Be focused like an Archer while chanting

Our devotees from Melbourne they have been chanting with us on Saturdays. Are you there today also? Identify yourself. We chant everyday but some chant only on Saturdays.

I was wondering about Mauritius devotees, their numbers have gone down, can someone check? I see Vrsabanu Prabhu. Numbers have gone down from 50 to 30 now. Otherwise we chant every day Saturday, Sunday or Monday we chant every day.

We have to chant the prescribed number of rounds “kritanya sadha hari” prescribed number of rounds.

sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih kalavasani-kritau [Shad Goswami Ashtakam]

The six goswamis of Vrindavan they have set this standard. Our Acarya Namacarya Srila Haridas Thakur had prescribed 47 rounds, but he chanted big number 300000 names of Lord every day . Even in his old age he struck to his prescribed rounds. I asked Srila Prabhupada on one morning walk why we chant 16 rounds, he replied 16 is minimum, you can chant 16,000 who can stop you.

So we need to chant, this is “yuga dharma” in this age we have to chant the Hare Krishna maha mantra.

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

There is a statement in Bhagvatam that compares this activity of chanting or recitation of mantra to the activity of shooting bow and arrow using bow and arrow,Dhanur vidya. So there in the statement it is explained that Pranav, the mantra that we chant is the bow, is danush. The living entity jiva, is the arrow baan, and the laksha, the destination the target of this arrow is the Lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

It is a Bhagvatam statement so it certainly truth, a statement the fact, just to understand this we also say that chanting of Hare Krishna mantra is sadhan and sadhya. It is means and the goal.

The Lord comes in this world or as we chant Hare Krishna the Lord makes His appearance, so He becomes the means sadhan and that Lord carries the jiva or living entity back with Him back to Krishna or back to Godhead. The living entity is brought to the lotus feet of the Lord. Sadhan and sadhya which is mantra is non- different from the Lord. The holy name is non -different from the Lord.

Fixing the arrow to the bow that is quite an act and expertise and there is art, it is a science. Putting the arrow and bow together and also be focused on the target. Dronacharya was teaching his students this Dhanur vidya and they had to shoot at the sky, the mountain, the bird hanging from the tree.

And there is a boatman in his boat riding through the ocean and the target is Boston and the captain of the boat has to focus on his target, his guide is the light house, this is where the Boston is and he is thinking, I have to get there. In order to get to his target, he must ensure that that the engine is right and he remains on the right course even the winds are blowing unfavorably. His boat may be going this way sometimes that way. But he must steer his boat in the right direction towards the light house. He must make sure that the course is right. This is what we call as attentive chanting. To throw this living entity in the direction of the Lord. Because we don’t want to hit the Lord. Srila Prabhupada has explained in the purport, we should not think in the term of bow and arrow and we are shooting and the destination is the lotus feet of Lord. We should not be attacking violently; shooting should be like a flower. We are making offering of ourselves, the living entity at the lotus feet of the Lord.

Then of course there is the baan the arrow is ready, that’s why it is said,

jiv jago, jiv jago, gaurachandra bole

Gauranga from spiritual sky is calling come, come in My direction. So, Gauranga is calling you or He has come as you have addressed Him by calling His name. Gauranga is very merciful, He is magnanimous. You are receiving His ahaituki -causeless mercy, you don’t deserve but the Lord is so kind. He comes and calls you wake up, wake up sleeping souls. The soul has to wake up if you are talking of bow and arrow activity. The arrow is there and you have to be aware and it has to be willing to reach the destination and reach the lotus feet of the Lord or abode of the Lord- going back home, back to Godhead.

So the bow, the arrow and the lakshay, the destination make sure that they are perfectly aligned and in good shape, the right mantra, which we have we have the best mantra the maha-mantra. Other mantras are there. Every devi and devata have their mantras. Mantras are there to please different Gods and Goddesses.

In karma kanda section of the Vedas, different mantras are there, you could chant and go to heaven, pitri lok depends what you pray for. Some pray for bhuta and pischas, written in karma kanda section of the Vedas. If our desire is to go all the way to Vaikuntha to Goloka then we must chant the corresponding mantra to go back to Vaikunta. By the Grace of Gauranga and the parampara we have the best mantra- The maha mantra.

The bow, the arrow and the destination. The bow we have is the best.The mantra, the bow is perfect .The arrow is the living entity, the jiva is willing and ready and wants the Lord’s lotus feet. With devotional service and we have really woken up and we must also not cause offenses, Nama apradha are there. We are committing offenses against the holy name. The mantra is a personality, the mantra is Krishna Himself but if the living entity is committing offenses against the holy name, then what hope is there for the living entity.

Focus on the target In dhanur vidya, the string is pulled and is released as a result the arrow gets a boost from behind and if it is done with full attention full focus then that arrow will reach the destination and the target. Something that must give the boost is the holy name but if we are offensive and do not have faith in the holy name then the living entity will not be going towards the Lord.

So remember the successful archer always successfully hits his targets and his whole act of shooting, his mind, his body, his intelligence and his focus is on his target and when everything is aligned, the arrow the bow and the target and then he becomes successful . So remember that when we are chanting we should remember the successful archer, his mind, body and soul is focused. Like that there is a bow, arrow and the target the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Keep this in the mind when chanting always remember the archer and his focus, if he is not aligned and focused he will not hit his target. Stay focused on the chanting remembering how the archer aligns everything to hit the target. Remember the Bhagavatam and the activity of bow and arrow – keep this in mind when chanting.

Question: who is the archer?

Answer : Who is the dhanudari here, the arrow is there, the bow is there, the destination. The archer is the living entity. Thinking of the one who is chanting, he is dhanudari he is the archer, you are the archer and you are also the bow at the same time. Good question. Bow and arrow focus on the target. Archer is the chanter of the holy name.

yatra yogeshvarah krishno yatra partho dhanurdhara
tatra shirr vijayo buthirdhruva nitir matir mama [BG 18.78]

In the case of Arjuna battling on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna is the archer, living entity is archer and the Lord has come. His bow is the mantra and who is giving him the mantra? Sri Krishna is right there giving the mantra, Lord is even driving the chariot, the Lord is acting like the danusha, Lord is acting like mantra.

Oh! You have some mantra for me? Arjuna is getting confused in the middle of the battle, the Lord is giving intelligence from within.

In our case, dadami buddhi yogam. Lord gives advice in the form of mantra. So there was a team, Arjuna is archer, Lord is dhanusha which is physically Gandiv is the hand of Arjuna, but the real bow is the Lord. In the case of Arjuna the Lord is personally there, to give him a boost so that his arrows can reach the target, that time his enemies they are stumbling blocks so they had to be removed.

Arjuna was hitting the enemies, as they were getting hit, they were getting killed and they were all getting liberated, they were all going back to Godhead. They were becoming associates of the Lord. Arjuna the archer was not only bringing himself to the lotus feet of the Lord but all those whom he was killing they were also becoming bhan/arrow and going to the Lord.

Okay so another question.

Question: Who is the Lord and who is the living entity?

Answer: Bow is the Lord and the destination is the Lord and the living entity is you, the chanter. Holy name is the bow the holy name is the destination, means and the goal. The holy name brings living entity back to the form of the Lord. Living entity is entering the past times of the Lord and the holy name brings the living entity back to the Lord, back to spiritual sky back to their eternal action of serving the Lord.

No more questions are coming up only comments, I will read them. If there are other questions you can discuss it among yourselves. If there are very difficult questions and you have no answers then refer it to us. Otherwise keep chanting.

Hare Krishna

Do meditate, but meditate upon Krishna

Hari Bol to you all!

637 participants today! I am very happy and enjoying this conference and chanting with you all. Especially when I see you chanting, I do not hear, but I do see you chanting. Your lips are vibrating or moving, so that seems very pleasing. You all are doing right thing at right time. Right thing is we know, I am sure you also know, that you are and we all are spirit souls and for all living entities our occupation is, our dharma in this kali-yuga is chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, that we are doing.

As I see you practicing dharma, doing the right thing, that gives me great pleasure.

So, you are doing the right thing, that is chanting Hare Krishna. You and we all have to just do it rightly or correctly. You are doing the right thing, but do it in right way, correct way. So we always say, we meditate upon Lord’s Holy name and Lord’s pastimes, Lord form etc. This is mantra meditation, it’s time for dhyana, time for meditation. So do it dhyanapurvak, with attention, in a meditating way. That is the right thing to do, right way to do.

In fact, everyone in this world meditates, get absorbed in, concentrates,contemplates, everyone in this world does that. Every living entity does that, dhyana or contemplation or meditation. So worldly people also do dhyana all the time and they do dhyana of maya and devotees also do dhyana or they are expected to do dhyana, meditate upon Sri Krishna. So we do not say, ‘do not meditate, do not think or contemplate or concentrate, but we only say, devotees of Krishna say, meditate upon Krishna. Do meditate, but meditate upon Krishna.

Lord Sri Krishna talked about this dhyana in Bhagavad Gita, very famous statement.

dhyayato visayan pumsam sangastesupa jayate
sangat sanjayate Kamah, kamat krodhobhi jayate
krodhat bhavati sammoha, sammohat smrti vibhramah,
smrti bhramsat buddhi naso, buddhi nasat pranasyati [BG 2.62]

So Lord has talked how to do meditation, if it is visaya or objects of senses, meditation on the objects of senses, then that leads to attachments, one gets attached to those objects of senses.

sangah tesu upajayate, the attachment is developed.

This principle applies to both kinds of meditation, the mundane meditation and spiritual Krishna consciousness meditation. If your objects of senses are mundane objects and you meditate upon them then you develop attachment to those mundane objects of senses, mundane places, mundane personalities, mundane objects of eating or sleeping or mating or defending. So likewise, if we meditate upon Krishna, the spiritual objects of our senses, the senses of spirit, spirit also has senses, the body also have senses, so the body’s senses contemplate, meditate on the objects of mundane senses, then that kind of attachment. The spiritual senses of the spirit soul, they contemplate on the spiritual objects and that’s Krishna, then we develop attachment to Krishna. So we develop detachment to maya and we develop attachment to Krishna by meditating upon Krishna or meditating upon the spiritual objects of our spiritual senses.

Then Krishna says,

sangastesupa jayate sangat sanjayate kamah, and then if we are attached to the objects of senses, we are contemplating on the objects of senses, then it gives rise to kama, the lust. While you contemplate on the spiritual objects of our senses that is Krishna, even Krishna’s devotees, Krishna’s pastimes, then we develop attachment to those spiritual objects and then we revive our prema for the Lord. In other case kama, sangat sanjayate kamah, but there is also sangat sanjayate premah. Prema also could be revived by the contemplation and attachment to the spiritual objects of the senses.

As another statement from Chaitanya Charitamrita, that clarifies this point,

atmendriya priti vancha tara bale kama (Cc. Ädi 4.165)

atmendriya priti, if we are busy in gratifying mundane senses, contemplating on mundane objects of senses or relishing mundane objects then the outcome is kamah upajayate, kama is developed.

While,Krsnendriya priti tara bale prema, but if our senses are engaged in serving the Lord’s senses or Lord’s form or Lord’s pastimes, then that would result in prema, love of Godhead.

Yeah, so moving forward Krishna has said, we are referring Bhagavad Gita,

dhyayato visayan pumsam, sangastesupa jayate
sangat sanjayate kamah, kamat krodhobhi jayate

And if our lusty desires are not fulfilled, there is some hindrance or some delay, etc. then we become angry, kamat krodhobhi jataye.

If we are frustrated, this is what goes on all over the world, exhibition of kama and that’s why there is quarrel and there are wars and battles and fighting and all that goes on because of kamat krodhobhi jayate. Your desires are not fulfilled and then you exhibit this anger and this whole world is angry, terrorists are angry, everybody is angry here, develops anger.

So kamat krodhobhi jayate, or we could also say, premat krodhobhi jayate, if our spiritual desires are not satisfied, if there is some hindrance, some delay, we may also be feeling frustrated and become angry, but that is spiritual anger and devotees like Hanuman, and like that, so devotees also may take action for fight with those who are against Vishnu and Vaisnavas or their plans, Vishnu’s plans, Vaisnavas plans, if someone is causing hindrance then devotees also become transcendentally angry as Hanuman became angry on Arjuna.

In fact, Krishna was inspiring Arjuna, so that he will become angry for battling, fighting. So this anger, this krodha, this spiritual anger like Lord Narasimha becomes angry, so that’s spiritual anger is there.

So moving forward, what Krishna has said in Bhagavad Gita so kamat krodhobhi jayate, krodhat bhavati sammoha, if you are in angry state then you become bewildered, you cannot think straight and you are illusioned and you end up taking wrong decisions. Then Lord also has said,

sammohat smrti vibhramah
smrti bhramsat buddhi naso

And gradually you forget your real identity and that result in loosing intelligence, there is loss of intelligence. You cannot act any more intelligently. On the contrary the spiritual practitioners, they may become angry also, as Prabhupada said preaching is fighting but that anger, the spiritual anger, the devotees, they do not loose intelligence, however devotees are given intelligence. Lord says that in Bhagavad Gita,

tesam satat yuktanam bhajatam priti purvakam dadami buddhiyogam (BG 10.10)

Those who are always practicing Krishna consciousness, always chanting Hare Krishna, always engage in devotional services, reading Prabhupada books, performing nama sankirtana and like that, distributing prasadam, holding festivals, doing jare dekho tare kaho krsna upadesa, as devotees remain engaged in all these activities then Lord guarantees to such a devotee I give intelligence, dadami buddhiyogam.

So, the materialists, they lose intelligence in this process of contemplation, this that and objects of senses, but devotees they end up getting intelligence, they become intelligent. Lord provides them very sharp intelligence, they become equipped with.

So in these two ways, two kinds of meditations, one is meditating on maya or worldly objects, at every step there is step down, you are coming down, you are declining and you are falling down, one from dhyayato visayan pumsah, sangastesupa jayate, there is fall down, sangat sanjayate kamah, you developed lust, fall down, you become angry you fall down, you are bewildered, you fall down, further fall down and Lord finally says in that statement that buddhinasat pranasyati, when you have lost your intelligence, pranasyati, you are destroyed. You really fall down, go deep down into the hell and lower regions. There is regression at every at every step and total fall down.

So while devotees, new devotees, you are the chanters of the Holy names and contemplates upon the Lord and Lord’s pastimes Lord’s devotees, you are studying their life and teachings, you keep doing this specially, chant,

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

And you are doing that right way, and you are contemplating and meditating deeply meditating upon the Lord then the outcome end result is progression. Other side other ladder, there is regression, they are coming down, down, down into the hell. And here you are going up and up and you are going higher and higher and now you are blessed with intelligence. Lord has given you intelligence, dadami buddhiyogam, then what happens, yen mam upayanti te, then those chanters of the Holy name, devotees, practitioners of Krishna consciousness, they are endowed with spiritual intelligence and how do they use that spiritual intelligence?

Mam upayanti te, mam means Myself, upa means near, they come near to Me, near where I am that is where they come. They come back to Me, come back to home. So then they achieve the goal of human form of life, achieve Krishna and attain Krishna.

So what we talked just now about is applicable to each and every one of us, regardless of which country, continent, nation, religion, gender, economic status, regardless of all these considerations and this principle that Krishna has talked about, they are applicable and that is why the whole world is following,

mama vartmanu vartante manusyah partha sarvasah
(BG 4.11)

Krishna has declared that mama vartmanu vartante, I have set this system and there is no way, they can do things independent of Lord, independent of the system of the Lord. Every single person, every single human being on this planet is following this program, this system that Lord has created and so then they are either following the mundane path, mundane contemplation, mundane entertainment, trying to acquire objects, trying to relish those, then we know what the outcome is, end result is, the fall down.

So as Lord has said, surrender unto Me, give up all other varieties of mundane activities or even some kind of mundane religion or mix bhakti or jnanamisra bhakti or karmamisra bhakti, give all that out,

sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraj (BG 18.66)

And that is what we do, we chant Hare Krishna, we take shelter of Krishna. And then He also says do not fear, I will take care of rest, I will make you free from all sins.

Nāmāśraya kori’ jatane tumi thākaha āpana kāje [Gītāvalī 6].

So take shelter of Holy name, meditate by chanting and be happy.

Hare Krishna!

Nagpur

Hare Krishna!

Blessings to you all who are in this conference! I remember, Anandamayi Radha whose father was just sitting and today we see you chanting, so we are happy. He was not chanting yesterday, he is chanting today. He is one of the participants. We are very happy with this development.

Good morning news to you all. So welcome sir and welcome to you and all the new participants. I am sure they must be inspired, that is why our number has gone up and we have 650 participants today. Target is 700 at the end of this, you know this, we are getting there day by day.

Padmamali is making some special efforts also, to increase the number of participants. Of course, why Padmamali alone? We all have to, yeah? We should be making efforts and endeavors to increase the participants to have more association. More the merrier as they say.

So, the Holy name of the Lord which we chant everyday directs us to the Lord and gives indication of the Lord, implies the Lord that meant Lord’s form also. So, as we say Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, then Lord says, ‘oh! you are chanting My name. This is how I look like and look at Me, take My darshan’ and of course there are pastimes also as we chant.

Hare Krishna, reminds us the pastimes of the Lord. Basically we are talking about the form of the Lord to begin with, reminded us as we chant.

Unfortunately we are engrossed in bodily concept and all that we care and love is our own form or some forms around us, other persons, worldly forms. So,as Kunti Maharani said ‘janma aishvarya sruta srivih’, the living entities, conditioned souls are falsely proud of their janma, the birth, aishvarya, their opulence, their wealth, their studies or even overseas studies, higher studies, education and specially their beauty, their form, the way they look like, the people are intoxicated, this Kunti Maharani said.

Yesterday here in Nagpur, some devotees were sorting out the photographs of my visits of different temples and what I did in this temple, during that visit and there were photos of me worshipping the Deities or doing kirtan melas. And as they were sorting out and they wanted my involvement or my judgment while selecting some of those photos to use for upcoming Vyasapuja festival. And I was seeing how they were inclined to select more of my photos and less of Deities photos and I was expressing my disappointment over this. The photographs of the Deities were so beautiful, out of this world as they say and were enchanting. As I was talking darshan of those Deities, Deities of Radha Govinddev in Noida, Deities of Radha Pandharinath from Pandharpur and like that Radha Damodar in Solapur or even Radha Shyamasundar in Vrindavan like that.

So I had fallen in love with the photos of the Deities more than my own photos. I was not so much interested. And I was contemplating how the beauty of the Lord is eternal as Their form is eternal; while our beauty is temporary. May be it is here today while you are young, some sort of beauty is there, but wait for some more years and you will not even want to look at your face, ugly face or wrinkled face.

I was also reminded of one statement of Prithu Maharaj when he was addressing the citizens and citizens were trying to glorify Prithu Maharaj. But Prithu Maharaj was responding saying ‘why? the glory of the Lord exists, it is here in the present, the glories of the Lord, why you would you like to glorify me? Just be happy! Just be contended glorifying the Lord! Why are you mixing up that glory or diluting that glory with my glory, or talking of or glorifying me. Lord’s glory is enough. It exists, it is here. Just be happy with Lord’s glory and don’t talk of my glory.

So talking of, the body is ever changing, I was looking at the photographs, even me worshipping different Deities, my thought was that, the worshipers keep changing. Now someone is worshipping the Lord, tomorrow someone else will worship, next year or fifth year from now the same Deity will be there, worshipable Deity, worshipful Deity. But there will be different pujaris, worshipers will be different, worshipable would be there forever, hundred years from now, then thousand years from now the Deity the Lord continue to be there, but the worshipers will be changing as their bodies change, their forms change.

Talking about the changing of body, I am sure it is not difficult to understand our body is changing, the change is so gradual, we do not notice the change on day to day basis but if you could go back to 20 years from now then you could look at the form of your body, it is different from the body which you have now. And of course, when you were baby body and your parents had taken photographs of baby body and they are hanging on the walls, you will not recognize. You will wonder who is this one? Is that me really? Because the body has changed, it is so simple thing that the body is ever changing, our bodies are changing.

Some years ago, devotees, they were publishing my article how I came into Krishna Consciousness. They had selected some photographs to be included in that article and there was one photograph of my college days, it was group photo, myself and my other friends. And devotees, the designers said, ‘Maharaj we have selected this photo to go in that article’ and I was looking at that photograph and it took quite some time for me to find out which person from that photograph is myself? Is that me? No! What about this? No, no! I mean it took some time for me to recognize my own form, my own photograph in that photograph.

Some years ago in my Vyasapuja book, devotees had printed a photograph which devotees normally do, devotees worshiping the feet, they call it lotus feet and there was photograph of feet and I took objection, these are not my feet. This is wrong. This is someone else’s feet, may be feet of some other spiritual master and these are not my feet. And there was whole debate going on, whether they are my feet or someone else’s feet. And devotees somehow convinced me. They were right, they were my feet. So the feet are changing and face is changing, heart is changing, body is changing. While all this is changing, the form of the Lord is eternal, eternally constant, never changing. We are ever changing and Lord is never changing.

As we chant Hare Krishna mahamantra, we are reminded of the form of the Lord and that form is sat-chit-ananda, that form is eternal-sat, chit- full of knowledge, ananda- full of bliss, while our form is asat-achit and nirananda. Our body is temporary, our body is full of ignorance and our body is full of misery. Hence we prefer the form of the Lord, His eternal form we prefer to worship.

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

Srnvanti gayanti grnanti sadhavah

(SB 7.5.23 24)

sadhus are always busy in srnvanti-hearing, gayanti- singing, and grnanti- by accepting the Lord and realizing the Lord that is called God realization, Krishna realization. But at the same time there is self realization-we are spirit souls, that realization also takes place simultaneously. God realization, self realization and our relationship with the God which is attained by the performance of bhakti, by chanting the glories of the Lord.

So, we are also beautiful and we are also eternal as spirit souls, we are parts and parcels of Krishna, children of Krishna. So as Krishna is beautiful, we parts and parcels are beautiful, souls are beautiful, soul is eternal, that we have to realize. Our body is temporary, body is source of misery.

hitva anyathe rupam svarupen vyavasthitih (SB 6.1.58)

Then we give up this ever changing bodies, finally we have nothing to do with this body, tyaktva deham punar janma naiti(BG 4.8)

We give up this present body and we don’t accept another body and we get situated in svarupa, svarupena vyavasthitih, our original eternal form we realize and we get situated in that form. And this is called final or ultimate liberation, that is you realize that you are eternal form and that eternal form keeps serving the lotus feet of the Lord all the time to come. And then there is Lord’s form, then we have our spiritual form, spiritual personality and that spiritual personality keeps serving the Lord and attain eternally. From materiality we attain eternality as we chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna!

Of course we don’t have to wait till we go back to spiritual sky and serve the Lord. There is also situation, sthiti called ‘jivan mukta ca uchyate,’ we also start serving the Lord here and now. In this world and in this body we spirit soul could be active, be interactive with the Lord through devotional service. And that is what we do by the nine processes of devotional service, navavidha bhakti.

Srila Prabhupada has given us engagements for 24 hours of the day. We are expected to serve Krishna in this body in this world Person who serves is a soul, body is just an instrument. Soul is serving, soul is chanting, soul is worshipping, soul is surrendering, ‘atmanivedanam.’

Body just goes along and then the so called body also gets spiritualized as soul is serving the Supreme Soul.

Okay, stay busy 24 hours till we get together again next day.

Hare Krishna!

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!