Bhagavata Katha 2017: Day Five
Venue: Ganesh Kala Krida Manch, Swargate, Pune.
Date: 29 December 2017
Topic : The history of Gaudiya Vaisanava parampara Gaudiya Vaisnava dhara

I welcome you all for the fifth session of Srimad-Bhagavatm katha. Today is Vaikuntha Ekadasi. She takes us towards the Lord. If you take darsana of Sri Sri Radha Vrndavana Chandra today, then your seat in Vaikuntha dhama is reserved.

It is also Mr. Malhotra’s birthday. (supporter and donor). I always meet Mr Malhotra whenever I come to Pune and also during katha. I had met him first in 1975, so this year is the 42 anniversary of our meeting. He is a special citizen of Pune. He is a devotee of Krsna, but I would say that he is first a devotee of Srila Prabhupada. He voice was choked up when he was talking about Srila Prabhupada. Thank you Malhotraji, you have understood Prabhupada and his mission. You have dedicated your life to Prabhupada’s mission.

I remember one greater supporter of ISKCON in Mumbai. We were staying on Hare Krsna land as brahmacaris . Mr Sethi built quarters for us. Prabhupada said to Mr Sethi that the Lord has already made  a house for him in Vaikuntha. So like that Malhotraji’s  seat is also confirmed in Vaikuntha.

We were saying yesterday…

paropakaram vahanti nadya, paropakaram duhanti gaaya
paropakaram phalanti vriksha, paropakaram idam shareeram 

Which means: “Rivers flow for Paropkar, Cows give milk for Paropkar, Trees bear fruits for Paropkar, similarly this body is also meant for Paropkar”

It’s also said, Kirtir yasya sa jivati: “Anyone who is reputed for his good activities, lives forever. In Marathi we have a phrase, marave pari kirti rupe urave You may die, but you must continue to live through your deeds. As we have become human beings, we should perfect our life.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu said,

Bharata-bhumite haila manu?ya-janma yara, janma sarthaka kari kara para-upakara. 

Srila Prabhupada also did para-upakara. He is Bharat Ratna. He had realized what the wealth of India is. We should also realize it. When we go to foreign countries, people ask where are you from? And we say India. Oh! That beggar’s country, people  go to other countries only to ask for something, for begging, so we became popular as beggar’s. But Prabhupada went to give, not to receive anything.

One reporter asked to Prabhupada, “Swami ji why did you come to England? Prabhupada said, “Oh! You also had come?  You looted our country. You took away the Kohinoor jewel and many things, but you forgot to bring the real treasure. And that’s Lord Krsna.  I have come to do a home delivery of the wealth of our country to you.

How does person become wealthy? By becoming Krsna conscious.

Lord is with you, realize this fact. Increase your faith.  Lord Krsna, Gita and Bhagvad are the wealth of our country. The culture of ancient India is the wealth of India. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said it,

Oh! Lord only you and your name is absolute truth.

Realize everything exists. Lord exists. His dhama exists.  The song Krsna jinka naam hai, yasoda kini maiya hai, nanda ji bapaiya hai….everything exists. The asters believe that  Lord comes from His dhama and everything exists there. For four days now we are hearing about Caitanya Mahaprabhu

sri-krsna-caitanya radha-krsna nahi anya

Caitanya Mahaprabhu is non-different from Radha Krsna.When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu came from His dhama, He appeared and on His first birthday many people brought gifts for Him, but He also brought the gift of the Holy name for all of us.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare

This is the true wealth of our country. Prabhupada said to the reporter, “I have come to deliver this wealth to you all.” They had come to India and they had conquered us. We were a dependent country. But Prabhupada went to the West and now many English men have surrendered to Lord Krsna.

San Francisco was the capital of the hippies. Where ever the hippies were, Prabhupada went there and  gave them  the gift of harinama and made them happies. And he would proudly say, “They were hippies now they have become happies.” We are very fortunate to be born in India.

brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva” or “guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija”

According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe” We were also going round and round in 84 lakh different species, round and round, up and down. But enough of it! Happy, happy we shall be when we learn our A,B,C. That’s chanting of the Holy name. Hare Krsna is ABC or Bhagavad-gita is ABC.  Prabhupada saved us.

There is a song, yadi Prabhupada na hoite. We would be here, but somewhere else.  I would have become an engineer  because that is what my family wanted. Prabhupada ordered me to start the padayatra dindi program and I sat in a bullock cart. It started from Dwaraka and we were going to Kolapur.  I went to my village with this padayatra. My family had dreamt that I would come back to the village on a motor cycle (fatfati), but I returned on a bullock cart.  Prabhupada made me sit in a bullock cart. I was back to square one, as I was born near the bullock cart. I was very happy. If Prabhupada was not there, then today’s katha would also not take place.

namaste saraswati deve gaura-vani-pracharine nirvishesha-shunyavadi pashchatya-desha-tarine

Prabhupada preached about Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu all over the world, he preached about Gauravani, his teachings his Caritra.  

How would people understand the glories of Radharani if Caitanya Mahaprabhu would not be there? How many people would understand Krsna and Radha prem? He is also called prem purusottam. Like Sri Ram is maryada purusottam, Jagannath is also called purusottam. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is prem purusottam. He taught love, Krsna preme dharma to the people. The reciprocation between the jiva and the Lord is called prem dharma. The dharma of jiva is called jiva dharma. They have different names.

Dasya prem, sakhya prem, Madhurya prem, vastsalya, no karma kanda. By the karma kandas one can receive artha (wealth). sukh sampati ghar aave kasta mite tan ka –  this dharma, this prayer is not a pure prayer. Few parts are fine, but this is a  business transaction, not pure love  bhukti, mukti, siddhi kami sakale asanta.

Lord Narsimha told Prahlad Maharaja to ask for any benediction.  Sri Prahlad Maharaja said, “na sa bhrtyah sa vai vanik — one who does business with Krsna is a merchant, not a servant [SB. 7.10.4]. That person is not your real devotee, he is businessman.” asha-pasha-shatair baddah, driven by material desires materialist people accumulate money. They go to other Demigods. Prahlad Maharaja says such a person is not your devotee.

Caitaanya Mahaprabhu is the Lord Himself and He did all the correction / reformation in the dharma, that were lost by the power of time.

sa kaleneha mahata yogo nastah parantapa

Loving dealings between Lord and His devotees is  bhakti. He taught bhakti to the whole world.  He had come with His team. His team was practising  sadhana and also distributing bhakti to everyone. Caitanya Mahaprabhu came and taught us sanatana dharma. Prabhupada become the founder acarya of ISKCON. He always said, “Try to understand the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu or Krsna consciousness.” Some understood, many did not. Giving Krsna and making them Krsna consciousness is the Lord’s mission. The ultimate goal is making people Krsna conscious.

Today is Vaikuntha ekadasi and those who come for darsana of Lord Balaji deserve Vaikuntha. Prabhupada would say they become eligible to go back home, back to Godhead. Why does the Lord come? He actually comes to take us back home. “Please come home.”

Lord said to Arjua, I will tell now the most confidential thing,

man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi satyam te pratijane priyo ‘si me

Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.

Prabhupada spoke about 4 regulative principles. When in ISKCON we talk of 4 regulative principles, No meat eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex and no gambling. These principles Prabhupada gave to his disciples. There are many types of gambling, it also means mano dharma. When people say, I think, that is actually mental speculation. Mental speculation is also gambling. So kali stays at these four places.

dyutam panam  striyah suna yatradharmas catur-vidhah

So there should not be mental speculation. Prabhupada named the Gita, Bhagvad-gita As It Is. Prabhupada always said, “Let the Lord speak, for Himself. You! Shut up. It’s the Lord’s song, Bhagavad-geet. We all should support what the Lord says. If we reject what the Lord says, that’s cheating.

So the Lord says, always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. You will have Lord’s realization. You will have darsana of the Lord. We can have darsana of the Lord with these eyes. But once a devotee lives his body, there is no birth again this is one thing. And other thing is he goes to the Lords abode.

tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti 

The purpose of the Lord’s coming to this world is to take us back. yah karsati  iti krsnah. In Krsna there are two words, Krs  means  all attractive and  na which means bliss. So Krsna attracts the living entity and fills him with happiness. He wants  the jiva  to come back home.

Tukaram Maharaja  said, “ami jato amcha gava amcha rama rama ghyava.” The people of Dehu said, Oh! Your village is just a few kilometers. Tukaram Maharaj understood  our real village is the Lord’s abode. The Lord is our father, mother, our everything. aham bija-pradah pita–  I am the seed-giving father.(BG14.4)

Prabhupada stressed a lot on this concept of going back to Godhead. So in 1944 Prabhupada published his magazine and named it Back to Godhead. The magazine is distributed  all over the world in many  different languages. Such was Prabhupada, our leader. Nita, ni means one who leads us, one who takes us somewhere. Actually the  real  and original leader is the Lord, and those acaryas who follow the words of the Lord are also real leaders. The political leaders take us from gali (street) to Delhi. But an acarya like Prabhupada said chalo Vaikuntha.

Lord is  a personality and we have an eternal relationship with the Lord. Once we return to the Lord’s abode then there is  real life. There is no dead matter. Earth, water, fire, ether not even a particle of any of these is in the Lord’s abode.

Brahma described Lords abodes as,

cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa- laksavrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam
laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam, govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami 

All desire come true there and there are kalpa vruksha- desire tree in Lords  abode, His  abode is built with spiritual gems. There are cows, so it’s also called Golok. He is cowherd boy, what does He do?  His bussiness is herding the cows.     (BS. 5.29)

Sounds very simple. This is ancient culture of India.  The cow is so useful. According to our culture, agrarian economy is the best economy. Lord said in Gita annad bhavanti bhutani. Prabhupada would say, “Our basic need is food because we have  a human body. So that comes from the field. But the Industrial economy started in foreign countries is causing destruction of our country, climatic conditions are being changed, everywhere there is pollution. No air to breathe. There is a lot of  suffocation and diseases are increasing. There is no progress, the earth has developed  a fever, the temperature of earth has increased.”

According to sastra there are two types of diseases.  Adhi- mental diseases  and vyadhi- bodily diseases. Nowadays mental diseases are increasing. Stress and depression is increasing.  2 out of 5 Americans are fit to be admitted to a  mental hospital. The global survey data states –America is the sickest country of the world. It’s the land of opportunity, but it is also the sickest country. When I heard this, I was not surprised. Because bhoga gives rise to roga. America is a bhogi country so there are lot of rogis, that’s not surprising. Enjoy, become bhogi. Lord said to Arjuna that he should become a yogi. But in material world it’s all the opposite.  So a country which is full of opportunities is a sick country.

As today is ekadashi we will sing abhanga of Tukaram Maharaj..Govinda..Govinda.When we go to Balaji, everyone there says Govinda..Govinda..Govinda.

From Dehu, Tukaram Maharaj went directly to Vaikuntha. There was no  airlines or airport there at that time. Lord sent His vaikuntha plane and took Tukaram Maharaj back to Godhead.

muukam karoti vaacaalam panggum langghayate girim
yat-krpaa tamaham vande param-aananda maadhavam

The history of Gaudiya Vaisanava parampara (Gaudiya Vaisnava dhara) is today’s topic

nitya krsna-carane unmukha ‘krsna-parisada’ nama, bhuñje seva-sukha (CC Madhya lila 22.11)

Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s associates/ parshad are nitya mukta and they are eternally enjoying the transcendental bliss of serving Krsna. Also the acarya who appeared before and after Caitanya Mahaprabhu are also nitya mukta. As the Lord takes Avatar, like that devotees also take avatar, actually it’s not called avatar. They glide down or come down to this world.  Caitanya Mahaprabhu said once to a brahman in Mathura.

dharma sthapan hetu sadhur vevahar

Whatever a sadhu does, is to establish dharma.  Lord is always present,  but there are two types of lilas – pragat lila and  apragat lila. In pragat lila, Lord appears and gives darsana. Sri Ram remained on this earth for 11, 000 years. Sri Krsna was in this world for 125 years  in Vrndavana. That’s  pragat lila and Caitanya Mahaprabhu did lila for 48 years.  When the Lilas are not going on that time the acarya keep on preaching and establishes dharma. Protecting dharma and the saintly people. 

paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge (BG 4.8)

People take shelter of dharma, they become dharmic.  Dharmo rakshiti rakshitah – one who protects dharma, dharma protect them. There is need of dharma for humans, if we accept dharma then only we are humans otherwise we are like animals.

ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam cha samanam etat pashubhir naranam
dharmo hi tesham adhiko vishesho dharmena hInah pashubhih samanah

Common activities between man and animals are eating, mating, sleeping and defending. This goes on, but we actually become humans if we follow dharma or we will be pasuvat, be like animals. Dharma is the only special thing, without dharma humans are also animals.  So Lord makes the arrangements, He comes down  to this material world. Sometimes He comes alone, like Narasimha Bhagavan. He came alone or brings His associates like in, Ram lila,  Krsna and Caitanya lila. Yasoda, Devaki became Lord’s mother in different avatars and yugas. Again Yasoda become Sacimata in Caitanya Lila. Jagannatha Mishra is Nanda baba, Dasaratha, Vasudev.

Gadadhar pandit is Vishnu tattva. So not only Krsna came but  in the form of Gadadhar pandit Radharani also came. Narada Muni became Srivasa Pandit. Visvarupa, Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s brother was Lord Sankarsana.  Navadvipa dhama, His dhama also took avatar. Mayapur dhama, Vrndavana dhama are cintamanii dhama, eternal and divine.

There will be annihilation, but Vrndavan dhama will be as it is. So whenever the Lord comes,  He always comes in His dhama. All those dhamas are also avatars of Golok dhama.

Vishnupriya is Bhu-sakti, Jagadananda Pandit was Satyabhama. This is also a special. Those who were females or gopis in Krsna Lila take up the male form in Caitanya lila. Jagadananda Pandit was a male in Caitanya  lila, but in Krsna lila he was Satyabhama. Janava mata was Revati.  She was the consort of Nityananda Prabhu. Murari Gupta was Hanuman. Haridas Thakur was Brahma. He was given the name Namacharya Hari das Thakur. He  was catur mukha Brahma, first acarya of our sampradaya. Brahma appeared and took chanting beads and started chanting.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare

Nilambar Chakravarty was Garga Muni, the grandfather of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He did the name giving ceremony of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and named Him Vishvambhar. As he had done in Krsna lila.

Vrndavan Das Thakur who wrote Caitanya Bhagavad is Vedavyasa. Veda is apaurushya. It can’t be written. Initially vedas were  in sruti form. There was no printing, no books. Students would hear and fix it in their heart and they were called sruti dhara. They would not forget. But for people of Kaliyuga Vyasadev wrote the sastras, but actually it was written by the Lord.

We come in Brahma, Narada, Vyasa, Madhava, Jaya Tirtha, Brahmanya tirtha, Vyasa Tirtha, Laxmipati, Madhavendra Puri.

The first Gaudiya acarya is Madhavendra Puri. He comes in the same  parampara as Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The Lord Himself appears as Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Madhavendra Puri sets the scene before the Lord’s appearance. He also comes in Madhavcarya sampradaya, but with a little change in dimensions. He realized prema dharma and also kaiyuga’s dharma is nama sankirtana. He preached about it. He was preparing for Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s arrival. He had that type of pure bhava.

krsna yadi prthivite karena avatara
prathame karena guru-vargera sañcara (CC Adi Lila 3.93)

If the Lord wants to come down he first sends acaryas to establish spiritual masters. So our Gaudiya sampradaya starts with Madhevendra Puri. He  had a lot of realizations during his Govardhana parikrama, near the bank of Govind-kunda. He had darsana of the Lord. He never asked for food. He would only eat if given food otherwise he would remain hungry. One such day he was hungry, busy chanting and Lord Krsna came to give him a milk pot.

So such different pastimes are explained of each acarya.

jaya sri madhavapuri krsna-prema-pura, bhakti-kalpatarura tenho prathama ankura (Cc Adi 9.10)

All glories to Sri Madhavendra Puri, the storehouse of all devotional service unto Krsna! He is a desire tree of devotional service, and it is in him that the seed of devotional service first fructified. Madhavendra puri is a big name, a big personality, his teachings. 

Once the Lord came to his dream and told him, “I am hidden in thorny bushes out of fear of  yavanas.” That was the situation during those days in Vrndavan. Out of fear the Deities Radha Govind, Radha Vinod, Radha Damodar were being moved out of Vrndavana or hidden. He removed one such Deity of Gopal at the base of Govardhana.

Then again the Lord came to his dream and said, “I am feeling hot. Bring chandan for Me.” On the way to Jagannatha Puri, he visits Shantipur and initiates Advaitacaraya.  Then he goes to Remuna, waits at the Gopinath temple. The Gopinatha Deity there stole  kheer for Madhavendra puri, so that Gopinath was named as ksira chora gopinath. 

ayi dina-dayardra natha he mathura-natha kadavalokyase
hrdayam tvad-aloka-kataram dayita bhramyati kim karomy aham  (C.C MadhyaLila 4.197)

“O My Lord! O most merciful master! O master of Mathura! When shall I see You again? Because of My not seeing You, My agitated heart has become unsteady. O most beloved one, what shall I do now?”

This is his one verse which is mentioned in Caitanya Caritamrita. He has expressed his humility.

Nityananda Prabhu is Balaram.

vrajendra-nandana jei, saci-suta hoilo sei,  balarama hoilo nitai

Balaram become Nityananda  500 years back. He got initiated by Madhavendra puri. Then Advaitacarya who is Mahavishnu, one tattva amongst the pancha tattva, he came before Caitanya Mahaprabhu. 

Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself.

That time adharma was spreading allover and increasing, so he thought now it’s time for the Lord to come. He stayed at Shantipur. He offered tulsi and Ganga water to Saligrama Sila and called the Lord who came in form of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Isvara Puri was also a disciple of Madhavendra Puri. Isvara Puri met Caitanya Mahaprabhu at Gaya and there he initiated Caitanya Mahaprabhu and became his disciple. Caitanya dhoba is a place in Bengal, the  birth place of Isvara Puri. We had gone there while in padayatra. Caitanya Mahaprabhu had also gone to the birthplace of his spiritual master. He had brought a little mud from there and every day he honored it as prasada. People also followed this and because of that there is a big pond there now. He relished conjugal mellows.  May such  a Caitanya Mahaprabhu appear in your hearts. In a nutshell Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s teachings

aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavanam
ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena va kalpita
srimad bhagavatam pramanam amalam prema pum-artho mahan
sri-caitanya mahaprabhor matam idam tatradarah na parah 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krsna, the son of Nanda Maharaja, is worshipped along with His transcendental abode Vrndavana. The most pleasing form of worship for the Lord is that which was performed by the gopis of Vrndavana. Srimad- Bhagavatam is the spotless authority on everything and pure love of Godhead is the ultimate goal of life for all men

Generally Hindu dharma means –kama, artha, moksha that’s all, all mixture and there goal is just heaven. When a Hindu dies its written on his photo svargiya or Brahmalina nobody writes Golokvasi or Vaikunthavasi. Nobody must be going there, that’s why. Vaikuntha or Golok is not their goal. They don’t know what’s the difference between heaven and Vaikuntha. Mukti does not take to Vaikuntha but bhakti/ devotional service takes us to Vaikuntha.

Nitya-lila-pravista Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ki …..jai. The acarayas have to  be remembered always.

prema pum-artho mahan, Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught  pure devotion. Bhakta is mukta but mukta is not bhakta.

A team of six goswamis were send to Vrndavana. This team was from Golok, one who reaches Lords abode never comes back to Pune. Sanatan Goswami is Lavanga Manjari  or Rati Manjari  There are gopis, manjaris, so few gopis and manjaris came with the Lord. In Caitanya  lila a few gopis and manjaris have taken  the male  form and relished devotional services and also wrote different books There is no end to the list of the books written by them. Rupa Goswami wrote different books and built Radha Govindev  temple. It was a 7 story tall, but Aurangzeb destroyed few stories and now we have just 4 stories.

Narottama das Thakur preached in Bengal. Vishwanath Chakrawarty Thaukur is Vinod Manjari. He also wrote many books. Once he was the protector of Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya. He appeared in the 17 century.

Baladev Vidyabhushan was disciple of Vishawanath Chakrawarty Thaukur. He wrote Govind bhasya infact Lord made him write. He also wrote many books.

Bhakti Vinod Thakur appeared in 18 century. He was setting the scene for ISKCON. Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur is his son. Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur was the spiritual master of Prabhupada. Bhakti Vinod Thakur was a district magistrate. He established deity worship process in Jagannatha Puri. He searched for the birth place of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. That’s  yogapith at Mayapur. Out of the 9 islands in  Navadvipa, his house is in Godrumdvipa. He served Gaur Gadhadhar. His son establsihed 64  gaudiya matha and out of them are outside  of India. He ordered Prabhupada, “You look intelligent. Preach in English in the West.” Prabhupada went to the West, devaduta in Jaladuta and in 1966 he established ISKCON  in New York. We say he was alone, but the Lord was always  with him. He only had 40 rupees and  in New York a person can’t live for 40 seconds on 40 rupees. So in America he was penniless. He did not know where to turn. No one to welcome him, no taxi, no hotel booking. He had Bhagavad with him. And which wealth?

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare

Now a full movie is made on his life. Our president released it in Delhi and he said Prabhupada is the ambassador of the spiritual world. He glorified Prabhupada. It was shown in many theaters. Did any see that movie? Haribol, many hands are up. Actually we are never in favor of watching movies but this is one movie all should see. We will talk about Gaudiya Vaisnavism again in the coming days.

Thank you