Rama Katha
18th April 2021

You are all okay? We hope and pray that you are all okay and well, and also that you stay that way. So the whole world is in a problem due to the Corona virus. There are so many other problems anyway but the coronavirus is dominating the scene. So be careful and be alert of all dangers.
Also remember, I was thinking that Kunti Maharani also prayed and actually Kunti Maharani is known for her prayers, this you all know. The first prayers in Srimad Bhagavatam are Kunti Maharani’s prayers and in those prayers she says:

vipadah santu tah sasvat
tatra tatra jagad guro
bhavato darsanam yat syad
apunar bhava darsanam (SB 1.8.25)

Translation
I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths.

You can all remember this prayer and so Kunti Maharani is very clever and cunning. She is saying ‘Oh Lord what you should do is that you should continue sending calamities and problems again and again.’ In both situations, vipadah and sampad. Sampad you know what that means, sampati is success. Vipadah means problems and calamities.

So let all the calamities come and sasvat means again and again. So let the calamities come again and again is what is meant by tatra tatra. Bhavato darsanam yat syad. So when the problems come then what shall we do? We will run towards you and we shall call you.’

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

My Lord, Krishna. When problems arise then Krishna’s name naturally comes out of our mouths and we run towards the Lord. ‘So I will run as well’ Kuntidevi says. I don’t if we will all run as well but Kunti Maharani is saying that she will certainly run. So during this coronavirus we don’t know whether we will run towards Krishna or towards the hospital.

Actually we should run towards both. First remember Krishna and then afterwards remember the doctor or the hospital. So one must remember prayers to the Lord and the care of the doctor. With the help of both we will become well.

bhavato darsanam yat syad

‘Whenever problems arise I will take your darshan and I will go to your temple and pray. Wherever that temple may be because you are all pervading, being everywhere.’

So it may not be possible to go to the temple so from wherever we are- Nowadays in Kali Yuga one should call the Lord from wherever he is stationed.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

By our chanting like this the Lord says ‘I become present there.’

Naham vasami vaikunthe
Yoginam hrdayena ca
Mad bhakta yatra gayanti
Tatra tisthami Narada (Padma Purana)

Translation
Oh Narada! I do not reside in vaikuntha nor am I in the hearts of the yogis. I reside where my devotees glorify my name, form, qualities and my transcendental pastimes.

So Kunti Maharani had already said ‘tatra tatra’ so wherever we may call the Lord, in that very place the Lord will appear for us and come there. Apunar bhava darsanam. So we may understand what Kunti Maharani is saying by learning sanskrit. This will make the meaning of the words easy to understand.

But the bhava, feelings of love of Kunti Maharani in this prayer of her’s, her Krishna bhavana, if we can know and understand that, which we can do if we are serious, is the real success. Otherwise

vaishnavera kriya mudra vijneha na bujhaya (SB 9.5.20 purport)

Translation:
Even the most learned man cannot understand the activities of a Vaishnava.

This has also been said to illustrate that to know the activities of the Vaishnava or Vaishnavi through any other means but devotional service is very difficult. So we must try more and more so that we can attain the bhakti bhava, feelings of love and devotion that Kunti Maharani has. So she is saying that problems will keep coming whether we pray to keep them away or not. It is not our choice. So Kunti Maharani is saying that ‘if the problems come we will approach you and come closer to you by calling you.

We will then want an interview and meeting with you so that guhyam akhyati prcchati can happen. (Revealing one’s mind in confidence, inquiring confidentially from NOI text 4). We will be able to discuss heart touching talks with you.’ The talk could be about some joyful matter that we may speak to you about.’ And then what will be the outcome or fruit of such talks?

Apunar bhava darsanam. This is the smartness of Kunti Maharani. So what will be gained at the end? Na punar bhava darshanam.

Translation
‘I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths.”

So first she said ‘bhavato darsanam yat syad. Seeing you means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths.’So in these difficult times all of you should remember this prayer as these times are especially hard. Also this is also not a new thing, these problems keep appearing in this material world.

punarapi jananam punarapi maranam Punarapi janani jathare shayanam
Iha sansare khali dustare?krupaya pare pahi murare (Shankaracharya)

Translation:?This ocean of sansara is really difficult to cross oh Lord, kindly save me and help me cross it.
Repeated births and repeated deaths And repeatedly sleeping in the womb of mother.

So this is obvious and therefore I thought to remind you of this. Anyway this is the time to remember Lord Rama. This does not mean that during the time of saying what we said, we had forgotten Lord Rama or that we said something against the principles set by the Lord. Rather whatever we said or what the Lord made us say, that was also connected to Lord Rama or Rama lila.

So Ramanavami Mahotsava ki jai! So if Rama Rama happens (death) we need to be saved from this ‘mara mara’ happened again. Mara means to die and so we have to be saved from this repeated death. This is what we are doing – Karo (perform activities) and then Maro, dying. Then again we take birth and perform activities and again we die.

So we have to call out Lord Rama’s name and Rama’s lila. These pastimes you are about to recite m or you may have already recited Rama lila today. So mother Yashoda also used to tell Krishna pastimes of Lord Rama. Sukadeva Goswami also narrated Rama lila to king Parikshit. Ramayana and also Mahabharata are in skanda purana and there the Ramayana mahatmya is written.

Mother Yashoda used to narrate the pastimes of Lord Rama to baby Krishna. We did mention to mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters that they should always tell the story of Lord Rama to their children and younger siblings. In this way they will become noble and principled. At the moment the whole world is becoming degraded, characterless.

So just think that even mother Yashoda used to narrate the tale of Lord Rama to her child Krishna. That is the tradition of this bharat bhumi, India. Everyone has always heard and told the story of Lord Rama. When we were young our mother used to also tell us the story of Lord Rama or otherwise our older brother or father or school teachers would tell the story.

But now the telling of Lord Rama katha is not even allowed in schools. Krishna katha cannot be told. So as this has became a secular state, this situation has arisen and all religions have become so-called equal. This was called demon-crazy by Srila Prabhupada. This kind of democracy was called demon-crazy. So crazy people have made this constitution and have made this country a secular state.

The Lord has been told to get out! So Rama out, Krishna out. Maya is in and Krishna is out. Hari Hari. Ravana has been told to come in and Rama has been told to get out. So in this way Yashoda used to tell Krishna Rama katha. ‘Darling son there was once a king, king Rama, and there was a queen, Sita. And when they became forest dwellers, they reached Panchavati from Chitrakoot.

‘My son,’ she would say. And Lord Krishna would answer ‘hmm hmm’ and she would continue. So she must have told him the story in this way and then she continued, ‘I have come to beg alms. Then Marichi came in the form of a golden deer. He was able to change his form into anything he wanted.’ So Yashoda must have told Krishna this as well.

Then Sita really liked a deer, ‘I want that deer. Oh dear Rama, bring that deer near me.’ So the Rama went to chase that deer and bring it back. Then There was a cry ‘Lakshman!’ So then Sita sent Lakshman, ‘go go.’ Then Ravana appeared begging alms as Sita Maharani came forward and the evil Ravana had taken the form of a brahmana and he had come to make her cry. He had put on all his make up in the form of a brahmana and was carrying a stick and begging pot and he cried ‘I come begging alms.’

‘As Sita came forward that demon kidnapped her!’ In this way Yashoda is telling the story and as she spoke about how Sita Maharani had been kidnapped by a demon, the supreme Lord was lying on his mother’s lap and was drinking cow’s milk. He would say ‘I will not drink my milk and sleep till you tell me a story. Tell me a story, tell me a story.’

So Yashoda is telling him the story and giving him his milk as she speaks. The Lord is drinking his milk and is also tasting the nectar of the story, katha. Then suddenly as the demon came and kidnapped Sita, as soon as Krishna heard this, he jumped up from Yashoda’s lap and stood up shouting ‘Lakshman! Where is my bow and where is my arrow? Now I will show my strength and I will vanquish this demon! Vinashaya cha dushkritam. I will do this so hey Lakshman, let’s go!’

So child Krishna was listening to the tale of Rama, Lakshman and Sita and so he took on the mood of Rama. Child Krishna became Rama by taking on the mood of Lord Rama the mood of the Lord’s anger. So just like in the bhajan, the Lord comes as Rama or sometimes as Shyam. He doesn’t come as Sai Baba so you should always be careful and alert of this fact.

I am supposed to speak on Rama lila but look what I am speaking of instead. So when I was thinking of reciting this Rama lila after the japa talk was over, I was wondering what lila of Rama’s I should speak on. So there are so many pastimes that come to mind. So baby Krishna would say ‘tell me about Rama or Sita.’ And then there is Lakshman lila so the Lord would say ‘tell me about these things.’

Then there are so many other lilas of the devotees of the Lord. ‘You have not spoken to me anything about Hanuman yet. Tell me about Hanuman and narrate to me Hanuman lila.’ There are so many lilas, so how many you know? In the sastra it is said that just like the waves of the ocean cannot be counted, can they be? No, not even a computer could not count these waves.

They are asankhya, innumerable and there are so many new waves being formed. One set and another set, then another. In the same way there are so many pastimes or we could say that there are innumerable pastimes of each incarnation of the Lord. And how many incarnations are there? So sastra says this also, that the incarnations in themselves are innumerable just like the waves of the ocean.

Just like these waves in the ocean cannot be counted, it is impossible – so in the same way the incarnations of the Lord cannot be counted. How many incarnations are there? Nanavataram akarod bhuvanesu kintu. The Lord incarnates in various incarnations, nanavatara. So we cannot say ‘okay, there are one thousand or one hundred thousand or a million incarnations of the Lord.’

No, the incarnations are innumerable and countless and as such, the Lord’s lika’s, pastimes are likewise innumerable. Then there is one personality who is actually the supreme Lord himself, and he becomes satisfied by reciting the Lord’s pastimes and that is Ananta Sesa. He is also called Sahasra Vadan and he has one thousand mouths.

And through his thousand mouths he constantly speaks the glories of Sri Hari. And from his one thousand mouths there are one thousand different pastimes being vibrated, not that from his one thousand mouths he is speaking the same lila. When there is a function, many times the speaker, when he is speaking they put a speaker, a loud speaker as they call India or a box speaker.

The purpose for this is that the sound can be heard from some distance away, however it is the same thing being said, just one thing. If you go to any corner of the place the same thing will be heard which is being spoken through different speakers. But when Sahasra Vadan Ananta Sesa speaks the pastimes of the Lord, then a thousand different pastimes of a thousand different incarnations is being recited at one time.

At the beginning of creation, the planets need to be supported in their orbits by some source of energy or some personality. So who does this in supporting the planets? Each planet has it’s own set place in which it moves about but that planet is being held in it’s place.
This Ananta Sesa is the one who maintains the planets upon his hoods which recline with the planet’s held on them. So in this way the whole world is placed upon the Lord’s hoods. Hari Hari. So the Lord himself who is maintaining the whole creation with all it’s planets was saying, ’till when will I have to support this burden and hold all these planets and the whole creation?’

Actually for the Lord it is not at all a burden and actually the whole creation is just like mustard seeds upon his hoods. So he is holding them all like mustard seeds, one mustard seed on one hood so maybe he will not even remember that he has put a planet which is like a mustard seed upon his hood. It is just like a small fly which sometimes sits upon our heads (laughter).

So for the Lord this is like child’s play, which it is. It is not a big deal for the Lord to maintain all these planets or the creation but he was still asking that ’till when will I have to carry them on my hoods?’ So he was told to do two things at one time. One was to carry the creation upon his hoods, so that’s one thing.

The other thing he was told to do is constantly speak the glories of the Lord’s name, form, pastimes, qualities and abode. And he was told ‘just as soon as you finish speaking about these and everything has been spoken, covered, then you do not need to hold the planets upon your heads anymore.’
So Lord Ananta Sesa, Sahasra Vadba started to think ‘okay, I have a thousand mouths and so with these thousand mouths I will run a marathon. This mean all day and all night I will continue speaking of the Lord’s name, form, pastimes, qualities and abode. Then it will all be finished quickly and then I will not have to do this work of holding the creation on my heads.’

So then he started speaking the Lord’s pastimes and so he went on speaking and speaking and still he is speaking but this lila narration is not ever going to end. We have become a little tired hearing the pastimes of the Lord, we are finding it a little bit burdensome ‘since when is Maharaja speaking on this katha and when will Maharaja become tired so we can have some rest?’

So this Sahasra Vadan is certainly not tired but his intention was that he would finish all the pastime narrations quickly so he would not have to carry the creation on his heads. But this is not happening even up till this day. Rama’s pastimes are so vast and also Lord Rama is always performing his pastimes. Rama’s lila is eternal and also he does not repeat the same pastimes again and so every time there is some new innovation in the pastimes.

So the pastimes therefore become eternal and go from one universe to another universe. So Rama lila and the Lord’s other lila’s are always happening and the Lord comes as Rama and then as Krishna and then Nrsimha or Varaha. So there is no end to the incarnations and nor their pastimes. So there is an ocean of pastimes, unlimited.

So we are tiny souls and therefore just one drop of the ocean of these pastimes is enough for us. We as the soul are so small, and therefore a drop of this ocean of pastimes, within that we can bathe. Just as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says ‘sarvatma snapanam.’ We have a whole bath, Abhishek in this ocean and we can dive into this one drop of the ocean of the Lord’s pastimes.So we keep flicking drops from this ocean of nectarean pastimes towards you through narration of the Lord’s pastimes and that is enough. So listen to these pastimes carefully and drown in them, dive and bathe in them as well, the Lord’s pastimes, his name and his dham, abode and in prashad. In this way become Rama devotees.

Are the devotees of Noida listening? Is my voice reaching you all? So look, my voice is even reaching Noida, this is how much influence I have (laughter). Hari Hari. This is the influence of being online. So the internet should also get credit for this, including the scientists and whoever else is involved is arranging the internet for us to be online. This is actually the best use and otherwise all else is abuse of the internet and whatever other facility, which most people do. But Hare Krishna devotees use the internet in the proper way. So working from home is happening at the moment, and so sit at home and perform your business from there online, E-commerce. The Hare Krishna devotees are doing the same at the moment and for them, working from home means working from within the temple.

Sitting in the temple, in the ashram, whatever work they have to do to aid preaching, they are doing.
Yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna’ upadesa (CC Madhya lila 07.128)

Translation
Instruct everyone you see to follow the orders of Lord Sri Krsna
So with Rama Navami coming up, it is time to hear and chant the lila’s, katha of the Lord. We are sitting here in the temple and preaching and there they are sitting in Russia, the mataji’s, and they are listening. Are you listening Nandini? You understand a little Hindi, yes? And in Ukraine Arjuna is listening.

In Mauritius Chintamani Dham Mataji is listening and like that someone is in Solapura and then somebody else is in Pandharpura or in Noida. So do bhajan of Lord Rama.