Date: 1 Jan 2017

All glories to the assembled devotees.

nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine
nirvisesha-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine

Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Prabhupada introduced Caitanya Mahaprabhu to the whole world; Caitanya Mahaprabhu is a chhanna or secret avatar. He does not reveal that He is Lord Krsna. This is described in the Bhagavatam. He is the Lord, but plays the role of a devotee in order to teach the whole world. He is going to teach bhakti to the whole world. Whenever Kali-yuga comes, then every time there is harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam. This is the programming of Brahmanda and the arrangement of the Lord.

It was easy for Sukadeva Goswami to say, “Oh king, Parikshit Maharaja, this kali is full of faults.”

kaler dosa-nidhe rajann: asti hy eko mahan gunah
kirtanad eva krsnasya: mukta-sangah param vrajet

One can go to the supreme planet (param vrajet) simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra. This is especially meant for the people of this age (kaler dosa-nidhe). It is the special advantage of this age that simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mahamantra one can become purified of all material contamination and return home, back to Godhead. There is no doubt about this.

We will be free from Maya by doing kirtana. Is Sukadeva Goswami any astrologer? He knows this concept that if Kali comes, Harinama is the only solution.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu did kirtana and established dharma in Kali-yuga. And that work was taken forward by Prabhupada by establishing ISKCON. Caitanya Mahaprabhu only did kirtana in Bharatvarsa, but what about preaching outside India? So Prabhupada said that Mahaprabhu has left it to the ISKCON devotees. In Caitanya Mangal, Lochan Das Thakur says mora senapati bhakta will come and preach the harinama sankirtana in the whole world. That senapti bhakta is none other than Srila Prabhupada. The whole world is experiencing the results of Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON. This song which we will sing is about Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We will sing and as you hear and sing, if you hear very attentively you will understand.

This song describes the kirtana of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

sundara-bala saci-dulala
nacata sri-hari-kirtana men
bhale candana tilaka manohara
alaka sobhe kapolana men

om namo bhagvate vasudevya

I welcome you all. It is Sunday and it is also New Year. The Bible says that the Lord was creating the material world for 6 days and then on the last day He rested. So we also rest on one day and that day is Sunday. But you are making that holiday into a Holyday. Prabhupada is a holy man who gave us holy Sastra and holy prasada. Bhagavat katha is going on here as well as Srila Prabhupada kathamrita mahotsava. Every day we discuss different topics. His katha is related to the Lord, so that’s also Bhagavat. There are just two more days left.

Today we will talk about Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Prabhupada, how Caitanya Mahaprabhu guided Prabhupada. The whole world knows Ram katha, but they don’t know that Krsna came as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In 1486, 530 years back, Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared. Nobody knew the purpose of His appearance. Only a few people in Bengal knew. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has predicted, prithivite ache yata nagaradi gram, sarvatra prachar hoibe mora nama – in as many towns and villages as there are on the surface of the earth, My holy name will be preached. (Caitanya Bhagavata)

That means His name will reach all nagars (cities) and grams (villages) on the earth. Then the Lord disappeared. 450 years had passed, but nothing related to the prediction happened. Harinama was just continuing in a few places in Bengal.

Then Prabhupada was ordered to preach Bhagavat dharma in the West. He went in 1965. The first public program was in Tomkins Park. Slowly it spread to more than 108 countries. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s prediction came to fruition. I am not saying that harinama has spread to every town and village, but it has spread to most of the towns and villages. Our Senapati Bhakta proved the truth in Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s prediction.

Prabhupada is a Guru from a bonafide disciplic succession – Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya. We find a list of the complete disciplic succession of the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya, beginning with Lord Sri Krsna, up to and including the current Sampradaya Acarya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada.

Bhaktivinoda Thakur had also said a devotee will come who will preach the holy name all over the world without distinction of caste and creed. When Prabhupada was born in 1896 on Nandotsava, the astrologer had predicted that he will became a great sannyasi and at the age of 70 will go abroad and build more than 108 temples.

There are some slokas describing that Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Lord Krsna Himself.

asan varnas trayo hy asya grhnato ’nuyugam tanuh
suklo raktas tatha pita idanim krsnatam gatah(SB 10.8.13)

When Gargacarya was naming Krsna Balaram he said to Nanda Maharaja, “Your son Krsna appears as an incarnation in every millennium. In the past, He assumed three different colors — white, red and yellow — and now He has appeared in a blackish color.”

In Kali-yuga Lord will come as pita varna (yellow form).

suvarna-varno hemango varangas-candanangadi
sannyasa-krc chamah santo nistha-santi-parayanah (CC Adi Lila 3.49)

“In His early pastimes He appears as a householder with a golden complexion. His limbs are beautiful, and His body, smeared with the pulp of sandalwood, seems like molten gold. In His later pastimes He accepts the sannyasa order, and He is equipoised and peaceful. He is the highest abode of peace and devotion, for He silences the impersonalist non devotees.”

krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam
yajñaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah (SB 11.5.32)

In the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Krsna. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krsna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions.

aham eva kvacid Brahman sannyasasramam asritah
hari-bhakti grahayami kalau papa-hatan naran

“O learned brahmana, sometimes I accept the renounced order of life to induce the fallen people of the Age of Kali to accept devotional service to the Lord.”

I will take away people’s papa budhi (sinful intelligence) by taking sannyasa . This has all happened.

The Aharveda Caitanya Upanishad says:

janavitire navadvipe golokahe dhami govinde

Lord Govinda from Goloka will appear at the bank of Jhanavi (Ganga).

In the Adi-Puran and in the Narada Puran, the Supreme Person says:

aham eva dvija-srestho nityam pracchanna-vigrahah
bhagavad-bhakta-rupena lokam raksami sarvada

I shall advent in the form of a Brahmana devotee [aham eva dvija-srestho] and I shall hide my factual identity [prachanna vigrahah]. I shall deliver all the worlds [lokam raksami sarvada]

In the Garuda-Purana, the Supreme Lord says:
aham purno bhavisyami yuga-sandhyau visesatah
mayapure navadvipe bhavisyami sachi sutah

I will take birth as the son of Saci [bhavisyami sachi sutah], in Navadvip-Mayapur [mayapure navadvipe]. I will come in my complete spiritual form in the first part of Kali-Yuga.

I will stay at Jagannatha Puri after sannyasa. I will become Laxmikanta, two wives Laxmipriya and Visnupriya. So He is called Laxmipati.

Nrsimha Purana says Gopal will become Gauranga in Kali-Yuga and He will like sankirtana.

Bhavisya Purana says. When He will do kirtana, He will have tears in His eyes.

Vayupuran Purana says – I will begin sankirtana and my complexion will be golden, so I will be called Gauranga. At the bank of the Ganga I will appear.

golokam ca parityajya, lokanam trana-karanat;
kalau gauranga-rupena, lila-lavanya-vigrahah.
In the Markandeya Purana, the Supreme Lord declares:

“In the Kali-yuga I will give up My own eternal abode Goloka Vrndavana, and I will assume the form of the most handsome and playful Lord Gauranga to rescue all the living entities in the universe.”

There is no need for any mental speculation. It is all written in black and white and explained in the Sastras.

radha krsna-pranaya-vikrtir hladini saktir asmad
ekatmanav api bhuvi pura deha-bhedam gatau tau
caitanyakhyam prakatam adhuna tad-dvayam caikyam aptam
radha-bhava-dyuti-suvalitam naumi krsna-svarupam (CC Adi 1.5)

Radha-Krsna is one. Radha-Krsna is Krsna and Krsna’s pleasure potency combined. When Krsna exhibits His pleasure potency, He appears to be two— Radha and Krsna. Otherwise, Radha and Krsna are one. This oneness may be perceived by advanced devotees through the grace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This was the case with Ramananda Raya. One may aspire to attain such a position, but one should not try to imitate the maha-bhagavata.

He gives darsana as Radha and Krsna to Ramananda Raya.

namo maha-vadanyaya krishna-prema-pradaya te
krishnaya krishna-chaitanya- namne gaura-tvishe namah

O most munificent incarnation! You are Krsna Himself appearing as Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Srimati Radharani, and You are widely distributing pure love of Krsna. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.

So it was Srila Prabhupada who introduced and presented such a Lord Caitanya to the whole world.

om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah.

Prabhupada performed our eye operation and gave us darsana of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

My God brother HH Jayapataka Swami writes,

yadi prabhupada na haita tabe ki haita (e) jivana bahita kise?

nitai-gaurera apara karuna ke dita sakala dese

If Prabhupada had not been there, then what would have happened?” Who would’ve given the bhakti? Who would have distributed the unlimited mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu all over the world? And would this Katha be happening? No! We would be somewhere, but definitely not here. There are 8 slokas in the song written in glorification of Srila Prabhupada. We will sing it tomorrow.

The kirtana which Caitanya Mahaprabhu started was spread by Srila Prabhupada all over the world. Even in the African countries, the people there are doing kirtana, not only indoors but publicly with karatals and mrdangas.

They are not going out on the streets for a day. No! They are doing it every day. It is immaterial for them whether people photograph them or not. They are doing it because kirtana is their life.

sankirtana eka pitaro, the father of sankirtana Himself is Lord Caitanya. So the sankirtana mission is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission. Chant and be happy. Happy New Year to all. We do not just simply wish you a happy New Year, but we tell you how you can be happy. So just chant and be happy

Prabhupada has spread the holy name all over through Padayatra and Ratha-yatra Ratha-yatra is organised all over the world. The culture and bhakti bhava related to Ratha-yatra has spread to the West.

I want to tell you more about how Srila Prabhupada gave Caitanya Mahaprabhu to the whole world, but time is up.

We will continue tomorrow.
Thank you.
Meet you tomorrow.