Venue: Germany, Bhagvat saptha
I would like to thank all of you from core of my heart. We have come to Abhyanthair, (did I say it correct?)Someone said that meant the place of excitement, the place of adventure (is that the correct meaning also?). So certainly a forest, some devotees even lost their way (Maharaj laughs) so we got adventure to get here in midst of cold here. So, you are welcome to the lotus feet of Radha Madanmohan. He is attractor of the Madan, Madanmohan, He even bewilders, attracts Madan- cupid I don’t think we are going to call him stupid, cupid he is one of the Devatas- Kam I don’t think we should call him stupid. He is a devata, Kaamdev he is called Kamadev. He is a demigod, incharge of lust, Kamadev, Kamadevata. So, He not only attracts just one Kamadev but “Kandarpa koti kamaniya vishesh shobham”
His shobha, His beauty is amazingly wonderful that even kama, kama himself is very beautiful person. Kamadev is very beautiful person and he goes around with the arrow. Pushpa-baan, it’s called pushpa-banaya, he has a baan- arrow of the pushpas- flower arrow and he keeps shooting right into the heart. Especially he likes young heart. So he is beautiful and he has this arrow. So many fall prey to his arrows then become victims but here we have Madanmohan. So I think He’ll take care of all the madans, all the cupids. I just had this thought So that we could be peacefully, non-harassed, not harassed by anything. Place of adventure, Abhyanthair the forest. So everywhere I see trees here of course you have named already- Golokdham, also lots of trees Naimisharanya also, forest of Naimisharanya also has lots of trees. This is also like that.
We are far far away from the civilization; German civilization we don’t hear any sounds it’s like cave for us here we are in the cave. Leaving all else behind, we have come to the place of adventure, where there is a residence of Radha Madanmohan. He will protect us so that we could peacefully sleep. (I am seeing some eyes closing). People aspire for peace in the world I don’t know what their idea is? Once they have peace, so that they could peacefully eat. There is no one, so we could peacefully eat now, peacefully sleep, peacefully have sex life and peacefully fight. Eating, sleeping, matting and defending peacefully. However, as soon as devotee finds peaceful location immediately he wants to undergo Samadhi, going to samadhi. Oh! This is peaceful place for Samadhi oh! thisis peaceful place for “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare”. Oh! Peaceful place; let me study Bhagvatam here, its peaceful. So, we wish to take, i had not imagined that this place could be so peaceful. Very appropriate “yam, niyam, asana, pranayam”, asana is important. The situation is important. Before you go to Samadhi, which is the 8th ‘anga’, ashtanga, the 8th anga. The last part is Samadhi but in between there is ‘asan’. Asan means situation and it doesn’t even refer to Vyasasan but asan is what is all around. The whole thing becomes asan. If we take this asan and put right in front of Franklin Airport, that’s not asan. Although we have a asan seat. So, asan, there’s also sukhasan, padmasan there are different asans. For each asan you could sit for long time and there is no disturbance of any sort physical or mental. Then you are still not in asan, you have nice asan but mind is, you have not attained the asan .So certainly external circumstances are right asan – right situation.
And Radha Madanmohan on our side He will take care of subtle things, protect us from any mental harassment, so that we could concentrate on the best business of our life. Although we are not running around, business means run around like a rat, rat race then that could be described as a business. But infact this (hearing Bhagvatam) is the best business because in return you get all the wealth, you do all the business and you get wealth so this could be described as a transcendental business because you do get the profit and you get all the wealth, you get Krishna. We wish to get Krishna within our heart and He is Laxmipati, you not only get Laxmi but you get pati its very important
We have original idea of 7 days but as compromise we have planned to atleast do 7 presentations. In your advertisement, I was reading triaah’- saptaah, so, sapta traditionally in India its famous, so sapta means 7, aah means day, saptah means 7 days of Bhagvatam and you are advertising this as triaah- 3 days. Then I thought, some way we could at least have 7. In 3 days we do 7 sittings, presentations of Bhagvatam. So that is what is in our mind. Whatever, 2 sessions today, 3 tomorrow and 2 the third and the final day which is the day after. Anyway, the schedule it’s already on the board. By the time you come out you will see. So some are bit longer, some are by half an hour, one hour and longer sessions. But I think the shortest one is 2 hour, 2 to 3 hours. Even in India we do this, we have morning and evening 3 and half hours every day, for 7 days kind of marathon and this Bhagvat saptah tradition is quiet popular in India attracting lots of people.
In Bhagvat katha that maharaj mentioned, we used to get 3 to 5000 everyday. But when some other popular speakers speak, they get 100,000 or 200,000 or more. 200,000 persons sitting, of course not 7 days, 7 nights as was the case 5000 years ago but they have also couple of sessions each day. Although Prabhupad was, condemned kind of this Bhagvat saptah business because this it’s a business they were making it a business. We also describe this as a business, but we concluded how this is a transcendental business but the other speakers end up doing business, in the sense they want cash in hand. For each katha they do, there is a contract signed and a big sum they demand and they get for the katha that they recite. Not all of them, but many of them. So it’s a business transaction, money making or many of them. That’s one reason why Prabhupad was certainly and he couldn’t be against Bhagvatam. He’s not against Bhagvatam there is lots of recitation of Bhagvatam he has done. Why not? But the mentality, the attitude of the speaker then they would be not only professional wanting, making money. Also sahajiyas tendency of being sahajiyas and also wanting to run immediately to the 10th canto again those 5 chapters the 10th canto 29 through 33 “Rasa-panch adhyaya” 5 chapters dealing with Rasa dance. Adhyaya means chapters and rasa means dance and they would do some more things. They would become Krishna, make other Gopis and sentimental things or many other speakers are mayavadisor Demigod worshipers and on and on. For some of these reasons, Prabhupada used to talk against that Bhagvat business and Srila Prabhupad’s point is to be Nityam Bhagvat sevaya. Bhagvatam says “nityam Bhagvat sevaya” read Bhagvatam regularly.
So, we wish also to increase our liking attraction for Bhagvatam within these few days of hearing or whenever we do for 7 days so that people again on the 8th day also they would go for reading Bhagvatam or the 9th day and like that. Mainly because we get people on the name of Bhagvat Saptah people come in India. If you advertise something else they won’t come but as soon as you advertise there’s a Bhagvat Katha, Bhagvat Saptah, people just come running, rushing, going out of their ways, taking leave from business etc. For many of them this is pious activity to counteract the impious deeds which they perform. They also have deals. Strike a deal, also gets something. Always not love of God Head or getting Krishna in return but they do come, in a big number they come. So we just try to catch on that sentiment we advertise Bhagvat Katha. People come in thousands and we speak on behalf of Prabhupada and our parampara. Mayavad out, so many things out, just present “Bhagvatam-as it is” and distribute Bhagvatam also. Radha Govind Maharaj, our God brother is also very popular doing Bhagvat Katha and we also has tried 108 sets of Bhagvatam but on end of the 7th day presentation we distributed 108 sets of Bhagvatam or 51 sets of Bhagvatam and we succeed which such goals and other books also get distributed. People come, take darshan of the deities and ofcourse we get them to chant “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare”.
So purifying experience for them and that result in increasing our congregation. Whenever we do Katha in Pune and other places also from that time onwards our sunday guests and other’s number increase. People who normally do not come to Iskcon Temple for whatever reason they come by hearing oh! there’s a Bhagvat Katha in Hare Krishna temple. Once they come, they get hooked and so, there are many transcendental tricks and advantages involved with this Bhagvat and Srila Prabhupad asked his discple Yashomati Nandan prabhu from Gujarat, why don’t you do Bhagvat Katha. (maharaj says) I don’t know word to word but he said; so it implies he (Prabhupada) wasn’t against Bhagvat for 7 days if it is done in our way. So lots of devotees are doing and I have also started doing it (Maharaj laughs) . We just had a nice katha in Los Angeles last month. But we wish not to have any other motivation other than glorifying the Lord and present Bhagvatam in pure form as we have been trained by His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivendanta Swami Srila Prabhupad and goal is “shranvatha svakatha Krishna punya shravana kirtan”. Certainly this is punya the most auspicious thing is to shranvatha svakatha krishna, Krishna Katha you hear and this is the most pious deed that you will be performing. The outcome is “rudyandhashtohi abhadrani vidhuni surutsatam”.
Srimad Bhagvatam topics will enter our hearts if we hear shradhhaya; with faith we hear, with attention we hear. Allow Bhagvatam to reach our heart. Not like it enters through one ear and out through the other one. “Ikdun tikdun jae vare”; there’s a saying in Marathi. If a pipe you have and blow from one end and it goes out through the other end. So this too going like that? No…..to the heart. Rudyandashtohi- destination is rhiday-heart. “Sarvasy caham hrdi sannivisto” (B.G 15.15) not only Lord is residing there but we also reside in the heart. According to Upanishad, the body is described as a tree and there are 2 birds residing in that tree one is us atma- anuatma, other one is vibhuatma the paramatma, so, as Bhagvatam topics enter our heart, reach our heart that is where Bhagvatam which is Lord which is incarnation of the Lord or Bhagvatam is past times of the Lord, qualities of the Lord, activities of the Lord, form of the Lord is also described, Dham of the Lord. So, this is all Bhagvatam is the Lord, His topics or different features of personality of Godhead to enter the heart and meet the soul. The meeting between soul and the Lord takes place there. Bhagvatam is Lord and the living entity so they meet. There’s an union, yoga, link and with that meeting everything works out. So Hearing Bhagvatam is meeting the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Of course the same thing could be said about the Holy Name and the Holy form and deity form and Holy prasad, that we know, very tasty. We have full realization that this must be Lord, sweet, delicious. Is Bhagvatam equally or more delicious than prasad? Have you relished like that? We eat sweet rice and right there we could taste the sweetness of the Lord and when we hear Bhagvatam when we oh! this is so sweet, nectarian. Then we could understand yes some abhadrani inauspicious things now getting rid off and meeting with the Lord. Because in India when we do this if we have lots of time sometimes we spend one session just talking about Srimad Bhagvat Mahatmya. The greatness of Bhagvatam which is already there. Throughout Bhagvatam you see here the greatness of Bhagvatam, how Bhagvatam is great scripture, very special. The dialouge between Naradmuni and Srila Vyas Dev, 1st canto 4th, 5th, 6th like that 7 chapters. This is meant to establish the supremacy of Bhagvatam over all the scriptures. Beginning of Bhagvatam says
“nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam shuka-mukhad amrita-drava-samyutam
pibata bhagavatam rasam alayam muhur aho rasika bhuvi bhavukah (S.B. 1.1.3)
That nigam kalpa taru- taru –vacha kalpa taru what is taru? taru means what? Tree. I am going to be using lot of sanskrit words here next 3 days. I know gaurangi doesn’t like so much of you prefer english ok. This means some kind of going to the original language of the soul. Certainly it’s not German or English or Dutch , Dutch is a name of language? No.. so, soul’s language is Sanskrit language. So we’ll be using. I’ll try to explain some words, the meaning of it. So much deeper meaning, you can’t sometimes find the equivalent for the sanskrit words. You could say something in some language like religion is not exactly the translation of dharma, dharma explains much more than the religion but that’s the best you could translate religion.
So, nigam-kalpa-taror; taror means tree so it says nigam-kalpa, nigam-kalpa means all the vedic literatures means Vedas, the Puranas, Upanishads, Vedantsutra, Mahabharat, this is all tree, nigam-kalpa-taror. Bhagvatam says kalpa-taror, taror- of this tree, this this this this….. all these scriptures put together is a Vedic tree and of that tree kalpa-taror galitam phalam- the ripened fruit of this tree is this Bhagvatam. Do you get that? All the other scriptures is a tree but Bhagvatam is a fruit and that too galitam, galitam means about to drop naturally so ripe, it is ready to come down. So what is most important thing in the whole tree. What is the most desirable thing to get from the tree? is what? Is a fruit. Ofcourse you could enjoy the beauty of that tree, oh! how nice are the leaves and how nice is a flower, this is nice but unless you relish the fruit what good is…so many trees are condemned they don’t give any fruit. So in the very beginning in the 3rd verse of Bhagvatam says that all other vedic texts complied by Vyas Dev is just the tree but Bhagvatam is a fruit and ripe fruit and not only that shuka-mukhad amrita-drava-samyutam, that this fruit has been touched by the beak of a parrot called shuka, shuka means parrot also, so he has tasted. First of all its ripe and the first one to taste Bhagvatam was Sukadeva Gosvami and shuka- Sukadeva Gosvami mukhad- from his mouth amrita is emanating and then he says pibata Bhagavatam- please drink this Bhagvatam, easy to remember. What do you do with the Bhagvatam? I think things are easy to drink than eat; khichdi eat and chew and so much, you would rather just drink. Things which you drink is much easier, you have to chew everything so it doesn’t says eat Bhagvatam says what? Drink Bhagvatam. It is also made into especially if you are little child or you are not a healthy person then you are meant to drink things not eat. So we are also like sick fellows, bhava roga- we have disease, sick we are, bhava- this world makes us sick. So there’s an appeal that pibata Bhagavatam rasam alayam- so much rasa here. rasika bhuvi bhavukah- this appeal is to those who are rasikas’. Rasik, you must be some kind of rasiks that you have come all the way Germany, here there, France. So to come all the way from there to here you have approved you are some kind of rasik, one who likes rasa is called rasik, oh! he is rasik bhakta. Means he likes rasa, he likes juice transcendently juicy things is his preference. So, Bhagvatam is for rasikas’ or to increase our appetite so that we end up becoming rasikas’ it’s for both for sadhakas and for rasikas. Sadhak is also some kind of rasik. So by hearing and hearing muhur aho rasika, muhur means again and again. Muhur aho- muhur aho oh!…………….O rasikas you drink this Bhagvatam again and again. This is the very beginning. So, those kind of statements are throughout Bhagvatam, glorifying Bhagvatam. Besides such glories throughout Bhagvatam Srila Vyas Dev also has compiled something called Srila Bhagvat Mahatmya in 5 chapters of Padma puran and Uttarakhanda Srimad Bhagvat Mahatme shravan vidhi kathanam naam shastho adhyayah. There are 6 chapters so that part in itself is also very very interesting but because we don’t have time. Sachitanada rupaya, begins with such beautiful prayer,
“sachitanada roopaya vishwa patyadi hetavetapatravinashaya shree Krishnaya vayam numah”
I offer my most humble obeisance’s unto Sri Krishna. He doesn’t says I offer, vayam numah vayam means us. He doesn’t says aham, he says vayam. Vayam means all of us together plural in number vayam numah let us all offer our obeisance’s. We are about to study, recite Bhagvatam, so let us all offer our obeisance’s Shree Krishnaya- unto Shree Krishna, Madanmohanaya- unto Madanmohan. Madanmohanaya vayam numah, we all assemble here; offer our most humble obeisance’s at the feet of Madanmohan. Madanmohan ki Jai ! Sachitananda roopaya- His roop is sachitananda and He is incharge of creation, maintenance and destruction and he has his manifestations and then tapatravinashaya, and that Lord who He does vinash- destruction, destroys…why we want to offer obeisance’s? you must be somebody and there’s some benefit, just by saying this ‘O! Lord, you are destroyer of what? tapatraya, miseries of three kinds, adhyatamika, adhibhautika, adhideyvika. tapatrayavinashaya- you are that kind of great personality so please accept our obeisance’s.
This Mahatmya is a dialouge between Saunak rishi and Sukadeva Gosvami . Sukadeva Gosvami is recitor of this Srimad Bhagvatam and as we recite so many personalities come into the picture and Narad muni is there, Bhakti devi is there, Gyan Vairagya is there, four Kumarars recite Bhagvatam. At the end of the 6 chapters, Saunak muni he asked, “O could you please tell us how many times this Bhagvatam has been recited prior to?” They were doing in Naimisharanya. Sukadeva Gosvami states 3 times and he said the first time Bhagvatam was recited was when the Kaliyuga was 30 years old and when Krishna left the planet; He was here for 125 years and Krishna left the planet and then taddinat kaliradaya from then that was the beginning, 1st day of Kaliyug and then what happened, kalaunashta drashamesham, people lost the eyesight because Lord was no more. Krishna surya sam, Krishna is like the sun, is no more in the scene. So total darkness people couldn’t see. Then what happened… Lord arranged puran arka uditah – then the Bhagvatam which is brilliant like sun appeared on the scene, the horizon. There’s also glory of Bhagvatam. So Bhagvatam appeared in the beginning in the age of Kali Srila Vyasdev compiled and so 30 years after the Lord’s departure from this planet at that time Sukadeva Gosvami recited this Bhagvatam and then like that 200 later there was a Bhagvatam recited for Gokarna and Dhundakari, they were both brothers, very interesting story and then that took place in South India central South India and then the 3rd one was on the bank of Ganga in Haridwar and the recitors were the 4 kumarars and this recitation was for the benefit of Bhaktidevi and Gyan and Vairagya who are the sons of Bhaktidevi, for rejuvenation for revival of their status, so it is mentioned that this 3 famous Bhagvatam were recited in the beginning of the age of Kali.
This is how it started and it’s going on and on and when this Bhagvatam was recited on the bank of Ganga, the speakers were 4 kumarars and everyone was there in attendance. And then Lord also appeared and all devotees were doing kirtan, Pralad Maharaj was playing kartal and udhhav was playing bumbers, Veena dhari sudarshi and Narad muni appeared, he had his Veena and Arjun was ( Maharaj sings……..aa……..) raag karta arjuno abhut; alap its called; singing is there so he is also expert then Indra, he was playing the drum, he is very expert, Indrovadim mrudungam and Sukadeva Gosvami was also present. He was bhavavakta, he was expressing different emotions and feelings corresponding the songs that they were singing and when this kirtan was going on then everyone was dancing, Bhaktidevi, Gyan, Vairagya also started dancing. They were on very weak situation, almost ready to depart, last breath of Gyan and Vairagya so Bhaktidevi was concerned, what to do what to do? How to revive? Bhakti Gyan Vairagya and it was recommended yes they should listen to the Bhagvat Katha and then Bhagvat Katha was recited and they heard it for 7 days, they became full of strength, spiritual strength so before they were just lying, literally dragged and lifted, brought to the place where Bhagvatam was to be recited but as they heard Bhagvatam for 7 days, at the end they were dancing like peacocks. Lord’s presence was there.
All the assembled devotees, they begged of one boon from the Lord, “My dear Lord, could you please that whenever there is recitation of Bhagvatam could you also be present as you are present now could you be present?” and Lord said, “Tathastu” so be it- Lord promised. So, we also expect we have some kind of Bhagvatam recitation going on here and of course we have Radha Madanmohan we will feel their presence more strongly as we go through recitation of this Bhagvatam. There’s a whole chapter, Sukadeva Gosvami, infact 4 kumarars were talking the whole vidhi, the process, do’s and don’ts during this Bhagvat Katha and who to invite and what should be the wording of the invitation that you send around and who should sit where and proper accommodations and Prasadam has to be arranged and the guests coming from nearby countries, they have to be worshipped properly and taken care of as if the Gods have come and funds are required. Very 1st thing mentioned is you raise funds. Just like when there is a marriage of your daughter, you really go out of your way, somehow you raise funds money to get your daughter married, money is required. So likewise for Bhagvat Katha you raise funds, that’s the 1st item in this chapter and many more things, what kind of speaker, his qualifications “virakto vaishnavo vipro vedashastra vishudhhikrut” he should be renounced, he should be vaishnav, he should be learned and like that few other things. Lot of times, the present day Bhagvat speakers doesn’t meet these conditions. They are not renounced, they are not Vaishnavs, they don’t have parampara connection, they just anybody everybody and about eating also falaharena, some do complete fast for 7 days that’s one way. Anyone here?(Maharaj asks the audience) that’s what the Sukadeva Gosvami was reciting Srimad Bhagvatam that was their program just eat some air and drink some air and breath some air, just air all the way and as a result your stomach is empty difficult to sleep, as soon as your belly is full, you sleep and when you eat and drink so many bodily demands you have to take care, run here and there taking care of the body. They have no difficulty because they are not putting anything in, there’s no input no output. So it’s easy, so if you can’t do that it just says there “malamutra jayartham hi laghva ahar sukhavah in the words of 4 kumarars they say, malamutra jayartham mala means stool jayat- in order to conquer this, you do go for laghva ahar, ahar-eat, we have to eat but laghu ahar, one is laghu one is guru, when your plate has a Govardhan hill on your plate there is laghu or Guru? There’s Guru… Guru means heavy. So one is heavy, that’s Guru. The other one is Laghu, laghu- ahar , laghva-ahar or you could do phala-ahar mentioned here and following bhramhachari during those days and it also says kathavrati, kathavrat is also vrat, there are so many vows, brhamchari vrat, ekadashi vrat, vrat means vows. So those who come with idea of hearing Bhagvatam for 7 days or in this case here 7 times in 3 days. kathavrati, kathavrat and one who takes this vow I am going to listen to this Bhgavatam, you take vow that’s a sankalpa kathavrati. So kathavrati, he stays away from, he tries to avoid
“kamam krodham madam manam mastaram lobaham aevacha dambham moham”
Like that, all the bad qualities. Try to live like a pure devotee to your best. You are free from kama, lust and anger and pride and envy and these things which is you know, harder task, harder than the fasting. What’s happening? Am I missing something? Ok, I got it. So that was a negative side, give up this give up that and then try to cultivate ‘satyam saucham dayam maunam arjavam vinayam tatha” the truthfulness cleanliness kindness during this Bhagvat recitation. Maunam means either no talk or very little talk only when it is necessary maunam arjavam vinayam- humilating. Udarmanasam- charitable or magnanimous, kuryat kathavrati. So these are some of the expectations. Quite detailed guideline here and then “jaya shabdam namah shabdam shankha shabdam chakarayet”
During Bhagvatam, there is lot of Jay! Jay! Jai ho! Appreciation of different things. Namahshabdam- pranam pranam! namaskar namaskar! obeisance’s. The audience so many times, they keep offering the obeisance’s. The speaker talks about offering obeisance’s to Madanmohan. As soon as this is said by the speaker, the audience what do they do? Speaker says lets offer obeisance’s. Vyasdev offers obeisance’s to Narada muni immediately. So being in the mood, being absorbed and kind of entering the past time that way. It’s not just floating at the surface on the water but diving deeper and then naturally, jaya shabdam namah shabdam shankha shabdam the blowing of conch shells and these things are there. So this is Srimad Bhagvatam and so many nice things. Srimad Bhagvatam is compared, Maharaj was describing how as Krishna Katha enters our heart then other fellow’s thieves and blunderers they become full feared they leave the heart. Likewise there is something else said here in the Bhagvatam that Srimad Bhagvatam is like a peacock and all these bad qualities are like a snake. So as soon as Bhagvatam is recited, it’s like a peacock is dancing and where there is peacock, what happens to the snake? Snakes are always scared of the peacocks, as soon as they see peacock dancing, they make their way out, they go away. So Bhagvatam is recited. “Kaala vyaala mukha grasa trasa nirnasha hitave”
Kaal- time, time factor, bad times, kaliyuga times compared with big snake, vyaal- snake and it has a mukha- mouth and grasa- gobble you. So you will be relieved this snake shut up the mouth, close the mouth and just go away. “nirnash hitave Srimad Bhagvatam Shastram kalau kiren bhasitam”
So that is why it says savadhana tayashrunu- please listen to this Bhagvatam. Savadhana taya- carefully and the examples we have of listeners of Bhagvatam, Parikshit Maharaj also, Saunak muni, what kind of saunak…kathamritras aswadan kushalah- Saunak muni is described as someone very expert, kushal means expert. Shaunakah kushalah- very expert in what? His expertise was in katha amritras aswad kushalah, rasa, first of all, katha amrit rasa, aswad means drinking prtikshan aswadan lolupashya vande gurau sricharana ravindam, so what we are doing, we are just following the footsteps of the acharyas which we worship. Vande guroh sri caranaravindam- we worship their lotus feet, why? Because they are known for prati ksanasvadana lolupasya- they have become addicted to what? Asvadan- drinking, relishing and How much? How often? pratikshana- at every step they are drinking, they have become drunkards kushala so like vise Saunak muni also described as katha armit rasa svad kushalah- very expert very smart in relishing, drinking the Bhagvat Katha. Sutaksha hi katha saram mama karna rasayanam, that is a right kind of nectar, solution for the karnas- the ears. So ears are decorated when ears hear Krishna Katha. Earings are not the decorations of the ears, decoration of the ears is Katha. Shravanam Krishna Katha namamrit aswadan these are the decorations. So let us make our ears decorative, decorate our ears by hearing this Bhagvatam.
“Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare HareHare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare”
Having said that we want to do kirtan for few minutes. So we will be starting, let me just introduce this and then kirtan few mintues. We wish to; if you have not heard the announcement in that regard we would like to hear story of Ajamila, technically they call Ajamila Upakhyan, it is there in the first 3 chapters of 6th canto of Bhagvatam. So we in our next session, we want to divide those 3 chapters in 7 parts which already have divided and decided in which how many shlokas or texts we do in each session, we will be doing, dealing with 15 to 20 verses. Normally nityam Bhagvatam sevaya we do one verse a day or sometimes a couple. In Bhagvat Saptah in India they do 18,000 verses, 12 cantos in 7 days. They kind of run through it or we also, I do much bigger sections summarize them in story form or linking but we’ll be only dealing with 3 chapters and 15 to 20 verses of Ajamila story which glorifies the Holy name of the Lord with example, example is you want proof? The proof is the life or the story of Ajamila, proof for what? The greatness of the Holy Name, ohh! Holy Name could be that important, is that great the Holy Name? Yes yes it is but could you recite some example? The example is Jagai Madhai and tarasakshi Jagai Madhai.
“deena hina yat chila hari naame udharilo tarasakshi jagai madhai”.
Deena- means poor. Din means day, dinkarma means the day is sun, dinkarma, so dina hina, hina-fallen yata chilo, hari naame udhharilo- what does Hari Naam do?…udhhar. That person would be elevated, fallen, poor, in conscious, that person will be lifted by what? Hari name udhharilo. Tarasakshi- the witness, the example, so that is gaudiya vaishnav example, there could be so many examples. There was also Valmiki rishi, he was big robber, thief and what not, Narad muni asked him to chant what? Ram, he asked him to chant Ram, but he was so sinful that he was not able to chant Ram he was chanting mara so sinful and in the beginning when we are bhaktas, remember when your 1st day when you came to Hare Krishna you were asked to chant Hare Hare , you struggle in saying Hare Hare ………ha…ha…….. Remember your 1st day, 1st time you or you were just listening to the Harinam party and you couldn’t figure it out what they are singing you heard it for half hour, you still don’t know what they are singing. When asked to chant Hare Krishna, you struggle. No training, no purification, can’t say the name properly. So that was the case with Valmiki, the compiler of Ramayan, he was very sinful, so he was asked to chant Ram but he was chanting mara mara mara…………………. ram ram ram. Starts with mara, gradually as he keeps chanting, he gets better. So goal is never stop, go on. Keep chanting. So, so many examples. So, the Bhagvatam gives examples, Sukhdev Goswami is giving example of Ajamila to glorify the Holy Name Harinam mahatmya, it’s a nice word. As soon as people go to Holy place, first they say mahatmya, they go to the book shop, is Vrindavan Mahatmya available? Mahatmya chahiye, Mahatmya, we want Mahatmya. Every place has its mahatmya, a book, guide book glorifying that mahatmya. So whether it’s a Dhama Mahatmya or Bhagvat Mahatmya or Harinam mahatmya, Mahatmya is greatness of different things. So these 3 chapters are describing Harinam Mahatmya. What is it describing? What? Harinam mahatmya.