much effort, try again and again and again. She was running after Krsna and Krsna was running, Yasoda was running. She was elderly and healthy and Krsna was just a small , swift boy. But Yasoda didn’t give up the efforts. She continued her efforts to run after Krsna to catch Krsna. They say, she started catching for Krsna, in the morning , which passed by and noon passed and then beyond noon( in Sanskrit it is called as Purvanna, madhyanha, aparannha) Yasoda was still running after Krsna to catch him. Many, many hours, she was running after Krsna, but she didn’t give up. She was trying and trying and trying. So while chanting Hare Krishna our goal is to attentively chant Hare Krishna controlling our mind. Controlling the mind is not an easy task, as it is very flickering and can’t be caught easily. But we should not give up. It’s difficult to control the mind. Arjuna also said, ‘No ! No! I can’t do this.’

cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa
pramāthi balavad dṛḍham
tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye
vāyor iva su-duṣkaram

The mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Kṛṣṇa, and to subdue it, I think, is
more difficult than controlling the wind. (B.G. 6.34) In 6th chapter Arjuna has said it’s a difficult task , but you have to do it, make an effort.

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
asaṁśayaṁ mahā-bāho
mano durnigrahaṁ calam
abhyāsena tu kaunteya
vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: O mighty-armed son of Kuntī, it is undoubtedly very difficult to curb the restless mind, but it is possible by suitable practice and by detachment.( B.G. 6.35) Practice , endeavor everyday. Yasoda kept making efforts of trying to catch Krsna. What Krsna sees is that we are trying harder and harder and harder to see Him, to meet Him, to catch Him, to love Him, to serve Him. Lord sees our efforts. Even if we are not successful our efforts, are not fruitful, still we don’t give it up. Krsna will take note how hard this person is working, to realize Me, to see Me , to catch Me. Krsna will be pleased with our efforts. Krsna was watching Yasoda. He was pleased with her efforts and then swa bandhane …… Then Lord said okay! Okay! You are not going to give up, leave the effort until you realise Me, see Me, so okay, you can catch Me. Like that finally Yasoda could catch Krishna. She pulled his ear and tied him with the rope. In Marathi there is a saying. – “ prayatnanti parameshwar”. ( By endeavouring hard , you can achieve God.) If you make prayatna (effort) then ultimately you will get Krsna. So don’t give up your effort. Keep
chanting

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA
KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA
RAMA RAMA HARE HARE.

In the Bhagavatam it is mentioned that Yasoda caught Krsna but while tying Krsna to the mortar, the rope that she was using, was two fingers short. But again Yasoda was not giving up her effort. She was bringing longer and longer ropes and then Lord was pleased with that effort also of trying to bring more and more ropes. Finally only when the Lord was pleased with Yasoda’s efforts was she was able to tie Krsna. Then rope was no longer two fingers short.

These two fingers represent the following – one is our effort and other one is Krsna’s kindness.
When there is a combination of these two things, our efforts and Krsna’s kindness, our goal is reached. We have realized Krsna and we see Krsna. Ultimately we will go back to Krsna. So the point we are trying to make is – keep up the effort and never give up, especially during chanting. Try to remember Krsna, hear Krsna, remember his pastimes, form. We should never stop – “ Do not stop till the goal is reached.”

This morning hundreds of you are there all over India and all over the world chanting, but today we also had a large number of devotees from Latur attending. So the Lord has seen you attending mangal-aarti and seen you chanting. He must be pleased seeing this. So everyday you could make Krsna happy by making this effort to chant Hare Krishna attentively, offenselessly and lovingly.

When the Lord sees all these efforts, His heart will melt , as He is very merciful to His devotees. Today we have Ratha-yatra Festival in Latur. Lord is so kind, Normally we say, ‘Meri Dori tere haath,’ ( My ropes are in your hands Oh Lord) but today ‘ Unaki Dori aapane haath.’ ( Ropes of His cart are in our hands. ) Lord is merciful, and today you also become merciful, by pulling the rope of His cart. Lord says, “Fine, take me wherever you want.” Those people who don’t come for His darsana, you will take the Lord to them. Show such mercy.

Jive daya name ruci vaisnava seva ( Gopala Champu by Jiva Goswami)

So serve Vaisnavas. Those who are lost in the world of Maya, show your mercy to them. By doing this also you will get, name ruci – Your taste in the holy name will increase. By whatever efforts we do to chant daily by that we meet the Lord every day, not 100% , lesser in intensity, but we do meet. Ceto darpan marjanam also happens. Whatever we have chanted attentively, offenselessly, we get the fruit of it everyday, and we do move few steps closer towards Lord. Ceto darpana marjanam will happen. Yesterday evening I was saying that by having a Ratha-Yatra here , we will purify Latur. We will not only clean, because cleaning happens just superficially, but purification is much deeper. It is cleansing the minds. Purifying the minds, the hearts and consciousness by which people will be benefited. Their souls will be happy, and your soul will also be happy. This program of Swachha Bharat does the cleaning and decoration of the cage. But Hare Krishna devotees serve the parrot within that cage. So which seva is greater? Of the cage? Or of the parrot? There should be little of serving the cage , but most of it should be serving the parrot. What the parrot likes ‘Peruchi fod laagate god’ ( a parrot likes guava) but no one is feeding the parrot.

Nobody is giving the parrot any attention.

na te viduhu swarth gatim hi visnu ( SB. 7.5.31)

Our real ‘swarth’ is in achieving the Lord or Paramatma and also in understanding, ‘I am soul’. Then we have to think, how to care for the soul, but no one talks about it. So whatever is in shortage in Latur, the Hare Krishna devotees will supply that. That is the objective behind Ratha- yatra, to satisfy the souls of the people. Only having a mall culture and five star hotels is not sufficient. Then from five star hotels they are transferred to five star hospital. They will also die in style. All this is planning for dying only. Nothing is for soul. Everything ls for the body. “ Aapali mate konala? Hyana tyana “( Who will you vote for? ) All this is going on. But does anyone remember the Lord? Residents of Latur are souls. So whatever promises politicians give, we will do this or that , but there is zero goal for the soul. People are also mad. They are not aware what they really need.

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

The Soul needs the Lord and we have had enough of Maya. Our politicians are giving only Maya. Krsna se tomar, Krsna dite par tomar shakati aache. ( Vaishnav Bhajan) But we devotees of Hare Krishna movement pray to acaryas, ‘You have Krsna. Krsna is yours, Can you give that to me.’ and for that only – aami to kangal krsna krsna boli dhai tava paache paache. ( Vaishnav Bhajan) We are running behind you with this hope that you will give Krsna to us. Happiness of all souls lies in this. Husband will be happy by getting Krsna, and wife will also become happy and children will also become happy forever, when they get Krsna. Your neighbours , relatives also will be happy when they get Krsna. All the souls in this world can become happy only when they get Krsna. This Hare Krishna mahamantra is Krsna.

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

So give Krsna and take Krsna. When we do Nagar sankirtana or we do kirtana. We give Krsna and take Krsna. Serve society serve country, serve people in your locality. Serve your friends, relatives. Help! Help! Help! By giving them Krsna. Whatever you will give them except Krsna, all that is poison. Maush Janam paiya Radha Krsna na bhajiya janiya Sunita Vish khainu. (Ista-deve Vijnapti by Srila Narottam Das Thakura) You have got human birth, but you have not served Radha Krsna then that means one is drinking poison. So Maya is poison or Maya is darkness

kṛṣṇa—sūrya-sama; māyā haya andhakāra
yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa, tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra

Kṛṣṇa is compared to sunshine, and māyā is compared to darkness. Wherever there is sunshine,

there cannot be darkness. As soon as one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the darkness of illusion
(the influence of the external energy) will immediately vanish. ( CC Madhya-lila 22.31)

We are all dependent be on Krsna. Light is also Krsna or it is Krsna’s light.

Nitai Gaura premanande Hari Hari Bol.

All right we will stop here. Today we had little longer session, as so many devotees are sitting with
me over here. Tomorrow I will be travelling, so we will not have a Japa session tomorrow morning.
So we will meet day after tomorrow.
Hare Krishna!

REAL WEALTH!

I have made an observation that on Sundays number of participants goes down. Why is that? Of course in the Western world they never get up early, but on Sundays specially they sleep to their heart’s content. But we are from the culture of Hare Krishna devotees. So ‘Sunday ho ya Monday’ (whichever day it may be). It should not make a difference. See how all the participants can join our session on Sundays also. I am giving this message to encourage chanting on Sunday mornings also. I hope they will get this message. Those who are listening, tell your friends if they are not there, help them. ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed’. Be a true friend,by getting them to chant on Sundays also. Send ‘Jiva jago’ message to them on Sundays also.

There are different traditions. Christians go to church on Sundays and Muslims have their Friday.
But for us it is everyday. For us it is not serving or praying occasionally. We serve or pray everyday,
constantly. kirtaniya sada hari . So keep chanting.

Yesterday we began our new year and we asked you to take a sankalpa (vow) of chanting everyday, or increasing the number of rounds everyday. People take vows at the beginning of the year. Chaitra – Vaishakh is another set of months. I was thinking people in general take different vows or initiatives or ‘sankalpas’ or goals. They begin new businesses. The idea is to make more money. On New Year’s Day they undertake some activities which helps them to make more money, or they buy gold to become more wealthy. But we have to understand that the chanting of Hare Krishna is the real wealth. There should be greater determination to acquire more wealth. I have been saying this from time to time. People begin making money at 10.00 am , but we begin making money at 5.00 am, way ahead of everyone else. Hare Krishnas are smart people. As soon as they get up, they begin earning . This is our business, chanting of Hare Krishna. We start acquiring money, begin depositing our earned money, early in the morning. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said Caitanya Caritamrta, krsna yei bhaje sei bada catura So become smart. If you want to become happy , you need wealth. But what will really make us happy is spiritual wealth, and not the mundane wealth. Hare Krishna maha mantra is the real wealth.

Once Srila Prabhupada was asked by a reporter in London, why he had come there?’ Srila Prabhupada responded, saying, ‘You also had come, your Viceroys had come to our country. Whatever they thought was wealth of India they looted from India. They stole our property. Whatever they thought was valuable , they were taking it to their country, including the Kohinoor diamond. Then he explained, but your Viceroys couldn’t recognize the actual wealth of India. The reporter inquired what is that wealth that our Voiceroys had not looted? Then Srila Prabhupada explained that the real wealth of our country is our culture, our ancient knowledge in the form of the Vedas and the Puranas, Bhagavad-Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Vedanta sutras . This is the real wealth. Srila Prabhupada must have added in that list holy name of the Lord. This Hare Krishna is
the most valuable. Basically, our Krsna is most valuable. Lord is most valuable.

aisvaryasya samagrasya (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47)

Name and fame of the Lord, knowledge given by the Lord, and basically the Lord is the most valuable thing of our country. But they didn’t understand or recognize the real wealth and they have left that behind. So I have come to do a home delivery of that wealth – gifting to your nation the real wealth of our country. Another time Prabhupada had been hearing how Indians have been going overseas to other countries begging, give me this , give me that , give us super computers etc. Prabhupada said I have not come here, like other Indians who have not understood their country. I have come here to give. Because we have been going to the West, overseas every time.

Anybody – be it the politicians, students or anybody, and everybody, they are going there to bring something from the West. Because we had been begging and begging every time , India had no good image in the West. When around forty years back , I started my travels to the West people would ask, ‘ Swamiji from where have you come?’ On responding ‘From India’ they would respond, Oh! That India, the beggars country! That’s where you have come from!

Prabhupada has done something different that no other Indian has done before. He established the INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS! “Society for what?” KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS’. This includes India’s culture, our scriptures, Deity worship, prasada distribution, lots of things and most importantly this includes relating to Krsna. He established a Krishna conscious society which is the most valuable gift to the world, because in that form he gave Lord Krsna to the world.

We had wonderful a wonderful Jagannatha Ratha-yatra Festival in Solapur yesterday which was a successful beginning the first day of the year. My thought was that such Ratha-yatras are held all over the world in some 700 cities. Then I was thinking Srila Prabhupada has introduced Jagannatha to the whole world. By introducing Jagannatha Ratha-yatra, Prabhupada is giving Jagannatha everywhere, in New York, in Durban, South Africa, Melbourne in Australia or Moscow In Russia. Hare Krishna movement is giving Jagannatha to the whole world. This should make us proud of being associated with such an institution, International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Then we can say with pride that we are Gaudiya Vaishnava or we are members of
Krishna consciousness society. We may not say ‘Garv se kaho hum Hindu hai!’. ( Say with pride ,
that we are Hindus.)

So take to this Krishna consciousness seriously,and see how you can spread this around. Get more and more people to chant Hare Krishna. You had been doing, propagating the holy name. There are many sevas, but this is also an important seva.

jare dakho tare kaho krsna upadesa ( CC Madhya Lila 7.128)

Inspire others to chant Hare Krishna and take part in Jagannatha Ratha-yatra. So we will stop now.
Hare Krishna!

6th April 2019

LORD HAS GIVEN ONE ADDITIONAL YEAR TO YOU!

Hare Krishna!!
I am in Solapur. Japa talk is a serious subject, but the sound system is faulty, which is destroying the mood. Today many devotees are sending me good wishes for new year. Specially in Maharashtra this festival is celebrated in a grand way. ISKCON Solapur is celebrating it with a grand Jagannatha Ratha-yatra. This is their eleventh Jagannatha Ratha-yatra celebration.

I was thinking that on this day all over India and specially in Maharashtra, people take a lot of vows
(sankalpas). They make shubh arambh (auspicious beginning) of so many things. Bhogis also make sankalpas. We will do this and that. Or maybe they will think of beginning to chant. We devotees also should take a sankalpa for the new year, not like karmis. From today many start a new business or new work. They enjoy different bhogs and become bhogis and then they become rogi. They are not aware that bhog leads to rog ( disease). The Lord says, ‘yogi bhava’ ( Don’t sleep – zo pala tor sam pala {one who sleeps during a lecture is finished} ) This world does anti- Krsna propagation. Lord says, yogi bhava and the world says bhogi bhava. Unfortunately we are in the kingdom of Maya. Here everyone talks about the bhoga.

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

But intelligent devotees take a sankalpa of becoming yogi. World is mad, less intelligent and so much more.

prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya
kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ
mandāḥ sumanda-matayo
manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ.

O learned one, in this iron Age of Kali men almost always have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed. (SB. 1.1.10) It is a mad , mad, mad world. Devotees of the Hare Krishna movement take vows of becoming yogis. ‘Achhe din aayenge!’ ( soon there will be better days) by becoming Bhogi, achhe din kabhi nahi aayenge!’ ( If you become ‘bhogi’ then good days can never come) Good days will come and go. Ayaram – Gayaram! (They will come and go) So be Japa Yogis. Take a sankalpa to become Japa Yogis. By this yoga we should re-establish our lost relationship with the Lord. It should be
established by chanting Japa. We should take that vow of chanting. ‘fir achhe din aayenge!’.( Then
definitely there will be good days) Lord has guaranteed, Prabhupada has also guaranteed that chant Hare Krishna and be happy. This is not a false promise given by people in this material world, but you should realize, this is the promise given by supreme Lord.

ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaḿ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaḿ
śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaḿ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam
ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaḿ prati-padaḿ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaḿ
sarvātma-snapanaḿ paraḿ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-sańkīrtanam ( Siksastakam Verse 1 )

ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaḿ Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said , Chant Hare Krishna and then what will happen? – ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaḿ – your consciousness gets cleansed. There is cleansing of the consciousness. bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaḿ. We are burning in the fire of materialexistence. We will be saved from that fire by Chanting. Like that -vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam. We will also gain intelligence by chanting. ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaḿ. Our happiness will increase at every step. prati-padaḿ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaḿ we will experience happiness at every step. sarvātma- snapanaḿ . What else will happen? There will be shower. We will be swimming in the nectar of the holy name. Haribol!! Caitanya Mahaprabhu said this in Siksastakam which we recite every
morning. Maybe we are not experiencing that now but that’s the goal. We will experience that state
of mind and existence , that we are empowered with the nectar.

ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaḿ prati-padaḿ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaḿ

Our soul will take bath in the ocean of Harinama. Then paraḿ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-sańkīrtanam. Lord has guaranteed that if we join this then you will be successful.

Success is guaranteed! What is that victory? paraḿ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-sańkīrtanam. We die and take birth again. It’s a defeat. Punarapi jananam punarapi maranam punarapi janani jathare sayanam( Verse 21 of ‘Bhaja Govindam’ by Adi Sankaracarya) If this goes on you are dying again and again. Birth – death again and again and again , then you are defeated.( You are sleeping, that is also defeat. Sleeping means , you have been defeated by Maya again and again.) So what is the victory?

janma karma ca me divyam
evam yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mam eti so ‘rjuna

One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna. (BG 4.9) After leaving this body, you will not take birth again. The chanter will come to the abode where I reside, to Goloka. This is the victory. The poor fellow has died and has been burnt. Others are saying -’ Ram Nama Satya hai’. So Ram nama or Krsna nama is the reality or the truth. They are accepting the truth. Chanting always
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE! Ram Nama, Krsna nama, Hare Krishna nama ‘sat’ or satya hai and by doing japa of this nama we will also become ‘sat’. We will become eternal. We are souls and will remain in that form.

So get your things worked out. Of course on this conference we are doing that, by inspiring everyone to not just chant, but chant attentively. Chanting daily, offenselessly with love. This Japa talk is meant for that, to inform you about it. Otherwise years come and go , but no progress is made. What’s the use of this life if we don’t make any progress in chanting? If we have not reduced our aparadhas as yet, then the Lord has kindly given us one more year , in this body , in this world.

We should take advantage of this additional year. Happy New year! Then we will become happy. So there are 440 participants on this conference, which will increase gradually. We have to make 700 till Vyasa Puja.

So you could join us on this auspicious occasion of Caitra Pratipada. Make a sankalpa that we will chant on this conference. By that Japa will improve , which is the experience of many. Many have responded by saying Haribol! If you don’t know how to chant on this conference, you learn from those who know how to join and get started.

Hare Krishna.

5th April 2019

HARINAMA IS THE ONLY OPTION!

Hare Krishna!
Today Pandharpur devotees are chanting with us on the conference. Ganesh from Bangalore has encouraged four devotees to join the conference. Rama Lila Mataji from Solapur also keeps making efforts to encourage other devotees to join. We have a limit of 500 participants who are able to join the conference. So now Dinanukampa mataji who coordinates the conference has upgraded it and now we can have up to 1000 participants. That’s the maximum limit for Zoom. You know our target. By July, till 70th Vyasa Puja we would like to see 700 participants. So you have to encourage others to join. Be kind to your neighbours. ‘Love thy neighbour as thyself.’ It is said in the Bible. Remember your neighbours. Remember your friends, remember your relatives,
remember your Bhakti-vriksha members. Be kind to them and get them to join this japa sanga or Japa talk conference.

I am happy with all you chanters. You are doing the right and the best thing. Chant Hare Krishna’ mahamantra! That is what Lord wants us to do. It is the Lord that we wish to realize, the Lord of our hearts. We wish to see Him. “ I want to see You!” , George Harrison said that. “ O! Lord , I want to see You! I want to be with You!” I am not saying, George Harrison had said this. That Lord wants us to chant Hare Krishna. You couldn’t go wrong by chanting Hare Krishna. This is the Lord’s will . This is what the Lord did Himself few years ago.

mahāprabhoḥ kīrtana-nṛtya-gīta-
vāditra-mādyan-manaso rasena
romāñca -kampāśru-tarańga-bhājo
vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam (Gurvastakam Verse 2)

‘Chanting the holy name, dancing in ecstasy, singing, and playing musical instruments, the spiritual master is always gladdened by the sankirtana movement of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Because he is relishing the mellows of pure devotion within his mind, sometimes his hair stands on end, he feels quivering in his body, and tears flow from his eyes like waves. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master.’

Of course we were with Mahaprabhu somewhere, in some bodies, who knows in what consciousness. At least now we have come to our senses. We have this human form of life. We have come in contact with this Gaudiya Vaisnava parampara. We have received the holy name, so keep chanting. Chant Hare Krishna and be happy. Goswamis had this bhava. I want to go with You. I want to be with You. It’s quite a serious song sung from the heart of George Harrison. I like that song.

So keep Chanting. Prabhupada also has said, ‘Chant and be happy!’. There is no other way! No other way! No other way! There is emphasis. Emphatically sastras are saying ‘vacana’( words) of the Lord, Krsna compiled all the sastras.

māyā-mugdha jīvera nāhi svataḥ kṛṣṇa-jñāna
jīvere kṛpāya kailā kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa

“The conditioned soul cannot revive his Kṛṣṇa consciousness by his own effort. But out of causeless mercy, Lord Kṛṣṇa compiled the Vedic literature and its supplements, the Purāṇas ( CC Madhya 20.122)

We are bound up, conditioned and in big trouble, fully illusioned. Lord by being kind has given scriptures to his children. jīvere kṛpāya kailā Then Lord wrote the sastras, ved, Purana. All veda puranas are also saying that ,Harinama is the only option. So keep chanting. Chant correctly, properly, attentively, offenselessly, devotionally, purely.

I have to go to Solapur. There is Jagannath Ratha-yatra tomorrow. You are also invited. If you can’t
come, you can be present mentally.
Hare Krishna!!

4th April 2019

VARIOUS INSTRUMENTS USED IN CHANTING!

Hare Krishna!!
How was your Chanting ? I am asking all the participants taking part in this conference, ‘Is your chanting getting better? Improving? Are you remembering the Lord while chanting? If you are remembering the Lord while chanting then your chanting is successful. Yesterday we mentioned, to make your chanting attentive & effective , you have to sharpen your tools. Do you remember , yesterday we discussed , about those two fellows who were taking all day to cut a small piece of wood. But as soon as they sharpened their saw , it was by just half an hour job. So what happened? We mentioned intelligence as one of the important and principal tools. Krsna says in Bhagavat-Gita

kāyena manasā buddhyā
kevalair indriyair api
yoginaḥ karma kurvanti
saṅgaṁ tyaktvātma-śuddhaye

The yogīs, abandoning attachment, act with body, mind, intelligence and even with the senses, only for the purpose of purification.( BG. 5.11)

Yogis also work and become very active. They are not Mayavadis to become action less. So how do they work? Krsna said – kāyena. We are japa yogis. We also use the body. kāyena manasā -We use the mind. buddhyā – we use intelligence. indriyair api – we also use our indriyas or sense organs. yoginaḥ karma kurvanti . Yogis work using all these instruments. We are japa yogis and this is a zoom Japa conference. We keep you busy while chanting. We do japayoga in this session. Chanting Hare Krishna is not the job of the less intelligent. Only intelligent persons could chant ‘Hare Krishna’ attentively, properly. So during chanting we use the body. We have been reminding you from time to time, “ Sit properly”, which Prabhupada has also said. There should be proper usage of the body. Take a deep breath and chant as many mantras as you can three, four or five. We are using the lungs at that time, which is a part of the body. The tongue must vibrate, which is again part of the body. Lips also should be used, Prabhupada has mentioned. So like that we use body. Like this we could briefly mention about the use of body during Japa. There could be many things said further on this ,but we will make it short due to time constraints.

sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor
vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane
karau harer mandira-mārjanādiṣu
śrutiṁ cakārācyuta-sat-kathodaye

mukunda-liṅgālaya-darśane dṛśau
tad-bhṛtya-gātra-sparśe ’ṅga-saṅgamam
ghrāṇaṁ ca tat-pāda-saroja-saurabhe
śrīmat-tulasyā rasanāṁ tad-arpite

pādau hareḥ kṣetra-padānusarpaṇe
śiro hṛṣīkeśa-padābhivandane
kāmaṁ ca dāsye na tu kāma-kāmyayā
yathottamaśloka-janāśrayā ratiḥ

Mahārāja Ambarīṣa always engaged his mind in meditating upon the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, his words in describing the glories of the Lord, his hands in cleansing the Lord’s temple, and his ears in hearing the words spoken by Kṛṣṇa or about Kṛṣṇa. He engaged his eyes in seeing the Deity of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa’s temples and Kṛṣṇa’s places like Mathurā and Vṛndāvana, he engaged his sense of touch in touching the bodies of the Lord’s devotees, he engaged his sense of smell in smelling the fragrance of tulasī offered to the Lord, and he engaged his tongue in tasting the Lord’s prasāda. He engaged his legs in walking to the holy places and temples of the Lord, his head in bowing down before the Lord, and all his desires in serving the Lord, twenty-four hours a day. Indeed, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa never desired anything for his own sense gratification. He engaged all his senses in devotional service, in various engagements related to the Lord. This is the way to increase attachment for the Lord and be completely free from all material desires. (SB 9.4.18-20)

This was the practice. King Kulasekhara was engaging his mind in thinking, remembering the Lotus Feet of the Lord. But of course you don’t have to limit to the feet only, gradually beginning with Lotus Feet, you could remember the beautiful form of the Lord and you don’t have to limit it just to just the form of the Lord . You could do nama-smaran. You could do Rupa-smaran of His fragrant lotus Feet or Lila smaran, dham smaran, or smaran of devotees of the Lord. so like that, There is so much scope for remembering. We always say,

pratah smaraniya krsna krpa It means those that which should be remembered first thing in the morning so our day will be filled with inspiration and positive energy. We could remember the devotees of the Lord, associates of the Lord. This is all is to be done with the mind. So kayena manasa buddhyir. We use intelligence by chanting Hare Krishna. Less intelligent person can’t chant. You have to have intelligence. You have to make your intelligence sharper and sharper.

Otherwise what kind of mind is there?

cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa
pramāthi balavad dṛḍham
tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye
vāyor iva su-duṣkaram

The mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Kṛṣṇa, and to subdue it, I think, is more difficult than controlling the wind.( BG. 6.34)

The mind is unsteady, flickering. Everyone’s mind is unsteady. It has been made like that. While chanting we are doing rounds of your japa mala and the mind also goes round and round the world. To control the mind, to make it steady , focus on what you require. Intelligence. With sharp intelligence only you could make your mind focused on hearing and remembering.

utsāhān niścayād dhairyāt
tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt
saṅga-tyāgāt sato vṛtteḥ
ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati

There are six principles favorable to the execution of pure devotional service: (1) being enthusiastic, (2) endeavoring with confidence, (3) being patient, (4) acting according to regulative principles [such as śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam – hearing, chanting and remembering Kṛṣṇa], (5) abandoning the association of nondevotees, and (6) following in the footsteps of the previous ācāryas. These six principles undoubtedly assure the complete success of pure devotional service.( NOI Verse 3)

The determination is attained by the intelligence. You are intelligent, then only you could be determined. Otherwise ‘ Aaya Rama Gaya Rama’. Mind is flickering. Body follows the mind. So all our wandering should be watched by the intelligence. Function of intelligence could be the power of discrimination. Intelligently we have to decide whatever we are doing, coming and going ,whether it is wrong? Intelligently we have to decide thinking this.What is right or wrong? We have to take the right decision throughout the day also. Only intelligence can help us to make the right decisions and conclusions. Only the Lord can help us. He says dadami buddhiyogam tam . He gives intelligence and with the help of intelligence we can remain stable.

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ
tat-paratvena nirmalam
hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-
sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate

‘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.'( CC. Madhya 19.170)

We use our senses in service of the holy name ,then we have served the Lord & senses will also be satisfied & you could also attain Prema.

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA
KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAM HARE RAM
RAM RAM HARE RAM.

ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā — tāre bali ‘kāma’
kṛṣṇendriya-prīti-icchā dhare ‘prema’ nāma

The desire to gratify one’s own senses is kāma [lust], but the desire to please the senses of Lord Kṛṣṇa is prema [love].( CC Adi 4.165)

Senses used for our own gratification , that is kaam. & Senses used for the pleasure of Krishna, then outcome of that is Prema. So during Japa if we engage our karmendriyas & jnanendriyas i.e. knowledge acquiring senses then outcome is achievement of ‘Krishna Prema’.

nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema ‘sādhya’ kabhu naya
śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya

“Pure love for Kṛṣṇa is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens.( CC Madhya 22.107)

Prema, dormant love for Lord is revived and could be attained by hearing.

So briefly we have explained how to use body mind, intelligence – different instruments to make your chanting better.

Nitai gaura premanande Hari Hari Bol!! See you all tomorrow.
Hare Krishna!!

3rd April 2019

SHARPEN YOUR TOOLS!

We had been having meeting here to plan out the Festival. Inauguration of Prabhupada ghat, Padayatraand 70 Vyasa Puja. We are also starting a new gurukul in Pandharpur. The point is 70 of this and 700 hundred of that and 7000 of that, like that talk is going on.

So I was thinking till Vyasa Puja time we should have 700 participants on the conference. 7000 Bhagavada-Gitas will be distributed and 70000 plates of prasada will be distributed. That’s the target. We should also aim for 700 participants. Because more participants means more association. We have sadhu sanga by chanting together. I am still here in Pandharpur. I said yesterday that dhama works as better asana for the chanter. Remembrance of the Lord becomes natural and easier. While chanting Hare Krishnawe have to end up remembering Krsna. You could remember name, form, pastimes, dhama and even devotees of Krsna because Krsna lila can’t take place without the participation of devotees. They are a big part of Krsna lila. They are part of Krsna consciousness. Specially you could remember , Namacarya Haridas Thakura and devotees like him. Then certainly we will end up remembering Krsna. Remembrance of the beautiful form of the Lord.

Sundar te dhyaan ubhe witewari
Kar kataawari thhewoniya

Tulasi haar gala, kaanse pitaanbar
Awade nirntar techi rup

Makarakundale talapati shrawani
Knthhi kaustubhamani wiraajit

Tuka mhane maajhe hechi sarw sukh
Paahin shrimukh awadine( Bhajan by Tukaram Maharaja)

Form of the Lord here in Pandharpur standing on the brick.

Tuka mhane maajhe hechi sarw sukh
Paahin shrimukh awadine

TRANSLATION:

Beautiful. He is the object of my meditation standing on a brick, hands placed on waist

A garland of Tulasi leaves adorns His neck. Yellow silken cloth wrapped around His waist. I adore this image unceasingly.

Crocodile shaped earrings shine brilliantly by His ears. A precious stone called Kaustubha regally adorns the necklace.

Tuka says this is my only happiness I will visualize His lotus face with all affection or fondness

Tukaram Maharaja says this is my favourite activity. I love to see the Lord, remember the Lord. See His Lotus Face, see His Hands kept on the waist and would also relish watching His Lotus Feet. Paahin shrimukh awadine. With great pleasure, and affection, I would like to relish the beauty of the Lotus face of the Lord.

The other part of the talk was that everybody talks about sharpening the tools. If you want to get the job done efficiently then you have to sharpen the tool. To give an example in seminars they talk of this . Two persons are sitting on either side of the log or piece of wood. They have a saw, and they are holding it on either side of the log and trying to cut the log. But the saw is very blunt, not sharp. They may spend the whole day cutting that log. People are advising stop doing this,why are you taking so long to cut one log?Do something so that you could do the job faster. But they are not doing that. So finally wisdom prevailed and they accepted the advice, to sharpened their saw. Then they started cutting and then very fast in no time they could cut another piece of wood. Something which had taken whole day now they manage it in no time. So what had happened? They sharpened their tool. So while chanting Hare Krishna we should also sharpen our tool , for better results or more efficient chanting. What do we want to achieve by chanting? So if you want to get that Krsnaprema faster, then we have to sharpen the tool. We use many tools, out of that intelligence is one of the tools. I don’t know whether you are using it, but we have to use our intelligence while chanting Hare Krishna. We have to develop, sharpen that tool. I am not going to talk about other tools as time doesn’t permit us. We will focus on intelligence as tool which has big role to play, during our chanting. Our tool must be sharpened if we wish to get the results of chanting, faster, not after many, many lifetimes. Who knows even after that whether we will get it or not. If we don’t sharpen our tools while chanting.

Bhagavatam also says

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ
sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam
yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair
yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

“In the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the name of Kṛṣṇa. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions.”(CC Ādi 3.52)

Intelligent people will take up chanting. There also it is said that sumedhasa which means sharp intelligence. With the help of this sharp intelligence then we could focus the mind, attentively on chanting. Krsna says

vyavasāyātmikā buddhir
ekeha kuru-nandana
bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca
buddhayo ’vyavasāyinām

Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.( BG. 2.41)

Krishna said vyavasāyātmikā buddhir which means sharpen intelligence. Then ekeha kuru-nandana. Then the intelligent person will focus on one thing, that is Krsna. Focus on hearing

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

Mind is another tool. We should control this tool favourably. You control your uncontrolled mind with the help of intelligence only. Think more on this. I am just giving you certain hints. Study about these matters or topics. This is just food for thought. How to help intelligence. Someone said that by reading books one could be ntelligent. There could be a whole seminar on what is intelligence, what is it’s functions etc. Intelligence is one of the element. Mind is yet anotherand like that there could be another. In solitude we can concentrate better.

bhūmir āpo ’nalo vāyuḥ
khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca
ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me
bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego – all together these eight constitute My separated material energies.( BG. 7.4)

Lord mentioned eight types of Prakritis . Buddhi is one of the element of that, with which our subtle body is made.

Before we stop today, we will like to extend our invitation to all of you. It was my desire that each one of you should get a personal invitation. We have Ekalavya Prabhu here , who is the part of a team and reception committee. He will extend the invitation to all of you.

Ekalavya Prabhu:

Hare Krishna!

I would like to offer my obeisance to Guru Maharaja and all of you. I would like to extend the invitation to this wonderful Asadhi Ekadasi Festival from July 9 to July 15. This Festival will feature is opening of Prabhupada ghat. This is the beautiful ghat on the banks of ChandrabhagaRiver. The other day when we all and GuruMaharaja arrived on the ghat,and I saw Guru Maharaja with around 50 devotees reviewing the construction of the ghat. One thought came to my mind is ‘This ghat is really big. In Pandharpur there is nothing as big as this. This ghat is called ‘Srila Prabhupada ghat’. So through this Guru Maharaja is spreading the glories of Prabhupada throughout Maharashtra. I was discussing the ghat with temple president Prahalad Prabhuji. I told him ‘ Prahalad this ghat is big!! He said, “It’s not big. It’s huge, gigantic”. This ghat is ‘na bhuto na bhavishyati’. Never before have I seen a ghat like this and may be will never see one like this. So on occasion of 70th Vyasa Puja we will have a grand opening of this with VIPs and devotees. We are expecting around 7000 devotees. There are many more aspects of this, but I feel life is short, and time is going onso we should conclude. So we offer our invitation to all of you. Please come and join us and give us opportunity to serve you and benefit by your association here in Pandharpur.

The most important thing is we will all get association of Guru Maharaja. Thank you very much.

Vyasa Puja maha mahotsav ki Jai! Srila Prabhupada ki Jai!

Hare Krishna!!

2nd April 2019

LOCAL CALL!

Hare Krishna to you all, who all are sitting here, as well as all those who are on conference there. We had 446 participants today. Pandharpur Dhama ki jay! I am doing my chanting in Pandharpur. I am also happy to chant with all the devotees and leaders from the IMPM zone and presidents of many temples who have assembled here. Their presence have also made me happy.

One of the five principles of Devotional service is Dhamavas. When we chant our japa

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

Then that Dhama becomes part of your asana. Out of time ,place , circumstances these are all part of asana, which we have been talking from time to time. Yam Niyam asana pranayam these are part of Japa-yoga process. Chanting ‘Hare Krishna’ in Dhama , which has been described by one of the devotee, I heard it somewhere. When we chant in Dhama it is like ‘making a local call’. Local calls are more cheaper and more clear then other long distance call. You can talk clearly and there will be clearer response from the party to whom you are calling. It is easier. When you are chanting Hare Krishna you are calling the Lord. Of course, You are remembering the Lord.

śrī-prahrāda uvāca
śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ
smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ
sakhyam ātma-nivedanam

iti puṁsārpitā viṣṇau
bhaktiś cen nava-lakṣaṇā
kriyeta bhagavaty addhā
tan manye ’dhītam uttamam

Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṇu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one’s best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words) — these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṇa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.( SB.7.5.23- 24)

You could remember Lord in that Dhama. You could remember pastimes in that Dhama. May be a place where you are sitting could be a pastime place. You know who all are there in the pastimes. Lord is standing on the brick, with His hands on His waist, waiting for Pundalik to finish his business, so that he can meet Him.

By doing sravan kirtana we go nearer to our goal, that is

smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇur
vismartavyo na jātucit
sarve vidhi-niṣedhāḥ syur
etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ

” ‘Kṛṣṇa is the origin of Lord Viṣṇu. He should always be remembered and never forgotten at any time. All the rules and prohibitions mentioned in the śāstras should be the servants of these two principles.’(CC Madhya Llia, 22.113)

Remember like the gopis never forget Krsna. By doing this type of remembering of the Lord , while chanting, you could more easily remember the Lord, the form the Deities, which are there in Dha-ma and pastimes in that Dhama like that. This is how coming to the Dhama and chanting there be-comes a local call, much easier because you have nice asana and are properly situated.

This morning while doing japa I was thinking , what to speak in the japa-talk. I was thinking,I will say, chanting in dhama is like a local call and in the dhama , remembrance of Lord is easy. I was thinking Lord is just across the river and He is standing and it’s morning hours, It’s Lord’s Abhishek time. I was thinking how it’s easier to remember and as I was thinking, that I would share all these things with you at that moment Abhiram Thakur Prabhuji came running along with Govinda Prabhuji and said, Guru Maharaja here is caranamrta for you. We were there for mangala-aarti and ab-hiseka of Lord Vitthal. We have brought caranamrta and Tulasi garland of Lord for you. Then I was thinking, my local call was heard by the Lord. Lord heard my call. He made the communication, and here was his response, “ I am sending these items to you.” So it is just further confirmation that by coming to dhama and chanting in the dhama is another different experience.

Everything is favourable for your chanting and it goes smooth. Hence we should take advantage of these dhamas. Come to Dhama. Wherever you are chanting, the dhama is also waiting for you.
You can come in July for Vyasa Puja and opening of Prabhupada ghat. All the leaders sitting around here , preachers from my management zone are here to organize that Festival for you in the month of July. You could come and experience yourself.

We have 70 managers or preachers yesterday, and we will try to make 700 chanters on the confe-rence in relation to 70th Vyasa pua. This fragrance of the Tulasi garland is amazing. Fragrance of Tulasi is very strong, out of this world. This fragrance is Krsna. When we smell it, it’s original fra-grance comes from the earth, then that is Krsna right? He has declared that in Bhagavata-Gita.

puṇyo gandhaḥ pṛthivyāṁ ca
tejaś cāsmi vibhāvasau
jīvanaṁ sarva-bhūteṣu
tapaś cāsmi tapasviṣu

I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics. (BG. 7.9)

… the fragrance in the earth is Me! When the fragrance of the earth reaches the flowers like in this Tulasi garland, there are many flowers and some leaves also. So this fragrance is the Lord himself. This is the Lord. Specially when that gandha, fragrance, those leaves and manjaris are offered to the Lord, then what to say about it’s glories. That fragrance is spiritualized. This is experiencing the Lord, realising the Lord. We are experiencing that. Once in Juhu during a lecture, Prabhupada was saying that the taste in water is Krsna.

raso ’ham apsu kaunteya
prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ
praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu
śabdaḥ khe pauruṣaṁ nṛṣu

O son of Kuntī, I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable oṁ in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man. ( BG. 7.8)

Lord was talking raso ’ham apsu kaunteya taste in water is aham. Prabhupada was explaining that the taste in water, characteristic of the water ,’rasa’ is Lord. There was a glass of water lying there. Prabhupada took that glass and he drank that water. He said , ‘Whenever you drink water remem-ber that this taste is Krsna! This is what we have to do. This is Krishna consciousness. This will make you Krishna conscious.” Fragrance is speciality or characteristics of the earth. So whenever we smell the fragrance of the earth through the medium of leaves, flowers or some herbs also , if that time we could remember, this fragrance is Krsna, you will become Krishna conscious.

We were blessed this morning, that Lord came Himself to us in form of fragrance in Tulasi and ca-ranamrta. Panduranga! Panduranga!! So now everyone will get caranamrta , not all those on con-ference. That’s the only thing you cannot do. Otherwise everything else is possible. This went around, Panduranga appeared and while you were calling, doing a local call. He came, “ What do you want?”

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

Okay we will stop here.
Hare Krishna!!

1st April 2019

COMMUNICATE WITH THE LORD WHILE CHANTING!

I am in Pandharpur. Today is Papamocani Ekadasi. So keep chanting and hearing. One devotee was inquiring – should we concentrate on Harinama or do something else. Also how to concentrate on the holy name? We have to chant

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA
KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA
RAMA RAMa HARE HARE

The holy name is addressing the Lord. When we say Krishnawe are addressing the holy name. YesterdayI was going through the list of Devotional service which Krsnadas Kaviraj Goswami has mentioned in the Caitanya Caritamrita. One item which caught my attention was – one should reveal his mind unto the Deity, unto the Lord. Like we say

dadāti pratigṛhṇāti
guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati
bhuṅkte bhojayate caiva
ṣaḍ-vidhaṁ prīti-lakṣaṇam

Offering gifts in charity, accepting charitable gifts, revealing one’s mind in confidence, inquiring confidentially, accepting prasāda and offering prasāda are the six symptoms of love shared by one devotee and another.( NOI verse 4)

Tell the Lord of your happiness and grief. Rupa Goswami has mentioned it and Krsnadas Kaviraj Goswami is repeating it. He was talking of revealing one’s mind unto the Deity, but the Deity is non-different from the holy name. The Form is the name. Revealing your mind unto the Deity is non-different from revealing your mind to the holy name. When we say Hare, Krishna, each name is an address. Oh Radhe! Oh Krsna! Sixteen times we are addressing the Lord. Oh Radhe! Oh Krsna! When we address like that, Radha and Krishna make their appearance.

naham vasami vaikunthe yoginam hridaye na cha
mad-bhakta yatra gayanti tatra tishthami narada

Neither do I reside in Vaikuntha nor in the hearts of the Yogis, but I dwell where my devotees sing my name, O Narada !(Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda 92.21)

Wherever My devotees chant My glories or wherever I am addressed, I reveal Myself, I make My appearance there. That is the Lord’s promise. The Lord has made His Appearance. He is right there with you. The Lord then says , Oh!Why you are calling me? What do you want? What’s on your mind?Please reveal your mind unto me.” He may say, “ May I help you?” Then you could reveal your mind. The scene is set. You are present. The Lord is there. That’s the time for Yoga, reciprocation, communication between you and the Lord in the form of the holy name.

So how to reveal our heart and mind unto the Lord? There are hints given by our acaryas. Given commentaries on the holy name. Bhavabandhanat mochay. When the address begins by saying the first HareShe asks what do you want? You are revealing your heart and mind unto Radharani. Please free me from this entanglement of material bondage. Then next we say Krishna. Gopal Guru Goswami, – swamadhuryen mattchittaam aakrashay. Oh Lord! You are sweet. You are attractive, please attract my mind unto You. Sixteen times we are addressing like this. For each of the sixteen names there is a commentary. When we chant the mahamantra once, we address Radha and Krishna sixteen times. Seva yogyam kuru. Please make me eligible to serve you,Oh Lord! Srila Prabhupada always repeated this part of the commentary. “I am Yours.Please engage me in Your service.”

Seva adhikar diyo kar nija dasi like that we pray to Tulasi maharani. We also pray to the spiritual master to give you service. Or we may be praying to the temple president – ‘please engage me in your service.’They represent Tulasi Maharani represent Krsna. Spiritual Master is representing Krsna and our GBCs , Presidents, managerial parampara. Prabhupada also said , specially about the GBCsthat they have acarya like position. Then we could request them to give some service.

lalita vishakha adi jat sakhi vrinda ajnayai karibo seva caranaravinda

Even when other gopis and manjaris wish to serve Krsna, they don’t go directly to Radha and Krsna. They have to go through Lalita and Vishakha, the whole hierarchy. The leader of the gopis, yuvateshwaris are there .Gopi groups are called yuvateshwaris. So you have to go through them. Prayer has to be like that, “Please engage me in Your service Lord!” This is how we are revealing our mind and heartand we are begging, “Please engage me in Your service. This is one of the ways. Prabhupada has written in his commentary at one place ‘seva yogyam kuru’ He Radhe He Krsna please make me eligible for Your service. Like that for each of the sixteen names there are commentaries of Jiva Goswami and other acaryas.

How to reveal your mind by chanting ‘Hare Krishna’. How and what to sayto Radha and Krsna who are present before you in the Form of the holy name? So these are the prayers. Chanting , hearing and remembering, then samadhi – full absorption , this is ‘abhyas’. (study)

Today also we are also conducting an initiation ceremony. We are doing the first part of the initiation. What we just did was an initiation lecture. We will be giving the name and the beads. We have Bhaktin Sadhana, wife of Nandlal from Italy, who will be taking initiation today. He is one of the first disciples,25 years ago. In 1971 Prabhupada once conducted a marriage ceremony in Cross Maidan. Vegavan my godbrother from Sweden and his wife was from Australia. Prabhupada was conducting an initiation in India. It was initiation cum marriage ceremony. Prabhupada said, this is the United nations of the spiritual world.

(Gurumaharaj gave initiation to one Mataji from Mauritius and had short a conversation with her) In Pandharpur on the day of Ekadasi, on the banks of Chandrabhaga River in Radha Pandharinath temple, during Brahma muhurta surrounded by Vaisnavas, senior leaders from our zone and 470 participants from all over the planet. They are also witnessing the initiation on the conference.

Your family members are they watching? 40 – 50 devotees from Mauritius are watching. Your name is ‘Saradiya Rasa Devi dasi’. While chanting your japa you can meditate on your name. Later on yajna will be done. Some devotees are getting second initiation today.

So we conclude here.

Hare Krishna!

CONNECT WITH THE SUPREME POWER HOUSE – KRSNA!

We had been chanting from some time now and I am happy to see you chanting because I know of “Chant Hare Krishna and be Happy!” When you become happy , I also become happy. When we see so many of us chanting then there is much more happiness! It’s Anand-sagar. We see at 400 places devotees are chanting so in total you are chanting with 700 to 800 devotees.

Chanting is a serious business.Yogi bhava! Krsna wants us to become bhakti-yogis. When we chant, do our Japa, the goal is to become Bhakti-yogis, linking with the Lord with devotion.

kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ
sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam
yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair
 yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

In the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Kṛṣṇa. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions.(S.B.11.5.32)

Bhagavatam says intelligent people will perform sankirtana yajna. So this chanting is not the job of the less intelligent. At the beginning of today’s session, we were trying to connect our all apparatus here with power. Externally everything seemed to be intact, the switch was there, the cord was there, and it was connected with the computer, still there was no current. The current was off and on , off and on. Then I was thinking as I am a big thinker – okay we have come, we are sitting down for chanting. We have done yama niyama which are the preparations. Asana is in order by sitting properly. Asana does not mean only sitting, but also where we are sitting and also pranayam. I have talked about this pranayam in the past. You have to take a deep breath and chant the maha mantra. Some devotees chant 5 mantras and then they take a deep breath again. Some devotees chant this way. It’s very helpful. To take a deep breath, you have to sit straight. When we take a deep breath , we become refreshed. This will also help you to stay awake. These are the benefits.

Unless you take in a lot of air you are not going to chant. The tongue must vibrate and the lips must be used. Prabhupada used to say this. Otherwise we will be doing ‘snick snick hare hare’. Some people in ISKCON keep chanting like this. So there will not be any boost. There has to be some vibrations. That won’t happen unless the lungs are filled with air. So try this. A lot of time it’s not clear whether we are breathing out or in. This should be two different acts. Sometimes we are breathing in or breathing out, if it’s not clearly demarcated then as a result we miss out on some of the mantras. We eat it. It goes inside. Take a deep breath and while breathing out say the mantra.

Then it’s clear. Krishna consciousness means clear consciousness. So as I was explaining, we have done everything, yama – niyama , asana, pranayam etc. Then we chant,

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

These are the steps according to patanjali yoga which we accept. Although these first four steps are necessary, still they are external. Your real yoga hasn’t yet begin. This is a kind of setting the
scene in the yoga. After doing all this serious yoga begins from the fifth step. That is pratyahara.

Yesterday we were talking about
atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca
prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ

jana-saṅgaś ca laulyaṁ ca
ṣaḍbhir bhaktir vinaśyati

One’s devotional service is spoiled when he becomes too entangled in the following six activities: (1) eating more than necessary or collecting more funds than required; (2) over-endeavoring for mundane things that are very difficult to obtain; (3) talking unnecessarily about mundane subject matters; (4) practicing the scriptural rules and regulations only for the sake of following them and not for the sake of spiritual advancement, or rejecting the rules and regulations of the scriptures and working independently or whimsically; (5) associating with worldly-minded persons who are not interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness; and (6) being greedy for mundane achievements. ( NOI Verse 2)

You should not have done it, but you did which is atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpo etc. Eating too much, accumulating too much etc. will lead to destruction. You will lose the devotion. You will not be a yogi. One of those six items were atyāhāraḥ – too much eating, too much accumulation which we have done in past – yesterday or the day before. We should avoid excess. We had been doing atyachar. When we say ahar we think of the food that we eat. In the book Bhaktyaloka Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains that each of our senses have its own aha or object of senses.

Every sense has a sense object. The tongue has food. For eyes it’s form. For ears it is sounds – all the sounds, cinema songs etc. For nose, smell. So atyāhāraḥ means uncontrolled feeding of the senses by conditioned souls. We had been feeding our senses too much – eating too much, seeing too much. Or seeing objects which we should not have seen. Thus all our senses have been fed in this way.

nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ
vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ
divā cārthehayā rājan
kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā

The lifetime of such an envious householder is passed at night either in sleeping or in sex indulgence, and in the daytime either in making money or maintaining family members.( SB. 2.1.3) We are getting up early morning and what are we thinking? How to make money? Money where is money, sweeter than honey. How you can use the money? To feed the family, to feed the senses of the family. Feed all the senses of all the family members. Feed the eyes, feed the nose, feed the skin. This is what we are talking about in atyāhāraḥ. So for yoga we have to do pratyahaar. Counteract. While doing Japa, all that atyāhāraḥ we had been doing have left the impressions upon the mind.

yatato hy api kaunteya
purusasya vipascitah
indriyani pramathini
haranti prasabham manah

The senses are so strong and impetuous, O Arjuna, that they forcibly carry away the mind even of a man of discrimination who is endeavoring to control them. (BG 2.60) Tukaram Maharaja says, “ papachi vasana nako davu dola tyahuni aandhala barach me” which means ‘better make me blind than having various different desires, that I will see some sinful cinema or some sinful acts.’ This is Tukaram Maharaj’s statement also. Better make me blind, if I am going to make use of eyes in such a way. So this is pratyahaar. When we sit down and start chanting,then we have to make sure that the connection is made. We connected those instruments – laptop and cord and this and that. Everything looks intact, but there is no current. Something was wrong. So we have done yama-niyama, pranayam, asana etc. But are we getting connected with the Lord? The power house? He is the Power House, the source of all the power.

So just to conclude, we can say that this is the job of the intelligent. The role of intelligence will now
begin. Before also we have to do all the yama niyam pranayam etc. intelligently. Now we will have to have sharper intelligence, beyond the pratyahara stage. So the further steps of dhyan and dharana can be performed more intelligently. When we sit and chant. Who is going to be active? THE MIND. So now the play will begin. Mind will become active and make you run – where you had gone yesterday. It will bring those scenes of the night before and the day before, two days before, could be of last lifetime. Mind starts functioning. But we want the soul to be active. We want to awake the soul , we want it to feel.

nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema ‘sādhya’ kabhu naya
śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya

Pure love for Kṛṣṇa is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities. It is not something to
be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens.( CC Madhya 22.107) When we are sitting to chant, we want our soul to be motivated and activated. Soul should experience love for the Lord. Revive our dormant love for the Lord. While hearing

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA
KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA
RAMA RAMA HARE HARE.

That way we are expressing our affection for the Lord. We want to arouse genuine love in the heart. Mind is going to be active. It can run back or run ahead. I did this yesterday and today I have to do this. Then

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.( BG. 18.54) Mind does this śocati, lamentation for the past, something which we were not able to do materially, and then we aspire to do something. This is my goal in this lifetime. I want to achieve this. So the mind goes back and forth between the past and the future. But during chanting we want to be in the present tense with the Lord. This chanting is the practice. We have to do it day in and day out using the intelligence. This is abhyas. Practice makes a man and woman perfect. We have to be alert using our intelligence and watch our mind. Our attention should be on our mind. Where is the mind? What is the mind thinking? Then what does intelligence do. It discriminates. sad asad buddha is the function of intelligence. This is temporary, this is permanent, and so on. With the use of intelligence we keep making those decisions at every step. Not that intelligence has to be applied occasionally. No , intelligence has to be applied throughout the day and night and specially at the time of chanting. You could also pray that the Lord gives you such intelligence. One person’s intelligence may think this is good and another person may think this is not good. My mother would also ask me to pray, “ Oh Lord give me intelligence”. Finally the Lord gave me intelligence and I

became a devotee of Krsna and joined Hare Krishna Land Juhu. Then she started thinking, ‘What kind of intelligence has the Lord given?’ She was unhappy about it. There are two kinds of intelligence – mundane and spiritual. Highly educated, so called intelligence of this world is no intelligence. Maya steals the intelligence. So we have to understand, what kind of intelligence.

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
yena mām upayānti te

To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.( B.G. 10.10) We want that intelligence, which brings us closer to Krsna. During our Festival of Asadhi Ekadasi we could also have a Japa retreat. Two three mornings, we can do japa retreat. Chant together and talk together. That could be another feature of chanting. Anyway we will be chanting in our Zoom session. Japa talk has become long as I am talking in two languages. Okay see you in Pandharpur. Radha-Pandharinatha ki Jai!
Hare Krishna!

VIDHI and NISHEDHA FOR CHANTING.

Today we had 453 participants, and special mention is, Eknath Gaur Prabhuji was chanting from Mongolia. Mongolia is very close to the North Pole, beyond China and Russia. I was surprised and pleased to see him chanting all the way from Mongolia.

Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu has strongly recommended, worship Krsna , the way gopis worshipped, Radharani worshipped, we should be worshipping like that. –

Ramya kecid upāsanā vraja-vadhu-vargabhir ya kalpita. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended, “The upāsanā, the worship which was invented by the gopīs to worship Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, ramya kecid upāsanā, there is no more perfect upāsanā.”

What was the special feature of worship of Gopis and Radharani? – “Always remember Krsna and never forget Krsna!” that’s it. This is the principal. There is a well-known mantra of this meaning which Krsnadas Kaviraj Goswami has quoted in Caitanya Caritamrita.

smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇur
vismartavyo na jātucit
sarve vidhi-niṣedhāḥ syur
etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ

“‘Kṛṣṇa is the origin of Lord Viṣṇu. He should always be remembered and never forgotten at any time. All the rules and prohibitions mentioned in the śāstras should be the servants of these two principles.’(CC Madhya Lila 22.113)

I will read the purport of this verse first and then we can go back to the verse and try to understand further. Srila Prabhupada writes, – ‘This verse is a quotation from Padma – Purana. There are regulative principles in the sastras and directions given by the spiritual master. These regulative principles should act as servants of the basic principle.”

Instructions are in two parts. One is positive and other is negative. One is vidhi and other is nisedhah. One is do’s’ and other is don’ts. Do this, don’t do this. So smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇur is vidhi or process . It’s a Do part. One should remember satatam – always. vismartavyo na jātucit One should never forget. This is the nishedhah part. Sastra’s explanations are of two kinds – one is vidhi and other is nishedhah, prohibition. So that is ,” These regulative principles should act as servants of the basic principle, that is one should always remember Krsna and never forget Him. Therefore one must strictly chant Hare Krsna mahamantra 24 hours daily. That is the vidhi.

“Therefore one must strictly chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra twenty-four hours daily. One may have other duties to perform under the direction of the spiritual master, but he must first abide by the spiritual master’s order to chant a certain number of rounds”, then next do the other duties. That’s how we should understand this. “In Hare Krsna movement we have recommended the neophytes to chant at least 16 rounds. This chanting of 16 rounds is absolutely necessary, if one wants to remember Krsna and never forget Him.” This is the process and the prohibition.Of all the regulative principles , the spiritual master’s order to chant at least 16 rounds is the most essential. Essential is the most significant word. There is no other option.

harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam kalau nastyeva nastyeva nastyeva gatiranyatha. ( CC 7.26)

sarve vidhi-niṣedhāḥ syur
etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ

That’s the second part. The first verse was.
smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇur
vismartavyo na jātucit

Always remember and never forget, these are the two items.

etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ of these two principals are the servants of these two principals. All the vidhis, all the nishedhahs are servants of two principals. All that is said in shastra can be divided in two parts. One part is process, something that you should do , other one is Nishedh.

utsahat nishayat dhairyat tat tat karma pravartant sanga tyagat sato vritte shadbhir bhaktir prasiddhati. (NOI verse 3)

This is vidhi. Enthusiasm, determination and following in the footsteps of the previous acaryas , and so on by following these six items , which is a positive, a vidhi, by that bhakti prasiddhati. – You attain perfection in your devotional service. That is shadbhir bhaktir prasiddhati. and other one is

attyahar prayashacha prajalpa niyamagraha
Jansanghasha laulyascha shadbhir bhaktir vinashyati ( NOI verse 2)

By doing these things , which is nishedh getting too much or accumulating too much. By following this shadbhir bhaktir vinashyati we stay away from worldly association . These are the examples. So like that we will find in the sastras some vidhi and some nishedh. So all these processes and prohibitions are the servants of etayor( two principals). One is smartavyaha satatam Vishnu and second is vismartvya na jatu chita. These we should contemplate.

We could also say that vidhi is chant “Harer name eva kevalam” and nishedh is – avoid these ten offenses against the holy name. No – vaishnav aparadh. No – Gurur avadyna. No – sruti shastra nindanam. So what should you do, “ chant ‘Hare Krsna’ , and what should you not do ? Avoid all the offenses against the holy name. While we are chanting, this Japa yoga or Dhyan-yoga, there is astang yoga which is aimed at ‘samadhi’ or full concentration of your mind and intelligence. The soul where your mind is fully absorbed in the Lord or focused on the Lord. That is samadhi. That astanga yoga process also begins with yama- niyama. Yama is nishedh and niyama is vidhi. Yama is if you do this or that then Yamaraj will come. That’s how you should remember. Niyam means positive and yama is destructive. One is process and the other is prohibition. So as chanters we should remember that we have to chant Hare Krsna with attention and this is the right thing to do. We have to have to avoid all the offenses against the holy name. This is nishedh or prohibition. This is destructive and we don’t do this. So that’s the food for thought for the day.

This is a homework for you. But this homework is enough for the rest of your life. Because everyday you have to chant Hare Krsna and everyday you have to avoid offences. But we have to say chanting you have to do, minimum sixteen rounds, some do even more rounds. The offences are not to be avoided only during chanting. We keep doing aparadh daily. Offending Vaisnavas. We may not offend Vaisnavas during chanting, but as soon as we finish chanting , first thing we begin with is offending Vaisnavas. Or disobeying this order or that order of the spiritual master, or if we blaspheme the scriptures or if we didn’t read the scriptures. So these are the offences we keep committing all day. Just try to understand that

OFFENCES AGAINST THE HOLY NAME ARE NOT ONLY TO BE AVOIDED WHILE SITTING DOWN and CHANTING, BUT ALL DAY!

All day you have to be alert and make sure you are not committing offences. So we kind of remain busy in the service of the holy name chanting or avoiding offences.

I had been saying that tomorrow’s chanting preparation we have to do today. Chanting tomorrow, preparation today! It’s like setting the scene. So when we sit for chanting the next day how will our japa be – more attentive. It will not happen overnight or in one day. Tomorrow’s chanting will be attentive if today we make our best efforts to avoid the offences. Like that we stay busy serving the holy name of the Lord 24 hours. One either we are chanting or two we are trying to avoid the offences. There is nothing more in which our whole day is spent. We are sadhakas. We are practitioners. So this is the lifelong practice.

You can preach others also to chant and avoid offences. So we will stop here.
Hare Krsna!!