Venue: Guayana, Guayana Katha 2006 june 29 Srimad Bhagvatam  part-1

HARE KRISHNA (devotees replied slowly Hare Krishna, so
Maharaja saying) what happened? Louder Hare Krishna……… (Devotees saying Hare
Krishna loudly) “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare” (all devootees
repeated it) they didn’t have Prasad looks like (laughs) shortage today not eaten
Prasad “Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare” (all repeated with maharaja).  You remember that Dhundakari?  Who remembers Dundkari? Who was Dhundakari?
Did you here Dhundakaris name during this few last few sessions? Yes… someone
on stage someone from triny there Still remembers Dhundakari anyone else in the
audience?  Yes Gokarna’s brother, he Is
brother of Gokarna .

Every day as you heard this Katha of his  brother of Gokarna,  Dhundakari was, he was going higher and
higher  evolving in his consciousness, he
was cutting the bonds which everyone binds everyone of us is bound by the bonds
of  material existence he was cutting
them  & he was becoming liberated, so
what about us? What about are we moving forward, are we going higher? Yes, the
smoke is also going higher.  Thank you because
are numbers are increasing day by day a good sign, we want quantity and also
quality. Quantity is increasing we want quality of consciousness, purity of consciousness
“cheto darpana marjanam” (Siksastakam 1^st
verse)   this is the desired results of hearing this Bhagvatam
‘cheto darpanam marjanam’ – cleansing of the mirrors of consciousness “bhagvati
uttama sloke bhaktir bhavati naishtiki” and
developing Bhakti of Uttama slok Sri Krishna.

Bhakti is all that we care for, we are Bhaktas and if we did
Bhakti then we will achieve Bhagwan. This devotional service Bhakti in the form
of  sravanam, kirtanam that we are doing
here. Hearing Srimad Bhagvatam  is Bhakti,
“ sravanam, kirtanam, vishno smaranam, pada sevanam, archanam, vandanam,dasyam,
sakhyam, atmanivedanam”  there are  nine kinds of Bhakti described, mentioned by
Prahlad Maharaj in seventh canto of Srimad Bhagvatam. Nine kinds of Bhakti Navavidha
(nava – nine, vidha – kinds)  nine kinds
of Bhakti and in this list of nine kinds the first kind of Bhakti is sravan Bhakti
that you are sitting down  hear and you
are hearing, “sravanam” this is the first Bhakti, the beginning of Bhakti,
first thing first, you do not go anywhere,  you don’t make any progress in God
consciousness unless you sit down and you hear about Krishna or hear from
Krishna, from devotees of Sri Krishna this is where everything begins lessons
in Krishna consciousness. This is the great science very indepth, very intricate,
most ancient, most relevant science, also science of god, science of soul, so
why do you think without studying you would understand this science. To study
physics and chemistry or  medicine they
are spending  5 years 10, 20, 30 years
then they have some knowledge of some faculty and this science is even greater
science ‘adyatma vidya vidyanam’ the topmost science-“ raja-vidya raja-guhyam pavitram idam uttamam” (B.G  9.2 )

Uttamam- the best science is the science of Bhakti yoga, science
of soul and science of Supreme Soul certainly we have to take lessons “nityam
bhagvata sevaya”  daily lessons Srimad
Bhagavatam is recommending daily every day we should study Bhagvatam, hear Bhagvatam
from devotees of Krishna. At home also you could study, you see this Bhagvatam
so many volumes are there, written by Srila Vyasadev for our benefits please
make sure you have complete set of Bhagvatam at your home. In America I visited
so many homes and practically every homes I went to Hare Krishna devotees home,
Hare Krishna devotee, Hare Krishna congregational devotees homes they have set
of Bhagvatam Srila Prabhupad’s complete set of Bhagvatam they also have Tulasi
at home and they are worshipping Tulasi they have Altars at home, small temples
at home. So many families they do not eat first , first they serve Krishna,
feed Krishna and then it is their turn to honour Prasad, 100s & 100s of families
in America if not thousands of families local American residents born and
brought up in America this is their life, this is their culture now, this is
their future now. Srimad Bhagvatam, Bhagavad Gita is the guiding principle now,
they are all strictly vegetarian now and do not take intoxication they even
consider tea as mild one mild  intoxication, but yes it is but they don’t
compromise. No illicit connections outside marriage, no illegal connections
with men or women outside marriage, within marriage yes that is authorized
& no gambling,  no mental speculation,
these principles they are following very strictly.

Even in China could you imagine, even China devotees, they
are Chinese devotees, of course devotees  are devotees, devotee’s soul is a devotee, so  some souls are in Chinese bodies, some souls
are in Guianas bodies, Indian bodies, American bodies, black Negro bodies
although souls in different bodies, in different countries, different
continents they are becoming devotees of Sri Krishna, Sri Rama, Sri Krishna
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ki jai !! And their life’s are transforming they are
becoming civilized, finally becoming civilized. They mention that the highest
thought is Srimad Bhagvatam thought.  If
you want to be a thinker, highest thinker, think in terms of Bhagvatam or
Bhagvad gita, have input from Gita and Bhagvatam you will be, you will be the
best thinker, the topmost thinker of this world.

So by the grace of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu the
Krishna consciousness movement is also active here in Guayana. Bhaktivedanta
Swami Srila Prabhupada, the Founder – Srila Prabhupada ki jai!! I am kind of
confident or hopeful that you all know or have heard about Srila Prabhupad.  He travelled all the way from India to New
York in 65, 1965. He founded the Hare Krishna movement 40 years ago, this year
is the 40th anniversary in fact in july ISKCON will be 40 years old, 40th
anniversary we will be celebrating and in only  40 years Hare Krishna movement has reached far
& wide in 160 countries.

Hare Krishna movement
is active, Hare Krishna is the fastest growing religion in Former Soviet Union,
so that  Krishna consciousness movement
is also here,  it’s the purest form of
religion & consciousness. Krishna is in the centre we practice so that our
devotion unto the Lord would be revived,  this is what we teach also, this is what Krishna
teaches and He is the teacher “krishnam vande jagat gurum” He is the original
teacher, original Spiritual Master , Spiritual Master of the whole world.  His teachings as one learns and practices, he
develops love for the Lord so that that’s the idea behind this Bhagvat Katha
also, this is not a ritual for us this is devotional service unto Sri Krishna
for us that we perform here in the form of seven days Bhagvat Katha recitation
it is not a ritual, dry.  Its very lively
because we do not do it for “na dhanam
na janam na sundarim kavitamva jagad-ish kamaye, mama janmani janmanishware bhavatad
bhaktir ahaitukitvayi”   (Siksastakam 4^th
verse)

We do this not for  acquiring dhanam- acquiring some wealth or
janam- increasing are number of our followers or name, fame, glory, old story,
old old story, name-fame-glory that’s not the goal. Goal is to serve Krishna
“krsna prem pradayate” that is what Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has taught
this world & this is, this is all about this Hare Krishna movement is all
about ‘love for Krishna’ Krishna prem.
If you are feeling this Bhagvat yagna Bhagvat Katha in some different,
we are hearing some comments, OH!  nothing like this we had heard before, a new
kind of presentation or well we were hearing some comments, some appreciations
and I tell you that the difference is not that we are, the difference is Krishna
we are adding Krishna to this Bhagvat yagna or Krishna is in the centre of this
Bhagvat Yagna , we want to see everyone coming to this Bhagvat Yagna here
develop love for Krishna or know who they are, who Krishna is, what is their
relationship with Krishna.

5000 years ago also there were some karma kandas, karma
kandi  yagna was going on in one forest
and  Krishna & Balarama  were also not far from there & Krishna’s  friend
you know what happened?  That day
they did not bring their lunch packets from home they were in big hurry to go
to the forest with Sri Krishna but while they were hungry when it was lunch
time they were hungry they all approached Krishna, oh!  We are hungry! We are hungry oh! Krishna! You
are killer of big big demons could you please kill our hunger,  could you do something to have something to
eat and Lord Sri Krishna is the knower of everything, He knows everything  ‘abhigya swarat’ is the knower of everything
& is independent Supreme above everything all else He is above.

“Prakriti param ishwaram prakriti param” He is above, He said
friends some of you go, not far from here they are performing Yagna please go I
am sure and you tell that Krishna & Balarama are in the forest & they are
hungry please give something to eat.  So
the friends of Krishna and Balarama went, the cowherd boys went to Yagna shala
they offered their pranams, “pranam hey bhumi devaha” oh! Brahmanas, please
accept our namaskars , obeisances like that they were very humbly approaching Yagnashala
& these Yagnic Brahmanas but in fact these Brahmanis did not pay much
attention to these kids, these boys they thought they  were busy with big big affair here,  swaha! Oh!  Krishna is not far from here, swaha ! .
Because the whole goal of Yagna is to satisfy Krishna but this Yagnic Brahmins
performing Yagna they had forgotten what the goal is.

As soon as they had
heard from cowherd boys that Krishna is in nearby forest immediately they could
say, hey where is Krishna?  We want to
see him, we want to meet him, could you bring us to Krishna but they did not
care. Krishna is here not only Krishna is here, next thing they said oh! Krishna
is here & He is very hungry, swaha!  Oh!
He wants, could you give some fruit for
him swaha! Oh!  Something something to
eat, hey hey get out swaha! Go away swahaa! They were busy with swaha swaha!  they forgot what this Yagna is all about, what
is this for, Krishna is here He is, the fire is in tongue of the Lord He is
eating but now His invitation, or information that Krishna wants to personally
eat your offerings not indirectly through the fire but He would like put that
food on His tongue & would like to chew the food and He will be so
satisfied if you make offerings, give something Krishna to eat He has sent some
messengers, His friends . so this is the trouble this is the kind of trouble we
miss the point we do not remember what for some ceremony is being conducted
what for sacrifice is being performed for what is the goal of the pooja ? Why
should we go to place of pilgrimage? What should we do? What should be mood of
consciousness? So you are feeling happy with what we are doing here talking
here about Krishna. It’s the contribution of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu He
has taught this pure love of Godhead and that Krishna has a form not formless Krishna.
Oh! He exits but He’s formless no that is not Krishna that is just incomplete Krishna,
partial Krishna but full Krishna has a form, beautiful form & He has
qualities, He has activities, He has relationships, He has place his own abode
also where He stays all this is subject matter of Bhagvatam, so you recite
Bhagvatam recite Bhagvatam  & and
then make God formless then the purpose is defeated

‘Gopala nanda lala, Gopal,
is also subject matter of today’s presentation Krishna Gopal,  Krishna  the care takers of the cows. Krishna who
serves the cows,  he becomes the servant
of the cows, Krishna Govinda Govinda also means He pleases cows, one who
pleases cows,  one who endeavors to please
his cows that person is Govinda.  So
that’s why in our Vedic culture love cows, we  serve cows , we worship cows it’s the Brahmical
culture. So we study Bhagvatam we should be serving cows, loving cows, not
eating cows (sound of cow in the background)  just hear sweet sounding music best music
(sound of cow in the background)   Gomata ki jai! Cows around here.