Venue: Vrindavan (At Sanskrit School)
Dated: 17 August 2013

Jai Srila Prabhupada ki….jai
Guar Nitai ki……………jai
Sukhdev Goswami ki….jai
Gopiprandhan Prabhu ki…jai

So As I did not sing “om namo bhagvate vasudevaya” instead I sang what I sang, probably you have realized I am not going to read from Bhagvatam today’s verse, instead we will read from Caitanya Caritamrita is that ok? And just the very beginning of Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi Lila first few sloks they are not in Bengali, probably you are wondering. So you all are Sanskrit scholars, so Bengali also? But you do not teach literature or commentaries in Bengali, Gopiprandhan he knew Bengali, He knew lot of languages, he was Russian and he was learning Chinese also and Bengali. I am a student of Bengali, I am student of Sanskrit only student, only beginner, I wish to learn from one of you student, you teach me. Recently I was reading this beginning part and wonderful verses Caritamrita not only its nectarian but very foundational siddhantic, full of siddhant corner stone very important. Introducing before going for the introduction of the caritra caitanya carita or caritra same thing, Krishna das Kaviraj Goswami is introducing that Caitanya Mahaprabhu who is Caitanya Mahaprabhu? Who He is? What is the purpose of His advent? Generally Lord says or routine way Lord appears for “paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam dharma samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge” (Bg 4.8) that He does all the time in every Age and why He appears He has declared that in Bhagvat gita but this time as He was appearing as Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu He has some additional reasons, some private personal confidential reason for His advent. So that also has been stated in these beginning verses of Adi Lila of Caitanya Caritamarita. So I thought and here you are, Caitanya Mahaprabhu is a presiding deity of your institution here, your school of thought here Bhagvat School. And I thought I would also do little study of theses verses in company of the scholars in their assembly as Goswamis “nanasastra vicarnaik nipuno sad dharma sanssthapako” in order to establish sad dharma they would sit with the big pile of “nanasastras” various scriptures and it has been translated then they would scrutinizing study the sastras “nanasastra vichar “ vichar- contemplation, churning, Krishna churns butter.

So this is in Bengali Caitanya Caritamrita entire, whole Caitanya Caritamrita and its also complete Bhagvatam only verses, Srimad Bhagvatam Mahapuran mula matra. You have Caitanya Caritamrita here? “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare”

Odra desh Udisa is in Sanskrit they call odra desh? Utkal that’s one, “vande gurun isa bhaktan isam isavatarakan tat- prakasams ca tac- chaktih krsna- caitanya – samjnakam” (Adi lila CC 1.1) is that Sanskrit or Bengali?(Maharaj asking the students). So Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami the very first word he utters is “vande” aham vande – I offer my obeisance’s unto and obeisance’s are beginning “gurun” obeisance’s unto gurus as also “vande aham sri guroh sri yuta pada kamalam sri gurun” vande sri guroh and then gurun- my initiating spiritual master one and gurun- many siksha gurus many instructing spiritual masters. So here he is not making distinction he says gurun- siksa gurus, diksha gurus. “rupa raghunatha pade rahu mora asa” he ends chapter he aspires to stay close to the lotus feet of his spiritual masters, Rupa Raghunath- rupa raghunatha pade, so “vande gurun isa bhaktan” devotees of isa- devotees of the Lord again many of them in 2.3 isa bhaktan ‘sri Krishna caitanya prabhu nityananda srivas adi guar bhakta vrinda’ not just one guar bhakta but guar bhakta vrinda, vrinda- samudaya- assembly lots of them – guar bhakta vrinda. So isa bhaktan headed by Srivas adi- Srivas and etc beginning with Srivas, headed by Srivas. Basically this verse is similar to that “pancha tattvatakam Krishna bhakta rupa savarupakam bhatavatra bhaktakyam namai bhakta saktikam” it is just said differently here but this is a similar prayer, prayer to the panchatattvas. So who they are? One is already covered ‘isa bhaktan’ and ‘isavatarakan’- the avatars of isa –Lords incarnations again headed by Advaitacarya he is avatar of Maha Visnu. So my obeisances unto all the avataras, they advented with Caitany Mahaprabhu along with Caitanya Mahaprabhu. I was just reading few days ago that in Dwaraka where Lord is Dwarakadhish or Vasudev and some gandharvas were there, they only sing right? They were dancing its said, may be they were also dancing and its said gandharvas and they were dancing and Lord Vasudev was pleased and attracted to their dance and then He had desired also to dance.

So when Caitanya Mahaprabhu was about to appear that Vasudev enters the body of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, so that He gets to dance to take the dancing experience. And it’s well known fact that when Krishna appears all incarnations even Ram all those from Vaikuntha planet they all head towards Golok and they enter into the body of the Lord. And when Sri Krishna is playing pastimes this killing demon business this is not Krishna’s business there are other avataras in Him and they do this killing and Krishna does His Vrindavan pastimes sweet pastime. And all those residents these incarnations they identify look look our Lord our Lord, our Ram, our Narsimha…..so Krishna is playing His pastimes other Lords are also part of Sri Krishna. So they are very happy He is our Lord, so Caitanya Mahaprabhu non different from Sri Krishna is coming up. So when He appears many incarnations also appear with Him or within Him, so these are ‘isavatarakan’.

‘tat-prakasams ca’and who is prakash of Lord Balaram ‘Balaram hoila nitai’ so Nityananda prabhu – this is my obeisances to Nityananda prabhu and ‘tac-chaktih’ its each time ‘tac-chaktih tat prakasams’ everything is His, everything is Lords. Incarnations of the Lord, the energies the shaktis of the Lord or energy takes form energy personified energy becomes person personification of energy. And this is Gadadhara, Gadadhara is shakti – Alahadini shakti of Lord, so Radharni appears in Krishna or within Sri Krishna, in Caitanya Mahaprabhu there is Radharani ‘sri krishna caitanya radha Krishna nahi anya’. And as well as alhadini shakti appears as Gadadhar pandit ‘krishna caitanya’ so is everyone covered here? (Maharaj asking) “pancha tattvatakam Krishnam’ Krishna is appearing in 5 tattvas – bhakta rupa that is Himself – bhakta rupa then bhakta avatar, bhakta svarupa is Balaram, bhakta rupa is Himself, bhakta avatar is Advaitacharya and then bhakta shaktikam that is Gadadhar and bhaktakhyam that’s Narada Muni, Narada Muni appearing as Srivas known as Bhakta. So vande aham – I offer my obeisances unto all these pancha tattvas Krishna das Kaviraj says. And now he turns or he is focusing on Guar Nityananda they are present here.

‘vande sri-krishna-caitanya- nityanandau sahoditau gaudodaye pushpavantau, citrau san-dau tamo-nudau’ (Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi-1.2) it has rhythm-citrau sandau tamo-nudau its aao..aao..you know why its aao? Why it’s ending with aao? (Maharaj is asking somebody answers) two – dvitiya vachan it refers to two or its two two. So vande again my obeisance’s unto Sri Krishna Caitanya and Nityanada-nityanando sahoditau or Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu saha along with Nityananda prabhu He appeared, His appearance is sahoditau arisen the sun rises in the east eastern horizon and these two Lords also have appeared on eastern part of India Bengal is that part of world they both have appeared Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared along with Nityananda Mahaprabhu. And the name of the country the horizon has been mentioned Gaudodaye- gauda udaya they appeared in Gauda desh, pancha gauda- north India these different 5 provinces called pancha gaudas, south India pancha dravida, so pancha gauda- Gauda desh Bengal part of Gauda there they appeared and as there is talk of udya, “udilo arun?a puraba-bhage” puraba purva eastern side. Sun rises in the east Caitanya Mahaprabhu gathers associates and goes on kirtan “puraba-bhage- udilo arun?a”. So Srila Prabhupada also gave name to Mayapur temple is called “Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir” Mayapur Chandrodaya..Caitanya Chandra udaya..Caitanya Chandra appeared. The place of Caitanya Chandra’s appearance but here Krishna Das Kaviraj is talking of not only Chandra but also Surya, Sun and Moon appeared “puspa vantau”. (Maharaj says I don’t how this connects with Chandra and surya (and asking devotees) do you know? It’s translated as sun and moon but I wonder).

He says “puspa vantau citrau” sun and moon, so Caitanya Mahaprabhu is moon and Nityananda Mahaprabhu is sun “nitai-pada-kamala, koti-candra-sushitala” there also he is mentioned as moon – millions of moons cooling effect, this is what you get from Nityananda Mahaprabhu and “citrau san-dau” chitra-vichitra, what is Rupa Goswami’s? (Maharaj asking devotes) chitra kavitva wonderful or variegated “citrau” – wonderful amazing, citrau- they are both amazing wonderful. “san-dau” sam – da, sama dama tapa- that sama dhatu sam from sam also comes shanti. Shasan or shisya, shas dhatu Prabhupada says disciple means discipline shas, so shas and shanti has different origin, (Maharaj asking you know which one?) sam.

So this is kalyan sense “sandau” the giver of the benedictions, auspiciousness, ‘sandau tamo-nudau’ nuda is another dhatu, so tamo-nudau what is tam? What is tam? Tam is ignorance, tamoguna – tamo-nudau. So this age of Kali is full of ignorance full of sudras “kalu sudra sambhava”. Then Lord appears and He does tamo-nudau- frees them from darkness of ignorance. What is that in 10th chapter Lord says “aham ajnana jam tamah” (B.G 10.11) how does it begin? “tesam evanukampartham” tesam eva anukam partham- that’s the purpose when Lord heart goes towards the suffering entities then Lord has anukampa – His heart is trembling because of His compassion and runs after or towards them “tesam evanukam partham aham” that is Lord says aham- I do “aham ajnana jam tamah nasayamy” aham nasayamy- I destroy what do I destroy? aham ajnana jam tamaha. Tama – ignorance produced by ajnana jam, ajnana gives rise to tama – darkness, ajnana jam tamah, so tama here is darkness Lord is talking. When person is full of ignorance then what happens to him he is full of darkness and that’s when we say “caksurunmilitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah” and the beginning is “om ajnana – timirandasya jnananjana –salakaya caksurunmilitam” unmilitam – operation is done. So Lord says I destroy the darkness and how does He do that “jnana dipena bhasvata” – He lights the lamp of knowledge with the torch light of knowledge “tama soma jyotir gamaya” tama soma- don’t remain in darkness “tama soma jyotir gamaya” go to the light not to the light Brahman, go to the light of knowledge.

So Guar Nityananda they appeared they have appeared, when he is compiling this Lords were still on the planet? It’s after ya, yes must be after because Lord departed in Jagganath Puri then Raghunath Das Goswami he left Jagganath Puri for Vrindavan and what is good is now life without Caitanya Mahaprabhu I am going to climb over Govardhan hill and give up my life. Then he was dissuaded from doing so by the Goswamis then he settles on the banks of Radhakunda that is where Krishna Das Kaviraj gets association of Raghunath Goswami and Raghunath had been keeping dairy with the pastimes of Lord in Jagganath Puri the latter pastimes and off course there was dairy of Murari Gupta with childhood pastimes of Mayapur. And then Krishna Das Kaviraj had never ever met Caitanya Mahaprabhu but vaishanvas had appealed you are one most qualified you write you write. So Raghunath Das Goswami was neighbor of Krishna Das Kaviraj, so must be after Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s departure Caitanya caritamrita was compiled. So here is past tense “sandua tamo nudua” so Lord has already done His pastimes of removing the darkness of ignorance.

“yad advaitam brahmopanisadi tad apy asya tanu bha” (Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi-1.3) now last line of this verse “na caitnayat krsnaj jagati para-tattvam param iha” there is no superior truth, superior to two name are said together “na caitanyat krsnaj” Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna only difference is difference of the name “namo mahavadanyaya Krishna prema pradaya te krishnaya Krishna caitanya namne” I offer my obeisance’s unto krishnaya to which Krishna, Krishnaya Krishna caitanya namne, now His name is Krishna Caitnaya I offer my obesciances unto Krishna who is now known as Krishna Caitanya namne. So Krishna Caitanya same, so “na caitnayat krsnaj jagati para-tattvam param iha” “krishnat paratattvam aham na jane’ one devotee has complied this Madhusudana Saraswati “vamsi vibhushita karan navaniradabath pitambarath bimba adharoshtath purenendu sundara mukath aravindanetrath krishnat paratattvam kimapi aham na jane’ I do not know and it doesn’t exist, so there is no question of knowing any superior truth “krishnat paratattvam aham na jane’. So similar emotions have been expressed and Krishna personally has also said “mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya” (BG 7.7) so that Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Krishna Das Kaviraj he is writing you know that the brahma brahmasmi the talk about the advait that they talk about in Upanisad “tat api asya tanubha” there is nothing but the bha- the effulgence of tanu- the body of the Lord that effulgence that they realize and they say ‘I have realized God’ what do you have realized? I have seen light. Well that is just.. That is just.. have patience you not realized everything, you have only realized tanu bha that is only the light effulgence coming from the form of the Lord. “hiranmayenaa patrena satyasyapihitam mukham tat tvam pusann apavrnu satya dharmaya drstaye” (Isopanishad slok 15) please remove please remove this glaring effulgence and show me your lotus feet or lotus face “satya dharmaya drstaye” I am your devotee please remove this glaring effulgence I want to keep going get closer to you I want to see your form I want to see origin of this effulgence.

So the effulgence they talk about is nothing but just the rays coming from the form of the Lord His Personality of the Lord. “vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam vidam advayam brahmeti paramatmeti bhagvan iti sabdyate” (S.B 1.2.11). So Brahman realization is just one of the aspects of the Lord that’s not everything that’s just beginning and then he says “ya atmantar yami purusa iti so syamsa vibhavah” and that antaryami Krishna parmatma that purusa He is but ansha of the Lord, Lord is ansi- means complete and He expands and there He goes parmatma He is just ansa of the Lord expansion of the Lord non different from the Lord, Lord’s parmatma. So he talked about Brahma, Parmatma and then he is talking about Bhagavan now and then Bhagavan is Krishna that Bhagavan is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. “sad aisvaryaih purno ya iha bhagavan sa svayam ayam” “krishnas tu bhagvan svayam” ete camsa kalah pumsah krishnas tu bhagavan svayam” ete camsa- even parmatma is ansha or other incarnation “amsa amsa”. And He is full of six opulence’s sad aisvarya purna “aishvarya samagrasya viryasya yasaha jnana varagya” so He is full of all these 6 opulence’s and that is Bhagavan and that svayam Bhagvan is Caitanya Mahaprabhu “caitanyat krishnaj jagati para – tattvam param iha” there is no other truth, superior truth to Caitanya Krishna Caitanya. In other word Krishna Caitanya- no superior truth.

Ok now further glories of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu “anarpita-carim cirat karunayavatirnah kalau” (Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi-1.4) now that Caitanya Mahaprabhu very kindly ‘karunaya avatirnah kalau’ kalau – in the age of kali He has appeared. What caused His appearance ‘karunaya’ He could not resist or with His mood ‘karuna sindhu dina bandhu jagat pate’. Lord is not only karuna sindhu oh! Just being karuna sindhu is no big deal if He was karuna sindhu but what is more important is He is dina bandhu. He is dina bandhu the friend of the fallen and that is how we are benefited by that karunasindhutva His being karuna full of karuna what good is that karuna, He is a ocean, mercy He has big stock of mercy but He was not going to be dina bandhu friend of the fallen if His heart was not going to go ‘anukampartham’ then He could have just remained whatever He is but what good is He for us for the world, for the souls. But He is not only karuna sindhu but more importantly He is dina bandhua so ‘karunaya avatirnah kalau’ Lord appeared because of His karuna and He has appeared after a long time or the way He is appearing things which He is going to do as Caitanya Mahaprabhu no one else has done this before “anarpita”- not offered not delivered, carim cirat- since long long time carim having been formerly not offered, cirat – for a long time. So He is going to offer something that no one no other incarnation that’s why Rupa goswami said “namo maha vadanyaya krsna prema pradayate krsnaya Krishna caitanya namne gaura-tvise namah” no one is as magnanimous as Caitanya Mahaprabu most magnanimous – mahavadanyaya. And then ok He is appearing after long time and He is going to offer something that was not offered delivered by anyone any other form incarnation of the Lord, what is that?

“samarpayitum unnatojjvala- rasam sva bhakti- sriyam” He is offering this ‘samarpayitum’ – samarpan, first word ‘unarpita’ arpan now samarpan ‘samarpayitum’ in order to samarpan – in order to deliver to hand out what? samarpayitum unnata unnata unnata nata unnata utunga, tungavidya also means the topmost, Mount Everest that is utunga shikhar that peak is utunga – the tallest top most. So unnata nata means bowing down bow down nata mastak and then unnata nata unnata ‘unnata ujjvala rasam’ – the topmost mellow top most rasa ‘unnata ujjvala rasa’ brilliant rasa the top most rasa most condensed rasa that is madhurya rasa – Shringar rasa. He is offering that He is going to share that but He is going to relish that Himself that is coming up soon and He is going to relish himself and share that with His devotees also “unnatojjvala rasam sva bhakti sriyam”. And His bhakti His own service unto Him will also be offered chanting of “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare”.

Sriyam is translated here as treasure the treasure house; He is going to be cutting canals He is going to spread all over “avatirne guar chandre vistirne prema sagare yena majyanti majyanti te maha anartha sagare” sounds nice again this is from Caitanya Chandramrita ‘avatirne guar chandre’ Lord Guar Chandra appeared ‘vistirne’ He expanded ‘vistirne prema sagare’. ‘yena majyanti majyanti’ those who do not throw themselves into and then drown ‘ye na majyanti majyanti te’ those who do not throw themselves in this prema sagar then there is ‘emaha anartha sagare’ (Maharaj laughs…Laughtr). The other sagar is waiting for them there are only but two sagar two oceans – ‘prema sagar’ and ‘maha anartha sagar’. So Lord appeared to expand this prema sagar those who do not dive deeper into that they will have to drown and die in that maha anartha sagar.

So “harih purata sundara dyuti kadamba- sandipitah” so that Hari is ‘purata sundara duyuti’ radha dyuti they call radha dyuti, there is one devotees name Radha dyuti. Radha rani is also very effulgent so that effulgence that radiance radiates permeates that effulgence from Radha it’s not just a flat dry form, from that form comes Hari purata sundara dyuti. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu has golden effulgence now golden effulgence what is the origin of that? Radha rani is origin; originally Radha rani is “tapta kanchana guarangi”. So that Hari Hari also has ‘purata sundara dyuti kadamba sandipitah’ lighted up – sandipitah. The multitude ‘purata sundara’ multitude and more beautiful ‘dyuti’ – that effulgence splendor. Ok so then He says ‘sada hrdaya kandare sphuratu vah saci-nandanah’ so all this description is of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu or His glories these adjectives this description is of Sacinandan and let that Sacinandan ‘sada hrdaya kandare’ hrdaya kandara- the cave- gupha – kandara. “paniya suyavasa kandara kanda mulaih” (SB 10.21.18 ) Gopis said that this Griraj supplies lots of water nice green grass caves- kandara the kanda mulaih also – fruits and roots to eat, kandara ‘sada hrdaya kandare sphurtu’ let Him appear manifest reveal Himself ‘vah’- that is you Sacinandanah. This prayer that let Caitanya Mahaprabhu make His appearance in your heart.

‘radha krsna pranaya vikrtir hladani saktir asmad’ –‘radha krsna pranaya vikrtir hladani saktir asmad’ ok so vikrti it is translated as transformation vikrti, kruti – vikrti, vikrti also takes place in this material existence and in prakriti there is vikrti then there is akriti. Prakriti –pancha maha butas that’s prakriti then some different things happen combination permutation action reaction that is vikrti and then takes akriti- the form. So some transformation takes place, so ‘radha Krishna pranaya vikrtir hladani saktir asmad’ this Radha Krishna pranaya – the loving dealings between Radha and Krishna and this is all the display of hladani sakti. Hladani sakti is in action hladani sakti pleasure potency pleasure giving potency of the Lord then all those ‘radha Krishna pranaya’- Radha Krishna dealings take place this exercise it’s a display its transformation of hladini sakti then all the Lilas Radha Krishna dealings- lilas take place.

“ekatmanav api bhuvi pura deha bhedam gatau tau” (Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi-1.5) and he says ‘ekatmanav api’ –infact Radha and Krishna are ekatma they are just one soul ‘ekatmanav’ although they are ‘ekatmanav api’ then what happen? ‘bhuvi’ somewhere in this world ‘pura’- long longtime ago, don’t ask when (Maharaj laughs), ‘bhuvi pura’ – long long time ago in the world what happen, this ‘ekatmanav- deha bhedam gatau tau’ they were one but they became ‘deha bhedau’ deha bheda here is Krishna now here is Radha that wasn’t the case originally they are ekatmanav- one person. But then once upon a time ‘deha bhedam gatau tau’ from one there were two and then something else happened. ‘caitanyakhyam prakatam adhuna tad-dvayam caikyam’ – so they were one from one became two and now means 500 years ago ‘caitanyakhyam prakatam adhuana’ now He has appeared as Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu meaning what has happened tad dvayam from one they had become dvaya- two ‘caikyam aptam’ – again they have become one. Aptam- they became one, they were one they became two they became one again ‘caikyam aptam’.

“radha bhava dyuti suvalitam naumi Krishna svarupam” now unto that Krishna svarupa which is Sri Krishna Caitanyakhyam- I offer my obeisance’s ‘naumi Krishna svarupam’ ‘radha bhava dyuti suvalitam’ and what kind of form that is? ‘radha bhava and dyuti’ two things are in that form radha bhava -bhava is inside emotions feelings – the mellow , radha bhava and dyuti – the effulgence. So he has taken two items from Radha rani He has taken emotions Caitanya Mahaprabhus emotions are Radha rani’s emotions, feelings thoughts like Radha rani and His look His appearance His effulgence is like Radha rani radha dyuti, radha bhava radha dyuti. And finally now in this verse he talks of the reasons why Caitanya Mahaprabhu or His confidential His personal reasons for Him to appear. As He appeared as Caitanya Mahaprabhu ‘radha bhava dyuti suvalitam naumi Krishna svarupam” that svarupa why did He go for that svarupa? And He has given three reasons ‘kidrso kidrso kidrsam’ one line is kidriso ‘sri radhayah pranaya mahima kidrso’ he is curious to know like “athato brahma jigyasa” (Maharaj laughs) he is very curious to know what does he want to know? ‘radhayah pranaya mahima kidrso’ this is straight forward radhas pranaya mahima –the greatness of love, Radha’s greatness of love Radha’s great love it is of what kind? I want to know! I want to know that Radha rani’s love, greatness of radha rani’s love.

“vanayaiva svadyo yenadbhuta -madhurima kidraso” and then She does ‘asvadya’ asvadan she relishes me, She enjoys me and then that is Her love that is Her mood as She does asvadan of myself. So ‘madhuradi pate akhilam madhuram’ I am suppose to be ‘madhuradi pati’ ‘madhu adhipati’ master of all the sweetness, everything about me is sweet they say but I don’t know? Or I must be sweet, see what happens to Radha rani when She enjoys my company or my beauty my this my that she knows but I don’t know? Like the sugar does not know that sugar is sweet who knows? The ant knows ant knows (Maharaj laughs) that sugar is sweet the sugar does not know. So Krishna is saying I must be sweet because look what happens when She enjoys me, but then I want to experience that, I want to know her experience.

“va madiyah saukhyam casya mad anubhavatah kidrsam” there is little subtle difference here as She ‘saukhya’ She enjoys me and then She has kind of experience. So what kind of experience is that, what kind of person I am? What are these different attributes of myself the varieties of sweetness of myself. First of all what is the sweetness that’s one? And then as one enjoys that sweetness of myself what is that experience of experiencing that sweetness? Me being sweet is one thing and then experience of that which only Radha rani experiences that. So ‘kidrsam veti lobhat’ now Krishna becomes curious He becomes kind of greedy He is very anxious now to know this ‘kidrso kidrso kidrsam’. So now He has this desire developed within Him very strong desire – will, thinking-feeling –wiling. He was thinking then some feeling and then strong will within Him, so what is He is going to do now that ‘tad bhavadhyah samajani saci garbha sindhau’ ‘tad tad bhavadhyah’ premadhya – full of enriched with Her bhava – bhavadhayah. ‘tat’ that is Radha rani radhayah bhavadhyah samajani.
So ok Lord has already made up His mind that He appeared Krishna Das Kaviraj says He appeared samajani –ajani nanuragah, ajani – not born ajani, namnam akari bahudha- all that and what is the last line? Durdaivam – and unfortunate as I am ‘idrisham ihajani nanuragaha’ ‘anurag utpana nahi huva’ anurag ajani but here it is samajani – samyak prakare jani Lord appeared so Lord appeared with enriched with the emotions ‘radha bhava dyuti’ also samajani. Where and how? Well who appeared? Harinduh – Hari indu, indu is moon Hari indu appeared Caitanya Candra appeared. So usually we see the moon rising, when in Jaganath Puri you see as if the ocean is giving birth to full moon coming from we don’t see anything else but the ocean. And as if ocean is giving birth to the moon so Hari indu is appearing so where is the ocean? What is the ocean? Saci-garbha sindhau – saci garbha the womb of Saci that is Saci garbha sindhu it’s like a ocean. From Saci mata’s Saci garbha sindhu in the ocean of the womb of Saci devi Lord made His appearance.

So He has appeared He is here Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu ki…….jai. And it was also full moon night – purnima, two candras Caitanya candra and Chandra Chandra appeared at the same time. Chandra Chandra he covered his face how he could show his face “bahu koti chandra jini vadan ujjaval” spot less effulgence, so other Chandra hide himself behind the curtain. Jai Sacinandan Jai Sacinandan Jai Sacinandan …..Guar Hari. Ok

Questions from audience

‘Sampradaya vihina ye mantras viphala matah’
Lord is compared to vaidurya mani there is a mani – jewel – diamond like stone called vaidurya mani and this vaidurya mani the characteristic of this vaidurya mani is from different angles you see there is different kind of darshan. Different beauty is exhibited differently from which ever angle you look at this vaidurya mani. So all beauty it’s wonderful, one kind of beauty from this side another side. So Lord is like that vaidurya mani, some are seeing Radha Krishna- Golok dham; some are seeing in some sampradaya Sita –Ram of Saket dham, some are seeing vaikuntha – Lord of Vaikuntha vaikunthanayak and “nanavatar makarodha bhuvaneshu kintu”. If they follow their sampradaya strictly of course in future there will be one sampradaya (Laughter) gradually things are going to be diminishing the other sampradayas. “prithivite ache yata nagar adi gram sarvatra prachar haibe mora nama” those days are also ahead and “radhe shyam radhe shyam shyam shyam radhe radhe” instead they also will be chanting “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare”.

Question
Prabhupada said that every year Mayapur flood, flood causing trouble water going higher and higher. He said this is the place from here flood of the Holy name, waves of the Holy name ocean, floods origin from there from Mayapur staring from Mayapur going all over this country that country here there unless there is tide and waves rising to unreach.

Question
Caitanya Mahaprabhu is most magnanimous what is lacking in us?

Giver is there where is the taker (laughs) in hindi Bhagvatam yesterday Prabhupada said the Vedic mantras are there but where are the chanters? Or where are the qualified chanters, so mantras are there but where are the chanters. Well offences we don’t have to be part of another sampradaya to offend Caitanya Mahaprabhu, or offend vaishanavas you could be part of Caitanya Mahaprabhus sampradaya and continue your offending business and then you lose the taste so that could be a cause. That happened to that muni he was in kaliya daha in the water saubari muni right in Vrindavan also most on the stage of trance and you know meditation and peaceful and everything was going fine but then he offended Garud Vaishnav, he offend garud. As he a result he lost all his trance focus the meditation and he was getting agitated by he and she fish seeing their acts that was causing agitation. So much so that he had to leave kaliya daha leave Vrindavan, he goes to the kingdom of King Mandhata – “give me wife give me wife I want to enjoy”. Here is daughter of mine; no one is not sufficient, ok fifty of my daughters, all fifty daughters of king Mandhata this Saubari muni married. So that could be possibility, and different kinds of offences are there vaishnav aparadha is one this aparadha that aparadha, this anartha that anartha anartha nivruti syat then what happens then nistha “nityam bhagvat sevaya bhagvati uttam sloke bhaktir bhavati naistiki”. So nistha we have to be fixed up attached to the holy name but keep chanting. Prabhupada talks of jaundice we are all diseased, so what’s the cure for jaundice? Sugar candy which taste so bitter- give me something sweet and condensed sugar is given sugar candy nothing can be more sweet then that but it taste very bitter because of the jaundice. So he may ask any other cure? No only cure only cure is keep eating sugar candy. And he keeps eating so what happens? He is cured and then he say bring me more sugar candy. Oh it’s finished no go get more, so holy name is sweet Lord has kindly delivered the Holy name. There is nothing wrong with the Holy Name something wrong with us so each individual case something wrong with this persons chanting, something else another kind of wrong this anartha that anartha. So do introspection and analyze conclude and you improve good chanting “aparadha sunya haiya lahu Krishna name” Bhaktivinod Thakur says “aparadha sunya haiya lahu Krishna nam”, anything else alright Haribol.

Guar Nitai ki…..jai

Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu ki……jai

Venue: New Jersey
Ram katha (First session)
Thank you for coming, jai Sita Rama Laxman Hanuman ji ki………. jai.
Thank you for also the opportunity to talk about Shri Rama not for 9 days; normally that is how long they have Rama katha for 9 days, Bhagvatam for 7 days Ramayan for 9 days. Navaanha they call navaanha. You are happy that it is only for 3 days (laughter) lucky you are. And we also have Shri Rama here there is also Shri Rama mandir Iskcon Shri Rama mandir our own Shri Rama mandir. Whenever we get to do Rama katha. Long time ago long long time ago 900,000 years ago almost 1 million years ago Lord Shri Rama was on the planet.
“paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam dharma-samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge” (B.G 4.8). So that was treta yuga Lord Shri Rama appeared. “ramadi-murtishu kala-niyamena tishthan nanavataram akarod bhuvaneshu kintu krishnah svayam samabhavat paramaha puman yo”- nanavtar Bramaha mentions name of one avatar ‘Ramadi-murtishu kala-niyamena tishthan’ niyame there is a niyam there is a schedule whole time table who appears when and it was Shri Rama’s time Treta yuga. At the end of Treta yuga and between then and now 900,000 years have passed. Lord appeared to protect His devotees “paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam dharma-samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge” and He also has to kill some demons it’s not all play but some work also.
“Paritranaya sadhunam” that is his pleasure pastime and some duty also killing the demons which is not part of His nitya leela, nitya leela is only He is with His devotees. But there is naimitik leela nimit is occasional occasionally He has to descend. And He appears in ayodhya then He also kills demons so tons of demons lots of demons He kills and by doing so dharma samsthapanarthay. He establishes the principle of religion that’s the purpose of Lords descend whenever He appears Lord Shri Rama is a very special expansion incarnation of Shri Krishna ‘chahe Krishna kaho ya Rama’ (singing) very close next to Krishna is Rama’s name although there are so many so many incarnation so many names so many forms but next to Krishna is Shri Rama “Ramadi-murtishu kala-niyamna tishthan”.
Other incarnations comes and go and they just have one lila killing one demon temporarily they are here and they are gone and Krishna appears also from very janma Krishna janma to His time for departure He was here for 125yrs Lord Shri Krishna so many many pastimes moving from one location to another to another to another to another finally to Dwarka and out He goes. And then Shri Rama was here on this planet for yet much longer time 11,000 years He ruled. He was a ruler raja Rama for 11,000yrs it’s pretty long time huh! 11000yrs He appears on navami Krishna appears on ashtami next day not the same month, not the same year, at-least according to tithi, asthami Shri Krishna appears and navami Rama what did I say ashtami Krishna appears, navami Shri Rama appears. One appears middle of the night; mid night other appears mid day. One appears in the Chandra vamsha Shri Krishna and other one Shri Rama appears in surya vamsha.
Like that these similarities are also there. Then Radha rani appears on Radhashtami and Sita rani appears on Sita navami hmm you knew that? krishnashtami krishnashtami radhashtami, Rama navami Sita navami. These are no accidents these are all arrangements by their sweet will they appear. They are not forced “karmanadaiva netrena sat asat janmayonishu”. This is applicable to us “karmanadaiva netrena” and what kind of karma you perform “sat” ok you get superior body, “asat” karma then you also appear in lower form, lower species of life. You have no choice it’s just your karma “as you sow so shall you reap” but Lord Shri Krishna Lord Shri Rama they do not perform karma they perform akarma. They perform just a lila “janma karma ca me divyam evam yo vetti tattvatah tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti so arjuna” (B.G 4.9).
Krishna says which is about Himself also about Shri Rama oh! My pastimes are janma, my appearance my karma my pastime my activities are all transcendental. And those who come to Rama katha Krishna katha and sit down like this not even mobile phone is allowed to ring here and you hear you understand my janma my lila tattvataha. You understand the tattva the science the context as they are lila as it is and what is the result ‘tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti’ no more birth no more death you come to me either you go to Golok, you go to Saket they are also. Here we are in Devi dhama then there is Mahesh dhama there’s Hari dhama then there’s Saket dhama then there’s Golok dhama. That’s the order we are here, New Jersey is devi dhama its a fort, durga’s fort durga. Very difficult to get out of here ‘dur-ga’ ga means going transcending going out of this universe is dur difficult task. Durga is watching so that’s where we are in a bigger prison house, lots of space to move around we don’t even see the walls of the prison house. So we think we are free and the bonds are so subtle, made up of goodness, passion and ignorance, we don’t even feel so we are free. We are not arrested there are no shackles we are free, but you can’t get out of here out of this universe unless and until you do this “janma karmachame divyam”.
You understand Lord Shri Rama’s pastimes are transcendental and you understand them fully well with the help of the devotees. “evam parama para praptam” (B.G 4.2) and all that, then ‘tyaktva deham punar janma eti’ then what happens “mam eti” he comes to me mam eti mam eti he goes to me he comes to where I am where Shri Rama is where Krishna is so that’s the that’s also the purpose of recitation of this Ramayan.
Not only we will have good time till the last breath because your connection with Rama we will have araama. Arama comes from Rama no Rama is harama, harama khor (Laughs). So relief is possible. One well isn’t not only getting out of this universe is only way to become liberated become free from shackles free from bonds and sufferings of this existence. One could be here but he is with Shri Rama he is hearing about Shri Rama and chanting the holy names of Shri Rama he is not here he is already there with him. Weather here or there’ jivo va maro va’ no difference he is living here in this world in this body maro va he is with Shri Rama no difference. “katha ramayanasyapi nityam bhavati yad grhe tad grham tirtha-rupam hi vasatam papa-nasanam” this is Ramayan mahatmya there is bhagvat mahatmya thers is also Ramayan mahatmya 5 chapters we find them in skandha purana skandha puran complied by Shrila Vyasa dev and he is glorifying Ramayan and throughout other puranas also there is a Ramayan Rama pastimes, Rama references even in bhagvat puran Shrila Sukdev goswami reciting Ramayan briefly in 2 chapters in the 9th canto of bhagvatam.
When Shri Krishna use to hear Rama katha oh! you have to tell me story before going to sleep story please and then otherwise Krishna doesn’t drink milk, doesn’t go to sleep he has to hear story then Yashoda tells Shri Krishna tells Rama story you know there was a king called Rama and very devoted wife Sita. Aah but one time she got kidnapped by a demon called Ravana. As Krishna hears this he jumps oh! Where is my sword? Where is that demon? becomes furious He goes back into another age in treta yuga and He is in full Rama bhava. He has become Rama and wants to kill where that Ravana is? So by hearing the pastimes of Shri Rama then one develops the qualities of Shri Rama becomes a great hero person of a good character and what not. Every mother every father, brother, sisters had been telling these stories for 900,000 years. Stories of Shri Rama they only stopped few decades ago with advent of Amitabh bachhan or something or the television doordarshan otherwise people use to work all day in their farm in their fields and come back home take the remaining meals and go for Rama katha or go for mahabharat katha or go for this katha that katha.
In a small village 5-10, 20 places there is katha going on, singing is bhajan Rama bhajans krishna’s bhajans are going on. This is such a common experience we have seen I have seen in a small village where I was born. But I go to same village now they are all absorb taking darshan of another hero they are just zero in-fact. Then there is no more Rama katha, one gets to hear. “yat grihe nityam bhagavati katha ramayanasyapi” if at home at village a town a country there is a katha Shri Rama katha then ‘tat griham tirtha rupam’ tat graham that house, that place, that spot, that country is tirtha is a holy place. You have transformed your home into tirtha by reciting Ramayan by hearing by sharing Rama katha. “Dushtanam papa nashanam” by hearing this Rama katha we say that ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Rama patit pavan Sita Rama’ so Raghupati Raghav that Raghav coming in Raghu dynasty is patitpavan Sita Rama.
Patit pavan not only 900,000yrs ago Shri Rama killed demons and by doing so establish the principle of religion purified the world but He is willing to do so He can do even now just associate with him just give aural reception to him let Rama enter you. And if you are patit you should be admitting. Honesty is best policy yes I am fallen then for every patit Shri Rama will make that person a pavan purified person. Lords katha is as power as the Lord because katha of the Lord is not different from Lord or as He has promised where His devotees get together ‘gayanti tatra tishtami narayan’ were my devotees get together chant my katha recite, my katha chant my holy name I am there “tatra tishtami” I reside there. So Lord appears there where His katha, His pastimes are remembered are recited. As Lord appears, He kills the all demons or demoniac nature in the heart in their consciousness. All the anarthas are removed. When there is a dasera time diwali-dasera you know dasera in India in north India specially they make big effigy of Ravana 100 ft tall in a big maidan Rama -lila maidan many cities have Rama-lila maidan, maidan dedicated where on dasera it’s a festival of killing, burning Ravana and 100s & 1000s of devotees gather persons gather. The Benefit is as one witnesses here is Ravana getting burned and if you are happy that Ravana is getting burn and if you are not happy what does that mean? you are close to Ravana. He is somebody for you. You have some soft corner for him.
If you’re near and dear he is departing you won’t be happy but you are happy you clap you clap you rejoice and jump we do this. I am also from Delhi. One time I was in gully then I went to Delhi. So there we get to witness this so you are jubilant seeing Ravana getting burned that gives relief and great benefit because Ravana like mentality is there in the heart is getting burned as Ravana is getting burned and making seat, clearing singhasan for Shri Rama. “tavat papa ni dehasmin nivashanti tapodhana yavan shrunyate samyak Shrimad Ramayanam narai”. “tavat papa ni dehas nivashanti” “papani” – the sins “ nivashanti” will reside “dehismin”- in the body in the consciousness ‘yavancshrunyate samyak Shrimad Ramayanam narai”. Up till only up till that time the papa vasana the seeds of sins or a desire to commit sin will stay until we hear Ramayan Rama katha. And as we hear Ramayan Rama enters the heart Rama’s nama also enters the heart. So that is just but the couple of verses from a bhagvatam not bhagvatam Ramayan mahatmya .
Ramayan begins with word tapah. “Om tapah svadhyay niratam” Today is also day for tapasya. Tapasya day tapodhana. We also just heard that address tapodhana Oh! tapodhana. For some persons bramahins brahminically inclined the austerity is the wealth tapodhana austerities is the wealth. Or by performers of austerities one purifies themselves. “tapo divyam putraka yena sattvam yasmad suddhyed” one becomes shudha purified “brahma-saukhyam tv anantam” and there is ananta sukha one could derive. So today is that opportunity also during the day. The day for real fasting, super fast not of the ordinary kind. Not fasting only from beans and grain but fasting from even water. We are lucky we could have some air. Dhruva maharaj at one point even stopped breathing. So day like today is called upavas meaning fasting but also meaning something more, upa means near vas means residence upavas is that day, day of residing near of somebody or someone who do you think that someone is? Yes the day to sit near Shri Rama the day to sit closer to Krishna.
Shri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Upavas so fasting no eating grains and not drinking water is 1 part but that’s not everything there is more to it than just fasting getting closer to him. So as we hear about Him as we hear about Shri Rama we get closer to him we sit near Him so He comes closer to us, that is upavas so we have been doing fasting all day and I am sure we are also chanting “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare” that some reading, hearing Ramayan or bhagvatam or Caitanya Caritamrita this brings us closer to us Shri Rama. So we have special opportunity today of being very close to Shri Rama as we are hear Ramayan as I came and offered my obeisance to Shri Rama here as I am feeling very close to Him or also thinking of Shri Rama all day long then I had darshan and oh! This is the person that I was thinking about this is the one so at the end of the day as one keeps hearing or chanting glories of Shri Rama you meet Him you be with Him. So every time as we hear about Him we get closer to Him get closer some step closer as we takes few step He takes quite a few steps. He takes 100 steps we take 1 step He takes 100 steps. Because He is more eager to see us then we are to see Him. Children may forget the parent that’s possible but parents forgetting children not possible. If such thing is possible then they are not parents anymore by definition.
As Shri Rama Shri Krishna is Supreme father. So how much more they must be thinking multiplied by the father and mother also thinks of a child say ‘x’ amount of thinking. So Shri Rama multiplied by billion trillions of times more. Thought is on Shri Rama’s mind He is always devising some plan some scheme something so that the children would think of Him come closer to Him. Oh! This Rama katha is also that kind of arrangement His arrangement I am sure ISKCON New Jersey gets the credit as they have become instrument the cause, the organisers the invitations went out Ramachandra & company Ramachandra prabhu but Shri Rama is cause of all causes. It’s because of Him we are here today. Otherwise we would be all over the planet. But here we are sitting at His lotus feet.
So Om tapaha is how Ramayan begins Om tapaha is a day of tapashya and so this hearing is also tapashya. With this we purify our minds. Tapashya is not only fasting so there is tapashya there is austerity at the physical level at our vocal level our mental level as Krishna explains this in Bhagavat gita also. So austerity at the physical level is necessary and useful, beneficial but most benefit is derived as we are austere in our speech. We think several times before we talk. We wait right – wrong, body- soul, heaven – hell like this then we speak. Speech purified speech and tapashya is performed of the speech. Then better speech and of course whatever is on the mind that comes out of this speaker this is the speaker we have. Then another speaker somewhere here right that’s the speaker. There is someone behind that’s speaking. So the mind is also there the mind is purified. Then by tapashya, so the tapashya of the mind and the speech and the body is not limited to only body. Oh! I did fasting I fasted that’s just part of it. So the tapashya the tapa of the mana (mind) and the speech is performed as we chant and hear about the Lord. So we have opportunity to do tapa at a physical level we have opportunity to do tapashya at the speech or mind level. So at the very beginning this is Bala kanda, Narad Muni is a speaker of this sarga one adhyaya one chapter of this bala kand. Where he is summarising the whole Ramayan, entire Ramayan has been summarised in one chapter we are not doing that exercise but I just for your information you may be interested to do little summary study then you could just read the bala kanda first sarga. There are 500 sargas or adhyayas chapters. The first chapter is summary of the entire Ramayan. And Narad Muni is speaker and Valmiki is a student. He is a shishya you remember, Valmiki one time was not valmiki he was ratnakar and some other names also we hear of him. Valya kodi (laughs) if you are Marathi then you will have some other names different part of India; also sastra has some different names of his life’s sketch and his names.
So Ratnakar as he was, Narada muni stopped his sinful activities and had asked him to chant the names of, you chant you just chant too much run around sit down sit down take it easy sit down sit down. By run around you want not become happy, sit down you’ll be happy. Sit and chant Shri Rama and you’ll be happy. More happy then all the running around you have done to become happy. So he agreed to sit down and chant the names of Shri Rama. And as we hear how sinful he was he had hard time chanting the name of Rama properly so he was doing reverse. “Mara mara mara mara mara Ramaa Ramaa aa…….Ram Ram Ram” what happened he started with mara so then there is clearing stage as one chants there is clearing stage, the offence less chanting. Initially there could be some offences offensive chanting and keep chanting keep chanting hearing. Oh! He did chant and for long time he chant Raaaaaam Raaaaaam Ram and the sounds were coming out of the holes of valmik – anthill.
For long long time ants ate all the flesh and muscles and tissues and everything and they made a hill anthill and in those holes sounds were coming from those holes Ram…. So this anthill is called Valmik the one who was in that valmik and attained his realisation and did tapashya hence he gets the name valmiki, from valmik anthill comes the name valmiki. That’s right revolution for you? It was work for me one time. So Narada muni is a spiritual master and valmiki is a disciple. So this is one occasion, they are together and valmiki yes he is enquiring could you please tell me “Naradam Muni pungavam” you are the best of the munis. So I wish to know something and could you please respond to this enquiry as he was making. “konvasmin saampratam loke gunavaankashcha viirryavaan, dharmagyashcha kritagyashcha satyavaakyo dridhavratah” at the present moment this time who is that person gunavan (full of all good qualities), viryavan (very powerful) who is that person who is dharmagya who know the principle of dharma knower of dharma, kritagyashcha who is that person who is very grateful, satyavakyaha who is that person right now on this planet who only speaks the truth? And dradavrataha fixed simply fixed established no one could push him around. Don’t push me around, don’t push me around, do you hear that Americans all the time say don’t push me around.
So who is that person whom no one could push him around? He’s just like a rock “staveranam Himalaya” like a mountain Himalayan mountain ‘chaaritrena cha ko yuktah sarvabhuuteshhu ko hitah’ and who is a person personality on this planet now who has the best character sarvabhuteshu kohitaha? And who is a well wisher of all the living entities vedvan kaha? And who is knowledgeable ka samarthaha? Who is capable “kashchaeka priyadarshanah” and who is also beautiful to look at atmavan ko jitakrodho? Who is that one who has conquered the anger dhyutiman? And who is that effulgent person ko anasuyakaha” And who is that non envious? kasya bibhyati devaashcha jaataroshhasya samyuge? And who is that person whose prayers make even demigods tremble in the midst of the battle, ‘etad ichchhaamyaham shrotum param kautuuhalam hi me’ I wish to know who is that person who fits this bill who matches all this description? Who is it do you know I am very eager I am very curious to know who that person is? ‘maharshhe tvam samartho asi gyaatumevamvidham naram’ and o! maharshi! maha rushi narada rushi I know you are competent to tell me who that person is. So as disciple valmiki was very eager to know this “athato bramaha jigyasa”. He was very curious and also was qualified to know the answer of this question. “Aristo vakyam abhravit naradah”. So Narada he was delighted jubilant to hear such enquiry. And he spoke “bahavo durlabhashcaiva ye tvaya kirtita gunah” o! You know all the qualities which you have mentioned these are very very rare qualities. And to find a person with those qualities is rarest thing most rare thing. ‘mune vakshyamyaham buddva tairyuktashruyatam narah’ but I‘ll think harder I’ll think harder, “budhva” not just top of my head I’ll give a serious thought to what you have enquired.
And “aham vakshami” I will say and he thought for a while and Narada muni speaks ‘Ikshvaaku vansha prabhavo Ramo nama janaiha shrutaha’ o! That person that personality Shri Rama he has appeared in Ikshvaku dynasty. And he is very popular “janai srutaha” people are talking about him ‘maha virya dyutiman vasi”. All the qualities that you mentioned are very much in Him or He is equipped, He is endowed with those qualities. Mahavirya effulgent self controlled budhiman nitiman, Shriman in other words He is bhagawan. Budhiman, gunavan and tyagvan and saundaryavan and these six things put together makes personality bhagawan “Krishnastu bhagawan swayam” Ramastu very close, maryada purushottam. Krishna has no maryada unlimited He takes some mariyada and then he appears as Shri Rama bhagawan Shri Ram nitiman not only budhiman but nitiman it’s rare. Someone could be a brainy person but not necessarily nitiman not necessarily following the principles of morality. That’s rare to have head and also heart. Some people have heart no head, some have head, heartless.
Budhiman nitiman niti- all the feelings are there. Mahabahu he is powerful, His arms are kambugrivo His neck is like a couch shell. Ajanubahu He has long arms this is description of that personality something more He has not even asked could you tell me that person who‘s arms are very long that was not part of the enquiry. All that was enquired was there in Shri Rama + much more. Bonus also there “suchiraha sulalataha”- Broad forehead, suvikramaha- heroic, vishalaksho- His eyes are big eyes, lotus eyes blooming lotus eyes He has, “prajanam cha hite ratah” – He is knower of the religion and protector of His citizens. “Yashasvi”- He is successful. Suchi- purified pure, dharmashya parrakshita- and He is protector of dharma, repuni sudanah- killer of the enemy and goes on and on and on and on. So some qualities and then gradually gets into the pastimes summary pastimes running through all the kandas kanda after kanda.
Bala kanda, ayodhya kanda, aranya kanda, kishkinda kanda then hanuman’s kanda sundar kanda then yudha kanda, uttar kanda, so there are seven kandas summary study of all this kandas or khandas divisions of jai Shri Rama. So towards end of that narration by Narada muni ‘naradasya tu tadvakyam shrutva vaakyavisharadah, puujayamasa dharmatma sahashishhyo mahamunih’ so he was worshipped by Valmiki muni along with his disciples and finally devarshri Narads jagamah-he departed chanting what Narayan Narayan. jai Shri Rama jai Shri Rama jai Shri Rama. Only Narad muni chanting you are not chanting ‘sa muhurtam gate tasmin devalokam munistada jagama tamasatiiram’ so after a while Narad muni departed and now there is Valmiki with his disciples and he is there on the bank of a river called Tamasa River and his description we see some trees here also but beyond that there’s a concrete jungle sky scrapers. 900,000 year old not that there were no towns yes there was city Ayodhya, well planned city. One of the 7 cities a million years ago that’s pretty long time and well planned such cities cannot be planned anymore they are not being planned, wonderful beautiful complete cities with lakes and lotus and swans and squares and archers what not, beautiful architecture and beautiful people also with wonderful consciousness Krishna consciousness in their head. Wherever they walked always chanting jai Shri Rama jai Shri Rama jai Shri Rama as they get up in the morning Rama Rama-Rama Rama-Rama they do this.
Best culture best architect best music best food best everything. Millions years into the past cannot be matched New York how old? 200-300. Alright I was there in California few years ago and they were celebrating 250th anniversary of Los Angeles. And the Americans were hey! You know this is very very old city Los Angeles, not only old very old not very old city very oooooold city try to make it even older by saying very ooooold city. So when I enquired I did not know at that time 250 years old you know 250 years pretty old. So 250 years verses 900,000 years. So towns and lots of wonderful country side and Valmiki is there and he notices that there were 2 birds’ two cranes as we see in the photograph of such birds are they look like and they were together walking next to each other and they were having good time and it was fun time for them and they were enjoying each other’s company but that did not last very long Valmiki was that was part of the scene. They were birds they were walking next to each other beaks into beaks doing that.
Valmiki had taken note of their pastimes and suddenly the arrow comes with a great speed and the male crane was dropped dead. So their good time the height of heights of the pleasure there was deaths of this pair at-least for the surviving one the she crane. When she saw the state of her husband the male bird she was in total despair distress and by seeing that scene Valmiki had compassion towards that she crane and then he notices that oh! this is the act of this. This hunter he was a nishad from some lower cast out hunting there. And when he (Valmiki) realises this act was his he immediately curses ‘maa nishad partistham tvam gama sasvati samaha’ I curse you. You will never ever have peace of mind. “Yad crouncham mithunadicam avadhi kama mohitam”- they were having their kama good times and you disturbed and put full-stop to it. And so you will be disturbed always, never peace of mind for you. But the words that he had uttered was not ordinary. They came out like a like a poetry. His shoak or lamentation is what had transformed into sloka shoak became sholka. Lamentation became into beautiful poetry, and he had never composed any poetry before. For first time he uttered something and that was such a beautiful thing sounding beautiful. It has a perfect meter and it had eight aksharas (letters) in each pad there were four padas as in bhagvat gita and there is also throughout Ramaya.
So he was surprise how did I utter this? How did I say this shloka? At the same time he was also regretting Oh! why did I curse. What right do I have to curse someone? Why did I curse that person? Yet kind of mixed feelings why did I curse that person? So over whelmed by the thoughts like this and he also recited poetry and of course he had all those Rama pastimes on the mind. And those Rama pastimes only were cause of this compassion that he had expressed and that poetry that he had composed and uttered. So thinking of Rama pastimes which he had heard from his spiritual master and this episode of the bird killing and him cursing so many thoughts and reflection that he was loaded with. He was returning to his ashrama Bharadwaj Muni was following him they were also carrying water. Water pots of that sacred waters of that river. So finally, that ashrama Valmiki’s ashrama, I visited that ashrama only last month just for your information I was on pilgrimage and I went to that ashrama of valmiki muni between Prayagraj and Varanasi it was inside of a road on the banks of Ganga. And I was also today is 7th? So on the 6th of May I was in Ayodhya also. 5th & 6th of May in Ayodhya and 7th I was in Mayapur and like that.
So as Valmiki is back in his ashrama he is still thinking the events just occurred and then something more amazing thing happens he sees a swan descending and getting closer and closer to him and it was a Brahma’s swan. His carriers swan and he goes forward receives him obeisance’s and invited in asan and greeting and worship and as they are both sitting now Valmiki is saying what is in his mind. Oh! This happened to me and I uttered this poetry and I also cursed that person and I don’t know what is happening with me? What it is due to? And Brahma says it was me. They were my words it just came out of your mouth. I was the speaker you just opened your mouth and said those words. I had empowered you to say those that particular shanda. And then comes instruction Brahma’s instruction to Valmiki- ‘ramasya charitam krshnam kuru’ you should compile the pastimes of Shri Rama. “dharmatmano bhagavato loke ramsya dhimatah”- That Rama who is bhagvan bhagavataha is dharmatmanah and dhimatah is established person He is dhira- sober that Rama’s pastimes you should compile. “vrattam kathaya dhirasya yatha te naradashrutam”- and make the base the foundation what Narada muni spoke to you the summary of the pastimes of Shri Rama. Let that be the base bases let that be the beej mantras. Let those be the sutras the code. Language to help you, guide you in compiling Rama’s pastimes. Giving this instruction Brahma returned to his own abode. And the Valmiki begins his task of compilation of Ramayan.
“gangayashchapi santaram bharadvajasya darshanam bharadvaj abhyanujnanach chitrakutasya darshanam vastukarmam nivesham cha bharatagamanam tatha prasadam cha ramasya pitushcha salilakriyam”. So in the beginning he is also doing in the summary for. “padukangryabhishhekam cha nandigramanivasanam”- that is Bharat. “dandakaranyagamanam viradhasya vadham tatha darshanam sharabhangasya sutikshnena samagamam anasuyasamakhyamcha angaragasya charpanam darshanam chapi agastya dhanusho grahanam tatha, shurpanakhya cha samvadam virupakaranam tatha” like that he goes on quite a few verse in the beginning he is compiling again like a summary study and then he has complied complete Ramayan with 24,000 verses. As bhagvatam has 18000 verses, Bhagvat gita has 700 and Mahabharata has 100,000 verses. So Ramayan has 24000 verses divided in seven kandas and in 500 sargas or chapters.
So as his Ramayan was complied it was ready the Valmiki was thinking but well thats a good beginning I have compiled Ramayan but it cannot just sit there with me, one copy with me. This has to go everywhere, who will propagate? Who’ll spread this Ramayan katha everywhere? Every town every village. And as valmiki was thinking who would do this? Who would help me out with propagations of Shri Rama? Two little beautiful boys walk in they were Lava and Kush. They were around for sometime as Sita was banished that’s another story would be told later on maybe not by us not in 3 days. Valmiki tells that story and so sita was staying in ashrama of Valmiki and that’s where she had given birth to this two beautiful boys Lava and Kush. They were growing in that ashrama surrounding at the bank of Ganga. As he thought who could do this job? This two boys appeared offering theirs obeisance’s as if saying yes yes here we are we could do it. And Valmiki he taught them Ramayan. Lava and Kush were the first two students of Ramayan. And they were not only taught Ramayan but they were taught how to recite, sing Ramayan. They’re wonderful singers’ sweet singers as if gandharva would sing. They are beautiful to look at as if they are replica of Shri Rama. They are looking just like Shri Rama. And when they would sing sweet like gandharva they would use different instruments veena and other instruments. So soon they had become well versed they memorised all the 24000 shlokas verses. And they were not just doing they were not just kanthasta put in the throat. They were in the heart hridayangam they have been assimilated.
They were Rama conscious fully Rama conscious so sweet singing. So gradually they started wandering travelling towns’ villages, and wherever they would go people would follow them. Hearing their Ramayan these two boys would walk and play different instruments veena and sing this Ramayan sweet as it is. Their sweet voices and sweet music they’re playing but the real sweetness of Ramayan is because of Shri Rama. The topic is Rama and He’s a sweet. And as they were singing sweetly those sweet pastimes with spicing of the sweet music it was intoxicating. As they would hear they would just be absorbed. Mantra mugdha forgetting everything else. They would perform this Ramayan performance recitation of sangeet Ramayan musical Ramayan. They would sit sometimes large gatherings, sages, and saintly persons and dharmatmas and mahatmas and rishis and munis would surround and listen to them with great attention. And as they would listen Lava and Kush reciting Ramayan their bodies’ would be trembling and they would shade tears of jubilation. And towards the end of such recitation they would congratulate them. ‘Hei wonderful wonderful’ sadhu sadhu sadhu sadhu wonderful wonderful well done’. They would give so many gifts to this Lava and Kush. Thank them please come back again.
When is the next time you would be singing this Ramayan we would like to come. So travelling and travelling Lava and Kush they reached Ayodhya. And now on the streets of Ayodhya they were singing. They are walking nagar sankirtan and Ramayan recitation. And the news reached Shri Rama that two beautiful kids they are telling they’re just small boys they beautiful to look at and they are singing wow! Rama wow! nothing like this we have ever heard. So Shri Rama arranged concert, He organised recitation of these two boys right in the assembly his assembly hall. He gathered everyone all the ministers all the citizens’ important VVIPs and there was Shri Rama and Sita and Laxman and Shatrughna Hanuman everybody sitting. And this Lava and Kush they are given microphone and as they recited Ramayan they never had such opportunity. This was very rare for them other places when they would chant sing Ramayan ‘chirnirvratamapi tad pratyaksham eva darshitam’ the recitation of Ramayan as those who listen to that recitation of Lava Kush reciting Ramayan the pastimes which took place sometime in the past they would stand before, before those listeners. Listeners’ would experience as if they are seeing those pastimes. There was only audio arrangement was for only audio listening but as they listened to that recitation there were visuals also they were able to see those pastimes they are so real made by the pure recitation of Lava and Kush and now the Rama was there.
And Rama’s glories Ramayan these children were reciting. ‘Sachapi ramaha parishad gatahashanair vibhushayashakta manababhuva’- Means Shri Rama its overwhelming experience for Shri Rama, He was also thinking who are these children? Whose son’s are these? Oh! they are dressed like sages those who stay in the forest but actually they couldn’t be Brahmins. They must be some kshatriya children Rama was thinking they must be some kshatriya boys. The way they are well built muscles and all some other symptoms they must be kshatriyas some king’s children. So it was very special extra ordinary treat for everybody assembled to listen to Ramayan the pastimes of Shri Rama in the presence of Shri Rama. Now it’s difficult after talking of Lava and Kush singing if we had not talked about that we could have done something or it would’ve been easy job but now it’s difficult. Something fake that was real thing this is just a show.
Maharaj singing Ayodhya vasi Rama…
Rama was dear to everybody all the citizens loved Him. And as He was leaving for forest van vas everyone was ready to go with Him. Everyone was just running behind running after Shri Rama. Those trees in Ayodhya are witnessing oh!Rama is leaving. Oh! So how fortunate these human being is as they could go with Shri Rama but what about us? We can’t move. Even those trees were in great distressed in separation from Shri Rama. Of course many attempts everyone tried to keep Him in ayodhya but there was no way. His father had promised one of the queens kaikai yes you can have two boons I am so please with you but not now in future at appropriate time I will ask to choose these two boons. Kaikai had assisted Dasrath in one big battle. She was accompanying him, the middle of the battle the axel the wheel the middle of the wheel axel and the barring ball barring that goes on top of the axel and the wheel moves. The axel broke while he was in the middle of the action. Kaikai jumped down from the chariot she put her hand right into the hole of that wheel and she held whatever she could hold. Her hands was a axel and Dasarath continued battling. Going backwards and forwards and you turn and here and there slow and fast and she was on the ground. Also running backwards and forwards and you turns and slow and fast movements. And Dashrath had won that battle. If it was not kaikai assisting him there the way she did he could have been long ago defeated.
But there is victory kaikai because of you I am so happy ask for some boon. Not now, so Dashrath he was getting older one day looking into the mirror ‘hye! some of his hair turned grey. They were there but not taken not noticed before but one fine morning ‘oh I am old’ time for vanaprastha retirement. You have seen in the mirror lately? (Laughter) Not just him but there are some others also take a close look. Of course you could dye them. But grey hair means indication time to go time to move on. No teeth means what? Time to drink soup. Not that you get a new set and keep chewing. Can’t see? It’s time to look within, seen enough around outside stop seeing now look inside within you. These are the indications nature’s indicators to do something differently. So dashrath thinking that I should retire. So he was preparing to enthrone his eldest son Shri Rama. Preparations were on. And then comes manthra ‘Hye! lady hye kaikai you wake up have you woken up’ yes yes I am up. Whats the news? Oh! they are getting ready to enthrone Rama the coronation ceremonies are under preparation. Rama would be the next king. Get the sweets. kaikai was thinking such good news you’ve brought to me I should respond by filling your mouth with sweets. I am so delighted to hear this news. This was initial respond of kaikai she was not against Rama becoming the king. But Manthra kept doing gossip. And “atyahar prayashashy prajalpa” (NOI) she did lot of prajalpa. Low talk, envious talk offensive statements. And that is where the things went wrong. Ok it’s time for me to ask for the boon. Kaikai thought, she rushed to the palace and by one boon Bharat become the next king and Rama out into the forest vanvas for 14 years.
So it was too much for Dashrath because Rama was so dear. Dearer than his own life and him going to the forest no no he was hesitating reluctant not ready Rama hears new reaches him by now it had become talk of the town. Rama is ready to go to the forest. Promise is a promise. My father has promised to give 2 boons its time has come so father should keep the promise. And Rama was ready to leave. And Sita also gets ready so Laxman gets ready to go. And as the mounted the chariot because Dashrath had insisted Sumantra it’s too tough for my Rama to walk in the forest He is just in a tender age. He has never walked there are thrones everywhere. Thrones Stones rocks everywhere. The hot sun at-least you take Him in the chariot. It was Rama was not happy with this arrangement because He wanted to go in the forest as vanavasi. Vanavasi- who stay in van like vanavasi. Vanavasi doesn’t go around in the chariot. So next 14 years Rama wanted to walk, only use His feet. And He was not going to wear any stitched cloth or eat cooked food or stay in a building made up of concrete and steel or bricks. He was going to stay in the forest like vanavasi. And that is what He did He did so.
So that Rama had to because father was insisting no no sumanthra you take my children take Rama in the chariot into the forest. So as they were in the chariots all the praja, all the citizens, all the residents of ayodhya were in tears. Broken hearted and Rama was there life. So as life was going they were just being dragged and also going following Shri Rama. They had no other thought but to go with Shri Rama ‘wherever He go we’ll go with Him.’ What good is stay here in the palaces without Shri Rama, just zero meaningless. So that day they all followed Shri Rama Sita Laxman. They were in the chariot and everyone else walking running behind. So that night when there was night time chariot stopped it’s time to take rest. Everyone just rested under the trees everyone was tired walking running whole day. So they slept they knew Rama is here nothing to fear so in the middle of the night Shri Rama gets up. And He wasn’t even sleepy. He did not want to again what kind of vanavasi surrounded by near and dear ones so many of them. He wanted to go alone but He agreed to take Sita and Laxman no more. So He gets up Laxman Sita in the chariot and while everyone is fast asleep Rama moves on. And as they get up in the morning only surprise to find no chariot no Rama. Where is Rama? And everyone gets up and start crying Rama Rama where is Rama? Where is Rama? But Rama very tactfully as He started His chariot He took chariot some distance in the direction of Ayodhya. So when they get up and soon they were seeing any indication sign of course oh! chariot is gone this way back to Ayodhya. They thought oh! He has gone back to Ayodhya. They all ran back to Ayodhya Rama had gone elsewhere diversion. Then comes the bank of Ganga. Again was time to retire night time so from there Rama instructed sumantra you please take chariot back to ayodhya I do not need chariot I cannot use the chariot.
The chariot driver goes back to ayodhya. The king of the area Shrungaverpur some town like that. He got the news that the prince Shri Rama He is in the area. He came with his mounted on a chariot came with his ministers to receive Shri Rama and invites please come be my guest in my palace. No me in the palace not possible. I am vanavasi but atleast eat some food we have some nice samosas for you (laughter). And nothing doing no cooked food no staying in 5 star hotel, 5 star hotel in the forest vanavas. No that’s not vanavas according to Shri Rama stay like vanavasi in van in the forest. So Lord Shri Rama slept on the bank of ganga underneath a tree Laxman bought some bed some grass and some fruits Berries to eat, that’s it. And next day well next day its 9 o’clock so what happened next day that’s tomorrow. So thank you for your keen interest and full attention and oral reception to Ramayan this evening. We will continue let’s see we have only few more days whatever we could cover. Rama is unlimited His katha is unlimited but we and our time is limited. But whatever we could do could say whatever Shri Rama aspire us to say this is ayodhya kanda we were just talking of ayodhya kanda that is Rama’s exile begins and the aranya kand kidnapping of sita kishkinda kand searching for sita and sundar kand finding sita yudha kand fighting for sita and finally uttar kand returning to ayodhya and Rama is king again prince again and rules for 11,000 years. Jai Shri rama thank you

Dated: 16-8-13

Venue: Class at gurukul Honey pot Festival, Vrindavan

Hari hari hari….. Hari Hari….Hari bol….you don’t say hari bol?? Hari Om nahi (Maharaj laughs) hari bol….

“Krishna jinka naam hai Gokul jinka dham hai” you know this song? (Maharaj asking the gurukul boys) yes…..(boys replied) you know ok, all of you can sing after me also if you are hearing it for the first time.

“krsna jinaka nama hai, gokula jinaka dhama hai

aise sri bhagavana ko (mere) barambara pranama ha

yasoda jinaki maiya hai, nanda ji bapaiya hai

aise sri gopala ko (mere) barambara pranama ha”

bapaiya- baap, father, who is Krishna’s mother? What is name of krishna’s mother? Yasoda and father? Nanda Maharaj, Nanda maharaj –Yasoda maiya ki…………jai.

“radha jinaki chaya hai, adbhuta jinaki mayahai

aise sri ghana shyam ko (mere) barambara pranama ha

luta luta dadhi makhana khayo, gvala-bala sanga

“luta luta dadhi makhana khayo” what does Krishna do? He is stealing butter going door to door for doing what? To steal butter, one of krishna’s name because he steals butter what is he known? Makhanchor……………..Makhanchor ki………..Jai.

“gvala-bala sanga” – all day He is herding cow, how many cows? 9 lakhs, He is herding all day, is He getting any salary? You understand salary. So if Krishna stole little butter and ate but He is herding cows all day and in return He is eating little butter, is that ok? I think He deserves more than a little butter but He is just happy with little butter.

luta luta dadhi makhana khayo, gvala-bala sanga

aise sri lila- dhama ko (mere) barambara pranama ha”

krsna – balaram jai krsna balarama……………..jai, they are both Bhagavan, Krishna is Bhagavan and Balaram is He also Bhagavan? Yes and Krishna likes butter yes, what about Balaram what does He like? Honey

drupada sutaki laja bacayo, graha se gaja ko

aise sri krpa dhama ko (mere) barambara pranama ha

kuru pandava me yuddha macayo, arjuna ko upadesa sunayo

aise sri bhagavana ko (mere) barambara pranama ha

Dau ji ka Bhaiya…..Who is Dauji ? Balarama….and who is Dau’s Bhaiya? Krishna Kanhaiya.

Dau ji ka Bhaiya…………. Krishna Kanhaiya.

Dau ji ka Bhaiya…………. Krishna Kanhaiya.

Krishna Kanhaiya………. Dau ji ka Bhaiya

Krishna Kanhaiya………. Dau ji ka Bhaiya (kirtan)

Where did Krishna take His birth? Birth place of Krishna? you know? Where did Krishna take birth? In Delhi? In Agra?? In Mathura, Mathura Dham ki…………Jai and what about Balarama? Birth place of Balarama ? Gokul……..Sure? Where was Balarama born? Gokul, Gokul Dham ki…………..Jai.

Krishna Balarama Jai Krishna Balarama (Kirtan)

Who is elder brother? Krishna or Balarama? Who is elder-older? Balarama. So he was born first, He took birth first before Krishna. On what day? Which was the day? Monday? What is the name of that day? Purnima, that purnima is known as Balarama Purnima and then Krishna’s birth is on ashtami and known as Krishna Janamashtami, Very good. So purnima is not very far few days, few days to go. When is ekadashi?Tomorrow is Ekadashi, Ekadashi then Dwadashi thenTrayodashi, Chaturdashi and Purnima. So five days to go and then from that day purnima eight more days and then Sri Krishna Janamashtami Mahotsava ki ………jai.

So today you are celebrating Balaram’s, I mean at least you are remembering Him. You are remembering that He loves honey. So you’ll have another day butter, today you’ve honey pot then you’ll have butter pot, yes, 20 butter pots. Today many pots Oh!Cow dung pot! Cow Urine? Also yes Hare Krishna (kirtan)

Release your hands, very good, sit properly like yogis, how does yogis sit? Krishna has given us kartaal taal taali swar and taal Singing and then this is taal you don’t have to bring your own kartal that’s nice if you have but there is no problem if you don’t have because Krishna has given us our own taali. Hare Krishna (kirtan continues)

“Om Namo Bhagvate Vasudevaya” meaning we offer our obeisance’s onto Vaasudev.

Why is Lord called Vaasudev? You know? Why is He called Vaasudev? Anyone of you know? Boys? I think you are boys also or teacher’s big boys, 11th 12th like that ok little boy (Someone answers) He is son of Vasudev, good very good. You heard? These Lords, two Lords, how many? Two Lords are sons of Vasudev hence called Vaasudev. Father’s name is Vasudev and children’s name is Vaasudev The difference is there you have to take a note of this we do not say Om Namo Bhagvate Vasudevaya, Om Namo Bhagvate Bhagvaan, Vasudev is not Bhagvan. Who is Bhagvan? Vaasudev Vaasudev is bhagvan, Vasudev is father of Bhagvan. He must be a very important person a big personality he’s the father of Bhagvaan and not one Bhagvan two bhagvans. So those two Vaasudevs, so not only Krishna is Vaasudev. What about Balarama? Is He also Vaasudev? Yes? No? Yes because they are both sons of Vasudev so they’re both Vaasudevs.

So Krishna appeared in Mathura, Balarama first appeared in Gokul and Krishna appeared in Mathura. Balarama first appeared i n Gokul and Krishna appeared in Mathura and they were in Gokul for long time three years and four months Krishna and Balarama were together in Gokul

“Krishna jinka nama hai gokul jinka dhama hai” we could also say Balarama jinka nama hai gokul jinka dhama hai”. So finally they are residing in Gokul both of them and then they left Gokul, not only Krishna but all the residents of Gokul they left Gokul and then they came to Vrindavan and they were in Vrindavan for another three years and four months not far from here. Anyways let’s not get into it.

Krishna Balarama ki …….Jai.

So when they were small children, Krishna and Balarama, they both wanted to be the cowherd boys. But the cows are big Krishna and Balarama were small boys and the cows were big cows. So Nandababa proposed…no..no..no.. you should take care of the small cows. Small cows are called calves, so Krishna and Balarama, they became Vastapal you know Gopal right Gopal “go” is cow, protector of the cow, caretaker of the cow. Who is Gopal? But before they became Gopal they were known as Vastapal, what is vasta? Calf you know vastasur? One demon called Vastasur because one demon he took the form of a calf, the demon took a form of a calf and he mixed himself with the cows and Krishna and Balarama “Dau look that one” is he here he is not a regular calf he is a demon. They’re all looking behind then Krishna what did He do, He gently walked upto that vastasur and caught hold of his hind leg and whirled him and he landed on the top of the tree there. The demigods arrived Jai ho…Jai ho…Krishna Balarama ki…jai, Shri Krishna Balarama ki …Jai.

So Krishna and Balarama were vastapal and then when they grew up in age and size then they were promoted the promotion you understand the promotion then they were promoted and then they became Gopal. So Krishna and Balarama they use to come to this region where we are sitting which is known as Raman Reti, Krishna and Balarama use to come herding their cows first herding calves, first calves and then cows. So that is why when Srila Prabhupada thought of building temples and installing deities he installs in the middle, in the middle who did he installs? Krishna and Balarama because those are the pastimes of Krishna Balarama all around here. Where you are sitting sometimes Krishna used to sit, where you are sitting right now Krishna and Balarama has sat there this dust here is touched by Krishna’s lotus feet take some dust that dust there, no dust only grass there touch the dust which is touched by Krishna Balaram’s lotus feet just little bit.

So when we touch this dust, who are we touching? We’re touching Krishna; we’re touching Krishna’s feet that has touched this dust. You are sitting on the nice straw mat that is why you are not able to touch the dust, devotees roll in the dust of Vrindavan they roll in the dust of Vrindavan because that dust is very sacred dust called Raman Reti. What is Reti? Sand ya so this Reti, this sand particles are Raman where RadhaRaman or Balarama has done the raman they have wandered they have played different pastimes over here, so it is known as Raman Reti.

Shri Krishna Balarama ki………………………….jai.

So after spending many years many more years in Vrindavan where did Krishna go? From Vrindavan where did He go? He went to Mathura, what did He do in Mathura? He killed Kamsa, who killed Kamsa? (Someone answers-Krishna) Krishna. And what did Balarama do? Did He killed someone else also? Other demons especially the brothers of Kamsa, kamsa had some 7 or 8 brothers, Pralambasura was already killed before they went to Mathura.

Then after killing Kamsa what did they do next? What did they do next? Who did they meet? Mother and father, names of mother and father? Vasudev and Devki not Vaasudev, Vasudev and Devki, then what happened?

Where did they go next? Dwarka well before Dwarka where did they go? They went to Ujjain to visit ISKCON temple. What was Ujjain known as that time? Avantipur yes, Avantipur you know where Ujjain is? Yes in Tamil Nadu? Madhya Pradesh, Where is Madhya Pradesh? (Maharaj laughs) geography they study right, so in Madhya Pradesh which is down south. Krishna and Balarama they went to Ujjain, Avantipur why did they go there? For studies Hari Bol. And who was their teacher Sandipani muni, Sandipani Muni Ki ……………..jai.

And Krishna and Balarama were taking lessons there any other friend also Sudama where was he from? From Sudamapuri, Sudamapur which is in Gujrat, Porbandar Bandar which Bandar, Porbandar. Bandar means port here not monkey and there are many other friends. How many students are there in this school? 200! Baap re baap, it’s a big number of student’s sounds good, that also was international school Sandipani Muni’s International School students had come from far and wide and there Krishna bramhachari and Balarama bramhachari they stayed in the ashram. You have seen their photographs? There is one famous photograph in ISKCON in which Sandipani Muni is teaching Krishna and Balarama, two students. Could we call them Krishnadas bramhachari Balaramdas bramhachari? Is that right to say? They became bramhacharis but they were Krishnadas and Balarama das bramhachari? no………not possible. We are das but they were the Bhagvan the Lords.

But they were also to set example before the whole world “yad yad achrati shretas” they also went to school and they are staying in the ashram, your ashram is right here? “bramhachari gurukule Vasandantoh gururhitam” bramhcharis, what do little bramhacharis do? Gurukule they go to gurukul they reside in Gurukul, gururhitam and they serve Guru dasavat servants like a very menial servant, very humble servants. Krishna and Balarama were serving, first of all they were very good students. He (sandipani muni) used to teach him some lessons during the day and by the evening time He use to pass the exam in the subject matter. In the evening He used to get a certificate, next day another faculty another art, science by end of that day pass the exam. You take long time right? You take one year but Krishna was taking just one day that’s the difference He’s Krishna.

Krishna and Balarama were very good students, so you also have to be very good, good students studying, doing your homework and also well behaved, very gentle. And then all the students’ bramhacharis they use to go to bed early, early to bed early to rise and then what happen that person becomes healthy, wealthy and wise. you like to be healthy wealthy wise? Then what you have to do you have go to bed early and get up early. So Krishna and Balarama but off course you know do you know? May be you don’t know! Krishna had difficult time in all the students lights turned off and they are in the bed and (Gurumaharaj making snoring sound) sleeping and snoring Balarama also. But one student and that use to be Krishna hard time to sleep and Balarama use to get up sometimes in middle of the sleep and use to find Krishna, Hey! Why you did not sleep go to sleep go to sleep soon time for mangala arati go to sleep. So then Krishna use to say, Oh you know I use to all night long I used to go into the forest “Radha Madhava kunja bihari gopijana vallabha girivara dhari jamuna teera vanachari”. Now every morning not every morning every night I’ve been going with the gopis and dancing with the gopis, so that was my daily routine, so although I’ve come here that’s why I have hard time sleeping at night.

Krishna Balarama ki……………..jai

So anyway Krishna has this difficulty but you don’t have you should not have difficulty. Then Krishna and Balarama and all the friends they use to go out “Bhikshamdehi” meaning what? bhikshamdehi meaning what? Dehi meaning, give what do you give, give some bhiksha give some alms, give some alms. So they use to go door to door doing Madhukuri, all hundreds of students going into Avantipur Ujjain knocking at the door bhikshamdehi bhikshamdehi. The bramhacharis are expected to go door to door begging is not the real reason give association to those grihasthas “Jare dakho tare kaho Krishna upadesh” give some upadesh to those house holders preaching is main purpose and then excuses is alms, madhukari.

So who do you think was most successful alms collector? Krishna and Balarama there used to be big loads of alms on their head, on their shoulder, on their hands. Because when they would go to some door onto the householder, the householder would see the beauty of Krishna and Balarama and they use to say Hey bring this bring that head of the family, some nice beautiful bramhacharis are here bring them some potatoes bring this bring that sabji bring and they were interested in having Krishna and Balarama right in front of their doors for long long time. They use to think if we stopped giving alms they would go next door and then we would lose darshan of Krishna and Balarama so how keep them longer in front of their door keep giving..keep giving..keep giving…hey bring this…bring that.

And other friends going other doors other gallies other lanes practically they would come empty pockets empty hands empty bags little something and Krishna Balarama bringing loads of alms. Then all the friends had good idea, they thought why should we go separately let us go with Krishna and Balarama go right behind them and we could assist them carrying extra luggage of all the gifts all the alms given by the householders so that is what they started doing and then all around Ujjain Avantipur big procession Krishna and Balarama in the front and all others behind.

Krishna Balram ki….Jai So like that you are in gurukul and Krishna and Balarama were also in gurukul remember Krishna Balaram’s days in gurukul, pastimes and learn.

Then there was time for dakshina gurudakshina when the students completes their education what do they do? give some dakshina well before that many pastime Krishna was asked to bring some firewood from the forest and who was accompanying Him that day? Sudama, Sudama and Krishna went as they went into the forest and collecting firewood soon there was the thunder and storm and rain and flooded and dark and night and they could not return to the ashram. Because when there was little wind and little rain they could have ran back to the ashram but they didn’t do so because they thought we’ve collected only little firewood we need more. So they were doing their duty collecting more firewood and as a result they were caught in the big lightening and storm and they couldn’t return.

And next day Krishna…….Sudama…….who was calling out? Who was looking for Krishna and Sudama? Ya, Sandipani Muni was like a father teacher is like a father, so he had come carrying his lantern he was looking for Krishna and Sudama. He found them still busy collecting firewood, that was he was very very teacher was very pleased with the service attitude of his students Krishna and Sudama and blessed them. Krishna whatever you speak in the future would be just but the truth, the Vedas the knowledge will just come out of your mouth, out of your lotus mouth this is like a blessing of Sandipani Muni. So then towards the end I am ending also. Time for dakshina so all the students were giving some dakshina…Sawa rupiya….some lakshami, some gifts Sandipani Muni’s wife thought this Krishna and Balarama are very extraordinary students we should ask for some very special dakshina. And now what they ask for? Sandipani Muni and his wife this couple they had lost their son lost died so they had requested Krishna and Balaramay ou please bring our son back return him to us that would be an appropriate dakshina from you. And then Krishna and Balarama went to Prabha’s Kshetra near Gujrat and they jumped they jumped into the ocean there and they approached the died skeleton body of Shankhasur and looked into the belly of this demon. They had heard that this demon has eaten up the son of their gurumaharaj. But inside the belly the son wasn’t there so they took that body the dead body of that demon, it was in the form of the shankha- conch shell and that became Shankha of Lord known as “Panchajanya” now you know where they found this, when and where you know a little bit and then they went to abode of Yamaraj.

They thought we couldn’t find the son here he could be possibly there Yamaraj has brought him to his own abode. So when Krishna and Balarama appeared at the entrance of Yampuri they blew conch shells the blowing of conch shells was heard by all the residents of Yamraj. Who resides there all the sinful, to be punished souls all the characters. So as Krishna and Balarama entered and blew the conch shell which was heard by all those present there immediately all of them present there they had four handed forms and the crown and the earrings also they had the pitambars clothes.

They all started going back to home back to Godhead everyone was liberated by Krishna’s and Balaram’s presence in the hell. That abode of Yamraj just by being there then blowing the conch shell everyone all went back to home and then yamaraj understood the mission of why did Krishna and Balarama being there. Here’s son, whose son he is son of Sandipani Muni so they took the son of Sandipani Muni with them and went and they returned back to, where did they come back to? ashram but which ashram where was it? Sandipani Muni’s ashram on the banks of Shipra river in Avantipur and here is our dakshina please accept and having their son right here being offered by Krishna take him take him.

So this couple gurumaharaj and Kulapati Sandipani Muni and his wife they were highly pleased and they further blessed Krishna and Balarama and then Krishna Krishna Balarama ki …………jai. And then they came back to where did they come back to? Mathura they had gone from Mathura to Ujjain and they came back and then they stayed in Mathura for another 18 years would and then they battle with Jarasanda for 18 times…17 times…18th time they did not show any interest and they were running away to Dwarka ahe……Ranchod…Ranchod….Ranchod….meaning coward just see running away from the battle who was saying? Jarasanda was saying like that but when He arrived in Gujrat in Dwarka He was they all welcomed Krishna and Balarama, Ranchod rai ki…..Jai…..Ranchodrai ki….Jai Ranchodrai ki…jai.

So who were Ranchodrai? Krishna….Krishna only? Krishna and Balarama were welcomed by Dwarka.

So we’ll stop there, so I think some next item some next item, Balaram’s favourite item Balaram’s favourite dish, what is Balaram’s favourite dish? The honey that honey pot be there and let’s see what happens next.

(Kirtan) “Hare krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare”

Venue: Braja mandala parikrama, Surbhi kunda
In Srimad Bhagvatam there is description of Vrindavan all over, as we seeing here at the banks of Surbhi kunda crystal clear water. Our obeisance’s to the Kunda here, Krishna comes here all the time with His cows and His cowherd boys. We should understand that where ever we see a kunda Krishna has come there with His cows. He comes to water His cows and as cows are drinking the water He also drinks the water, while drinking cows are not using hands they are drinking with their mouth, Krishna also drinks water like the cows with His mouth (laughter) Haribol……………Haribol
So Krishna has done this lila at surbhi kunda and other kundas “ittham sarat svaccha jalam padmakara sugandhina nyavisad vayuna vatam sa gogopalako acyutah” (S.B 10.21.1) Sri Krishna enters the forest He enters Kamavana also where there is svaccha jalam in the kundas like this- crystal clear water. Padmakar they are full of lotuses. In the past we had come and this kunda was also filled with lotuses. Devotees who came to this kunda came back with bunches of lotuses. As Krishna enters the forest “vayuna” from there is a cold breeze ventilation throughout the forest.
Vayu is blowing in one direction not like a whorl wind as during rainy season, the wind is blowing over the kundas which are full of lotuses. As air touches the cooling water the air also becomes cool, the fragrance of the lotuses is also carried by the air. So as this air moves on whole forest becomes like a air conditioned –cool and fragrant. Krishna comes with “sa gogopalako” with cows and cowherd boy friends,
“kusumita vanaraji” (S.B 10.21.2) and on the banks of the lake there are flowering trees, like this (maharaj showing a famous kadam tree at the bank of surbhi kunda) this is most famous kadam tree ki…………….jai. Rupa goswami says “oh! when I would be able to see Krishna” Krishna wearing the garland of kadam flowers, this kind of matches with His golden rope yellow clothing so they also have yellow round flowers “kusumita vanaraji susmi bhrnga” (S.B 10.21.2) there are lot of bumble bees. And as they drink the nectar from the flowers they become maddened intoxicated and they begin singing “hmmm……………hmmmmmm………” whole atmosphere is filled with humming sound. “dvija kula” and there are lots of birds of various kinds ( maharaj asking the devotees do you hear? The sound of the birds?) You cannot hear such sound in Bombay. Birds sing songs (Dinabandhu prabhu tells- its king fisher) Dinabandhu prabhu knows the name of the birds. Maharaj says king fisher airlines (laughter) and the sounds they kind of echo they resound, birds sing and there is echoing the sounds goes to wherever there are other lakes and other ponds.
So Vrindavan is full of lakes kundas like this “ sarah sarin” there are rivers flowing and “mahidram” there many mountains like Govardhana you also have seen Badrikashram mountains , Kedarnath mountains and more mountains are ahead of us. So all these sounds are all over echoing back and forth and whole atmosphere is surcharged. “madhupatir avagahya carayan gah” so then Madhupati enters the forest.
He is master of madhu He is also master of madhu mass which is spring, madhu and madhav are two months of spring and madhu is one of them. As the master of spring season enters the forest everything gets transferred just like spring. Wherever He goes there is spring like season lots of flowers lots of birds chirping, birds singing “carayan gah” and He herds His cows and He does this with “saha pala balas” cowherd boyfriends and Balarama. “cukuja venum” He places His flute on His lower lip and playes His flute.
We have to imagine in this context Krishna playing flute, He is forest and He is playing flute, everything is quite so krishnas flute playing reaches far and wide. “tad vraja striya asrutya venu-gitam smarodayam” (S.B 10 .21.3) the first party to hear venu gitam are the vraja striya – the young ladies of vraja. Krishna is in the forest and gopis are in their respective villages and homes and they are hearing this venu geet. “smarodayam” and the feeling are aroused as they are hearing the venu geet “smara” is also cupid of love- spiritual love- madhurya bhava, the conjugal bhava is aroused in the gopis . ‘kasit paroksam krsnasya sva sakhibhyo anavarnayan” (S.B 10 .21.3) and as gopis hear flute playing of Krishna some of them begin talking about Krishna leaders of different group they begin talking about krishna. Elderly gopis motherly gopis also hear flute of Krishna they have different feeling vatsalya
“tad varnayitum arabdhah smarantyah krsna cestitam” (S.B 10 .21.4) and they are reminded of Krishna oh! Krishna is playing flute first of all they remember the form of Krishna and then what follows is remembering lilas His pastimes then Krishna’s dealing with the gopis when He meet them previously.
“tad varnayitum arabdhah smarantyah krsna cestitam nasakan” Sukhdev Goswami says they become disturbed because they are very much excited as they have heard Krishna’s flute. They feel shy they do not kind of want to reveal their intimate relation with Krishna so they hide all this “nasakan’ they would like to talk although stopping they are only talking to their most confidential associates. As they are also talking they also wouldn’t like to show the connection what they are hearing no …no I am just talking I am not hearing anything. “smara vegena” and this is because of influence of the madhurya bhava within them. You are familiar with “ vaco vegam jiva vegam udaropasta vegam” in case of gopis its smara vegan which is pushing gopis.
“viksipta manaso nrpa” they are kind of disturbed as they hear, they are kind of trying to hide their connection, their conjugal thoughts their voice is also getting choked up, they are trembling, their body trembling as they hear the flute and their eyes are full of tears. As Sukhdev Goswami is describing state of gopis like this he is also having very similar feeling these, he could not hide that so in the middle of his presentation He is addressing “nrpa” oh! king Parikshit. Sukhdev goswami is describinfg all these state of affairs of gopis king Parikshit is also exhibiting some of these symptoms. So Sukhdev goswami “Hye! King what are you doing” don’t exhibit those symptoms. So our acharyas have given deeper meaning why in the middle of the presentation sukhdev goswami is addressing king Parikshit as “nrpa”.
Sukhdev Goswami describes some kind of talks, what kind of talks the gopis are doing.
“barhapidam nata vara vapuh karnayoh karnikaram bibhrad vasah kanaka kapisam vaijayantim ca malam” (S.B 10.21.5)
They have heard the flute of Krishna and immediately Krishna’s form is in front of them like television. ‘barhapidam” first is the peacock feather on His head and this is the most special feature of krishna’s form or beauty. And He is “natavara vapu” and His form is like that of an actor, Krishna dresses himself meticulously as if come press crue is awaiting, some television crue is awaiting for interview.
“karnayoh karnikaram” and gopis are reminded sukhdev goswami is also remembering that Krishna places a flower in His ear karni is a special flower compact yellow color. Sukhdev goswami He has 2 ears but only one flower so He is placing the same flower on each of the ears, so same flower sometimes He keeps it on one ear and then on another. “kanaka kapsam vasah” and He has golden rope “vaijayantim ca malam” and He wear very special mala and there are multiple descriptions of this vaijayanti mala. More commonly known description is that vaijayanti mala is made up of 5 different flowers of different colors. So now He is dressed like that and Krishna is already in the forest and then
“randhran venor adhara sudhayapurayan” He places His flute on His lower lip the flute becomes excited and ecstatic and begins singing and there are more descriptions that whether Krishna playing the flute or venu is playing herself. “gopa-vrndair” and He is surrounded by His friends “vrndaranyam sva pada ramanam” and He is entering Vrindavan, vrndaranyam – vrinda devis aranyam – vrindadevis vana Vrindadevi ki…………………….jai, forest is named after Vrindadevi. As he enters vrindavan He lives His foot prints of the ground Vrindadevi is pleased vrindavan is very very happy to have that touch of Lords lotus feet, those foot prints are like decorations on the body of Vrindavan. “savpada –ramanam” and as Krishna places, vrindadevi makes arrangement that Krishna has as soft feeling when He touches the ground so she places leaves so Krishna has a nice experience of walking on the soft ground. “pravisad gita kirtih” and krishna enters He is surrounded by His cowherd boyfriends and they all talking about Him.
“iti venu raman rajan sarva bhuta manoharam“ so this sound, sound of the flute is sarva bhuta manoharam- attracting minds of all the living entities. “srutva vraja striyahbnsarva” and again the real party audience for the flute playing are those gopis, they are hearing, they are talking, they are stoping they are embracing , they are talking and like that……Krishna is spreading the sound of the flute all this goes on. Then each gopi talks, every gopi is talking and what do they talk is the subject matter of this chapter of the 10th canto 21 chapter of Srimad Bhagvatam, venu geet this is the background the context and then gopis begin talking, you may like to see hear this sometime in future.
Jai Krishna Kanaiya lal ki…………………jai
Sri Sri Radha Kunjabihari ki………………….Jai
Gaur premanande …………………….Hari Haribol

Date: 6^th July 2011, Venue: Pune (On  occasion of 25^thanniversary of 24 hours sankirtan in Krishna Balarama temple His Holiness Lokanath Maharaj ji talking to the 24 hours sankirtan team in Krishna Balarama and glorifying Aindra Prabhu on phone)

Aindra prabhu ki……………jai, we miss him on this day such a wonderful association, so much inspiration especially in the kirtan, sankirtan movement. I also like little bit kirtan, so we were colleagues and I remember from the kirtan we did together during Kartik in front of Krishna and Balarama or in Mayapur in front of Pancha tattva, he is sitting next to me. The sad part
is he is not with us; the good part is he is gone back to Krishna and joined our Shyamsundar in Vrindavan.

I think this is 25^th year, 25^th anniversary of the kirtan that he inaugurated, it started in 86 we arrived in Mayapur for the 500^th anniversary Caitanya Mahaprabhu appearances, so hard work. So I wish he was with us this year also in celebration of completion of 25^th year of “akhanda” –Non stop kirtan in Krishna Balarama Temple.  World famous Krishna Balarama temple is known for its “Non Stop” kirtan probably it’s the only temple. Srila Prabhupada wanted this and Aindra Prabhu he fulfilled
Prabhupada,s desire of having “Non Stop” kirtan in Krishna Balarama temple, all glories to him.

Besides the Holy Name he was attached to the Radha Shyamasundar he would do kirtan in front of them and then he would also go on the altar, so many days, every week and dress Radha Shyamasundar we remember him as pujari of Radha Shyamasundar . And I also remember when ever gave class he just stand in front of Radha Shyamasundar,s  altar and listen to class from there and sometimes he would also ask questions or make some comments. He had very deep
philosophical insight for the realm of Radha, Krishna and Manjaries and Gopis, he was into that bhava.

And then his personal Deities number of Silas that he had collected, biggest collection on the planet. He has Guara Nitai and Vrindadevi. Last month I was there and I was given tour of his quarter we spend quiet sometime with the Deities and all the devotees who were team members of his 24 hours Sankirtan party and then I was also pointed out at a clock at the wall it had no hands it was stand still and one devotee said purposely Aindra Prabhu put that clock which did not move – meant in Vrindavan there is no influence of time transcendental. I kind of became emotional and speechless on the occasion like this. So we miss him, we take inspiration and we have responsibility of pushing
on the 24 hour kirtan at the Krishna Balarama temple. I understand some more devotees have joined and there is quite a steady team and kirtans are going on and on and on………that way keep Aindra Prabhu alive. And last time I was with the kirtan team in Aindra Prabhu,s quarters I asked devotees would you like to see Aindra Prabhu dead or alive? And the y said of course we want to see him alive, we want to see him alive. Then I proposed them to do kirtan and Aindra Prabhu
would be there, wherever there is kirtan Aindra Parbhu must be there where else he would go.

Almost conditioned by the kirtan he can’t be away from kirtan or without kirtan. Keep performing kirtan, chanting 24 hours push on his service, his project and that would be the best attribute on occasion like this to Aindra Prabhu. (Maharaj asking the 24 hours kirtan team devotees in the
Krishna Balarama temple) is Krishna Balaram temple full? Reply- yes ok now I would let you carry on. Aindra Prabhu was offered Raj Bhoga –remnants of Krishna Balarama, Radha Shyamsundar, Guara Nitai, I was trying to watch on Iskcon Vrindavan.com I missed and I was kind of wondering where then I found out you all were not in the temple but in the Balarama Hall. Ok so my obeisance
at the lotus feet of Aindra Prabhu and my obeisance to all assembled vaishnavas
there.

Srila Prabhupada ki ……….jai

Aindra Prabhu ki…………………jai

“vancha kalpatarubhyas ca krpa- sindhubhya eva ca pattitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah”

Harinaam Sankirtan ki………jai

24 hours kirtan in front of Krishna Balarama ki………….jai.

Guara premanande ……………………..Hari Hari bol

Date: 2008, Venue: Vrindavan (Braj mandal Parikrama) Haribol, so when a devotee was walking with umbrella he was trying to hold it over me, immediately I was remembered of a pastime,
when first time Krishna had to leave for cow herding.  Then mother Yashoda approached Krishna,
please take umbrella and also take pair of shoes. Krishna refused “no. no….i can’t wear shoes, cows don’t have shoes but if you insist I wil wear the shoes then bring the shoes for all
the cows first”.

So Nanda Maharaj had 900,000 cows and each cow has 4 legs, so how many shoes are
required? 36 lakhs so which bata-tata company would provide so many shoes (laughter
maharaj also laughing).

So mother Yashoda gave up the idea of insisting Krishna to wear the shoes. Oh! But at
least take the umbrella it’s hot out there, again Krishna’s condition was first
get umbrella for the cows, so how many umbrella required? 9lakhs then Krishna
said cows have feet but they don’t have hands so we would require somebody to
carry the umbrella, so we need 9 lakh people walking next to the cows holding
umbrella. Mother Yashoda also gave up that idea (laughs) she could not manage 9
lakh people. So during all the cow herding pastime of Sri Krishna in Vrindavan
, He always walks bear feet behind the cows. So don’t think you are the only
ones going on Braj mandal parikrama without shoes, Krishna also goes around without
shoes in Vrindavan.

So He has gone around without shoes, without umbrella, then He did little preaching to mother Yashoda.  He said “dharmo rakshati rakshaka” if we protect dharma then dharma will in turn protect us. So Krishna says “serving cows taking care of cows this is our dharma” this is our dharma then our own protection is guaranteed if we take care of cows protect the cows, serve the cow.  Lord Krishna not only has delivered talk – discourse on this topic but He has practically demonstrated throughout His Lilas the importance of cows and importance of serving the cows.

So cow is the center of our culture and religion. Krishna, s one of the principal pastime
is  “gocaran-lila” cow herding –calf herding pastime. What does the God do? This morning also a question came up what does the God do every day? That minister or that priest he was not able to give suitable answer to that question. But we know the answer is very simple, I know
that you also know the answer now I have given you some clue. So what does
Krishna do every day? He is a cow herd boy He is herding cows. Supreme
Personality of God head, master and controller of all the universes all that He
does in Vrindavan during the day is herding cows and calves “namo brahmanya devaya go brahmanya hitayacha jagad hitaya krishnaya govindaya namo namhaa”.

So in this way Krishna has established the importance of Cows and the Brahmanas in Krishna
consciousness. So we are doing the puja of the cows today as it was instructed
by Krishna to Nanda Maharaj. Krishna says worship cows, brahmanas and Giriraj,
so we have done some puja of the cows, Gomata ki ……..jai, we should worship and serve the brahmanas “vancha-kalpataru bhyas ca krpa-sindhubhya eva ca patitanam pavanebhyo
vaisnavebhyo namo namah”. And then soon we would also be worshiping Giriraj
and in this way till this day Krishna’s instructions get followed Giriraj Govardhan
ki ….jai. So the cows and Govardhan they are very closely connected, closely related if you hear the
name Govardhan there is a cow connection right there in the name of Govardhan .
So cows become healthy they become hell and hearty because of the grass that is
available at Govardhan, the water, the shades of the trees, that is all
available at Govardhan. The cows enjoy being around this Govardhan, the cowherd boys are also very very happy being around cows and Govardhan. So let us contemplate, meditate upon Govardhan and Krishna, cowherd boys and cows around Govardha. So that one day we would be
promoted we will also get assignment as a cowherd boy, but you may say O! I am engineer,
come on! I am doctor, I can’t  be a cow herd boy .but Krishna is a cow herd boy, if you just want to be doctor, engineer just continue in this world. But if you want to come back home then be
prepared to be the cow herd boy herding cows, taking care of the cows. Anyone
interested in going back home going to Krishna, going to Vrindavan? Haribol.
Then pray to this cow, pray to this dhama, pray to Giriraj so that you will
become eligible we will have that adhikar of entering the pastime of Krishna
being a cow herd boy. Gomataki…….jai, so before you leave pay your obeisance’s
to the cows deep in your heart, pray to the cow, touch the feet of the cow.

Dated: 16^th Jan 2006

Venue: ISKCON Chow patty, Mumbai.

Hare Krishna, so  thank you for this opportunity being with all of you this morning,  we  get to hear so much about all  of you and being on the same planet, we don’t get to see each other so much.  You are ‘durlabh ‘su durlabh’ but we are here today this morning. So we have here this Srimad Bhagavatam – Canto 5, chapter 18 and text 23, please repeat

“Sa tva mampya acyuta sirsni vanditam

karambhujam yat tvad adhayi satvatam

bi bharsi mam laksma varenya mayaya

ka isvarasyehitam uhitam vibhur iti” (SB 5.18.23)

Translation and purport by Srila Prabhupada ki …………….jay!

O infallible one, Your lotus palm is the source of all benediction. Therefore Your pure devotees worship it, and You very mercifully place Your hand on their heads. I wish that You may also place Your hand on My head, for although You already bear my insignia of golden streaks on Your chest, I regard this honor as merely a kind of false prestige for me. You show Your real mercy to Your devotees, not to me. Of course, You are the Supreme absolute controller, and no one can understand Your motives.

Translation once again (repeat)

In many places the sastras describe the Supreme Personality of Godhead has been more inclined towards His devotees than towards His wife who always remains on His chest.  In Srimad Bhagavatam 11.14.15 it is stated –

“na tatha me priyatama atma-yonir na sankarah

na ca sankarsano na srir naivatma ca yatha bhavan”

Here Krishna plainly says that His devotees are more dear to Him than Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva, Lord Shankarshan – the original cause of creation, the Goddess of fortune or even His ownself.

Elsewhere in Srimad Bhagavatam 10.9.20 Sukhdev Goswami says, “nenam virinco na bhavo na sriri apy anga-sansraya prasadam lebhire gopi yat tat prapa vimuktidat” The Supreme Lord who can award liberation to any one showed more mercy towards the gopis than to Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva or even goddess of fortune who is His own wife and is associated with His body.

Similarly, Srimad  Bhagavatam 10.47.60  also  states,

“nayam sriyo nga u nitanta-rateh prasadah

svar-yositam nalina-gandha-rucam kuto nyah

rasotsave sya bhuja-danda grhita-kantha”

labdhasisam ya vdagad vraja-vallabhnam”

The Gopis received benediction from the Lord that neither Laxmi devi nor the most beautiful dancers in the heavenly planets could attain.  In the rasa dance Lord showed His favour to the most fortunate gopis by placing His arms on their shoulders and dancing with each of them individually. No one can compare with the gopis who received the causeless mercy of the Lord.

In the Chaitanya Caritamritam it is said that, “no one can receive the real favour of the Supreme Personality of Godhead without following the footsteps of the gopis”. Even the goddess of fortune could not receive the same favour as the gopis, although she underwent with severe austerities and penances for many years.

Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu discuss this point with Vyankatt Bhatt in Chaitanya Caritamrita madhya lila – 911 to 131 and there’s a many paragraphs here almost one page has been quoted as it is from that dialogue which took place where you know you were just there, Srirangam. This brings you back to Srirangam, back to Srirangam .  You have to be there and listen to the dialogue. The Lord enquired from Vyankat Bhatt, “your worship able goddess of fortune Laxmi always remain on the chest of Narayan and she is certainly the most chaste women in the creation”. However, my Lord is Lord Sri Krishna a cowherd boy engaged in tending the cows. Why is it that Laxmi being such a chaste wife wants associate with my Lord?  Just associate with Krishna, Laxmi abundant all transcendental happiness in Vaikuntha and for a long time accepted vows and the regulative principles and performed unlimited austerities.

Vyankatt  Bhatt replied, “Lord Krishna and Lord Narayan are one and the same. But the past times of Krishna are more relish able due to their sportive nature. They are very pleasing to Krishna’s shakties since Krishna and Narayan are both the same personalities Laxmi’s association with Krishna did not break any vows of chastity rather it was in great fun that goddess of fortune wanted association of Lord Krishna. The goddess of fortune consider that her vows of chastity would not be damaged by her relationship with Krishna rather by associating with Krishna She could enjoy the benefit of rasa dance. If she wanted to enjoy herself with Krishna, what is the fault there? Why are you joking so about this?

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu replied, “I know there is no fault in goddess of fortune, but she could not enter into rasa dance”. We hear this from revealed scriptures, the authorities of the Vedic knowledge met Lord Ramchandra in Dandakaranya. And by their penances or austerities they were allowed to enter into rasa dance.  But can you tell me why the goddess of fortune Laxmi could not get that opportunity?  To this Vyankatt Bhatt replied, “I cannot enter into the mystery of this incident  I am an ordinary living entity, living being. My intelligence is limited and I am always disturbed. How can I understand the past time of Supreme Lord. They are deeper than millions of oceans”.

Lord Chaitanya replied, Lord Krishna has the specific characteristics. He attracts everyone’s heart by mellows of his personal conjugal love by following the footsteps of the inhabitants of the planets known as Brajlok or Golok Vrindavan.  One can attain the shelter of the lotus feet of Krishna. However, the inhabitants of that planet do not know that Lord Krishna is Supreme Personality of Godhead, unaware that the Krishna is Supreme Lord. The residence of Vrindavan like Nandamaharaj, Yashoda devi and the gopis treat Krishna as their beloved son or lover. Mother Yashoda accepts Him as her son and sometimes binds him to a grinding mortar. Krishna’s cowherd boyfriends think He is an ordinary boy and get up on the shoulders. In Golok Vrindavan no one has any other desire other than to love Krishna. The conclusion is that one cannot associate with Krishna unless he has fully received the favour of the inhabitants of Brajbhumi. Therefore, if one wants to be delivered by Krishna directly he must take to the service of residence of Vrindavan who are unalloyed devotee of the Lord.

‘Satvamam mama  ‘so quite a verse, mysteries guihyam, guihayatar no it is guihyatam, very very confidential subject matter meant of course to help us understand or to know Krishna, this is the kind of Krishna He is. And of course knowing Krishna is complete only then, only when we understand these devotees and their devotion for their Lord.  I may have said Supreme Lord. But some devotees even do not know even they do not care to know whether their Lord is Supreme or not Supreme and not even knowing that He is Supreme. He is just my Lord that’s all that I care to know. Now these kinds of devotees, no devotees, not devotees of demigods what to speak or why should we speak of devotees of politician of this world. They also have devotees, they also have camcas. Everyone is somebody’s devotee. And if there is no one else you always have your dog that it could become a devotee of your dog. So devotees of dog, devotees of politician, devotees of Demigod and then you have devotees of Narayan in Vaikuntha and then finally you are devotee of Shri Krishna in Golok Vrindavan.

In Vrindavan, Vrindavan… “O! I have come Bilvamangal says O! I have come, Vrindavan”. Vrindavan is special, Krishna in Vrindavan is special devotees in Vrindavan are special. This verse is helping us to know Krishna in Vrindavan and devotees of Krishna in Vrindavan and their love for each other.

Laxmi is seating ok she is seating on the chest of the Lord but gopis are seating in the heart of the Lord. Being on the chest, that is no small position. But to be inside right in the heart ‘sadhavo hridayam maihyam’ devotees are in my heart, they are in my heart and I am in their heart. So Laxmi could get as close as just on the surface and the heart is inside and just the cover of the heart, on the top of the heart. She is just floating on the top there not able to get in, enter the heart of the Lord, this is the difference.

“ramyakaachida upasana vrajvadhu vargenaya kalpitah mahaprabhu sri caitanya mahaprabhu matamidam”. This is the opinion of the Lord even who follow in the footsteps of a devotee. Yes, yes then Chaitanya Mahaprabhu follows in the footsteps of Brajvadhu vargenaya kalpitha ‘vrajvadhuvarga’vrajavadhu  the gopis of  Vindavan, the damsels of Vrindavan, the cowherd girls of Vrindavan they are the ideal devotees, the topmost devotees, most dear devotees of the Lord and if you want to follow in the footsteps ‘mahajanohin gatah sapantah’ the gopis are Mahajanas and Radharani is their leader.

The devotional practice by these gopis, Radharani,  Lord was wondering, “O! What so much love so much affection for me what for? And what is it? I want to understand all of this. Lord became very very curious, anxious to know gopis anxious to know Radharani what is in her heart? What is on her mind?  What kind of vision she has? I want to know this. I want to know my devotees and leader of all devotees is Radharani”. As He wanted it to know and be a devotee and relish the life of being a devotee, Lord appeared assuming the mood of Radharani, the complexion of Radharani.

Know me ‘Krishnam swarupam’ unto that swarupa that Krishna is offered my obeisance’s who assumed the mood of Radharani and complexion of Radharani to understand Radharani the topmost devotee. So that is the kind of very confidential. Even the Lord had hard time to understand this subject matter, the devotion of His devotee pure unalloyed.

‘na dhanam na janam na sundari kavitamva jagdish kamaye’ this is nothing to give up. ‘dhanam janam sundarim kavitam’ many more things are to be given up. And these gopis are even sometimes ready to give up their life. As a flute was being played by Sri Krishna, the gopis were rushing, running most of them succeeded and escaped. But some of them were caught around, “hey you can’t go”. They tried but the bandus and everyone pitas and patti so they couldn’t move so they decided to give up, Give up my existence, my body you have it, you have it, I go and they rush. They gave up their body. They died for Krishna and they ran. It is described such gopis those who gave up their bodies they were the first one to be with Krishna while others were still walking and running down the road. Those gopis were the first one to be there. So they are even ready to give up anything. Bodies were stumbling work. I get rid of it anything, everything.

Most difficult thing is to give up the pride that is also the difficulty in this past time which has been described here. The pastime of Laxmi in Shreevan in Vrindavan performing austerities  (tapasya) and these Nagpatnis during chastisement of kaliya. Nagpatnis as they were offering prayers they remembered, “O how come our husband kasyanubhavo sya na. (SB 10.16.36) What is the result of that tapa? “renu-sparsadhikarah” the dust of your lotus feet right on the hoods, head of our husband. O! We are amazed while that ‘lalana’ “srir lalanacarat  tapo” she performs austerities from long time ‘vihay kamana’ she gave up all comforts as it is mentioned in this purport also.

She gave up comforts of Vaikuntha she gave up and she has come to the forest and no servant and no one is around by herself and performing austerities. These Nagpatnis says, “how come she did not get the dust, she did not get to enter the rasa dance but our husband is getting lots of dust of your lotus feet” giving up pride at one point. Kaliya decided to surrender then what happened.  As Krishna was dancing on hundred hoods of kaliya, he was dancing the music was on in the sky. The dancing was being done by as the Lord has desired to dance immediately the music started. The drums, a big grand show there in the middle of the lake the audience were all around on the banks of that lake. And of course they were not interested in any performance and they were kind of half dead or collapsed or unconscious and so many things were happening but there was some they were there and more up in the sky full. Sky was filled with Demigods and Lord wanted to dance and He started dancing and whichever hood was showing still some life of sign of life around and kicking, alive and kicking, Lord would just place his at foot right on his hood there. While He is dancing He is looking side long and which hood is now next and there He would jump there. Like that He was crushing one hood after other and other.

The Nagpatnis were at some time pointing, “yes, yes this is right, he is not surrendering, he is not a devotee, he must be killed, he must be dead. Yes this is right thing to do, kill him”. But there was a point in the life in that episode as he was getting kick after kick some satsang he had done in his past reminded him”. One should be surrendering until the Supreme Lord and he was realizing this type of kicking power must be of the Supreme Lord only. I should  better take shelter of this person and he was ready to  bow down, mister this mister was ready to bow down and that time, point only he was vomiting blood he was helpless almost life less but within he was surrendered soul also. Surrendered soul from non surrendered mood. He went to the mood of surrender while he was not surrendering, the patnis were thinking, the wife was thinking, “kill him but  as soon as he was a kind of surrendered soul immediately started offering prayers to the Lord,” thank you for saving. You have given the dust of your lotus feet to our husband. You are very kind. You did not give this to Laxmi. Our husband has received such benediction”. So why not to Laxmi and not surrendered and a kind of surrender that Lord expects or not only surrendering unto the Lord or surrendering but also surrender unto his devotee, devotee of devotee of devotee or das ‘dasadasanudasanudas’ as one becomes then Lord, that person attracts the attention of the Lord and he becomes the fit candidate to receive the benediction of the lord.

“ramyakaachida upasana vrajvadhu vargenaya kalpitah Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says,  you have to follow the footsteps of gopis brajvadhu.  So Laxmi is not ready to do so and to enter rasa dance of course you need not only mood of gopis or being subordinate to the gopi, you have to be subordinate to another devotee, to another gopi. Then you fit into that big team of gopi’s rasa dance and serving Krishna that way. ‘ei nivedan dharo sakhir anugat karo seva adhikar diye koro nija dasi’ this is a prayer. Every day we are offering this prayer, “O tulsi Krishna preyasi namo namah”. You are so very dear to Shri Krishna that he puts you around your neck ‘tulsi har gada kase pitambar aavade nirantar hechi dhyana’. You are right around His neck. Someone very dear you hold that person around your neck. He is hanging from your neck embracing and hanging. Very dear, very dear you put that person close to your heart. Heart is now, “einivedan dharo” O ! tulsi devi I humbly pray, O!  tulsi devi. Vrinda devi has a big role one of the leading gopi. She almost has status of Radharani.

She is very significant person. ‘ei nivedana dharo sakhir anugat ..’ anugat I want to go. ‘Anu’, anu means follow behind somebody. ‘anugat koro’ please make me a follower of a damsel of braj ‘seva adhikar diye koro nijadasi’ and give me adhikar – eligibility. When would I become eligible to serve the Lord? When would I get seva adhikar? As one becomes the follower of a gopi and of course for us we cannot, but tulsi is there in front of us, we pray to her but still we don’t have that direct connection we go to temple commander, we go to temple commander and say, “do you have some service for me prabhu”, we go to temple president, we go to Governing Body Commissioner of ISKCON. He is the ultimate manager, coordinator of services and like that. That is one parampara, managerial parampara and the spiritual. Both are spiritual and they are connected through Prabhupada.

So we pray to Prabhupada and like that ultimately to those who are ‘nikunjayuno ratikeli sidhaye yayali bhiryuktarapekshaniya’ in that forest ‘Nikunja’ where two of them are divine couple where wandering Kunjabihari…………, someone makes arrangement, this arrangement, that arrangement.  Some expert devotees, rupa manjari or that manjari or  this gopi, that gopi. These are kind of aacharyas we have. They are part of that team and then they come down and give us all kind of guidance and benedictions so we connect ourselves through this Parampara. Then our prayer ultimately is heard and so this is following in the footsteps of devotee’ anugat koro’.

‘lalita vishakha aadi jat sakhi vrinda’ and ‘aagyay koriboseva carnarvinda’ Narottamdas Thakur  says, “when I go to Radha and Krishna ‘Radha Krishna pranamora yugal kishor’ and how I will  go? Where I will go? Once I ‘go, what I will do? But how will I do?  Begin doing all these things. He says, “O! There I will see. There are ‘lalita vishakha aadi’ so many sakhis there and what I will do? I will take permission, their approval then only I will enter that sevice, not that I just come dashing in and then tell everyone get out here. No, in different mood even talking like that doesn’t sound right. Right, no one cannot think like this. Very humbly prabhu, prabhu almost become nonexistent like Jagannath as he couldn’t           bear. No, no it’s too much O! no they are feeling so much separation from me. O! this is just because of me. I am the cause of this suffering and the residence of Vrindavan. No I can’t hear this, “go inside!” and as he is hearing his eyes are becoming amazing. O! Really what his eyes are becoming bigger and bigger. Oh no! no it was something like that. So devotee has to become very humble. No material existence in other words no material existence, no ego.

Two persons were going one after the other, I’ve just heard this. Two persons walking one behind the other. Good people they were infact devotee, practitioners of Krishna consciousness. One behind was beating that person ahead of him. This person was just walking and this person would beat him from time to time and this person was not feeling and not taking that as insult or anything playing transcendental and bleeding is going on. So this person with the stick was testing.  “Let me see now I will test his tolerance. Is he still there? His ego is still there, false pride is still there, the bodily concept is still there”. He is beating and checking whether. ‘Hey you hit me’, Prabhupada’s example: someone hits from the back of car. “You rascal you hit me. I’ll hit you.” Because that person not only identified himself with the body but now he is identifying with the car. As if the car is he. “I am the car, you hit me. Rascal you hit me.” So this person was kind of passing the test was getting in. But at one point, at one point he turned around and he said, “you know what you are looking for is not in there. The false ego, the pride. Those things are not in there”. I got it but you said it is not in there. That thought is there subtle things here. He said it’s not that what are you looking for is not in there but this person said, but you are aware, it’s not there, that is there. I got you, I caught you.

So not only you become free from ego but you don’t even. That is what happens. We become proud because we are pure devotee. But such a thing is it possible. “I’m proud of what, being a pure devotee. “ No, no pride! Free from pride doesn’t even remember, doesn’t even thinks. Of course you think of being very humble. Someone said to Prabhupada, “Prabhupada, Prabhupada I am the most fallen”.  Then Prabhupada said, “you are most of nothing and you are not most fallen if that person wants to take position.” If someone says, “I’m fallen but someone is most fallen than me I cannot stand it. No he is more fallen, I want to be, my position has to be most fallen.” He said, “I am most fallen Prabhupada” You are not most of anything. You are somewhere so again most fallen.

In conclusion Prabhupada says, “One cannot associate with Krishna unless he has fully received the favour of inhabitants of brajbhumi” Therefore if one wants to be delivered by Krishna directly he must take to the service of the residents of Vrindavan who are unalloyed devotees of the Lord.

We also bring Krishna, our temples, our Vrindavan, Radha Gopinath is here, Radha Rasbihari there, Radha Giridhari there.  These places are Vrindavan non-different, extensions of Golok Vrindavan and in some ways being in Vrindavan just have, try to fit into this spirit of Vrindavan following in the footsteps. You had only Radha Gopinath before and then you added Lalita and Vishakha. So how many more could you add. They were there not only Radha Gopinath was there, Lalita and Vishakha they were also there. They just manifested few years ago. They just manifested and lot many more devotees and from Braj around Krishna. He is never alone. So those devotees and new batch is trying to get in there become part of the team. So following the footsteps was part of the team are our acharyas. ‘mahajana yenagatah’ they have gone all these there. They are part of the team and we are following their footsteps. These acharyas, these devotees so they are following gopi, we are following them. Then following and following, we enter that spirit, the Golok spirit which is higher than the Vaikuntha spirit.

Raganuga bhakti is what is being talked here. By practicing what si the other kind? Raganuga and the Vaidhi bhakti, by practicing  vaidhi bhakti that leads you to Vaikuntha  planet. ‘Raganuga’ raga means attachment to the realm of Braj and become anug. ‘Anu’ means again follow and ‘ga’ means to go. Following in the footsteps of those devotees of Vrindavan, Raganugabhakti. So followers of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu they end up in Vrindavan because they are following in the footsteps of residence of Vrindavan. Of course we always chant the names of Radha Krishna

‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare,  Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare’

And there’s  Radha Krishna, there’s a Radha Krishna Radhe Krishna Krishna Krishna Radhe Radhe. So by chanting Radha Krishna’s names, cultivating all the humility,  Krishna is testing us all the time, He is watching us all the time and He just want to see pure unalloyed devotion that His devotee, His aspiring devotee is for Him, for Krishna then that person is allowed the entrance into his association unto his abode. So what is what has been presented to us by Srila Prabhupada is the topmostthing.

Of course where did Srila Prabhupad get all this from, from Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. ‘anarpita chiram charit karunaya avatirnaha kalao’ in this kaliyuga Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared, very kindly appeared. ‘samarpitam’ in order to deliver what? ‘Unnat ujwal rasa’ ‘unnat’ the topmost rasa and ‘ujwal’ the brilliant rasa also and that is the madhurya rasa. ‘sri radhika madhav yora parmadhurya leela gunarupanama vande guruh sri caranarvindam’.

Our acharyas are known for what? They get together. What did Caitanya Mahaprabhu do with all those Ramanandaraya and Swarupa damodar?  Always heard about Krishna Radha, Krishna.of course Caitanya Mahaprabhu wants to have Krishna, Radharani wants to hear about Krishna, Radha Krishna Radha Madhava “pratiksana asvadana lolupasya”. So from that down in the parampara and all the way upto Srila Prabhupada and his books and his whole realm another dimension is being added, which started of course with Madhvendrapuri. He was specialized in this madhurya lila, the specialized. And that is where we branched off from the line of Madhavacharya, Madhavacharya line exists, we also exist. Where do we get connected, Madhurya, pure and like that. So added dimensions is this ‘madhurya lila gunarupanamnam’ which is of topmost kind. There is nothing higher, nothing superior. So this has been offered to us. While Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the parampara and Srila Prabhupada and his books, the prem ‘krishna prema pradayate’ and what we have in our possession in this world is ‘kama’ and just the counter aspect, counter substance.

The spiritual sky is prema, the shadow of that is kama in this material existence. So more we get prema, more we get free from kama, free from lust. So kind of, kind of prema this madhurya lila. Hearing this madhurya lila pastime as per prescription of the acharyas who acts like a doctor and he gives the medicine. And as one takes this medicine, ‘kama rog, bhava rog’ then by taking this dose of hearing Krishna books and scriptures from authorized person in recommended amount of doses. What works for you? What works for me, for someone else?

Then they take right kind of doses. It will cure one completely from the kama. And this kind of provision, this kind of medicine is only available in this ISKCON shop, Iskcon center, Iskcon place which is Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s place. This kind of  complete dose of prema and different prema, this prema, dasya prema, and other prema, sakhya prema, vatsalya prema, madhurya prema.

Ramanandaraya and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s dialogue there are gradations one higher than the other and when Ramanandaraya mentioned the Radha Krishna’s prema, radha Krishna madhurya lila that prema. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu satisfied Yes, yes I’m satisfied. This is it! Otherwise you say, “hey this is external. Say more, say more, say more.” And as Ramanandaraya said  “Radha Krishna prem, Radha Krishna madhurya lila and oh! This is the topmost.” So topmost thing has been handed down all the way to us and so like that.

Laxmi, She was performing austerities and given lots of gratification comforts. But one thing she was not giving up was this pride and as a result she was not able to enter. So we also have the opportunity to enter that realm and things which did not worked out for Laxmi. We should learn from others mistake. Laxmi is kindly placing herself in that position. This is Lord’s pastime taking example here look at Laxmi. Look look from long time, she did this didn’t work. So something else or find out what went wrong, rectify and improve and do it differently. And that  is the mood of surrender, false pride. Of course the supreme thing in this regard. Chaitanya mahaprabhu has said, “trinadapi sunichena tarorapi sahishnuna amanina mandena kirtaniya sada harih” always doing kirtan and kirtan doesn’t always mean only you pick up the kartal and chant, dance. That is also of course kirtan. Kirtan meaning  glorification of the Lord.

Radha Rasbihari temple was being built and Prabhupada was staying right there and someone proposed Srila Prabhupada,”we should get another location down town or some distance away. There is lot of noise, sound, thak-thak, this this, that that.” And Prabhupada says I’m not disturbed. For him he said  this is like music to my ears. All those sound, this is music. This is nice. Prabhupada considered even those sounds thak-thak and whatever as some kind of kirtan was going on. yuktavairagya’ How much you could extend the kirtan even that could be a kirtan.. so this is not limited.

This printing press is ‘Bhaktisiddhanta’s. He would have printing press right in front of deity. In Calcutta he had his printing press so that deity could see the printing press. He placed the printing machine so that the deity could see and all the sounds were there. And the sounds were described as ‘brihad mridanga’. You could hear few blocks down the road but this one you could hear far and wide everywhere. So kirtan in ISKCON is popular.

I am going sankirtana. Where is your mridanga? Where is your kartal? No, no. I have books in bag and I’m going to distribute books. This is sankirtana of course. Some devotees started distributing candles and that also became some kind of candle distribution. No scandal but candle. Sankirtana glorification of the Lord is kirtan, ‘kirtaniya sadaharih’ which includes lots of devotional service that we perform that is glorifying Krishna this way or that way or different ways. And this will go on ‘kirtaniyasada harih’.

Conditions are those, conditions ‘trinadapi sunichena’ ok this trinadapi should be taken care of. What about ‘amanina’ and ‘mandena’ also when this is done. Then the result equals to what? This results in kirtaniya sada harih. All the time kirtan is possible. And with this kirtan as we perform, then there’s a ‘mama janmani janmanishvare’ I do not even care of course for another birth or births. Every birth I just care for ahaituki, that’s the point ahaituki devotional services. No motivation ‘sastrabhakti bhagavati akinchana’ a few verses before you have gone through this, akincana – Prabhupada is translating that as unmotivated. It is easy to deliver discourse and say this. But really to come to the point of making our devotional service. So that Lord is pleased and He could grab us. Be with him.

I thought this could be very easily done. When I was a new bhakta at Juhu temple and my service was to go beg rice from door to door, that was one of my seva  – bhikshamdehi, tandulamdehi – ‘give me some rice for food for life’. Prabhupada was sending us; rice was not available in the free market, so we have to beg it. So sometimes, some people would ask me question like, “have you seen? O! You are always talking or you are always talking to us about Krishna. But have you seen Krishna?” then I used to or may be not say every time to everybody. But I used to Iin my mind command on, “give a break, give a break”. You know I have just joined. Give me at least six months you know, I have just joined. Give me at least six months. You know give me at least few years. Then you ask me, “have you seen?” then I’m going to say, “yes, yes I have seen him”.

Hence I have the right to speak to you. So I was thinking. This was just two years home work, and I would be seeing him, seeing the Lord. Then I could speak. So more than few months and few years were passed still wonder,” “where is Krishna? Where is Krishna”? ‘He Radhe vraja devikecha lalite’. Of course Krishna was there with those six go swamis running here there running. Are you on the top of Govardhan right now? Are you on the bank of Jamuna? Where are you? For them, wherever they were Krishna was with them. For us we wonder where Krishna is. Where is he? Where are you? Why are you taking so much time? So I was thinking it was an easy task. But it’s quite a task. You give up this. Give up that. Follow the 4 regulative principles. Even more things to give up. To give up pride,  pooja, pratistha and labha. These are even you have more subtle things. There are some rocks in the water, little pebbles. You could just pick them up, take out. You could get rid of some rocks, little pebbles. But what if the water is sugar solution? Water is homogeneous material. Cannot separate those things from water. Then it’s harder to get in. You pick up with a prong, pieces of rocks, pieces of fine grains of sugar mixed in the water. So get rid of some things is easy. Some more things we need to get rid of. So this is of course Prabhupada gave us one lifetime….

Radha Gopinath ki jay!

Nitai Gaur Premanande hari haribol!

Srila Prabhupada ki jai!

Iskcon Chowpatty ki jai!

He is Vasudev, we have both Vaasudevas. Krishna is Vaasudev, Balarama is also Vaasudev. By that definition, son of Vasudev is Vaasudev. And om namo bhagavate, that’s important part, Bhagavate. And they are both Bhagavan. There are some other Vaasudevas but not necessarily Bhagavan. Here Krishna and Balarama, they are both om namo bhagavate vasudevay. Krishna Balarama ki jay!

Are you all expecting their arrival? (Haribol!!………….. Claps). They are coming, they are coming, they are coming! They are here, they are here, they are here! Better late than never expecting. This community was expecting Krishna Balarama for quite some time, 15 years? They were also wondering whether Krishna Balarama coming or someone else is coming. There were also some debates or some different desires and finally who is coming? Krishna Balarama is coming haribol……… Is that ok? Krishna Balarama is coming? (Yes!!) So no one told me what the topic was. So I (laughs), so I thought, Krishna Balarama, carry on.

As this is a childhood pastimes of Krishna and Balarama

“vanam vrndavanam nama pasavyam nava-kananam

gopa-gopi-gavam sevyam punyadri-trna-virudham” (S.B 10.11.28)

From Sukadev Goswami, “vanam vrrndavanam nama” This is Upananda speaking. There are in Gokul they have istagosti, community istagosti. Just now Yamal-arjuna trees, they have been uprooted, they felled and they crashed. They were wondering, trying to figure it out. Old review is on and in that big assembly Upananda, brother of Nanda Maharaj, he has a proposal, where as Vrindavan is “pasavyam nava-kananam”. He had been going around. He was very much concerned; the security was a big concern. For security reasons he had been travelling all over Vrindavan, all over Braja. He was thinking of relocation “We have to leave this place”. He had been thinking ahead of the rest of the members of the community.

Not only he was concerned but he wanted to do something about it. Being concerned is one thing but he was one step ahead forward. So he had travelled and travelled all over Braja. There are 12 forests of Vrindavan and he is thinking of one of those forests called Vrndavan, all forests are not called Vrindavan, each one of them have their own name. He says “vanam vrrndavanam nama”. There is a forest called Vrndavan. Nava-kananam. It is new to us. “pasavyam” What is so special about this Vrindavan. It is good for our cows, pasus pasavyam. Good for the animals first concerned, major concerned. If we go there what about our animals? Is that good place for our animals also? Yes yes, before even query is there.

“gopa-gopi-gavam sevyam” and also sevaniya, the Gopa and Gopis, Gopa-Gopi, translation is not required. You understand Gopa, you understand Gopis. Cowherd men, cowherd ladies, girls. sevyam. It is wonderful place to reside and worship. And another very special feature, pun?yadri-There is punya adri. There is a very auspicious mountain, punya adri. Adri is mountain. trna-virudham and he is full of green grasses. Everywhere there are grass, waters, lakes, shades, caves.

“punyadri-trna-virudham, tat tatradyaiva yasyamah’

And his proposal is, “today only we leave for that place. How do we go?” sakattaan yunkta ma ciram. (S.B 10.11.29) “Get all the oxcarts ready”. ma ciram. “Do not, no delays”. Ma ciram, do not, no delays. Rush, get your carts ready, “godhanany agrato yantu” cows will be in the front and the carts behind, “bhavatamm yadi rocate” This is my proposal. If you so desire we could do this. This is only proposal. And in response of this proposal

“tac chrutvaika-dhiyo gopah sadhu sadhv iti vadinah” (S.B 10.11.30)

aika dhiya means unanimous, eka means one, dhiya- intelligence, everyone’s intelligence is on the same wave length. You say this in America (laughs). So aika dhiya, everybody’s dhiya, the intelligence is fixed on this idea. They are all unanimous. And how did you find that they all are unanimous? They all said,” Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu! ……………Very nice! Very nice! Wonderful! We are for this proposal. Let’s go

“vrajan svan svan samayujya yayu rudha-paricchadah” (S.B 10.11.30)

And they immediately got up, they returned to their respective homes and their axe together, got their oxcarts together, loaded all the paraphernalia rudha-paricchadah, loaded T.V. sets (laughter) not required it’s the last of thing. Doordarsan, (laughter) T.V. in India is called Doordarsan, something that is at the great distance bring that closer and watch it. But for them Krishna Balarama was that darshan.

“vr?ddhan balan striyo rajan sarvopakaranani ca anahsv aropya gopala” (S.B 10.11.31)

So, who get to sit in the cart? The old folks in the cart, “balan” children they go into the cart, Striyah- ladies in the cart. Everyone else is walking. Culture, we get to know the culture also. We get to know the mode of transportation also. If you want to shift look for a cart (laughs), bullock cart, “yatta atta-sarasanah” (S.B 10.11.31)

But they also have some weapons, bows and arrows because they have to travel through the forest. And the cows, godhanani puraskr?tya. Take note of this, They are carrying wealth with them. What is that wealth? godhanani. Dhan is wealth. What is dhan? The cows. They are carrying their wealth in the form of the cows. Economic development begins with plants and the cows. Godhanani puraskr?tya they are in the forefront. Srngan?y apurya sarvatah, many bugles. Bugles are, “get ready! Get ready!”. Inspired to signal. “Time to go, time to go. Get everyone ready, turya-ghosena mahata, out loud they are playing their bugles. Yayuh saha-purohitah (S.B 10.11.32)

And they are also taking their purohita, the priests, chanting mantras, all auspiciousness. In this connection it is to be noted, Srila Prabhupada writes short purport, “Although inhabitants of Gokul were mostly cowherd men and cultivators, they knew how to defend themselves from danger and how to give protection to women, the old men, the cows and the children, as well as to the brahmanical purohitas.

“gopyo rud?ha-ratha nutna- kuca-kunkuma-kantayah” (S.B 10.11.33)

Sukadev Goswami is describing ladies, the beauty of the ladies, goswami. Their breasts and youthful bodies and kumkum on the breasts. Well decorated in every possible way here, Banarasi sarees (laughs). ya thats popular one, Silk sarees. Lots of opulence of that sort. Lots of ornaments, earrings and bangles. They are loaded with all that.

“krna-lila jaguh pritya niska-kanthyah suvasasah” (S.B 10.11.33)

Although they are well dressed there is no bodily concept. They are not looking in mirror and busy with, ‘how I look! Where did you purchase that one? (laughter) That’s not the topic. Wonderful ladies wonderfully dressed! suvasasah, suvasa, vasa, suvasa, vasa means dress, suvasa? Wonderfully dressed. niska-kanthyah, their lockets hanging from their necks, very valuable gems. And in the midst of that krsna-lila jaguh pritya, krsna-lila jaguh, they are singing lilas of, Krsna-lila, Ram, Balaram-lila prityah, the great pleasure. They were chanting glories of the Krishna and Balarama

“tatha yasoda-rohinyav ekam sakat?am asthite rejatuh krsna-ramabhyam tat-katha-sravanotsuke” (S.B 10.11.34)

So there is one cart. In that one cart, there are hundreds and thousands of carts. Each family has one cart. Old folks, ladies, children are sitting in the cart. And in one cart there is Yasoda, Rohini, Krishna, Balarama. They are sitting in one cart. sakat?am, sakat means cart. Yes, “sakatam asthite rejatuh krs?na-ramabhyam tat-katha-sravanotsuke” (S.B 10.11.34)

They are very very eager, utsuka, they are very eager, very anxious to talk about katha, “krsna-ramabhyam katha,  “vrndavanam sampravisya sarva-kala-sukhavaham” (S.B 10.11.35)

So as the carts are going, Krsna, Balarama, Rohini, Yasida in one cart and so many other carts behind. And cows in the front and cowherd men are in the front around with their speres and bows and arrows an d bugles. And the priests also going chanting the mantras. And whole procession, grand procession is on the eastern bank of Jamuna going in a northerly direction, Delhi side. They are going and going and going. Their goal is to Vrndavan is trans Jamuna. Other side of Jamuna is Vrndavan. They have to cross. But as they were travelling soon there was sunset and was difficult. So they camped, camping on the bank of the river and next morning as they got up, waking up Krishna, uthi uthi Gopala……. Oh! Gopala please get up, oh! Gopala please, oh! Balarama please get up! They are singing songs, “oh! Getting up!” Vrndavan forests, birds are chirping-kuhoo, kuhoo, kuhoo, kukoo koo koohoo, some cocks are there. They are mentioned in Dwaraka pastimes. No alarm clock. The cock is the clock (laughs). You just feed few grains and it does its job (Laughs). No repairs and no maintenance just few grains and wakes you up. Beautiful to look at, the Vrindavan side, the peacocks and the parrots, some another cuckoos, birds, they have woken up. They are chirping and they are waking up. As they singing songs they are waking up people. So everyone is up and now they have to cross Jamuna. The big span, big, wide river bed. So what they do, this is described in Gargasamhita more detail. They are not mentioned here by Sukadev Goswami. But Gargacarya fills in the blanks.

So they built a bridge using the carts, using the ox-carts. They placed one cart, they placed next cart in front of that cart. Next one in front and next one infront and next one infront. Soon there, were few hundred carts one in front of the other and they started walking over that bridge. And there are many bridges. Like many carts, one after the other, one in front of the other. They all are crossing Jamuna, Jamuna maiya ki…………… jay!! Jamuna maiya ki……… jay!! Jamuna maiya ki…………. jay!!

The cows are swimming across, the cowherd men, they are carrying some calf. They are carrying calves on their shoulders. And, they are swimming the cowherd men are swimming with the calf on their shoulders. And the cow of that calf is right behind. He doesn’t have to do anything her calf is going, so that is magnetic pole. She is being pulled by the affection for the calf. So, so many cowherd men are going across swimming, holding the calves on their shoulders and cows are following. So they are crossing and elderly and children, old folks are going through the oxcart bridge way and they have crossed. So, “vrndavanam sampravisya” Sukadev Goswami said, now they have crossed Jamuna and samapravisyate , nicely entered, meaning they have not entered and just they are on the banks the river, no! Nicely entered means gone deeper into the forest, Vrindavan forest. “tatra cakrur vrajavasam”, and there, they park the carts, sakatair ardha-candravat. Candra? What is candra? Moon, ardha? Half.  ardha-candravat, just like in a semicircle. They parked all their sakatas and circle is made by this sakat, the cart. So that is becoming the fence and they are residing in, inside. This is where, so where they have landed, where they have going to be residing now, next 3 years and 4 months, according to Visvanath Cakravarti Thakur, Krishna was 3 years and 4 months when they left Gokul for Vrndavan. They shifted; relocation took place, Krishna was 3 years and 4 months. And Balarama? 4 years and 4 months. Devaki was giving birth to one child every year, so by that calculation.

So where the sakatas? Catikara, Catikara! You know Catikara? Old folk’s devotees  know Catikara Road. There has to be Catikara Road, we go from Delhi on highway and if you are not interested in Taj Mahal (laughs), you make a left turn to go to Krishna- Balarama temple, where that? You call T junction, T junction highway coming and then you go to Vrindavan. T junction, so that at that junction there is a village called Catikara refers to this Catikara, sakat. That’s where the centre of that township, and they relocated was there. And that road became known as Catikara Road was first and then became known as Bhaktivedanta Swami Marg ki……………jay! When you take that road you end up with lotus feet of Krishna and Balarama. Otherwise you end up in Tajmahal (laughs). You have to wake up and take right turn, left turn in fact it is. We take left turn there that is right, left is right.

“vrndavanam govardhanam Yamuna-pulinani ca” (S.B 10.11.36)

So, where they are residing is, is, where is this Vrndavan. This is in between Govardhan Hill, all the way to Jamuna. That whole forest is Vrndavan forest.

“vr?ndavanam govardhanam yamuna-pulinani

ca viks?yasid uttama priti rama-madhavayor nr?pa” (S.B 10.11.36)

“Nrpa! Oh, King! King Pariksit, are you listening King Pariksit?” Why he had to say Nrpa? He is trying to get his attention “O, King, are you hearing, are you with me?. O, Nrpa! O, King Pariksit! That I was just there where Sukadev Goswami spoke Bhagavatam. I was just there 10 days ago. Wonderful place! On the banks of Ganga, Sukadev Goswami is speaking; he is sitting there, talking all Vrindavan pastimes to King Pariksit. The big banyan tree and the murthi of Sukadev Goswmi, where he sat and spoke. What we are reading now was spoken by him right there, and we are sitting not far from there, reciting Bhagavatam. One short class we did, same spot where Sukadev Goswami spoke these pastimes. To our audience we said, look, look Sukadev Goswami”. We took darshan of Sukadev Goswmi’s murthi Sukadev Goswami ki……….. jay!! And next to Sukadev Goswami’s murthi there was pujari. So when we showed everyone Sukadev Goswami, the pujari, he was reading newspaper (laughs). Where Sukadev Goswami recited Bhagavatam and care taker of that place absorbed in reading newspaper. This is the age of Kali. “viks?yasid uttama priti” by seeing that Vrindavan which is situated between Govardhan and Jamuna. Ram Madhav, Ram is Balaram, Madhav is Krishna. Uttama priti, they were enjoying lots of pleasure, uttam priti, the best, they have good time. As they had arrived there,

“evam vrajaukasam pritim yacchantau bala-cestitaih

kala-vakyaih sva-kalena vatsa-palau babhuvatuh” (S.B 10.11.37)

Vrajaukasam, the residents of Vrndavan, they were also enjoying, bala-cestitaih, the  bala-cesta, the pastime, the childhood pastime, sweet nectarian pastimes of Ram Madhav, Ram and Madhava’s pastimes, they were enjoying kala-vakyaih. They were little boys. They were not even able to say few sentences, broken language, half sentence they were able to say. They don’t know the verbs, the noun, they were just saying something something, kala-vakyaih. But even those vakyas, those sentences, the broken language spoken by Krishna and Balarama was relished by Vrajaukasam, the residents of Vrndavan. Sva-kalena vatsa-palau babhuvatuh, and as they were now growing, they were about 4 years old. Balarama 5 years old. Vatsa-palau, they became vatsapalas. Vatsa, what is vatsa? Calf and pala – protector. They became calf herd boys, vatsa-palau babhuvatuhh. Krishna and Balarama very much wanted to you know go out. Outing, they were eager for another, some more variety, the spice of life, variety. Mostly they were enjoying the vatsalya-rasa, they were eager for another rasa, another mellow, sakhya-rasa. So, they would go out into the fields, into the forests. Then the calf herding as well as playing with the friends, two in one. So they were very very eager. When they propose this, Yasoda was not into this, “no, no, no, what! You and going into the forest? You are drinking breast milk every now and then, you are so tender, look at your lotus feet pinkish and soft and out there thorns, they heat and rocks, no, no, no”. She couldn’t imagine Krishna and Balarama going out and there herding cows.

But they were insisting and the good news was Nanda Maharaj was in favour (laughs). “Let them go they want to go”. So along with father, Nanda, Krishna and Balarama, only Yasoda against. So three against one, so they won and they got to go as calf herd boys. They were boys so little cows they could manage. They couldn’t manage big cows. Little cows choti choti gaiya, chote chote gwal. They sing in Vrndavan, gaiya, the cows are choti choti, small small calves, cows. The boys were also choto choto, small small boys. And they are going. So first day small group of cows are gathered by Nanda, Yasoda. Krishna and Balarama were given ropes, hold these ropes. And as they were leaving town, Nanda and Yasoda were accompanying and some crash course was given, how to, different instructions, how to turn them around and how to get them to sit down and how to, and as they were leaving, Yasoda, “come back soon, don’t go deep into the forest, and Balarama you have to take care of your brother.”, “yes, mummy” (laughs), “yes maiya, yes Yasoda maiya.

And their other friends also. They also had their cows and they go into the forest. Vatsa-palau babhuvatuh. And then Yasoda, “Ok, you could go but not every day.” Just see so sometimes Krishna, he was kept behind. “No, no, not today, no you don’t go today.” “Ok, maiya, I will stay behind.” And mother is relieved thinking he stay behind. And Balarama goes, some other neighboring friends are going, the cows are going. And she makes sure looking through windows, he is not there, Krishna is not there. And she gets busy with her churning butter and other household duties. From time to time she looks through the window to make sure he has not joined. Few times she looks only Balarama and other friends are there. ‘Nice boy, he is obedient child, he is following my command’. Next time she looks through the window. She saw Krishna running and she starts running behind him. And Krishna is trying to run faster,  “Balarama, Balarama, help, help” and Yasoda is running behind,” aye! Krishna, come here, come here. Where are you going? Stop, stop.”  So finally she has caught up with Krishna but here Krishna also has caught up with Balarama and Balarama is holding one side and Yasoda is holding, tug up war. “No, no, I will take care; let him go, let him go.” “No, no, you can’t go.” That also would go on.

“avidure vraja-bhuvah saha gopala-darakaih

carayam asatur vatsan nana-krida-paricchada” (S.B 10.11.38)

So, they are allowed only to go avidure, dur means distance, avi means not long distance. There is a condition, you could go but you cannot go deep into the forest, just near the village, near Gokul, near Nandagram he could go carayam asatur and they are taking care of the cows. Cows are grazing and they are playing, nana-krida, krida the lila. How many kridas? Nana-krid?a, many many kridas, many many lilas they are performing. Nanavatara makaraud bhuvanesu kintu, nanavatara, nana, so some sample kridas mentioned it is.

One word, one lila, half sentence one lila. Kvacid kvacid vadayato venum (S.B 10.11.39), this is one lila. Both Krishna and Balarama, what do they do? Vadayato venum, they are playing their venus. Ksepan?aih ks?ipatah kvacit, sometimes they are throwing rocks, not, they get some fruits from the trees. It’s mango season. They are taking rock and ksepan?aih ksipatah kvacit. Kvacit padaih kinkin?ibhih, and they have little jingling, tinkling bells around their ankles and they are jumping. And as they hear, they like sounds of their own bells and they are enjoying jumping. Kvacit padaih kinkin?ibhih, no other sounds, there is no noise pollution there. Every little detail could be heard. Tinkling, jingling of the bell, pin drop silence. What kind of silence? We drop a pin and big sound, amplified sound. Now there is a bomb, what? A bomb. No one hears there is so much sound (laughs). Pin drop, bomb drop. Kvacit krtrima-go-vrs?aih. And sometimes they are playing, imitating go-vrsaih, the cows. They are on their knees and not standing. But they are playing, “I am a cow, you are a calf, you are this, you are that”. They are playing different,

“vrayamanau nardantau yuyudhate parasparam” (S.B 10.11.40)

And next thing is that they are fighting with each other, they are beating each other.  “Aye! Come! Wrestling!”  “anukrtya rutair jantums ceratuh prakr?tau yatha” (S.B 10.11.40)

Sukadev Goswami says,” They are playing as if they are prakrit, as  children play like this. Children everywhere play like this. What do the children do? Balavastha kridasakta. Children all over the world. All children what do they do? They play. The  predominant pastime of children is to play. Balavastha kridasakta. They are attached to the play. Did you play? American children play? I used to think that they must not be playing. When I was a child I used to think that they must not be playing. When I was a child I used to think that American children must be very serious, Scientific and looking through their microscopes and telescopes (laughs). They must not be playing. I had a misconception like that (laughs). But for first time I came, landed in New York Airport and going to the temple, the school and playground children were playing. And I was convinced, the children play wherever. So Krishna and Balarama prakritah yatha. As if children play, they were also played just simple things, small games no big deals. But when Krishna does anything it,s a big deal and becomes a talk of the town.

“kadacid yamuna-tire  vatsams carayatoh svakaih” (S.B 10.11.41)

Once upon a time, now little serious business here. Normally playing, normally, But one day, jamunatire, on the banks of, you feel nice when says jamunatire. You could say that in English also. But when you say jamunatire, something special about jamunatire, vatsam carayatoh svakaih, they were playing; they were playing and taking care of their cows.

“vayasyaih krsna-balayor jighamsur daitya agamat” (S.B 10.11.41)

Ah! One demon arrived. And what was the purpose? He started krsna-balayor jighamsur. He wanted to kill Krishna and Balarama. That was his intention. He arrived on the scene

“tam vatsa-rupinam viksya vatsa-yutha-gatam harih” (S.B 10.11.42)

Immediately Krishna, haribol! Krishna has taken note, viksya. This demon has arrived in the form of vatsa-rupinam. His rupa is, form is like that of vatsa. He has come as a calf so that he could hide in the midst of other cows. Someone said, if a terrorist was to come to ISKCON temple he would come in what form? Probably he would come chanting japa (laughs). No one would doubt, some sadhu has come, please come, sadhu! (Laughs). And if he is more smart he would come as sanyasi (laughs) watch out! So tam vatsa-rupin?am viks?ya. That Krishna detected vatsarup, vatsa-yutha-gatam harih darsayan baladevaya. And he started showing Balarama,” Aye! Aye! Come come come,” “yes I am here” look, look at that calf, that one, not that one, that one”.

“darsayan baladevaya sanair mugdha ivasada” (S.B 10.11.42)

As if bewildered Sukadev Goswami says, as if Krishna does not know why he has come, what is the purpose of this demon, why is he here? Therefore mugdha, mugdhaiva. Externally He is showing that He doesn’t  know. “Look, some demon, why is he here for?” He showed Balarama. The next thing is “grhitvapara-padabhyam saha-langulam acyutah” (S.B 10.11.43)

Krishna took lead and He moves forward and as Krishna is moving forward that calf demon is also moving forward. He is looking behind. And Krishna is right behind, coming right behind. He is trying to avoid. So many cows, hundreds, thousands, demon is trying to hide. But Krishna is following, Krishna is following, Krishna is not leaving him alone. And as Krishna finally grhitva, he caught hold of the hind legs along with the tail, langula, saha-langulam. Langula is tail, hind legs and the tail. bhramayitva, bhramayitva, twirling and whirling also . He is doing two things, twirling and twirling twirling, whirling whirling also (laughs), twirling and whirling.                    “Kapitthagre prahin?od gata-jivitam” (S.B 10.11.43)

He threw on the top of tree called kapittha. It is not translated which called kapittha, kapittha tree. And as he is thrown by the time he landed on the top kapitthagre, on the top of the tree has lost his life. Sa kapitthair maha-kayah. And he was small one. He was small calf size and he was amongst the cows. But as he is slipped over or Krishna threw him away to land on the top of the tree, between the time he slipped from the hand and landed on the top of the tree, maha-kayah, he showed big form. Like Putana, she was regular sized lady. But once Krishna started drinking blood and the milk poison and the milk and she grew in size.

So maha-kayah patyamanaih papata ha. And he is so maha-kayah. So heavy body that the tree failed down.

“tam viksya vismita balah sasamsuh sadhu sadhv iti” (S.B 10.11.44)

When all the children all the friends noticed what Krishna, just Krishna did, how he picked up that calf demon and whirl, twirl threw him, lost his life. Balan the children, his friends, they started praising Krishna. How did they praise? ‘Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu, sadhu!!! Jay ho, jay ho, jay ho!!! . Thus they were glorifying. As cowherd, calf herd friends were glorifying Krishna, devas ca parisantusta. And devas , the demigods also, there immediately demigods arrived and they seen in the sky, parisantust?a, they are pleased, satisfied, relieved also to see big, the demon has been killed, babhuvuh puspa-vars?nah. And immediately started showers of flowers, heavenly flowers of their own abode they had come with flowers, they are showering flowers and playing different instruments. And apsaras were dancing, gandharvas were singing, whole show going on up there in the sky, glorifying the Lord.

“tau vatsa-palakau bhutva sarva-lokaika-palakau

sapratar-asau go-vatsams carayantau viceratuh” (S.B 10.11.45)

And Sukadev Goswami is kind of concluding this thought  before he moves on to another demons arrival and pastimes, more pastimes. tau vatsa-palakau bhutva, tau, tau, those two, palakau bhutva, vatsa-palakau bhutva, by becoming vatsapalakas, sarva-lokaika-palakau, they are lokapalas. They are protectors and maintainers of the entire creation, whole Universe. But here they appear to be taking care of only cows as if they have nothing to do with the maintenance of the universe; they have nothing to do with the lokapalas and not lokanathas, not those, not those. They were just concerned with the taking all that they do is take care of the cows and they are playing. And the world who knows how it is running, who is operating. He didn’t say maya ahaksen prakriti. He told Arjuna,” Aye! I am adhyaksa, you know.”

“mayadhyaksen prakriti suyate-sa-caracaram”. I am, cara, acara, everything moving, non moving, I am the superintendent, vedaham samasthitani. Visnu says, Oh! Arjuna, veda aham, I know, I know, what do you know? Samasthitani, everybody’s past I know, vartamanani ca arjuna. I know the present of everybody, bhavisyanica bhutani, and I know bhavisya also, without looking at their palm. It’s called palm reading? Yah! He doesn’t have to read palm. He knows. But the trouble is Krishna says mam tu veda na kaschana I know everybody’s past , present, future, but no one knows me, no one knows about me. When they are looking at these pastimes they are taking care of the cows and playing. Sukadev Goswami says, He is not only vatsapalak, He is, sarva-lokaika-palakau, , sarva-lokaika-palakau, palakau, two vatsa palakau, , sarva-lokaika-palakau, these  two they are

“sapratar-asau go-vatsams carayantau”. So early morning hours they take their breakfast. I should have not mentioned (laughs). Now you get the idea (laughs), go-vatsams carayantau viceratuh. And then they would get their lunch packets ready and go out to take care of the cows, calves. You just killed the demon but his form was vatsarupinam. His form was like a calf, the cow, the calf, you are sinner, you are sinner, you have to take bath to become free from sin. Go to Ganga, go to the holy places, sacred rivers, take a holy depth and come back. So after this pastime, He was accused, Radha also had accused. Kanhaiya killed, which demon was that? Aristasur. He was also bull. Now for killing calf, He was also accused.

So Krishna, He created Ganga from His mind. We were also on the banks of Ganga just few days ago, then I travelled from banks of Ganga to Florida here, we had nice time on banks of Ganga! Haridwar, Uttarkasi,  Himalayan Mountains, so there also we remember this pastime of Krishna kills. One day we went early morning hours to take holy depth. Instead of taking bath in bathroom we all went to Ganga, took bath there, many devotees and we have Prabhupada murti, life size murti with us and some devotees went with Prabhupada murti in the middle of the stream and they were trying to give full bath to Prabhupada. It was not easy to pull him under the water, put him down the water. O! pushing him and Prabhupada just come out (laughs). We were trying to push him down and Prabhupada would jump and someone says “ just see, he is not sinking”. Prabhupada doesn’t sink. Someone says Prabhupada doesn’t sink. That’s right, yes, that’s right, Prabhupada doesn’t sink.

So Prabhupada ki jay! Sri Krishna Balarama ki jay! Radha-Shyamsunder ki jay! (claps) Haribol!!

In remote corners of Vrndavana, Pilgrims find little known places of Krsna’s  pastimes and get a clearer view Into their own hearts.

THE VRAJA Mandala Parikrama* is a walking pilgrimage throughout the land of Vraja, or Mathura, the district in North India where Lord Krsna appeared five thousand years ago. Devotees walk the entire parikrama path, stopping at the places where Krsna performed His pastimes. Vraja Mandala Parikrama can be considered pada-sevanam (serving Sri Krsna’s lotus feet), one of the nine forms of devotional service.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

Within Mathura, the Yamuna River and the twelve forests of Vrndavana form the stage for the divine play of Radha and Krsna’s transcendental pastimes. Lord Krsna presides over the seven forests on the Yamuna’s western bank: Madhuvan, Talavan, Kumudavan, Bahulavan, Vrndavana, Kamyavan, Khadiravan. And Lord Balarama rules the five forests decorating the eastern bank: Bhadravan, Bhandiravan, Bilvavan, Lohavan, and Mahavan. These twelve beautiful forests are the most important places of pilgrimage.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, set an example by touring Vrndavana’s twelve forests. While Lord Caitanya was performing the parikrama, the residents said:

Who says He is a sannyasi? He is Krsna Himself appearing in this dress and form. Just see the proof. Different birds are all coming for His darsana [audience]. The cuckoos and parrots are happily addressing Him as Krsna, and the peacocks are dancing in jubilation. See the wonderful blooming of the trees! O brother, just see the creepers showering flowers on this person, who is disguised as a sannyasi. The deer are coming near Him and staring undivertedly towards His face. All the cows are coming running from all sides with raised tails, and they also look at His face. By the tears of ecstasy falling from the eyes of these creatures, we can understand that they are meeting Him after a long period of time.

From the book Mathura Mandala Parikrama, based on Srila Narahari Cakravarti Thakura’s Bhakti Ratnakara

The six Gosvamis and other associates of Lord Caitanya, as well as thousands of faithful in His line (Gaudiya Vaisnavas) throughout the centuries, have enthusiastically executed Vraja Mandala Parikrama, a blissful form of devotional service. In October 1932, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, the spiritual master of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, led a group of more than a thousand disciples and other pilgrims on a month-long parikrama of the sacred places of Vrndavana. It was one of the largest parikramas ever seen in Vrndavana. Srila Prabhupada, then a married man living in Allahabad, traveled to Vrndavana intent on seeing Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and hoping to join the parikrama party.

“I was not initiated at the time of the parikrama,” Srila Prabhupada recalled, “but I had very good admiration for these Gaudiya Math people. They were very kind to me, so I thought, ‘What are these people doing in this parikrama? Let me go.’ So I met them at Kosi.”

Today dozens of groups of devotees from different parts of India still perform the padayatra (walking festival) of Vraja Mandala to see and hear about the places of Krsna’s pastimes. Every year during the month of Kartika (Oct.-Nov.), Krsna devotees taste the ecstasy of circumambulating Sri Vrndavana Dhama. Besides being a wonderful way to see and serve Sri Krsna’s transcendental land, Vraja Mandala Parikrama purifies one’s consciousness.

Srila Rupa Gosvami has described Vraja: “I remember the Lord standing by the banks of the Yamuna River, so beautiful amid the kadamba trees, where many birds are chirping in the gardens. And these impressions are always giving me transcendental realization of beauty and bliss.” Even non-devotees can feel the bliss described by Rupa Gosvami. The places in the eighty-four-square-mile district of Mathura and Vrndavana are so beautifully situated on the banks of the river Yamuna that anyone who goes there will never want to return to this material world.

Simple, Sacred Life

We rise before the sun and walk through hills and valleys, traveling deep into Vrndavana. Little remote villages dot our path. Village life is simple and austere, but the villagers are warm and generous. Whenever we stop they offer us fresh water, buttermilk, and steaming hot whole-wheat rotis (chapatis, or flatbreads).

As we cross cultivated fields, a team of oxen and a straw-laden donkey amble past rice paddies ornate with exotic birds. The sounds of the cuckoo bird, the mourning dove, and the Hare Krsna maha-mantra mingle together. Some devotees keep to the back of the kirtana party, silently chanting japa on their beads. The morning is calm, and the soft sandy path is gentle on our feet.

As we enter Madhuban, children bounce beside us, their eyes twinkling with glee. The kirtana reverberates off the mud walls and through the narrow lanes. The village brahmana greets us, a wise old man with happy eyes and stubbly beard. He sprinkles holy water on us. The cow-dung homes smell fresh and clean. In a spotless courtyard, children carrying bows and arrows imitate Sita, Rama, Laksmana, and Hanuman. Villagers invite us into their homes for something to eat or drink.

While some devotees rest or read, others venture farther into the village to get a closer look at the life of the local residents (Vrajabasis). Some devotees take a refreshing bath in a pond, while others wash their laundry. Clustered around the village water pump, we watch the children dexterously fill their waterpots. It is a crowded scene. Suddenly, a teenage boy and his mother approach the well. The boy pushes his way through the crowd and takes hold of the pump handle. We think he’s angry that we’re using “his” pump. But with an infectious smile, he begins to pump water for everyone.

Time to Think

Most devotees who visit Vrndavana never experience Vraja like this. One devotee comments, “If you don’t walk, you miss ninety per cent of Vraja.” Normally in Vrndavana we tend to feel like transcendental tourists, catching buses to the holy places. But to see Vraja on foot allows one more time to think and to find one’s real identity.

We visit Talavan forest, where Lord Balarama killed Dhenukasura. In the village of Etarsi, we visit the temple where breathtakingly beautiful deities of Balarama and His eternal consort, Revati, reside. A tala tree stands just inside the temple compound.

It is traditional to perform parikrama barefoot, and we try our best to follow the example of the saintly persons who have walked before us. Sometimes small thorns prick our feet, and we try to remember the austerities of Dhruva Maharaja, compared to which ours are insignificant. Vraja Mandala Parikrama strips one of all pretensions. We may have a big position in this world, but the thorns don’t discriminate.

Before it gets too hot, we climb to the summit of Kedarnath Mountain. A stone staircase etched into the mountainside leads us up 270 steps to a temple of Lord Siva. The temple is a natural cave, its overhang resembling the hoods of a multi-hooded snake. From atop the hill, we view the unique panoramic scene of the Vraja plains, stretched for about twenty kilometers all around us. As our gaze wanders out over the expanse of sacred land, we meditate on and hear about Krsna’s Vrndavana pastimes.

Krsna’s Footprints

In the early afternoon we take to tarred road on a seemingly endless walk to Caran Pahari. Here, Krsna would play His flute and melt the rocks with a touching melody. The rocks captured Krsna’s footprints. We eagerly rush to see them and smear on our heads the dust from these fivethousand-year-old footprints. We pray that our stone like hearts may also melt in response to Krsna’s call.

Where Krsna played His water sports and submerge ourselves in the Yamuna River, where He performed unlimited pastimes. We feel like we are following Him around Vraja. If we stay on His trail, we’ll turn the last corner of material attachment and catch up with Him. On parikrama we get a glimpse of the mood of separation from Krsna as we wander through the forests of Vrndavana. Parikrama instills appreciation for devotional sentiments even within the heart of a neophyte devotee.

Finally we see the city of Mathura rise from the plains of Vraja like an ancient medieval kingdom. We’ve made it! One hundred sixty-eight miles in thirty days. A tremendous feeling of accomplishment and exhilaration rises in our hearts. Our Vraja Mandala Parikrama is almost over, and our walk on the path back to Godhead has shortened.

A tall bridge leads us across the Yamuna back to Mathura. The kirtana resounds through the crowded back streets of the city. We take our final bath at Vishram Ghat. Vraja Mandala Parikrama is a perfect test for one’s spiritual health. In the pure atmosphere of the Lord’s land, our impurities stand out clearly, like black spots on a white sheet. Out here we see how far we have come in spiritual life and how far we have to go. Yet, this is encouraging; it increases our desire for purification, so that one day we may become qualified to reside eternally in Vrndavana. Lokanath Swami is the director of ISKCON Padayatras (“walking pilgrimages”) worldwide and the author of the recently published book Kumbha: The Festival of Immortality. He has been coordinating Vraja Mandala Parikrama since 1987.

Replica of the Spiritual World

IN THE SPIRITUAL world of Vrndavana the buildings are made of touchstone, the cows are known as surabhi cows, givers of abundant milk, and the trees are known as wish-fulfilling trees, for they yield whatever one desires. In Vrndavana Krsna herds the surabhi cows, and He is worshipped by hundreds and thousands of gopis, cowherd girls, who are all goddesses of fortune. When Krsna descends to the material world, this same Vrndavana descends just as an entourage accompanies an important personage. Because when Krsna comes His land also comes, Vrnda-vana is not considered to exist in the material world. Therefore devotees take shelter of the Vrndavana in India, for it is considered to be a replica of the original Vrndavana. Introduction to Teachings of Lord Caitanya, by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Instructions from Sage Narada

Narada Says to Dhruva: “My dear boy, I therefore wish all good fortune for you. You should go to the bank of the Yamuna, where there is a virtuous forest named Madhuvana, and there be purified. Just by going there, one draws nearer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who always lives there.” Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.8.42

Acquiring Spiritual Flavors In Vrndavana

SRILA BHAKTISIDDHANTA Sarasvati Thakura states that the business of the tongue is to gratify itself with the varieties of flavor, but by wandering in the twelve holy forests of Vraja-mandala (Vrndavana), one can be freed from the twelve flavors of material sense gratification. The five principal divisions of material relationships are neutral admiration, servitude, friendship, parental affection, and conjugal love; the seven subordinate features of material relationships are material humor, astonishment, chivalry, compassion, anger, dread, and ghastliness. Originally, these twelve rasas, or flavors of relationships, are exchanged between the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the living entity in the spiritual world; and by wandering in the twelve forests of Vrndavana one can respiritualize the twelve flavors of personal existence. Thus one will become a liberated soul, free from all material desires. If one artificially tries to give up sense gratification, especially that of the tongue, the attempt will fail, and in fact one’s desire for sense gratification will increase as a result of artificial deprivation. Only by experiencing real, spiritual pleasure in relationship with Krsna can one give up material desires.

War and pious deeds have often come together at this ancient North Indian site.

KURUKSHETRA, about one hundred miles north of New Delhi, is best known as the place where the great battle of the Mahabharata was fought and Lord Krsna spoke the Bhagavad-gita. But long before that, Kurukshetra had played a dominant role in the history and culture of ancient India. For thousands of years it was a hub around which the Vedic civilization spun in its full glory. Kurukshetra’s religious importance is described in many scriptures, including the Bhagavad-gita, the Mahabharata, and various Upanisads and Puranas. The scriptures refer to it as a place of meditation and an abode of demigods. The atmosphere of Kurukshetra is still charged with the chanting of Vedic hymns, especially the Bhagavad-gita.

The first verse of the Gita refers to Kurukshetra as dharma-ksetra, or “the field of dharma,” indicating that it was already known as a holy place. Today one can find many ancient temples and sacred lakes at Kurukshetra, an area of about one hundred square miles between the sacred rivers Sarasvati and Drsadvati in Haryana state.

The Great King Kuru

Kurukshetra was formerly known as Brahmaksetra, Brghuksetra, Aryavarta, and Samanta Pancaka. It became known as Kurukshetra because of the work of King Kuru.

The Mahabharata tells of how King Kuru, a prominent ancestor of the Pandavas, made the land a great center of spiritual culture. King Kuru went there on a golden chariot and used the chariot’s gold to make a plow. He then borrowed Lord Siva’s bull and Yamaraja’s buffalo and started plowing. When Indra arrived and asked Kuru what he was doing, Kuru replied that he was preparing the land for growing the eight religious virtues: truth, yoga, kindness, purity, charity, forgiveness, austerity, and celibacy.

Indra asked the king to request a boon. Kuru asked that the land ever remain a holy place named after himself, and that anyone dying there go to heaven regardless of his sins or virtues. Indra laughed at the requests.

Undaunted, Kuru performed great penance and continued to plow. Gradually, Indra was won over, but other demigods expressed doubts. They said that death without sacrifice did not merit a place in heaven. Finally, Kuru and Indra arrived at a compromise: Indra would admit into heaven anyone who died there while fighting or performing penance. So Kurukshetra became both a battlefield and a land of piety.

The Mahabharata Battle

When the Pandavas claimed their legitimate share of their paternal kingdom from their uncle Dhrtarastra and his sons, the Kauravas, they were given the Khandava Forest in the south of the Kuru kingdom. There they built a magnificent city called Indraprastha, located where Delhi is today. The Kauravas kept Hastinapura, situated to the northeast of Delhi, as their capital.

Later, the Pandavas were exiled for thirteen years after Yudhisthira’s defeat in a game of dice. After the exile, the Pandavas demanded the return of their kingdom. On behalf of the Pandavas, Lord Krsna went to Duryodhana, the eldest Kaurava, and begged for five villages for the five Pandavas. But proud Duryodhana refused to give any land. “I won’t even give them enough land to fit on the tip of a pin,” he said.

The war was therefore unavoidable, and the Kauravas and Pandavas decided to fight at Kurukshetra, because it was large, uninhabited, and abundant with water and fuel-wood.

The Pandavas won the Battle of Kurukshetra, which lasted only eighteen days.

The Birth of the Gita

The Battle of Kurukshetra began on the day known as Moksada Ekadasi. (Ekadasi is the eleventh day of either the waxing or waning moon, and moksada means “giver of liberation.”) On that day, Krsna enlightened Arjuna with the knowledge of Bhagavad-gita, liberating him. Now every year on that day considered the birthday of Bhagavad-gita festivals in honor of the Gita are held at Kurukshetra and many other places in India. The grand festival in Jyotisar, the spot where the Gita was spoken, is organized as a state function, with chief ministers and governors presiding. Coincidentally, this is also the time of ISKCON’s annual Prabhupada Book Marathon, when devotees distribute hundreds and thousands of copies of Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is in India and around the world.

Rathayatra’s Kurukshetra Roots

Once, when Krsna was preparing to go to Kurukshetra at the time of a solar eclipse, He invited the gopis (cowherd girls) and other residents of Vrndavana to meet Him at Kurukshetra. When He had left Vrndavana in His youth, He had promised to return very soon. But He had been away for a long time (about a hundred years), so out of intense spiritual love, the residents of Vrndavana had always felt ecstatic longing to see Him again.

The residents of Dvaraka (a majestic city) arrived at Kurukshetra on chariots; the residents of Vrndavana (a simple cowherd village), on ox carts. Because the families of Vrndavana and Dvaraka were related, a joyful reunion took place.

Of all the residents of Vrndavana, the leading gopi, Srimati Radharani, had felt the pangs of separation from Krsna more than anyone else. She and the other gopis were determined to bring Krsna back to Vrndavana. The loving exchange between Krsna and the gopis at Kurukshetra is the esoteric meaning behind the festival known as Rathayatra (“Festival of the Chariots”). So whenever Hare Krsna devotees put on Rathayatras in cities around the world, they are proclaiming the glories of Kurukshetra.