Keeping the spirit alive
Kirtan 125 hours
ISKCON Soho Street, London
28th March 2021.

Is about to happen. The time is getting closer and closer, the sun is getting ready to set and the moon is going to be rising very soon also. So that was happening 535 years ago. The only difference I would say, the moon was not going to show its face. And the excuse was the moon eclipse. It was Chandra grahan, moon eclipse day.

As a result when there is a moon eclipse, sun eclipse, people run to holy places. They run to Ganga, Yamuna maiya ki Jai. And then they take holy dip there. So that is what was happening 535 years ago on this day, this time and all those who were taking holy dip in Ganga, in Navadwip, not far from Mayapur, Yogapith. They were all busy doing what? They were all chanting,

“Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare,
Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare”.

Lord was very kind. Chaitanya Bhagvat describes that, even sinful people, impious beings, human beings. They were all also running, rushing to Navadwip, to Ganga, to take holy dip and they were also made to chant the holy name. This is unusual and this was because of the causeless mercy of Gauranga Mahaprabhu.

So this way, Lord appeared in the form of the holy name before His own appearance. His appearance at sunset or moonrise, but He appeared in the form of,

“kali-kale nama rupe krsna avatar”

Krishna took avatar in the form of His holy name. So then, of course after Gauranga appeared and so many hundreds of years passed by and the holy name was not spreading as per prediction of Gauranga, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had predicted,

“Prithvite ache yata nagaradi grama sarvatra prachara haibe mora nama”

And everyone was worrying what is happening? Why is prediction of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is not coming true?

Gauranga was waiting for Senapati Bhakta.

Srila Prabhupada ki Jai

Srila Prabhupada appeared and then 1922, Prabhupada received instructions from his Guru maharaja” Go to the west and propagate Krishna Consciousness”, which included spread the holy name all over. So that is what Srila Prabhupada very successfully did. So the holy name, Hare Krishna Mahamantra ki Jai.

patita pavan Gauranga Mahaprabhu ki Jai

And specially Srila Prabhupada ki Jai, who propagated the holy name all over. He brought the holy name to England also, to London also, to New York also, to Tokyo also and all over. So this year, 2021 is a very special year. We are celebrating 125th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s birth or appearance year, this anniversary. And I’m very happy, very jubilant that Soho street ISKCON, Prabhupada’s ISKCON Soho street. Srila Prabhupada installed Radha Londoneshwar himself, the first deities that Prabhupada installed, so that temple is in honor of Srila Prabhupada, as an offering to Srila Prabhupada on the occasion of 125th birth anniversary. You have organised his 125 hour kirtan.

So this wonderful initiative, very inspirational and from that time you’ve announced your offering of 125 hours kirtan. Many others are stepping forward. I just received news from Mauritius, they also want to organize 125 hours kirtan and this temple and that temple and there’s going to be a lot of competition.

So congratulations team, there, for this 125 hour. I think you will announce that or they already know. So, I think every weekend or something like that you going to be chanting for so many hours and finally there will be grand total of 125 hours of kirtan. And you are engaging ISKCON’s Kirtan Minister to inaugurate this wonderful initiative. Of course I like kirtan, I love kirtan, so I will go for it. So all participants please chant with us and that way today. Today we are celebrating Gaura Purnima Mahotsav also, as we do this chanting of,

“ Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare,
Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare”.

So Gauranga Mahaprabhu has kindly, I’m just remembering that today is birthday of Nimai, Nimai, Nimaiii. Sacimata’s Nimai was born today and you know normally when you go, visit the newly born baby, you go there with some gifts, right, birthday gifts. So today, ya sure, that day 535 years ago, there were lots of visitors and they were bringing gifts but I wanted to point out that Mahaprabhu for sure, he was giving gift to all of them and that was the holy name. And that was and is and will remain as a best gift. So what is this Hare krishna Hare Krishna. Okay, Lord gave the gift of the holy name. So what did he really give. He gave Himself to us, to this world. Holy name is non-different from him, from the Lord. “abhinnatvat nama namino”.

So , he is so very kind, that right now, right here, Gauranga Mahaprabhu is handing out this gift for all those who are assembled and are tuned in. Please accept the gift of the holy name on occasion of Gauranga Mahaprabhu’s birthday or Gaura Purnima festival. Okay, so, I know you’re going to relish this gift, enjoy this gift. So chant Hare Krishna and what? Be happy. So we wanted to see you happy, god wanted to see you happy, Srila Prabhupada wanted all of us to be happy, so please chant Hare Krishna and be happy. And also you please distribute, share this gift with others. It is Gauranga Mahaprabhu’s mission, then Prabhupada made it as his mission, continuous mission of spreading the holy name to more towns, more villages.

I was just thinking to, maybe, that to bring holy name to more towns, more villages personally. You don’t have to walk or do padayatra or busyatra. Now you could bring holy name to more towns, more villages through this internet.

Hare Krishna. So right now, I’m sure the holy name is going to be reaching towns and villages. And you also get ready. singing, chanting. Socializing is not good. So we are spiritualising this social media by chanting holy names of the lord and broadcasting his holy names of the Lord far and wide. So please join us and in the beginning we want to chant or sing.

Kirtan starts.