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!

‘VEN NAMABHAS’ CAN SAVE FROM GOING TO HELL!

kaumāra ācaret prājño
dharmān bhāgavatān iha
durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma
tad apy adhruvam arthadam (SB 7.6.1)

Prahlad Maharaj advised to his friends, ” My dear friends, this is the time, kaumaram, we are all children, (he was also a child) & we should be practicing Bhagavad- Dharma. This is the time we should be chanting ‘Hare Krishna’.”

So, following that advice many of you, I am seeing in this conference also, getting your or other children to practice Krishna consciousness. Get them to chant ‘Hare Krishna’. This is highly appreciated. Keep up this endeavour.

Venugopal prabhu’s son I saw sitting with him & chanting. Panchali Sakhi mataji’s ten year old daughter was also chanting with her & she chants 8 rounds every day. That is what inspired me to talk on this topic today.

We are proud to announce, in Pandharpur we have new Gurukul. Hari bol!

brahmacārī guru-kule
vasan dānto guror hitam
ācaran dāsavan nīco
gurau suḍṛdha-sauhṛdaḥ (SB 7.12.1)

So, from there i saw small children chanting. I received report from ISKCON Nagpur yesterday, that they had a summer camp. Some thirty to forty school children, they had wonderful experience in 5 days of summer camp. Such summer camps are conducted in most of my zone temples. Those temples who have not conducted as yet, please make sure; you conduct it this year.

Yet there is another report related to children. In Amaravati , Jaybhadra mataji organized Padayatra for children. This was first ever Bal- Padayatra for children. I congratulate & thank you & express my great pleasure for all these attempts & endeavours for Krishna consciousness among children. Hari bol! for all of them making these endeavours.

I am remembering the glories of holy name from Bhagavatam. So many glories of holy name are chanted throughout the Bhagavatam, specially the Ajamila episode explains the holy name & glorifies the ‘Harinam Mahatmya’.

Again, in this, child is involved in this episode, Ajamila’s son. Luckily or co-incidentally or accidentally he had named his son’ Narayan’. That made a big difference for him, naming the child that way. Ajamila got liberated ultimately, just by naming his son Narayan. He had been chanting name ‘Narayan! Narayan! come here! , Did you feed Narayan today? Narayan it’s time to go to school.’ Narayan! Narayan! Narayan! Ajamila was chanting few rounds of Narayan, Narayan every day. Narayan come. Narayan sit. Narayan eat. Narayan! Narayan! Narayan! used to go on.

Lord is so kind. Of course, as we know, he was calling, thinking Narayan is my son’s name. Because that is not possible. Whose name could be Narayan? Whose name could be Narayan? & who’s name is Narayan? Only Narayan’s name could be Narayan. His son could be Narayan-das. Narayan remains the name of Narayan. Lord is so kind. Though Ajamila was calling out Narayan, Narayan to his son, still Lord was giving credit to him, for his uttering the name Narayan.

Of course, this kind of credit not only Ajamila receives, but you all, we also receive it. That is why we name our children Krishna – das or Radha- Dasi, Jamuna Dasi or Ganga Das like that. What is the benefit of naming them Chinku , Tinku & Pinku. All sorts of names we get to hear nowadays. All this is nonsense. These are meaningless names. We waste our time & energy uttering those.

For example Navavidha Bhakti mataji’s son’s name is Gauranga. So she keeps calling Gauranga, Gauranga! & by that way she will get Gauranga’s mercy.

So, then when it was time for Ajamila’s departure, he called out the name Narayan! Narayan! He was helpless. He was thinking he was addressing his son Narayan. Narayan come here, look!! Yamadutas are here. help me! So, what happened was Lord took it as – Ajamila was addressing Him or Lord. Calling Him for help & Lord responded by sending Vishnu Dutas for the rescue of Ajamila.

Then we know the rest, how Ajamila was saved by Vishnu Dutas, by chanting the holy name of Narayan. So, we can say Narayan saved him, but if we analyse, on the spot there it was only name of Narayan, which is non-different then Narayan Himself, saved Ajamila. Of course, name Narayan he uttered did not give him full benefits of uttering the name of ‘Narayan’. He had chanted at ‘Namabhas’ stage. It was not pure chanting. Then he went to Haridwar & practiced further, he did Shuddha naam japa & attained the love of Godhead.

Then Vishnu Dutas had come again & brought him back to Lord’s abode.

Tomorrow we will discuss, how Yamadutas had to go empty handed, first time to Yamaloka in front of Yamaraj. They had lots of questions for Yamaraj. They wondered what happened? ‘Such a sinful person, but we couldn’t bring him to your courtyard, O Lord! Yamaraja please reveal the mystery.’ Then Yamraj gave answers to those questions. So we will listen to pravachan of Yamraj tomorrow.

Till then keep chanting.

Haribol!

GAURSUNDAR BECAME SHAMSUNDAR!

By doing japa you all will be alright. This conference is open for all the souls, doesn’t matter who they are, where are they from, whose disciples they are. Whether they are disciples or not disciples, they are all welcome. We love to have their association on this conference. We have many devotees from Mauritius attending the conference. It’s a small country, but there are tons of devotees over there. So, you can get many devotees from there on conference. Likewise, you can get many devotees in your neighbourhood, in your city, in your country who are not chanting. You can get them to chant.

While we are chanting, we receive blessings, as many of you keep seeking blessings on the conference. I was thinking that, if we are chanting, we are blessed. In fact, you are blessed & that is why you are chanting, or you should consider yourself blessed as you are chanting. Also, it is not only my blessings, but blessings of Srila Prabhupada, blessings of previous acharyas.

Namacharya Haridas Thakur is also blessing you, when you are attempting or endeavouring to chant. Then seeing that endeavour, we are all pleased & we feel like blessing. We are blessed. And of course, these are blessings of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He blessed in fact whole planet. He blessed all of us in advance & now we are receiving those blessings. We are receiving that holy name, which He brought from His own abode.

Goloker premadhan
Harinaam sankirtan
(Dainya Bodhika Song 2 Prathana)

So, these are blessings of Gauranga. Gauranga is blessing all of us. We join Gauranga as we chant ‘Hare Krishna’. We become part of that team of Gauranga called Gaur Bhakta-Vrinda – Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu Nityananda Sri Advaita Srivasadi Gaura Bhakta-Vrinda or part of Panchatattva. So, we begin joining that Gaura Bhakta-Vrinda team. And they bless us.

Golokam ca parityajya lokanam trana-karanat
kalau gauranga-rupena lila-lavanya-vigrahah
(Markandeya Purana)

“In the Kali-Yuga, I will leave Goloka and, to save the people of the world, I will become the handsome and playful Lord Gauranga.

“Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu left His abode Goloka behind & He came to us to this world, to give us relief. Relief to the suffering of tortured living entities & how did He do that? He brought Mahamantra with Him. This is a gift of Gauranga. This is ‘anukampa’ of Lord.

teṣām evānukampārtham
aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ
nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-stho
jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā
(BG 10.11)

So, when Lord takes notice of how this material world is treating us & beating us & torturing us, by seeing that Lord’s heart melts & He becomes compassionate. His compassion flows & then in orders to do something. That’s when He appears.

Lord appeared five hundred years ago. He came with the solution; He came with the holy name of the Lord of His own holy name.

vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga-
śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-śarīra-dhārī
kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye
(CC Madhya 6.254).

I think this was Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya. He said Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared shikshartham – in order to teach the whole world. Lord personally became acharya.

Shikshartham eko purushaha puranaha Purushottam appeared to teach ‘vairagya Vidya nija bhakti yogat’ to teach vairagya vidya that is renunciation & bhakti yoga that is devotional service unto Himself. Lord appeared Sri Krishna Chaitanya ‘sharir-dhari’ . Sri Krishna Chaitanya, He assumed this form. Kripambhudhi – He is full of or He is ocean of mercy.

Tam aham prapadye

Unto such Lord Gauranga I offer my obeisances.

Aapane aachari jagat sikhay Chaitanya Charitamrita also says, by His own example, He was teaching the whole world. Lord personally chanted, He personally danced, personally also sat & did japa. He was sitting with a bead bag & He was chanting. This was astonishing thing, Lord was doing Japa.

When He visited Vrindavan, one time He sat on the banks of Yamuna. They say, He was sitting under a tamarind tree, known as ‘Imalitala’ & He was chanting ‘Hare Krishna’, & He was chanting attentively. His chanting was always attentive. As Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu chanted & chanted with attention & devotion, with prayerful mood, He became Krishna conscious. Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu became Krishna conscious. Then what happened to Him, when He became Krishna conscious , His bodily complexion changed. He was no more Gaursundar but He became Shyamsundar. His complexion which normally used to be like that of Radharani, that became like that of Sri Krishna. So not only that he was sitting properly or sitting right , but all internal, His thinking, feeling, willing , intelligence was keeping an eye on the chanting. He was fully alert, remembering the Lord, meditating on the Lord, Lord’s form or qualities or past-times. So, we have also have to sharpen our intelligence, then such intelligence can control or prevent the mind from wandering. That is why I keep saying , in order to chant we have to watch the wanderings of mind.

Where is my mind now? Is he hearing the name? Or is it getting distracted? Who will keep an eye or watch. That is the function of intelligence. In order to do good job, intelligence has to be sharp intelligence & not a blunt intelligence. So, in order to sharpen the tools, as intelligence is also one of the tools we use during the chanting, we have to watch with intelligence.

Anyway, what I was about to say is , Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was an exemplary chanter. His chanting was perfect, exemplary, internally , devotionally, attentively & like that. So that was the glaring example.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, shikshartham – He not only taught us to ‘do japa’, but also taught us ‘how to do japa’. How to sit, how to meditate & like that He taught so many things to us. Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu while chanting He became Krishna that is what we understand, from that particular lila. Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu chanting, is His ‘lila’.

Lord was always in that mood. He was in topmost evolved consciousness. He never went low, He ‘stayed high forever’. We say in ISKCON also, ‘He stayed high forever’. But that particular day, during that lila , Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu exhibited something very special thing. It was observed, that His complexion changed & it became bluish complexion. So that’s why I said, He became Krishna Conscious. How do we know? Look at His complexion.

Otherwise,

antah krmam bahir gauram
darsitangadi vaibhavam
kalau sankirtanadyaih sma
krma-caitanyam asritah (Introduction to ‘Bhagavad Sandharbh’ by Jiva Goswami.)

Normally in past-times of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, ‘antaha Krishnaha’ that is Krishna inside & bahir Gaura. This is Chaitanya Bhagavad’s explanation, which says ‘Sri Krishna Chaitanya Radha-Krishna nahi anya’.

Radha & Krishna became one. Where is Krishna? Krishna is inside & bahir Gaura that is outside you see Radharani. Radharani’s complexion, Her emotions & Her devotion. They have kind of changed Their positions. Krishna has come out & Radharani had gone deep within. In other words, He is in mood of Radharani, He assumed the emotions of Radharani. If He is the devotee, then Radharani is that devotee. She is serving Krishna, praying to Krishna. So that Radharani has became Krishna conscious, we can say like that. That Radharani is now surrounded by Sri Krishna, because of which ‘Tapta kanchan Gaurangi’ Radha went inside & ‘Ghana eva Sham’ came outside. It became inside out. What was inside came outside, Krishna which was inside manifested outside.

So keep chanting. Today is also Ekadashi. So chant more attentively. I want to make this Japa-talk little shorter to finish it around 7.00am. It is not always practical to have extended Japa-talk.

Hare Krishna!

O! SOUL ,YOU DON’T BELONG HERE

Yesterday I got the report that more than around 850 devotees are chanting with us on an average. I am happy, Krishna is happy & I am sure, you also must be happy by chanting ‘Hare Krishna’. Are you happy? Is it your personal experience also? Or you have just heard it that chanting gives you happiness. One who chants ‘Hare Krishna’ becomes happy, we have heard. That’s nice that you have heard it, but if we also experience what we have heard, i.e. happiness. That’s good.

Some of you are chanting from a while, some of you are chanting from few years. I am hopeful & confident that you are becoming happier & happier by or with chanting. Someone says ‘in Bliss!’. You have to tell the truth, from bottom of your heart. You have to tell from heart, your experience & not just lip service. So, think about it.

So, Lord is certainly kind. Why not, we could give Him name also. Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is very kind. ‘Hare Krishna’ is also His name. Sri Krishna Chaitanya is also His name. That holy name will reach every town & village on this Earth. Lord’s prediction was not just that His name will be chanted in every town & village, but His prediction was that His name will reach the souls, who are His children in those villages & towns.

Yesterday Murali Mohan Prabhuji with devotees from Jamshedpur, chanted on the streets of Jamshedpur in one day padayatra. So, the target is not just streets & walls hear, but the target is people around them, who hear the holy name. The souls will hear the holy name.

As I was chanting with you all today, I was thinking, that prediction has come true because that holy name has reached me & that holy name has reached you – that’s the perfection of prediction. It has not just reached towns & villages you reside in but it has reached the souls residing there. Haribol!

Prediction of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu must come true & has come true. Then what has happened in your case is, you have taken to this chanting seriously. Most of you have been initiated formally to chant this holy name or mantra by diksha. So, what you have heard just one day on the streets through somebody, somewhere. Or you read the glories of the holy name.

Reading is also hearing. Gradually by hearing again & again this mahamantra or glories of mahamantra, you have become serious chanter & you have realized, this is the way. Then you make connections. Of course, devotees were around you. At some point you came in contact with the followers of holy name, Gaudiya Vaishnava. They had been talking to you & talking & then you got convinced & decided to accept this mahamantra in a formal way & connect to this parampara. Not only connect with parampara, but you are also connected with the Lord, through the holy name of the Lord.. ‘I want to connect with the Lord, through the holy name, that is the idea, at the time of initiation.’ Then you signed the contract that,’I will chant 16 rounds daily.’ then you are formally initiated, you established your relation with spiritual master, with this disciplic succession, with the parampara.

You made connection with Krishna through Holy name, because holy name is Krishna. So, chant ‘Hare Krishna’ & be happy.

What this ‘Hare Krishna’ movement is doing by preaching to us, by talking to us , by giving this ‘Hare Krishna’ mahamantra to us, is trying to separate us from the rest of the world. The mess of the masses. That understanding comes to us, No! No! We don’t belong to this world; we belong to another world. You are also doing that by way of preaching.

Srila Prabhupada formalized it by establishing ISKCON. Now we are members of it. Original founder is Nityananda Prabhu.

There is example, Srila Prabhupada also gave this example. One time a cub of a lion got mixed with the flock of sheep & was staying with sheep & watching sheep around & then acting, eating, braying as ass like them. He forgot his origin. He belongs to the lion species or society. Then Lion & lionesses were attempting to separate that cub. But whenever they went & as they would roar, all the sheep’s used to run away & so would little cub, run away with rest of the sheep. So, it was very difficult to get him back into their Lion community. Lion & lioness made so many attempts. How could they give up. They have lost their child, gone astray! So finally, somehow or other, on fortunate one day, they managed to separate their cub, their kid. Then what they did was, they brought him on the bank of river. They were trying to preach to him, do some brain washing, try to convince to him, No! No! you are not sheep. you are the lion! king of the forest! future King!. Now you are prince, & future king. Sheep had dirtied the brain of cub & now parents had to do the brainwashing to make him realize his real identity, that you are not sheep, you are lion. They were doing Chetodarpana marjanam for the cub. They also said look! look into the water. So, little cub looked into water. Then they said, look at us. Don’t you look like us? You look like sheep or you look like us? Then he realized, ‘I don’t look like sheep. I am lion! I am lion!’ Then the lion & lioness took him & went where flock of sheep was grazing & told him ,’Today is your turn! Now you roar.’ Then this little lion roared. Then what happened? All the sheep flee in fear. They were all afraid to hear the roar of little lion. Then parent lion told, ‘Look! you are lion. All the sheep’s ran away, just by hearing your roar. You must be & you are lion. You are not a sheep.’ Then he agreed, ‘ Yes! Yes! I am fully convinced, that I am a lion! I have nothing to do with sheep.’

So, you could understand or come to conclusion, how that applies to us & to preaching which we are doing. That attempt of preaching aims at, we try to ‘Let the soul know that you are not this body. We try to, attempt to let them know, you don’t belong to this place, so don’t go on & on & on with things over here. ‘

Then one may say, ‘okay! I am not the body! then who am I?’ You are the spirit soul & like that talk goes on. And the goal is to try to separate that, living entity, taking him away from world to another world to spiritual world.

So, attempt to preach. Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ask everyone, ‘jare dakho tare Kaho Krishna upadesh’

(CC madhya 7.128)

When we do that, we are attempting to, bring the souls to Krishna’s side. Come over here! Come here!! Come here!!! Lord says, ‘I am here, come near, do not fear.’

People could be doctors, engineers, politicians, social workers, there can be so many conditionings. Such person could be our family members our neighbours. I think you are getting the point. Is it clear? Okay , I will leave you with this food for thought. This will nourish your brain, solidify your thoughts.

Hare Krishna!

NAAM CAN TAKE US TO DHAM!

On Sunday many of our chanters they take break. Sunday is supposed to be a holiday. Not for chanting. So numbers drop drastically. We have been making this observation. We are happy with those, who are chanting even on Sundays. But we are not happy, who are not chanting with us on Sundays. We are not that kind of devotees who take break on Sundays or take it easy on Sundays.

We have to chant. Someone may feel, “How long we have to keep chanting?” So the response is, we have to chant forever. Like ‘staying high forever’, we have to ‘chant forever’. So we have to get ready to chant forever. We have to understand, deep meaning, importance of ’forever’.

What is meant by ‘forever’? tomorrow, day after tomorrow, next month, next year, next life, next birth, but, there will be no birth. We go back to Krishna! Haribol!

Then we continue chanting there. We continue chanting here & then we will also continue to chant up there. So, that is chanting forever. We have to get prepared with that kind of determination to chant forever.

Uttsahat nischayat dhairyat tat tat karma pravartant,
sanga tyagat sato vritte shadbhir bhaktir prasiddhati. (NOI verse 3)

That is there. So by chanting with ‘uttsaha'( enthusiasm), chanting with ‘dhairya’ determination, with patience, like that six items are there. So, we attain perfection of chanting by following these six items. We will attain perfection of chanting ‘Hare Krishna’, which is one of those siddhis – to realize Krishna to see Krishna. Have His darshan & ultimately to go back, where Lord eternally resides & we continue to stay with Him.

Where I am stationed right now, is a place not far from, Tukaram Maharaj’s birth place Dehu. That personality Tukaram is a glaring example, who attained perfection, mantra-siddhi by ultimately going back to Vaikuntha, back to Godhead. So, during his final days, not that he wanted those days to be his final days. Tukaram maharaj was, outside his hometown. His hometown is on the banks of sacred river Indrayani. Many had assembled there, many may be hundreds, thousands had assembled & they were chanting & singing with him. He was crying & praying. His prayer was please take me back home, wherever You reside eternally. You take me or bring me to place, wherever You are. He was chanting & chanting.

‘Jai Jai Ram Krishna Hari! Jai Jai Ram Krishna Hari!! Panduranga Panduranga!Panduranga!’

So, he was chanting like that. Where I am staying now is not my home. I had so many such homes. Home after home after home. Country after country, planet after planet, universe after universe I had been changing my so my so-called home. This is not my home. My home is where You reside. Or Your home is my home. I am Yours, please take me back home. So this was his prayer. Gokul or Nandgram is my home. As he was praying & crying like this –

premanjanchhurita bhakti vilochanen (Brahma- samhita)

Tears were gliding down his cheeks. He was singing ’anandale man preme pazarati lochan’ (My mind is full of ‘anand’ but more Anand is emanating & arousing)

anaandabhudhi vardhanam. More Anand is coming out of my eyes as tears of joy.

Ok, so then the Lord had no choice. The prayer was so sincere, intense & ongoing that Lord had to fulfill the desire of His pure devotee -Tukaram. Tivren bhakti yogen. He was revealing his heart unto Lord – Guhyam akhyati … (NOI – verse 4) so Lord had no choice. Then Lord sent an aeroplane from His abode to Dehu, wherever Tukaram was dancing & singing for last several days. He was not stopping & chanting & chanting. So, the aeroplane landed near this sankirtan party. Next thing was Tukaram maharaj climbed on the plane. He took his seat, fasten his belt & the pilot was about to start engine. Last things he said to his family members & all those assembled, with folded hands he told ’aamhi jato amuchya gava,amucha Ram Ram ghyava!’

( I am going back home, please accept my humble obeisances) He also said while returning back home, “You also chant, continue to chant the holy names of the Lord & for sure Lord will take you back home.” These were his inspiring words to all the Vaishnava’s. Keep chanting.

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

This historical event took place in Dehu, not far from here Vyasa Puja festival this year, we also have planned to go to Dehu dham, birthplace of Tukaram maharaj. We have also planned at the place from where he departed for Vaikunth. Tukaram maharaj’s departure to Vaikuntha took place in or two days after Gaura Purnima not same year. It’s a Vaishnava-tithi. It is called ‘Tukaram-bij’. Must be Dwitiya. So, by chanting the holy names of the Lord, one & ultimate outcome could be, chanter could go & does goback to Godhead.

Someone may raise the doubt , ‘What is the proof?’ So this is the proof. This is one of the proof. There are many many proofs that Lord had displayed or presented to the world. All assembled did see aeroplane coming, they did see Tukaram boarding the plane, they saw him going & they never ever saw him again & hence there are samadhis of all the saints, but there is no samadhi of Tukaram. How is it possible? He just went with his body, his whole being. This is a history. This is a fact. Thousands have seen it. They have written about it. So this should give us further inspiration to keep chanting ‘Hare Krishna’. Our enthusiasm should increase, our determination should increase & will increase.

So, hope & pray that this event keep giving you enthusiasm, determination, patience & dhairya to keep chanting & dancing, keeping your mind on the goal. One goal is ultimately Go! Go! ‘Go for Gauranga back to home, back to Godhead.

Hare Krishna!

CRY LIKE A BABY!

Keep Chanting. What you are doing is a right thing to do. But just do it ‘rightly’, if we could use that word, verses wrongly Chant it correctly, properly, rightly verses wrongly, inattentively, offensively like that. I think that is the main purpose among others, why we are conducting this japa conference.

What is right chanting or correct chanting? What is outcome of attentive chanting? Or in words of Srila Prabhupada, chant like a ‘crying of a baby’, then that is the right chanting, with a great longing for Krishna, missing Krishna. Realizing all around me is misery & material suffering existence. So that’s our goal, that’s our target.

One may think, we do think, ‘why should I cry like a baby? Why should I cry?

When everything is just right around me. I have good health, I have good bank balance, I have good job & good this & good that. Then why? Why should i cry?? Reason for crying is, wherever we are right now, we are not supposed to be there. We do not belong to this place. We are not at home here. This is foreign location. Lord has declared it as dukkhalayam ashashwatam …(BG 8.15).

This place is full of misery & it is temporary. We are not at home. We are thrown on the streets. We don’t belong to this place. Lot could be said regarding this miserable existence.

Sansar davanallidh loka tranay karunya Ghana ghanastvvam. (Gurvastakam verse 1)

‘Hare Krishna’ devotees get up in the morning & first thing that comes out of the mouth is -Sansar davanallidh loka…. This sansar is ‘davanal’ & we are caught up in this forest. We die every day, we have died long ago, so we have forgotten that we have died. But every now & then we die.

There is a dialogue in Mahabharat. Yaksha had raised so many questions & Yudhisthira maharaj had to reply, ‘ka varta?’ ( What is the news?) Yudhisthira maharaj responds, ‘All the living entities are getting fried, deep fried in a pot. This universe or whole Brahmand is a pot & all the living entities are cut, chopped & they are thrown in the pot. Sun rays are heating it up. Sun rays or Tapatraya. Three kinds of miseries are three kinds of heat & all the living entities are getting deeply fried & cooked up in the pot of this Brahmand. This is the news.’So what happens is in this world, you should understand. Whenever there is some reason for happiness or as it is said, when does happiness come?

ye hi saṁsparśa-jā bhogā
duḥkha-yonaya eva te
ādy-antavantaḥ kaunteya
na teṣu ramate budhaḥ
(BG 5.22)

As soon as senses come in contact with the sense object, there is a bhog. This is enjoyment. In that when living entity is enjoying, in sukh becoming jubilant. There is jubilation. But they forget, dukkhayonaya Eva te… whatever gave you happiness will become cause of your suffering. So, you just have to wait. That’s why Lord says,

sukha-duḥkhe same kṛitvā lābhālābhau jayājayau
tato yuddhāya yujyasva naivaṁ pāpam avāpsyasi
(BG 2.38)

We are expected to be transcendental in happiness & distress. Don’t be jubilant when there is happiness, don’t be distressed when there is every reason to be aggrieved or suffering. That’s the transcendental position we have to achieve.

Ayodhyanath Prabhuji from Mauritius, gave one example other day, which I liked. Someone may say look! I see some mangoes on that mango tree. But as it is not a mango season someone may say , oh! I don’t see any mangoes. But then he said, – just hold on, keep looking at the tree for few more months & soon you will see the mangoes hanging down from branches. Right now you are not seeing the mangoes, but they are within the tree. As soon as they will manifest physically, then you will see. So this is what happens. It is also called as “cause & effect’. If effect is happiness, then eventually there will be suffering. The cause is happiness & the outcome, result is suffering. So, like that we have been put into this illusory existence of dual nature. We go between happiness & distress, happiness and distress, distress & then happiness & distress & happiness. This is all distressful, because ultimately there will be distress. You strive for happiness but what you end up getting is distress.

This way, the whole world is Dukhalayam. Or what Yudhisthira maharaj said,’ka varta?’ what’s the news? What Krishna said ‘Dukkhayonaya Eve te.’

Like this ‘Dwandwa’ we have. There are many ‘dwandwas’. Distress & happiness is one of them. Lord has said it, so it can’t be wrong. Arjuna has said –

sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye
yan māṁ vadasi keśava
na hi te bhagavan vyaktiṁ
vidur devā na dānavāḥ
(BG 10.14)

Whatever you are saying Lord is all true. Lord has said, it’s a place of misery. But the whole world is trying to make it a place of enjoyment. You will never ever be successful. This has been tried & tried from the beginning of creation & no one could change the nature of existence, which is creation of the Lord. We can’t go against the will of the Lord. So all parties, all politicians, all scientists, all social welfare workers, all doctors, all engineers, all this all that are trying & endeavouring hard, breaking their brains to change the nature of this world. to make this samsara as ‘Sukhalaya’.

Prabhupada used to say, they are trying to make it like, kingdom of God, but they will never ever succeed. That is why person should come to the senses & realize where he is stationed right now. Where he situated right now. If he really realizes & looks around, take a stalk of the situation, then he will definitely begin crying, seeing no shelter, no hope. If he has really come to the senses, he will begin crying out for the Lord. He will chant.

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

It should be like a crying of a baby. Chanting should be like crying of a baby.

This was some food for thought for all of you, new chanters. Because all of you are chanting, that’s nice. We are happy. But now we have to make sure we are chanting rightly correctly, perfectly, offenselessly, attentively, prayerfully & eventually crying like a baby.

When we will realize there is no other help, then we will also turn to Lord for help. We could take help from Lord or we could also take help from those who are representing the Lord, like acharyas, gurus, devotees. As Sukdev Goswami said as soon as he began reciting the Bhagavatam in the second canto he has said:

dehapattya kaladishu asat sainyeshu

All the people, family members around you , beginning with your deha( body), apattya (children), kalatra (wife or husband) etc. Everyone else is included, so he mentioned, this ‘sainya’ is ‘falgu’ or ‘asat’ or are fallible. This soldiers around you that you have gathered & you are so much expectant of getting their help but they are fallible. They will not help you. Don’t relay. They are not reliable. When Yamraj comes, everyone is around, even your family-doctor is around or other dear & near ones are around. But they all are going to be helpless. Whenever disease comes, no one could really help. We try to find some relief some patchwork we do, but that doesn’t ultimately help. So, don’t rely on any of these sources & forces.

Depend upon Krishna & devotees of Krishna. Depend upon the holy name. Take shelter of the holy name. Chant ‘Hare Krishna’.

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

Okay,see you another day.

Hare Krishna!

VYAKARAN TURNS SO JUICY!

In temples book distribution scores, Laxmi collection scores are announced. Vrindavan they announce how many visitors chanted one round of mahamantra. This is our japa conference , so we announce how many devotees chanted on the conference.

One little boy, son of Vaikuntheswar Prabhuji, he has been Chanting on this conference, every single day. We congratulate him. Haribol!!

I wanted to say something about ‘Hari namamrut Vyakaran’ of Jiva Goswami, which I had been studying since few days. As you know, how Jiva Goswami thought that other Vyakarans are ‘niras’ (without any juice). He felt, his Vyakaran is juicy or nectarian. He calls it Namamrut Vyakaran, which is full of names of the Lord. He writes in the beginning – ‘Narayan udbhut ayam Varna kramaha’

It explains how all the varnas, all letters, all syllables they originate from Narayan. They come from Narayan. Then he also writes this ‘Ka’ varga i.e. letters ka , kha, ga , gha, ghya they all appears from throat of Narayan. ‘Ch’ varga comes from pallet & ‘Pa’ varga from the lips. ‘Ta’ varga from the teeth of the Lord. Then there is more detailed explanation also. This is the truth, he is not just speculating, that all the varnas which we utter has origin in Narayan. From varnas we get words, from words we get sentences & from sentences we get essays like that.

Original Narayan is Krishna only. ‘Aham sarvasya prabhavaha’

(BG 10.8)

Krishna has said this in Bhagavad Gita. I am the source of everything. Everything emanates from me.

So someone may have the question, O! all the varnas, syllables have they emanated from you my dear Lord? Lord says -‘yes! yes!’

So this is not a speculation of Jiva Goswami, but it’s a fact, that all the varnas originate from the Lord. We can’t go into details. Throughout his Vyakaran we see names of the Lord scattered, sprayed, dispersed everywhere. As it is said

vede rāmāyaṇe caiva purāṇe bhārate tathā ādāv ante ca madhye ca hariḥ sarvatra gīyate (CC adi 7.131)

So, in this Vyakaran, you will find everywhere, names of the Lord. Taradrdo chaturdusha sarveswaraha

Swaras or 14 vowels are called as ‘Sarveswaraha’. He is giving names to ‘A aa ei ee u ………’ these vowels as Sarveshwara. Going down He says first ten varnas are Dashavataras. The pairs of ‘A Aa’ then ‘ei ee’ , ‘ u oo’ this is called as ‘Ekatama’. Purvo vamanaha…. First Varna in each pair is Vaman – A, ei, u … all these ‘hrswa’ Swaras are Vaman. Paras trivikramah.

The long – Aa, ee, oo .. these gets the name Trivikrama. ‘A’ is vaman, ‘Aa’ is Trivikrama. ‘ei’ is Vaman & ‘ee’ is Trivikrama. It’s amazing. A & Aa as varjitaha Sarveshwaraha. ishwaraha – all these vowels, excluding ‘A & Aa’ remaining 12 vowels, he names them as Iswaraha. Dashavatara ishaha – Dashavatara excluding ‘A& Aa’ are Ishaha.

First of all this is introduction to the grammar or Vyakaran. This is a first chapter of Harinaam Vyakaran. He says first ones ‘A ,Aa, ei, ee, u, oo ‘ these are called Anant. Only ‘ei, ee, u oo’ these are called as Chatushanaha i.e. four kumaras. The next ‘u , oo, rhi, rhoo’ are called as ‘Chaturbhuja’. The next ones ‘ae, ei, o, ou’ they get the name ‘ Chaturvyuha’. Anuswar (nasal sound) ‘aam’ they get the name Vishnu-chakra. ‘Aham’ i.e. chandrabindu moon like sign with dot on it is called ‘Vishnuchapaha’.

Last ‘Aha’ that is ‘Visarga’, in Panini’s Vyakaran it is termed as ‘sargaha’. Jiva Goswami names them as Vishnu-sargaha. He is Krishnazing those names, so to sarga he calls as Vishnu-sargaha. Ka dayo Vishnujanaha. All varnas from ‘K’ onwards are called Vishnujans. Earlier he was dealing with vowels, now he is dealing with consonants or ‘Vyanjanas’.

All the Vyanjanas, ‘K kha, Cha Chha, ja za , pa pha‘ are called Vishnujans. It’s quite interesting. These groups of five varnas , where each one has five varnas ‘Ka’ varga, ‘Cha’ varga, ‘Ta’ varga there are five of them. He calls them as Vishnu-vargas.

We count them horizontally. ‘Ka kha ga gha, ‘Cha chha, ja za…’, ‘Ta tha, da dha…..’ , ‘Pa pha ba bha…. ‘ this is horizontal. But when we call these varnas vertically ‘Ka Cha Ta ta Pa’.

He calls them by different names as ‘Harikamalani’. First word is ‘Ka’ so Harikamalani. Next group is ‘Kha , Chha, tha pha … ‘ these gets the name ‘Hari-khadgaha’. ‘ Ga, za, Da, D, Ba’ these gets the name ‘ ‘Harigada’. Then ‘Gha, za, dha, bha’ are called as ‘Hari-ghoshaha’. That is conch shell of the Lord. Then the ending ones ‘ghya, na, naa, Ma‘ is termed as ‘Hari-venu’ that is flute of the Lord.

Etad vargitaha Vishnudasaha. And then remaining consonants are called ‘Vishnu-dasas’. ‘Ya Ra La, Va, Sha, Sa’ these are ‘Vishnu-dasas’. There is a special group of four, ‘ Ya, Ra, La, Va’ they are called ‘Hari-Mitrani’ that is Hari’s friends. ‘Sha Shha, Sa Ha’ , he calls them as ‘Hari-gotrani’. ‘Sha Sa Ksha’ this is ‘Shauraya’ like ‘Hari-Shauri’. And then putting these last three groups, Vishnudasas & Harigotrani are called ‘Vaishnavas’. When we put all Harigada, Harighosh, Harivenu, Harimitrani Khashcha together, they are called Gopala. There is a reason why these groupings are there in Grammar. That happens in these groups, that when different rules are applied to this group to that group, to that combination. Any other Vishnujans, other then Gopala’s are called Yadavas. There is one more name ‘Satvataha’. ‘Yadavas’ excluding ‘Shauri’s are called ‘Satvataha’. Varnaswarupe Ramaha… The word ‘Rama’ is used to designate single Varna. Every Varna he, called this as ‘Rama’.

As A – Rama, or AA – Rama, or Ka – Rama or Pa – Rama, all the varnas also get one name and they are all called Ramas.

Virinchi – ‘aadesha’ substitution is called virinchi is also Brahma’s name.

When something is substituted one Varna is removed and other one is put in that place this is called substitution and that gets the name ‘Virinchi’

Aagama ha Visnoh,- insertion is called ‘Visnoh’.

Lopaha – deletion – when something is deleted in grammar, there is a grammatical rule, if it is to be deleted that is called Lopaha or haraha – take away.

Kṛṣṇa di e harti – so Hari both, harihar is not two it is one.

It goes on, there is no end, all these rules of grammar is pervaded with names of the Lord.

Namas are everywhere, so as one studies, it’s also explained that this was not clearly known to the author here. Translator either Rupa Goswami or Sanatana Goswami had begun this work of Harinamamrut Vkyakran, and that literature was called ‘Laghu Hari Namamrut Vyakaran.’

Then Srila Jiva Goswami he expanded that and made it Brihad or full fledged.

It was tasteless Jiva Goswami made it very tasty very juicy. It will be great for those who could manage to study this. Our Godbrother late Gopiparanadhana Prabhu, when he had his vidyapith, in Goverdhan he used to teach this Harinamamrut Vyakaran.

Those who wish to learn could also learn. There are many scholars in ISKCON.

This way Srila Jiva Goswami has glorified the holy names of Lord through this Grammar Harinaamamrut Vyakaran.

Be busy all day, it’s not chanting that all we do, our day begins with chanting and we beg for lots of Devotional service. We have been saying that if you have chanted sincerely and Lord has heard your prayers then he will give lots of Devotional service to you.

Srila Prabhupada wanted us to be busy serving Kṛṣṇa for how many hours? 24 hours a day.

Harer nama Eva kevalam.

(CC adi 7.26) & seva yogyam kuru (Explanation of mahamantra by Sri Gopal Guru Goswami)

Why SP said 24 hours?

Because there are only 24 hours in a day, had there been 25 hours in a day, he would have said stay busy for 25 hours or 48 hours

Stay busy serving the Lord, remembering the Lord & reminding others about him.

Hare Kṛṣṇa

Haribol

Reporting is inspirational/ Seeing you chanting gives me inspiration

I am happy, I am sure Lord is also happy that you are chanting. I am seeing you and so is Lord seeing you chanting. He also has eyes, He sees first then the world sees.

As you know the whole world is chanting with us. 17 devotees chanting from Nashik, devotees from Mauritius are chanting with us, 20 devotees from Surat. I was just there, few days ago in Surat.

Anadi Govind I also saw him chanting. I was especially pleased to see him chant, because I had not seen him for long time and now I see him chanting, so I was very happy to see him chant. 52 from Greater Noida. Where is Noida? 55 from Mauritius!

Haribol!

Noida, they are not keeping track those who are chanting.

Devotees in Shukratal are doing japa with us.

Wonderful! place where Shukadeva Goswami recited Bhagavatam on the banks of Ganga. So, our Vamsidhar Prabhu, co-president of Noida has reached Shukratal, where recitation of Bhagavatam is going on. Devotees from Shukratal are chanting with us Haribol! So we get benefit of their association also, devotees from Shukratal.

Noida devotees are only sending their pranam obeisances but not their score. Hari hari!

ISKCON Solapur, ISKCON Pandharpur, ISKCON Latur, ISKCON Greater Noida, ISKCON Pandharpur. Vaidarbhi from Pandharpur or Pune also may be. Vrajleela from Solapur. 55 devotees are tracked from Noida. It’s great news, so Noida has defeated Greater Noida. 17 from Bangalore. Akinchan Bhakta Prabhu he is reporting and I am grateful to him, he does translation of japa talk in Hindi.

Namasankirtan from Toronto, Canada. Radha Kshirchora Gopinath ki jai!

There is a temple of Radha Kshirchora Gopinath in Toronto. Devotees are chanting. Namakirtan is chanting with us. Madhupriya is chanting from Nagpur, she is very steady. Ratikeli Mataji originally form Nagpur now in Australia is also chanting with us. Anandprada from Noida. She is also steady. She is chanting daily with patience. You all have beautiful names sweet names. Meaningful names you should also remember. The meaning of Anandprada is giver of ananda. Da- giver, ananda and that is Radharani, so anandprada is Radha dasi.

Yes I have from Burma, Padmaja, is chanting. I think I like to see that she keeps chanting with us forever. Ya, thank you.

Everyone is offering dandavats. So, you should also thanks devotees around and offer them dandavats also. 17 devotees from Ahmedabad, 13 devotees from Bhubaneswar, its Shivaji’s place, Bhubaneswar, next to Jagannath Puri.

Vaikuthanayak is preaching here, others also preaching but Vaitunthanayak is one of the preachers in Bhubaneswar. Akash Markande from JJ, JJ what is that JJ? RCF workers chanting. What is RCF?

So, our Giriraj Govardhan and another devotees, devotees from Alibag chanting. Chanting with some of the workers there in factories. Raichur, good 5 devotees from Raichur. This is in Karnataka, our Jaytirtha is chanting. Chanting with his associate devotees, his friends and family.

ISKCON Amaravati, they have not mentioned how many. And I am missing lot, 5 devotees from Sangali, only, Sangali lai changli [laughter] only 5 devotees why. Preacher from Sangali is with us. Audarya Gaur Prabhu not very udara. May be today number has dropped. Normally good number of chanters from Sangli. 15 from ISKCON Jalagaon. Engaging, getting more. Nashik Road devotees are attempting, endeavoring to get more to join conference.

30 devotees from Solapur. That’s good. Jamshedpur, this is where? Bihar? Jharkhand. That is where animals chanted with Caitanya Mahaprabhu, now from Jharkhand human beings are also chanting. You know Jharkhand lila of Caitanya Mahaprabhu?

20 devotees from Nagpur, 20 devotees from Nagpur, 5 devotees from Vaikuntha BACE. Pandharpur Vaikuntha BACE has 5 chanters now. Normally they are more.

Dayalu Radha this is very special. This is one island in Indian Ocean near Mauritius. Small island, I was there few years ago. Reunion Island, few matajis, only few handful of devotees few followers of Gaudiya Vaisnava. So, she is chanting that is very special. 9 devotees from Udaipur, Rajasthan, 3 devotees from Satara, 15 from Vrindavan, Anandmayi Radha is reporting. Vrindavan Dham ki jay!

Why only 15 we should have more.

5 devotees from Hadapsar BACE. 11 from Melbourne ok that’s nice. Melbourne Australia is chanting, so this way the grand total was 558 today.

From ISKCON Beed, Radha Govind Dev ki jai! 15 devotees are chanting and Haribol from somewhere.

Jamshedpur started Padayatra very wonderful, Caitanya Mahaprabhu did padayatra in Jharkhand. I am very happy with this news that devotees from Jamshedpur organizing padayatra. That may be one day padayatra. Welcome, wonderful! And 9 devotees from Andhra Pradesh. 2 from New Zealand are chanting and 12 from Dubai Sharjah. Bangladesh one chanter only. Only one should have more people. 31 from Russia 31 chanters from Russia. Hare Krishna! Russia is defeating so many countries. 2 from Ahmad nagar. Ahmad nagar is near Pune. Naradi Gopi, Why only two? We should have more. 9 from Kolhapur. Mahalaxmi mataji ki jai. Alibag devotees are planning for one day padayatra. I am waiting for the posting. I missed some of the posting. Too fast I couldn’t keep track of the reporting. 4 devotees from Baroda. 4 devotees from Ahmad nagar. Amravati updated score is 25. 3 devotees from Yavatmal. Why only 3, should be more. Vaikuntha BACE Pune 10 devotees. Ok there are two BACEs, one vaikuntha BACE is in Pune and another is in Pandharpur. Youths are chanting with us, most welcome. Youths are chanting. Anadi Govind from Solapur. 3 devotees from Pandharpur Jagannath temple. We also have Jagannath mandir in Pandharpur and devotees are chanting form Jagannath temple. Jai Jagannath!

500 devotees are going from Bangalore to Mayapur today. Ok. That’s good news, you are welcome to Mayapur. And Hardik Patel’s Haribol one more time. Hari hari bol! And maybe we are towards the end of the session. We spent most of the time in reporting, which is inspirational, good to know who is chanting. How many are chanting. This inspires us to chant. We would like you to pray for our Yashoda Dulal Prabhu from New York. He met with an accident yesterday car accident. And he was admitted and being operated upon and recovering now in New Zealand. So, pray for the faster and early recovery. Yashoda Dulal prabhu is admitted in New Zealand. So please pray. So, let’s all pray by chanting out loud one time together.

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

So Krsna Bhakta Prabhu is next to me He is coordinator and organizer of Pandharpur ekadasi festival. He will personally invite you for the festival.

Hare Krsna

GLORIOUS LIFE OF NAAMACHARYA

Thank you all for Chanting with us. Namacharya Haridas Thakur ki jai! He is Haridas, but Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave him title of Naamacharya. He is our Acharya. He is like ‘ Hero’ of the Chanters. His Chanting was exemplary. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has put glaring example in front of us, in form of Haridas Thakur.

vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga-
śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-śarīra-dhārī
kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye
(CC 6.254)

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared to teach Chanting to the whole world. Then He selected & empowered Namacharya Haridas Thakur, so that he would become the empowered teacher, for Chanting of the holy names of the Lord. He is most inspiring for the Chanters. He is the ‘Shiromani’ or ‘Mukutmani’ among Chanters. We should study the life of this Acharya. We will learn many things. Primarily we learn to Chant. We will get inspiration to Chant, in all different types of situations & circumstances & we see whatever situation he was in, he kept Chanting. Sometimes there were so many odds & challenges, but he never ever stopped Chanting.

Kirtaniya sada Hari. (Shikshastakam verse 3)

happened in each & every situations & in all those circumstances.

We could may be going over some of those incidents to understand how Naamacharya Srila Haridas Thakur didn’t stop his Chanting. He continued Chanting.

We can discuss some of the incidents of his life, to understand in which situations he didn’t stop his Japa. So there comes the prostitute, in the middle of the night, who was young & beautiful & no one else was around. Srila Haridas Thakur didn’t stop Chanting. He suggested her to be there, three nights passed one after the other & he was still busy Chanting. That was a time when Maya personified, came in form of a beautiful young girl, but that also didn’t work, as he kept Chanting. We all know, prostitute couldn’t convert Namacharya Haridas Thakur but on the contrary, he converted the prostitute & she became the great Chanter of the holy name & she also started Chanting three hundred, thousand holy names. She renounced everything. Just took beads & sat down to Chant. She became Aacharya of the Holy name.

Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was once residing in a Phulia gram & Namacharya Haridas Thakur was Chanting. He had to share the cave with a big poisonous snake. Visitors who used to come to meet him had noticed that snake is sharing the cave, because they were afraid of the snake, they stopped visiting.

But Srila Haridas Thakur was not afraid, he kept Chanting there. So, this was another situation. Where Namacharya Haridas Thakur kept Chanting. He didn’t leave the cave. Instead the snake had to leave the cave. You could learn lessons from each of this situation. I am not going to draw any conclusions, to bring it to your attention.

While Namacharya Haridas Thakur was staying in Saptagram in big assembly, he was challenged & insulted, offended. Because the other party, someone in the assembly was not accepting the Holy name. He was saying, ‘it is just exaggeration of the Glories of the Holy name’ Namacharya Haridas Thakur was talking about Naamabhas stage of Chanting that time. He was protesting & insulting. But Namacharya Haridas Thakur didn’t take that as an offense. He kept Chanting & Chanting.

Once Namacharya Haridas Thakur was imprisoned. But did he stopped Chanting in a prison? No! he kept, preaching co-prisoners & converting them to be a devotee. He inspired them to Chant.

Once he was with Advaita Acharya in Shantipur & then those two persons were the first one to receive the news of appearance of Gauranga or Nimai. They were Chanting & dancing on the banks of Ganga & everyone was wondering, what has happened to Them. But they knew the reason of Their jubilation, as Lord had appeared.

Namacharya Haridas Thakur was also Chanting there that time. So we note that he was Chanting even before the advent of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He was aware of the appearance of the Supreme Lord. When Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was one day old, that time Advaita Acharya was fifty years old. Namacharya Haridas Thakur & Advaita Acharya both got the news that Nimai or Gauranga has appeared. Namacharya Haridas Thakur was a Chanter, even prior to advent of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Then Kazi ordered, this person is born in Muslim family, but he just keeps Chanting names of the Hindu God. ‘Hare Krishna Hare Ram’, stop him!! Beat him to death!!! Then that attempt was also made. Who could understand, what Acharyas’ have undergone?

Namacharya Haridas Thakur got beaten up in one market place & then another like that 21 market places. They said you stop Chanting, we will stop beating. But if you don’t stop Chanting, we won’t stop beating. But Namacharya Haridas Thakur, he went on & on with his Chanting & they also went on beating, but he didn’t stop. It’s a long story.

Under those circumstances also he didn’t stop Chanting. And we know what happened to those who were beating, they stopped, but Namacharya Haridas Thakur didn’t stop Chanting.

Then Haridas Thakur reached Jagannath Puri. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also reached along with His few parshads. Haridas Thakur was not allowed in the temple, since he was a Muslim. Muslim Born are not allowed in the temple. But he kept Chanting. Whether he was allowed in the temple or not allowed, he kept Chanting. It didn’t matter to him. He didn’t protest. He respected the rules & kept Chanting. Of course, we know, he was not able to go to Jagannath but Jagannath used to come to him, to give him Darshan in form of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Then he became very old. So old that he couldn’t even sit up & Chant. He used to lie down & Chant. One day Govind was sent by Mahaprabhu with prasadam. When prasadam was given to him, he exclaimed, No! No!! my Chanting is not finished yet, so I can’t take prasadam. He was still attempting to stick to his standards, even in his last days. He just took few grains, just to respect the prasadam, as prasadam is the form of Lord. Then Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had come. Then He was asking, why he has to stick to the quota of Chanting three thousand rounds? You could come down or reduce the number. But Namacharya Haridas Thakur didn’t want to minimize his Chanting. Lord Himself was telling , O! Chant less! To us our counsellors or Gurus keep telling, Chant more! Chant more!

Here Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was telling chant less! But still he didn’t want to reduce his usual number of rounds.

Time was passing & against all the circumstances or odds we will find that Srila Haridas Thakur stick to his Chanting. That’s the reason why he is called as Naamacharya. Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave him title of Naamacharya. Srila Haridas Thakur ki Jai!

We pray to such Naamacharya to give us necessary inspiration, determination & devotion to keep Chanting the Holy Names of the Lord. We keep doing Kirtaniya Sada Hari.

Okay, you study the life of Naamacharya Haridas Thakur. This is the homework for you. All glories to Naamacharya Haridas Thakur!

All glories to Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Nitai gaura premanande.

Hari Hari Bol!!.

DEVOTEES EXPRESS THE GRATITUDE

I want to quickly run through some of the comments posted on conference. Today there were around 100 postings. We have reviewed some postings of previous days. Devotees from Radha Rasbihari are here with us today.

From Ukraine, Natalia mataji is expressing her gratitude for precious inputs. I think many of you have been grateful for conference & for Japa talk. Prahlad Maharaj from Himachal Pradesh is offering obeisances. Most of the postings are obeisances & koti koti dandavat. At least, you have that emotion & devition of offering obeisances. This mood of being grateful & thankful is appreciated, wanting to offer obeisances to the devotees & to the spiritual master who is also Chanting.

Srila Sanatan Goswami for sure is a glaring example that while doing Chanting on Govardhan Parikrama, whenever he used to come across a Vaishnav on the way, he used to offer his obeisances. We hear, sometimes he used to offer two thousand obeisances during one Govardhan Parikrama while Chanting. It used to be outward expression of the verse

trinadapi sunichen
tarorapi sahishnuna
amanina manden
kirtaniya sada Hari.
(Shikshashtakam verse 3)

Don’t sleep! ‘Soega woh khoega’- one who sleeps will lose. Then you will not be able to see Vaishnav on the way. Then how you will offer obeisances? You can stand up if feeling sleepy. Sanatan Goswami used to stand, while doing Japa as he used to do Parikrama.

How will you show that you are amanina manden? By offering obeisances. It is giving respect to other Vaishnavas. Sanatan Goswami used to fall at their feet & offer obeisances. So, following in that mood, we should be also offering obeisances.

This way you translate that statement into action. amanina manden. That not expecting any respect for oneself, but offering respect to others. Then it is said, in such a state of mind, one can chant holy names of the Lord constantly. If our mental state is not like this, then our sadhana can have break.

Tanu Shukla from Noida is offering Dandavat. She says her husband has joined the conference for the first time. Shiromani Gopi mataji wants to serve Guru & Vaishnavas. So, by Chanting & Chanting, she has developed this desire. Since as we Chant we are praying, ‘O Lord! Please engage me in your Devotional service.’

In Sanskrit there is commentary which says ‘ Seva yogyam mam kuru’. So, she has developed intense desire to do service, that means Lord has heard your prayers. You are praying O! Engage me ! Engage me! That means Lord has heard your prayers. That means we are being blessed. Lord is giving us service, will to serve. Where there is will, there is way.

Next one is from Coimbatore. Their son Parth’s birthday today so they seek blessings. Then Sankirtan Gaur from Bangladesh was reminded of what I was talking about two days back. I was talking about Cuckoo’s singing & spring season with lots of flowers & Radha Rasbihari being offered with lots of flowers that day. He is also reminded of that sweet spring morning.

From Greater Noida Neetu Tripathi Mataji is writing, that her sister Chanting from Jodhpur, first time. So, this Mataji succeeded in preaching her sister in another town.

Some devotees from Greater Noida are trying to join the devotees from Meerut.

Some devotees from Noida & Bangalore are actively getting others to join.

Krishnam from Beed has realized, how Krishna consciousness is very near to mother nature. He is commenting on what we said about spring season. Yes, it’s a part of it.

From USA Hardik Patel, who is a young boy of seventeen years old expressed he Chants extra round in the evening with you. Earlier he never used to sit, while walking he used to Chant, but now as per my instructions to him, he sits down & chant.

Someone has expressed, that Japa conference is like Naam-hata for them. He is writing that song of Bhaktivinoda Thakur.

Nadiya Godrume Nityananda Mahajan patiyache naam-hata jiver karan.

Nityananda prabhu has opened a market of Harinaam & all faithful souls should take advantage of it . He is announcing. Please come & buy the product. What is the product?

Harinaam.

But you will have to pay the price. What’s the price?

Faith is the price.

So pay the price, take the product, Chant Harinam & be happy. That’s a nice realization.

Okay, we better stop. See you all another day.

Haribol!!!