Thank you for this opportunity that we have today with you. You are all Bhakti Shastris, Bhakti Shastragya meaning also like you are scientist. One who knows the Shastras – Shastragya . ‘Gya’ means one who knows, Shastragya:-one who knows shastras is scientist; this is yet another vaishnav definition for understanding of who is a scientist.

“yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama-karatah
na sa siddhim avapnoti na sukham na param gatim” (Bhagavad Gita 16.23)

Lord Krishna says: One who discards all the shastras and he is busy doing activities but he has given up all the shastras abandoned, that person “na sa sukham avapnoti” that person will never ever be happy, what else? ‘na sukham avapnoti’ (in audience param gatim) ‘param gatim’ and there is one more (in audience) ‘na siddhim’- No perfection, no happiness, no final destination is achieved by those who reject, abandon, discard the shastric injunctions. Now you have become shastragyas you are scientist, I am happy I am able to meet scientist or social scientist here in Mayapur. You are completing now your 3 more days to go and you are done with it. Now is a time to apply the knowledge science that you have been studying, what you are studying Upadesamrta like that Isopanishad, Nectar of Devotion and Bhagavad Gita.

I think one year I taught Isopanishad and of course you were not there and then another year I had taught something else. So I have been asked I am given some homework today and next 2 days.
You need 7 attitudes towards Vaishnavas (Students handbook page 110)
Learning objectives it says at the top,
Discuss appropriate attitudes towards senior devotees in temple who have not completed Bhakti Shastri degree.
You have and they haven’t and you are back to the temple and you are in the midst of those devotees or you are the only one who has done the Bhakti Shastri. You are the one carrying your certificate hanging around your neck (laughter). Some big accomplishment to have a degree in Bhakti Shastri, not a small thing. So then what should be your attitude towards or in the midst of all those other devotees who haven’t done Bhakti Shastri?

With reference to Shri Isopanishad mantra 10 it says:
“anyad evahur vidyaya anyad ahur avidyaya”

One result is derived from the culture of knowledge and that a different result is obtained from cultural nescience that’s ignorance. In the purport Srila Prabhupada writes: In a modern society even a boy thinks himself self sufficient and pays no respect to elderly men. Due to wrong type of education being imparted in our universities boys all over the world are giving their elders headaches. Elders are getting headaches from the boys and girls also its not mentioned here. They give headaches to their elders so you understand what is expected from you. These are mundane universities and modern society and they what they cultivate is ignorance (avidya).
‘anyad ahur avidyaya’ – cultivation of vidya is one and cultivation of avidya is yet another one.
So what you had been cultivating is? Vidya not only vidya but Rajvidya: the king of knowledge.

“raja-vidya raja-guhyam pavitram idam uttamam” (Bg. 9.2)

Uttam-‘tam’ means ignorance, utt – means above, beyond, at the top. Uttam: beyond ignorance that’s uttam. No tinge of ignorance means full of knowledge. In other words, uttam means full of knowledge which is devoid of ‘tam’-devoid of ignorance. So, you had been cultivating not just vidya but raja-vidhya. So, those who cultivate avidya, they give headache, those who cultivate vidya they should be giving what? Some soothing bam, some relief to the elders or other vaishnavas some of them also for sure are going to be senior to you.
So, what should be your attitude?

What you should be thinking now with all this vidya in your head?
What you should be thinking of others?
How it should be dealing with others?
Your relationship with others?

Oh!! You have answer, okay! What kind of help you would render? “SERVICE”, don’t give headache at the head but at the feet (laughter) serve them.
What is the outcome of vidya? Knowledge you cultivate what does that do?
Humility, very good!! Amongst other things what you achieve is the humility. If you want to take note there is a statement in that shastras that says
“vidya dadati vinayam”
Probably you have heard this, Vidya –that’s vidya, dadati -that gives, vinayam- that is humility. Vidya gives humility, it also says

“vidya vinayen shobhate”

Shobha means beauty, one becomes beautiful his beauty is enhanced, as he cultivates vidya and then he is full of humility. That humility is the beauty of the person, he looks beautiful. “vidya vinayen shobhate” you learn vidya -Bhakti Shastri and you study this shastra that shastra you become humble. And that’s the decoration that’s alankar, sadhu bhusan- sadhu abhushan, “sadhavah sadhu bhusanam”.
“titiksavah karunikah suhridah sarva-dehinam
ajata-shatravah shantah sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah” [SB 3.25.21]
Titiksavah, karunikah, ajata-shatravah, shantah sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah- ornaments. So humility is one such ornament. So this is what one should be going back with, returning to your respective temples or homes, towns, countries. What is a reward, award, ‘You Have Become Humble’ -Humility.

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said:
“trnad api su-nicena taror iva sahisnuna
amanina mana-dena kirtaniyah sada harih” (Sri Siksastakam-verse3)

Even this is also result of cultivation of knowledge, vidya, titiksavah- becoming tolerant and “trinad api sunicena”- humble, “amanina mana-dena”- you are ready to give all respect to others and how much respect for yourself? Some give and take should be there (laughter). But Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says only give. Normal policy is taking only, normally you like to take everything, take respect, not give anything in return. But Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says don’t expect anything in return- just give- keep giving.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has himself given commentary on Sri Siksastakam at the end of Chaitanya Caritaramrita last chapter called Siksastakam. And in association of Ramananda Raya and Svarupa Damodar like Personalities, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu- He says one Siksastakam one verse and he talks just brief few comments. So comments to this “trinad api verse” Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says

“uttama hana vaisnava habe nirabhimana
jive sammana dibe jani’ ‘krsna’-adhisthana.”

That person becomes nirabhimani, abhiman is pride, nir – no, becomes pride less- not puffed up. There is the puffed rice and then there is another kind of rice is chipped rice (laughter). Nirabhiman, “jive sammana dibe” and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says person gives sammana to other jivas, other entities why? He is giving reason why! Says “jani krsna adhisthana”. Knowing that the other souls they are situated in Krishna or other souls are Krishna’s souls, they are Krishna’s, Krishna’s people, they were just separate, they had nothing to do with God or Krishna then you may punch their noses. But knowing that they are Krishna’s people, Krishna’s devotees, they are situated in Krishna, grounded in Krishna, sitting next to Krishna, knowing this person always respects others, that’s Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s reason.

So this is part of the knowledge so not only knowing Krishna, but
“vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo” (B.G 15.15)

Vidya, Vedyah and Vidavan- three factors, vidya is knowledge, vedyah is object of knowledge and vidavan is one who knows, one who has cultivated the knowledge is vidavan. So by now it is expected that you are all vidavan. Vidavan – Vidya has gone in you, now you possess vidya, vidavan like Bhagavan and this van and that van and Jnanavan . You are full of vidya, so you are vidavan. So Krishna says with vidya one understands me.
“aham eva vedyo”- I am to be known, so knowing Lord is then complete when we also understand energies of the Lord “vividhaiva shruyate”. Vividhaiva- Lord is full of potencies. He is potent with potencies; He is Shaktiman because He has lots of shaktis. And to know His shaktis -His energy is part of knowing Lord. So, living entities is shakti of the Lord ‘tatastha shakti’ of the Lord. And that shakti is very dear to the Lord. We have to know this, not we know only that

“mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutah sanatanah
manah-sasthanindriyani prakrti-sthani karsati” (BG 15.7)

Knowing verse sitting right in your kantha called kanthasta, where are the verses in kantha- kanthasta- well versed. They are sitting in your kantha ready to go but they need to be brought from kantha to the heart –‘hridayastha’ from kanthasta to hridayastha.

From the heart then ‘hridayangam’ – then assimilation, not just accumulation information accumulation but that information assimilation so that there is a transformation. So why should we respect that living entity we are surrounded by living entities all around? That also we have to find out when as one studies shastras and becomes vidavan by studying vidya -rajavidhya then this is part of the knowledge.

Knowing Lord and knowing Lord’s energies knowing Lord’s souls -anshas. Lord is anshi and living entities are ansha. Anshi is full ‘purnam’ and that purna Lord has anshas- parts and parcels. But they are His parts and parcels and they are very very dear to Him, they are very dear to Him. So, they are to be respected.

“aham eva vedyo” I am to be known, this has to be expanded. I am to be known, that I Krishna includes His shaktis, His energies, especially energy that is to be focused is his living entities, His parts and parcels we should take note of this. They exist and they are not just piece of dirt that you could just kick and push and pull and they are His and they are very dear to Him.

“sadhavo hrdayam mahyam” sadhus are in my heart , I am in their heart, they are in my. So, I think we are going to be making more general presentation of this “attitude towards Vaishnavas”. There are 5 different parties mentioned here.
1. Towards senior devotees in the temple.
2. Discuss appropriate attitude towards vaishanavs outside ISKCON.
3. Viewing Vaishnavas who have fallen down.
They are all living entities, they are in different categories, in different situations, different body, different country, different institutions and very different sampradayas, even different age groups and genders could be different but they are all living entities and attitude towards them.
So fallen ones and again return to practice of devotional service and then with reference to (Bhagavad Gita 9.30) “api cet su-duracaro”.
4. Importance of maintaining proper attitude towards Vaishnavas in regards to future development of ISKCON and their own spiritual life.

So like that there are different angles, perspectives thrown in here. So they are all living entities and they are living and they are Krishna’s entities. Krishna’s parts and parcels that makes them very special so they are to be respected, honoured. And this is expected from person in knowledge, one who has cultivated knowledge.
Krishna is talking of “panditah sama darsinah” (BG 5.18) what is pandit? Pandit is one who is in knowledge. In Vrindavan they call them Pandas, Vrindavan pandas, they are suppose to be Pandits means knowledgeable. Hence they could guide you also, take you on a tour of Vrindavan. They know Vrindavan, they know Krishna. They are dhama gurus.
So, “panditah sama darsinah” So, what is a qualification of that Pandit? that Krishna describes as:
“vidya vinaya- sampanne brahmane” (BG 5.18)

Infact to call someone a pandit or Brahman or vidavan, “ vidhya vinaya sampanne”.
Sampanna means equipped, not only he has vidya but he also has vinaya.
“Vidya vinaya sampanne”

We are troubled with the conditioning, we are conditioned souls, we are trying to get out of that conditioning but conditioned person, as soon as he gets something, gains something, possesses something, immediately that’s the trouble part. Even if it is vidya immediately we become proud of. Even popper is proud of, he has just few pennies but he becomes proud of pennies. From penniless to few pennies he becomes proud. You acquire knowledge, you have some beauty and you have some high percentage and what else, shruti, shreya, aishwarya, janma. These are the causes also that Kunti Maharani is talking, immediately one becomes attached and proud and he wants to displays his janma and his beauty and his education part, Bhakti shastri degree. Yes! This is challenge, how to acquire knowledge and not to feel we have it or infact this knowledge will do its part, if it is cultivated properly knowledge will reward person with humility.

“Vidya vinaya sampanne”

Then brahmane, then he is looking at Brahman, he is looking at cow, is looking at chandal “sva-pake ca” (BG 5.18) dog-eater and he is looking at elephant, he is looking at dog also. He is looking it at all these parties ‘brahmane’ looking at brahman, gavi -at the cow, hasti -the elephant, sva-pake – dog-eater. So what is equal in all these entities? He is looking at all these entities, parties, personalities as soul, it’s tougher to look at the dog and look at soul in him offer your respect to him.

There was a saint in Italy Saint Francis, he would address all the entities as own brothers and sisters. Non human and all other entities, he had genuine respect. He was kind of “panditah sama darsinah”. He is seeing all the creatures, all the entities as parts and parcels and brothers. So God brother they are also our God-brothers and God-sisters in other bodies in cat body and mosquitoes comes to you, must take him as mosquito brother, then rat brother, snake brother.

Some experience they talk because you have hatred towards others or even animals like the serpents they’ll attack you violently, but your attitude towards them is not of hate then they’ll also be very friendly. Children may be playing with them, as soon as you kill your attitude even animals, they change their attitude and they don’t act like, they don’t exhibit their normal animalistic attitude. They’ll change their attitude because your attitude is different, towards them.

So, fallen down vaishnava, now he has returned to the devotional practice what should be the attitude, how should you be dealing with that person, compassion. Any other suggestion? Compassion, to be fallen nothing special to be fallen, its common (laughter). Not to be surprised but the difference is from fallen he is trying to rise; he had gone higher at some levels but then some setbacks. So they are different from the common fallen, something different, something to his credit, he made attempt to rise, go against his so called fallen nature, he lifted himself or

“Brahmanda brahmite kona bhagyavan jiva” (CC Madhya Lila, 19.151)

Must be very fortunate soul came in contact “Guru-krishna- prasade paya” . Maya is very strong, is that part of the knowledge also? Krishna consciousness person knows that maya is very strong. Don’t take it lightly, Srila Prabhupada used to say: “trouble with my disciples is they are not afraid of Maya (laughter). They are not afraid of Maya, one should be, She’s so strong- “mama maya durattaya” because it’s Krishna’s Maya. And Krishna is strong, so Krishna’s Maya also has to be strong. If it is not strong Maya, then it cannot be Krishna’s Maya. So knowing this also, Maya is strong,

“api cet su-duracaro”- So this is Krishna’s stand, even if one commits most abominable action, engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated in his determination.

“ksripram bhavati dharmatma” (BG 9.31)

And Lord addresses him as Dharmatma, that person is Dharmatma, so we cannot call him duratma. Lord is calling him Dharmatma, who are we to take different step. So just understand that, Lord is educating us infact, in this regard how to deal with those fallen.

“kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati”

And Lord even is declaring that my devotee never perishes. So Lord is also addressing that person as a devotee “My Devotee”

“svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat” (BG 2.40)

‘svalpam api’ – little progress, so now he has nothing to fear, ‘trayate mahato bhayat’ means no more going down to the lower species, you’ll be protected. During Srila Prabhupada’s days, you know some of our God Brothers, God Sisters in those days; we would call them blooping, bloop — when you throw little rock in the lake how does it sound? Bloop !! We throw little rock, we listen: Bloop! So this world is like a big ocean and them someone becoming “punar mushika bhava” becoming mouse again. He blooped, she blooped, so of course we were concerned and we would approach. I was there at least on one occasion and some devotees, oh! That prabhu, that mataji, have you know blooped left.

So Prabhupada, his response was they would they would come back he would be very much concerned, blooped but they will come back in this life or the next, but they’ll come back because
“na me bhaktah pranasyati” (BG 9.31)
Its guarantee that Lord has given and I was just looking at Sridhar Swami commentary on this
“na me bhaktah pranasyati” Bhagavad Gita commentary he says
“Kutarka karksha vadinah na etad manneran”
By hearing what Lord just said,
“api cet su-duracharo” (BG 9.30)
“ksripram bhavati dharmatma” (BG 9.31)
But those who want to argue or those who are faithless they may not accept this. My dear Lord then what you have to say

“iti shanka vyakula cittam arjunam prosayate”

This has not appeared in the dialogue but it is like reading in between lines and then the commentaries they are. So Arjuna, what you just said some people may not accept this. They may argue against this. “vyakula ciittam” Arjuna’s, mind is vyakula and his influence affected by this. He is thinking, oh everyone may not accept this. He is fallen and then still he is accepted to be as Dharmatman. So then Lord says this is not in Bhagavad Gita, but commentary: hey kaunteya! “Oh Arjuna !” This Krishna says

“atah kahaladi maha goshapurvakam vivadha mananam sabham gatva”

You go to such assembly where the all critics and all envious all these people they are not accepting this statement of mine. You go their
“gatva bahum utiksha”- you raise your arm and you aim and nishankam; without any doubt, “pratijanihi pratigyam kurum”, on my behalf take a vow. You boldly declare Krishna says. You go when all such people out there in big number, they have assembled you go and declare. Oh ! okay, I’ll go. What should I say?, Krishna! What should I say? So then Lord says, you say this:

“parmeshwarasha bhaktah”- My Bhakta, my devotee, “su- duracharo api na pranashyati”.

I just said, you repeat. You go there, you raise your hands and then you shut them up. And you say what I said this is the truth. You just say it out Loud! And make it clear and boldly declare that

“su-durachara api na pranashyati
apitu kritartaha eva bhavati”

On the contrary, kritartaha- they attain perfection and they never perish. They survive and they revive, they thrive, you say this on my behalf to this is. So knowing that much we could treat that person accordingly. So is it compassion
But those devotees as they return, they don’t have to go through a new Bhakta training. In few days, few weeks, they are, they could even give a Bhagvatam class. Their previous experiences all are revived, manifested and you could be even friendly with them. Compassion is for; compassion is for whom? Who do we exhibit our compassion towards? Some juniors so, some innocents, they may quickly become senior to you because they were 10 years practising Krishna consciousness, you have practiced only 3 years. When they come back everything is normal, back to normal, back on track, all surviving and reviving and thriving has happened. Then they are way ahead of you also. You are only 3 years but they are 10 years and 3 months of practice in ISKCON.

“isvare tad-adhinesu balisesu dvisatsu ca
prema-maitri-krpopeksa yah karoti sa madhyamah”

Total 4 categories and we deal with them differently.
First part is Isvar himself, the Lord Himself.
Second part is tad-adhinesu: those who are subordinate surrendered unto Him and they are practicing, they are in good standing.
Third party -balisesu, just now coming. “adau sraddha” they are innocent third party.
Fourth part is dvisatsu- they are envious towards santas – the sadhus, means atheists or demoniac. So that’s the fourth category.

So, what do we do with each one of them? The shashtra say: “prema, maitri, kripa, upeksha.” You give your prema, give your love to Ishwar, those are 4 categories and now 4 things you could do. So you have to match – prema, maitri, kripa, upeksha. Prema : Ishwar gets prema, you love the Lord. Tadadhinesu- the devotees they get your maitri, your friendship. And a friend in need is friend indeed. To render your help, assistance
Then Balisesu those are innocent they get kripa, they deserve kripa, your compassion, your kindness, consideration and dvisatsu, those who are anti-devotees, you could maintain safer distance from them. Offer obeisance from a distance or just stay away upeksha. So this is shastra chakshusha also. Now your knowledge of the shastras, so you look at the world around you.

When you look at anything and everything and immediately get your chasma (laughter) get your Shastra chakshu together and do then do the evaluation, then do the calculation and conclusion with the help of the knowledge of the shashtras. Not just your mind ‘sankalpa vikalpa’- acceptance rejection. Just because you feel good then you accept and then you reject, no use of shastras, use of intelligence, sharpening your tools. With the help of the shastras, studying of the shastras. Your tools are sharpened and then use the tools, evaluating not just mind but with the use of intelligence.

“dadami buddhi yogam”

Lord gives intelligence, so these intelligent statements, is wisdom in the form of this Bhakti Sastras that Lord has shared. This is Lord giving us wisdom, giving us intelligence and then you don’t just reject or accept on sense level or mind level but you use your intelligence.
If you are given medicine, lot of time, they are bitter. Your first reaction would be you would like to do what? Spit it! This is at the mind’s level you would be spitting but if you think; use your intelligence then knowing that this is good for your body or your health. So, something’s at the mind’s level you are ready to reject. Wait a minute! Then intelligence comes on the scene and you understand what is this? It might be bitter but is this useful. All that glitters is (audience: not gold) not gold. So you know glittered that doesn’t mean I should go for it, you think.

Again part of “yah pashyati sah panditah”. One who sees, we were just talking about shastra chakshushas (eyes). With the help of shastras “shastra chakshusha” more you use, you hear this shastras, study shastras. One devotee I don’t remember who that one was, but I heard this long time. He said then the knowledge takes the front seat. Knowledge comes in the fore front. All that he had been reading, studying, it is on your mind. If you are not studied of course and you have not read and then you forgot, then ignored and then knowledge takes back seat, maybe in the brain there is some place where they are stored in and you can’t find it, it’s just thrown in the pile. So as one studies and then contemplated and applies that knowledge and that knowledge stays fresh and then his shastra chakshusha is always with the help shastras, authority sadhu shastra archaryas. He is looking at the world, looking at the persons, different parties, and then accordingly takes decision or stand.

There are lot of attitude problem in devotees, so we need to work on this attitude. This is also relationship. Okay let’s use a word “sambandha” – very first thing is sambandha you come in contact, you have some relationship “sambhand” then comes “abhidheya” then comes “prayojan”. The first thing is “sambhand” -the relationship. If the relationship is not right, with a right attitude, right understanding, relationship is not right. Then nothing is going to go right. So this sambhand, this attitude, the relationship with the Lord, with the Lord’s world -this is Lord’s creation.

“isavasyam idam sarvam yat kinca jagatyam jagat
tena tyaktena bhunjitha ma gradhah kasya svid dhanam” (Sri Isopanishad 1)

Immediately you are given a tool, how to deal with this world. First of all, this world belongs to isavasyam. This is Lord’s world and now you are not the only one in the world, there are others, you are not the only son like a Jesus. They say Jesus was only son, I think he is a good son, He is a one good son but we know there are many sons. Unlimited! If God is unlimited He must have unlimited sons. So that God’s property, this world is God’s property. This has to be shared amongst His children.
‘Tena tyaktena bhunjitah’- There is a quota for you. The rest of the property, Hands off! Don’t Touch! It’s meant for other or somehow if it lands in your hands, then you shares that with others, give it in charities. Knowing that it belongs to the Lord and it is meant for other children of God. So this how you know how to deal with this world, how to relate with this world. What to do with this world? Whose world is it? How much do you really need and just keep that much and be happy with it.

“yadrccha-labha-santusto dvandvatito vimatsarah” (BG.4.22)

Lord says: My devotees whatever comes to their way they are satisfied with that much and as a result, they transcend this dvandva –this duality and they remain non-envious. They become free from envy. So philosophically we know we are envious, living entities envious of the Lord and living entities is envious of other living entities. So not only we have to become free from envy, I don’t want to be envious of the Lord, but then we make other living entities as a target and lots of envy towards them, but then Lord is not happy with that. Lord is not happy with that. So “yah pasyati sah pandita”.

So pandit is that person

“matrvat para-daresu para-dravyesu lostravat
atmavat sarva-bhutesu yah pasyati sa pandita”
Again Pandit, person who is vidhavan, knowledgeable, he has done Bhakti Shastri going for Bhakti Vaibhav and this and that. This is expected from him that “atmavatsa sarvabhuteshu” how does he deal with others. Atmavat- the way one deals with himself or herself, sarvabhuteshu- he should deal with others likewise sensitive to their feelings, their needs, their interests and concerns, so lots of sentiments, sensitivities, intricacies knowing these things, so atmavatsa.

So, importance of maintaining proper attitude towards Vaishnavas in regards to future development of ISKCON and their own spiritual life. So for future development of ISKCON also if this is understanding ‘atmavat sarvabhuteshu’. This could take care of lot of things these few words but it’s a lifetime homework infact.
“atmavat sarva bhutesu”- You love others, serve others, the way you would like to be loved and served. Learned person does this.

“para-dravyesu lostravat” – Other’s wealth loshtavat its like kachra or it is dustbin, discarded you don’t touch; it’s others you don’t need security anymore. So 10% of the population in the world is of type, I am security man, I’m secured and security. There, but if you would do this ‘loshtavat praradraveshu’ you don’t need security. Security locking system, this and that and all the way. The cameras and CCTV. But instead you just do this “loshtravat para dravyesu”- other’s wealth, oh!! I won’t touch, it’s not mine.

Because people they are not knowledgeable, they are not pandits. So they want to grab everything. My property others property also my property, my father’s property also my property. And just I will not only work hard I am going to work smart and work on transferring other’s bank balances to my bank balance. We are going to be smart and get higher education, so that those who are less educated I am going to exploit them do pick pocketing in different ways. If I go with scissors, pick pocket I might be arrested, but I’ll use my intelligence. It’s a pick pocketing; I’ll do it in a different ways, in intelligent ways. I’ll become wealthy so that’s ignorance and cultivation of avidya.

On the contrary, “yah pasyati sah pandita”
One who knows this, others wealth I’ll not touch.
matrvat para-daresu – ‘matrivat’- The woman or other’s wives are like my mothers. Easier said than done, but this has to be done there is no way out. So for senses or mind, it may be pleasing but use of intelligence now,
matrvat para-daresu , my attitude is matrvat that is my mother. So towards the future development of ISKCON, I think this principle, this knowledge, this cultivation of knowledge is of immense benefit.

Specially raising ourselves from kanistha adhikari level to madhyam adhikar. Atleast Prabhupada said atleast come to the madhyam adhikar. Our movement will only survive and spread if we did that, if we remain just kanistha adhikaris only loving Radha Madhava the best deity worship in the world. That’s fine but infact we also have to worship devotees, how to worship devotees, serve devotees not just lip service. Serve Lord and serve devotees of the Lord. Serve devotees of Krishna Consciousness movement, serve them and worship them. Prabhupada said cooperate with each other, so that his society is protected after he is gone. So that protection will come from our knowledgeable action. Action equipped with knowledge, Yogasthah in the verse of Sri Krishna :

“yoga-sthah kuru karmani” (BG 2.48)

Prabhupada says that devotee by the way he deals or dealing with others, he does ‘dharma samsthapanarthaya’- he establishes dharma by his dealing by his interactions. Of course standard reactions, standard relationships, standard attitude, standard sambandha with that devotee establishes dharma, establishes Krishna Consciousness, Krishna Consciousness movement, or principles of Krishna Consciousness or established by his, his dealings, his Krishna Conscious dealings full of knowledge as advised in the shastras; Gita and Bhagavat and Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu, and Isopanishad, Updeshmarita.
One studies and then he is properly situated and that’s yogasthah. He has become yogi; he is situated in Yoga linked with the Lord properly. ‘Yogasthah’ then ‘kuru karmani’ then person is expected to act, a person is expected to deal, relate with the world, relate with other devotees, new devotees or senior devotees or fallen and then come back devotees or other institutions, other vaishnavas. For everything there is a standard.

So we are happy that you have been completing your study of the Bhakti Shashtras. Now there is jnana part and then comes vijnana the application. So I think application this is what, what is being talked now, then you’ll be walking out of door and then you have to deal with others, they haven’t done their Bhakti Shastri, in your temples wherever you come from and then you meet this situation, that situation, this devotee that devotee, someone superior, someone equal, someone junior, someone critical and then what you are suppose to be doing in each one of those situations. Get ready, are you ready? Haribol……..

Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur avirbhava tithi mohotsava ki…… JAIII!!!!!
Nitai Gaur Prema Nande!!

Date : 19th October 2015
Venue : Govardhan Eco-village, Wada

Forest Govardhan Eco-village and you are going to be making plans or strategies, working out strategies of how to distribute books, of Srila Prabhupada ki….. jai!!

So that got me interested and I dropped in (laughter) I don’t know how I fit in here. We all fit in here, this is a sankirtan moment and book distribution is sankirtan. It’s not only kirtan but it is sankirtan, “samyaprakarena kirtan” wholesome kirtan. And there are all the glories in the books of Srila Prabhupada’s books -Bhagvad-Gita as it is and Bhagvatam as it is. So all are glories of Shri Krishna or glories of the Holy Name.

“nama-sankirtanam yasya sarva-papa pranashanam” (12.13.23)

This is how Bhagavatam ends, “nama-sankirtanam yasya, sarva -papa pranashanam”

So conclusion is, the kirtan and these books of Srila Prabhupada are sankirtan or we could also say Sankirtan that came from lotus mouth of Srila Prabhupada, his realizations. He poured his heart into those dictaphone machines all night long or starting from somewhere in middle of the night as we all slept. Prabhupada would get up and speak his realizations into the Dictaphone machine and then some disciple would transcribe and then some editing and layout and here is a heart of the press, the book. So and then someone opens the book and reads the book what is he hearing? The kirtan performed by Srila Prabhupada. So the books are packed with kirtan, so distribution of those books of Srila Prabhupada is kirtan, is sankirtan. This world is in very bad need of is these books.

“Kaloh Nasht Drasham aisham” okay prior to that Shyam tyaktva swapanam gatha Lord departed for his own planet, taddinat – from that day the kali advented then what happened? Kaloh Nasht Drasham aisham people lost the eye-sight, just during flood-day light and they have eyes but they do not see like, they have become blind, okay then we could also say they have become krodha andha, krodh-andha, krodha is making them andha or lobhandha and kamandha and madandha and what not andha. All these things are making them andha- blind. Then Lord, out of his causeless mercy, adhuna means now or then, when kali advented then “Puran ark udita” Lord appeared in the form of Bhagavatam, brilliant as sun. Lord appeared in the form of Bhagavatam. Idam- means this, idam bhagavatam nama puranam brahma-sammitam. This is called “idam bhagavata? nama” this is called Bhagavatam and this is Brahma samhitam, Srila Prabhupada translates Brahama samhitam as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This Bhagavatam is Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Just few days ago, I was just looking at the dictionary meaning of samhitam, what is this samhitam? And the dictionary meaning is, is equal to, as good as or it has same value as what? Brahma samhitam, the Brahma, Parabrahma and then, there is Bhagavatam, Bhagavatam is same as Krishna; it has same value as Krishna, same value. It represents Brahma, so Brahma samhitam.

So when we, distribute Gita or Bhagavatam and then Nectar of Devotion, this is all Brahma samhitam and these are glories of the Lord. Certainly they are the glories of the holy name, all over

“adav ante ca madhye ca harih sarvatra giyate”

Hari has been chanted, has been glorified in the beginning of Srila Prabhupada’s books, you could say in the middle end everywhere “harih sarvatra giyate”. So people of this age of kali, I mean we were one time very much in the middle of the age of kali and I am sure from wherever we were Maharashtra, Gujarat or wherever we were born, from there we have come here, today Govardhan Ecovillage. Do you think Srila Prabhupada’s books made the difference or Srila Prabhupada’s books they have brought you all the way to this point, yes-no? How many of you would say so? Everybody, Haribol !!!

Then, now we have become, you have become sadhus “sadhava sadhu-bhushana” these are your ornaments, titiksavah karunikah, the tolerance and compassion. So someone was compassionate and he gave you Krishna, in the form of Srila Prabhupada’s books gave you this knowledge opened your eyes. You were blind, right? And then “caksur unmilitam” someone did the operation, someone gave the book and immediately, as soon as he had the books then he had the glasses sastra-caksusa hey !! Now I could see, I could see! So someone kindly guided you, gave you book then you read or others explained those further explained those books or points.

So I think it is our turn, it’s your turn now, to be kind to our brothers or fellow human beings and give them helping hand, give them knowledge, give them knowledge packed poured into those books in the form of word-meanings and translations and purports. Give those books out and yeah this will be very pleasing to Srila Prabhupada and then

“yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado”

And Lord also has said that towards the end of Bhagvad Gita, He says, what is that? No one is dear to me as dear as he or she, who shares this samvadam, this conversation between Krishna and Arjuna. This conversation which is very confidential, beneficial and that person becomes very-very dear. Of course.Lord is pleased with them and they are very dear to him. So this knowledge distribution, book distribution is not a business or sometimes it is also said if there is any business authorized, transcendental business that gaudiya vaishnavas do that is book distribution. All Acaryas,

“nana-sastra-vicarannaika-nipunnau sad-dharma-samsthapakau nana-sastra-vicar”

Big pile of scriptures in the middle and Goswamis are sitting around and they are doing nana sastra vichar and they are writing, they are contemplating, they are sharing and then those three Prabhus were the first, travelling sankirtan book distribution party from Vrindavan, the grantha-mandir, eventually these books were piled in a cart and Narottam das Thakur, Shyamananda and Srinivas Acharya, 500 years old, original Sankirtan party, transporting books.
And I think we also, did some, atleast Prabhupada sent us from Vrindavan to Mayapur in 1976. He also asked us to start a bullock-cart sankirtan party. And Srila Prabhupada, he did even inauguration of that Bullock cart Sankirtan Party. And what were we doing, we were distributing, those days we would not have so… many-many books as we have them now or English books they were getting printed but certainly we did not have them in vernacular language. Prabhupada used this word, he wrote me a letter. So travelling and travelling anyways, our party has reached Kanpur, our destination was Mayapur. So there I wrote to Prabhupada that our Party needs, we could use some financial assistance and Prabhupada sent me a reply. And he said, “Outside help is no good” (Guru maharaj laughing). And, he said “you should distribute books in vernacular language and raise your funds and that way manage”.
And Prabhupada enclosed Sankirtan newsletters, says “your god brothers from the west look at the scores, they are distributing books and this is how they are also maintaining our institution, you do the same with the Bullock-cart Sankirtan”.

So that was a big challenge it took quite some time but eventually our padayatra Sankirtan book distribution party also not only they, So, okay on the way, there were bullock-carts, it’s not a carts, it’s a chariot, it’s a ratha pulled by the bulls and there is a kirtan in the front, it’s amplification and the deities are in the chariot. Prabhupada is seating on the front and there is a driver and I was just there last week in the Trupati ratha, I also drove.

And as people hear kirtan even bulls unless we do kirtan the bulls are not very enthusiastic to pull the cart (laughter). And as the kirtan is heard by all people, passersby or those who are in the field or wherever they are, immediately that gets the attention and then they look and something is moving on the road and they, they come running, they come running and ones they are there, there is darshan, there is a charanamrita and we distribute books. I just did that, few days ago and then we made all those who had bought the books and there were lot of people, so many on my right side, so many on my left side and we took a photograph and they were very happy, carrying books.

Then also the bullock cart sankirtan party in 1976, we had a much simpler set up but even then as we entered the village, we would have a group of brahmacharis, they would perform kirtan in the front of the cart and other few this side, few other side going from house to house and would cover the whole village. Kirtan is on and of course we would also do bhiksham dehi, bhiksham dehi…we would have been also begging for alms or whatever they could give atta or potatoes or yeah chilli for you and collecting grains and vegetables and distributing books also along with the kirtan party.

Later on in 77, the BBT travelling sankirtan party, Gopal Krishna Maharaj, while my bullock cart sankirtan party was on the road, then I also was asked to while overseeing the bullock cart sankirtan party I would also be travelling for the BBT vehicle sankirtan party distribute books and from time to time see how the bullock cart is running or walking as this was, Prabhupada had approved that. Prabhupada had approved, I do the bullock cart sankirtan and then Gopal Krishna Maharaj’s intervention he also wanted me to do the BBT travelling sankirtan party so when we had a van and we had installed the speakers on the top of the van and sound system and we would go to towns and villages. We would start from one end of the town, we would put on Prabhupada’s kirtans out loud and brahmachari’s with the book bags, door to door, shop to shop and kirtan then I would get on the mike and also make announcement encouraging “the book distributors are coming and we are from here and please they have gift for you, book for you, Gita for you, go for it and this and that”.

And those were the days, Bhagvad Gita “daha rupeya madhe Bhagvat Gita” (Marathi). Same Bhagvad Gita, we have distributed in 10 rupees. Aamogh-lila you remember Amogh-lila? Once, he travelled from I think Pune or Mumbai to Pandarpur, Akshaynanda swami also and he was distributing books. “ghyah-bagha daha rupai fakta daha rupai fakt daha rupai” (Marathi). So we would announce, I would announce and distributors would distribute books, again the kirtan on. So that was nice mostly that was a formula that we would apply wherever we went.

Put on the kirtan and along with a vehicle kirtan parties the book distributors would move and they would give all the encouragement. Hye!! look, look our vehicle is here, our party or we are here and as devotees heard they are inspired, they were getting, all the strength from the sound vibration of “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare” .

And so big support for those books distributors, they are not by themselves and you know, there is no one around me just me and only me, it’s me to face the maya, all the forces by yourself. This is also not advisable, Prabhupada always sent us in pairs even for life membership program in Mumbai that we would be doing and we always went in pairs. That gives you strength, so having a party, what to speak of having a bigger party and then, what to speak of having a kirtan on loudspeaker and when all the books are sold out you come back and fill up your bags again and then go out and as it’s to be a transcendental fun, and then move to the next town to the next town and to the next town.

And so last time that our party had travelled to and by that time we had a name for our party called Narada muni travelling sankirtan party. We started with BBT but then we gave a name because we were travelling so extensively like Narada muni would move, swiftly. So it was month of November 77. That reminds you of something? Yeah, so we were on the road and we had gone to Himalayan Mountains and Badrikashram for long time we had no news of Srila Prabhupada’s health and those days no mobiles or no SMS and ohh what not? Even telephone forget it even calling from Delhi to Vrindavan, not so easy but we were at Himalayas .

So we finally decided to return to, to climb down and return to Vrindavan . And as soon as we arrived in that Krishna-Balarama temple we went straight to Srila Prabhupada’s quarter and we requested secretary that we are allowed to have darshan of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Prabhupada kindly allowed. And our whole Narada Muni travelling Sankirtan Party, brahmacharis mostly, we were all brahmacharis, I was only sanyasi, I had taken sanyasa.
So Prabhupada on the bed, lying for months he was in the bed only. Only occasionally they would make him sit for some feeding, some drinking or just for a change, otherwise mostly lying down. So as we sat around Srila Prabhupada in that such a state and as he knew that we have just returned from a traveling sankirtan, those days traveling sankirtan means book distribution, Book distribution party is here.

And immediately Prabhupada opens a dialogue. And this is just may be 5-6 days prior to Prabhupada’s departure on 14th of November he departed and we are talking about 5-6 days prior. So immediately Prabhupada is enquiring, ohh!! which book is selling the most? And which books are we carrying selling? The whole dialogue, this is how books were on in his heart or on his mind and books….books….that’s why distribute books, distribute books, distribute books . And I will never die so far the books are being distributed that makes me, gives me life or I feel young. And otherwise also, secretary always used to tell us, there is a pile of mail that Prabhupada would receive and the first mail that he would be interested about reports of the book distribution. Those mails are first reported to Srila Prabhupada.

So with us also I personally experienced that how dear it was to his heart this book distribution. I had also humorously mentioned to Srila Prabhupada same time that while we were at Badrikashram “Srila Prabhupada, we showed your Bhagvad Gita to Srila Vyasadeva” I said. Because while at Badrikashram, we had visited the cave of Srila Vyasadeva’s cave. There is a Ganesha Gufa not far away from there. So because we were carrying Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagvad- Gita, so I thought, he resides there. We did not see him but for sure he saw us and sure he also saw Prabhupada’s Bhagvad- Gita. So I threw that humorous statement. We showed your Bhagvad-Gita to Srila Vyasadeva, Prabhupada. Prabhupada was happy to hear. So, the very first conversation of we talk more, but it began with the book distribution and which books, and which books is selling the most and these enquiries.

So, it’s important that you, you the second generation, and also third generation, I see some more new bodies, some older and some older sons and some have departed also. That we know how our founder Acarya His divine grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabupada , what value what importance he gave to this book distribution activity and of course, he was instructed to do so, not whimsically, he had this idea of. If you ever get money what you do with that money? Print books. So this was Swami Bhaktishiddhant Saraswati Thakura’s instruction.
And finally there was money and then there were books and he did not want them to be just printed and stored and take a photograph, looks nice, good stock. Fill in the stores, print out and pack the godowns and the other part is emptying the godowns, distributing books. So, yeah also, of course read books, read books of Srila Prabhupada more you read, you will realize the mahima, the mahatmya, the greatness of those books and you could be more convinced. This book is the most valuable thing in the world I want to give this to others share this gift. And this is kari kar para upakar giving others, giving Srila Prabhupada’s books to as many people as possible; there is the demand all over. There is a big demand everywhere.

I was just in China two months ago and we had opportunity to distribute Prabhupada’s Chinese Bhagvat Gita as it is (everybody clapped and said Haribol) and we ended up with distributing 1200 Bhagvad Gitas in 10 days (Haribol). And that was nice and that also was kirtan and book distribution or program was mostly kirtan little talk. Mostly kirtan and then those who were coming for kirtan party and they had to pay entrance fees which included the cost of the book. They were giving books free but that was part of the entrance fees. So we were doing kirtan, chanting and distributing books at the same time.

Srila Prabhupada ki… Jai!!
Srila Prabhupada transcendental book distribution ki…… jai!!
Nitai Gaur Premanande Hari Haribol!!

Hare Krishna, quite a good gathering here like Naimisharanya. I am seeing ocean of devotees here, I am floating in the middle of the devotees, souls all over I won’t call them bodies, all devotees all over.

Radha Vrindavan Chandra ki….Jai

My family was sad when I became bramachari, they used to make remark saying “he was a good boy now he has gone mad”. When my friend’s used to play cards I used to chant, then my sister used to cry saying why my brother has become mad? Why he is not playing like others? Then things changed for betterment. My parents used to think I will become a modern man and I would come on motor bike and one day I arrived with bullock and padayatra and all their dreams were scattered.

By now all my three brothers and friends and villagers are getting ready to go back to God head. That was the theme I was going to speak today as its Sunday, I don’t have slok today. Prabhupada wrote 8000 letters, we not even write 8 letters. One letter was written on 21st Nov 1956 New Delhi to Rajendra Prasad our President that time. And wrote many letters to other politicians. One day Prabhupada was walking doing morning walk near India gate and one disciple said to him “Prabhupada you should be president of India”. And he said “I am not interested, rather I would like to become guru of president of India”.

Prabhupada is writing to president of India “I have realized thoroughly that going back to God head is the privilege for mankind. He thought president would do some arrangement. The aim of life should be to make sincere efforts to go back to Godhead. Go back to God and He is calling, going back to Godhead is going back to Krsna- Rama. But human beings should make sincere efforts to back to God head but on the contrary the tendency is to go back to hell. They are sincerely preparing to go to hell. Instead arrangements should be make to send them to Godhead.
Please note this, please therefore save the citizens of India from this great fall down to hell. Believe me or not but I have got the clue of going back to Godhead after leaving this body I will be going back to God head as I leave my present material body. In order to take all my contemporary men and women back to Godhead, I have started paper back to Godhead. Please don’t be amazed, what a wonderful thought this man has. Don’t think I am mad man, when I say I will go back to Godhead it’s quite possible for everyone and for all us. To teach us Prabhupada writes, it’s quite possible for everyone to go back. So everyone includes each one of us and all of us to go back to Godhead.

I attended the first Hare Krishna festival at Chowpatty beach. A function was held there and procession would go to cross maidan and they had advertised ‘European sadhus are in town”. I was amazed, American scientists are ok, but sadhus I was amazed. So it was catching attention so I went, I heard Prabhupada talking about going back to Godhead.

In the first meeting I was introduced to this idea of going back to Godhead. And he always talked about going back to Godhead. Politicians talk about, “chalo Delhi” you are from galli they take you to Delhi that’s all. When somebody dies they write svargavasi, who knows he is savrgavasi or narkavasi. I also have heard this prayer ‘Mora ei abhilsa” o! tulsidev america desi dibo vasa.
Braham linatva is also goal for some. But Prabhupada is a vaisnava he wants all of us to go back to Godhead to Krishna…”golok namni nija dhamani”.
Two types of kingdoms, material existence we are already here but we don’t belong to this world. This is a wrong place for us.

‘Krishna bhuliya jiva bhoga vancha kare
nikata aste maya taare jhapatiya dhare’

Bhoga vancha and immediately we are caught in that species and this species up and down and round and round. And then we become human being and that’s a privilege. If you know Krishna, you get to know everything about his kingdom and the suffering you go through “padam padam yat vipadam ne tesam” this is real, no exaggeration.

“punarapi jananam punarapi maranam punarapi jananii jathare shayanam
iha samsaare bahudustaare kripayaa apaare paahi muraare”

This is Sankaracharya he wrote this prayer, but “Mayavadam asatsastram” he messed with Mayavad also.
“I have gone through so much suffering so please Lord get me out of this”

Buddhadev also he wanted to have Bharat darshan, his father never wanted to let him go out he knew he will come across so many sufferings. No daddy I want to go, ok he saw a dead man, oh! What happen all are walking and one person is lying and all are carrying him? He is gone he is dead, Oh! Does everyone die? Ya!! You will also die for sure. Then he saw a man suffering from leprosy and pus oozing all over. Oh! Does everyone get sick? Will I also get sick? Yes of course you will have your turn and he saw a old man, does everyone become old? Yes and will I also become old? Yes of course. Siddhartha came back to palace and said I have seen much bring my chariot and I want to find solution to all these problems. And in middle of night he left the palace and young beautiful wife, he went to Gaya and became enlightened Buddha and that enlightenment was his way of getting solution.

Prabhupada knew who we are and where we have to finally go, Back to God head. Well I will go but I want to bring many men with me. So Prabhupada started in 1944 Back to Godhead magazine, he started many things, festivals, feasts, youth preaching. In jhasi there was advertisement in paper “youth wanted”, Prabhuapda said “I will train them to propagate Krishna consciousness all over, introduce dhama all over. So Prabhupada gave us dhama and festivals. Whole world is advertising- go to tajamahal, go to Hawaii and other places and they are trying to popularise those places and bring them to those places. But Krishna bhaktas they popularise dhama, vrindavan .Krishna is wonderful, his devotees are wonderful, sweets are wonderful. Everything is wonderful. So this wonderful Krishna, wonderful devotes of Krishna, wonderful dhama and its always welcoming us to return go back there . So one who is knowledgeable will go back to Godhead.

The scientist also are coming to this conclusion “if there is matter then there must antimatter also” so what’s that antimatter, that’s spirit soul. What matters is- we are sprit souls we are not matter. Those who come to this conclusion- the most confidential matter explained in Gita – “are you here Arjuna come here, come near, oh! Dear do not fear I am here”.

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

Prabhupada also said this when we went to see Prabhupada after are sanyasa ceremony, four of us sitting Prabhupada said ‘you just do these things – Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend. So Lord is swearing here “satyam te” we also promise but we don’t follow…”zhoot ke alava kucha nahi kahunga”
So Arjuna says -I will follow as you say, Krishna promises you will come to me “pratijane priyo si me”
Promise is a promise gentleman’s promise and why I m doing this because you are very dear to me O! Arjuna . Why does Krishna come to this world? To bring the forgotten souls back to Godhead.

“maya-mugdha jivera nahi svatah krishna-jnana
jivere kripaya kaila krishna veda-purana”

So that the souls return back to him, Krishna comes here. I am fine and the world is fine I am ok but Srila Prabhupada always emphasized on going back to Godhead. What’s the purpose behind all this – Krishna wants to go back to Godhead. One Mataji was saying “I am old maharaj I want to make sure that I will go back to God head” so she also had got clue.

It’s not that only Indians are allowed to go back to Godhead- no, all are allowed . There was a time when not even a single muslim, single christian, single hindu existed there was no discrimination there was only sanatana dharma. They were all souls this designations were not there. Kali is making this all very complex and entangling. So for all the souls globally Prabhupada made that arrangement that all go back. So Prabhupada went to New York in Jaladuta. So ISKCON is also boat collecting devotees and taking them back to Godhead. Once you see the beauty of Radha Vrindavan candra, you won’t go back …hye! Don’t go to keshi ghata and if you go don’t look at that blue boy and if you see that blue boy you will be mad man you will never come back…he was a good boy (laughter)

“Kamaladala jala jivan talamala” whole existence is like this hence the advice is “bhajahu hari-pada niti re” -be engaged in devotional service.

“samasrita ye pada-pallava-plavam mahat-padam pu?ya-yaso murare?
bhavambudhir vatsa-padam param padam padam padam yad vipadam na tesam”

The lotus feet of the Lord are like boat and If you board the boat the material ocean will become equal to hoof print of calf then its dam easy to cross over, this was said by Brahma Ji.

Lotus feet are boat you get into the boat and reach the shore of material existence and you reach Krishna’s kingdom. ISKCON temple is also boat – prasadam, kirtan, sravanam and Prabhupad is the captain of that boat, Prabhupada ki ..jai.

Foreign devotees sing with guitar “we are going back to Godhead join us Prabhupada is are captain” that was Prabhupada’ s mission ultimately Krishna’s mission -taking all back to God head. Seeing all of you I can say Prabhupada’s mission is getting accomplished. All our Aharyas are pleased seeing this and you are all linked to Paramapara family and there are 602 temples all over and then there are centres and Namahatas. So stepping In the ISKCON boat and going back to Godhead is pleasing to Prabhupada Krishna and for all of us. So all of you spread the words around- “youth wanted” – It’s not only for old ladies but it’s for all .As souls we are all young, Prabhupada said once in a lecture there is no question of young or old, we are same age. As soul there is no old or young it’s never too late, grab the opportunity.

I asked a man what’s your name? He said I am Mr karmarkar …kar …mar…kar, , kar ..mar then kar. So I thought we are all kar..mar..kar. Life is tough then you die then you again take birth, life is tough and then you die..kar…mar ..kar..We have to stop this kar…mar ..kar..business. So Krishna has made that arrangement and we are on our way, forget the rest it’s all illusion. The world has created this illusion. Stop all this get out, if someone says God is not there, I don’t have to go back to Godhead, God has created such philosophy. God created such illusion.

“avatirne guar chandre vistirne prema sagare
yena majyanti majyanti te maha anartha sagare”

Caitanya Mahaprabhu has expanded this Krsna prema. ISKCON is also doing the same thing and “Those who do not throw themselves in this prema sagar then they will drown in mahaanartha sagare. If you try to enjoy here you will end up in sufferings. There are two sagars – Prema Sagar and Mahaanartha sagar and those who are intelligent will always go for Gauranga….Gauranga ..Gauranga.

Venue: Vrindavana
Dated: 2008

We welcome all of you, Srila Pabhupada ki jai!!!

So English we’ll be speaking in English, Srila Prabhupada also did most of his talking in English. Occasionally he gave some Hindi classes. They are available, there are some CDs in which you will get Srila Prabhupada Hindi lectures; few dozens of them. English lectures, there are thousands of them, English classes. But there are may be 20- 30 Hindi classes. He gave some Bhagavat Gita classes, Rama katha, Mayapur but we spoke in English also with Prabhupada.

I really don’t know where to start, keeping in mind that we have only, not whole seven days. We’ll focus more and talk about Vrndavana. Srila Prabhupada in Vrndavana and it would be also more appropriate to talk about his pastimes towards end of his staying with us in his manifest lila, you could call it. And again first we’ll talk where I come in the picture. There was not I the only one in the picture. There were so many hundreds of them. It’s my memories time so in those memories are more fresh. They are my property. They are with me all the time, so I would like to share.

When Prabhupada came to Vrndavana in ’77. Last time he came to Vrndavana and then he stayed in Vrndavana, entered Krsna’s pastimes. I mean that coming to Vrndavana was in beginning of October and Prabhupada was not well. This was going on, in fact, the whole year 1977 Srila Prabhupada was not being well. Just quickly, briefly he came back from around the world tour. He landed in Bombay but immediately he was making plans to go to Kumbha Mela in January 1977. He travelled by train to Allahabad. We were there; hundreds of Prabhupda’s followers were there in Kumbha Mela. Prabhupada made his visit of Kumbha Mela a brief one. And then, he went to Kolkata and then on over to Bhubanesvar. He made a side trip to Jagannatha Puri, came back to Bhubanesvar and to Mayapur for Mayapur Festival. This was the first time he just gave few classes, no morning walks. This was different from previous years. Then Srila Prabhupada, he skipped Vrndavana, part of the festivals. He used to do Mayapur festivals, then Vrndavana festivals. These were two festivals he had been attending. This year he just did Mayapur festival and he went to Mumbai, then it was known as Bombay. He wanted to move into his new apartments as Hare Krsna Land was not ready.

Prabhupada insisted, “I will stay in my own quarters”. But they were not ready and Prabhupada stayed downtown and held public lectures series in Mumbai. This was the last public lectures series. Seven days in the evening was Krsna festivals. He spoke very strongly. Physically he was so unwell and we had to lift him and put him on the vyasasana. But once he had a microphone, he was roaring like a lion. His topic was, “The modern civilization is total failure only alternative is Krsna consciousness” every night on this theme. A disciple would read a verse that was selected from the 2nd canto of Bhagavatam, verse after verse. One verse and then Srila Prabhupada would give the purport and more talk on the verse or theme. ‘Modern civilization is total failure’. And then after the festival downtown, he moved back to Juhu Hare Krsna Land.

This time his quarters were ready and he was moved into his new quarters. It was very gorgeous, very opulent. He was very pleased. I was there watching Srila Prabhupada and hearing him talk. He was very grateful for offering such special facilities. He was not well. He would spend lot of time lying on bed. We would be doing some kirtan, very soft kirtans in his quarters. He had been still meeting VIPs and members of the Parliament. They would have appointments. He was there for some time and it was decided that he will go to Hrishikesh for recuperation; getting better on the banks of Ganga and Himalayan mountains. Better climate it was suggested during May, June like that. Through Delhi he went to Hrishikesh. There is a place, that house is still there where Srila Prabhupada stayed. We visited there few years ago on the banks of Ganga. Then he was not well again, then he rushed back to Tamal Krsna Maharaj, Yadubara prabhu, Bhakti Caru Maharaj, were also few devotees were waiting.

He was in Vrndavana during June- July, he was getting a little better and then plans were made that he would go to America, Gita Nagari. So he made the trip, on the way to America, he went to London. He was there for Janmasthami of ’77 in London at Bhaktivedanta Manor. Again not well, so he dropped his one way journey to America and rushed back. He wanted to come to India, so he landed in Mumbai. We were there at the airport receiving Srila Prabhupada. We had gone dozens and dozens of times earlier also to receive Prabhupada at Bombay airport. Bombay was Srila Prabhupada’s office, so he was spending lot of time in the office. There were some legal matters, legal battles over Hare Krsna Land in Mumbai Juhu. Srila Prabhupada was battling and ultimately he was victorious. We won the case. Prabhupada was genius; he was giving all the mantras which that advocate should present in the court. He was advocate of the advocates (Laughter). So it was last time he was received at the airport by British Airways he came to Mumbai. His briefcase is still on display in Mumbai in Prabhupada’s quarters. And the bag tag is still there, its British Airways first class. He spent some time in Mumbai then finally to Vrndavana. He remembered his doctor friend from Prayag or Allahabad called Dr. Ghosh. And Prabhupada wanted him to come and treat him.

So someone had to go, I was asked to go to Allahabad and it was a big rush and it was emergency. So I went. Well, he was not in Allahabad; he was in Darjeeling where his granddaughter was studying. So I had to go to Darjeeling, it is in Assam top of the mountain. In Allahabad I remember, I first went to Dr. Ghosh’s home and found out he was not there. And then I had to go back to the airport. On the way to the airport there was one Hanuman mandir. I was praying to Hanuman, I still remember, I saw the Hanuman mandir and started praying. I thought my mission is somewhat similar to that of Hanuman (Laughter). Because when Lakshman who is Adiguru was not well, that time during the battle at Sri Lanka, some medicine was required. So Hanuman was sent to Himalayan Mountains. So I thought I also have to, not to get the medicine but the doctor who will provide medicine to Prabhupada (Laughter). And I had to go to Himalaya Mountain. So I was praying and by the grace of Hanuman, I did find the doctor.

We drove to Kolkata and then to Delhi. Then the doctor was looking after Srila Prabhupada, Prabhupada’s friend. Prabhupada was not there for long time as we know. As he was grihasta and his Prayag Pharmacy in Allahabad.
Well, talking about myself, we continued our travelling. We had a travelling party called “Narada Muni Travelling Sankirtan Party”. So we went north and travelling and distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books, we went all the way to Badrikashram. For some time we had no news from Srila prabhupada. There were no mobile phones. Even regular phones wouldn’t work there. So we were in anxiety, so we rushed back we came to Vrndavana. This was like a one week before 14 th of November. So Srila Prabhupada was very kind to let us in, whole party. All the devotees of our party went in Srila Prabhupada’s quarters. Srila Prabhupada was on the bed lying down. But if you read more Lilamrita, then here other devotees, they will tell you so many other activities of Prabhupada. How he managed even, translating and giving dictations of his purports during those times.

Srila Prabhupada 10th canto, chapter 13th, it was compiled during that last visit of Srila Prabhupada. Jayadvaita Maharaj holding a microphone very close to his mouth. And Pradyumna prabhu would read different commentaries, Sanskrit commentaries. After hearing those commentaries, Srila Prabhupada would give his comments in English. They were getting transcribed and that’s how he continued his activities. So as we arrived, we sat down around Srila Prabhupada, very close to his bed. His voice was very low. To hear him, you had to put your ear very close to his mouth. So we were giving reports of our traveling and book distribution.

You know the book distribution score reports were Prabhupada would always look forward to wherever the reports came from. He said that made him young, “I would never die” so far his books are being distributed. He would take lots of interest in hearing book distribution, especially book distribution scores and reports and some other reports. He was questioning, “Which book is being distributed the most?” He was lying on the bed and he was keen interested in book distribution. What are the prices of this book, that book? So we were responding. We talked of the Badrikashram visit. I was representing one party, so I reported to Prabhupada that we visited Srila Vyasadeva’s cave which we had done. And I said, “We showed your Bhagavad Gita to Srila Vyasadeva, Prabhupada”. That was in a humorous way of presenting it by thought. We were telling Srila Prabhupada the cave of Srila Vyasadeva. He is very much present there; for sure he had seen Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita. Prabhupada was pleased to hear that.

Part of the reporting also was of our visit of the spot called ‘Bhima Ka Pul’. There is a bridge over Saraswati, a stone bridge; this is where Bhima left his body. One brother left and they walked down the road, another brother and another like that and they were going towards north. So that was the place where Bhima left his body. That was part of the reporting. Later on, as I was mentioning now, it was not appreciated by one of my God brothers. For that reporting, I was rebuked, I was mildly chastised for such a report; why should I be talking of someone dying and death and giving some ideas to Prabhupada, I didn’t think in those terms. So it was too late, already reporting was done.

So then we were leaving Prabhupada’s quarters. All the members of my party, they were out of the room, I was the last one. Then I was just taking one last look at Prabhupada. And Prabhupada signaled me, “Come here, come back”. So I went back to Prabhupada, close to him. And he questioned me, “I would like to see you. What time suits you?” He could order me, come at such and such time! But different approach, amazing. “What time suits you?” And then my response of course, “Anytime Prabhupada, anytime”. Then he said, “Is four o’clock okay?”

So it was settled that we would meet at four o’clock in the afternoon. I didn’t know, the way he was so grave when he was talking to me or asking is four o’clock is okay, I want to see you. All day I was trying to figure it out. What was Prabhupada is going to talk to me about at four o’clock in the afternoon. I could not come to any conclusion. So I was looking at the watch and counting hours and minutes. So finally it was four o’clock and I went. I was not allowed inside Prabhupada’s quarters. I was directed to the Krsna Balaram guest house reception. As I arrived there, just around the corner from Srila Prabhupada’s front entrance of his quarter, I found all the senior members sitting there. They were kind of waiting for me also. So what I found out was what Prabhupada wanted to talk to me about at four o’clock. He had already spoken to Tamal Krsna Maharaj and Bhavananda prabhu, Bhakti Caru Maharaj, like that. I met everyone else. They said, “Prabhupada would like you to go and organize the bullock cart for him”.

He wants to go to Govardhan on Govardhan puja day. Next day was Govardhan puja. So you could imagine, a day before, whole thing was being planned. So just myself and Trivikrama Maharaj, two of us went to Mathura. It was very difficult because on Govardhan puja, the farmers, they do puja of their cows and bulls. They don’t employ them. So we had a hard time hiring bullock cart. But we managed and two bullock carts were arranged to come over to Krsna Balaram temple. So they did come and they were parked in front of Krsna Balaram temple. And plan was next morning Prabhupada would travel to Govardhan.

And then there were more talks that evening after I came back from Mathura. I was also born in a farmer’s family, we also had bullock cart and bullock cart sankirtan That was Prabhupada project. So I was chosen for this task. Then during the night, there were lots of discussions on this proposed travel of Srila Prabhupada, Prabhupada travelling on a bullock cart, oxen cart on the Vrndavana roads. These days roads are little better. You could imagine, this is 31 years ago, they were far worst. So the whole debate going on, Prabhupada had the desire to go. He always talked about when battling with maya, fighting with maya. Preaching is fighting, that spirit he had. He was lying on bed for long long time, months and months. He was feeling uneasy in that way, we say this. So he wanted to be out there. That was just a trial going to Govardhan. If that works then travel more all over. That was during the night. It was very difficult for lots of devotees to accommodate this idea, Prabhupada going on bullock cart, travelling to Govardhan. So he was appealed by several devotees. Krsnadasa Babaji from Gaudiya Matha, a senior Prabhupada’s godbrother was invited. Devotees, disciples made Krsnadasa Babaji to speak to Prabbhupada on their behalf, trying to convince him not to go, not to go.

So finally, there are many details and dialogues. You could read them on folio also word for word. Tamala Krsna Maharaj wrote a whole play called ‘Final pastimes of Prabhupada’. Tamal Krsna Goswami Maharaj was involved, so he had written a book and he is drawing lots of his dialogues from the folio, the conversation. So that idea of going to Govardhan on bullock cart was dropped.

Then another day passed and Prabhupada’s room was filled with his only disciples. There were no other Jayapataka Maharajas disciples, there were only Prabhupada’s disciples that time, right? You could imagine. And Prabhupada again brought up the topic of travelling. But this time he proposed travelling with the buses. Idea was kind of welcomed, but condition was that when he gets better, he will take this journey travelling all over. One thing, Prabhupada wanted to go to holy places, during his very extensive, busy travelling schedule he had no opportunity going to holy places. This was his final wish. He wanted to travel to the holy places and other places, town and cities. So this time, devotees also, it was welcomed for another reason, because devotees were thinking, Prabhupada is wanting to travel, that means he wants to be with us longer. If he is dropping or postponing his plans of going back to Krsna , joining Krsna, he is going to be with us longer. So this was kind of cause for a joy, happiness, Prabhupada is going to stay on long.

The delegates would go to Prabhupada from time to time headed by those days, Kirtananda Maharaj was the senior sannyasi, he would go and appeal on behalf of the disciples. “Prabhupada, please stay on, Prabhupada we want you, we are just babies, just children, newly born. How will we survive without you, please”. We would always take it up to Prabhupada whether to live or die. It was up to Prabhupada. We were always thinking like that, so we would appeal to Prabhupada, “Prabhupada please stay on please”. So when he was planning his travelling, especially the buses, devotees were kind of relieved that he is going to stay on longer with us. So those who were in the room, Prabhupada in the middle sleeping, lying down position and whole room is filled. Then different devotees were proposing to Prabhupada. I remember Giriraj, I know him being disciple from Bombay temple president. He said to Prabhupada, “Whenever you go to the big cities, there will be some big rich people, industrialist; if I go I could make some life members. Could I go Prabhupada with you?” And Prabhupada said, “Hmm, you could go”.

Then there was Bhakti Svarupa Damodara Maharaj. He took his turn, “Whenever you’ll go, there will always be some scientists. I could organize some conference, scientific, you could address. Could I go Srila Prabhupada?” Prabhupada said “Hmm” (Laughter).

So like that, different disciples were proposing to be with Prabhupada, travel with Prabhupada. There was Bhakti Caitanya from Chandigarh. He was a good driver. “I could drive your car Prabhupada, (Laughter). Could I go?” Prabhupada said, “Hmm, you could go.”

So many devotees were making proposals how could they fit into this travelling program, whether they could go and Prabhupada, “Hmm, Hmm” meaning “Yes”, they could go. Then I also took my turn (Laughter). Why not? There were lots of discussions about this travelling. Prabhupada’s advance party, and main party and Prabhupada would be part of the main party. The advance party making all the arrangements, bookings and facilities. And main party arrives there. Advance party goes in advance further. These being a whole, everything was planning. So when I said whether I could go, Prabhupada, he also said I could go. He said, “You will be our leader of the Travelling Party.” Haribol!!! With the experience I had with the Narada Muni Sankirtan Travelling Party and other Travelling parties. So that must be on 11th or 12th of November this dialogue took place. So we all got kind of busy making preparations for Prabhupada’s travels on buses. We got a huge big map of India. We wanted to make a schedule for Prabhupada’s travelling. Where to get buses and drivers this and that. Tamal Krsna Maharaj, Bhavananda and other disciples also around involved. The Kaviraj, Prabhupada’s doctor was keeping track of Srila Prabhupada was taking more milk or whatever. So we were hopeful that Prabhupada would get better and would have this travel all over India which Srila Prabhupada was all looking forward to and preparing all the arrangements. Srila Prabhupada, those days would lie down, eyes closed but not fully awake, he was thinking of Krsna. And he would get his disciples, devotees to read from Caitanya Caritamrita, Krsna book or doing kirtan. Kirtan with small tiny kartals, very small kartal, no mridanga nothing just small kartal. Only one devotee would be sitting and doing kirtan. And this would go on 24 hours. Either there was some reading or doing kirtan. His attraction and attachment to the Holy name and the pastimes of the Lord, he insisted that goes on.

This was also going on in Mumbai before he came to Vrndavana after London. So there I also had been taking turns singing for Srila Prabhupada. One day I asked Srila Prabhupada, “Is there anything more we could do, so that you could get better?” Just before another devotee taking over kirtan. There was just a little break and I said, “Is there anything that we are not doing, we should do Prabhupada so that you get cured, you get better?” And Prabhupada said, “Chant Hare Krsna”. That was the cure, medicine. Of course he had standing instructions to all of us that, “Don’t take me to the hospital and keep on chanting that was the medicine” he said that few times. I remembered Bhakti Svarupa Damodara Maharaj, he had his night shift. On the 13th night, he was with Prabhupada chanting. And then on that day, 14th while we were still kind of busy making plans for Prabhupada’s travel. Kaviraj was keeping an eye on Prabhupada’s health. He started going on all over property, gets alert here and there, asking all of us to rush into Prabhupada’s quarters. So we were all there, room full inside and more from outside. Hundreds of devotees were kind of stationed in Vrndavana. It was also Kartik, like tomorrow 14th November, we were in Prabhupada’s quarters. I was there when Prabhupada went. So many others all around him. Last time we could hear, he was only opening mouth and ‘Hare Krsna’, ‘Hm, Hm’. That was it. Srila Prabhupada ki jai!!

He considered Vrndavan as his home, Mayapur his place of pilgrimage where he worshiped the Personality of Godhead. Bombay was his office. He stayed here in Vrndavana. We took Prabhupada in a kirtan procession to all the six goswamis temples, a huge procession. Srila Prabhupada was placed in Samadhi. And then kind of brass murti of Srila Prabhupada. Not same day, but after some days we all knew, going to Govardhan this was his last wish. So everybody, we all went first to Radha kunda, bathe Srila Prabhupada murti form in Radha kunda’s water. We had palanquin; we took Prabhupada all around Govardhan. Hundreds must be close to thousands followers, devotees of Srila Prabhupada going all around Govardhan. And finally came to Kusum Sarovar and we stopped there. And his other desire, he wanted to go by bus all over India visiting the places of pilgrimage. That was another wish. So when we had to celebrate 500 anniversary of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s appearance, it was in ’86. So the Governing Body Commission, they resolved that we organize procession, walk, padayatra and take Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada on pilgrimage. So we started in Dwarka on Radhasthami of ’84. Then the remaining months of ’84 and twelve months of ’85 and then we had to arrive in ’86 in Mayapur for Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s 500 anniversary. 7000 miles walk, so this planned as part of celebrating Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s 500 years anniversary. At the same time fulfilling Prabhupada’s desire of travelling or going to places of pilgrimage.

So that was organized on very big scale, international participation for the pleasure of Prabhupada, for glorification of Srila Prabhupada.
Jai Srila Prabhupada

Dated: 12th October 2015
Venue: Akaramapalli Namahatta center, All India Padayatra

Lord Ram and Laxman appeared in Treta yuga, same Ram Laxman appeared in Dwapara yuga as Krishna Balaram. In this present age kali yuga beginning of the age of kali they appeared as Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu. So it is like Ram Laxman has come now seated in the chariot.

Balaji is also non different from Krishna, Balaji is Krishna, Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna. Vakula mai, Balaji’s kitchen incharge, you know Vakula? She is Yasoda mai. So Yasoda and Rohini’s children are Krishna Balaram. And then Krishna Balaram had gone to Dwaraka, where Balaram was married he had only one wife (Laughter) Krishna had more than 16,000 wives. All these marriages were attended by Vasudev and Devaki. But Nanda and Yasoda they were in Vrindavan they were not able to take part in the marriage ceremony.

All the mothers have desire to see their sons getting married, they rarely would like to see their son becoming a brahmachari (laughter). So knowing the desire of His mother Lord Krishna arranged His own marriage ceremony. That pastime took place in Narayan Vanam. So Balaji is Sri Krishna, Jai Balaji.

So you may consider Balaji has come or Ram Laxman has come or Krishna Balaram has come in the form of Guar Nitai, Nitai Guarsundar Ki…..jai

We are all His children, yes you are or not? Haribol (response of the devotees there). You may say I am a father, mother I am not a child infact I have children. How could be a child? All the souls are children of the Lord and that Lord has come to your town. On the chariot there is also murti of Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada founder acharya of ISKCON and my spiritual master.

So 50 years ago Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada he travelled to America. He travelled by cargo boat, his journey started from Kolkatta boat went to Colambo and to Cochin. Just yesterday I and many ISKCON leaders were present in Cochin to have a memorial celebration of 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupad’s departure to America.
So Srila Prabhupada was a great devotee of Caitanya and Nityananda, Nitai Guarsundar. He was chosen empowered “saksad-dhari” who was sent to the west. To make Lord’s prediction come true, 500 years Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu predicted “Prithvite ache yata nagaradi grama sarvatra prachara haibe mora nama” – My name will be chanted in every town, in every village of this planet. Srila Prabhupada after reaching America he founded this International Society for Krishna Consciousness to spread the Holy Name everywhere. To spread this chanting of “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare” everywhere.

Srila Prabhupada the founder acharya of Hare Krishna movement, asked us to do this Padayatra- travelling with this bullock cart. Walking festival- Padayatra, he asked us to start padayatra on 1st Sept 1976 in New Delhi, that was Radhastami day, Haribol……..

We were just 10-15 disciples of Srila Prabhupada, those days they were only disciples of Prabhupada there were no other Guru’s in ISKCON he was the only spiritual master. So when everything was ready, kind of ready then we requested Prabhupada to inaugurate the padayatra. Again 1976 we were ready to go from Vrindavan to Mayapur walking…Haribol. Prabhupada gave us that instruction- “you go to Mayapur from Vrindavan”. During inaugural function we sat down and Prabhupada gave us further inspiration and instructions to do this Padayatra –Bullock cart sankirtan party.

Then again the main purpose was to spread the Holy Name around, distribute the knowledge about Krishna in the form of Gita, Bhagvatam. Prabhupada said “jare dako tare kaho hare Krishna upadesh” (Laughter). He said little differently from what Caitanya Mahaprabhu said. He said you may be going to the villages people may not always understand the philosophy so instead of “jare dekho, tare kaho krsna-upadesa” he said “Hare Krishna upadesh”.
Let them chant “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare”. This program started in 76, and during Prabhupada’s 100th birth anniversary, 100th birthday celebration of Srila Prabhupada we organized Padayatra in 100 countries..Haribol…Europe padayatra, Australia padayatra, Mauritius padayatra, South Africa padayatra ….all over the planet Hare Krishna devotees have walked, danced, chanted Hare Krishna.

This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s program; this is God’s program- this propagation of the holy name, spreading the holy name, bringing holy name to every person that we meet. And this particular party “All India Padayatra”, what’s the name? Srila Prabhupad’s All India Padayatra. I don’t know whether you have seen back of this cart? We have gone around 5 times parikrama of whole India…Haribol.. Badrikashrama in the north, Jagganath Puri in the east, Rameshwar in the south and Dwaraka in the west like this 5 times and then zigzagging also in between (laughter). We also have come to Tirupati, I think this is the 5th or 6th time we have come to Tirupati.

We have gone to thousands of villages and towns in India. These Padayatra devotees just only during month of kartik they go to Vrindavan for Vraj mandal Parikrama otherwise other 11 months this cart is on road, going from one village to another to another. This padayatra has walked 150,000 kilometers …..haribol. And as I said during the day these murtis are Nitai Guarsundar, ISKCON has many other travelling parties travelling groups they carry Guar Nitai deities on travelling book distribution parties but these deities are most travelled deities on this planet…Haribol. Millions of Indians in all the states of India almost all the states of india they have taken darshan of Nitai Guarsundar ki……….jai

Srila Prabhupada has revealed Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu to the world. He was kind of concealed or covered, He was limited to Bengal and Orissa, people of Bengal and Orissa knew who is Caitanya Mahaprabhu nowhere else. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was locked in Caitanya Carita Amrita which was in Bengali script world did not read Srila Prabhupada translated Caitanya Caritamrita in English language and then, is it available in telagu? Translation is going on in telagu language also and so many languages around the world. In this way Srila Prabhuapada has presented Caitanya Mahaprabhu to the whole world.

As we said “Vrajendra-nandana jei, saci-suta hoilo sei, balarama hoilo nitai” so one who was Nandanandan He becomes Sacinandan that’s Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Balaram becomes Nityananda Prabhu. So these are their identities, they are Krishna Balaram. They are Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu ki ……Jai, Nityananda Prabhu ki……………..jai

So they were acting like devotees, when Lord appeared He was acting like a devotee. Acting like a devotee or acting like Radharani who is a devotee of Lord. “jagate sikhaye” – to teach the whole world Lord was playing a role of a devotee. By His own example Lord is teaching and inspiring the whole world to worship the Lord, Chant the holy name of the Lord.

He played that role so perfectly as a devotee, so the world misunderstood Him or they understood Him as a devotee. Hye! He is a devotee, He is a bhakta, like Tukaram was in Maharastra and Narsingh Mehta was in Gujarat and Mira bai was in Rajasthan and also Nanak ji and Surdas and this likewise in Bengal there was great devotee called Caitanya. So the world thought he is a devotee, yes! You are a devotee. His real identity is He is Lord Himself “sri Krishna caitanya radha Krishna nahi anya”- Caitanya Mahaprabhu is non different from Radha and Krishna.

Why does He have a golden complexion? Why is he Gauranga? “antha Krishna bahira guara” inside He is Krishna and from outside He has covered Himself with Radhaduti and bhava- the complexion of Radharani. So what is the color of Radharani? Who knows? Matajis know? Gold, Ya you always like gold (Laughter) .

Real gold is Guaranga, Guarangi, you should get attracted to Guaranga and Gaurangi. “tapta kanchan gaurabgi radhe vrindavane swari” radhe vrindavane swari- she is controller of Vrindavan, queen of Vrindavan. She is “tapta kanchan” Her complexion is likethat of molten gold. So Lord assumed that complexion of Radharani, thats radhaduti- that’s complexion, duti means complexion.

Lord also assumed the bhava “radha-bhava-dyuti-suvalitam” – bhava – the emotions of Radharani. And this private, confidential reason why Lord appears as Caitanya Mahaprabhu to understand Radharani, to understand her emotions her devotion. So Krishna becomes Radharani.

So that Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda prabhu they had traveled 500 years personally all over India. You remember Balaram had traveled all over India? When Krishna was busy during Kuruksetra war driving the chariot of Arjuna. So same Balaram when He appeared as Nityananda Prabhu, He also traveled the way Balaram had traveled.
Hare Krishna

Venue: Germany
Bhagvat saptha (Ajamil Katha series – second session)

Never tired, “ Vayam tuna vitratyam” not tired, ya we don’t have enough nectar as we are not full with nectar, please share more talk more, this is the language of the sages of Naimisharanya. So this Ajamil story, stories we like to hear, yes? They are entertaining, there’s some excitement here, but then there are lessons, lessons to be learned from the story. Thus, we hear the story, story also meaning history. So history is also important, to teach us lessons and we hear about the history as something that repeats, history repeats all the time. So, civilizations, they become wiser, longer the history, some traditions or society or country has; they are expected to learn so many lessons and make the decisions based on the experience based on the past. This was done and the outcome was this, but they did this way and this was the result. This works the same laws, laws of the Lord, laws governing us, our minds etc.
So, this is important history, Ajamil’s story, itihas. Sukadeva Gosvami uses the adjective as itihasam. “itihasam puratanam”- this is very ancient history. So, just to summarize the 3 chapters just a overview is the end of the 5th canto of Bhagvatam the description of Hellish Planets at the end of the 5th canto and then beginning of the 6th canto 1st chapter king Pariksit is curious, he would like to know how people could not go somehow they are saved from this Hellish condition. What is the process? What should people do? and Sukadeva Gosvami has recommendation this is Prayaschit, oh! they should do atonement and king Parikshit he flatly refused no no no no atonement won’t work and then more things were proposed this that, this is karma kand. The atonement, the prayaschit is karma-kanda. What about some jyana-kanda? Ok this is also not the best thing. What about some tapasya, daan, dharma, yam, niyam and finally he recommends oh, Bhakti would be the best thing. Krishna also goes for karma-yoga, jyana-yoga, ashtang yoga and then bhakti-yoga. Krishna in Bhagvad Gita is taking his student Arjun through those chapters. So, like that when He comes to conclusion – the bhakti would be the best.
And then Sukadeva Gosvami wants to give example and then he gives example of Ajamil, how he was also sinful. So he describes, Sukadeva Gosvami briefly describes his sinful lifestyle and that resulted in Yamdutas coming but he had chanted the name Narayan, Vishnudutas come and Vishnudutas challenged yamdutas, you prove that you are representatives of Yamraj. It doesn’t look like; the way you are acting you don’t know A B C and you are supposed to be dharmarajas people. So they challenged and asked some questions and yamdutas speak, they say lot of intelligent things but they fall short and they are exposed. They know something but lot of it they don’t know and then Vishnudutas speak and they speak the glories of the Holy name and why? Because this person had chanted the name of Narayan. No no, you can’t take him to the Hellish Planets, to yamloka. So, this way Vishnudutas defeat Yamadutas. Yamadutas go so Ajamil had opportunity to hear the dialogue between these two parties, Yamadutas and Vishnudutas, especially Vishnudutas. He was taking their darshan. They were very beautiful persons to look at effulgent and nice dressed and crowns, beautiful features and the language they spoke. So, then Vishnudutas also disappeared leaving Ajamil behind.
Yamadutas had kind of, they were dragging his soul engaged or embodied in subtle body mind, intelligence, false ego. He was like half in half out. In that state, scary state, he had been hearing this long dialogue going on. He was in that position, very intense time. He did not know which way he is going to go, is he going to stay or ends ups in yamloka but he was liberated, he was relieved he was able to stay in same body but then he regrets and he remembers his past, sinful past and he is talking to himself, reflecting and coming to conclusion, yes I will give this up this kind of lifestyle, this home these children, this wife this dirty wealth. Then he goes to Haridwar to practice Krishna Consciousness and attain perfection. He was liberated by Vishnudutas and by this chanting of Narayan which was done in Namabhas stage. He was liberated but not qualified to go back to Vaikuntha or Godhead.
So he had to do some more of purification by practicing sadhna bhakti and do it everything right this time. So he does that and then when he was qualified same Vishnudutas come and they bring him back to Godhead. Then in meantime course, Yamadutas had returned to Yamraj, that’s the 3rd chapter and they shared their experience. You know, this never happened to us before, look, we have come empty handed, empty pocket we thought you are the supreme ruler but your rule is no more effective, it’s defeated, it’s just nullified. What is the matter? Whats going on? Who were those 4 folks or persons? that we have seen and they seemed very authoritative and are you not the supreme? Who is it? Than later in 3rd chapter, it is Yamaraj speaking he is one of the 12 authorities. If anybody knows Yamaraj. Yamaraj knows full of knowledge and also devotion for the Lord. That kind of personality of Yamaraj is not known to the people; he only knows how to punish and everybody was scared he is such a nice Vaishnav. He speaks more glories of the devotional service and specially chanting the Holy Name of the Lord and then, Sukadeva Gosvami who is narrator, he concludes the story the history saying, I heard this story, Sukadeva Gosvami had heard this story, he is telling Parikshit, I had heard it from Agastya muni or rishi. Once upon a time I was visiting the malaya mountains, malaye, and while Agastya who is addressed here as kumbha sambhavah, i.e. another name for Agastya and he is described as Bhagwan, he is kowledgeable. You know that Agastya muni, Bhagwan Agastya he is knowledgeable. He told me this story while he was worshipping his deity. “asina harim arcayan” he was doing archana, he was worshipping his deity, while worshipping his deity, he narrated this past time, this story unto me. So he couldn’t be telling any lies. How is it possible? He was worshipping his deity. He was touching the feet of his deity and saying yes, this is….whatever he heard it from…so that’s the very last statement of these 3 chapters where Sukadeva Gosvami says, I heard this from Agastya muni.
“itihasam imam guhyam”- this itihas, history, is very confidential.
“bhagavan kumbha-sambhavah”- I heard it from Agastya muni.
“malaya asina harim arcayan”- while Agastya rishi was worshipping his deity. (S.B. 6.3.35)
So, that’s quick overview of these 3 chapters. And with that our idea as I mentioned earlier to do 15 – 20 verses in each session, we have 45 minutes or so. Now, I thought we have more time this morning but this part of singing and introduction and Bhagvat Mahatmya and different different things we invested our time and then we have but again we want to finish complete our quota of we have 19 verses; 2 less, I will also drop some verses. I have to sometimes run, sometimes touch and go and depends what kind of speed we have, time factor and so and some parts of the purports which I have kind of marked or highlighted, we’ll read and try to understand. So it is little different from our traditional Bhagvatam classes in some ways so don’t be surprised.
So, Parikshit uvach, if you can come with Bhagvatam with you or verses in front of you, that could also help you have access to the copies or if you have some personal Bhagvatam, not right now, if from this afternoon onwards if you could be able to have because we’ll dealing with the verses and to help you too. Relate to what I am talking while looking at the verses. Parikshit uvach- king Parikshit said,
“ nivritti-margah kathita adau bhagavata yatha
krama-yogopalabdhena brahmana yad asamsritih” (S.B. 6.1.1)
He has remembered nivritti-margah, there’s a nivritti-margah, there’s a pravritti-margah. Sukadeva Gosvami had described nivritti-margah in the 2nd canto, he says,
“adau nivritti-margah kathita adau” – O you have described this earlier, nivritti-margah – activities which liberate us, liberate the conditioned souls and those souls they go to Brahmalok, they reside there till the end of the creation and then ultimately along with Brahma they all go back to Godhead. krama-yogopalabdhena yad asamsritih, samsritih means coming back again and again, birth and death is called samsritih and ‘a’ always meaning ‘no’ just the opposite. asamsritih means liberation, becoming free from birth and death. So finally they become free and go along with Brahma back to Godhead. So, Sukadeva Gosvami just now finished the description of the Hellish Planets in stating where the Hellish Planets are stationed in the cosmos down on south side, down there, he describes at the end of 5th chapter, 5th canto and so many 28 have been listed and this sin – that hell, this sin corresponding hell and he is hearing about all this, he had heard and Prabhupada is describing in the purport that King is
“Vancha-kalpa-tarubhyash ca kripa-sindhubhya eva ca
patitanam pavanabhyo vaishnavebhyo namo namaha”
All the vaishnavas are like that, a Vaishnava is an ocean of mercy. Para-dukha-duhkhi he is unhappy because of the unhappiness of others. Therefore Parikshit Maharaja, being compassionate toward the conditioned souls suffering in hellish life, suggested that Sukadeva Gosvami continue describing the path of liberation, which he had explained in the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Got the point? In the beginning he was describing this nivritti-margah, the way of liberation. So when King had heard about this Hellish Planets and conditioned souls entering going there. He was, Oh, you mentioned about nivritti-marga?, may be you could tell us more so that these people entering the hell could be checked and this is how nivritti-margah thought has come up. Bhakti-yoga itself is so powerful that even an impious man with no assets in karma-yoga or an illiterate with no assets in jnana-yoga can undoubtedly be elevated to the spiritual world if he simply adheres to bhakti-yoga. At the time of dissolution, Lord Brahma, along with all the inhabitants of Brahmaloka, goes directly to the spiritual world. So liberation and then Prabhupad is further, he specifies the real, ultimate liberations attained by bhakti-yoga.
So king Parikshit would like to know some bhakti-yoga, some process of devotion that could be employed, applied by the conditioned souls so that they don’t have to go to hell. pravritti-lakshanash caiva, this is the 2nd verse. This is how much we could say about the 1st verse. When we give class for 1 hour, we could talk. There are ways; you can talk one verse for ages, hours or you can talk some more verses and get more ground covered but we are a long way to go.
“pravritti-lakshanash caiva traigunya-vishayo mune
yo asav alina-prakriter guna-sargah punah punah” (S.B. 6.1.2)
So he mentions that nivritti-margah, king Parikshit, for liberation. The pravritti-margah which is traigunya-vishayo. pravritti-marga? is people sense gratification, people are inclined as per their gunas, to perform activities in mode of ignorance or passion or some goodness. traigunya vishayo, tri, guna and vishaya – sense objects vishayo, traigunya vishayo. and then sargah punah punah, and as a result they come into being, they take birth again and again, they perform activities and in 3 modes of material nature and this is all pravritti-margah, pravritti-lakshanash – symptoms of person in pravritti – life of sense gratification and result is that they are born again and again in which there is a creation of material bodies guna-sargah. punah punah – again and again. So, king Parikshit would like to know the way out of this pravritti-margah and then nivritti-margah.
“adharma-lakshana nana narakash canuvarnitah
manvantarash ca vyakhyata adyah svayambhuvo yatah (S.B. 6.1.3)
You have also described at the end of the Fifth Canto king parikshit says the varieties of hellish life that result from impious activities. Adhuna, therefore now, mahabhag, you are great soul, Sukadeva Gosvami
“adhuneha maha-bhaga yathaiva narakan narah
nanogra-yatanan neyat tan me vyakhyatum arhasi” (S.B. 6.1.6)
This is already the 6th verse. HARI BOL… So, giving that background, connection with the hellish is concerned. We’ll go to the Hellish Planets, please tell us the nivritti-margah that you have mentioned. So, he says nanogra-yatanan – living entities suffer yatana, means miseries, ugra means very horrible terrible sufferings. If you read the 5th canto you begin your head trembling, the hair would stand on end and you won’t be able to lead a normal life, of eating and sleeping. ugra-yatana – terrible suffering. So, vyakhyatum arhasi, King Parikshit,”I know, you are very much competent to vyakhyatum – to describe, neyat – so that the way out, the process, the solution, the mantra, do you know mantra? Or do you have some mantra for this? Mantra means not a whole big thing, mantra means compact thing. Don’t tell me the whole Ramayan, just tell me some mantra, I don’t want to hear a lengthy description. Come up with some mantra….is there some mantra here? So this is what he would like to know. There’s some mantra. neyat – so that they could be free from this nanogra-yatanan, the terrible suffering that is awaiting this conditioned soul, is there some thing? neyat – so that they don’t have to undergo suffering and I know vyakhyatum arhasi – you are competant, you are qualified O Sukadeva Gosvami, he is glorified this way. Glorified this way. Parikshit Maharaj therefore anxiously wanted to know from Sukadeva Gosvami how humanity can be same from gliding down to hell. He is a King, he’s a emperor, he’s like a father, King is like a father of human beings, he is the 1st citizen. Of course he would be no more, in few days this is 6th canto right? So, just, we have been hearing from last 2- 3 days so few more days to go and he would be no more, still he is concerned.
He is not only concerned about his welfare but he is also concerned about all the citizens. How humanity can be same from gliding down to hell? And this way we also get a hint that all great souls, the Vaishnavas, they always think of ways and means so that they humanities at large or may be alteast smaller chunk we could think of our country, our society or family. Ask me. So that no gliding down to the Hellish Planets. Vaishnava janato te ne kahiye jo para-pidhaye jahanire. This is one Vaishnav says. Vaishnava janato te ne kahiye – O that person is a Vaishnava jo para-pidhaye jahanire one who knows how people are suffering. He is always concerned about everybody’s suffering and he wants’ to do something that is a Vaishnava. To convince them of their next life is very difficult because they have become almost mad in the pursuit of the material enjoyment, right? In Germany, that’s the case. When Prabhupad reached Boston for first time and the mad rush people moving so fast back and forth and Prabhupad was, Oh! my God, to these people I have to preach? They are not even stopping; they are not even looking at me. This you notice when we from India come to the west, people something something, they don’t want to even look at. We Indians will look at everything (Maharaj laughs….) take real look at especially Hare Krishna’s; they don’t want to even look at them or may be looking at the side long glances but want to make sure, you know, some kind of pride, not welcome, get lost or I am just busy you know, I don’t want to even look at you. Prabhupada was in Boston, he was shocked that people are not even looking at me. Then he wrote that poem when back to his jaladuta boat and he had remaining journey from Boston to New Yorkn and he wrote that O Lord, now make me puppet in your hand – “na chaho chaho prabhu na chaho saimate” – you make me dance, O Lord you make me dance.
“amhi to kashther putli’ – I am just a puppet in your hand O! Lord, now you make me dance, you make me speak. I have big name, my name is Bhaktivedanta. So, now you do something so that my face, my name I am said big name Bhaktivedanta but I am not successful here then what kind of Bhakti and Vedant I am. So now it’s all upto you. Prabhupad wrote that poem with all humility approaching his Lord so that he could get his message across to the humanity at large Americans that he had gone to preach that was ordered from his Guru Maharaj and of course Prabhupad’s concern was similar to that of King Parikshit. Prabhupad was nicely stationed in Vrindavan, there’s no shortage of anything but he is para-duhkha-duhkhi as King Parikshit is described here, his mood, he’s only concerned of others’ suffering, wants to do something so the duty of all sane men is to save them, Maharaj Parikshit is representative of one who can save them and so he is approaching his spiritual master King Parikshit out of humiliation that you please explain me how these people could be saved. sri-shuka uvaca, now Sukadeva Gosvami 7th verse is going to respond.
“na ced ihaivapacitim yathamhasah kritasya kuryan mana-ukta-panibhih
dhruvam sa vai pretya narakan upaiti ye kirtita me bhavatas tigma-yatanah (S.B. 6.1.7)
He says Oh! immediately, he immediately came up with solution, unless ‘na ced’, unless they go for apacitim- atonement, apacit is atonement so that they could become free from the sin that they have committed by mana- mind, ukta- the words and panibhih means body. In other words, the sin committed mentally, physically, vocally, this is how sin is committed at 3 different levels; at mind’s level, then it is spoken at level of the voice, sound. He said mind first ‘mana’, ‘ukta’ then you talk sinful, ‘panibhih’ then you use your hands or feet also to commit sin. So sin that is committed by mind, words and body, if someone wishes to become free from this, they will have to perform some kind of some sort of atonement “ dhruva? sa vai pretya narakan upaiti”- and if they don’t do so, then dhruva? – for sure after death they will end up in hell. You want people to not go to hell, right? Yes? You don’t want them to go to hell. So I say they should perform some atonement and, so ok something from Prabhupad’s purport, therefore in response to enquiries of Parikshit Maharaj, Sukadeva Gosvami, his Guru could have immediately explained principle of Bhakti but to test Parikshit Maharaja’s intelligence, he first prescribed atonement according to karma-kanda, the path of furtive activities. He’s testing, what he has proposed is karma-kanda, atonement is part of karma-kanda, so let me see how intelligent is my disciple, King Parikshit. Now this is not said anywhere right? You go through the whole chapter or all the 3 chapters, doesn’t say anywhere that King Parikshit is being tested but here is a statement. So this is the acharyas and their commentaries, they are reading between the lines they read in between the shlokas they kind of try to put things into context, their spiritual imaginations and then they make these fill in the gaps. Oh! He’s being tested. King Parikshit is being tested. So instead of recommending bhakti-yoga devotional service or he could have immediately said Harer Naam………..
“harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita Adi-lila 7.76)
He could have said it in the very beginning immediately Oh! You want to know how people could be saved from going to hell, chant Hare Krishna. Is it difficult to understand? But he is not doing so. So, why is he not doing? Reason has been stated that King Parikshit is being tested. In karma-kanda there are 80 authorized scriptures for your information, karma-kanda, jnana-kanda. karma-kanda, jnana-kanda keval vishayeir bhand, karma kanda, jnana kanda is a pot of poison and how many such pots are there? 80 scriptures just describing different varieties of karma-kanda such as Manu-samhita which are known as dharma-shastras performing pious acts to counteract his pious acts.
So atonement Prabhupad is describing here, this is known as atonement. Try to understand. Performing pious act to counteract impious act. You commit some sinful activity and you want to become free from reaction of that sinful activity. So shastras recommend ok ok you could do this punya-karma, you could perform this pious activity to counteract that impious activity this is so that pious activity that you perform to counteract impious activity that is called prayaschit or the atonement.
“tasmat puraivashv iha papa-niskritau yateta mrityor avipadyatatmana
doshasya drishtva guru-laghavam yatha bhishak cikitseta rujam nidanavit” (SB 6.1.8)
Like a nidanavit – like a physician recommends different medicines according to guru-laghavam, if the disease is of some real bad chronic then there is also corresponding very powerful medicine but if you just have a headache what you take? Aspirin but if it is migraine headache, then aspirin won’t work so this is guru-laghavam. doshasya drishtva, the physician, he will see guru or laghu again. Guru means heavy, serious or light- laghu. What kind of sickness is there, accordingly you will prescribe the medicine. So likewise in case of prayaschit, atonement, there are various kinds of atonements. In Christianity also there is a process of confession, atonement, therefore atonement is required and atonement must be undergone according to the gravity of one’s sinful acts, Prabhupad says but that in itself ofcourse is not ultimate solution but it does do some job for becoming free from that particular action, sinful act. But how many sins we have committed? How many? Countless, ocean, in this birth then previous birth. So, what you are dealing with is Oh! I just performed this sin so I want to become free from reaction of this sin. So you do this atonement but how many atonements? There’s so much stock of sins. So this atonement is the patch work, it does some job but is temporary and the rest of the stock of the karma, prarabdha, aprarabdha that is all waiting sitting there. Ok now King Parikshit, we’ll do faster, says prayashcittam atho katham, Oh! prayashcit would not work, this atonement will not work, no no no no,
sri-rajovaca – “drishta-shrutabhyam yat papam janann apy tamano ahitam
karoti bhuyo vivashah prayashcittam atho katham” (S.B 6.1.9)
That person’s desire for committing sin will not go away by atonement, he has become free from the reaction of particular sinful activity but the desire to commit sin, the desire to go on enjoying, exploiting this material world that has not been eradicated, well done, Spiritual master is very happy. Good good, now you understood, I am very pleased with you King Parikshit. Again he has not said that, we are saying because we know he was being tested. Bhuyo – again and again that person will keep committing sinful activity, so what good is the prayashcit, atonement that he had been recommended, no no no no, I don’t agree. Therefore Maharaja Parikshit saw that the process of repeatedly sinning and atoning is pointless. Regardless of how many times he is punished, one who is attached to sense enjoyment will commit sinful acts again and again until he is trained to refrain from enjoying his senses. You got that point? So this is the Vaishnav acharya Prabhupad and they will come up with statements like that and that’s the Bhagvatam. In the 3rd chapter of Bhagvad Gita when Arjun asked, “Oh how come we don’t like to commit sin but we end up committing sin? What is that is pushing? Oh that is kamaesha krodhesha, there’s kama, there’s lust, there’s anger number one enemy” and starting to reply like that then Krishna explains indriyani niyamyado, in the beginning indriyas the senses have to be niyamya – controlled by regulating the senses you start there and then you will be saved from kama, krodha and these enemies and that’s the point that only when the follower or person is trained to refrain from enjoying his senses then he is on the safer side but with the process of atonement that is not achieved.
“kvacin nivartate abhadrat kvacic carati tat punah
prayashcittam atho apartham manye kunjara-shaucavat” (SB 6.1.10)
King Parikshit, this is the second statement, Sukadeva Gosvami will again talk further, sometimes person becomes, he stops the sinful activity – abhadrat but kvacic – sometimes again carati tat punah – again he commits the sin. prayashcittam atho apartham – this atonement is apartham – useless, waste of time and energy and I consider manye –aham manye King Parikshit says this whole thing is kunjara-shaucavat – this is just like the bathing of an elephant, kunjara “narova kunjarova” Krishna said. Kunjara means elephant and kunjara shaucavat so, elephant goes into the lake on padayatra we had elephant for several years so we know the tendency of the elephant taking nice bath and then coming to the bank immediately throwing the dirt. So I think manye I am strongly convinced so by this atonement you clean yourself but then you commit sin again, this is exactly like the bathing of an elephant. Sometimes one who is very alert so as not to commit sinful acts he is victimized by sinful life again and this sinning and atoning, sinning and atoning is useless, Prabhupad is translating like that. There’s a purport but I am also looking at the watch. So we will just go to the next verse.
sri-badarayanir uvaca- “karmana karma-nirharo na hy atyantika ishyate
avidvad-adhikaritvat prayashcittam vimarshanam” (S.B 6.1.11)
Badarayani, who is badarayani? Sukadeva Gosvami, son of Vyasadev is Badarayani. Okay okay, you say karma-kanda is useless, ok I also agree. So he says prayashcittam vimarshanam – the cultivation of the knowledge of Vedant the full knowledge of Vedant, Oh that is prayashcit and cultivation of this knowledge will certainly make person free from sinful desires. Guru Sukadeva Gosvami has examined Parikshit Maharaj and it appears that King has passed one phase of examination by rejecting the process of atonement because it involves sinful activity. Now Sukadeva Gosvami suggesting platform of speculative knowledge, progressing from karma-kanda to jnana-kanda. He is proposing prayashcittam vimarshanam – real atonement is full knowledge, this is now the proposal, alternative proposal of Sukadeva Gosvami to become free from learned and material contamination, therefore one should try to understand Krishna for thus one is immediately liberated from all pious and impious activities and their reactions. Srila Prabhupada is very fast, so that point will come but Prabhupada tries to make each purport complete; what if someone reads only one purport? Prabhupada wants to makes sure that Bhakti is there; if someone reads only that much and Oh! karma-kanda and so, there also Prabhupada will conclude, there also he will say Krishna, Krishna’s Bhakti, devotional service. That is the specialty of Prabhupada, he immediately brings Krishna into the picture, into the verse. So Sukadeva Gosvami is going gradually, Prabhupada is putting conclusions right in there.
“nashnatah pathyam evannam vyadhayo abhibhavanti hi
evam niyamakrid rajan shanaih kshemaya kalpate” (S.B 6.1.12)
Translation: Following regulating principles, My dear King, if a diseased person eats the pure, uncontaminated food prescribed by a physician, he is gradually cured, and the infection of disease can no longer touch him. Similarly, if one follows the regulative principles of knowledge, he gradually progresses toward liberation from material contamination.
So this is still a gradual thing and not a final thing, the diet; if sick person is there 2 things, what are 2 good things for him? Diet and medicine and then gradually he comes. So he is talking vyadhayo – person suffering from vy?dhi – disease, he is recommended pathyam – eat this, you don’t eat this. Then gradually one become free from contamination, so from jnana-kanda, with jnana one becomes gradually from contamination but how long does it take?
“bahunam janmanam ante jnyanavan mam prapadyate vasudevah sarvam iti”
sa mahatma su-durlabhah (Bg 7.19) The jnyani following karma-kanda, Krishna says he will take bahunam janmanam ante – after many many births then he will come to the conclusion Oh! Vasudev is all in all, they’ll surrender unto him. It’s quite gradual right? Prabhupada wanted us to gradually come another 100 births? what was Prabhupad’s program? One lifetime. So we cannot go through this, it’s too long, too gradual for us. Then some more things are being prescribed here.
“tapasa brahmacaryena shamena ca damena ca tyagena satya-shaucabhyam
yamena niyamena va deha-vag-buddhijam dhira dharmajnyah shraddhayanvitah
kshipanty agham mahad api venu-gulmam ivanalah” (S.B 6.1.13-14)
So, then more regulated life of tapasa – the performance of austerities, brahmacaryena. Anyway you could now always have a whole class just on tapasa or you could speak for 7 days on tapasa, tapasa could be your topic you could talk for 7 days or you could take brahmacaryena and you could talk. There are 8 kinds of brahmacaryas, so there are names darshana, sparsha, this that, there are 8 names ending with sambhog its called the physical sex indulgence is called sambhog, bhog we can say enjoyment and sambhog is doing it in a complete way. So the 8 different ways of going against brahmacarya. So like that when you have that luxury of time each one could be described what are those different ways of going against brahmacarya or illicit connections with men and women.
shamena ca damena ca, what is shama? what is dama? shama – subduing your mind and then attain 3E43E45tranquility. They are 2 different things, shama dama they are similar but one is trying to control the mind at the subtle level try to control, regulate your wanderings, that’s called shama and dama – at the physical sense level you try to subdue your activities, sinful activities or bad behavior. Then you say shama, dama, tyaga- renouncing, satya – cultivation of truth, shauca – cleanliness, yamena niyamena – one is yam another one is niyam. What is yam? What is niyam? Do’s and don’ts. So, what is ya is don’t or yam is do? yam means yamraj also. So this you remember, because you don’t do this but if you did it then you are going to yam. So there is yam. And so following 4 regulating principle this is yam and chant Hare Krishna this is a niyam. Yam, niyam; do, don’t do. So don’t do is no meat, fish, egg, no intoxication, no illicit sex, no gambling this is yam. Don’t do this otherwise you’ll go to yam or Yamraj will come and get you. Then what should we do? Chant Hare Krishna so that is niyam. Yam, niyam this is also how the ashtanga yoga begins with, and let’s not think that we are free from yam niyam. We may know that it is as far as for ashtanga yogis yam niyam, no no, that is also for us because bhakti yoga is complete, not that we are above the rules and he says kshipanty – one will become free from sin, mahad api – it doesn’t matter how big it is venu-gulmam ivanalah – like venu means bamboo right? And then the leaves of the bamboo tree are on the ground and also it has leaves, bamboo leaves. So, all this is this will work like analah – the fire burning the bamboo, including the leaves. The next one is mentioned now bhakti which on karma-kanda, jnana-kanda then this regulated life of yam niyam satya-shaucam and brahmacarya, shamena damena and result of that shamena damena compared with the burning of the venu-gulmam the bamboo tree or leaves but now comes the bhakti part.
“kecit kevalaya bhaktya vasudeva-parayanah
agham dhunvanti kartsnyena niharam iva bhaskarah” (SB 6.1.15)
Hari Bol…. this is kecit kevalaya bhaktya vasudeva-parayanah – only bhakti will agham dhunvanti – all the sins would be cleansed away like niharam iva bhaskarah – like a sun on the foggy day, when there is a fog, the sun rises and then sun drives away all the fog and the sky is fogless, the atmosphere is fogless. So is there any traces left? Fog is something bad or causing badness, ignorance, means sun rises then fog is gone and everything is gone there’s not a trace left yes? But now going back to the other example, the bamboo is burnt, the leaves are burnt but roots are still in there, see the 2 examples one after the other, the same speaker is giving, you do this tapasa and all that shamena damena and all that. It does a great job but it will not tapa-trayounmulanam the beginning of Bhagvatam says. Srimad Bhagvatam says tapa-trayo unmulanam, ‘mula’ means roots, uprooting, everything is uprooted, all bad things bad desires, uprooted. So nothing could be compared with bhakti. So sun has risen and completely no trace is left of the fog anymore.
“na tatha hy aghavan rajan puyeta tapa-adibhih
yatha krishnarpita-pranas tat-purusha-nishevaya” (SB 6.1.16)
Now he takes one step forward. He said bhakti, bhaktya kevalaya, but now he says; this is a long purport you should read Prabhupada says, when the point of bhakti came up then Prabhupada has spent pages take that advantage of this bhakti point and these are quotes from different Acaryas and very valuable, prarabdha and aprarabdha and so many nice points abhasa-rupa bhakti. Even in the stage of abhasa-rupa bhakti, namabas you have heard but this is bhakti abhasa, namabas and bhakti abhasa beginning stages of bhakti all the reactions of sinful life are uprooted and vanquished.
Srila Jiva Gosvami expresses the opinion that the word kartsnyena in this verse means that even if one has a desire to commit sinful actions, the roots of that desire are vanquished merely by abhasa-rupa bhakti. Just the rays before sun rises to the dawn, before sun rise you see the, kind of, twilight is there means sun has not fully manifested so that time is called abhasa. Abhasa – as if sun has appeared but he hasn’t appeared but he could give some hint oh! sun must be now appearing, sun is about to appear, not appeared fully. So that is called twilight, abhasa. And bhakti abhasa, the sun need do no more than merely manifest its first rays, and the fog immediately disappears. Similarly, if one has even a slight relationship with devotional service, all the fog of his sinful life is immediately vanquished. And so the next verse that “na tatha hy aghavan rajan puyeta tapa-adibhih” he says tapa-adibhih means what? Just mentioned the word ‘tapa’ and ‘adi’ is attached to it, adi means etc. So that is going back you have to say the whole list tapa then tapasa, damena shamena, brahmacaryena all this.
So he is not repeating but just says tapa-adibhih, by tapa by this by that the whole list etc. Puyeta – cannot do the cleansing, na tatha yatha is another thing to understand the verses you always come across yatha tatha not as much as this that can accomplish. Yatha – as much, tatha – that much, you will see yatha, you will find tatha there. In this verse, tatha – as much as this tapa, austerity etc can do the cleansing which does less cleansing, “yatha krishnarpita-pranas tat-purusha-nishevaya’ by serving the pure devotee or of the Lord you do more cleansing than done by tapa etc. so, first Sukadeva Gosvami had proposed bhakti of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, here he mentions Oh! krishnarpita-pranas tat-purusha-nishevaya – that person, you serve that person, which person? krishnarpita-pranas – one who has offered his pran, his life in service of the Lord. “Mac-citta mad gata prana bodhayantah parasparam kathayanta ca mam nityam tusyanti ca ramanti ca” (B.G 10.9). My devotee offers whole life to me makes offering of his life unto me. So Sukadeva Gosvami says one who has offered his pran unto the Lord that purusha-nishevaya by that person’s service one does the best cleansing and there’s a nice purport to that.
“sadhricino hy ayam loke panthah kshemo akuto-bhayah
sushilah sadhavo yatra narayana-parayanah” (SB 6.1.17)
Translation: The path followed by pure devotees, who are well-behaved and fully endowed with the best qualifications, is certainly the most auspicious path in this material world. It is free from fear, and it is authorized by the shastras, narayana-parayanah and then you become abhayah – fearless and like that.
Now, Sukadeva Gosvami himself is saying that just like a wine bottle, there are so many of them in this country or other countries, so many varieties of bottles, sura-kumbham (SB 6.1.18) wine bottles na nishpunanti – you can’t really clean the bottles, wine bottles. Devotees will never use the wine bottles for anything. So likewise prayashcittani -the atonements performed by narayana-paranmukham it is understood, devotees of Narayan but those who are non-devotees and they are performing atonement so they will not cleanse their consciousness they will not be successful like the wine bottle cannot be really cleansed. There’s only one thing you could do, the wine bottle cannot be cleansed but your hearts could be cleansed not by prayashcitta that’s the point he made, not by atonement, but kecit kevalaya bhaktya – devotional service or krishnarpita-pranas tat-purusha-nishevaya the person who has dedicated his life in service of Lord, you serve him and the cleansing is done and here’s the final statement, final verse of this session,
“sakrin manah krishna-padaravindayor niveshitam tad-guna-ragi yair iha
na te yamam pasha-bhritash ca tad-bhatan svapne api pashyanti hi cirna-nishkrita?” (SB 6.1.19)
Our mind enters the lotus feet of Lord even once and becomes attached to Lord’s guna lila rupa. So, once someone has achieved that status that stage, such person the Yamadutas they will not even glance, not even look, they may be scared of such person, such devotee, they will not go near him what to speak of arrest him and bring him to abode of Yamaraj. Not even in the dream, such a devotee not even in the dream he will meet Yamadutas what to speak of in reality and cirna-nishkritah this is the right type of atonement, performance of devotional service and serving the devotees of the Lord is the best type of atonement although not having, translation- fully realized Krishna, persons who have even once surrendered completely unto the lotus feet, who have become attracted to his name, form, quality and past times are completely free from all sinful reactions for they have thus accepted the true method of atonement even in dreams, such surrendered souls do not see Yamaraj or his order carriers who are equipped with the ropes to bind sinful.
The word sakrit is significant because it indicates that if one sincerely surrenders to Krishna once, even if he falls down by committing sinful activitie. The sinful reactions of one who has surrendered unto Krishna are compared to snake with his poison fanks removed. Such a snake is no longer to be feared. Ofcourse one should not commit sinful activities on the strength of having surrendered to Krishna. However, even if one has surrendered to Krishna happens to do something sinful because of his former habits, such sinful actions no longer have a destructive effect. Therefore one should adhere to lotus feet of Krishna very tightly and serve him under the direction of the spiritual master. Thus in all conditions one will be free from fear. And then the text no. 20, we’ll start from this afternoon and that is where, so this was like a introduction to these 3 chapters or the history of story of Ajamila and the historical background why this topic has come out, King Parikshit’s concern and solutions offered by Sukhdev Goswami and in the beginning some of the things proposed by Sukhdev Goswami have been rejected by King Parikshit and Sukhdev Goswami thus give other proposals then bhakti and serving Vaishnavs and then now he wants to illustrate these things by historical account, itihas and past time. So, next verse he begins the narration of the past time of Ajamila. HARI BOL.

Venue: Guayana , Guayana katha, dated: 2006, June 30

Hare Krishna……………… Jai Shri Krishna…………….Jai Shri Radhe………………..Jai Shri Vrindavan.  By causeless mercy of the Lord, we have this good fortune great fortune of coming together every evening, some of us were also getting together during the day time around noon time and then again evening this is Krishna’s kindness to all of us. We would not know, but punya karma what pious deeds we have performed to have this rare gift, rare opportunity to associate with Shri Krishna in the form of His name Krishna appears in form of His name and in Bhagvat He appears also in the form of katha , in the form of His past times. We are able to associate with the Lord through these manifestations of his name, His qualities, and His past times.

“brahmanda bhramete kaun bhagyavan jiva”. The Shastras say that, we had been wondering all over the universe “brahmanda bhramete kaun bhagyavan jiva”. Then Krishna makes some of those jivas, some of those souls very fortunate by bringing them in contact with the devotees and as they come in contact with the devotees naturally those devotees tries to attract those jivas to Krishna.

“guru Krishna prasade pai bhaktilata beja” Krishna prasade pai, then finally we get that beja that seed within us of Krishna of Krishna Consciousness. Krishna enters our heart, our consciousness and if we keep watering that seed then that will sprout, that will grow into seedlings and a plant, and a tree and eventually there will be fruits of Love of Godhead, Krishna prema that we could relish. So these are our beginning days but good beginning its kind of work done. We just have to stay on this path; we have been put on right path by Lord Shri Krishna by giving this opportunity of hearing his katha, directly from Bhagvatam. We would like you to carry this katha with you read this katha which is Krishna himself look after this katha, these pastimes; this is Krishna read and preserve this Katha.

“Krishna se tomara krsna dite paro, tomara sakati ache” The devotees of gaudiya sampradhya, gaudiya parampara, gaudiya line starting from Caitanya Mahaprabhu, we have this mood. O! Devotee O! Vaishnava, you have Krishna and I know you are competent to give that Krishna to me “Krishna se tomara krsna dite paro, tomara sakati ache” that is why I am running after you.

“ami to kangala krsna krsna boli dhai tava pache pache” That is why I am chanting Krishna Krishna running after you begging you to this poor soul you please deliver Krishna, please give Krishna you enrich me also with Krishna.

“ohe! Vaishnaba thakura doyare sagara edase koruna kori” O! Vaisnava, O! Devotee, please have mercy upon this fallen soul, please give Krishna to me have mercy upon me. So This is the mood of devotee, one devotee gives Krishna to other devotee as he talks about Krishna he is giving Krishna as he sings about Krishna, he is giving Krishna, as he is gives prasadam to others, he is giving Krishna, as he brings him to Vrindavan he is giving Krishna, as he is giving Bhagvat –gita, Bhagvatam to read he is giving them Krishna. Krishna in all these forms giving Krishna, giving Ram, giving Parshuram, giving Narsimha , Krishna Tatvas. So Bhagvatam is merciful incarnation of the Lord and we had been serving this Avatar, Vangamai Murti in the form of Bhagvatam by reciting this Bhagvatam, by hearing this Bhagvatam, and by contemplating reflecting upon this Bhagvatam. And this is not an ordinary thing, a rare gift, there is lot more, we are just giving introduction, there is a whole ocean, full of knowledge and nectar, past times, Krishna is Ananta.

“yasantam navidhu sura suraganaha devaya tasmai namah” yasantam navidhu His anta, His end no one knows, He is just unending, Krishna is unending , unlimited ocean, all that doesn’t mean He has no form, He has form. He has ocean full of talks, topics related with Him. So we are just sharing few topics, just sampling, wishing that you develop attraction to hear about Krishna, develop attachment to Krishna read about Krishna our eternal friend. So yesterday we were in middle of that pastime of Brahma Vimohan Lila towards end of yesterday’s session.

So Krishna was in Vrindavan of course He is always in Vrindavan and He was there on the bank of river Yamuna and He was sitting there for lunch surrounded by His cowherd boyfriends and soon some of the boys noticed, where are the cows they were just now here eating green grass. But they are not in the sight anymore.  So different cowherd boys where getting up and trying to locate the cows where are the cows? Where are they?  And they are trying to locate them find them, where are they? They were getting into anxiety and Krishna could see that and some of them were getting ready to stop the lunch and go to find out the cows. But Lord Krishna He said no no my friends please you all sit down, I will go and get them why disturb your lunch you enjoy lunch prasad I will find them and He goes looking for those cows.

He goes looking everywhere in the all different forest and top of mountain, Govardhan hill and the   valley here there, everywhere and they were no where to be found, disappointed as He was Lord Shri Krishna was failure in His mission. He was only returning to the same spot, where his friends were sitting and eating Krishna prasad. But as He returned to that same spot, further surprised. Aye! I didn’t find the cows and now where are my friends. And now He was looking for His friends, He was searching for them everywhere. No clues, no trace He was looking for their footprint this that, any indication He did not find them and after He was thinking what could have possibly happened to my friends? and also to those cows? And He came to conclusion, yes yes that this must be the job of Brahma.

Brahma had stolen my friends the cows also so by this time it was late in afternoon it was time to go back home, every day, every day in the evening, He would return to Vrindavan to Nandagram with hundreds and thousands of cows and His friends, Krishna playing flute good fun all the way on the back home back, back to different villages, His village Krishna’s village His friends accompanying.  But today He was thinking, oh! Today I am just by myself what to do? How could go alone? And what could I say to the thousands of parents of my friends? And what about those cows in cows sheds? May be something could be explained to the families, but what about the cows? If they did not see their calf, what could they think? How could they survive? So what to do? And off course it is not you or me, He is the Supreme Personality He came to conclusion and yes I know I know what to do and immediately He expanded and in matter no time there were as many cow herd boys as many He had that day coming with Him herding the cows. And not only friends He also had the cows same number, exact number and not just the numbers but they were just exact same replica, their forms each calf the way did their mooing each calf does it differently right. Not that each calf was sounding the same no, He became the cows hundreds and thousands, He became friends 100’s and 1000’s of friends each one as they were before.

Their looks everything their clothing, their stick the same length of sticks, same kinds of habits, same kind of likes and dislikes. Ok now everything was set no problem now they leave for homes on the way Krishna is playing His flute as usual and everyone else is playing different, different roles. But who are they today? Who is the each cowherd boy today? Who is He? Any idea, who were those boys? Krishna ya you could close your eyes and say, so all Krishna each cowherd boy was Krishna but playing role of different different cowherd boys and same thing with calf each calf was Krishna. They were all returning to their respective homes and they were, upon arriving in the village the cows are going to the different goshalas, going to their respective mothers and all the cowherd boys they also returned to their respective homes.

Cows are meeting the calves, mothers’ cows are greeting the baby calf and parents are doing greeting their children at their respective homes. But today all those cows in all those goshalas in the Vrindavan they have different feelings they are licking the bodies of their calf as the calf is drinking the milk from udders of the cows. And the mothers in their respective homes were also greeting children, bathing them, dressing new dress, feeding them food, breast milk and all those cows, and all those mothers have a great time today everyone is so blissful they never had experience anything like this before and they do not know why what is happening today.

What is a special event, occasion, what was special was they did not know they were not their own children “that was Krishna” those cows were Krishna. Well what did Brahma do was, He did in fact a favor to all the resident of Vrindavan and to the cows also may be Krishna was disappointed for a while thinking O! This is the job of Brahma that fool, I will teach him a lesson. But all this years all those cows were thinking, O! You know when Krishna is hungry He always drinks His cows, His mother’s milk directly, but you know, could He ever drink our milk like our calf drinks, could Krishna ever do that to us. O! I wish cows think I wish Krishna was my calf O! That would be wonderful could I have Krishna as my calf could He drink the milk directly from my udder from me, you know that day what happened that’s another story.

When mother Yashoda that on diwali day Radha Damodhar past time, Krishna was tied to the mortar as Yashoda was feeding Krishna her breast milk, there is a milk on the stove in the kitchen, he thought well that its end of me, Krishna is just feeling up His belly with His mother’s milk, what about me? He is not going to drink me. The milk in the pot on the stove in the kitchen, thinking O! He is not going to drink me, O! what good is my life I better finish my existence thinking so the milk overflows and jumps in the fire of that stove and because mother Yashoda heard. OH! I forgot I had put milk on the stove and its overflowing. So she dropped Krishna on the floor and she ran to the kitchen to protect that milk to save that milk but the milk was ready to give up its life (laughs). So in Vrindavan even milk is a person and wants to serve Krishna and than what to speak of those cows and their milk which they possess.

So sometimes cows thinking He is drinking His mother’s milk or our milk is first so milk man comes that  is boiled , and sometimes He drinks or sometimes He don’t drink but it is possible sometimes could He directly drink our milk, would we have this opportunity. So cows had been thinking like this, so their desire was fulfilled, today although the cows were not realizing, What was going on there?The same thing was their mothers all the elderly Gopi’s of the Vrindavan. They were thinking oh! Such beautiful, wonderful, sweet, darling this Krishna is! Nanda Nandan Yashodha nandan O! Could I ever have a child like Krishna? But there is no one else is like Krishna, so Krishna had to become their child and today He was the child of all those mothers all over of Vrindavan and He was in their lap and drinking their milk and well the next day. All the cowherd boys they come in the morning to Krishna’s doors knocking at the door. Aye! Let’s go lets go, blowing their buffalos horns, they play buffalo horns the cows had come and then Krishna Balarama they got ready and they went into the forest and they had fun all the day and they returned and again next evening cows have great time, greater time than day before and mothers have greater time with their children and the next day they go into the forest and they return and the third day and the fourth day and the first month and six months past and almost one year has passed. And everyday all this time all the children cowherd boys and their Krishna and all the cows of Krishna and everyday those mothers and those cows are experiencing greater and greater bliss, happiness, joy they are becoming more and more Krishna conscious .

And they had a Bhagvatam, Sukhdev Goswami describe that you know before this particular period these mothers, ladies and their children they always had this thought that oh! This is my son and that one is my neighbor’s son, this is their son, his son, my son, oh! This is Krishna so three identity they were thinking, this is my son this one is somebody else son and this is Krishna but as during this almost 1 year period and as lot of time with passing of every day there was no more distinction, they were not able to make any distinction oh! Here is my son, here is Krishna and here is someone else’s son.

They had a thought that it’s the same person, their son and someone else son and mother Yashoda’s son there is no difference. So they were evolving with this realization its just same person although there were not talking, sharing this but they all were wondering, this thought was diminishing my child, someone’s else child, this is Krishna there was no more distinction. So like this, one year went by and Brahma who had gone taken away Krishna’s friends and cows and hide them in a cave at long distance away in his abode then he return and for him it was just matter of one moment, Brahma quickly went and returned and that was one year on this planet.

So Brahma wanted to come back and see the fun Oh! Let me see He must be by himself may be whole advertisement is going, we lost the boys, we lost cows in the newspaper, in television everywhere. In America if cat is lost they write something and they hang somewhere cat lost and they have photograph of the cat and whole thing goes on, in the newspaper that cat is lost, dog is lost. So Brahma was thinking probably lost and found the whole thing must be going on and they all must be in great stress, Krishnas all job finished He must have closed his shop by now.

This was Brahma was thinking as he was returning towards Vrindavan and as finally he was in Vrindavan, What did he see? Everything was intact as it was before, no change, zero change, nothing had altered as he had stolen all the friends and all the calves and he was surprised to see looking everybody’s there, Krishna is there, look all those boys, friends are there they are playing having great time, look at the cows and they are there grazing and they are heal and hearty no one is in anxiety, no one is bewildered , no one is lost nothing. And then Krishna knew ok! Brahmaji I know you are, I know you are looking and looking at my show here. You have taken a close look at our Lila here and as I have have your attention now please carefully. And the next scene was that each of those cowherd boys and each of the calf; they all become forehanded, forehanded Vishnu’s form, Krishna’s form. Hundreds and thousands each person is forehanded, crowns, Pitambhar, “ Kanti kaustubha mani virajita” and all beautiful features whole thing was just effulgent like a brilliant as billions of suns dazling and Brahma also noticed that whole creation is worshipping, each one of those forms is being worshipped, that was second scene. And as Brahma was further amazed and bewildered, the third scene was there was only Krishna, everyone else disappeared, Krishna withdrew all those forms, there was just only one person Krishna and in his hand there was a Yogurt and rice still wet fresh and He was holding some pickle and other things in his left hands, as per description of Sukhdev Goswami . And He was looking hey! What happened to my cows? Where are the friends? And He is searching, looking for them and Brahma is watching that one also. So at this point, bewildered and surprised and amazed and now realizing the blunter the offence that he committed by interrupting Lord’s past times in a way he interrupted and at the same time nothing was interrupted and he could see each cowherd boy was Lord himself.

That was a second scene each calf was Krishna himself and by now He was by himself there was no-one else just one person looking at this point Brahma descends, he rides on a swan he came down. He fell flat at the feet of the Lord touching his crowns, all the hairs with the crown, touching the feet of the Lord, he was in tears, as if he was washing the lotus feet of the Lord with his own tears and trembling, and shaking begging to the Lord for the great offence that he had committed at the feet of the Lord.  Then he managed to stand before the Lord with folded hands and he offered prayers to glorify the Lord pacify the Lord, wonderful prayers as we have heard the prayers of Kunti, there is another set of prayers in Bhagavatam of Lord Brahma 14^th chapter of the 10th canto of the Bhagavatam, please study this prayers. Then towards the end of prayers Brahma circumambulated the Lord offered obeisance to the Lord and he departed and he quickly managed to this time he did not get another year to go and come back.

So Krishna was now He was in the mood of looking for his friends. So now the cows were found and He was returning to were his friends were taking lunch Prasad and all the boys how were seating in the same place after one year they were now sitting back at the same spot, where they had sat one year ago and as they saw Krishna coming all the boys say oh! You are so fast we haven’t even finished our lunch, you came back quickly, how fast you are how smart you are Krishna? They did not realize all they had transpired. They were not there from one year; they were backed into those position after one year .But they were thinking hey! He has come back we haven’t finished our lunch. So whatever Krishna returned and He joined them, in their lunch Program and it was late afternoon towards evening time so they all returned and when they returned that evening there were all the cowherd boys, they were getting their parents hey…. Daddy sit down, come here, come here, no no I am busy no no come here you know what today what happened? Oh! What happened ok I will sit down and each cowherd boy in each home they were talking, they use to do this all the time it is everyday affair. Whatever experiences they used to have with Krishna all day in the evening that will become talk of the town just like a radio station,  good evening news, communication would reach far and wide, all Krishna’s daily pastimes communicated.

By those correspondents by their 1st hand experience, they would share these wonderful activities and that day they said you know today that serpent that Aghasura we thought he was just a statue or some kind of cave so we entered, and they explained the whole thing. But you know finally Krishna killed that demon and that’s why we were able to come back home alive. You know Krishna is such a powerful, wonderful person friend, they are glorifying, appreciating Krishna like this.

So, Sukhdev Goswami was not going to talk about this pastime this Brahma Vimohan lila, what he had mentioned to King Parikshit was in the past time that took place, when the cowherd boys were of age of 5 years old, that past time was related to all the residents of Vrindavan when the cowherd boys were six years old. He made this mention to king Parikshit and he was kind of was going to go on with the next pastime and the king Parikshit he become very curious O! what did you say for 1 year no one knew about this killing of Aghasura how is it, so what happened? Why did those cowherd boys, normally they would tell that same evening. But why did they wait for 1 year to relate this pastime with their parents and then Sukhdev Goswami deeply thought of this pastime, this confidential past time and then related, narrated that to king Parikshit. So these are some of the highlight of that pastime, please read this, hear this, discuss this further amongst yourselves this past time of Krishna. Isn’t that sweet past time? No, so so, think and then respond, it’s sweet or not sweet? very sweet, someone says very sweet, the sweeter it gets as you here next time it becomes sweeter and sweeter and it’s not only Krishna’s pastimes are sweet there is a song that says lot of things are sweet about the Lord, there are hundreds of things unlimited things or everything infact is sweet. The things in relationship with Krishna are very very sweet so we will sing this it is called madhurashtakam “madhuradhi pater akhilam madhuram”(bhajan)

“madhuradhi pater akhilam madhuram” Everything is sweet madhuradhi pater first of all Shri Krishna is pati , the master, the boss of madhurta, sweetness, everything about Him is sweet, adharam madhuram His lips are sweet, His heart is sweet, His talk is sweet, His walk sweet, His stick is sweet, His flute is sweet , dust of His lotus feet is sweet, His feet are sweet, His friendship is sweet,as He sings that is sweets, as He talks that is sweet, His form is sweet, His tilak is sweet like that goes on and on and on……..  And think this is the complete list but this is just to give an idea of sweetness of Krishna. The part which you should try to sing is, this chorus “madhuradhi pater akhilam madhuram” (by Shri Vallabhacharya) says everybody “madhuradhi pater akhilam madhuram”

HARE KRISHNA…………………………….

Venue: Mayapur, Srimad Bhagavatam 4.24.59 at

na yasya cittam bahir-artha-vibhramam

tamo-guhayam ca vishuddham avishat

yad-bhakti-yoga anugrihitam anjasa

munir vichaste nanu tatra te gatim

TRANSLATION

The devotee whose heart has been completely cleansed by the process of devotional service and who is favored by Bhaktidevi does not become bewildered by the external energy, which is just like a dark well. Being completely cleansed of all material contamination in this way, a devotee is able to understand very happily Your name, fame, form, activities, etc.

Maharaja: This chapter is called the chanting the song sung by Lord Shiva or Rudra-geeta

Maharaja reads purport by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada:

As stated in Shrimad-Bhagavatam (3.25.25):

satam prasangan mama virya-samvido

bhavanti hrit-karna-rasayanam katham

taj-joshanad ashv apavarga-vartmani

shraddha ratir bhaktir anukramishyati

Simply by the association of pure devotees one can understand the transcendental name, fame, quality and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has repeatedly said:

‘sadhu-sanga’, ‘sadhu-sanga’—sarva-shastre kaya

lava-matra sadhu-sange sarva-siddhi haya (CC Madhya 22.54)

Simply by associating with a pure devotee, one becomes wonderfully advanced in Krishna consciousness. Sadhu-sanga, or association with a devotee, means always engaging in Krishna consciousness by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra and by acting for Krishna.

SADHU SANGA CAN BE EXTENDED BEYOND THE PHYSICAL PRESENCE:

Maharaja comments: Sadhu sanga doesn’t end. Being in the close proximity of sadhu or physically with the sadhu is only the beginning as it sounds here. Association continues beyond getting together. That association continues even if they depart and go away. While in physical association, the sadhu says, “chant Hare Krishna”.  So even though the sadhu departs, one who continues to chant “Hare Krishna” according to the sadhu’s instruction continues the association. The sadhu’s association is extended beyond the physical presence in such a case.

Krishna proudly declares says in Bhagavad Gita (10.11) – “Mat chittah mad-gata pranah, bodhayantam parasparam”. What do My devotees do, when they get together? They remind each other about Me, their conversation or ‘samvad’ is about Me. Thus when they get together, they converse about Me and when they depart, their association continues if they keep chanting the name and follow the instructions about the dos and don’ts. Beyond the class, or the get together or the ‘ista gostis’ or physical association, the devotees’ association continues if they continue to reflect and contemplate upon the discussions.

Maharaja continues to the purport by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, “Specifically, chanting the Hare Krishna mantra purifies one, and this chanting is therefore recommended by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Ceto-darpana-marjanam: [Cc. Antya 20.12] by chanting the names of Krishna, the mirror of the heart is cleansed, and the devotee loses interest in everything external.”

SANSKRIT WORD FOR MIRROR IS “DARPA-NA”

Maharaja continues to speak: Have you heard the words, “dambha” and “darpa”?  They indicate false ego. Darpana means mirror. As you look into the mirror, what does it do? It increases your false ego. Darpana is meant for extending, enhancing, solidifying your darpa or false ego. Darpa-‘na’ is the word for mirror in Sanskrit. Darpana in Sanskrit means one that increase your false ego, solidifies your bodily concept.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Siksastakam says, ‘Cheto darpana marjanam’.  This ‘darpana’ that He is talking about in Siksastakam is kind of different from the word ‘mirror’.  He speaks of Chetana’s darpana.  By “Cheto darpana”, He refers to mirror of the consciousness.

Of course, devotees stop looking at the other mirror. Their mirror is so tiny, they do not want to look at their bodies, but look at only the tilak. So they move their mirror up and down over the tilak. If they use the mirror to look at their own bodies, there will soon be competition. While comparing with others’ beauty, they will assure themselves – I am not less beautiful! And of course, as conditioned souls, they will become envious of the Lord, and also envious of the beauty of the Lord.

Lord has blooming lotus eyes, reaching up to ears “karna paryantam”. Gauranga’s eyes reach His ears. Krishna’s eyes, Radha’s eyes are blooming, wide open, because Krishna wants to look at Radha rani and Radha rani at Krishna. So just a little opening is not enough. So He keeps opening His eyes, so He can drink the beauty of Radha rani. They compete with each other in wide opening of Their eyes. Thus Their eyes get opened up to the ears. When we look in the mirrors, especially ladies look at the mirror; they want to extend their eyes also to reach their ears by using the brush and makeup etc.

Thus, “Yasyatma buddhih,  kunape tri-dhatuke” (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.84.13). One who identifies his self as the inert body composed of mucus, bile and air is strengthening his concept of “I am the body”. So a devotee in fact stops looking into the other (regular) mirror or stops looking at his own image in the other (regular) mirror. When that mirror is out, then the remainder of the  mirror is that of the chetana or the  mirror of consciousness –then  he is able  to look at his real ‘self’, the Supreme Self, and his relationship with the Supreme Lord – everything can be seen into that mirror of consciousness.

But that has to be planned so that one is able to throw the regular mirror, or stop looking into the mirror, and appreciate one’s own beauty – then only it is possible to look into the mirror of consciousness from deep within. Cleansing of the mirror of consciousness takes place, as one minimizes his bodily concept of false ego. So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has specifically recommended this “cheto darpana marjanam”.

Maharaja continues to read the purport by His Divine Grace: Specifically, chanting the Hare Krishna mantra purifies one, and this chanting is therefore recommended by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Ceto-darpana-marjanam: [Cc. Antya 20.12] by chanting the names of Krishna, the mirror of the heart is cleansed, and the devotee loses interest in everything external.

REALLY CLEANSED MIRROR OF CONSICOUSNESS- SRILA RUPA GOSWAMI:

Maharaja continues to speak: in this way, he becomes free from false ego. In Srimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.31 Prahlada maharaja said, “Bahir artha manina (considering external objects as valuable)”. Bahir means external. Artha means something meaningful. For example economic development is meaningful. So bahir artha manina – everything that is external is meaningful to the people. This is Prahalad maharaja talking to his father. They just only think that everything else (external or bahir artha) – all that is out there is so very important, meaningful and useful.

Here in this verse, it says Bahir artha vibramam – consciousness is disturbed by this bahir artha resulting into bewilderment. The purport says that by chanting the names of Krishna, the mirror of the heart is cleansed, and the devotee loses interest in everything external. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu met with Rupa Goswami and Anupama in Prayag, He saw in them zero ego, absolutely no ego. These two personalities were holding straw in their teeth – dante trina dhari. They were literally holding the straw in their teeth which is a symbol of extreme humility.  At that time, Mahaprabhu was surrounded by large crowds of people at the confluence of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. Even though it was not time for flooding of the rivers, Mahaprabhu was flooding that region with the love of Godhead and all the people were drowning in that flood of love of Godhead. So these two personalities, Rupa Goswami and Anupana were standing away from Mahaprabhu at a distance. Finally when they found Caitanya Mahaprabhu by Himself, they went near and offered the praise to the Lord, “Namo maha vadanyaya Krishna prema pradayate, Krishnaya Krishna Caitanya namne Gaura tvishe namah”. (C.C. Madhya 19.53) – “O most munificent incarnation! You are Krishna Himself appearing as Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Srimati Radharani and You are widely distributing pure love of Krishna. We offer our respectful obeisance’s unto You.” They stood up with folded hands with their bodies trembling, tears gliding the cheeks and then they fell down into the dust of His feet and again stand up with trembling bodies and tears and repeatedly fall down. This went on for many times. Vallabhacharya had come to meet Caitanya Mahaprabhu to invite Him to his home.  So Mahaprabhu introduced Rupa and Anupana to him, saying that these two Rupa and Anupama – they all always chanting the names of Krishna. The holy name is always dancing on their tongues. Immediately they again started offering obeisance’s. Hearing this Vallabhacharya got up and wanted to go near where Rupa and Anupana were sitting. But these two got up and started running away saying, no don’t touch us, we are not worthy, untouchable etc.

I was amazed when I was reading this part and laughed to myself while comparing my humility with Rupa goswami and Anupana.  Their consciousness is purified – cheto darpana marjanam! In fact, we are lowly, untouchable – asprishya. Association of such devotees is useful for purifying our consciousness.

Maharaja continues to read the purport by His Divine Grace: When one is influenced by the external energy of the Lord, his heart is impure. When one’s heart is not pure, he cannot see how things are related to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. “Idam hi vishvam Bhagavan ivetaro” (SB 1.5.20). He whose heart is purified can see that the whole cosmic manifestation is but the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but he whose heart is contaminated sees things differently. Therefore by sat-sanga, or association with devotees, one becomes perfectly pure in heart.

IN ‘SAT’ SANGA, THE SAINTLY PERSON GIVES ASSOCIATION OF KRISHNA:

Maharaja continues to speak: In one of the lectures of Srila Prabhupada, a devotee was reading a part from Lord Kapila’s instructions and Prabhupada said, why people complain that they have not seen God? Do they not see the sun shining? If they see the sunshine, do they not see God. In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says, Prabha asmi shashi suryayo.. (BG 7.8 – I am the light of the sun and the moon);  raso aham apsu Kaunteya – I am the taste in water. Once in Juhu temple when Prabhupada was giving a lecture, he picked up his glass of water, took a little sip and said aha! That taste in water should remind you about Krishna. That is Krishna consciousness. Just drinking water can remind you about God. So a devotee makes a connection in everything.

There are only three things in the world – chit, achit and jiva – the Lord, His external energy and the living entity. Chit includes all spiritual kingdom, the Lord, His forms, pastimes, names. Achit is His external energy called material external manifestation. The third entity is the living entity. Only three things in this world exist – not many.

So this bahir artha vibramam chittam (as said in the current verse) means the external energy, the achit has entered his consciousness, heart, mind and intelligence. The idea is to get rid of this achit which causes bewilderment (vibramam) and just be with the chit – internal potency and the Supreme Lord. Srila Prabhupada concludes in his purport – Therefore by sat sanga or association of devotees one becomes perfectly pure in the heart. He mentions in Srimad Bhagavatam 3.25.25 – “satam prasangat mama virya samvidau” (In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin.) Lord Kapila in this verse says, that among the special association of devotees, ‘I’ become the topic of their discussion. They discuss about My power, My beauty and thus the nectar from that discussion purifies their hearts.

So when we associate with a saintly person, in fact the saintly person gives us the association of Krishna. He just presents Krishna, talks about Krishna saying here is Krishna. This is called “sat sanga” or association with “Sat”. Krishna is called “Sat-chit-ananda or Om Tat Sat. Krishna is that “sat” or satyam. Satyam Param Dhimahi (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.1.1 – I meditate upon the absolute truth, who is Krishna).

When Lord Krishna was in the womb of Devaki, the demigods started offering prayers to the Lord called garbha stuti. (Srimad Bhagavatam 10.2.26)

satya-vratam satya-param tri-satyam

satyasya yonim nihitam ca satye

satyasya satyam rita-satya-netram

satyatmakam tvam sharanam prapannam

(The demigods prayed: O Lord, You never deviate from Your vow, which is always perfect because whatever You decide is perfectly correct and cannot be stopped by anyone. Being present in the three phases of cosmic manifestation-creation, maintenance and annihilation—You are the Supreme Truth. Indeed, unless one is completely truthful, one cannot achieve Your favor, which therefore cannot be achieved by hypocrites. You are the active principle, the real truth, in all the ingredients of creation, and therefore you are known as antaryami, the inner force. You are equal to everyone, and Your instructions apply for everyone, for all time. You are the beginning of all truth. Therefore, offering our obeisance’s, we surrender unto You. Kindly give us protection.)

So many times in this verse, they used the ‘satyam’ indicating the Lord.  Hence in the ‘sat-sanga’, the association of devotees, the truth or the Lord is presented or the Lord is made available.

Maharaja continues to read the purport by His Divine Grace: One who is pure in heart is never attracted by the external energy which urges the individual soul to try to dominate material nature. The pure heart of a devotee is never disturbed when he executes devotional service in the form of hearing, chanting, remembering, etc. In all, there are nine processes one can follow in the execution of devotional service. In any case, a pure-hearted devotee is never disturbed. The bhakti-yoga process must be carried out by avoiding the ten offenses one can commit while chanting the mahä-mantra and the sixty-four offenses one can commit while worshiping the Deity.

CHANTING HARE KRISHNA IS COMPLETE  WITH  VIDHI AND NISHEDHA OF SCRIPTURES:

Maharaja continues to speak: one part of the instructions is to chant Hare Krishna. The other part is avoiding offences. Chanting Hare Krishna is not enough; with that goes a supplement of avoiding offences. Rather the second part is equally or even more important than chanting Hare Krishna. Instruction is to chant Hare Krishna, but how do chant Hare Krishna? So vidhi and nisheda (dos and don’ts) of the scriptures make the instructions complete. Instruction is not complete unless you hear what not to do as well. Bhakti Vinod Thakur in his song says, “Aparadha shunya hoiya loha Krishna nam” – Being careful to remain free of offenses, just take the holy name of Krishna.  Thus chanting is not complete unless the other instruction of avoiding 10 offences is strictly followed.

Maharaja continues to read the purport: When a devotee strictly follows the rules and regulations, Bhaktidevi becomes very much satisfied with him, and at that time he is never disturbed by anything external. A devotee is also called a muni. The word muni means “thoughtful.” A devotee is as thoughtful as a nondevotee is speculative. The nondevotee’s speculation is impure, but a devotee’s thoughts are pure. Lord Kapila and Shukadeva Gosvami are also called muni, and Vyasadeva is addressed as Mahämuni. A devotee is addressed as muni, or thoughtful, when he purely understands the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The conclusion is that when one’s heart is purified by the association of devotees and by the avoidance of the offenses committed when chanting and worshiping the Lord, the transcendental name, form and activities of the Lord are revealed by the Lord.

AMAZING ARRANGEMENT FOR APPEARANCE OF SITA DEVI & RADHA RANI:  Today is Sita navami. There is Ram navami and there is Sita navami. Similarly there is Krishna Janmastami and Radha ashtami. What a coincidence – or what an arrangement!  What a connection!

Radharani’s and Sitadevi’s appearances are also amazing. Radha rani was found in a blooming lotus floating in Yamuna river. Vrishabhanu was attracted to the lotus and went near and found a child within the lotus. That was Radha rani. Something similar happened with Sitadevi’s appearance. King Janak was ploughing a field, his plough got stuck. He stopped and digged a little and found a container. Within that was Sita devi.

Hari bol.

Soon after Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, soon after I said Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa at the age of 24, He was just 24 years old. Of course could Lord be just 24 years Lord? I was also 24 years old at some time. So that is age of my body, Lord’s body is eternal. This is how; we end up saying, yes! He was 24 years old! He took sannyasa for the benefit of the whole world. That sannyasa initiation arouse additional devotion within heart of the Lord while He is playing role a devotee.

Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna himself, not only just Krishna, but He is also Radharani. “Sri Krishna Chaitanya – radha krishna nahi anya” – He is non different from Radha and Krishna. But as He is playing the role of devotee “bhaktavatar”, He is experiencing intense love for the Lord which was resulted, additional love which was resulted by His sannyasa diksha. Then the first thought that Shri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu had was I would like to go to Vrindavan, where is Vrindavan?? Where is Vrindavan??I want to go to Vrindavan. Shri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu He kept wondering, in fact going round and round in Raaddesh.

Srila Prabhupada explains this as Raaddesh as that part of Bengal where Ganga does not flow. And He was going round and round because He had no sense of direction. He was just totally absorbed in Krishna – OH! Where is Krishna? Where is Vrindavan? And He kept just going round and round. There were few devotees Nityananda Prabhu and two more devotees were accompanying the Lord.  Shri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he comes across some cowherd men of that area, He inspires them to chant, He says bolo Krishna, bolo Krishna Hare Krishna (audience – Hare Krishna……..) and they chant. It may be difficult for me to get you chant Hare Krishna but for Shri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He is the Lord, He is Lord of their hearts. So yes they were all chanting and Mahaprabhu was going closer to them and  blessing them,  touching their heads and Mahaprabhu asked them, which way is to Vrindavan could you please tell me?  Which way is to Vrindavan? Nityananda Prabhu he had already kind of prompted this cowherd men, if this sannyasi inquires from you which way is to Vrindavan, just tell him just go along the banks of Ganga.

That was not the way but this is Nityananda  Prabhu’s trick. So cowherd men, boys they are just, you want to go to Vrindavan that’s the way just go on the “banks of this river” and as Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was going that way, chanting and dancing.  Caitanya Mahaprabhu as you know He never walked, did He fly by air Mauritius (laughter) He only danced or He walked ok He walked but His walking is so artistic, like a actor. When He walks we could watch his steps it’s pleasing. So Mahaprabhu would walk, only dance and sing He was doing that and Nityanand prabhu was following Him.  As Caitanya Mahaprabhu was totally absorbed in his mood of Krishna and at one point he notices Nityananda prabhu is also following He says aye! “Where are you going”?  I am also going to Vrindavan. So they are walking after some distance, Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is inquiring oh! How far is Vrindavan from here? To this inquire Nityananda prabhu said “oh, we have reached Vrindavan” Here is Jamuna and as Mahaprabhu heard that He was in Vrindavan and there was Jamuna. Immediately His ecstasies where now thousand folds and He jumped into river. Jai Yamuna maiya ki…………… Jai Yamuna maiya ki…………… Vrindavan dham ki………………….

At some point, when He was in kind of finish with his Holy dip of Jamuna, but He had no additional garments, He had wet cloths. There He sees Advaita acarya, oh! here are some clothes for you my dear Lord. Seeing Advaitacharya Caitanya Mahaprabhu said “oh! How come how did you know that I was in Vrindavan”? Soon Shri Mahaprabhu realized and He was thinking “Advaita acarya! he has come to Vrindavan or am I in Shantipur in his hometown?”. And there is what had happened this was trick of Nityananda prabhu and this was all planned between Nityanand prabhu and  Advaita acarya to bring the Lord to Shantipur so that resident of Navdweep, Mayapur and specially Sacimata would have another opportunity of having audience with the Lord. And thus Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ends up Caitanya Mahaprabhu he was in Shantipur and devotees in great number turned up for darshan and Sacimata was invited to come. She comes running, takes her Nimai in her lap and profusely shedding tears as if she was doing abhishek with her tears of her Nimai.

Shri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu spent several days in Shantipur specially doing kirtans big kirtans, long many hours of kirtan that was life of Gauranga Mahaprabhu, chanting and dancing. “Kirtaniya sada hari” always chanting “satatam kirtayanto mam”.  Always chanting the glories of the Lord, always chanting the holy names. Sacimata knew Nimai has taken sannyasa. Of course you cannot come back home, I know that, but could you stay in nearby Holy place. Of course you could go anywhere the whole world is open for you. You could go to Durban also, Durban that ban which is at long long distance, doordarshan, Durban this is one of the bans, one of the ban like Vrindavan, Durban so another ban another forest. So He could have stayed in Vrindavan or Haridwar or Banaras, Pandharpur or so many places. No no you please stay in Jagannath puri which is not far from Navadvip Mayapur and we will get news from time to time. Devotees from Navadvip and Mayapur could visit you conveniently. So, no problem Shri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu gladly accepted the proposal of Sacimata and then He proceeded for Jagannath puri chanting and dancing again accompanied by a small group of devotees. And now as they are very close to Jagannath puri, Jagannath puri dhama ki jai…………………………………………….

They could see Jagannath puri and at this place Nityananda prabhu had broken danda, Caitanya Mahaprabhu had taken sannyasa but Nityananda prabhu took away danda of Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu broke into pieces, throw it away. You have nothing to do with varnasram, you do not have to accept sannyasa, have all these symbols. Shri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu was a bit annoyed with avadhut, Nityananda prabhu is avadhut above rules and regulations and he did not want Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu  also to follow such rules. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu as He was bit disturbed with this act of Nityanand prabhu, Caitanya Mahaprabhu said “I will go by myself to Puri”  and from that point onwards, Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu kind of ran towards Puri leaving the main party behind, as if he was getting pulled by Jagannath the powerful magnet. And as Shri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu entered Jagannath puri temple and he saw Lord in front of him, he could not even utter the full name, Jagannath. We could say nothing happens much to us, but for him he could only say Jag…. Jag….. and his voice was choked up and he fell unconscious, losing all external consciousness he fell on the temple floor. In the temple hall there was great personality Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya and he has seen others in the past coming and exhibiting these ecstasies but just a show they were show bottles the fake ones.

Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya was very curious to understand ecstasies, the symptoms of this personality, Shri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He lifted Mahaprabhu and brought Mahaprabhu to his own residence and examined all the symptoms and he realized this was not even ordinary bhava, but this was mahabhava genuine symptoms of ecstasy. Soon the main party arrived they had darshan they were expecting Mahaprabhu to be there in the temple waiting for them. But that wasn’t the case there was no Mahaprabhu in the temple. As they inquired after which they were informed, “yes you go to Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya home probably you will find him there”. Then all the devotes ran to Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya home they found Lord totally unconscious they all started chanting Hare Krishna (Bhajan).

And the result was so it’s a good reason for us to sing also or by singing this way we try to become part of that party Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s party. Try to experience we are also there or we are witnessing this pastime, we are hearing that party singing and then we also sing along. So Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to external consciousness Haribol…… Shri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu ki jai………….. So this is how Mahaprabhu entered Jagannath puri. He was thinking of Lord Jagannath all the time, on the way to Jagannath Puri as Akrura was thinking of Krishna when he went from Mathura to Vrindavan. And Srila Prabhupad reminds this is the way when you go to Vrindavan go to Vrindavan way Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Jagannath puri or way the Akrura went to Vrindavan. You cannot  purchase a ticket, train does not take you to, plane does not take you Vrindavan and Puri. The mood will on the way to Vrindavan or Puri will bring us there, otherwise our body there and mind back in Durban and always in touch with mobile phones. Keeping in touch with family as a result disconnected from the Lord. If family is Jagannath conscious, they may be talking to you on phone about Jagannath and that will help you to go closer to Puri.

So Shri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu was there in Jagannath puri for total 18 years of which 6 years He was travelling all over, South India, another time He goes to Bengal and Bangladesh and back to Jagannath puri. So this is second time He comes back to Jagganath puri. Third time he goes to Vrindavan through Jharkhand forest. You heard Jharkhand forest pastime there also one state now in India  newly formed state like Maharashtra, Gujarat like that Jharkhand is one new state. Caitanya Mahaprabhu travelled through there, danced and made the animals also to dance in ecstasy. Mahaprabhu goes to Vrindavan He does his Brajmandal parikrama and comes back. Like that three times he went on travels, “Hare krishna naam gaur karila prachar”. He was singing that “Hare krishna naam gaur karila prachar”.

Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had appeared to establish the yuga dharma. “dharma-samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge” (B.G 4.8) — I appear in every age to establish the principles of dharma, the prime principle of dharma in this age of kali chanting the holy names of the Lord. So Lord travelled all over establishing, chanting dharma, sankirtan dharma. So finally He was also back from Vrindavan. Now He would be spending 12 more years in Jagannath Puri dham which has very similar mood like that of Vrindavan soon after He took sannyasa as we mentioned  He wanted to go to Vrindavan but He ended up in Jagannath puri which abode of Lord Jagannath who is Krishna himself.

“Sri gaur sri Krishna sri jaganath” Well Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu himself is also Krishna, Jagannath swami is also Krishna. So in Puri, Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu experiences of being in Vrindavan. In Jagannath Puri He would go for darshan of Jagannath everyday and the two Lords would be taking darshan of each other. Caitanya Mahaprabhu very anxious  to see Jagannath. One time Mahaprabhu He was inquiring could someone show me the Lord? Could someone show me the Lord? He was stopping people could someone show me the Lord?  could you bring me to the Lord. That person he did not know what to do how to response. Then he turned to another one what about you please bring me to my Lord that also did not work then another one and then another one and another one.  He was going shop to shop stopping people. He was so anxious so curious to meet his Lord, to have darshan of his Lord.

Finally He came across one smart Jagannath Puri wasi, resident of Puri. Oh! You want to see the lord, yes yes then please come along and he took Caitanya Mahaprabhu, where did he take Caitanya Mahaprabhu? To the temple, please come along and brought inside Jaganath’s temple. Oh! You wanted to see the Lord there you see. And as Mahaprabhu saw there was no Jagannath there at that time, he saw Muralidhar, Shaymsundar playing flute in the place of Jagannath swami. “Jayati jayati devo devakinandano”

So Jayati jayati devo Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also at the time of rathyatra, He would offer this player. Oh! Lord all glories unto you, all glories unto you “Jayati jayati devo devakinandano”

So you are Devaki Nandan, son of Devaki, you are Krishna, you are Vrisni vanshi, Krishna you are. In Jagannath puri, Jagannath swami is very special Krishna. What is the specialty? What is the special feature of Jagannath? Jagannath is that Krishna who is feeling very very intense separation from his devotes. Specially Vrindavan wasi specially Gopis and Radharani. That is the mood, where are they? Where are they? That’s why Lord’s eyes are that’s why they are bigger. So that is Jaganath swami Krishna feeling separation from his devotees. And here is Shri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu he has mood of devotee, he has mood of Radharani and he is feeling separation from Krishna, the Lord. So this is the match Jagannath swami is feeling separation from his devotees he is looking for his devotees where are my devotees?  Where are my devotees?  How are my devotees? And here is Caitanya Mahaprabhu where is my Lord? Where is my Krishna?

So this is perfect, Jagannath swami and Shri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In Jagannath puri temple, there is a Garuda stambha, Garuda is on a pillar, Garuda is the carrier of Jagannath, Vishnu he is like a vehicle, like your vehicle is parked in front as soon as you are out of  your home your vehicle is there ever ready. So Garuda also parks himself whenever Lord wants to go he is ready to go. Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would be allowed only to go up to that pillar and not forward; if he would go forward then he would be finished. Like He would be  in a stronger magnetic field. So better to keep him at safer distance so devotes would not allow him to step forward. He had to stand next to Garuda stambha and take darshan, watch see Jagannath swami and as Mahaprabhu would hold Garuda stambh by the touch of the fingers of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, there are finger prints of Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in that Garuda stambha, I was just there, again in the past also I have seen this time also I not only see, but I also placed my fingers in the same place and I was trying to feel something trying to go into the past and imagine Mahaprabhu standing there and holding that pillar. Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu goongatha, his qualities, his pastimes are the birds would go in Trans “pasan vidare” the rock would melt by his touch or by hearing his pastimes.

Such is the power of Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and his pastimes, his qualities. “gaurangera madhura-lila jar karne pravesila, hrdoya nirmala bhelo tar”.  “gaurangera madhura-lila jar karne pravesila, hrdoya nirmala bhelo tar” . As the pastimes of Gaurang Mahaprabhu enter the ears and it’s not sufficient to enter the ears, his pastimes should finally reach the heart. Because our soul is not in the ears, our soul is not in the ears. What is the sitting place of soul?  Heart. I think that is the purpose of what we are doing here “ekdun tikdun jai vare” it’s a saying in Marathi. So it has to go all the way to heart. Not again entering one ear and coming out from another. So we take this pastime in and arrange the meeting, meeting of Lord’s pastime with the soul. Thats the goal, soul has to be brought in contact with the pastimes of the Lord. That is also one feature of the Lord, Lord is non different from His pastimes, Lila, as He is not different from His holy dhama, His holy name, His holy form. Some of this are Lord’s personal features. Narottam das thakur sings as pastimes of Gauranga Mahaprabhu are heard, hrdoya nirmala, that person’s heart will become nirmal. Free from dirt, free from contamination, free from modes of material nature. This is the purpose of what we are doing here.

By hearing this pastimes of Shri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Puri we would like to purify ourselves, yes is that the purpose? The pastimes of Gaurang in puri are unlimited. It’s the ocean of pastimes, we just need a drop. Because we are very tiny, tiny souls. The drop is like a ocean for us. If we get few drops, we would be drowned in that drop of the pastimes of Gauranga Mahaprabhu.  Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Jaganath Puri as he was returning from his travells,Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya he approached King Prataprudra, where could Lord stay? Please make some arrangement. King Prataprudra was  devotee of Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, although king of Orissa, king of puri, but very very humble, pure soul, pure devotee, he was always very anxious to serve Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He said oh! That Kashi misra’s home would be very appropriate place for Mahaprabhu to stay. There is where Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed when he returned. Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed at Kasi Mishra’s place; I don’t know whether you have heard the name called Gambhira. There is a place called Gambhira, Gambhira also means serious.

Gambhira serious place that place is very very serious place. That place was chosen because it is not very far from Jagannath puri temple and it is secluded and is very quiet, for this reason, Kashi Misra home was chosen as residence for Shri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And the place where is stayed is very tiny, very tiny place, I was just there very small place. Sanyasi, as He was, renounced, he was happily residing in that small place. Although Kashi Misra had big palace, many quarters. But Mahaprabhu chose a small corner, small quarter where next 12 years, he would be spending there. Jaganath puri is going to be his base, no travels. From there He would go everyday for darshan of Jagannath and after having darshan of Jagannath, next place Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would visit everyday this was daily practice visiting Siddha bakula , where Namacharya Haridas Thakur was residing.

Namacharya Haridas thakur was born in Muslim family as a result; he was banned from darshan of Jagannath. Do not think that it is a new policy of modern time, even 500 years ago, Haridas thakur because he was from non-Hindu family, he was not allowed. I was also not allowed darshan of Jagannath one time that was my first time in Jagannath puri must be, 1977, I as we were going group of ISKCON devotees. The Pandas stopped pandit is called panda and as we went no no you are Christians and these ISKCON people they have converted you. I do not know where they got this secret (laughs). I tried to convince but did not work pandas were strongly built and I was small. They literally picked me up and put me outside. But while as we were battling with the panda, one of my American god brothers, born in Christian family but he had Indian kind of complexion and he took advantage of that when pandas were busy with me. So he was there in front of Jagannath swami, praying for me (laughter). He soon returned outside the gate, Maharaj tulsi for you tulsi for you. By his mercy I had tulsi at least of Lord Jaganath.

So Haridas thakur, at least I was fighting to go in there Haridas Thakur did not fight.  He considered himself not qualified for darshan of Jagannath, he would only take darshan of chakra at the top of temple and that was good enough. That is considered good enough and even offerings of the food could be made to chakra. Lot of people to this day also offer the food to chakra. Haridas Thakur just took darshan of chakra at the temple door. But then Mahaprabhu would come to meet Haridas thakur. So he was not allowed to go in for darshan of Jagannath but Jagannath would be walking he could walk who is Caitanya Mahaprabhu? “sei gaur sei Krishna sei jagannath” . So Jagannath swami is Gauranga Mahaprabhu He would come to Haridas thakur and give him darshan and embrace him and this was every day. Haridas thakur he would just chant and chant and chant and that’s all what he did. Haridas thakur would chant and chant and chant and that’s all what he did.

And if we are asked, can’t chant, can’t, can’t, chant chant chant, no can’t can’t can’t Prabhupad said this also. So he would always chant, very little rest, very little food. Always chanting Thats why Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave him title Namacharya Haridas thakur. Namacarya he has another name, he is also known as Brahma Haridas, non different from Brahma. Brahma appeared to take break from his management affairs. He decided to do little mantra meditation and Srila Prabhupad comes in that parampara. First acarya in Srila Prabhupad parampara is Brahma and so he is setting examples, teaching in this age of kali, chanting is the way, he did not deliver discourses on this topic, but simple chanted and set the glorious examples.

So at this place where Haridas thakur there was not much shelter lot of times he would be chanting in hard sun and so one day Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to see Haridas thakur, he brought a toothbrush, it was not made up of plastic, it was a babool tree, So everyday Jagannath swami woken up, they offer him the brush. That days brush mahaprabhu carried with him, planted that. Soon that grew into shady tree and became known as siddhabakul tree. Tree that was planted 500 years ago, that tree is still there, then Haridas thakur was sitting in the shadow of that tree and chanting ‘Hare Krishna…….”. Siddhabakul another is very important spot in Jagannath puri. In puri, you feel strong presence of Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu whereever you go, whole atmosphere of Puri is surcharged with memories of Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and pastimes and so many places. You could go visit Puri places reminding of Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Haridas thakur samadhi is there.

Gundhicha temple is there, before day of rathyatra Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would go there and personally clean the temple, not order others aye! Or call up some coolie’s aye! 10 rupees ok, bring some more sweepers with you, no he did not he would personally go take his devotees take brooms and take many pots  it’s a wonderful pastime.

There are series of festivals which took  place 500 years ago and for thousands of years in fact this festivals one after the other, one leading to others, leading to Jagannath  rathyatra, and  Gundicha marjan prior to rathayatra so series of festivities. We could briefly talk about snanyatra of the Lord and then netroustav, feast for the eyes. Then rathyatra utsav and Jagannath swami staying in Gundicha temple then ultta rath.  And Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visit of Alalnath while no darshan available. For two weeks puri temple is closed, we should know this from the snanyatra time to rathyatra time for two weeks. If you want to have darshan, you have to go to another temple. That is where you take darshan of Jagannath. Taking darshan of that deities is as good as taking darshan of Jagannath. Caitanya Mahaprabhu would do this so Caitanya Mahaprabhu made these festivals memorable, unforgettable experience.

Rathyatra that we are celebrating here is all because of Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he made these rathyatras, he was there for 12 years attending rathyatras, rathyatra after rathyatra. Not just witnessing or  taking photographs, or standing on roof top and making some observations, but he was integral part of rathyatra festival. Jagannath up there Krishna and Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the mood of Radharani in front of him on the streets of puri, in front of rathyatra.

Venue: Los Angeles. So everything ready to go, everything is getting loaded into, into what?  Big trucks?  carts, bullock carts. Every family had at-least one cart or more.  So many cows, so many bulls and that’s the mode of transportation. Krishna had never gone His travels were more kind of limited to this brahad van,  He was more in Gokul, into the town, just  around on the bank of Jamuna just near. It’s the first time He is going for a very long travel, very  very long,  its like going to another country for him. “Oh! Mummy mummy, where are we going? Where are we going? (laughs) “beta we are going to Vrndavan.” “Vrndavan, why Vrndavan?”  “You know there are big big playgrounds. You could play there”. So Krishna was delighted, He was jumping in the cart.

So there are so many many carts big line, cart after cart, after cart, after cart. Carts were mainly for the elderly folks, old people and children, ladies were in the carts. Everyone else they were down to the earth, they were on the ground, walking. And the cows, Sukhdev Goswami describes, cows were all the way in front and Purohit the priests are there they are chanting prayers and cows, where is the cow? Coming (video being played in the background).

And they also have weapons for the protection of cows. Cows have been described repeatedly; they describe cows as the Go-dhan, wealth of the residents of Vrindavan, so they wish to protect this.  When comes to cows, so many cows, so many cows, this pastime is coming up. So they are going, they left Gokul, Gokul has been deserted, there’s no one in the Gokul, no one in Gokul. They all left, ghost town and they are going in north, northerly direction and because it had taken some time everyone to load their belongings and everyone getting into the carts. It is mentioned there’s a special cart wherein there is Krishna and Balarama and Yasoda and Rohini, four of them are in one cart. It’s a talk that we also hear that everyone would like to have his cart next to Krishna’s cart and Krishna lets them experience there were times, during those travels everyone was thinking “hey! My cart is next to Krishna’s cart, hey! My cart is….”   Everyone else is far; you know behind, ahead, my cart is just next to Krishna’s cart, Balarama’s cart.

This is Krishna expanding, His cart has been expanded, He has expanded, He is with all those carts.  So because it was getting late it was sunset time, they camped on the bank of Jamuna, they camped out. In the same side as Gokul just some distance in the north. This whole camping has been described how they had everything was there. The next morning as they got up they wanted to cross, so what they do for crossing. There are different things they do, how they cross Jamuna. They tied carts, cart one cart another cart, another cart, another cart….   What is this going on? What is this? Bridge. they are walking and crossing there are many bridges like that and people are going in their carts.  Tying carts you understand match box one another one cart.  Where the others the cowherd men they are carrying cows little baby calf on their shoulders and  swimming Jamuna going across and if they are swimming across with the calf on the back, who is swimming right behind you think?  Mother cow. So many men are carrying the baby calf on their shoulders and they are swimming and the cows are swimming right behind. Thousands of them are trying to swim across like that. Go-mata ki jai………………………………

And now they all have reached Vrindavan, Vrindavan dhama ki jai………Vrindavan they all are in Vrindavan now. Vrindavan is again, there are twelve forests. All of them put together is we call Vrindavan but one of those twelve forests is also Vrindavan forest, between Jamuna and Govardhan it is all Vrindavan forest. Vrindavan is not just forest (video is being played in the background).  We are getting feeling we are in Vrindavan. We are there it’s the real thing, now where they go and park is, they park all the carts in semi circular format. “sakatair ardha-candravat vrndavanam sampravisya” (S.B 10.11.35)

After entering Vrindavan they park their carts in the semi circular format and made that as a compound and they were they started staying there, residing there. This makes shift temporary housing and facilities and they stay there for long time several years. According to Vishvanath Chakraborty Thakur, Krishna stayed 3 years and 4months in Gokul and He stays 3 years and 4 months where they have just now come this place is called sakatavarta you have heard name of Chatikara Chatikara you know Chatikara, you go from Delhi highway, Delhi- Agra highway and then you turn to go to Krishna Balarama temple that Bhaktivedant marg so that at that junction highway there then turning left to go to Vrindavan Krishna Balarama temple. So at that junction is a village even now called Chatikara, Chati, sakata. So that’s where they had parked all the carts, big area. So three years and four months there and finally from there they go to Nandagram and Krishna spends three years and four months in Nandagram. And then comes Akrura from Mathura to invite Krishna and Balarama to Mathura. So just to give an idea where is Krishna now and where is the family. So here at this place Krishna’s is going to be, “vatsa-palau babhuvatuh” (S.B 10.11.37) Sukadev Goswami describes here Krishna becomes a calf herd boy.

He was given the task of herding just a calf. He is a little boy and He can only manage herding little cows, cows “Choti Choti Gaiyan, Chote Chote Gwaal Choto so Choto so madana gopal”. Everything is chota chota, Krishna chota, gaaya choti, cows choti choti gaiyan, everything is small small. Now He was very anxious Krishna is very anxious to do this take this assignment.  Now with this His sakha bhava,  in Gokul basically “vatsalya bhava”  He is spending time with Yashoda and Rohini and the parents and like that and little bit sakhya few friends.  But having come to Vrindavan now the friends becomes more dominant Sakha bhava. So He has to be away from home playing with the friends so this calf herding pastime activity would give more opportunity to be with the friends and more play, so it is also excuse to be away from the family so that they could play with the friends. So there was a time when Krishna first time proposed   Yashoda flat “no no no you aren’t going to forest, forget it”. She was not ready she was not ready “no no stay home, stay home. You are still little tiny baby, don’t have to go to work at this age” but He was insisting and then Nanda Maharaj took Krishna’s side. Father mother they were debating and Krishna and Nanda Maharaj won the debate and Krishna was able to now go out as a calf herd boy.  First day Nanda Maharaj they gathered a small group of calf’s and few other friends they had their small group of cows also and Nanda and Yashoda personally were accompanying  Krishna Balarama and cowherd boys and training them how to control cows how to turn them this way, “stop stop” they gave little ropes little ropes in the hands of Krishna and Balaram, little sticks and “but don’t go deep into the forest okay and come back before lunch”.  “yes yes daddy yes  yes mommy” Nanda Yashoda “yes we’ll be back” and they are proceeding towards the forest and then lots of play and come back and this is going on for some days and one day kadacid once upon a time Yamuna-tire on the banks of Jamuna other side now on the eastern bank now they are staying on the western bank everyone is staying on the western bank.  Now Krishna and Balarama the cowherd boy have gone across Jamuna and eastern bank of Jamuna they are herding their cows and “ Krsna balayor jighamsur daitya agamat” (S.B 10.11.41)

One demon, one demon arrived in the scene Rukhmini Dwarkadhish ki jai……….. With the aim of killing Krishna and Balarama he has come “tam vatsa-rupinam viksya” (S.B 10.11.42) Krishna noticed and this demon has come in the shape of a calf easy right, so many cows there one more calf. So many cows were there one more calf. So this demon thought it’s easy no one would notice me but there was Krishna he noticed not only he noticed he brought to the ….. aye! Balarama Balarama, you see you see. Not the other one, no no just near next to him you know. Ha! ha! Yes yes what about him you know that’s not regular calf strange kind of “yes yes something we have never seen such a calf, this is extra one extra one”

“darsayan baladevaya” He showed, Krishna showed it to Balarama “sanair sanair” and Krishna is moving forward He showed to Balarama. Krishna is making advances He is getting closer and closer and closer and closer to that particular calf as He got there Grhitva caught hold of that calf’s apara-padabhyam his hind legs apara-padabhyam two and the hind legs saha-langulam with the tail,  two hind legs and tail together “saha-langulam acyutah” (S.B 10.11.43.) Krishna has done this and the next thing He did started whirling and (shuuuuuuuu……) and it fell on a top of a big tree. And it’s because Krishna moving so fast he lost his life, the demon lost his life in this process shook his life out it could through a dead body.  “bhramayitva kapitthagre prahinod gata-jivitam” (S.B 10.11.43) and he was so and as he was been thrown whirled around and thrown, this calf was no more a little calf assumed a gigantic form his original demon form calf was not a original form he had a so heavy that the tree fell down so many other trees fell.

“devas ca parisantusta babhuvuh puspa-varsinah” (S.B 10.11.44) Devatas Demigod were highly pleased santusta and they started showering flowers many flowers the flowers are being showered “tam viksya vismita balah” (S.B 10.11.44) And all the cow boys friends they were kind of hiding (laughs) when Krishna was handling (laughs) the demon they were not sure what is going to be outcome of this, so they were maintaining safer distance and watching from behind the trees.

And once the demon was killed they stepped forward saying Sadhu sadhu sadhu sadhu sadhu well done well done.  And next thing they are doing ,some special kind of fruit tree so trees fell so there are so many fruits (laughing) all the cowherd boys they are running after the fruits it was the breakfast time they are kind of hungry. Someone lost the life (laughs) and no big deal they just want to enjoy fruit.  So like that they ran for the fruit so like that they would have good time herding cows calves and playing with the friends.

And another day they were all thirsty, these two pastimes one demon killing which is Vatsasura and there’s more to talk about there was a news that Vatsa the calf. So some residents of Vrindavan  hey! Krishna He is a sinner, He has killed cow killed cow, He has to take bath He has to take holy dip now for his self purification.  He should go take bath in Ganga now Krishna was willing but He doesn’t leave Vrindavan to go take bath in Ganga so how does He manage,He creates Ganga from His mind and that is Manasi Ganga. When you do Govardhan parikrama on the way take darshan of this Govardhan Town is Manasi Ganga. So that comes from mind is born in minutes from mind of Krishna Krishna takes bath and everyone one is taking bath in that Manasi Ganga. So that is related some other pastimes are also mentioned in connection with this Manasi Ganga and this is one of them. So another day the boys are thirsty (Maharaj telling the audience – we have some dramas coming up for your pleasure Rukhmini Dwarkadhish theater is gonna be performing drama).

So that was another demon coming, he is Bakasura he is brother of Putna.  Putna has been killed now second member of the family is about to and he has come as a big buck big duck. So they drank water and then suddenly they saw this big big huge size duck and (quacking sound) everything is here [laughing] you name it cow is here birds ducks.  So “bako nama mahan asuro” (S.B 10.11.48) “baka-rupa-dhrk”. So he comes Sahasa suddenly comes and big nose pointed beak beaks and he catch holds Krishna and swallows.

Where is Krishna now? He was playing, He was playing with friends and the demon came and just swallowed and cowherd boys were right there and where is Krishna? Where is Krishna? His friends disturbed and Krishna inside the throat He is becoming very very hot and very bitter also. Then would you swallow something that is so hot and so bitter? what do you do next you vomit? So this demon vomited what did come out?  Krishna came out and next thing Krishna He did He held, what did He held?  The two beaks of this demon and broke them, he went up also.

Bakasura was also killed we are rushing because idea was to kill another demon today (laughs) which is Aghasura.  So putna his sister Bakasura and Aghasura, Bakasura and Aghasura are two brothers and sister Putna. So this Aghasuras time for killing. So “ghor darshana”    “aho brahma vidham vaco nasatyah santi karhicit” (S.B 10.11.57). The cowherd boys as the news spread of Krishna killing this another demon residents of Vrindavan Nanda Maharaj they are reminded of Garga Muni’s predictions and this would happen that would happen killing of demons but Krishna will come always victorious always depend upon Him He will protect you and exactly. “gargo yad aha” the way he said, had predicted is exactly happening  all talk about this “iti nandadayo gopah krsna-ram-katham muda” (S.B 10.11.58). So these topics are giving great pleasure to the residents nandayah gopah gopa gops   protectors of the cows Nanda Maharaj and the others and kurvanto ramamanshchya this Ram Krishna katha they are absorbed this is their life

“mac citta mad-gata prana bodhayantah parasparam kathayantas ca mam nityam tusyanti ca ramanti ca” (B.G 10.9) Krishna said in Bhagvat gita  same thing here  residents’ of Vrindavan are ramamanashcya   they are busy absorbed in talking about Krishna we also wish while hearing before you talk what you have to do?,what you have to do? you have to hear you have to read otherwise what will you talk about, you will talk about Iraq affairs,  whatever you hear about you talk about, simple thing what goes in   input that is output.  If katha goes in, katha will come out you will relish and then it will come out.  So we also wish to how Krishna katha is our topic we are devotees   Krishna is expecting that we always talk  about Krishna so, we have to hear about Krishna, so  wish to hear more and more and then do manthanam mananam. You hear and hear and come back tomorrow to hear more but in mean time what happen mananam contemplation contemplate  bring those past time back to the mind and contemplate  relish and take them in again. Just like a cow or animal they eat twice atleast twice  first time gobble up  grazing and then  they sit down and what do they do just like chewing,  they bring whole thing back into the mouth and then they chew it make it finer and they assimilate and that goes into the system they get nourished.  Not necessary by just first time they eat so here we have rush we kind of feed, we gobble up in couple of hours then we have 22 hours more to do what chewing this katha or bringing this pastimes back into the mouth and take a look at them,  relish them  then they become our property  then we will not forget it.