8th July 2019

Lord never forgets His devotees

The number of participants is 610. So, we are happy. Why am I happy? I am chanting, so I am happy. Chant Hare Krsna and be happy. So I become happy as I chant. And also when I see you all chanting, that makes me happier. Maybe I also become happy as I received this cloth, this is from Jagannath Puri dhama ki jai. [Guru Maharaj referring to a maha cloth around his neck]

One devotee just returned from Jagannath Puri and he offered me this cloth. There is certainly some Jagannath connection with this cloth. As I received this cloth, I thought Jagannath is still remembering me. And, then I thought Jagannath never forgets me, or he has not forgotten me, nor he has forgotten any one of you that is us. The living entities we become conditioned and we forget the Lord. The Lord never ever forgets us. He always keeps remembering us. As sometimes, children when they get old, they get married, they may forget their parents, ignore their parents, go away from their parents. The parents never ever forget their children. They always keep remembering, they are concerned about their children. They care, they want to take care or remember. They are always the well wishers for their children. So, like that, Lord is our father, mother, He is everything for the living entity. So, like parents Lord also never forgets us, although foolishly we forget the Lord. So, as I received this cloth, I was just thinking Lord is remembering, or He is reminding me “I remember you, I remember you or especially as you are chanting now, how could I forget you, you are calling Me.”

Jai Jagannath! So, we are supposed to be Krsna conscious. We were not Krsna conscious for quite some time now and gradually as we are chanting Hare Krsna and we are coming into contact with devotees of Krsna and the disciplic succession we have started remembering the Lord and big reminder of the Lord is as we chant,

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna
Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

This is the reminder and this is meant to help us remember Lord, become Lord conscious, Krsna conscious, Jagannath conscious, Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu conscious or Panduranga Vithala, Panduranga Panduranga Panduranga Panduranga conscious we become. So, as we are trying to become Krsna conscious. The Lord is always conscious of His devotees, His devotees or non-devotees also. He is conscious of all the living entities.

vedāhaṁ samatītāni
vartamānāni cārjuna
bhaviṣyāṇi ca bhūtāni
māṁ tu veda na kaścana [BG 7.26]

Lord disclosed His mind as He spoke with Arjuna. He said veda aham “I know I know I know and I remember and I am conscious of all the living entities”. And, “I know and I remember their past, present and future”. Of all the living entities He is talking about. “I know them, I remember them, and I am conscious of them, of all living entities.” The trouble part is, Lord says – veda na kaścana – “I know them, but they don’t know Me. I remember them, but they have forgotten Me”, the living entities in this universe, in this world. So, the Lord is always conscious of His devotees and His parts and parcels and we forget the Lord, or we are not conscious of the Lord and it’s now long time. But now, by His grace, he has made us fortunate and brought in contact with His devotees.

tatrāpi durlabhaṁ manye vaikuṇṭha-priya-darśanam [SB 11.2.29]

So, we have received rarest of the gift, rarest of the rare gift that is we have darshan, we could meet, see the devotees of the Lord. vaikuṇṭha-priya-darśanam or we have darshana, sparsana also, lot of things we could, or deal with the devotees of the Lord, we have been brought into contact with the devotees of the Lord. This is also the proof that Lord always had been remembering us, and now He is reminding us through the vaikuntha priya, His devotees.

golokam ca parityajam lokanam prana karanat

The Lord comes into this world, descends, takes avatar that is also Jagannath’s clear indication that we have forgotten, or we wanted to forget, we have forgotten Him, but He doesn’t forget us. That is why He is leaving His abode behind, Goloka behind, He comes to this world, sambhavami yuge yuge, His sole purpose is to communicate with us, extend His helping hand to those who have forgotten Him and, also remind him “This is also how I look like”, Lord appears and gives darsana and devotees take note of it. May be no photography or videography, write it down how Lord looks like and then the pastimes are compiled.

The Lord appears in many dhamas, Lord appears in Ayodhya sometimes, He appears in Ahobilam sometimes, He appears in Mathura, Vrindavan sometimes, the Adi Purusha in Mayapur. He appears in Jagannath Puri as Purusottam. Lord’s name is also Purusottam and abode name is also Purusottam Dhama and Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He appears in Mayapur, Navadvipa and later on moves to Jagannath Puri and performs pastimes there in relationship to Jagannath Swami. So, all this becomes the subject matter for remembering the Lord. He appears, gives darsana, this is how I look like. He appear here, there and those places reminds us of the pastimes of the Lord and these are the lilas that becomes the subject matter, or becomes a big reminder of not only He exists, this is how He exists, how He looks like and of all those things.

We also get to realize the quality of the Lord. The qualities of the Lord are so many. Amongst them is His magnanimity, His kindness, hey krsna karuna sindhu He is full of karuna, otherwise why would He come into this world if had no karuna, karunya, compassion, kindness for all of us. So, these are indication that the Lord has never forgotten, He is always remembering us.

Lord appears in this world in the form of arcavigraha and also He keeps reminding us of Him. Deities also perform lilas every day. They are busy; deities are active 24 hours a day. There are festivities associated with the deities, whether that is in Jagannath Puri or Pandharpur. Lord was here for 125 years in this world. The Pundalik, he requested in Pandharpur, “My Lord, thank You very much for giving me darsana, You are very very kind to this fallen soul, that as more and more devotees would visit this dhama in the future they could also get Your darsana if You just stayed on here”. So, this was the appeal of the Pundalik at the lotus feet of Panduranga Vitthal. So, Lord listened to the appeal and He stayed on. Panduranga Vitthal in Pandharpur is the Lord, or this is one form, where Lord has stayed on in this form, and He continues to give darsana, and continues to perform His pastimes here in Pandharpur and keep reminding us of Him. And He also keeps on waiting, as Pundalik had said more devotees would come and You could give them also Your association and your darsana and the opportunity to serve. So, Lord is waiting here for more and more devotees to come to get His darsana and serve Him.

So, some devotees have arrived and more are expected to arrive in Pandharpur. I ended up of talking all these things. I meant to talk about Hera Pancami, Lord’s pastimes in Jagannath Puri.

So, Jagannath is in Gundica, that is Vrindavan and Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is spending His time, lot of time in Gundica temple. He is also spending time at Vallabha Udhiyan or garden, Jagannath Vallabha garden and Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is in the mood of Vrindavan vasa, Vrindavan bhava. During nine days Jagannath spends time at Gundica temple.

Yeah, so Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is wandering, is doing Vrindavan vihara along with His devotees, His associates. All that area around Gundica temple is Vrindavan and Lord is going from one forest to another forest or from one region to another and He is having Vrindavan vihara, yamuna tira vanacari. There is lots of singing that is going on. It is also described how there is cool breeze flowing, floating around and all fragrance and the cool breeze and like in Vrindavan, there is cool breeze here also we are experiencing. Savan ka mahina pavana kare shor…this is about ashad-shravan, where the pavana, the wind is in my room also yesterday I was listening to the shor of the pavana. So, Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates are experiencing that Vrindavan atmosphere or feeling like being in Vrindavan or like feeling at home, being in Gundica is like being in Vrindavan and, Caitanya Caritamrita describes Vasudeva Dutta is singing different songs and Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is dancing. Vasudeva Datta moves from tree to tree. He stands under one tree in Vrindavan and is singing one song and Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is dancing and He is expressing His emotion and devotion which is hearing through the medium of this song and all those expressions are displayed by corresponding emotions are displayed by Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu through His dance in different mudras, and bhavas and movements they correspond the mood of the song, the theme of the song, the rasa of the song.

Then, at one point, Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is encouraging Vrakeshwara pandit to take over the dance, Caitanya Mahaprabhu wants Vrakresvara pandit to dance and Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprahbhu Himself begins singing and Svarupa Damodara is also joining in chorus and that goes on. Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is singing. He must be singing like gopi, or especially Radharani is singing, He is in Radha bhava, Radha bhava dhyuti, so He is singing like Radha for the pleasure of Sri Krsna and Vrakresvara pandit is doing His dance. Mahaprabhu wants Him to dance.

Today is also Vrakresvara pandit’s disappearance day. So that Vrakresvara pandit is dancing around Gundica in Vrindavan in the presence of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu while Mahaprabhu is singing and Vrakresvara pandit is dancing. He is known for his dance, in fact, he would dance and dance and dance, non-stop, nitya nrtya. And one time he danced, he broke all the records, the ‘Guinness book of records’, he danced for 72 hours. We are planning in Pandharpur, kirtan mela for 72 hours. So we could imagine 3 days and 3 nights. So, as kirtan started, his dance started and he is dancing one night, another day, another night, another day… So, this is not humanly possible, worldly dance. So Vrakresvara pandit is from another world. Such things are only possible in another world or beyond this world. So, that mood and that stamina, that consistency or continuity was displayed by Vrakresvara pandit in the matter of dance. He was that kind of devotee.

Vrakresvara pandit ki jai!

So, today is also Hera Pancami. Hera means to see and pancami means the 5th day. So, on this day Lakshmi goes to see Jagannath at Gundica temple. So, She sits in palanquin, she is very opulently dressed. She is called on this day Suvarna Mahalakshmi and she travels to Gundica temple and a big grand welcome is done. There is reception for her at the Gundica temple. As she enters the temple, She, is seated on the singhasana and She is having a dialogue with Jagannath. She is in an angry mood. She is kind of manini. This is maan of Vaikuntha, or Dwarka, not maan of Radharani, her maan is in Vrindavan. That’s some sort of maan, rosh or angry, not happy with something, Lord has done. First of all He left her behind lonely and left for Vrindavan for 4 days and this is the 5th day, “You have not come back, when will You return?” She is very angry with the Lord. Lord is pacifying her, – “Yes, yes, I have not forgotten, Just now coming, I will come, I will come.” And saying so, He offers a garland to Lakshmi and then Lakshmi is getting ready to leave Gundica temple, leaving for Jagannath mandir. So, before leaving She is ordering Her associates to – “break this chariot. This is the chariot that my Lord used to ride to arrive to Gundica temple…break this chariot.” So, some damage is caused to the chariot and She says “Arrest these Vrindavan devotees and beat them.” Then Lakshmi’s associates, parikaras, and bodyguards they rush forward with sticks, trying to beat, they start beating, “They are the one, they brought my Lord to Vrindavan leaving me behind alone.” So, there is a little war that takes place and then finally she returns to Jagannath mandir.

Hera Pancami mahotsava ki! Jai!

So, Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is sitting in Gundica darsana mandap with Svarupa Damodar Gosvami, and before Lakshmi’s arrival that day, which was 500 years ago, there is a dialogue between Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Svarupa Damodar Gosvami, kind of question answers and doubts of Mahaprabhu are cleared by Svarupa Damodar Gosvami. Svarupa Damodar Gosvami is responding and giving replies to the queries of Mahaprabhu. One of the queries was why did Lord leave Lakshmi behind, why did He not bring Her along to Gundica? This was the enquiry made by Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Svarupa Damodar Gosvami replied saying that Lakshmi has no adhikara. She is not eligible, competent, she doesn’t deserve position in Vrindavan, she cannot enter the pastimes, the loving dealings, the kind of the quality of the love that is there in the lila of Vrindavan, loving dealing of Vrindavan, she is not fit for this. Only gopis are fit, only Radharani is fit. Those who want to enter Vrindavan especially madhurya rasa, madhurya sringara, rasa there is mention in Caitanya Caritamrita that there are two things required. They have to have a gopi rupa and gopi bhava. Their form has to be like gopi and their emotions, thoughts also have to be like gopi. Then only they can only enter the rasa dance and come in a close proximity of Vrajendranandana, Sri Krsna. So, Svarupa Damodar Gosvami is explaining why she is not qualified, not eligible to enter Vrindavan pastimes and that is why Lord left her behind in Dwarka.

Hera Pancami Mahotsava Ki Jai!

Jagannath Swami Ki Jai!

Patita pavana Jagannath Ki Jai!

7th July 2019

bala sulabha lilā

Haribol spirit souls!

Just a quick communication, I read about. The devotees in Mauritius, one of their offering for 70th Vyasa puja, more than 20 devotees will be travelling to an island called Reunion. It is in Indian Ocean. More than 20 devotees will be going to Reunion. They will be conducting padayatra, and they will spread the holy name all over the island. That was good morning news. I am very happy with this very appropriate offering of conducting padayatra on the occasion of 70th Vyasa Puja. Others may consider something similar, in their own countries or temples.

So, today was the third day of Jagannāth being at Gundica Temple. Tomorrow is Hera Pancami. We will talk about Hera Pancami tomorrow. But, just a reminder, that Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu was performing kirtana thrice a day, like a tri sandhya, in the morning, during the day, and also in the evening. He used to gather with His associates and perform nama sankirtana, chanting and dancing in front of Jagannāth Baladeva Subhadra, for Their pleasure.

So, you also do lots of kirtana during this time for the pleasure of Jagannāth, in Jagannāth Puri, or of course Jagannāth is everywhere. Jagannāth is probably in your temple, Jagannāth is at your home. You can chant and dance for His pleasure. He will accept your offering of chanting of Hare Krsna and Jagannāth will be highly pleased if you do more and more kirtana during these days. Or you can always chant Hare Krsna on your japa beads more and more and try to do that with full attention and constantly avoiding all offenses and very humbly also,

tṛṇād api sunīcena taror iva sahiṣṇunā
amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (Siksastakam Verse 3)

In such a state of mind – the humility and tolerance and respecting others and not expecting respect for oneself, in such a state of mind one could chant the holy name of the Lord constantly. So, try to endeavor, strive for achieving such a state of mind so that you could, we could chant the holy name of the Lord constantly as Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu did chant all the time, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hari. Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is a glaring example of one who chanted all the time.

So, we mentioned yesterday that Jagannāth, Sri Krsna is back in Vrindavan and He is very happy to be back at home, that is Vrindavan dhama and this is the place, the abode, Vrindavan Dhām Ki Jay! where the Lord performs sweet pastimes, madhurya, madhura lilā, prema madhurya, lilā madhurya, rupa madhurya and venu madhurya. Vrindavan pastimes are known for these madhuryas, sweetnesses and there are all these pastimes, and even whole Vrindavan is sweet, madhurya dhāma because there Lord does not exhibit His greatness, like He exhibits in Vaikuntha, and other places His aishvarya “I am great. I am proprietor” – that spirit the Lord does not exhibit in Vrindavan. As a result, the pastimes of the Lord in Vrindavan are very, very wonderfully sweet where Lord is a child when is born, Lord does ‘bala sulabha lilā’. He acts like a child and everyone is amazed and we are also amazed when we hear His pastimes as a child.

Like children are naughty, Krsna as He becomes the child, baby Krsna, bala Krsna, He is no exception, He is bala Krsna and He is also naughty. God is great in Vaikuntha the Lord is not naughty, He is serious. But, in Vrindavan, He becomes a child and like any other, every other child, He acts very naughtily, He acts like a naughty child and His naughtiness, all His pastimes of being naughty become very, very funny and very interesting and very pleasing pastimes.

Sometimes, children like to steal things, some sweets or something. I also remember stealing, I use to steal some sugar, when no one was around, my mother was not around, I used to climb up and reach the container of sugar and get some sugar and looking around when no one is watching me, I used to eat sugar and mother used to note what is happening? Sugar is getting lesser and lesser.

So children, I am sure you all as children you remember you did something stealthily and no exception, He was also a thief, specially stealing the butter and that was His favorite item. So, He sometimes had to steal, or lot of times He would steal, or practically every day He would steal butter somewhere and as a result He has become known as butter thief, Makhan Chor. So, this makhan chori, stealing butter pastimes are so sweet, so nectarian, as one listens, one could relish those pastimes of the Lord and as one relishes, he gets attracted to such Krsna, ‘yah karsati sa krsna’. Krsna attracts us, Lord attracts us to Him by playing these interesting naughties or all sorts of pastimes in Vrindavan.

And then Krsna stole butter at His own home one day and then Yashoda caught Him- Yashodanandan red handed while He was in the middle of the act of stealing. Then because He was acting like a thief, thieves are punished. So, Yashoda also wanted to punish this thief, which was her own child. So, first He has to be arrested she is running after Him and finally she manages to catch up with Him, which was only possible because of the devotion of Yashoda, she was able to catch Krsna.

Srila Prabhupada explains that even yogis after endeavoring to catch or have a glimpse of Krsna for long long time they cannot manage to catch hold of the Lord Krsna. But Yashoda managed finally to catch Krsna. This was because of her devotion and of course the lot of endeavor, prayas she had done, she caught hold of Krsna, and she was trying to tie Him up with a rope but she realized that the rope which she had was two finger short. So, she managed to get longer rope. The shortage was only two fingers short. She managed to get a longer rope which was two-meter-long and tied it to the earlier rope and again as she attempted to tie Him up it was again two fingers short. And, then she managed to get twenty-meter-long rope and tied to the earlier rope and attempted to tie Him up and again it was two fingers short and she was amazed and others, those who were watching this scene were amazed to see what was going on here.

So, Lord’s waist was not getting bigger in size, and it was round, one quarter meter in circumference, ten twenty inches in circumference. That size of the form of Bala Krsna, and the waist and circumference were not changing, but the rope was many miles long and was getting longer and longer and was not long enough to tie or put around the waist of bala Krsna.

So, Lord is exhibiting His greatness. Lord is great. He is also reminding that, ‘tvadiyo dharayata visvasya dhāmne’ that from Damodarastaka we understand, the last stanza, that the Lord, and Lord’s form and His belly is the dhama, is the abode of whole entire viśva is within Him. Also, He is jagatnivāsa. He is nivāsa, residence of whole universe. The whole world is within Him. So, that is what He is trying to prove by making the rope two fingers short, no matter how much longer, the length of that rope was getting longer and longer and longer, but it was insufficient to tie because you need a long enough rope to tie up the brahmānda and again the Lord is ananta koti brahmānda nāyak. Billions and trillions of brahmāndas and universes are within Him. You cannot even imagine the length of rope that would be required that goes around all the universes. So Lord is trying to make that point –“You are trying to tie Me. But, I am not that small as you think.” But of course, Lord influences the devotees of Vrindavan with His yogamāya, where the transcendental illusion is created, and they don’t think of the greatness aspect of the Lord.

They just ignore that, they don’t pay attention, or they don’t try to realize the kind greatness that Lord was trying to display or exhibit. They were thinking there was something wrong, the rope was not long enough or something is happening. There is nothing to do with this child. Child was not the cause of the rope requiring a longer and longer length. In this way, there is no awe and reverence attitude of Vrajavasi towards the Lord, because they are kept in transcendental illusion, in ignorance in fact. They remain ignorant of the greatness and aisvarya- the opulence of the Lord by the arrangement of the Lord.

Aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47).

These things they do not know. The Lord doesn’t let them to know.

So, as He was finally tied up to the mortar and He is supposed to be child and He does not know a lot of things but He remembers those two yamala arjuna trees. They are the sons of Kuvera. They were cursed by Narada Muni and then they were also blessed to be born in the courtyard of Nanda bhavan where I would be taking birth and I was supposed to be giving them benediction. So, let me take this opportunity and let that day be today.

The Lord goes crawling outside Nanda bhavan in the courtyard, in between the two trees and He uprooted the two trees and then two personalities, they appeared, they came out of the tree and they offered their prayers to the Lord. The Lord has liberated these Nalakuvara and Manigriva.

Lord is tied up; He is bound up. That Lord who is bound, is making others free, liberated “You become liberated, I am tied up. You become liberated”. So when the trees were uprooted and the whole big bang sounds and everyone comes running, and they were all thinking of Krsna and were pleased to note that Krsna is safe. They are all wondering who did this, who uprooted the trees. And they are trying to investigate and understand the person who uprooted the trees. And the children, some friends of Lord Krsna, bala Krsna, Nandanandana, they were around when Krsna had come out crawling, they knew He is the one and they were the witness.

So, elderly members, Nanda Baba, Upananda and others were enquiring from all sources. So, they asked the children, “Do you know who is the cause of this?” And they said, “anena – He is the one, He is the one.” – pointing to Krsna. But, they did not believe that the child is that great, or that powerful to uproot these gigantic trees. So, they said – “you kids, take some sweets, go”. They did not take the kids’ statement seriously, which was the fact. The children were right there. They have seen who did this. But then, these are the Vrajavasi. This is how they are governed by internal energy, yogamaya. They cannot think of the Lord being great and this and that. Although, Lord has exhibited His greatness and His prowess by uprooting these trees, and also abhijñaḥ svarāṭ He remembered – “Oh! These trees are the two sons of Kuvera.” So, this opulence, this greatness is displayed but it is covered, subdued and ignored by the inhabitants of Vrindavan. And, then they just think this is just our sweet little darling child and they just love Him like anything and like that the prema madhurya or lila madhurya and goes together. And rupa madhurya and venu madhurya. Venu madhurya will come later on. He is just a child now; He is not playing the flute. He is performing sweet pastimes as a child and all the greatness is covered.

naham prakasah sarvasya
yoga-maya-samavrtah [BG 7.25]

I cover over and as a result the persons do not get to know the Lord. Maya is of two kinds. The conditioned souls are covered by maya. And the residents are also covered by maya. Lord doesn’t make His greatness aspect of His personality known to the residents of Vrindāvan and keeping those pastimes sweet, mesmerizing, nectarian pastimes as Lord performs bala sulabh lila, acting very naturally as a child. Everyone likes children; children are lovable so the people, the residents of Vrindavan like children and especially this child Nandanandana, Yashodanandan.

Kanhaiya Lal Ki! Jai!
Vrindavan Dhām Ki! Jai!
Jagannāth Swami Ki! Jai!
Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu Ki!
Jai! Srila Prabhupada Ki! Jai!

6th July 2019

Jagannath swami ki jai

Jagannath is at Gundicha temple, we mentioned that on ratha yatra day. And we should remember it forever that, Jagannath is at Vrindavan and Gudicha is Vrindavan.

Krishna is at Vrndavan and He is very happy, He is all settled there. He is not thinking of going to any other destination or any other dhama. He does not want to go anywhere. This is it, this is the topmost dhama and topmost experience of Bhakta prema –Bhagavad prema.

When Lord is away from Vrindavan, He is in Mathura, He is in Dwarka, He is missing Vrindavan, He is in Vaikuntha, He is in Ayodhya, He is missing Vrindavan. Now as Jagannath is at Vrindavan, He is not missing anything He is at home. It’s said you are where your heart is. So Lord’s heart is also in Vrindavan. So He is feeling at home in Vrindavan. He says to Uddhava when He is in Mathura,

udhav mohi braj bisrat nahi
gvala bala saba kart kolahal

Lord is sharing His heart, He is opening His heart to Uddhav, “I can’t forget Vrindavan”. He is remembering Yashoda maiya, He is remembering cowherd boys. He is remembering gopis of Vrindavan and Radharani. Also in Dwarka its daily experience of Rukmini. She ends up hearing, ‘Oh! Radhe where are you? He also cares for Rukmini but not as much as He cares and loves Radharani. He wants close association and proximity of Radharani.

This is how when Lord is away from Vrindavan, He is mentioning how He is missing Vrindavan and devotees of Vrindavan. Vrindavan is known as ‘madhurya dhama.’ Vrindavan is known for its loving dealings and prema lila that takes place in Vrindavan. Other dhamas there is aishwarya, Mathura, Dwarka, Ayodhya. Vaikuntha there is awe and relevance. Other dhamas Dwarka, Ayodhya Mathura are full of aishwarya while in Vrindavan there is madhurya. Lord’s sweet dealings that is also called vishrambha bhava.

Vishrambha means equality, in Vrindavan the Lord and His devotees they are equal and this experience is there. There bhava is same as Lord, there is samarasa. The cowherd boys even say,

tumi ami sama tumi kon bada loka

They say we are equal.

So Vrindavan is madhurya dhama, Lord dealings with His devotees is equal that’s vishrambha. His dealings with His devotees there are more pure, more loving dealings, more spontaneous dealings between Lord and His devotees as compared to other abodes. Vrindavan is known for vishrambha vatsalya, vishrambha madhurya, vishrambha shakya.

Elsewhere aishwarya misarit sakhya, isvarya misarit vatsalya and ishwarya misarit madhurya is experienced by the Lord. Like Arjuna is declared by Lord as His friend,

bhakto si me sakha cheti

[BG 4.3]

Arjuna is My friend but he is friend form Hastinapur. But this friendship is aishwarya misarit. This is aishwarya misarit vishrambha. While in Vrindavan the cowherd boys, Madhumangal and Subal and so many others, Lord deals with them in sakhya rasa and that is vishrambha sakhya. They play with Krishna and sometimes when Krishna is defeated in wrestling match, He has to take His friends on His back and these boys kick Him as a house rider kicks the horse. So this is because of vishrambha sakhya this is different from other abodes. So such lilas are possible only with sakhya misarit vishrambha.

When Krishna showed Arjuna the virat roop he realized and witnessed the greatness of Krishna. Then Arjuna was begging for forgiveness ‘oh Lord I am sorry I thought we are equal, we ate from same plate, slept on the same bed, I should not have done that. I am sorry. I thought I am equal to You but that’s not true.’ So Arjuna was asking for forgiveness for his dealings with Krishna.

But cowherd boys they will never ask for forgiveness to Krishna they think their behavior is perfectly alright with Krishna. They think Krishna is equal to them. They will never say sorry to Krishna as there is sakhya misarit vishrambha bhava. Sakhya, there is friendship between equals. There is truly sakhya bhava or sakhya rasa in Vrindavan. Also vatsalya bhava in Vrindavan is pure. In Mathura there aishwarya misarit vatsalya. When Lord appeared, Vasudev and Devaki were offering obeisances to the Lord. This is experience of vatsalya bhava in Mathura is aishwarya misarit. But in Vrindavan the vatsalya bhava of Yashoda for kanhaiya is different.

Krishna kanhaiya lal ki jai!

Infact, no one prays or worships Krishna in Vrindavan. He is just my child, He is our friend. There is no thought of being great or greater. He is just my child. So Yasodha would pick up a stick and chastise Him and bind Him to mortar. All these kind of pastimes are only possible due to vatsalya misarit vishrambha.

Krishna enjoys like anything. Lord is very happy and ecstatic in Vrindavan. Those loving dealings with His devotees- vatsalya rasa.

itidrk sva-lilabhir ananda-kunde sva-ghosam nimajjantam akhyapayantam [Damodarastakam Shloka 3]

As we hear from Damodarastakam, itidrk sva-lilabhir ananda-kunde,

These lila spontaneous lilas, Madhurya lilas of Vrindavan, these create an ocean of bliss and everyone including Lord they are swimming diving deep into ananda sagar. This is due to loving dealings with His devotees, loving reciprocation between Him and His devotees. Lord is blissful ecstatic in Vrindavan. The happiness experienced by devotees in Vrindavan is topmost that can’t be obtained anywhere except Vrindavan not in Mathura, not in Dwarka, not in Ayodhya. This is only possible in Vrindavan because there is vishrambha sakhya. vishrambha vatsalya, vishrambha madhurya. The dealing between Radha and Krishna are full of love there is no tinch of aishwarya they are full of vishrambha madhurya that’s why they are spontaneous- more sweet and more loving.

So Lord is more happy and blissful. Lord is completely settled there in Vrindavan dealing with His devotees. While His dealings in Ayodhya, dealings between Sita and Rama there is awe reverence. And what to speak of Vaikuntha Laxmi and Narayana and Laxmi Varaha, between Dwarkadhish and His queens are full of aishwarya of different degrees. There is aishwarya misarit vishrambha. There is sringar rasa or madhurya rasa between them. So Vaikuntha is known as aishwarya dhama and Vrindavan is known as madhurya dhama.

Mayapur is known as audarya dhama, udara- magnanimous. Lord became udara. And all that we are hearing, experiencing to some extent this became possible because of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Lord sharing the madhurya of Vrindavan with all His devotees and with the whole world. So Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu shared the madhurya of Vrindavan and He was very magnanimous, charitable sharing and experiencing madhurya dhama, madhurya lila, spontanoues lilas of Lord. That’s why Mayapur is known as audarya dhama, magnanimous dhama. Magnanimous Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and we are His followers through parampara receiving the madhurya of Vrindavan through Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

golokera prema-dhana harinama-sankirtana

Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came down with wealth of Golok dhama. That prema dhana is in form of holy name:

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

That we had been chanting, this is gift of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu from Vrindavan. As we chant Hare Krishna,

sravana adi suddha citta karaha udaya

Our love for the Lord vraja prema or madhuraya prema vishrambha prema is revived. As we chant Hare Krishna mahamantra we develop same qualities as that of Vrindavan by chanting of Hare Krishna mahamantra.

So Jagannath is in Gudicha temple which is Vrindavan and He is very very happy we could also experience and enjoy that kind of happiness by chanting Hare Krishna, we could purify and our love is revived and we could come to the status of Krishna, equality vishrambha vatsalya, vishrambha sakhya or vishrambha mathurya or whatever is our relation with Krishna and this could be achieved by chanting.

Hare Krishna.

5th July 2019

Jagannath is in Gundicha temple which is Vrindavan

Yesterday was Jagannath Rath Yatra mahotsav ki jay! Haribol.

I am sure many of you took part in Rath Yatra wherever you were. I was at least able to watch Rath Yatra procession in Jagannath Puri yesterday. I had darsana of Jagannath with the crown. That is a beautiful city. I’m not sure how far the procession reached, sometime they stopped in the middle. Hopefully Jagannath has reached Gundicha temple, on the altar of Gundicha mandir by now. And Gundicha mandir is Vrindavan dhama- Vrindavan of Jagannath Puri. Lord will reside there for 8 to 9 days. Lord is very happy to be back in Vrindavan surrounded by his loving most loving devotees of Vrindavan dhama. This gives us topic to think about Lord, Hare Krishna, think of Radha and Krishna, think of Jagannath. We had been thinking. Now two weeks ago there was a snana yatra festival and then Lord took bed rest and getting recuperated. So we had been reminding you or we should be remembering like that my Lord Jagannath, Sri Krishna is not well. Ok we got the news that He is getting better and better. And then Gundicha marjana took place. That also was the day of Netra utsav. First time after long time devotees took darsana of Jagannath and yesterday was the Rath Yatra festival. Lord riding on the chariot and very anxiously eagerly traveling to Vrindavan to meet His devotees. Those who are pulling chariot they are His devotees and they are bringing Him back to Vrindavan.

And now He is in Vrindavan He is in Gundicha temple. All these past times of Jagannath in Jagannath Puri are lot for us to think about and meditate upon and digest, assimilate, make part of our system, consciousness and become Krishna conscious while chanting

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

This gives topic for us to think about. We could very easily say that we are doing dhyana, we are remembering even these pastimes of Lord Jagannath and if we are remembering, chanting and remembering pastimes of Jagannath, but pastimes of Vitthal are going on here. Same Lord in Ayodhya, He has some pastimes happening and in Dwarka dhama it would be Sri Krishna and ‘Dakor ma kon che? Raja Ranchoda Che’ and like that Mayapur dhama ki jay! Gauranga Mahaprabhu is having His pastimes there. Vigraha, the deities are participating in different occasions and festivals you know. The tons of topic you could think about as Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakur used to say or used to propose, we should have a daily newspaper, ‘Hare Krishna’ daily newspaper. Some of his disciples said “Guru maharaja, how is that possible? How could we have so much news to print every day, Hare Krishna newspaper? Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur said and you could see, the world has hundreds and thousands of newspapers. There are so much news, breaking news, printing the news daily. But there are so many news from the spiritual sky, spiritual world, what to speak of printing the news daily in newspaper. There is enough news to print every minute. Every moment paper could be printed with so much news from all around, from all abodes, all personalities of Godhead and Their pastimes, Their festivals, this and that.

So if you could remember those activities and pastimes and lilas and festivals and get rid of these mundane news of this world, keep that out and substitute that with spiritual news, spiritual activities, pastimes of Jagannath and other deities are performing also and of course nitya lilas, pastimes are taking place all the time at every step. Now Caitanya Mahaprabhu is spending His time in Gundicha. I mean He is ‘jei gaur sei krishna sei jagannath.’ Jagannath is residing there and Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is also residing in Gundicha and spending lot of time in Gundicha temple and how are they spending time, how is Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu spending His time?

Water sports and different things going on in Narendra Sarovar and lakes around. Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to enter different lakes and with His associates, He is playing water sports and splashing, so activities like that like Lord’s activities in Vrindavan with gopis, jalkeli water sport or with the cowherd boys He is also swimming and playing in water of Yamuna.

So Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu He is in mood of Sri Krishna, back in Vrindavan and He is performing various pastimes. They are hearing about Radha and Krishna, lot of time is spent in hearing and chanting at Gundicha temple. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Gauranga surrounded by His associates specially very close confidential associates like Rai Ramananda, Svarupa Damodar, Govind and others Jagadanand Pandit and they were all doing,

‘bodhayantaha parasparam
kathayantasch mam nityam
tushyanti ch ramanti cha
(BG 10.9)

They are all talking about Krishna. Radha Krishna ki jai! Specially Svarupa Damodar he recites pastimes. He doesn’t speak pastimes; he sings pastimes of the Lord. Specially poems and songs devotional songs of Vidyapati and Chandidas. Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu took great pleasure as Svarupa Damodar would recites those devotional songs. Jaidev Goswami’s ‘Geet Govind’, Krishna Karnamrita of Bilvamangal Thakur, and Grantharaj Srimad Bhagavatam . That is another topic of discussion. Mostly this is going on there. Hearing and chanting and there is shravan utsav, you would like to call it and this is how they are happily absorbed in the pastimes of Radha Krishna in Vrindavan, from Vrindavan, now they are relishing these pastimes at Gundicha temple. As one listens to these pastimes, that pastimes are realized, that listener could began witnessing those pastimes. He becomes attracted to the pastimes and of course the personality of Radha Krishna those who are center of these pastimes and attempts to join this pastime, they could become very much nityalila pravishta. They could enter those pastimes and as they listen to these pastimes with rapt attention and this how they could become the jivan mukta while they are still in the present body. They are liberated.

So this is what is going on at Gundicha temple in association of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu and then all His associates and as we get to hear about this from Caitanya Caritamrita, we are repeating this. So we get hooked or connected to that happened at Gundicha temple 500 years ago and is going on eternally right now.

Svarupa Damodar was Lalita sakhi from Krishna’s pastime. Now he has appeared as Svarupa Damodar and he understands Lord’s mind Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mind very well or some of the thoughts in the mind, in the heart of Gauranga. Svarupa Damodar was blessed and competent to grasp what Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu was thinking about and what is on His mind or even some mantras or statements Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to utter and others could not understand what is He talking or singing about that also was happening during Jagannath ratha yatra 500 years ago.

Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu was saying something very very confidential and of course those were thoughts of, He was talking in a mood of Radharani. So what Radha has to say is not ordinary, superficial statement. It is very deep, very confidential. So Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu was uttering those statements. And Caitanya Caritamrita says Svarupa Damodar was only one who was understanding what Mahaprabhu was talking about. So Svarupa Damodar was exalted. We already said he is Lalita, if we could understand Lalita then that’s enough to understand Savarupa Damodar Goswami’s position.

So yesterday was also Svarupa Damodar Goswami’s disappearance day. So we thought to bring him into the picture, remembering him. Also I remember another special lila, Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu had given one special assignment to Svarupa Damodar. Always there were lot of devotees and visitors. They had a habit of writing some statement addressed to Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, they would write it down and Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu would read what they had written. Svarupa Damodar would process them before passing to Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He would pass whatever was perfect to Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu and anything that was imperfect or defective, siddhanta wise or otherwise Svarupa Damadar would reject that or throw that into dustbin. It is described that Svarupa Damodar was a secretary that one title also he had. So he was doing his secretarial services.

So one day one person he wrote his statement glorifying Jagannath and Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu as well. So what basically he had written was Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu ki jai! Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is soul of Jagannath. He is atma of Jagannath. He was thinking, i am glorifying Gauranga but by mentioning Him to be the atma, the spirit of Jagannath. Svarupa Damodhar when he read this he dumped it into the dustbin.

Even when I read Caitanya Caritamrita initially, I thought this is great. I also was thinking like that, mind blowing Caitanya Mahaprabhu is soul of Jagannath. But Svarupa Damodar Goswami Maharaja, he took no extra time realizing the defect in that statement and he dumped it. So the defect was that if Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is atma of Jagannath, Jagannath is bodily form and Caitanya Mahaprabhu is soul. One is body and one is soul. Distinction Is there, so this is trouble, defect, flaw in this so called glory of Gauranga and Jagannath. Jagannath doesn’t have a body. Jagannath only has a soul or Jagannath is a soul supreme soul and Gauranga Mahaprabhu is Jagannath. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is equal to Jagannath not that He is part of Jagannath or He is soul of Jagannath.

‘jei Gour sei Krishna sei Jagannath’ He is Gauranga. He is also Jagannath, so they are both purna Purushottam, not that one is soul of another body or another personality. So Svarupa Damodar Goswami detected this defect and he rejected this statement which helped us to understand the tattva, Gaura tattva or Jagannath tattva.

We have to understand Lord tattvataha in order to become Krishna conscious in order to chant with faith in the holy name.

So we stop here, you continue, yesterday also was disappearance day of Shivananda Sen. I wanted to say yesterday also was appearance day or avirbhava tithi mahotsav of Radha Govind Swami Maharaja. I understood that some of you were able to participate in Vyaspuja festivals in Pune and some other places. So Radha Govind Goswami Maharaja is a very dear Godbrother of mine and his recitation of Srimad Bhagavatam is excellent. And he has been gifted by the Lord and he is very realized soul rather, realized statements of Bhagavatam and I always take great pleasure in listening Radha Govind Goswami Maharaja’s katha. Lord’s pastimes and hundreds of recording available, strongly recommend you all also hear them,of course, his kathas are in Hindi. There are hundreds of kathas recordings available in Hindi. I have been listening and I will keep listening to his kathas. I would like you take advantage of the treasure that Radha Govinda Goswami Maharaja’s left, he is still with us but his treasure is available. Take full advantage, become enriched.

Radha Govind Goswami Maharaja avirbhava tithi maha mahotsav ki jay!

Gaur Premanande hari hari bol!

4th July 2019

Ratha Yatra Mahotsva

Today is a great day, Ratha Yatra day. In 1977, when we were in Jagannath Puri we could not have darshan on Netra utsava day but next day on ratha yatra day as we were performing Hare Krishna kirtan we were appreciated by the local devotees and called for darshan. We were feeling as if Lord Jagannath is appreciating us and our kirtan. On ratha yatra day Jagannath is going to Vrindavan in the chariot. The mood of ratha yatra is, how Lord’s love for His devotees moves towards Vrindavan. Ratha yatra is full display of perfection of our chanting if we could realize what ratha yatra is, what is Lord thinking, what is Lord feeling, love of the Lord for His Vrajavasi devotees, Radharani, Nandababa, Yasoda. They are trying to pull Lord to Vrindavan.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is representing Himself as Radharani and Her Lord is in the chariot and She is dancing, chanting and there is reciprocation between Them.

King Pratap Rudra also comes and seeing how humble King Pratap Rudra is, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says he is an example of,

trinad api sunicena, taror api sahishnuna
(Siksastaka Sholka 03)

There is nothing wrong in giving darshan to such person. And as Lord had this thought and there was whole arrangement by His ‘ischasakti’ and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu meets King Pratap Rudra.

So, chanting and dancing is going on, Odiyas and Gaudiyas had come in large numbers. Mahaprabhu had divided devotees into 7 dancing party. Special mercy on King Pratap Rudra, he is getting darshan of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in all 7 kirtan parties. This is similar to the rasa dance in Vrindavan as Krishna is dancing with each and every gopi, like that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is dancing in each kirtan party. King Pratap Rudra is qualified to have such darshan. Lord is giving him such darshan.

That’s the goal of chanting and of participating in ratha yatra, getting darshan as King Pratap Rudra had. What darshan he is getting we should also get that darshan. That is the goal of participating in ratha yatra. There are so many eternal things happening there, the crowd and mridanga players but we should be striving to experience the darshan as King Pratap Rudra and that could be experienced by chanting. And by the mood of,

trinad api sunicena. taror api sahishnuna.
Then person can chant continuously.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna.

Ratha yatra is the time, place and day of reunion of Lord and His devotees, they are reuniting and their hearts are meeting and there is festival. So Vrajavasis meet Lord, Lord of their heart during ratha yatra. Time for reunion, time for meeting Krishna, getting back to Krishna. Perfection of Bhakti yoga.

As we know from Chaitanya Charitamrta that particular year, King Pratap Rudra was blessed by close association of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He was the center of attraction. The whole chapter describes the mood of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu that mood represents the mood of Radharani. He is talking, acting and dancing like Radharani. And He is tired and also its time for upala bhoga of Lord Jagannath. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is resting in Jagannath Vallabha garden and King was inspired by ‘ichasakti’ to go and have darshan of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And he goes and he recites gopi geet which is also Radha geet. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is in mood of Gopi. So it was a day and great fortune for King Pratap Rudra he was able to touch the transcendental form of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and he was chanting beginning from

“jayati te ‘dhikam janmana vrajah” [1st Verse Gopi geet]

And he reached,

tava kathamrtam tapta-jivanam
kavibhir iditam kalmasapaham
sravana-mangalam srimad atatam
bhuvi grnanti ye bhuri-da janah [9th verse Gopi geet]

And last part of that stanza and as King Pratap Rudra recited bhurida janah.

gopis had said ‘Those persons who share Krishna katha with others are bhurida janah.’ As Mahaprabhu heard this he said bhurida bhurida I have not seen you who are you. But that does not matter you are bhurida janah you have given Krishna to Me. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was thinking this bhurida is charitable he has given Me katha amrita in form of gopi geet, I should give him something, but what could I give? I am sanyasi. He got up with His arms extended, you could accept My embrace if you don’t mind.

King Pratap Rudra also moved forward and they were embracing each other. There was great union between one soul and Supreme soul. So such great union took place during ratha yatra festival.

As we participate in ratha yatra we should remember the example of King Prataprudra, remember his qualities, his humility and his chanting,

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

Of course, he was chanting without offences and serving devotees offencelessly. He was attentive and he was thinking of nothing else but of Jagannath and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His devotees. You should remember how King Pratap Rudra achieved perfection in his life and try to attain such perfection. Ratha yatra day is a very special day to achieve such perfection.

King Pratap Rudra ki jai!

He was a great King. So following the example of King Pratap Rudra we should achieve perfection and goal of our life in this very life.

‘Jagannath swami nayana patha gami bhava tume’

Jagannatha ratha yatra ki jai!

Jagannath Swami ki jai!

King Pratap Rudra ki jai!

3rd July 2019

Cleansing of temple is cleansing hearts, minds and the consciousness

We all have the blessings of the holy name; the holy name is Lord! So, blessings of the holy name, is the Lord Himself. We should thank the Lord officially Sri Krsna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has given this name to the world. We should be thanking Sri Krsna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu for giving us this benediction and the acaryas in the disciplic succession officially give us the holy name. In that way the acaryas and spiritual masters are also blessing us with the holy name.

Holy name ki jai!

Harinama prabhu ki jai!

This is not a small benediction; it is a complete benediction. We cannot ask for anything better than the holy name. We have been blessed, the Lord has kindly chosen us we are selected few, a handful in fact in this world that have seen and that has been touched by the holy name of the Lord. The Lord is touching us! The soul is being touched by the name of the Lord!

ceto darpana marjanam

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has said ‘When one chants his consciousness is purified.’

“bhava maha davagni nirvarpanam”

davagni is the fire of material existence. The senses have been extinguished by the holy name of the Lord.

“Shreya kairava candrika vitaranam” and then there’s shreya, ultimate benediction we receive the rays of that benediction, shower of that benediction. Shreya kairava candrika! Like that the glories of the holy name; “anandam bhudi vardanam” we derive ananda – an ocean full of ananda this is what Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Himself has given us, this is Harinaam mahatmya! This is the benediction of the holy name! This is shrutiphal, the benefit of hearing the holy name and we have just mentioned a few items.

Talking of marjanam, cleansing! Sri Krsna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to engage Himself along with His so many associates in the Gundica marjanam on this day, today (03 July). It is the actual day of Gundica Marjan in Jagannath Puri it’s cleansing of Gundica temple!

Tomorrow is Jagannath rathayatra day so the Lord will ride on His chariot and start the journey from Jagannath temple to Nilachal and then He goes to Sundaracal in Jagannath Puri that is where Gundica temple is. The Gundica temple is not used by the Lord for 51 weeks. He uses the Gundica bhavan residence for one week so the place that has not been used has to be cleansed, thoroughly cleansed to prepare for the Lord’s at Gundica temple. So, Sri Krsna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu did this. This is of course eternal service activity that takes place in Jagannath Puri on the day before ratha yatra. So, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to personally participate in the cleansing of Gundica temple.

What a sweet pastime Gundica marjan is! It is described in the Chaitanya Caritamrita, you should not try to say a few things you should study yourself in depth in this pastime.

King Prataprudra used to provide all the brooms and buckets and water, towels for mopping. Upon the arrival of the devotees, they were received with garlands and chandan and then again there was the cleansing of Gundica Mandir. Sri Krsna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu personally used to do the cleansing of the altar where Lord Jagannath would stand or sit and other devotees cleaning the rest of the temple, floor, wall everything.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was kind of overseeing the cleansing, He was coordinating, He was a temple commander and was busy and absorbed and collecting a lot of dust and those who collected a lot of dust or dirt, the Lord used to praise them. Shabash!! Well done! Then to others He would say, hey look you haven’t collected anything. Work hard! Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was inspiring the devotees, else you would be punished you would have to feed everyone ladoos and khaja because you are not collecting enough dust. You will be punished. You will have to feed khaja to the entire cleansing team. So, the cleansing of the temple was also cleansing the hearts, minds and the consciousness of the cleaning team or the cleansers. This is the ultimate benefit of cleansing the Gundica temple.

Ceto darpana marjanam was also happening by this amazing service, wonderful service of cleansing the temple. Of course, and I am sure that’s what they were doing. They were chanting also:

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna
Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

Atme kam mukme Ram, they were chanting and cleansing at the same time so there’s a double benefit. Cleansing by chanting which is cleansing ceto darpana, cleansing the consciousness by chanting, cleansing the consciousness by devotional service and here the service was cleansing the temple. So, you can all take part in Gundica marjan today. You might say oh! We are not in Jagannath Puri today! But wherever you are you could do some marjan today. They have invited devotees from all over Pandharpur and temple devotees would be joining and there is going to be maha Gundica Marjan in Pandharpur today. Otherwise, your home is also temple! Make your home your temple clean there.

sri vigrahadhan nana nityanana srngaratan mandir marjanado (gurvastakam verse 3)

We are meant to do this every day, you can make your home into a temple and that becomes Gundica marjan or mandir marjan and that will do ceto darpana marjan. That swacha bharat mission is also going on; clean India and part of that includes cleaning your house, angan (courtyard), this could be mundane material activity of cleaning. You are cleaning your clothes; your body is cleaning your house this that will bind you further to this world and become further conditioned. So, what is the benefit of this kind of cleaning and sweeping and swacha bharat business when you could derive the spiritual benefit of the swachata or cleansing of the Gundica marjan? This benefit is there if you transform your place into a spiritual place, or Vaikuntha by having altar at home and like that you could make your home a temple.

Many devotees stay at ISKCON temples brahmacaris and sanyasis. The grihastas could also stay in the temple and make your house into a temple and do the cleaning of that temple. You could do this Gundica marjan service everyday and everyday there will be ceto darpana marjanam; cleansing of the consciousness and the heart. That will revive your love for the Lord. So be smart like that Caitanya-caritāmṛta says, “Krsna yei bhaje se bade catura.” So do not follow the example of so-called mundane leaders follow the example of the supreme leader Sri Krsna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the acaryas in the line of Sri Krsna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and derive the spiritual benefit of the cleansing you have to do, spiritual activity.

While the cleansing was on and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was cleaning the altar one catur, one smart devotee started pouring water on the Lotus feet of Sri Krsna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He was pouring water with one hand and collecting the water from Mahaprabhu’s feet with the other hand. He began to drink the caranamrta from Mahaprabhu’s Lotus feet while hiding and then others found out. Please, please give us caranamrta also. So, when Sri Krsna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu noticed what was going on, instead of washing the feet of Sri Jagannath they are washing My feet; this is an offense how can you do this? Chaitanya Mahaprabhu told Swarup Damodhar to chastise that person who is doing this offensive activity here. Although Sri Krsna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was happy within, He was externally displaying anger and making a point that I am just a devotee. You cannot wash a devotee’s feet on Lord’s altar like that, that pastime also took place.

Today is also the day in Jagannath Puri called netra utsav which means feast for the eyes for almost two weeks the Lord was not well and was taking bed rest and all the doors were closed. No visitors! They all were deprived of Lord Jagannath’s darshan for such a long, long time. So, they were all eager and anxious to have darshan of Jagannath again. They were counting days and hours as to when would that moment come, we could see Jagannath again. So that day is today, Lord Jagannath is ready for darshan now and has recovered. Devotees then come in big numbers to take darshan of Lord Jagannath and drink the beauty of Lord Jagannath’s form to their hearts content.

I also had gone to Jagannath Puri on this day in 1977. I was there for the first time ever. I had arrived at Jagannath Puri to take His darsana. But what resulted on that day was that I ended up not getting darshan of Lord Jagannath. I was a sanyasi and travelling with several devotees and we had entered Singha dwara and then the pandas had come to stop me and others as they knew we were ISKCON people and they didn’t like ISKCON in those days. When they stopped me, I asked why can I not have darshan of Lord Jagannath? I must take, I want to take, I have to take darshan. But they said no, no you can’t take darshan! Why not? You are not born Hindu; you are born Christian and this American ISKCON has converted you. So now you have become Hindu but you are born Christian. So, like that they were arguing and not listening and that was, going on in the courtyard of Jagannath temple on this day in 1977.

So, there was a big tug of war going on and pushing and pulling. The pandas were determined and they were not going to let us go inside to have darshan of Lord Jagannath unfortunately that was their stand. Finally, the well-built pandas picked us up and we thin lean swamis and brahmacaris from ISKCON were lifted us and put outside Singha Dwara. Haribol! So, what to do? There we were!

So, then we were making sure that everyone was there in our group. We were doing a head count to see if everyone was present. We took note that we did lose someone, one devotee my god brother and of course in those days we only had god brothers and god sisters. So, one god brother from New York, Riksharaj was also part of our party, when we looked around, he was nowhere to be found! So, we were wondering where is Riksharaj? After a few minutes we saw Riksharaj coming from the temple. He was a born Christian and he had enjoyed Netra Utsava, he had a feast for his eyes and he came running to us saying Maharaj carana Tulasi for you. [Laughs]

I had darshan and the pujaris gave us tulasi from the Lotus feet and we were amazed by this kind of lila with Jagannath. He gave darshan to a born Christian but did not give darshan to a born Hindu.

We were battling with the pandas and Riksharaj, my god brother from New York had a complexion not like a western American but that of an Indian kind of complexion. So, when we were fighting or battling, he decided not to take part in the battle and took a diversion and he went inside the temple. Knowing that there was no one guarding the other gates and all were battling with us he went into the temple and had a nice darshan. But then we took his darshan. He had taken darshan of Jagannath and we took his darshan and tulasi from the Lord’s lotus feet.

jai Jagannath swami ki jai!

‘’jagannatha swami nayana patha gami bhavatume’’

[Jagannathastakam]

When would that day come in which ever direction we see, we see Jagannath. We take darshan of Jagannath everywhere.

So, let’s keep chanting and hearing as this the outcome of that activity. Hearing and chanting is also smaranam and darsanam of Jagannath.

Hare Krsna

2nd July 2019

We should take inspiration from our acarya’s

I am in Pandharpur chanting for you and with you. Today is a big day, very very auspicious day. Today is a disappearance day of Gadadhara Pandit and today is also disappearance day of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. So I would like to say few words to remember these great personalities in our parampara. Gadadhara Pandit is the member of pancha tattva.

sri krishna caitanya prabhu nityananda sri advait
gadadhar srivasadi gaur bhaktavrinda

So that Sri Advait Gadadhara, Gadadhara Pandit. Today we are observing Gadadhara Pandit’s disappearance day, the member of the panchtattva, you could understand, you should understand the status of Gadadhara Pandit, one of the panchtattva.

panca-tattvatmakam krsnam bhakta-rupa-svarupakam
bhaktavataram bhaktakhyam namami bhakta-saktikam (CC Ādi 7.6)

He is listed as bhakta sakti. He appeared as a bhakta but he is a sakti, he is energy, very special energy, ahladini sakti, pleasure potency of Lord. Gadadhara Pandit is Radharani, partial Radharani. Radharani is within Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

sri krishna caitanya radha krishna nahe anya,

Radha and Krishna are together in Caitanya. However Radharani also appeared in another form in a partial way and that is Gadadhara Pandit. There are many temples of Gaura Nityananda, Gauranga Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu but there are also several temples of Gaura Gadadhara, Gauranga Mahaprabhu and Gadadhara Pandit, deity of Gaura Gadadhara.

At Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s residence, in samadhi there is Gaura Gadadhara deity. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura worshipped Gaura and Gadadhara.

There are lots of restrictions in Lord’s eternal lila in Golok and Vrindavan for Radha and Krishna to associate. They cannot be together in public. They have to keep distance from each other and like that. But Radharani always loves and likes, She prefers to be with Krishna. Why to be away from Krishna? She wants to be next to Krishna. So that desire of Radharani is fulfilled as Radharani appeared as Gadadhara Pandit. And Gadadhara Pandit was able to associate with Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu who is Krishna. Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna, Gadadhara Pandit is partially Radharani and they are always together. They are next to each other and associating with each other.

So what they couldn’t do in Goloka or Vrindavan, they were able to do that association with each other in Navadvipa as well as in Jagannath Puri later on. Even during childhood days Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Gadadhara Pandit were always together and they were studying together also. Like they were in Mayapur the other members of the pancha tattva, they had appeared in other parts of Bengal, east Bengal or here there. Gadadhara Pandit was one who appeared in Mayapur So,as a result Nimai and Gadadhar, they were always together, they were friends. Gadadhar Pandit took initiation from Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi. Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi in Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s lila is King Vrishabhanu of Barsana. He appeared in Navadvipa Mayapur as Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi and Gadadhar Pandit took initiation from Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi.

Later on when Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu travelled to Jagannath Puri, Gadadhar Pandit also joined Him in Jagannath Puri and he was worshipping Tota Gopinath deity and Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to visit Gadadhar Pandit in Tota Gopinath temple and listened to Bhagavatam katha recited by Gadadhar Pandit. As if Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu or Krishna is listening from Radharani.

So Radharani here in the form of Gadadhar Pandit is reciting Bhagavatam and with great ecstasy Gadadhar Pandit recites different pastimes of the Lord. His body trembling and tears gliding down his chest. And those tears would fall on the Grantha Bhagavatam, it would become all wet and they try another recitation, again it would become wet and Bhagavatam was getting spoiled by the tears of Gadadhar Pandit. Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu would relish the recitation of Gadadhar Pandit at Tota Gopinath temple very much.

So like Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Gadadhar Pandit who is Radharani they were associating with each other at Tota Gopinath temple in Jagannath Puri and eventually Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu entered the deity of Tota Gopinath and wind up His pastimes. Gadadhar Pandit also left this world on this day from Tota Gopinath temple.

Gadadhar Pandit tirobhav tithi mahotsav ki jai!

Then there is also the disappearance day of Bhaktivinoda Thakura. He was also initially in Jagannath Puri as district magistrate in British rule. He fixed up all the administration of Jagannath Puri temple, so that the worship and services of Jagannath Baladev Subhadra would go on properly.

He prayed for son, who would be empowered to propagate, spread Krishna consciousness all over the world. So Jagannath heard the prayer of Bhaktivinoda Thakura and he was gifted with a son Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur, who was born in Jagannath Puri. Later on Bhaktivinoda Thakura moved to Navadvipa Mayapur and all he did service of Mayapur Navadvipa dhama by discovering different pastimes of Gauranga including the birthplace Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He wrote so many,100 books he wrote including the ‘Navadvipa dhama mahatmya’ the guide book of performance of Navadvipa mandal parikrama and instructed his son Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur to establish Navadvipa mandal Parikrama. That is why Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura is also known as seventh Goswami.

Six Goswamis of Vrindavan were famous and Navadvipa had one goswami, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura became known as seventh goswami. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was a great personality. We are indebted for what he has done for us. We pray at his feet on this occasion for blessing us further, empowering us further. That empower could come to us through Srila Prabhupada so that we could continue the mission of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. This Hare Krishna Movement is Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’mission, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s mission.

Amongst the one hundred books that he wrote, his ‘Harinama Chintamani’ is very essential scripture for us to study and practice. In this book Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has presented dialogue between Gauranga, Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Namacarya Srila Haridas Thakur and they are both talking about the ten offences against the holy name in great detail, explaining and making us understand each offense and how to avoid those offenses. So this is a contribution, this Harinama Chintamani is a gift for all of us chanters of holy name.

In conference we are chanting Hare Krishna and we try to provide some guidelines, we try to say something but a lot has been said in Harinama Chintamani.

I strongly recommend you to catch hold of Harinama Chintamani. It is available in English, Bangla and Hindi translation. You should get this scripture Harinama Chintamani and study how to improve your chanting and to chant attentively this book is great help.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was a great chanter. He used to chant 64 minimum rounds of holy name every day, while he was in Jagannath Puri. He was householder, a district magistrate and father of ten children. And inspite of all these responsibilities he was still chanting 64 rounds and writing so many books. So you are householders, so Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura is a living example, he is hero of all of you, all of us, following his footsteps, specially chanting Hare Krishna, the way Bhaktivinoda Thakura chanted Hare Krishna. We cannot imitate Bhaktivinoda Thakura, at least chant your minimum 16 rounds daily and do that attentively and offenselessly. How to avoid offenses you could learn from Bhaktivinoda Thakura book Harinama Chintamani. I wish you all success in your endeavor of chanting. Hare Krishna !

Gauranga!

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura ki jai!!

Gadadhar Pandit ki jai!!

Gaur Premanande Haribol!!!

1st July 2019

Listening to Harikatha will help us in chanting

One thing that we talked yesterday was that we should listen to Harikatha and that will help in chanting Harinama. If we have heard Harikatha, Harikatha means lot of things, Hari’s katha. Hari is unlimited and so many things we get to hear about our Hari. Then as we chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna we are reminded of all that we have heard about Hari, Krishna. We have heard about Radha Krishna we have heard about Sita and Rama, we have heard about Gauranga, there is no limit how many things we could hear about Krsna or Hari.

So that becomes the topic as we chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna we are reminded of what we have heard about. In words of Saint Tukaram,

gita bhagavat kariti shravan, akhanda chintan vithoba che’

Very famous statement of Sant Tukaram says, if you hear or study or discuss Bhagavad gita or Srimad Bhagavatam then you will begin doing chintan you will be reminded of Vitthala, Panduranga, Sri Krishna. So that is what we wish to do, while chanting Hare Krishna is time for chintan, meditation so as we say Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, then immediately we are reminded of what we have heard read from Bhagwad Gita, from Bhagavatam. Of course there are other scriptures Caitanya Caritamrita, Ramayana, Mahabharata. And then we are saying as we chant Hare Krishna then that chintan continues or the chintan of the topic, contemplation is there and that faciliates your chanting, perfection of chanting, we chant Hare Krishna we are reminded of what we have heard.

What we have already read and heard during chanting Hare Krishna that triggers Hare Krishna. We have what we have read heard and we further contemplate on subject matters and then that chanting is also called manan. You contemplate and you assimilate, you digest and you become Krishna conscious as you chant Hare Krishna.

Yesterday we talked on Muchukunda and I was thinking more about that episode. How Kalyavan he was some sort of big demon and he wanted to fight, battle with someone very powerful and defeat him forcibly and then he was thinking now I will have big name “Oh! Kalyawan, he killed or defeated such and such powerful person.” So he wanted to know from Narada muni who is such powerful most powerful person that you know that I could fight with and then Narada muni gave the address of Lord Sri Krishna. Ok this is ID of that that person. He gave a photograph and gave all description how He looks like and where he could find Him and what time he should go to find Him and meet Him.

So he came to Mathura, this Kalyavan and there is a description and spread over many many verses. Kalyavan has come and Krishna is just outside Mathura by Himself and He is walking and Kalyavan is seeing Krishna. So what did he see? He saw Lord from toe nails to His shikha, His crown and there is beautiful description of the beauty of Krishna as Kalyavan able to visualize.

tam vilokya viniskrantam ujjihanam ivodupam darsaniyatamam syamam pita kauseya vasasam [SB 10.51.1]

Sukadev Goswami describes, tam that tam is Krishnam he saw Krishna,

Darsaniyatamam, he saw Krishna and what kind Krishna was? darsaniyatamam. Worth seeing, the best amongst the person to see darsaniya tama. He begins, Sukadev Goswami begins the description of Sri Krishna saying, darsaniyatamam. Darsaniya means, dekhaneyogya, worth seeing. Krishna is described as darsaniya tamam, the best, the topmost among all those who are worth seeing worth looking at.

Syamam, he must have seen first syamam, He has beautiful complexion resembling monsoon clouds monsoon is here in India in Mumbai. Look at the clouds and that color of the complexion of the clouds resembles to Krishna’s complexion. So Sukadev Goswami is describing Kalyavan saw Krishna and what kind of Krishna he was Syama, Syamsundar. He was Ghanshyam,

Ghan iva syama, beautiful like, beauty of the monsoon cloud. Of course, Srila Prabhupada always describes monsoon cloud like. The description of Krishna, Krishna that Kalyavan saw and there is detailed description of Lord’s form and the beauty.

pita kauseya vasasam

He is wearing yellow garments pitambar. He has ‘Srivatsa’ on his chest, ‘Srivatsa’. He has ‘kaustubha’ hanging from his neck. And He has long arms and lotus like eyes.

srimat su-kapolam suci-smitam

Lord has a broad forehead, mukharavindam – He has beautiful lotus like face. ‘nava–kanjaruneksanam’ and His eyes are beautiful and with the reddish complexion and His face is smiling face- ‘suci-smitam’ smitahasya.

There are more descriptions of Krishna’s form are listed here. So as we hear, read and then we chant, we could go back to what we had heard, we are talking about the beauty of Krishna and meditate, chanting of Hare Krishna is meditation, mantra meditation.

And when we talk of meditation, we talk meditating upon the Lord and what about the Lord? The form of Lord we meditate upon, beauty of the Lord amongst other things that we could meditate upon. Then as we keep hearing Sukadev Goswami he describes that Krishna took note of Kalyavan’s presence and he realized what his intention was, that he wanted to fight with Him. Lord did not show any interest in facing him or battling with him or fighting with him. He thought this is third class low class and that is what he was.

So Lord started running and Kalyavan started running right behind thinking, oh I am going to catch Him may be this minute or next few steps if I go forward I will be able to catch Krishna, who is afraid of me doesn’t want to figth with me. But Krishna was maintaining the safer distance and like that they were both running Kalyavan running right after Krishna. You could meditate upon this scene. That could be nice scene you could think about. There are millions and billions and trillions of scenes that you could think about. Right now we are talking about this scene one of the unlimited scenes.

Then Lord knows everything and He has a plan what to do next with this Kalyavan, He wants to kill him. He doesn’t want to kill Himself, He wants Kalyavan killed by someone else. So Lord has long walkathon walking and running. He has entered one cave Lord knows Muchukunda is resting in that cave. So Lord entered right behind comes kalyavan. Anyway, there is no time for detail. That is where Kalyavan was burnt to ashes by Muchukunda. Muchukunda’s sleep was disturbed by this person. Muchukunda had the benediction from the demigods that anyone whoever disturbed your sleep you could burn him to the ashes, kill him. So Kalyavan he met his death by the hands of Muchukunda. By the time, Lord was hiding in the cave and He was watching scene of cremation of Kalyavan as fire was created by Muchukunda to burn Kalyavan. Lord is there, we have to remember, Lord is there, so its Krishna conscious meditation, Lord is watching. Lord is hiding and watching. Kalyavan was no more.

Haribol! Good news.

Demigods were showering flowers. They were doing lots of things to express their happiness as this demon was killed in the cave by Muchukunda devotee of Lord.

Not only devi devata, Gods and Goddesses also became happy. Those who listen to this pastime as you are listening to this pastime. Yes, are you? Then you also become happy, when you get to know the new demon is killed Haribol!

Good thing, spread the news and you are expressing your joy. So that is Krishna conscious joy also.

Yes, Hardik Patel are you joyful? Demon is killed. Jai! And if you do not become happy by hearing this news, then we suspect that may be you have some connection with Kalyavan. You are sad (laughs) by hearing, oh my Kalyavan my friend, dear one he is killed, I will take revenge, I will kill that Krishna who killed Kalyavan. So this if there are such thoughts then we know we have relationship with Kalyavan.

So like this as we chant Hare Krishna, we are free to remember this pastimes and you are in business, you are chanting and your mantra meditation is on . And then we know once Kalyavan was killed then Muchukunda and Sri Krishna, they met and they had a dialogue. They were introducing each other who are you? How are you? Krishna enquires and Muchukunda also enquires. Then Krishna has spoken to great extent, how He appeared as Brahma had prayed on behalf of demigods and I appeared and like killed this demon and recently I killed Kansa and just now right in front of your eyes I did not kill but I made you kill this Kalyavan.

So like that Krishna is narrating His life story, different events sharing with Muchukunda. And they give some hints to you about this episode or pastime and then as you hear you should be becoming more curious to know more about this pastime. Then you will read Bhagavatam. Open 10th canto of Bhagavatam chapter 51 and read more. We were just talking or jumping from one point to another leaving so many details leaving them aside. So read them and this reading is, studying, is preparation for your chanting. As we always have been talking that ‘prepare to chant’ something you have to do before you chant. So you read, study more, in depth study and then chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna and you remember and meditate on what you have read, heard about Krishna, while you are chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna.

So like that Harikatha compliments chanting and chanting compliments Harikatha and of course they are one and the same. Sravanam, kirtanam and smaranam is there by hearing and chanting. Whether you are hearing Bhagavatam or you are hearing Hare Krishna Hare Krishna chanting, that both will result in remembering and meditating upon Lord. So keep chanting.

See you later in Pandharpur very soon. Pandharpur Dham ki jai! When you come to Pandharpur come prepared by chanting, hearing, doing more Harikatha Hari kirtana or Harijapa.

Gaura Premanande Hari Haribol!

30th June 2019

Hari Katha and Hari Nama go hand in hand

Srila Prabhupada always said, chant Hare Krsna and be happy. The very name Krsna the two syllables Krs-meaning the Lord attracts us closer to Him and na- means He gives ananda, happiness to us.

ya karsati sa krsna

He attracts us closer and closer and gives us joy. He is source of happiness. As we chant more and more, we go more closer to Krsna and we get more and more pleasure of association of Krsna. So keep chanting and keep getting closer and closer to Krsna and distant yourself more and more from worldly things and establish spiritual relations with others around you. Relationship with Krsna is developed and you are getting closer and closer to Krsna. You are a jiva, your vision of looking at others changes. You began to see others and even your family members as spirit souls. Try to develop spiritual relations with others as spirit souls. Then over time, as we grow, we get closer to Krsna. We get closer to souls around us, be friendly with them. Try to bring them closer to Krsna.

Lord Krsna gave darshan to Muchukunda Maharaja in the cave. Muchukunda Maharaja asked, “Who are you?”. Lord Krsna responded, “I am Vasudev and I stay in nearby town Mathura or Vrindavan and I have so many names. Lord introduced Himself to Muchukunda Maharaja. Lord is unlimited. He has so many names, so many pastimes, so many abodes, this Vaikuntha, that Vaikuntha, Golok. Like that Lord is unlimited with so many names and so many pastimes and so many qualities and so many abodes. Krsna is Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is a person, He has His own abode. This is a Gaudiya Vaisnava siddhanta or understanding. Impersonalist do not believe in form they do we believe in the form. His form exists and it is eternal. Today morning I heard Allah ho akbar was going nearby. They go to the mosque and there is no form there is just a wall. They try to pay obeisances but they do not believe in the form. We believe in the form as Lord has eternal form, eternal names. .

So there is lots of propagation, preaching and talks against the Lord. The very existence of Lord is challenged. Lord has no form, He has no name, no abode, no pastimes that’s impersonalism. Then there is voidism and like that there are so many isms. They are kind of against what we do. We chant and we worship Krsna in the temple,

sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nanashringara- tan-mandira
(Sri Gurvashtakam)

We go to Jagannath Puri, we go to Vrindavan, we go to Pandharpur. These are abodes of the Lord, they are eternal. But there is so much propagation against the name of Krsna, form of Krsna, abode of Krsna unfortunately. Such propaganda goes on and we are influenced by such propaganda. For many births we were hearing such philosophy or isms or philosophy. As a result we have become faithless. We have little faith in form, little faith in abode then we end up offending the holy dhama. There are 10 offences against the holy dhama. In order to defeat our faithlessness we have to hear.

nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā
bhagavaty uttama-śloke
bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī
[SB 1.2.18]

We have to keep regularly hearing Bhavagatam, Bhagavad Gita, Chaitanya Charitamrita. We should read Srila Prabhupada’s books for proper understanding, proper knowledge. We could get out of this faithlessness. We could increase faith more and more in the holy name, more faith in the form of the Lord, more faith in the abode of the Lord and more faith in devotees. So we have to keep chanting hare Krsna hare Krsna.

And at other times we have to do nityam bhagavata sevaya. It is strongly recommended in Bhagavatam itself and by Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada stressed Harinama and Hari katha go hand in hand.

gita bhagavat karati sravan akhanda chintan vithobache

When Krsna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu arrived first time in Jagannath Puri and he was staying at Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya’s residence. He was a staunch impersonalist. He was leader of mayavadis. He was rajaguru also. He was strongly recommending Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, “You are young sannyasi, and not learned you should read Vedanta” Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, “ok but who will teach Me?” Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya said, “I will teach You” and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu agreed. For seven days in Jagannath Puri there was Vedantasutra katha, Vedantasutra saptaha. Sri Krsna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was very humbly sitting at the feet of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya and listening to Vedantasutra katha or interpretations from Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya.

Towards the end of 7 days Sarvabhauma Bhattacaya said, “Are You understanding what I am talking about? You are only listening silently You are not saying anything You are not commenting anything, please comment something after hearing Vedantasutra commentary from myself.” Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, “When you were reciting Vedantasutra, I was understanding Vedantasutra. There is knowledge and the light of knowledge that we derive from Vedantasutra was brilliant. I was grasping Vedantasutra, I was understanding Vedantasutra in its original form. But when you were making commentary, that was like you were creating illusion. You were blocking the rays of knowledge coming from Vedantasutra. You are covering knowledge in other words you were covering the face of the Lord. You were covering the pastimes of the Lord with false interpretation that you were delivering unto me.

mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was talking to Sanatana Goswami. He cautioned, don’t listen to these Mayavadis. Everything will be destroyed; your devotion for the Lord will be destroyed. Because they try to destroy the form of Lord, destroyer of the name of the Lord.

mayavadi krsna aparadhi

Mayavadis are Krishna aparadhi. Mayavadis are offenders against Krsna, at the lotus feet of Krsna. So don’t listen to their interpretations.

Srimad Bhagavatam is natural commentary on Vedantasutra. The same author of Vedanta sutra is Srila Vyasa Dev. Vedantasutra means they are codified or very condensed hence they can be difficult to understand. Hence Srila Vyasadev compiler of Vedantasutra, he wrote a commentary, and that commentary is Bhagavatam. That’s we should be hearing, studying, reading to understand Vedantasutra. So mayavadis they are aparadhis. They are against the name and form of Krsna.

Most of the discussion that goes in India is mayavada interpretation of Hinduism like karmakanda and jnanakannd. Karmakanda is rituals and jnanakanda is for impersonalist, they have becomes followers of Shankaracharya. They preach impersonalism and that is what is practiced all over India. These arya samjis they have become against the form of the Lord. So be aware.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya had further dialogue. One should study that dialogue in depth and get convinced how personalism is real and the topmost. We get lots of tips and hints, ideas of how to defeat this impersonalism that is hiding within us to defeat ourselves also. Then once there is personal private victory then we could become victorious by presenting the same personalist philosophy. And establish Krsna consciousness, establish name of the Lord, pastimes of Krsna, to establish dharma.

From Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya lila the beginning chapter- Liberation of Bhattacarya. This is the first task or lila of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as He arrived Jagannath Puri, He defeated Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. Defeated impersonalism and Bhattacarya became topmost personalist to such an extent that there is slok in Bhagavatam in 10th canto 14th chapter Stuti of Brahma, say mukti pade. But Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya had become such a great personalist that he said, no it should be bhakti pade and not mukti pade. He was proving now he had become staunch follower of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and a staunch personalist.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had dialogues with Sanatan Goswami, there also He was giving tips, how to defeat Mayavadi. Specailly when He was talking to Sanatana Goswami in Varanasi , Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said Lord Krsna’s form is Nara-vapu. He has a form and that form is like a Nara. He is not Nirakar but he Narakar. That is what Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was talking to Sanatana Goswami.

Keep reading, studying Bhagawad Gita, Bhagavamt and Chaitanya Charitamrita, Srila Prabhupada books and chant Hare Krsna. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Himself regularly heard and discussed Bhagavatam with Svarupa Damodar whole night long. Also commentary on Sikshastakam or Jaidev Goswami’s Govind Bhasya and Krsna Karnamrita of Bilvamangal Thakur like that other scriptures, glorified pastimes, form, abode of the Lord and same time He was well known for sankirtana, chanting, dancing, propagating holy name and relishing the holy name also. Hari Katha and Hari Nama go hand in hand. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who is siksastakam, He appeared to set example for all of us. So Lord’s own example is for all of us to practice.

Hare Krsna

29th June 2019

Ekadasi is review day for devotees

More than 1000 devotees form different places are chanting. We have people chanting from Canada, Australia, Russia etc. Seems like whole world is chanting with us, which is very inspirational. We can say confidently that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s prediction has come true, the holy name has reached so many towns and villages, all over the world.

As I said today is a very special day, today is Yogini ekadasi.

Every ekadasi has a name and there is a pastime related to it. So today is Yogini ekadasi, last one was Nirjala ekadasi and next one would be Sayani Ekadasi like that very ekadasi has its own mahatmya and significance.

Bhakti janani, this ekadasi is described as mother of devotion or the giver of the devotion. Also called

madhava-tithi, bhakti-janani, prema-latikara mula

Bhakti Vinoda Thakur has sung the glories of ekadasi like this. Ekadasi is mother of devotion and gives a bhakti lata or mula, source the seed of bhakti. So vaisnavas celebrate this ekadasi always and everywhere. Especially here in Pandharpur, ekadasi is celebrated. So, like that every ekadasi is a festival or utsava. It is a special occasion. It is not only for devotees of Vithhal, Panduranga, but for everyone. Not only devotees fast on ekadasi but they do a lot of chanting and hearing all day and all night.

I remember when I was just young boy, we use to have bhajan kirtana all night long, every ekadasi and till this date this goes on. Lot of singing chanting, reading, recitation of scriptures is done on this day, satsanga etc goes on this special day.

Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu also encouraged His mother to follow the ekadasi fasting and celebrations. I forgot every saturday we have devotees from Australia chant with us, at Prabhupada Quarters in Melbourne Australia. We also have been reminding you about what Srila Bhakti Vinoda Thakur has recommended on what to do on ekadasi. That is to review the performance of your sadhana bhakti, review from past two weeks, how did I perform? How was my chanting? How was my reading? How, were my other devotional services? So, this is time to review and make resolutions, in this area I am going to improve, this area I am going to do better. So ekadasi is that day and Bhakti Vinod Thakur wanted us to review our performance.

Avalokan and Simhavalokan, Simha means lion, the way lion reviews his performance, lion the king of the forest is going somewhere, he has some target some vision, he stops from time to time and looks around and see how far I have come and where I am right now and where I have to go. So Simha, the lion king of the forest is known for that whereas monkeys and jackals and other creatures don’t do such a thing, they go round and round up and down and here and there, they just keep wandering and jumping but the king of the forest the lion is known for his sinhavalokan. He reviews his performance so likewise we should also be following in the footsteps of the king of the forest.

So, I had been receiving communication and I know some of you are doing some sort of sinhavalokan and making decisions to improve your chanting and devotional service, which I appreciate very much. One chanter said or wrote to me, while chanting in past he use to have his mobile phone next to him and phone rang he rushed quickly to attend to that calls but now he has made up his mind not to do so anymore, not to answer the phone or may be lock it away somewhere during chanting and just concentrate on calling Krishna, this chanting of Hare Krishna is also calling Krishna, and not to interrupt this call by receiving some other calls on your mobile. So, this kind of review and decision is much appreciated.

I was in Vrindavan and I know some of you have joined Bhakti Sastri course with VIHE in Vrindavan, you should study sastra and you are taking this study of Srila Prabhupada’s books seriously. You have to improve your study of sastra, so this is also a very welcoming step. Of course, everyone may not be able to go to Vrindavan or Mayapur and do Bhakti Sastri but you could always study wherever you are, hearing and chanting has to be increased.

Two weeks from today, we will begin the Caturmasya so you can take some resolution or sankalpa to do some extra study of sastra during Caturmasya. One devotee mataji Lalita Madhava form Mayapur, she wrote to me that during chanting she use to mix her chanting with sleeping but now that is not happening more as she has taken a resolution of not sleeping while chanting. Or be attentive while chanting, so many of you or some of you can take some resolution if that applies to you, if you are too sleepy during your japa time.

Yet another devotee, Keshav prabhu’s son. He has sometime in the morning for spiritual sadhana, so he was utilising that time for deity worship or puja in his shop or his home but he has no time for chanting and he was chanting at night after closing his shop. So 9 pm he was beginning his chanting, we advised him and he has taken resolution to chant in the morning. We also told him that you don’t have to spend so much time in deity worship, this is not Dvapara yuga this is Kali yuga. In Dvapara yuga was the time for worshiping,

kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt

In Kali yuga you have to chant Hare Krishna. So, we asked him to minimise or cut worshipping deity worship time into half and chant for the rest of the half time in the morning itself and not leave all the chanting to be done in the evening. So, some improvements like that or settling the priorities.

So, like that I am just sharing some examples of reviews and improvement that devotees are undertaking to improve their sadhana, their services and chanting. So, each one of you on the day like this ekadasi review or have istagosthi with family and devotees at temple can have istagosthi and look over your activities in past few weeks. Identify your strengths and weaknesses and make changes accordingly for betterment of your Krishna consciousness.

So, review the past and improve in the future as it is already mentioned two weeks from today it will be Sayani ekadasi and Lord Vitthal gave me birth on this day or Ekadasi so there is a festival celebration planned at Pandharpur and I am looking forward to see many of you there. Those who have not made up their mind can consider and see if they can manage to join us of Sayani ekadasi festival and also inauguration of Srila Prabhupada ghat.

Ok so see you there. We will stop here and hopefully see you all soon in person.

Gaura Premanande hari haribol.

Lord is waiting in Pandharpur, the special feature the mood of Lord of Pandharpur Lord Panduranga Vitthal is He is waiting there to see the devotees, this is meeting with His devotees, that is all of us He is eagerly waiting for us with hands on His hips.

“kara kata vari theuniya”

He is eagerly awaiting arrival of His devotees. I just wanted to let you know that Pandharpur is such a place where Lord is waiting to take darsana of His devotees. So, we are inviting you to such a place, don’t keep the Lord waiting and let us full fill His wish to see His devotees.

See you there

Hare Krishna!