Venue: ISKCON Noida (BASE), Dated: 26th April 2014

Very happy to visit your ashram the BASE ashram, brahmachari ashram most of you or all of you are unmarried, single, so ashram before grihastha ashram is brahmachari ashram. Of course it’s not necessary for everyone to be grihastha. Prabhupada said that all the boys should stay single and there were mataji disciples also they should all get married, all the girls should get married and all the boys should stay single (laughter). Try, try to give a try to stay single. Life is a journey, they always advise to travel light. If you are single, not added the family, children, extra baggage, extra luggage, excess luggage, journey could be tougher one. Life is tough and then you die. So we are happy that first of all you are all souls’ right. Are you all souls? That is our goal, to realize that we are souls. If we don’t realize we miss the bus. So you souls have come together and you are residing here. So this is already great good fortune.

Krishna is very kind; otherwise also He is very kind. It is said that God is ..Krishna is kind. But what is the proof? We could say that we have this opportunity to stay together, pray together. Also that family which prays together stays together. Family does not mean wife. There is no wife here, how come we are family. Devotee family, family not necessarily means wife, children that makes a family. Family of devotee, devotee family, family of Srila Prabhupada so this is Prabhupad’s family. We are family members; Krishna is also our pati, so we are in that sense family. We have master, Srila Prabhupada is our master. We must be servants or disciples or followers. So, we have come we have been brought in contact with the Lord Sri Krishna it is our great good fortune.

“brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva” Living entities are wandering all over the universe, they have been wandering. There are some fortunate souls. “guru krishna prasade paya bhakti lata bija” We are brought in contact with Guru, Krishna, contact with sadhus, devotees, Gurus, Siksha gurus, Diksha gurus, pathpradarshak gurus, chaityagurus. Even Lord becomes our Guru, He is our Guru, “krishnam vande jagatgurum” He is Guru within the heart, He is also playing role of a Guru – Chaityaguru.

So this contact, this connection has been made through Guru. “guru krishna prasade paya bhakti lata bija” and you are getting the bija or seed of devotion. This is the kindness of Lord. Lord is very, very kind and you realize, you feel, you experience His kindness as we have been brought in contact with Him, brought in contact with devotees of Sri Krishna and that will introduce us to Krishna and that path will lead us to Krishna, Krishna’s lotus feet. Hare Krishna (Maharaj is asking the devotees is it ok so far what I said?)

“apy adhruvam arthadam” (S.B 7.6.1) This human life is temporary, not for very long. “Kamal dala jal, jeevan tal mal”. Are you hungry? If you are already full, food is offered, you will not eat, doesn’t matter what kind of food. You are hungry, thirsty, your soul is thirsty, you will be very eager. “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare”. We are addressing your souls, we are treating you as souls and hence all that I am talking is for the soul. Soul is the goal. We are not talking here of the body, needs of the body are also there eating, sleeping, matting and defense bodily necessities. And we have not talked nothing about that so far so good, so far so bad that we have spoken about those matters. We live that to someone else to tell you about that your bodily needs. But on behalf of Sri Krishna, we are representing Sri Krishna so when we meet people we see you as the soul, treat you as a soul. And Soul’s NIC- N: Needs, I: Interests, C: Concerns you have heard of NIC? Souls needs, Souls interest, souls concerns.

Before we said life is a journey we start the journey we always know what my destination is. Where am I going? If someone is sitting in the train in compartment, you ask him where you are going? “I don’t know”. How does that sound. He must be pagal. He is sitting in the train, journey is about to start, he doesn’t even know where he has to go, where is this train bringing him to. So even before we start the journey what is the first thing you do? Decide the destination. We could call that as a goal, goal of a journey, this life is a journey. It must have some goal, some target, some destination. So you are all ready, your journey has started. When you took birth your journey started. One-fourth of your journey is over. You are on the way. I do not know whether you made up your mind, when you started your journey twenty, twenty-five, fifteen, eighteen years ago. You are just sitting in a train you don’t know where this train is bringing you to.

So, this is of prime importance to make the plan for your journey. Otherwise, you make the whole plan for your life’s mission, life’s goal. What you wish to achieve in this human form of life? that is different from other living species, animals and birds forget the trees. They just survive, animals just survive, birds just survive they eat, they sleep, they mate and they defend. That is their whole life. They do not do anything beyond. This is called animal propensity, animal instincts, animal activities something from within dictates them, do this, do this, do this. So, all that they do is eat, sleep, mate, defend and this is how it is going on in this human form of life. Most of the human beings, most of them, a lot of them: human beings on this planet are busy with these four businesses. Bijli, sadak, pani, roti, kapda, makan and the whole elections are being fought. All promises are being made. We will do this, we will do this, and we will do this. Aam admi party, this party, that party. Bijli is such a big issue. Most of the people are busy like that.

The birds do not have Parliament. The animals do not have parliament. So many educational institutes. They do not have metro-trains. They do not have malls. They do not have fast mode of transportation and communication. Look we have all this, but with all this Parliament and all these universities and courts and lawyers and engineers, basically it boils down to four things.

“Chyain se jivo sukha se jivo” Life of luxury, you have heard the word luxury? ‘Luxurious apartments’ and ‘eighty-one stories.’ But luxury five star hotels, seven star hotels. You heard of 7 star hotels? When devotees go on, we were just doing Navadvipa mandal parikrama last month Navadvipa and Mayapur. So we told the devotes we have facilities here bare, minimum just tents, straw on the floor, simple roof that’s all and we had devotees from sixty different countries on the parikrama, Navadvipa Mandal parikrama. We had 10 thousand devotees in Navadvipa Mandal parikrama this year, Haribol! As I talked of this 5 star and 7 seven star I was reminded of. So when devotees were lying down after parikrama and roof of the tent had big, big holes. One devotee said, “Maharaj you said simple facility but I am seeing so many stars- so not just 7 but multistar, many star facility, so many stars.”

“Yaha suvidha nahi hai yaha sukha hai parikrama me” Wherever we have come from, there was facility not happiness but here there is no facility but there is all happiness, without luxury. Our souls are happy, we are happy. Most of the world is busy. In the words of Srila Prabhupada “people like Kingdom of God, Kingdom like that of God but without God” What do we need God for? I am God. I want to be God. I want to be the enjoyer. What is God known for? He enjoys. So the bewildered souls, souls are bewildered, confused, perplexed and they are taking position of God, being God or the enjoyers. But for humans, what is the goal of life? Animals goal is also same eating, sleeping, they have better sex facilities. The pigeons, they could enjoy sex life fifty times a day. Could any human being do that? They’ll die, they’ll kill themselves. Sex life is killer. You really want to enjoy that, become a pigeon, become a pig that’s what we were, we have gone through all this.

All that glitters is not gold, this world is very shiny and glittery, sleek, all chamak dhamak, this is creating illusion. For human being some additional thing they are expected to do. “Dharmo hi tesam adhiko viseso” For human being there is some additional thing they are expected to do, that is what? That is dharma. That is Krishna consciousness. “Ahara nidra bhaya maithunam ca samanyam etat pasubhir naranam” this is common for pasu and nara. For humans and animals it is common. We have bodies so eating is there. We cannot survive without eating. Eating must be there. “annad bhavanti bhutani” (B.G 3.14) Krishna said If you do not eat, you cannot live, you cannot survive. You must eat. “dharmo hi tesam adhiko viseso” You have to eat as per principles of dharma. Dharma will tell you. You are human beings. Then you have to follow the principle of dharma.

“dharma sammudha cetah” (B.G 2.7) this is Arjuna’s situation. Kuruksetra battle started “senayor ubhayor madhye sthapayitva rathottamam” (B.G 1.24) and Krishna took Arjuna’s chariot in between two armies’ and then when he saw “pasyaitan samavetan kurun iti” (B.G 1.25) Krishna said, just see you wanted to see, who you have to fight with, so now you could take a close look. “pasyaitan” just see those who have assembled here are Kurus “samavetan kurun pasya”. So and then he saw and his bodily concept was revived. He was kind of reminded they are Kurus and I am also Kuru. Kauravas, Pandavas they are both Kuru. Arjuna became overwhelmed by this bodily concept and his affection for family members. They were anti-Krishna party and then Arjuna has made several statements in the first chapter of Bhagvad- Gita. But he was bewildered, overwhelmed by the affection for his family members the false affection.

Then he said you know I am “karpanya dosopahata svabhavah” (B.G 2.7) He was influenced by karpanya dos, miserly very miser, not magnanimous. This human birth is very valuable and its wealth human form of life is a wealth, its arthadam- it is meaningful. There is so much wealth but you don’t use it even if it is essential. You spend money on buying this and that, that person is called miserly, not that he doesn’t have the means the wealth. But he is miserly, doesn’t utilize it properly. So this Arjuna had the wealth of human form of life but he was karpanya doso. He had become miserly. He said that he himself said this.

“prcchami tvam dharma sammudha cetah” (B.G 2.7) I have become sammudha, I am very badly bewildered. I don’t know the goal of life. I don’t know what to do and what not to do, “kim kartavya vimudha” about my duty, my kartavya. What am I supposed to be doing? I am not able to come any conclusion. No, no O! Lord, then he appealed to the Lord. “yac chreyah syan niscitam bruhi tan me” (B.G 2.7) But whatever is good for me, whatever is best for me. You tell me, I cannot manage, I cannot handle. I am bewildered, I am lost. You do it for me. “sisyas te aham sadhi mam tvam prapannam” (B.G 2.7) sisya- I am now becoming your disciple and please instruct me, O! My Lord, O! My Supreme, O! My spiritual master, you tell me, you guide me, you enlighten me, you lead my path and this is how Bhagvad-Gita begins now. When Arjuna took that stand this is where song of God begins, Lord would begin singing the song, Geet- Bhagvat gita.

So, we the human beings in this world, bewildered and conditioned and what not. Overwhelmed, the dictations, the propensities- eating, sleeping, mating and defending this is what they have been doing in previous lives. They are in position of Arjuna, Arjuna’s position, they represent Arjuna’s thinking, Arjuna’s status, Arjuna’s fallen, bewildered situation. The present day civilization is like that. Fortunately, in case of Arjuna, because he had a good fortune, that he has come in contact with the Lord and he is making enquiry from the Lord. That is why we were talking in the beginning that you are rare souls. There are not so many souls who have got this opportunity, you are selected few.

“manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye” (B.G 7.3) out of thousands and thousands, some fortunate souls they think of perfection, think of something higher, better or superior than this animalism, another “ism” another name animalism . So the present day civilization is mostly animalism, they are animals. “dharmena hinah pasubhih saman” the principle is that if you separate dharma from human form of life what is the balance. The balance is pasu “sei pasu boro duracar se sambandha nahi jar” (Nitai pada kamala by Narottam Das Thakur) those who are not in contact with Nityananda Pabhu, “janma brtha gelo tar” their life is a wasting life.

So the world is called “bhava pravaha” Kunti maharani said world is flowing floating, bhava-sagar, bhava pravaha. Sansar is flowing and the whole world is flowing, going with that flow. “andha yatha andhai upagiya mana” the leaders are blind and the followers are also blind, blind leading the blind. So, you could imagine – when blind leads a blind. If the blind are lead by someone who has eyes, then even if you don’t have your own eyes you could take help of others who have eyes, others who have vision, others who are providing direction then you will be benefitted.

So, whole civilization is in all total darkness “aham ajnan jana tamah” (B.G 10Kr.11) ishna says ajnana, Ignorance is causing the darkness. In middle of flood, daylight, so much light but still you cannot see, in the middle of the day there is darkness, darkness caused by the ignorance. Vedas say ‘don’t stay in ignorance, don’t stay in darkness.’ “Tamasoma jyotirgamaya”, Tamaso ma- don’t stay in darkness, come to the light. So that light we are getting some rays, you are approaching that light. To get different results you have to do something different. The means have to different to achieve different goal. The animals and the birds and the fish and aquatics they have certain type of goal, fixed goal but for human being there is different goal so they have to do something different once you have a different goal. So what their goal is that you are told. As Arjuna approached Sri Krishna “please tell- bruhi tan me” bruhi- please speak, give me vision, give me light, give me direction. Tell me what I am supposed to do. So are you taking that stand that’s the point, Arjuna was in bewildered state he was making so many statements. He was talking; he didn’t even let Krishna speak in the 1st chapter of Bhagvat gita Krishna did not speak. 1st chapter later half of 1st chapter, towards end of 1st chapter of Bhagvat gita its Arjuna geet, song of Arjuna, Arjuna is speaking and all that talk that goes all around the world is very similar to the kind of talk that Arjuna is talking about.

Towards the end of the first chapter of Bhagvat gita all this concerns. What about this dharma? That dharma? Krishna said no..no.. “sarva dharman parityajya” (B.G 18.66) get rid of that dharma, those duties. So when he is talking and talking, He was thinking, I am talking big, of great benefit to myself, to my family, the world but Krishna knows the value of those thoughts that talk. “kutas tva kasmalam edam” (B.G 2.2 ) He says where is this dirt coming from? All that you are talking it’s so dirty, it is not valuable. Throw this in dustbin it is fit for the dustbin kachara peti. All that Arjuna talked “prajna vadams” (B.G 2.11) Talking like a learned pandit Krishna says. Look, you are full of lamentation, you are lamenting “nanusocanti panditah” pandit does not lament. Your whole talk is full of lamentation, people either lament or they hanker.

So that Arjuna luckily, fortunately had a good fortune of approaching the Lord, the right authority, the Supreme authority, the knowledgeable, kind Lord. You also become fortunate like Arjuna, Krishna was right in front of Arjuna. He was having the dialogue. Where is Krishna? I would like to talk to Him, consult Him. But you could do that, you could do that Krishna is here. What Krishna spoke five thousand years ago to Arjuna that He was speaking to you, He wanted to speak to you, He wanted to talk to you but you were not ready before. But it seems now you are ready, willing to have a dialogue with the Lord. You read that dialogue. Krishna-Arjuna samvad- dialogue. Put yourself in position of Arjuna. There are some sixteen different questions that Arjuna has raised during that dialogue. So make those questions your questions like Arjuna is asking these questions. You take the microphone, you ask those questions. They are the right questions, “Perfect questions, perfect answers” those are the questions human beings ask naturally. Then let Krishna speak to you and you hear. You read Bhagvad-gita or you hear Bhagvad-gita, the song of God.

Then you will realize what happens towards the end. Arjuna said “nasto mohah smrtir labdha tvat prasadan mayacyuta sthito smi gata sandehah karisye vacanam tava” when he heard that dialogue “nasto mohah smrtir labdha” (B.G 18.73) Now I regained my consciousness or my memory, now I know who I am, who you are. “param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan” (B.G 10.12) . “Kamal jal dala jeevan tal mal” I was very shaky but now I am fixed as sthira, steady, my hand was trembling “gandivam sramsate hastat” (B.G 1.29) Gandiva was slipping out of my hands. My mouth drying up “mukham ca parisusyati” (B.G 1.28) this and that but now, all that is over, now I am fixed now, I know what to do. I know my duty now as a Kshatriya what I am suppose to be doing. “karisye vacanam tava” (B.G 18.73) Your wish is my command, I will execute your will, I know your will now, I know you, I know myself and my relationship with you and my duty and I am ready.
So this dialogue take place between a soul and Sri Krishna dialogue at the beginning of our journey of life, it’s already little late you already started travelling moving on “kaumara acaret dharaman bhagvatan iha” (S.B 7.6.1) this is advise of Pralad Maharaj, you are kumar “kaumaram yauvanam jara” (B.G 2.13) the boyhood, the youth hood, the old age. When you are boys this is the time boys, till the time your friend is “dharaman bhagvatam eha” (S.B 7. ) Go for studying dharma; go for understanding dharma, what is my dharma? The soul’s dharma, dharma of the soul. So you are here together ISKCON’S youth program, based here in the Base, you are based here in the Base and you have a dialogue with Lord. So take full advantage of your being here and you are travelling and moving and moving life after life as all the conditioned souls are busy moving but now you have kind of stopped, think before you proceed. The lion the king of forest he does this called Simhavalokan, he travels he runs in the forest then he stops, lion is known for this he is a king he is known, he takes stop of the situation, tries to understand where I am now? Where I have come from? How far I have to go? Where I have to go? He stops and thinks called Simhavalokan, simha avalokan- means to see. He scans circumstances and then he proceeds.

So being here is, take it easy, relax, stop, think before you proceed. So this wandering has been going on and on and on for long time, souls don’t know this, that’s what even Arjuna said because the conditioned souls don’t know. So Arjuna is taking that position “bahuni me vyatitani janmani tava carjuna tany aham veda sarvani na tvam vettha parantapa” (B.G 4.5) Arjun had earlier asked questioned that oh! You said you spoke this knowledge Bhagvad-gita to Sun God long long time ago, oh! How am I to understand this? That you speak long long time ago then how do I understand this? “aparam bhavato janma param janma vivasvatah” (B.G 4.4) You are just now born and Vivasvan he was there in the past long long time ago. That Vivasvan, the sun God existed and you are now with me, we are together. “katham etad vijaniyam tvam adau proktavan iti” (B.G 4.4) How am I to understand that? “tvam adau proktavan iti” in the past previously you spoke this knowledge to Vivasvan “katham etad vijaniyam” how I am going to understand this? You understand this? This is Arjuna’s question, one of the 16 questions we said, Arjuna’s question.

You are here, I am here and what you are taking, you spoke millions of years ago to Sun God Vivasvan and then Krishna’s reply is “you have forgotten”. “bahuni me vyatitani janmani tava carjuna tany aham veda sarvani na tvam vettha parantapa” (B.G 4.5) bahuni me- many, many births I had many births and you have had many births. “tany aham veda sarvani” I remember all those births, “na tvam vettha parantapa” but the trouble is you have forgotten, you have forgotten all those births you have forgotten but I remember all of them not only my incarnation “sambhavami yuge yuge” (B.G 4.8) but I remember your birth, I remember everybody’s births. “vedaham samtitani varmanani carjuna bhavisyani ca bhutani mam tu veda no kascana” (B.G 7.26) Krishna says I remember everybody this is the Lord, this is the Lord, Lord could say this, He is speaking the fact the truth “vedaham samtitani” I remember I know “samatitani” everything that has happened to you right now, I know all of that “varmatani” all that is going on, happening right now with you I know. “bavisyani ca bhutani” . The future of every living entity, I know “na veda na kascana” but the trouble is no one knows me. I know about everybody but no one knows me.

So we have forgotten as Arjuna had forgotten, Arjuna doesn’t remember, we have forgotten. Now we have this human form of life, its very meaningful some purpose, to do something that we never were able to do in past, in only human form of life such things are possible. This Krishna consciousness is possible only in human form of life. Man or woman’s or wife, husband, children everyone’s goal is the same, to become Krishna conscious, to love Krishna, serve Krishna, go back to Krishna, go and join the dancing party of Radha and Krishna Prabhupada used to say. Goal is join the dancing party of Radha and Krishna. Ok any questions, discussion points.

Question: – Prabhupada said that all the boys should stay single how’s that going to work?
Answer: (Maharaj ji laughs) So Srila Prabhuapada did accept that everyone, all the brahmacaris will stay single but it won’t work out like that everyone is not going to meet that expectation. But then there is opportunity for girls to get married with those who would not manage staying single. All those who join the brahmacari ashram although Krishna and Spiritual master would expect that they would stay single forever, practicing and propagating Krishna consciousness. But in reality that won’t happen some will continue as brahmacaris “brahmacari gurukule vasantantam gururhitam” Narada Muni also says this. Brahmacari stays in Gurus ashram “dasvat” as a menial servant, humble guruhitam- serving spiritual master, following his instructions. So everyone will not mange doing that, so who won’t manage, can’t manage another ashram. “catur varnyam maya srstam” (B.G 4.13 ) Krishna has created not only brahmacari ashram but He has also created grahasta ashram then there is vanaprasta ashram finally brahmacari again sanyasi is advanced stage of brahmacari. Some will continue that same ashram same path brahmacari but others the option is there alternative is there. Go for change of ashram its authorized grahasta ashram but trouble is difficulty is there no ashram, there is no grahasta ashram. Ghar has become cinema ghar not ashram. Grahasta ashram is fine, it’s ok, it’s authorized that’s part of dharma. Your life is a journey you take that route grahasta ashram that is also path and finally vanaprastha renunciation.

Question: – What is vanaprastha ashram?
Answer: Vana is van means forest and prastha means situated in the forest; grihastha vanaprastha in the both situations one is situated in griha and finally situated in forest. One is comfort zone grihasta family life keeping Krishna in the center, wife husband are partners Krishna conscious partners marriage partners. But that is not for ever first 25 years brahmachari ashram next 25 years grihasta ashram then there is “ekavan” when your age is, what is the age? Ekavan, bavan it’s a reminder it’s the time to go to van forest ekavan, bavan. So that person moves out of grihasta, he retires what they call retirement, he travels to holy places, meets holy men practices vairagya- detachment because he was attached to so many things so he is coming out of that “asa pasa satair baddhah” (B.G 16.12 ) leading more austere life as guided by “sadhu – sastra- acharya”. So vanaprashta ashram its transitions between grihasta ashram and sannyasa ashram, its preparation for the final stage is vanaprastha. Ok any other question?

Question: – Arjuna was not prepared to fight he gave so many reasons not to fight, killing of elders etc?
Answer: Yes so we hear Arjuna speaks at the beginning of Bhagvat gita first chapter, we kind of agree – it makes sense. Arjuna was also thinking he was confident and he was expecting that soon Krishna would say yes yes you are right Arjuna, there is no need to fight. Morning time just have breakfast (laughter) you don’t have to fight. So Arjuna was expecting also Krishna responding like that he was not willing to fight and Krishna would agree yes yes you don’t have to fight. Some of those talks and thoughts of Arjuna they fit into dharmic principles, sounds like dharma. Principles of morality and kula dharma, this dharma that dharma. But if that comes in the way of executing the will of the Lord, mission of the Lord then it should be abandoned, should be given up. That is “sarva dhraman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja” The war was the will of the Lord; Krishna is behind the battle Arjuna was not able to see. This battle was going to serve the purpose of Lord’s mission, Lord’s advent into this world “dharma samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge” (B.G 4.8) so how is He going to do that? “paritranaya sadhanam vinasaya ca duskrtam” I will annihilate the miscreants. So this was whole sale arrangement not a retail business killing one by one, Lord had to go door to door that demon killed, that one killed. This battle field forum provided whole sale opportunity let all the demons come out kill them. So some higher purpose Krishna’s purpose was going to be served by battling, fighting I know you have some concerns you are worried about this, what will happen? The husbands are killed and the widows “varna-sankara” that is also there but there is some higher principle.

Question: – dharma sastra? (A devotee asks about Dharma sastra)
Ya there are different sastras, dharma sastra they have different values or gradation. So at some level that is also ok under some circumstances to be done or practiced. Ya so when Krishna was talking to Gopis in the middle of the night when the gopis had come to meet Krishna, to be with Krishna, dance with Krishna and Krishna is also giving little Bhagvat geet there some song of Krishna there. Gopis were ready to do this “sarva dhraman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja” they had already done that they had given up everything all relations, all obligations even they were ready to give up their life. Some of the gopis were stopped by their family members those gopis were living their bodies ok you take care of this body I go their souls are going, you take this body I go . So they were giving up their bodies and going to Sri Krishna so they were undergoing all the sacrifices but Krishna was advising, hey! Why have you come? Go back serve your family members what about your children? What about your family members? What about this? What about that? No..no it’s not fair you have done this “sarva dharman parityajya” and you are doing this “ mam ekam saranam vraja” don’t do this go back.

He was reminding them of this obligation that obligation but so did gopis listen to the advice of the Lord? Did they follow His instructions? Go back go back, no they did not, they stayed on. They are situated in this ultimate principle of “mam ekam saranam vraja” . So ya there is also principle Prabhupada quotes that in 1st chapter of Bhagavat gita, those who have surrendered unto the Lord Mukunda those who are fully surrendered unto the Lord, fully taken shelter of the Lord they have no more obligation towards the family members, that does not mean you become irresponsible, no obligation towards Devatas you serve the Lord, Lord will not blame you, the satras can’t blame you, hey! You did not do this? What about Demigods? What about society, samaja? A person who is fully surrendered to the Lord he becomes free from all other obligations. But of course as he is stationed, situated in that state “sarva dharman parityajya” kind of consciousness fully surrendered, devotee is not irresponsible not that he does not follow the principles of dharma but the ultimate dharma is surrender to the Lord, go to the Lord, love the Lord, serve the Lord and then other things will be taken care of “yatha taror mula nisecanena trpyanti skandha bhujosakhak” (S.B 4.31.14). This is the principle that Bhagvatam says when root of the tree is you put fertilizer water at the root of the tree, then the whole tree will be nourished the trunk of the tree, the branches of the tree, the leaves, the flowers, the roots everything is nourished by “yatha mula nisecanena” that mula that root so that root is Sri Krishna, that root is Krishna and by serving Him then you will serving you will take care infact you would be the one who would knows how to take care of your family or society or the country.

First of all you will know to take real care of your self – yourself is the soul. So you would know what is the best interest of the soul, in the interest of the soul is that he also serves Krishna, my wife serves Krishna my wife becomes a great devotee of Lord Sri Krishna and this is kartavya this is the real obligation this is the duty. It is said you should not become “gurur na sa syat sva jano na sa syat pita na sa syaj jnani na sa syat daivam na tat syan na patis ca sa syan na ,okayed yah samupeta mrtyum” (S.B 5.5.18) you should not become spiritual master, one should not become someone’s relative or a friend don’t become someone’s mother or father until and unless you are going to “samupetum mrutum” you have to make that person eligible to become free no more birth no more death they all serve Krishna. If you are doing that for your children, for your wife or your family, society, country then if you are not doing that then you are not doing the right thing not fulfilling your obligation.

So you serve Krishna and get others also to serve Krishna, revive their love for Krishna. And to do that whatever is favorable we do, whatever is not favorable we reject. Do this; don’t do this is the criterion to decide what to do what not to do? Whether this is going to make me others Krishna conscious. So what Arjuna has said is ok at some level that’s true but they are stumbling block in the mission of the Lord and in becoming Krishna conscious. Bali maharaj he rejected his guru, oh! You are no more my guru, I don’t care. How is this? “tasmad gurum prapadyeta” (S.B 4.29.55) the scriptures say you must accept spiritual master but here this person he abandon his guru. Because Bali maharaj was ready to surrender everything unto the Lord he was emperor of the whole universe he was ruler of the whole universe and he was ready to surrender all of that. But his guru was- hey! Disciple you should think twice before you give the promise you have promised 3 steps of land but you know he is very tricky fellow. He was small batu Brahman 3 steps is not much space but he is going to snatch everything from you. When this was the advice of the spiritual master Sukracharya, he (Bali maharaj) said better I get rid of you.

Acceptance of spiritual master is also a big principle but here he is coming in the way of “sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja” full surrender. His spiritual master said no..no not full surrender if Krishna takes everything what about my daksina? Some motivation is there some lower nature is there which has to be given up. So “mam ekam saranam vraja” this is dharma whatever comes in the way “parityajya”.

Question: Krishna says “sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja” and you will be free from all sins and punya is also there we have to get rid of that also how to understand this?

Answer: In this world there is something bad or good so punya is good and pap is bad but ultimately Krishna’s point of view, Krishna conscious point of view bad is bad but good is also bad. Pap will send you to hell and punya will send you to heaven, so one should not certainly not go to hell but going to heaven is also not the goal there is also cheating, in performance of punya you are cheated “vanchitosmi vanchitosmi vanchitosmi” one of our acharya says “oh! I was very badly cheated “visvam guara rase magnam” while whole world of gaudiyas was drowning in love of Krishna – Krishna prema they were drowning, swimming, diving in the ocean of Krishna prema I did not even get one drop of that Krishna prema I was bathing with some punya punya is also considered dharma there is yagya, demigod worship, charities. So reaction of pap is hell and reaction or fruit of punya is heaven. But “ksine punye martya-lokam visanti” (B.G 9.21) go to heaven but then ultimately when you punya is “shin” exhausted then you have to come back to this mrtyu lok again and again..so “sarva dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja aham tvam sarva papebhyo – punyabhyo” also its hidden there punya is also some kind of pap this is against Krishna, this is not part of Krishna consciousness. He has already said “sarva dharman parityajya” ok that’s a good point also, punya is considered dharma lot of punya activities pious activities are considered dharma so when Krishna said “sarva dharman parityajya” he has already said give up that punya activity. So Krishna has indirectly talked about giving up punya “sarva pap moksa isami” the reactions of punya and pap I will make you free, free from the reactions of pap and punya, the reaction of pap – punya is just going into hell or heaven which is both in this universe. But I want you to come back to me. “devan deva yajoyanti” (B.G 7.23) those who worship demigods and do pious activities punya karma “devan” they go to demigods, “yanti madyajino api mam” those who worship me they come back to me.
So this reaction of punya karma is going to heaven, also you have to become free from “dvandhva” means dual nature of this world, pap-punya this is dvandhva, sukha-dukha this is dvandhva. Krishna consciousness is beyond sukha and dukha, Krishna consciousness is beyond hell and heaven, Krishna consciousness is beyond happiness and distress or victory or defeat. These two things happen in this world good things and bad things, Krishna consciousness is beyond punya and pap.

Question: We see one is following Krishna consciousness and progressing and one is not able to progress in Krishna consciousness so what is missing?
Answer: guideline is incomplete or defective that’s one possibility or guidance is ok or perfect your following is incomplete or defective get the point. Everyone speaks from his level of realization. So of course Krishna is speaking and then acharyas speak with their full conviction, full understanding “jnana vijnana sahitam” everyone is not at the same level that’s why there is kanishta adhikari, madhyam adhikari and uttam adhikari. So there is some kind of understanding like that, he is junior devotee, he is new devotee, this one is little advanced or he is top ranking, advanced devotee very advanced devotee. Some devotees are ideal examples, he is following also as he says “you do the way I do”. So it is doing and showing and we see he is also progressing, we will also be benefited by that association and his instructions, his guidance, yes does that answer your question ok.

Venue: New Jersey Ram katha (Third session) Jai Shri Rama, now you are getting into the mood, spirit is getting higher; Rama is entering you, entering your hearts. You are having good time or you are suffering or Rama is? He never suffers. This is His lila, His pastimes. Rama has lost peace of His mind, Rama has lost His Sita. They could never be separated, “He is shaktiman and she is shakti”. Shakti and shaktiman they are always together but here some attempt has been made to separate them and someone else who has no right over that shakti alhadini shakti the pleasure potency of Shri Rama, someone else is trying to he is trying to, thinking to enjoy her exploit her.

Anyone who attempts this he meets his death. A death penalty is one of the lessons to be learned. Lords energy in Lord’s service that’s natural. Wealth is also Laxmi, Laxami also in the service of Narayan. Sita is Laxami, Ravan like personality they try to separate them and Hanuman like personalities they try to unite two of them. Those who put Laxmi and Narayan together they are like Hanuman they are devotees. Those who try to separate come in the middle intervene and try to exploit they are the Ravanas, and there are only two kinds of “daiva asura eva ca” the devatas the devotees and the demons. Lord is not impersonal, Sita is lost, it doesn’t make any difference to Him it’s not like that this is what He is showing He is very personal , He has feelings, He has emotions, He cares. So Shri Rama and Sita they have shringar rasa, shringar bhava madhurya lila not of the kind of Radha and Krishna not at that height that level because He has assumed the position of maryada Purushottam and Krishna is Purna Purushottam. But the quality is the same of that madhurya rasa conjugal loving dealings or the quantity maybe different. So to understand this lila this Sita has been separated from Rama and see what is going on with Rama.

Yesterday someone was even wondering, is that how exactly he transpired or it is just the Valmiki’s imagination or exaggeration. What if Valmiki was also of that type? Then Ramayan would not have lasted for 900,000 years, if it was just fictitious mundane or just exaggeration or imagination or speculation of Valmiki. No he is not that kind of cheater poet, free from those four defects. The authority should be free from those four defects. No committing mistakes, not in illusion, imperfect senses, no cheating propensity. So he is free from these four defects so his presentation of Ramayan is perfect. Lords lila as presented in Ramayana is also perfect. If we don’t understand that’s our misfortune certainly no one should not doubt or question. Having questions is sign of intelligence but one should also quickly deal with it with proper enquiry “Pariprasnena sevaya upadeksyanti ti jnanam” (BG 4.34) doubts are like our enemies they haunt us. “Samsayatma vinasyati” (BG 4.40) samsaya could cause vinash destruction. “sraddhavan labhate jnanam” (BG 4.39) on the contrary if you have sraddha faith you achieve the gyan the right information knowledge. So it’s our duty to understand the pastimes of Krishna or Rama, Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu tattva taha we made that statement very first day “janma karma ca me divyam evam yo vetti tattvatah tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti so arjuna” (B.G 4.9) Tattva has to be understood. We have been kind of dealing with lilas throwing some light maybe on how to understand this or that some tatva, some siddhanta. We have not been doing much on that but this particular episode which is main theme of this Ramayan. Rama Sita’s kidnapping and Sita and then Rama’s searching looking and they also many kandas divisions, major portion of Ramayan has been devoted for that purpose towards the end He is losing and then we go through whole Ramayan and Aranya kanda and kishkindha kanda and sundar kanda and then also yuddha kanda and towards that end of that day is dashera day. Dashera he lost his ten –das- 10 heads. That day Ravana lost his 10 heads. They were snatched hara means taken away that day was Rama vijaya dasmi day it is so exact can you mentions which day which event not only which day He appeared but so many other events is dated material this event happened. Rama was so many years old and this season and that season and that day and night time or morning hours, very very accurate. As it was complied during Rama’s time Rama was still on the planet infact He just completed His fourteen of exile and He has 11,000 years rule ahead of him at that juncture Ramayan was compiled.

So the story the pastimes were quit fresh to this day of course they have been kept alive and ever fresh by the devotees by reciting and preserving and relishing and propagating and sharing them to this day Ramayan has been kept very much intact. Also through this language it’s kind of internal language called Sanskrit. Same language same words 900000 (9hundred thousand) years the words every syllable is as it is. When other languages are just babies just have taken birth and they are growing evolving and ever changing also and off course this Sanskrit being the mother language the mother language. These babies are infant stage they are growing or Marathi same thing applies to the other languages. Marathi that was complied some 700 year ago by
Dnyaneshwar and then 350 years ago by Tukaram we have hard time its Marathi very much its different Marathi I am sure Gujarati and Punjabi and English language is ever changing. You look at some old text and you will have hard time reading and our BBT publishers are infact in great anxiety that Prabhupad’s books in English and how to preserve them. Preserve of course the philosophy as it is. Because the language is going to be changed in few hundred down the road English is going to be much different from what it is now.

So there is whole discussion about this in our Governing Body Commission meetings in Mayapur couple of years ago. Worried what to do is one of the issues concerned. So all the languages are changing and here is a language Sanskrit. Word hasn’t changed letters intact as it is, 900000 years. So the subject matter of Rama and Sita and their separation and what Rama is going through. To some of us may sound a mundane thing. However we should check ourselves. There is no change of trace of matter nothing material everything is spiritual about the dealing are all pure. Hence as we read them we hear them we are purified. If these dealing were mundane ordinary and this Rama’s cries ordinary kind then we would also be doomed by hearing this also not gain much so we should just keep this in mind this is Lords lila, His sringar rasa, His heart His feelings for Sita and that’s Him. We also heard when Jatayu which human being would undertake cremation of all the rights were performed of this bird Jatayu and the loss of that bird was over whelming. And he suffered even more than the suffering due to the loss of Sita. So His feeling is not only for Sita but also for Jatayu and also for me and you as Supreme Personality of Godhead. When His feelings they cannot be measured oh! He becomes a husband of somebody and He is unlimited and maybe beyond our comprehension.

We should not doubt or misunderstand His pastimes in some ways He is also kind of reminding this kind of trouble dealing with matajis dealing with women we could get in trouble and in one as Prabhupada was questioned by a reporter in Hyderabad and Prabhupada said even Lord becomes husband Rama became husband of Sita even He was no exception even He got into trouble. And in a way He is also reminding, aren’t you going through all this also? If you say this is not nice, why you would be crying and why all this trouble? But this is our daily affair we are going through all this. So wake up and do something. Women should be kept protected. If women are left unprotected then trouble is around the corner. So another lesson to be learned. That is why in our Vedic culture daughters are protected before marriage by the parents, once married the husband takes charge husband is protecting, and if husband later on goes for vanaprastha or sannyasa the elderly sons would then take charge of their mother. So in 3 stages Kaumaram Yauvanam jara there is someone to protect mataji or women. As soon as they are left unprotected there is some vulture there is some rakshasa some Ravan. He doesn’t have to be that Ramayan Ravanas size but Ravana for sure. Ravana is that person by definition who makes others cry. He become the cause of others distress and tears. That person is Ravana. So in good old day there use to be one Ravana or one Kumbhakarna or one Hiranyakashipu or Hiranyaksha. The numbers use to be smaller, giant size small numbers. Now the size is gone smaller but the numbers have increased. Hiranyakashipu and Ravanas are everywhere. Because this is not a Vedic culture, because this is not a Rama Raj or it is unofficially Ravana raj. No one is protected specially women is not protected. Very easily Rama could have found out another He was very beautiful, young and all His qualities. You say the quality and that was in Rama. He had that quality. So there was no need for Him to run after Sita or no need in searching for some time, He could have turned to someone and proposed or maybe called that Shurpanakha. She was pretty proposing. Hey! What is your phone number give me your phone number (Laughter) He wasn’t that type. And the civilized society also shouldn’t be that type. So He is endeavoring to meet with her, Catch-up with her, protect her, get her back.

So many things to be learned from Ramayan. From Rama’s pastime but we should make sure we should not misunderstand. Lords pastimes not doubt them as we become more pure we will understand. We could wait till our time comes for the understanding. On the day one don’t expect. We should expect to understand Rama as He is or Ramayan as it is. As one evolves in his consciousness in his purified, in his dealings or in his speech, purified mind and also chanting ‘Raghu pati raghava raja Rama patita pavan sita Rama sri Rama jai Rama jai jai Rama’ or our the best thing is the mantra for this age of kali for deliverance by chanting ‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.’ That one should chant before reading Ramayan chant Hare Krishna then chant again Hare Krishna after reading, before reading, in the middle of reading. This will help to understand Ramayan and others shastras also or if you have really understood Ramayan or Bhagvatam you should be chanting. The reason you are not chanting is because you have not heard enough Ramayan. The perfection of hearing about Rama is Ramayan. Perfection is in chanting, your tongue will begin uttering the names of Rama this is the result of your study. You understood Rama now your tongue wants to chant.

And as we chant we’ll understand Ramayan more as we understand Ramayan more we’ll chant more and like that go back and forth. Ramayan is Rama and His name is also Rama, non-different. Rama’s name is Rama, Rama’s pastimes Ramalila, Ramayan is Rama, Rama’s Prasad is Rama non different. His dhama Ayodhya dham cannot be separated from Sri Rama. Or like this.. Jai Hanuman. So on the banks of Pampa sarovar the meeting the great meeting took place between Rama Laxman and Hanuman. And again Hanuman is the most misunderstood personality. It’s not easy all the way he is presented so Rama is Bhagavan, laxman is also Bhagavan, Shatrughna is also Bhagavan, Bharata is also Bhagavan. I am not kidding, (Maharaj laughs) these all the four personalities are Vishnu tattva. Normally we take oh! Rama is Bhagavan maybe some others may think ok Laxman also, throw him in that Bhagvan list. But very rarely they think Bharat also being a Vishnu tattva and Shatrughna. And this is not our concoction. But this is understanding from Bhagvatam and Ramayan. So those who are Bhagvan they are not understood as Bhagavan but on who is not Bhagavan, that is Hanuman he is promoted to the status of Bhagavan. So Hanuman is Rama bhakta Hanuman. He is Rama Das. Who is Rama das? Hanuman. Not just that Rama das swami of Maharashtra. Rama das swami. Rama das is Hanuman. From 9 processes of devotional service one of them is dasyam. “Sravanam Kirtanam Vishnuh smaranam pada sevanam archanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma nivedanam”. So for each this devotional service nava vidha bhakti one devotee is remembered, one big name for that bhakti. So when we talk of dasya bhava, dasya bhava in bhakti then the first person remembered is Hanuman. Because he is powerful, he has mystics he is mystical. He has siddhies. As soon as there is some chamatkar people do some namaskar. Chamatkar namaskar. I can’t do this! He is producing some ash-ashes Sai then oh! He is bhagavan. So it’s not that just Hanuman is considered Bhagavan and oh! Kind of mysterious personality mystical power siddhi if he has amazing.

So the present day you will find not even one percent of siddhis which Hanuman possessed if someone has 1 % immediately he becomes Bhagvan. In India so many bhagvans are loitering on the streets here there. Bhagvan this aaj ka swami kal ka narayan (laughter) He goes by name swami swami for some time and then Narayan. Oh!your guru is only swami my guru is narayan (laughter) Swami narayan. So “bhukti mukti siddhi kami sakale ashant Krishna bhakta nishkam ata eva shanta” So there are so many kamis kamanas and desires and aspirations bhukti kami bhukti bhu-kami or mukti liberation kami or bhukti mukti sidhi-kami, siddha siddha purusha there are still kamana. They are all ashant they are not peaceful. “Krishna bhakta nishkam ata eva shant” Krishna bhakta has no desire so he is peaceful.

So Hanuman what he is going to do now as he meets he is going to, because he has to bring Rama and Laxman at the top of the mountain Rishyamukha parvat. He asked them to just have a ride here. So Rama sitting one side Laxman sitting other side he takes off. And he lands on the top of the mountain. His mystic siddhis are beginning like that. But he is using; Hanuman is using his siddhis in service of Rama. And he is fully aware this is by the grace of Sri Rama. Not that independently I am powerful. Gaura Nitai, Sita Rama Laxman hanuman ji ki jai. It was time for him to go to Lanka. Hanuman Flies did he go by some Air Lanka flights? When is the next flight going to, no he just flew and he also managed return flight. Some others were thinking I could go but I can’t come back some estimations were going on. Someone said I could go half way through and then jala Samadhi; I will be just dropped in the middle of Indian Ocean. Those who are searching for Sita. When it was time for Hanuman to go he flew. When it was time for Rama to go to Lanka He walked. So does that make Hanuman superior and Rama just ordinary mortal? Now all that power of Hanuman is due to Rama. And Hanuman is fully aware of this. So he never popularize himself as bhagvan. And bhagvan hanuman ki, say everybody bhagvan hanuman ki, (devotees said jai) bhagvan hanuman ki (devotees said jai) he (Hanuman) would have slapped you for addressing him as bhagvan. No..no.. It’s not me you know I don’t call myself bhagvan others call me bhagvan. But why don’t you shut them up. So Hanuman he was just a humble humble servant of Shri Rama always chanting His glories also. Always chanting names of Rama. Hath me Kaam Mukh me naam. Hands are full with the service of Rama and his mouth was full with names of Rama and always thinking of Rama.
Very intelligent also not just powerful but very intelligent personality and son of vayu. So in Ramayan some misunderstandings are there. So Hanuman is not always understood. We should beg for the mercy of Hanuman so that we get devotion and devotional service at the lotus feet of his master Sri Rama. So nothing wrong in worshiping Hanuman but should understand who is who? So as Sugriva had noticed that these two persons looked quite strange never seen them before and they are also equipped with weapons bow and arrow who they possibly could be? They are sent by Vali or they are spies? So he was scared so he sent Hanuman to find out and they both had introduced each other I am Laxman and Rama mentioned who they were and why they were there and Hanuman explained he was minister of Sugriva and Sugriva is also in similar difficulty he is also in exile his wife is also has been kidnapped Snatched by Vali and he is by himself here on this mountain on top of this mountain. You are in the similar boat and we just were informed by kabanda we just liberated him he was in very awkward situation. So he directed us infact we are on the way to Sugriva’s place and hoping to find assistance in searching Sita and rescuing Sita. So Hanuman says this seems very much promising and do able proposal. Yes yes I can also, so then Rama and Laxman were taken at the top of the mountain and meeting with the Sugriva. And quickly quickly they became friends. Rama Laxman and Sugriva they became friends. And Sugriva taking vow and yes from today onwards your happiness is my happiness your sorrow is my sorrow. And the vice versa. Meaning if I am happy you will be happy if I am distressed you also share my sorrow. We are friends now shaking hands and embracing took place. They kind of signed treaty and photographs taken (laughter) headlines in the monkey community. Yes yes we are looking for Sita Oh! That must be that lady who was screaming. Oh! We saw her going airways. And she was screaming Rama Rama Rama and not only that by seeing us here on the top of the mountain she threw her part of her upper garment and seen some of her ornaments in there. We are confident that must be Sita you are looking for. So from all the way that Godavari so getting more clues which way Ravan had travelled so he had come that far also Kishkinda Pradesh mountains.

So then the cloth and some ornaments tied in there. As they were presented to Rama or just by hearing this could be Sita’s garment and her ornaments Rama was further moved and over whelmed and He was in tears just remembering Sita. He managed to untie, He was trying to look at those ornaments and recognise but how could He it was not possible for Him because His eyes are full of tears. Was no clear His eyes were full of tears well up. So He couldn’t even Oh! They are ornaments that I can say but they are Sita’s, Laxman Laxman he called Laxman over. Please see these earrings aren’t they of Sitas and what about these armlets? “Naham janami kundale” Laxman says no I could not recognise her earrings, I never looked at her ears and earrings. No I can’t recognise these armlets also ha ha Oh! This ankle bells this “painjan nupure abhi janami nityam padami vandane” yes I could these are Sita’s ankle bells. Because whenever I offered my obeisance’s nityam the first thing I saw every day was her ankle bells or for sure these are Sita’s ankle bells. Don’t ask me about earrings and armlet and her necklace and no I never looked. I only looked at those feet so I could recognise. So it was confirmed that Ravan went that way and so Sita had to be searched.

So now it was not only Rama and Laxman but Sugriva and his some ministers had joined the mission and there could be many more thousands to joining but there was Vali was obstacle the brother of Sugreev so he had to be removed. So the battle between two brothers the fears battle begins. And Rama had to help out in this battle. They are battling and battling and hiding behind a tree Rama had shot an arrow making Vali the target and ‘how could you do this to me? This is injustice, Injustice so Rama steps forward and He was ready to pull the arrow out ‘Oh I can take it out’ and Vali had a second thought no no let me die I have such a rare opportunity my death is everybody’s death is certain but here I get to die by your hand by your arrow in your presence. No no no no please don’t take this arrow out don’t take it back let me die in your presence. Such a rare good fortune I have. So that was the end of Vali and now I am still here I am still here Vali is finished (Laughter).

So as Vali no more than the whole kingdom they were brothers so the whole kingdom capital and army mostly of monkeys. They were in the forest so lots of monkeys. Monkey like beings and then they search the serious battle plans were worked out whole strategy. But first thing is identifying the enemy than evaluating his strength then preparing corresponding strength of army and. So Hanuman and Jambavan and others were dispatched. Go go everywhere and infact so many others also were searching for Sita. So searching rest of the south Indian continent they couldn’t find so they come all the way to the tip of the kanya kumari and the brother of Jatayu, Sampatti he was there and he heard the news of Jatayu’s death from these messengers these people looking for Sita. He was full of sorrow to hear that news so he gave some clues. Yes yes Ravan this way Lanka, he is found in Lanka so he is not in Bharat varsha not in India. You have to go to Lanka to find him and then different team members were kind of estimating their strength who could go all the way and come back and so no one was competent to go and come also flying there and back.

Only Hanuman so he flew it’s a wonderful description the way he flew and different encounters on the way to Lanka. The intelligent Hanuman, powerful Hanuman, determined Hanuman, the mystical Hanuman. When he Lands there is one house he is surprised there is tulasi in the house and Rama Rama Rama Rama… the names of Rama being uttered and he goes (knocking at the door) come on in he was welcomed. That was Bibhishan, Bibhishan was a devotee of Rama. He gives some clues where about Sita, Sita is in Ashok Van Hanuman taking different forms and becoming invisible and small he gets there and he found Sita. Jai Sita Maharani ki Jai, She is there. So he was carrying the ring and first She thought oh! Another demon and he is come in a monkey form, I had seen other form he has taken the other form. No no..no..I am messenger of Shri Rama any proof, so Sita was delighted as if she came in contact with Rama just by touching that ring of Sri Rama. And this whole news of what Rama and Laxman are going through and where they are stationed at and Hanuman even proposes ‘You know Sita lets go. Sit here lets go back, Sita besides some other arguments she gives wise why she should not go with Hanuman. The main point also ‘no no I am only Rama’s Sita I cannot touch another man. It will be more honourable if Rama personally comes kills that Ravana and rescues me and takes me back.
Not this hiding way and going with another man, no no I can’t do this. You come back with my Rama. Thank you for your proposal but it cannot be that way. So as Hanuman was ready to go back, (Hanuman asks) is there anything that you would like to share with me a present or a proof that we actually met? So before she gave a jewel. A very special jewel she was carrying. She tells Hanuman that ‘You share this event with Rama. If He hears that you heard this from me He will be convinced that we had met.’ Then she mentioned that episode from Chitrakoot where they both were sitting on one sphatik shila there’s one special shila in the middle of Mandakini river one time they were sitting and I just finished taking bath and my clothes were just wet and Rama He came He sat on my lap. Then there was a crow. He was trying to reach me touch me and eat flesh. We were trying to drive him away then after a while he was sitting and I sat next to Him and I even dozed off in His lap. And so did He after a while we don’t know how much time we spent. Dozy sleepy state but that bird had come again and he had made my breast the target. And I was sleepy I did not notice when we woke up there’s a blood and Rama noticed he looked around there was a crow some blood still dripping from his beaks. Rama became furious He took some kusha grass from His mated lock of hair and powered it with bramha-astra and send it to that crow. Crow was flying and travelling all over the universe as the bramhastra was chasing after him. Even that bird’s father Indra, Indra’s son Jayant he had taken the form of crow and he was kind of lusty after Sita. So he couldn’t come in front in that Jayant human form but he had become a crow.

So finally yes he could find shelter nowhere else. That crow returned and surrendered to Rama and beg for forgiveness. Rama forgive him but he said as my astra has been released it has to do something, something at least if not killing. So finally that astra wounded the right eye of that crow just a eye. So just share this pastime with Sri Rama and He will be convinced that we met. Because no one else knows it’s just between me and my Rama. But also tell Him what happened Rama who could not tolerate this crow’s action just touching me or scratching me and He had become furious and sent His bramhastra to kill that crow. Why is He waiting now? Isn’t Ravan’s act bad enough worse enough to take action? Why is He waiting? How is He tolerating this? So some kind of challenge, throwing challenge at Sri Rama also. So that He will take this matter seriously. Not only that we met but why is He taking so long and lightly.

So then Hanuman was hungry and there are more pastimes of Hanuman. Damaging all the best gardens of Lanka, off routed all the trees and the monkey doesn’t you know take few fruits and cut it into pieces and eat them only rest of the fruits to be eaten next time, no not monkey they just throws away and he is playing shaking the tree and having fun. Trying to get attention of some other rakshasas. And then rakshasas come to see him and he was arrested. Hanuman and Ravana sent 80,000 rakshsas to capture Hanuman so was the strength of Hanuman. It took 80,000 rakshsas to take. And then as he was brought before and then his attempt to insult and even possibly kill burn Hanuman his tail was tied with so many clothes and pore oil and lit that and Hanuman really had fun. Jumping from building to building, palace to palace putting his tail into windows and some place and then next one, soon whole Lanka was on fire. And it was of golden so whole thing was melting down. And so finally the sampling of Ravana to understand little sample of Rama’s power this is only Hanuman what to speak of when Rama comes. How much display of power that is going to be. So Hanuman goes back and the jeweled has been presented and whole good news ‘Aaj ki taji khabar’ and everyone was so delighted that good morning news.

And then they were prepared now they knew, prior to that they did not knew where to go. They were just going everywhere they were just looking. Now they knew exactly which way to go and strength of enemy camp . So Rama and Laxman Sugriva and Jambavan and Angadh and thousands. Mostly they were monkeys and some bear bhalu, two kinds of army. So they come all the way to Rameshwar and then they want to cross Lord Rama was waiting samudra devata to come forward offer some assistance in crossing he was taking some extra time so Rama was, it was intolerable for him but as He took His bow and arrow then samudra devata really rushed forward . Then the building of the bridge setu begins there’s a longest bridge in the world that this Hanuman and company was going to build. And they were throwing whatever came in their way the trees and the mountains and big big boulders have been thrown. There were personality is like nal and neel right? nal and neel. They were just writing the names before the object touch the water they make sure the Rama’s name is stamped. As soon as the name Rama the mountains were floating at the top. That way they could go fast otherwise if they have to start from the depth that would take ages. So that law of gravitation wasn’t working here. The controller of the maker creator of the law of gravitation was there Sri Rama so He ruled out ’No this cannot be applied here ok.’ He is law maker Law breaker. He is one in all. So everything was floating and then they are building walking building walking building walking. Some 800 miles bridge even those so called dead objects could float by name of Rama. And we are not even dead we are living we are alive if we could chant the names of ‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare’ also free from the law of something that seeks us. No falling down and sinking down. Floating in this ocean and going forwards if this name of Rama and Krishna we chanted. And then we hear of that little squirrel (gilahari) she thought I will also contribute my share and that’s not strong but whatever “patram pushpam”. So that squirrel was going on the beach sandy beaches and squirrel has hairy body so she was rolling in the sand and picking up some particle of sand and gently walking making sure all the sand picked up stays intact. Then she would climb and then she would shake the body taking all the sand particle off. Acting like a little cement between two rocks. Hey! Get out of here, you want to die? Hanuman was thinking what is this we are bringing big big mountains and she is bringing 50 gram sand what good is this get lost go take rest, see you later.

So Rama was overseeing over hearing this comments statements of Hanuman yes come here come here I said come here. Then Hanuman begins looking back (laughter) giving others impression that he doesn’t mean me, someone behind me. That when we wake someone up who is sleeping in the Bhagvatam (Laughter) and that person looks behind so that others would think that the speaker is pointing out infact someone not him but someone (laughter). No no ..you you I say You then Rama had to give little bhashan little lessons, some chastisement, he was rebuked what do you think, who do you think, give up this pride, whatever strength I have given you, you are utilizing it cent percent in my service. And whatever energy I have invested in a squirrels body she is also not sparing anything for herself she is giving 100%. So in my eyes service of both of you is same. Why do you think your services, you are big servant and she is small servant? Something in our daily life this thing also come handy useful.

So then finally they were there in Lanka. Jai Sri Rama Jai Sri Rama.. armies roaring scaring the enemies and they are also getting together and sharpening their weapons. So there is big big battle one whole kanda. One division has been devoted to that special like a Mahabharat Battle. World has seen so many battles but why is Mahabharat and this Ramayan Lanka battle important because the presence of Rama and Krishna they are personally present. In those battle and while participating in those battles they wish to establish, they will establish the dharma principles of dharma ‘paritranay sadhunam vinasayacha dushkritam dharma samsthapnarthaya sambhavani yugeyuge’ Lord was there to wipe out He had taken that vow in Ramtek do you remember ? When He had seen those skulls and skeletons of the sages’ bodies and He had taken that ‘I will wipe out finish all the demons from this planet’. So this was His opportunity. All the big demons at one place so He was at the right place at the right time. And He had a right strategy the best vision. So there was not only Ravana but also Kumbhakarna they are two brothers. Previously there were Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu and they were going to appear again at time of Rama, the form of Shishupal and Dantavakra not kamsa he is another one. He has his own category. These two Jaya Vijay they are going through these three ages. Each time Lord had to appear but then we hear that they heard in dwapar yuga that soon Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu will appear and He will exhibit the most wonder pastimes. So they decided to extend their visa (laughter). They should be going after three births they were told. You could be demons 3 births or devotees for 7 births take a pick. They thought oh! No no.. 7 birth is long time being away from you Lord and the services as gate keepers. We don’t mind even as a demon but we’ll quickly finish our terms and be back. But they couldn’t resist the temptation of being with Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu and He was about to appear near some 5000 year near from Lord Krishna’s appearance time. So they stayed on they appeared Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s time they appeared in the form of Jagai and Madhai. And their demoniac quality this time was killed by the holy name.

In previous ages some weapon had to be used some special weapon was used. And this time also as Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna Himself sudarshan… He was invoking His weapon. Sudarshan was had appeared was ready making circles and blazing like a fire and it had 1000 what you called spokes? Spokes are inside, spikes. And then Nityananda Prabhu no..no..no.. this is the age of kali. If you would want to kill the demons then well, nobody would be left in NewYork (Laughter) maybe few in Jersy ok (laughter). So Caitanya Mahaprabhu had to be reminded by Nityananda Prabhu who is playing a role of a spiritual master. He is Balaram, He is Laxman, He is Shankarshan, and He is Adi-guru. And then they had taken vows. Wonderful pastime of Jagai Madhai in Caitanya lila. So by seeing kindness of Nityananda Prabhu and Caitanya Mahaprabhu the both brothers Jagai and Madhai their demoniac nature were subdued. And they were ready for surrender full surrender. And they promised to break no more principles we’ll follow we’ll be strictly vegetarian. No more intoxication. No more illicit connections with women. No gambling and we’ll always chant ‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare’ and they were liberated but liberation is nothing they are just a beginning they developed all love for the Lord that’s more important than the liberation part. They became great lovers of the Lord and especially great lovers of the holy name.

“dina hina yata chila hari name uddharila tara sakshi jagai madhai” Someone said what is the proof? That holy name liberates someone, give love of Godhead to somebody? can you prove any example yes “tara sakshi jagai madhai”. The life of Jagai and Madhai is a witness is a poof. So like this they completed infact 3+1= 4 life cycles and then they go back. So at time of in treta yuga they had appeared as Ravana and Kumbhakarna. Kubhakarna was a very special personality. He would mostly sleep whenever he was hungry he would get up. Oh! you know some of such people around? (Laughter) Once their belly is full then again (snoring).. So this was not his hunger time this is battle field. So he had to be woken up by beating up drums, big endeavour to get him up. And there was a Meghanada, Indrajeet Indrajeet he had even conquered Indra in battle. Son of Ravana was very powerful. One time he even conquered Indra. And as a reward he was one of the rewards, that he received this name Indrajeet. Conquer of Indra I have to become known as concur of Indra. Let the world know I have conquered Indra, Indrajeet.
So he was also mystical and had some special arrows as a result one time Laxman goes unconscious and nothing worked out and was recommended oh! Some jadibutti or sanjivani. Oh! Where could it be found Himalayas. As if Himalaya was just around the corner. So who would go? You know there is no courier service or anything. So Hanuman again was dispatched he went again flying. But once he was there he couldn’t recognize which one is sanjivani. They are looking alike so he just picked up the mountain whole mountain (Maharaj laugh). I’ll just bring the mountain let them help themselves I’ll do my part. So he brought the whole mountain so they were waiting when is he coming when is he coming? In Lanka they were waiting because without Laxman everything would stand still situation and Rama was in anxiety and everyone else was. So finally they see Hanuman coming this whole mountain he is carrying and places that mountain and sanjivani and. This is again lila there is no nothing could influence the transcendental form body of Laxman. So some setbacks are shown like that in that battle and that appropriate time had come. Kumbhakarna was already killed and then finally the great good fortune descended upon Ravana he was waiting for that opportunity for darshan of Rama, not much more to be done in Lanka so Sita has been rescued. And Sita well there is a agni pariksha? Agni pariksha is there. The Sita has to prove she has maintained her purity her chastity and just to clarify others doubt, her entering fire coming out untouched by the fire was a full proof.
Well here everything is not always made obvious other references are there to know more that the Sita that was kidnapped by Ravana is not the original Sita. She is just a chaya Sita – shadow Sita. The Ravana doesn’t even have right to touch or he couldn’t even go near to Sita. So right there original Sita is invisible. So when at the time of this agni pariksha again the original Sita walks out of fire and joins Rama. Then that shadow Sita was playing roll of Sita and remembering Rama and thinking of Rama. She also wants to marry Sri Rama and that marriage has taken place in Tirupati Balaji lila. With Balaji you see two consorts so one of them is one was Sita in Lanka, so that she also gets the hand of Lord for rendering that service. She becomes Lords consort wife so now as Sita has been rescued Lanka has no king so Bibhishan has been installed. He’s enthrone as a king, Lord doesn’t, He could’ve become a king himself very easily. He could have done the same thing with Kamsa in Mathura. But did He become the king? No He made Kamsa’s father Ugrasen the king. And Jarasndh was killed He could also have become king there. But He makes Sahadev who was son of Jarasandh. Another Sahadev not five pandava. His son is also Jarasandh. He is made the king. So here also in Lanka brother is no more so Bibhishan who was a devotee of Rama and he had already kind of fled. When they entered Lanka with Rama’s army so Bibhishan was with them. They were not getting along and Ravana was not following the good advice given by Bibhishan. He was happy to join Sri Rama. So having that ceremony is completed of enthroning coronation of Bibhishan then oh! what’s the time? Not that it’s five minutes after 9 but very close to completion of 14 years of exile. I better hurry up not me Rama has to hurry up (laughter). Promise is promise and if I delay no more Bharat darshan.

So Rama had come walking all the way. He is kind of going south if you look at the map of India from Ayodhya going to Pragayraj then Triveni sangam current Allahabad Chitracut and coming to Nagpur near Nagpur is that Ramtek then going kind of south west towards Godavari and from there going towards Kishkindha which is present day Maharashtra and Karnataka border. And from there He goes to Rameshwar side and from there He goes to Lanka. So He is going all the way keeps going so He has come quite a long distance away walking and searching for Sita.
So He could have gone back also walking. But that would not have worked out the time factor wise. To reach there faster the pushpak viman some flower aircraft has been arranged and Rama, Sita, Laxman, Hanuman and Sugreev and Bibhishan also and many others and then we did not mention. Sri Rama he revived all, many monkeys had also left their bodies in the battle so Lord woke them up or gave them life back. They are happy to rejoin the part of Bibhishan and Rama’s kingdom. If you go to Ayodhya there are lots of monkeys there. Last month we were there and they are very bold monkeys. We were carrying some bag in your hand they will come stop you they will take bag from your hand they’ll open you could do nothing they will check whatever they like and then you may go (Maharaj laughs) so many monkeys there.

So as they were in the plane there is a description it was going just above the bridge that was built and Rama was showing Sita look look she looked down. We built this just to reach Lanka is all our task and He was giving some running commentaries as they were proceeding. So kind of Kishkindha was going over and comes to Bharadwaj muni’s asharm. He was going to stop over there. This is at Allahabad- Prayagraj better to call it Prayagraj its original name otherwise its allah allaaahu akbar that allaha allaha baad is there. Whenever there is a name ends with baad this baad that baad Faridabad murdabad and many baads are there sikandrabad that means it’s like that Hyderabad. In Marathi baad means bekar, baad ho gaya -out. So Prayagraj so there from there Rama send Hanuman ahead of them ‘hey Hanuman you better rush you just inform Bharat that we are just now coming we are just on our way. Because Hanuman goes faster than Rama’s aircraft. So he was hanumans was dispatched and there he was at Nandigram outskirts of Ayodhya, Bharat was keeping an eye.

So many so many hours to go and 30 minutes to go. He’s counting countdown was going on. Good that Hanuman is coming in the air flying and so news quickly spread over all Ayodhya and they were preparing to receive Rama new clothes they are distributing sweets and just embracing each other and streets were being cleaned and all arches all mangal vadhya all auspicious sound instruments and mantras and everybody is heading towards the direction that he is coming from. Which was basically Nandigram where Bharat had stationed himself from past fourteen years. And finally got the life back as they saw a plane coming effulgent Rama seated on that plane Sita Laxman.

Everyone is fixed focused no one spaced out. Only Rama was on their mind, so wherever Rama was their eyes were fixed on that Rama. As if He was coming towards them. Yes He was coming towards them. And finally He was with them and kind of jubilation expression on joy they were dancing and the pranam mudras and embracing each other and reading up by bramhanas and swastivachan blowing up conch shells. Rama was greeting elders and Brahmans and the mothers were there Kaushalya, KaiKai, Sumitra. So there whole procession back to the palace. Whole city had a new look new face bright delighted. That was diwali time whole town was lit with lamps. Deep-avali rows of lamps deepawali availi – rows of lamp everywhere was lit. So from dashera from Lanka to diwali in Ayodhya and now the promise was kept 14 years of exile vanavas. Rama is back so Bharat was more than willing he never had considered himself a king or prince he was only keeping shoes of Rama on the throne he was ruling. And now he was ready to hand everything over to Sri Rama. So all the preparations grander than ever before 14 years ago there were some preparations were on and Kaikai had heard about it and everything had changed.

So one more time and now Rama Sita they take their throne and whole Rama darbar is there and Hanuman holding different symbols and somebody is fanning and Hanuman is also there and the whole assembly praja is there Vashishth ji. So all the proper vidhi purvak following all the process chanting of the mantras and fire yagya and auspicious invocations or prayers, mantras the coronation ceremony took place. Jai Sri Rama and then Rama raj begins which lasted for 11,000 years. And rajya like that kingdom that world has not seen not seen. So even after 900000 years, some 60 years ago it was time for India to become independent nation. Getting released from the clutches of the British raj. Atleast there were some talk of making India Rama raj. Wishful thinking as soon as we had the first prime minister ‘kissa kursi ka’. One he had a throne that Rama raj concept was dumped in the dustbin and he had a dream of making India the modern country, modern nation. Declaring oh these dams and these factories these are our temples. So he declared although born in a Brahmin family he was but he had western upbringing. So he used to iron his cloths in Paris and fly them to New Delhi and then he would put them on. So what could have been expected from such a personality and soon one who had a dream of Rama raj he ended up, with ‘Hey Rama’. But atleast he was remembered Rama, Ram was remembered. Mahatma gets credit for even thinking of making the country into Rama Raj just for thinking also. But during Rama raj it was wonderful raj. People living long long life thousands of years. That was the time for living long life also. 100000 year was a life span in sati yuga. It is reduced gets reduced as kaliyug is expected 100 years. When I was there in South Africa their life span has been reduced to 33 years. Because half of the population is suffering from aids so some are dying in teen age and some 20s and some in 60s so middle 33.

So Rama’s time no disease no old age. And if you don’t want to die that’s fine you could live long. It would never happened that father is alive and son is dead or father is doing the cremation of son this is not possible in Rama’s time. When Rama like raja is a ruler then everything is auspicious. So you are welcome to study Ramayan more thoroughly we had to only run only touching touch and go we were doing. All the pastime some skipping, some mentioning only. So this is just appetizer for you. Main meal oh! You could take main meal at home it’s a home work for you. You could study Ramayan or Bhakti vikas Maharaj has also translated summary study of Valmiki Ramayan. He has English and also published in hindi so another devotee also what’s his name? another English dharma in Iskcon? – Krishna dharma ok like that. Or if you want to study original Sanskrit than Valmiki Sanskrit Ramayan. You may also undertake such serious studies. So may these life and pastimes and teachings of Rama be source of all inspiration and infact life without shri Rama we’re just dead prananti. These pastime of Rama, Sri Krishna give us life otherwise we are dead and always keep chanting ‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare’ and do your best, uphold the principles given by Rama and Ramayan in your day to day life and try to spread that sense that ways Rama raj to start with your home you have little kingdom there you are king see whether you could charity begins at home start there expand. One family could take it to other compound from other side they could expand it. Ok Jai Sri Rama.

Venue: Germany
Bhagvat saptha (Ajamil Katha series – Forth session)
Bhagvat recitation, this is our third session we are still in the 1st chapter of the 6th canto, with this session, this morning’s 1st session, we will complete the 1st chapter that leaves us with two more chapters. So 2nd chapter we will do today between 2nd and the 3rd session of today, we will complete the 2nd chapter and remaining 3rd chapter we’ll relish here, study tomorrow.
So, Yamadutas have arrived and Vishnudutas also. Yesterday we heard of the brief life sketch. So, brief life sketch and who would study such a lifestyle. The husband is a prostitute’s husband. ‘dasi patir ajamilah’, he was named, he was addressed, introduced as ‘dasi patir ajamilah’. Then we have travelled long distances with great expense and inconvenience leaving asides so many important assignments we have come here just to study the life of dasi pati, the husband of this prostitute. Is it worth? Now you know what the topic is, you better go home, do something more important. So, there’s a contrast, there’s a lesson. Even dasi-pati was such a degraded person, there’s hope for even such a person. That’s the inspiration that we get, that we are not as fallen or not that bad like; we can’t match the style, lifestyle of Ajamila. So such fallen person but he chants Narayan and 4 Vishnudutas come and 3 were already there, 3 Yamadutas and Vishnudutas naturally want to stop the undertaking, the work and action by Yamadutas. It was not necessary, it is irrelevant they were thinking, the Vishnudutas were thinking. This person has chanted the name of Narayan, that’s it. At the time of death he had done so helplessly he cried out ‘bhartur nama maharaja sahasapatan’ (S.B. 6.1.30) when they heard name of their swami, their master Narayan sahasa means suddenly they appeared.
You could see how swiftly they must have moved, not losing even fraction of second. It is said that they are normally here; in the universe they are wandering, protecting Vaishnavas, picking up Vaishnavas, taking Vaishnavas back home back to Godhead, to Vaikuthloka. So, they were around the universe somewhere around the planet, somewhere and when they heard the name, someone chanting name Narayan they all appeared and they looked so beautiful, effulgent, that their appearance dissipated all the darkness and. So we went through description of their clothing and ornaments and the weapons they were carrying and this was just contrary to the ‘vakra-tundan urdhva-romna’ (S.B. 6.1.28), crooked faces and hair were standing on end and ‘ati-darunan’ very horrible looking. So, one coming from hell we could tell. Prabhupada wrote in one of the purports, just by looking at, before even foreigner is introduced, by his look or by his beauty, by his the way he is dressed, of course once he begins talking you would know more about him. He is just dressed or he is a fool no. 1 he is dressed like a gentleman you would find that out but not only they are good looking and well dressed but they are also highly intelligent, very wise persons. So when you would hear them talk or Yamaraja’s hear them speaking, they just left Ajamila behind and they proceeded to abode of Yamaraja. So, we were ‘sri-visnuduta ucuh’, so, Vishnudutas are challenging Yamadutas and they think maybe they are not even the representatives of Yamaraja, if they were truly representatives of Yamaraja they wouldn’t even hear, “Did you not hear the name Narayan that this person chanted?”, “Yes, we did”. “Still you are taking him to abode of Yamaraja? Doesn’t sound like you are Yamaraja’s representatives. You better double check with Yamaraja, telephone him (laughter) what you are doing is right or wrong. We are confident that you shouldn’t be here. You have nothing to do with this case. This is beyond your jurisdiction. What are you doing here? And if you truly are somebody from Yamaraja” then,
“yuyam vai dharma-rajasya yadi nirdesa-karinah
bruta dharmasya nas tattvam yac cadharmasya laksanam” (S.B. 6.1.38)
So, we would like you to bruta, bruta means say…say it, yuyam vai dharma-rajasya yadi, if you are truly Dharmaraj’s, Yamaraja’s nirdesa-karinah, the order carriers nirdesa, Yamaraja gives some order and you execute, if that is what you people are then, bruta-say, dharmasya tattvam- we want to hear the truth about dharma. At the same time, yac cadharmasya laksanam, dharmasya tattvam yac cadharmasya laksanam, dharma, adharma both you have to explain; what is dharma? And what is not dharma? what is religion? What is not religion? Ok hurry up, say it. This enquiry by Vishnudutas to Yamadutas is most important. Prabhupad writes in the purport, a servant must know the instructions of his master. The servants of Yamaraja claimed to be carrying out his orders, and therefore the Visnudutas very intelligently asked them to explain the symptoms of religious and irreligious principles. The questions posed by the Vishnudutas are very suitable. One who represents someone else must fully know that person’s mission. If you are representing Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, if you are representing Srila Prabhupada, representing spiritual masters, then we have to know their mission, Prabhupada is pointing out here. The devotee in Krishna Consciousness Movement therefore must be fully aware of the mission of Krishna and Lord Chaitanya. Otherwise they will be considered foolish. All devotees, especially preachers must know the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness so as not to be embarrassed and insulted when they preach. To avoid the embarrassing, insulting and other kinds of situation, one should equip oneself, especially preachers with the philosophy, with the mission of the master authority that they represent and the next.
“katham svid dhriyate dandah kim vasya sthanam ipsitam
dandyah kim karinah sarve aho svit katicin nrnam” (S.B. 6.1.39)
Translation- What is the process of punishing others? Vishnudutas are enquiring, who are the actual candidates for punishment? Are all karmis engaged in furtive activities punishable, or only some of them? So, no one knows, right? These things, so, this we could know. Vishnudutas have enquired for our benefit. So the answer, we could be benefited by the answer. The answer is coming up. Good to know, who is candidate for punishment. So Yamadutas only punish Hindus’ or Germans’ also? One party, followers of buddha, they were part of their conversion campaign they were saying, “We don’t believe in this law of karma like Hindus do. So you should join our dharma. They are giving concession, our dharma is better. We don’t believe in law of karma. Come, please join us. Those who believe they have to suffer; as you sow, so shall you reap. This is a law, law of karma. If someone would tell, no no we don’t believe, so you should join our religion is much easy and you know. So is that the way? If someone says, no no we don’t believe in this law of karma, so is that person free from law of karma? Just because he says, oh! We don’t believe. So, in other words, Yamaduta’s Yamaraj has a jurisdiction over everybody. He’s coming up specially human beings for sure. So Prabhupad is pointing that out in this purport but I just want you to think, may be this question did not come up that Yamaraja and all these Yamadutas is only for Hindus’ and you know Chinese people have nothing to do with this. They have another, someone else, another Yamaraja or another system infrastructure. No, the same thing, its universal. One who has the power to punish others should not punish everyone. Very wise statement Prabhupada is making, one who has the power to punish others should not punish everyone, indiscriminately. There are innumerable living entities, the majority of whom are in the spiritual world and are nitya-mukta, everlastingly liberated. There is no question of judging these liberated living beings. This Yamadutas Yamaraja has no jurisdiction over all those living in the spiritual sky. Only a small fraction of the living entities, perhaps one fourth, are in the material world, right? tri paad vibhuti, one paad vibhuti spiritual sky is like a three forth of the kingdom creation and one forth is material world. So, Prabhupada is saying, perhaps only one fourth of the population, living entities are here. And the major portion of the living entities in the material world — 8,000,000 forms of the 8,400,000 forms of life — are lower than human beings. They are not punishable, for under the laws of material nature they are automatically evolving. So nobody from the spiritual sky is punishable and then out of the 8,400,000, 8,000,000 are other species. So they are also not punishable. A dog is not punished if he crosses when the red light is on, does police arrest the dog? He is just irresponsible. So he would never teach any tricks anything to the dog. So like that, so that’s remaining only 400,000 human beings who are advanced in Krishna Consciousness are responsible but not all of them are punishable. Those engaged in advanced pious activities are beyond punishment. So Prabhupada is just trying to analyze and say who are the only parties punishable. Only those who engage in sinful activities are punishable. Therefore the Visnudutas particularly inquired about who is punishable and why Yamaraja has to be designated to discriminate between who is punishable and who is not. How is one to be judged? What is the basic principle of authority? These are the questions raised by the Visnudutas. So this is very advance knowledge. So good to know these things. ‘Yamaduta ucuh’ okay now is the turn…so this morning we’ll just spend time listening to the Yamadutas (laughs) We have only time, that’s how the chapter ends the 1st chapter. Now we begin talking with the text no. 40 to text no. 68, there are 29 verses these Yamaduta ucuh. Why ucuh? Many. If it was only one Yamadut, only one then uvach. Then you see sometimes ucuh means many are speaking. Ucuh uvach so plural number gets ucuh. Yamaduta ucuh. Now you know. So it’s done. That ignorance is out. Now your knowledge, for rest of your life you know whenever there’s ucuh right? Next 30 40 years you know ucuh means many persons are speaking. Easy, right? Just spend 1 minute or half minute to understand something and then you know once and for all.
“veda-pranihito dharmo hy adharmas tad-viparyayah
vedo narayanah saksatsvayambhur iti susruma” (S.B. 6.1.40)
So, they have defined it is veda-pranihito, the vedas. What is prescribed in the vedas or done things as per prescriptions of vedas that is dharma. And tad-viparyayah just opposite of that is adharma, irreligion. They are defining like this. Vedo narayanah saksat, vedas are sakshat Narayan, this is Sanskrit. We should be capable to understand this much. Vedas are sakshat narayan, ya directly Narayan. ‘Sakshat haritven samasta shastrey’ we sing every day. Sakshat hari, sakshat means Himself directly. So vedas are sakshat Narayan. ‘Svayambhur iti susruma’ and ya we have heard this. We have heard this from Yamaraja.
Purport – The servants of Yamaraja replied quite properly. Prabhupada is giving his judgment, Prabhupad is satisfied; Yamarajas’ replies quite properly. They did not manufacture principles of religion or irreligion, no manufacturing. Instead, they explained what they had heard from the authority Yamaraja. ‘Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah’: one should follow the Mahajana, the authorized person. Yamaraja is one of twelve authorities. They said susruma, Prabhupada is writing. They said right? This word susruma. They said we have heard this. But but we saying this to you that this vedo narayanah saksat iti susruma – we have heard this. Ofcourse we have heard this from Yamaraja. Susruma, so this is the right way to acquire knowledge. Injunction of dharma emanate from breathing of Narayan. And Srila Madhvacarya also makes a comment here, the transcendental words of the Vedas emanated from the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the Vedic principles should be understood to be Vaishnava principles because Vishnu is the origin of the Vedas. The Vedas contain nothing besides the instructions of Vishnu, and one who follows the Vedic principles is a Vaishnava. So Vedas are also known as ‘apaurushaya’ they call ‘apaurushaya’ means not spoken by a ordinary human being ‘apaurushaya’. Yamadutas continue
“yena sva-dhamny ami bhava rajah-sattva-tamomayah
guna-nama-kriya-rupair vibhavyante yatha-tatham” (S.B. 6.1.41)
Yena sva-dhamny ami – this is Narayan. Narayan resides in His own abode, they say. And although He resides in His own abode through the agency of rajah-sattva-tamo, He is creating this whole existence which is full of guna that is qualities, nama that is names, kriya that is activities, rupair that is forms. This world full of forms, qualities, activities is a creation of Narayan which He creates with the help of sattva-rajah-tamo. Although He is not personally here, yena sva-dhamny although in His own abode, He’s creating everything. All these manifestations are, thus Narayan is the cause of entire cosmic manifestation. Is that correct also? These Yamarajas are they correct? Not correct? Getting good marks. He is able to remain in His own abode, Prabhupada is writing, He (i.e. Narayan) is able to remain in His own abode and without endeavor supervise and manipulate the entire cosmic manifestation through the interaction of the three modes of material nature — sattva, rajo and tamo. These interactions create different forms, bodies, activities and changes, which all occur perfectly. This is Lord’s creation, everything’s perfect and having said that much now Yamadutas are going to list of witnesses. So when one commit sin, before they are sent to carry out the order whether he is to be punished or rewarded to which body he gets next. This all has to depend on, you know, the actual facts about that person’s dealings, activities. So there has to be witnesses. Someone to witness the activity of that person. So they say, so please take note of the witnesses. Lot of times we just look around, there’s no one here, just me and then we go. Just do it. You feel good, just do it, don’t even think. Just see no one around, ok no one around. But the Yamadutas say
“suryo gnih kham marud devah somah sandhyahani disah
kam kuh svayam dharma iti hy ete daihyasya saksinah” (S.B. 6.1.42)
Sakshi Gopal, you know, Sakshi Gopal, witness Gopal. Gopal who witnessed. So saksinah, daihyasya saksinah, daihi- we are daihi, embodied. So of daihi that is daihyasya. Daihyasya saksinah – these are the witnesses of the activities performed by the conditioned soul. so who are they; surya-sun, agni-fire, kham-ether, shabdah khe, marud sound is in ether, shabdah khe, khe means ‘in’, so in ether there is sound that’s another statement of Krishna from the 10th chapter of Bhagvat Gita. So marud-air, wherever you are there’s always air right? Could you go to somewhere where there’s no air? You could go but not come back (laughter). So even air is a witness. Air is given, you think air is just passing by but air gathered all the news (laughs) That air will go to Yamaraja and somehow pass the news on to him. Devah-demigod, somah-moon, sandhya-evening, sandhya-evening time sandhyakal, ahani-the day, dishah-directions, how many directions are there? 10; purva, pashchim, dakshin, uttar, agneya, nairrti, vayavya, ishanya, urdhva, adho. These are the ten names of ten directions. So, the ten directions, they are also witness. Kam i.e. water, kuh i.e. land, svayam dharma Yamaraja himself is also witness. So like these are the witnesses.
Now Prabhupada is writing the purport – once we had a discussion with a learned Christian professor who argued that although people are generally punished after the witnesses of their misdeeds are examined, after the witnesses of their misdeeds are examined, ok, witnesses are examined. Someone committed misdeed and then witnesses are there right? Yes I was there, I saw, I took the photograph also and recording, I was right there. So when all these witnesses are examined then there should be punishment. This was the argument of this Christian gentleman who was talking with Prabhupada, arguing with Prabhupada, where are the witnesses responsible for one’s suffering reactions of past karma? Oh! Your Yamaraja punishes people, Hindu people or all the people but you know where are the witnesses are? We committed sin, may be in a cave, in a secluded place or here there wherever. So how they have to examine the witnesses, gather correct facts then only the judgement is going to be right otherwise it will go wrong. Understand the argument of this priest; if you understand the argument of the priest then you will understand the reply. Ya understood? His point was normally the judgment comes after hearing the witnesses about someone’s misdeed. So many people, so many living entities they are punished but where are the witnesses? So judgment is not going to be wrong. It is going to be wrong according to him.
Ok then Prabhupada is now, to such a person the answer by the Yamadutas is given here. Prabhupada is not giving any answer himself. The Yamadutas have given answer to the question or argument of this Christian professor, a conditioned soul thinks that he is working stealthily. Stealthily? Stealing you know stealing like a thief. Stealthily is working without anybody noticing while any action is being performed. So soul thinks, conditioned soul thinks that he is working stealthily and that no one can see his sinful activities, but we can understand from the sastras that there are many witnesses, we just find out from sastras witness is like sun, fire, like that, sky, air, moon and like that but doesn’t different witnesses. Where is the dearth of witnesses? The witnesses and the Supreme Lord both exist, and therefore so many living entities are elevated to higher planetary systems or degraded to lower planetary systems, including hellish planets. There are no discrepancies, for everything is arranged perfectly by the management of the Supreme God (svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca). See how the creation of God works. we get to know this. Ok, they continue
“etair adharmo vijnatah sthanam dandasya yujyate
sarve karmanurodhena dandam arhanti karinah” (S.B. 6.1.43)
Translation – The candidates for punishment are those who are confirmed by these many witnesses to have deviated from their prescribed regulative duties. Everyone engaged in furtive activities is suitable to be subjected to punishment according to his sinful acts. Questions were raised, who are the candidates for punishment? And Yamadutas say that everyone engaged in furtive activities is going to be punished according to the sinful acts. So the witnesses, the different ones, they say yes yes we know that this person deviated from the prescribed regulative duties. He is a brahmin and this prescribed duty and he is kshatriya, he is a brahmachari, here’s this, here’s that and each one has prescribed duty and all these personalities appointed to act as witnesses, they have been trained, they know what are the regulative principles, what is dharma and what is not dharma and all that. So through the eyes of the scriptures and keeping all these prescribed duties, knowledge in forefront of their mind, they are looking at different personalities. And as soon as they go against, they deviate from the prescribed duty, immediately who is sleeping there in middle of Bhagvatam this will be reported right? Speaker may not take notice but there is, the witnesses are around. The news is all the time the communication is and for each one of us there is one file. Yamaraja has super computer and the data is all the time updated and plus minus because person may leave anytime so report has to be ready (laughter). Not that he is dead and pending file and do review and do all calculations who knows. No as soon as the person is no more which could be anytime, so the data has to be ever ready, perfect. Prabhupada just said, Lord’s management is perfect, no delays.
“yena yavan yathadharmo dharmo veha samihitah
sa eva tat-phalam bhunkte tatha tavad amutra vai” (S.B. 6.1.45)
‘Yena yavan yathadharmo dharmo veha samihitah’ so according to the activities dharmic-religious or irreligious we perform then that persons gets the phalam-the fruit, either bitter fruit or sweeter sweet fruit, amutra vai-in the next life accordingly he gets the body. ‘Karmana daiva netrena sat asat janma yonishu’, karmana daiva netrena- the karma, they have eyes, daiva netrena, sat asat janma yonishu- yoni means specie sat means higher specie, asat means lower specie. According to one’s karma, one gets higher body or lower body. In proportion to the extent of one’s religious actions in this life, one must enjoy or suffer corresponding actions of this karma in the next. Srila Prabhupada is quoting verse from Bhagvat Gita, “urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha madhye tisthanti rajasah jaghanya guna vrtti-stha adho gacchanti tamasah” (Bhagavad-gita 14.18). Urdhvam gacchanti- upwards go, sattva-stha- person situated in mode of goodness they go upwards. Then madhye- in the middle, tisthanti rajasah- persons in the mode of passion, they stay in the middle and adho gacchanti- adho means down gacchanti means go tamasah- people in mode of ignorance go down mode of passion stay? Where? Middle and Goodness upwards. So goodness means pious activity so they go to heaven, the tamasic sinful activity they go the hellish planets and rajasah the passionate ones, they stay in the middle, this planet, we know the planet system. So this is 14th chapter 18th verse of Bhagvat Gita. So Prabhupada has quoted that verse supporting Yamaduta’s statement. Like that they just as the spring time the omnipotent Yamaraja is as good as Brahma they say, they talk about their master Yamaraja. For while situated in his own abode or in everyone’s heart like Paramatma, he mentally observes past activities of a living entity and thus understands how living entity will act in future lives. Such is a power of Yamaraja, he could just think of his present and past activities and he could immediately visualize that he would act like this in future and then accordingly he has given the bodies. One should not consider Yamaraja an ordinary living being, he is as good as Lord Brahma, he has competent, co-operation of Supreme Lord who is situated in everyone’s heart and therefore by the grace of Supersoul, he can see the past, present and future of all living beings from within, from within himself, he could see this. The actual decisions concerning next lives of entities are made by Supersoul and they are carried out by Yamaraja. So there is a co-operation, they work as a team or Lord has a final say, Supersoul has a final say in the matter then Yamaraja does the execution of the will of the Lord. We are skipping some verses here for some time constraints are there. So,
“pancabhih kurute svarthan panca vedatha pancabhih
ekas tu sodasena trin svayam saptadaso ’snute” (S.B. 6.1.50)
The living entity enjoys or suffer. They say conditioned soul has five working senses, five objects of senses are there and five knowledge acquiring senses i.e. fifteen; five, five, five and then what is the sixteenth item is mind and seventeenth is a living entity himself. So like that, the seventeen together they have connection with the subtle body and so according to knowledge acquired and particular kind of knowledge acquired, actions perform they enjoy or suffer differently. So some enjoy shoka that’s lamentation, harsha, bhaya, artidam (S.B. 6.1.51). The subtle body is endowed with sixteen parts — the five knowledge-acquiring senses, the five working senses, the five objects of sense gratification, and the mind. This subtle body is an effect of the three modes of material nature. It is composed of insurmountably strong desires, and therefore it causes the living entity to transmigrate from one body to another in human, animal life and life as a demigod.
So, and there are few more verses, no, they are not many more but few, just then replying to the questions raised by Vishnudutas and towards the end now, last 10 verses. Vishnudutas are going to describe in more detail, giving some more details of the life, sinful life of Ajamila, this dasi-pati Ajamila. And then in conclusion they say yes, this is the reason, this is the reason we want to bring him to Yamaloka. So they want to make their case. So they have given some reading through philosophical explanations and now life history again. We are studying the life of this dasi-patir ajamilah.
“Ayam hi sruta-sampannah sila-vrtta-gunalayah” (S.B. 6.1.56)
He was…ya, so pay attention, important details are there. So do not miss anything, Yes so they say he was sruta-sampannah- means he used to hear a lot from right sources ‘Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam’ (SB 7.5.23). He was doing this, nityam Bhagvat sevaya, studying shastras, vedas, he was doing this regularly. Sila-vrtta-gunalayah- he was well behaved, he had a very bright character and he was full of so many good qualities, dhrta-vrato- following so many vows, he used to fast on ekadashi and like that. We have also taken vrat, what is our vrat? Katha vrat, katha-vrati, we have katha-vrati. Right now we are following vrat of katha, katha vrat. There is brahmachari vrat, ekadashi vrat, different vratas. Right now there is a month of ‘Purushottam mass’. You heard of that? ‘Purushottam mas’ every after 3 years, one additional month appears called Purushottam and lot of people if you go to Vrindavan now, it’s so crowded. Started 3 weeks ago, 1 more week to go. So this month is considered very very auspicious especially for hearing and chanting. People drop their routine businesses and go to the holy places, stay there for whole month, following different vows, eating; they follow lot of eating restrictions. If you don’t eat salt, you’ll have a sweet voice and this and that, if you don’t drink milk, it gives benefit like that. So people follow lot of different vows and minimize their bodily demands and increase the spiritual practices during this month. All the holy places are crowded right now in India. Go to any and every holy place, people are coming in big numbers for darshan of the deities and taking holy dip, of course that’s the favorite pastime. Let’s take a holy dip, as soon as they come they want to find where have to take bath, bathing ghat, bathing ghat, snan, there’s a snan ghat, bathing ghat.
So, different vratas. Purushottam mass follow, this is also another vrat. So he was ‘dhrta-vrato’- he used to follow lots of vows. And ‘mrdur’- he was very mild person. Now he was arrogant but one time and ‘dantah’- he was sense and mind controller and he had mind and controlled his mind and senses to great extent and ‘satya-van mantra-vic chucih’ (S.B. 6.1.56)- yes he was very clean, always speaking truthfully, speaking truth, no lies, talking about the previous, before coming in contact with the prostitute, he was like that and they have information about that. How are they saying this? How did Yamadutas came to know this? How? Supersoul? Witnesses, Yes, so many witnesses, good news also, they are informed, not that only sinful activities, someone is doing good, that is also reported, that is also on the computer screen, that also appears. And he used to be very respectful and he had service attitude. “Guru-agny-atithi-vrddh” (SB 6.1.57) four parties mentioned he used to serve, be respectful, serving Gurus, fire, guests and old people and other parties and these people respecting agni is what? Light the fire and do swaha swaha or use the fire for cooking for the Lord i.e. worshipping, serving fire and guests should be treated as God, old people are wise people hence they are useful people in Vedic culture. So they should be respected, looked after not because they have become old now, just kill them it’s useless you know; get a gun wipe them out, no…old is gold, they have so much experience and so they could just sit down, they cannot run around so much but they can…they have brain they have experience in Vedic times. So they have been practicing how they overcame different difficulties in their life, this obstacle that maya, this that so they are seasoned so they could share their knowledge. So that’s a wealth to have such access. Sometimes we say in our Krishna Consciousness movement, we don’t have grand old mothers, grand old fathers, mostly young people or just 1st generation or one and half generation only but…so we are lacking to some extent and we have Prabhupada, the whole living experienced people gone through ups and downs and thick and thin of the life. Such people they help us, advice us, guide us, inspire us.
So this Ajamila used to be very respectful. As soon as old person walks into the bus, young people should stand up and please take the seat or some Sanyasi comes, now they don’t care (Maharaj laughs) we keep standing they don’t know, they don’t even know this is Sanyasi, they see he is carrying dand, they think he is also going for fishing (laughter) they don’t know what he is carrying, fishing rod fishing rod. We say yes yes fishing. This is an ocean of material, this is ocean so we fish, fish out people of this ocean so fisherman. So they don’t even know we are Sanyasi what to speak of respecting him or offering a seat or anything of service. So that’s the state of affairs. So more of his qualities are mentioned here that he was non envious- anasuyakah and mita-vag and there’s a mita-bhuk, vag means speach mita-vag means just speaking only when it is necessary. He was not just talkative, talking talking he was mita-vag. They say because God has given us two ears and how many mouths? One mouth. So hearing should be twice compared to talk. Normally we do other way round. We talk more, hear less. We don’t want to hear, we only talk. So this person, he was mita-vag. Sarva-bhuta-suhrt – he was very friendly to all living entities and sadhur – was very gentle person. So these are…that’s why he is said, described as sruta-sampannah – he was sampanna, well educated in Vedic knowledge. So having described his good qualities during his youthful days, now comes, so then what happened, ekada (S.B. 6.1.58) once upon a time he vanam yatah he was going into the forest garden pitr-sandesa-krd dvijah and he was going there because his father had sent him to do what? Adaya tata avrttah- to go and collect some phala- friuts puspa- flowers and grass samit then kusan there are two kinds of grasses required for the puja.
So while he was out there on a mission of collecting flowers and fruits and special grass required for puja, something happened. Dadarsa (S.B. 6.1.59) he saw “kaminam kancic shudram saha bhujisyaya” he saw one shudra- person in company of a prostitute and the prostitute has been described here as a “pitva ca madhu maireyam madaghurnita-netraya” and she had taken, she had drunk so much vodka, vodka? Russia what do they drink, vodka vodka or German bear she had taken so much “pitva ca madhu maireyam” that her eyes were rolling, she was just intoxicated like anything eyes were rolling. He was seeing this; this person was seeing all this. “Mattaya vislathan-nivya vyapetam nirapatrapam” (S.B. 6.1.60) and as a result her body was not…she was not even aware which part of her body is covered with clothes which parts are naked and vyapetam nirapatrapam – she was shameless. So either under the influence of the intoxication, the drink she had drunk, she had taken so much of that or purposely she was just not covering herself properly and what else? Kridantam – she was playful and gayantam – she was singing glories of the sudra, this person, low class person, oh how beautiful how this how that hasantam – laughing, anayantike – so together all they were busy like that. Does that sound familiar? Yes, we don’t have to read in Bhagvatam. This is…just go down the street and it is all there, worse than this. Prabhupada writes, while traveling along the public way, Ajamila came upon a fourth-class, not even third-class, fourth-class man and a prostitute, who are vividly described here. The drunkenness was sometimes manifest even in bygone ages, although not very frequently. Previous ages some drunkenness would manifest. In this Age of Kali, however, such sin is to be seen everywhere, for people all over the world have become shameless.
Long ago, when he saw the scene of the drunken sudra and the prostitute, Ajamila who was a perfect brahmacari, was affected. Nowadays such sin is visible in so many places, and we must consider the position of a brahmacari student who sees such behavior, Prabhupada is concerned. For such a brahmacari to remain steady is very difficult unless he is extremely strong in following the regulative principles. Nevertheless, if one takes to Krishna consciousness very seriously, he can withstand the provocation created by sin. In our Krishna consciousness movement we prohibit illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. In Kali-yuga, a drunk, half-naked woman embracing a drunken man is a very common sight, especially in the Western countries, and restraining oneself after seeing such things is very difficult. Nevertheless, if by the grace of Krishna one adheres to the regulative principles and chants the Hare Krishna mantra, Krishna will certainly protect him. So, difficult but not impossible, Prabhupada is trying to…like that, things are difficult.
“drstva tam kama-liptena bahuna parirambhitam
jagama hrc-chaya-vasam sahasaiva vimohitah” (S.B. 6.1.61)
So drstva tam kama – so first he was described what a nice person he was full of so many qualities. The next thing is seen. He had to see this sudra and prostitute embracing that scene. Drstva – by seeing this kama-liptena – full of kama, full of lust and parirambhitam i.e. hand, arms, they were embracing each other jagama hrc-chaya-vasam – he followed that, his thoughts went, he contemplated and he was taken over by this scene, the desire aroused within him and he became bewildered. Thus see what more he is doing.
“stambhayann atmanatmanam yavat sattvam yatha-srutam
na sasaka samadhatummano madana-vepitam” (S.B. 6.1.62)
So he was trying to use his intelligence. What he was seeing, he was trying to stay transcendental. Atmanatmanam, atmana means using his intelligence, he was trying to ‘uddhared atmanatmanam natmanam avasadayet’ (B.G 6.5) in 6th chapter of Bhagvat Gita Krishna advices that one should lift himself, not physically but use of intelligence ‘atmanatmanam natmanam avasadayet’ – make sure you we don’t fall down. ‘Atmaiva hy atmano bandhur atmaiva ripur atmanah’ – the mind is one’s best friend or the mind could be best enemy, this is 6th chapter Bhagvat Gita. So with the mind one should try to, with the intelligence try to keep oneself on higher level and make sure mind is not degrading oneself ourself, this is Krishna’s advice. So mind could be enemy, mind could be friend. So under the circumstances he is trying he struggled used all his spiritual strength. Yatha-srutam – because he was trained he was told he had been hearing katha and all that. So all the techniques, all the knowledge under the circumstances what to do he was trying to apply that to this particular situation. Na sasaka samadhatum – however he did not become successful, he fall prey to the strong maya situation and mano madana-vepitam – his mind started more hesitation, fluctuation and it became stronger than the intelligence. Intelligence stopped functioning, mind took over madana i.e. lust, madana-vepitam, madanamohan. This kama the arrows pierced and he couldn’t take them out and then,
“tan-nimitta-smara-vyaja- graha-grasto vicetanah
tam eva manasa dhyayan sva-dharmad virarama ha” (S.B. 6.1.63)
So in the same way that the sun and moon are eclipsed by a low planet, the brahmana lost all his good sense. Taking advantage of this situation, he always thought of the prostitute, and within a short time he took her as a servant in his house. Haribol, done deal, deal closed. Means lot more happened, he contemplated, he bewildered and then he took all the necessary steps, all the actions and he took her into his house, abandoned all the regulative principles of a brahmana and as prostitute entered his home, that was end of all the brahmanical practices at home. By speaking this verse, Sukadeva Gosvami wants to impress upon the mind of the reader that Ajamila’s exalted position as a brahmana was vanquished by his association with the prostitute, so much so that he forgot all his brahmanical activities. At the end of his life, by chanting the four syllables of the name Narayana, he was saved from the gravest danger of falling down. ‘Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat’ (B.G 2.40) so only because he had performed those activities, pious and some spiritual activities before coming in contact with prostitute. So that, some progress that he had made, he was saved. He was able to chant and Lord saved him. So he has chanted, he has chanted Narayan few times, finished. I am going to do the same thing, now I know; like that people give some ideas. In India, people say, ohh…so practice low then forget it all and then say Narayan Narayan, when Yamadutas come, Narayan Narayan. Go back to Godhead. It may not work like that (laugh) that is cheating. That’s not the lesson this Bhagvatam is teaching us. Ok, few more verses. Thus Ajamila began spending whatever money he had inherited from his father to satisfy the prostitute with various material presentations so that she would remain pleased with him. He gave up all his brahmanical activities to satisfy the prostitute. Pitryenarthena (S.B. 6.1.64) – his father’s property, father’s money and he spend that on his prostitute.
“vipram sva-bharyam apraudham kule mahati lambhitam
visasarjacirat papah svairinyapanga-viddha-dhih” (S.B. 6.1.65)
Now, so ya, he married. He was already married to a brahmana’s daughter. So he threw her out, Brahmana’s daughter he threw her out and replaced her with the prostitute. This is what Yamadutas are saying this, that’s why we want to punish him. He even gave up the company of his very beautiful young wife, who came from a very respectable brahmana family. Although born of a brahmana family, this rascal…this rascal, bereft of intelligence because of the prostitute’s association, earned money somehow or other, regardless of whether properly or improperly, and used it to maintain the prostitute’s sons and daughters. ‘Nyayato ’nyayato dhanam’ (S.B. 6.1.66) legal illegal means he earned money and spend it on. So they say this brahmana irresponsibly spent his long lifetime transgressing all the rules and regulations of the Holy Scripture, living extravagantly and eating food prepared by a prostitute. Therefore he is full of sins. He is unclean and is addicted to forbidden activities. (S.B. 6.1.67). Purport – Food prepared by an unclean, sinful man or woman, especially a prostitute, is extremely infectious. Ajamila ate such food, and therefore he was subject to be punished by Yamaraja. And here is the final statement and conclusion of proposal by Yamadutas.
“tata enam danda-paneh sakasam krta-kilbisam
nesyamo ’krta-nirvesam yatra dandena suddhyati” (S.B. 6.1.68)
We want to purify him, but how? Yama-danda, the stick of Yamaraja. When he gets all the beating, then he’ll come to the senses. Want to straighten him out, that’s the only way he could be cured and rectified. This man Ajamila did not undergo atonement. Therefore because of his sinful life, we must take him into the presence of Yamaraja for punishment. There, according to the extent of his sinful acts, he will be punished and thus purified. So they are sticking to their proposal, they are convinced. This is what to be done with this Ajamila. The Visnudutas had forbidden the Yamadutas to take Ajamila to Yamaraja, and therefore the Yamadutas explained that taking such a man to Yamaraja was appropriate. Since Ajamila had not undergone atonement for his sinful acts, he was to be taken to Yamaraja to be purified. When a man commits murder he becomes sinful, and therefore he also must be killed; otherwise after death he must suffer many sinful reactions. Similarly, punishment by Yamaraja is a process of purification for the most abominable sinful persons. Therefore the Yamadutas requested the Visnudutas not to obstruct their taking Ajamila to Yamaraja.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Sixth Canto, First Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “The History of the Life of Ajamila.”
So take a break for one hour and then…so you could digest this much. Contemplate on the life of Ajamila and then when you come back we will now listen to Vishnudutas. Vishnudutas are going to give befitting reply. Just see how they could sort this out.

Venue: Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir
Date: March 1st, 2014
Subject: S.B. 11.5.36
In the glorification of sankirtana, Kirtan Mela, we are asked to, speakers these days, Bhagavatam speakers are asked to select a verse that glorifies the Holy name. So here is one such verse Eleventh Canto, Chapter Fifth, Text number 36.
“kalim sabhajayanty arya guna jnah sara-bhaginah
yatra sankirtanenaiva sarva-svartho ’bhilabhyate”
Translation:

Those who are actually advanced in knowledge are able to appreciate the essential value of this Age of Kali. Such enlightened persons worship Kali-yuga because in this fallen age all perfection of life can easily be achieved by the performance of sankirtana.
Purport:
It is stated here that among the four ages — Satya, Treta, Dvapara and Kali — Kali-yuga is actually the best because in this age the Lord mercifully distributes the highest perfection of consciousness, namely Krsna consciousness, very freely. The word arya has been defined by Srila Prabhupada as “one who is advancing spiritually.” The nature of an advanced person is to search for the essence of life. For example, the essence of the material body is not the body itself but the spirit soul that is within the body; therefore an intelligent person gives more attention to the eternal spirit soul than to the temporary body. Similarly, although Kali-yuga is considered to be an ocean of contamination, there is also an ocean of good fortune in Kali-yuga, namely the sankirtana movement. Haribol……….. Good Morning news! Otherwise everything is bad, but this is good news. In other words, all of the degraded qualities of this age are completely counteracted by the process of chanting the Holy names of the Lord. Thus it is stated in the Vedic language,
(Maharaj reads just the beginning of the purport as the purport is very long)
So in this section of Bhagavatam there is a, chapter is entitled, ‘Narada’s teachings to Vasudeva’. And within that there is a dialogue between King Nimi and all the nine Yogendras are there, muni’s are there and King is asking nine different set of questions to each one of those muni’s present there. And when he turned to Karbhajana Muni, he had a set of questions.
“kasmin kale sa bhagavan kim varnah kidrso nrbhih
namna va kena vidhina pujyate tad ihocyatam” (SB 11.5.19)

Please tell me, ucyatam -please tell me, and please tell me here, ‘iha’ – right now and here, that in which age -kasmin kale, kena vidhina -by what process, nrbhih pujyate – people worship the Lord and namna -by which name He becomes known in each age, like that.
And in response to this inquiry Karbhajana Muni has, gone through, ok there comes Satya Yuga and this incarnation and then next one and next one and then Kali yuga. This is text 36 of this chapter but just few verses earlier the very famous statement by Karbhajana Muni
“krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah” (SB 11.5.32)
All the members, followers of this sankirtana movement should know this verse, statement, learn this by heart. He is talking, Lord appears in the age of Kali, what does He do, krsna-varnam, and He is glorifying Krishna, Krishna appears and what would He do, krsna-varnam, krsna varnayati, varna means description. That Krishna will describe Krishna, that God will describe Krishna.
But He will not be Krishna in color, He will not be, but which color they would be known by in each age, these incarnations? Then Karbhajana Muni says, Krishna will appear to glorify Krishna but He will be akrsna, not blackish, so what? He will be golden, whitish, golden complexion. Sangopangastra-parsadam, He appears, not just by Himself, but sa, utsanga, upanga, parasada, this whole set, and these are his astras and sastras – these are His weapons. Otherwise He will be not carrying Sudarsana chakra or bow and arrow or an axe or at the end of Kali a sword. But this
“sangopangastra-parsadam yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah”

And su-medhasah people with brain stuff in there, not only head looking like a head but some substance inside, brain tissues to understand the intricacies, they will worship, yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti, yajanti, how will they worship Lord in each of those four ages, so yajanti they will worship, su-medhasah yajanti, the intelligent people who worship, how? yajnaih, performance of yajna. Well, what kind of yajna? Sankirtana yajnaih, not just yajna, immediately. Then you don’t have to worry which yajna is He talking about, immediately, so there is no speculation and further interpretation and something else, It stops.
sankirtana yajna, yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah
So here they talked about the Lord who performed sankirtana, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare”
Lord is to be worshipped. How He is to be worshipped? By performance of sankirtana yajna Lord is to be worshipped. When you have chanted, yajñanam japa-yajño ’smi (BG 10.25), is also there – of all the yajnas, Krishna said that in Tenth Chapter of Bhagavad Gita, sankirtana yajna is – that’s Myself, that yajna is Me, non different from Me, yajñanam japa-yajño ’smi.
And then in this verse Karbhajana Muni says that not only that the Lord becomes worshipable by performance of sankirtan, but that age of Kali becomes worshipable. kalim sabhajayanty, Kali, the age of Kali will be worshipped, very special time, good times are here. Worship these times, take advantage of this good times, very favorable times. The businessmen know, good times, bad times, they begin their trade when there’s a favorable time for their business. So this is for worshipping good times, favorable times.
‘guna jnah arya’ first of all – those who are civilized, Srila Prabhupada is “one who is advancing spiritually” is called arya. Not just some rubber stamping arya, in India there are, there is Arya Samaj, a society called Arya Samaj and in fact what they do all day or everyday is svaha svaha svaha, finished, karma-kanda jnana-kanda, kevala visera bhanda (Prema-bhakti-candrika). They are drinking poison although they are thinking themselves to be – we are Aryans and they don’t go beyond Vedas, veda bhagavan, they don’t even go to Gita or Bhagavatam. Oh! Vedas are apauruseya and these are, these scriptures are given by, Vedas are given by Supreme Lord, others are by other devotees or sages.
So not that kind of arya. So you don’t have to be born in India to be arya. This is the definition, one who is spiritually advanced, he is arya. We are all arya’s assembled here. (Haribol) Brahman not by birth, guna karma vibhagasah, not, janma karma vibhagasah. Guna karma vibhagasah, by qualities.
So ‘sara-bhaginah’ and those who know the essence, sara-bhaginah they will worship this age of Kali. And how will they worship or what is special about this Kali-yuga? Yatra means in that age of Kali. Why worship Kali? yatra sankirtanena eva and that is being translated as ‘merely’, eva means not ‘only’ but mere means not much, all that you have to do is sankirtan.
And what is the outcome, what is the benefit? sarva-svartho ’bhilabhyate, not only some part of sva artha, sva that is us and artha something that is meaningful, useful, or desired goals. Spiritually refined persons are being talked about. Certainly their desires are also pure desires, purified desires.
“akamah sarva-kamo va moksa-kama udara-dhih
tivrena bhakti-yogena yajeta purusam param” (SB 2.3.10)

Ok, ok if you have all desires, or if you have desire for liberation, fine, or you have no desires, worship, tivrena bhakti-yogena yajeta purusam param worship that Supreme Personality of Godhead.
So how is Lord worshipped in this age of Kali? Kirtanena eva, only or merely and by doing so sarva-svartho ’bhilabhyate and everything is achieved. (Haribol!)
This Kali-yuga becomes otherwise you know, we all know, we have very good or first hand experience of this age of Kali as we are getting slapped and kicked so much. That is why when we get up the first thing that comes out of the mouth of the Hare Krishna’s is samsara dava, it describes it all, samsara-davanala-lidha-loka, (Gurv-astaka) the present day situation is described in just one line, samsara-davanala, this world is davanala, is on fire, getting burnt. What is the news? And that happens more in this age of Kali.
Yudhisthira Maharaj was asked by yaksa, in Mahabharata, some many many questions. kim ascaryam – what is the most wonderful thing, one of the questions that many of you probably know. But he also asked, what is the news, ka vartah. What is the news and he said, the news in this age of Kali or all the ages in fact, this whole universe is like a big pot and these tapa traya, tapa means also heat, tapa traya, the heat caused by adhidaivika, adhy?tmika and adhibhautika miseries. And all the living entities are in this pot, are being cooked, or deep fried (laughter) and three, tapa traya is also there and from the top the sun rays are there, and they are all being boiled and deep fried. If you are asking for what is the news, this is the news. (Laughter) This is the news. Yudhisthira Maharaj says this in Mahabharata. This is the news.
“kaler dosa-nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunah

kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet” (SB 12.3.51)
So Sukadeva Goswami in this part of Bhagavatam here does describe the symptoms of this age of Kali and he has few chapters, he is talking this defect, flaw after flaw after flaw. And then he said ok I better, just to cut the long story short, then he says kaler dosa-nidhe rajan, this age of Kali is dosa-nidhi, full of faults but, but yes what is that but, he is going to change the topic or something different, kintu prabhor yah, but. So what is that, what is that, kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-bandhah param vrajet (haribol) kirtanand eva, again eva is there, as eva is used here in this verse kirtanena eva, so there also says.
As harer namaiva, hareh nama eva, harer namaiva, only, merely, only, kaler dosa nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunah kirtanad eva krsnasya, then again not just any kirtan, any name, krsnasya kirtana, not Kali kirtana, Durga kirtana, this kirtana, that kirtana, then committing offenses against the Holy name one of the, second offense. No. krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet that person will be freed from, he will be mukta from mukta-sangah, sanga means attachment to this world.<dhyayato visayan pumsah sangas tesupajayate” (BG 2.62)
And this world as we wander, as we contemplate on this and that, immediately first product, first outcome is sanga, sangas tesupajayate, you develop attachment and many more things to follow. So here says,
“sangas tesupajayate sangat sanjayate kamah”(BG 2.62)

No I am not going back there. kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet
One becomes mukta, free from the sanga of this world, and he get into sadhu sanga, Krishna sanga, Mayapur sanga, ISKCON leadership sanga, these are all the right positive constitutional eternal sanga’s. You cannot be free from sanga, only difference is whether this one or that one, take a pick. So sanga, attachment must be there.
So being attached to this material world, I am the body, not knowing the essence of the body, as it says sara-bhaginah, those who know the essence they worship this age of Kali. The essence of this body, the purport says there is the soul and then there is the Supreme Soul and we have to be attached to that Supreme Soul, getting attached to the Supreme Soul. And that is called yoga, bhakti-yoga and that is the perfection. (Gauranga)
So the Lord appeared. Time and tide waits for none, its moving, its already there. I wish I had so many mouths to speak in a short time. I have but one, Brahma should be cursed. Just see he has only given one mouth. During prasadam also we feel, (laughter) we wish we had so many mouths. But at least I have bigger eyes than my stomach, that’s a good thing, bigger eyes than stomach.
So Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, His appearance, His presence in this age of Kali makes all the difference. Reason this age of Kali becomes worshipable, well there is one more thought, in fact I should be adding, which is not my thought, but Karbhajana muni has said that even the, krtadisu praja rajan (SB 11.5.38), even the residents of the previous ages, Satya yuga and Dvapara, they pray oh please oh please could we, kalau khalu bhavisyanti (SB 11.5.38) could we appear in the age of Kali? They stand in a queue, they offer this prayer, this is their hearts desire. We want to be born in the age of Kali, especially after Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu appears, and then Srila Prabhupada appears (haribol) and then there is the sankirtana movement, things are moving then. Then we want to appear. So the citizens of previous ages also have special prayer for their advent, their appearance, their birth, in the age of Kali.
“Narayana-parayanah bhavisyanti” (SB 11.5.38) I mean this is the good news part, that there is every hope and arrangement that in this age of Kali devotees who dedicate their lives to the service of Lord Narayana will be plenty of them here in this age of Kali.
Our Srila Prabhupada I was just reading one letter, and he was writing to his disciple, he said, “actually you are all born”, he addressed letter to one devotee but then he was addressing all those who were devotees during Prabhupada days and this could be applicable to all those who are assembled here or wherever they are right now.
“You are all born to spread Krishna consciousness all over the world..” (Haribol). Prabhupada took that way ‘You are born to spread this Krishna consciousness all over the world.’ And then I was talking of letters, not letter, this is a purport, in another purport Fifth Canto Prabhupada writes, “therefore this (meaning this Mayapur) is the best among all the places in the universe (Haribol). The Krishna consciousness movement has established its center in Mayapur, birth site of Caitanya Mahaprabhu to give men the opportunity to go there and perform a constant spiritual festival of sankirtana yajna.” (Haribol)
Now we have center, we have center in Mayapur now. Oh you all come, you all come, sraddhavan jana he, sraddhavan jana, same mood, same mood, sraddha, oh faithful people. This announcement, Bhaktivinoda Thakur is making this announcement, patiyache nam-hatta jivera karana. Nityananda Mahajana has opened the market place of the Holy name. Please come, please come and get the product, buy the, do the shopping. What price? What are the prices? sraddhavan jana he, that’s all it takes, sraddhavan jana he, sraddhavan jana. (Nadiya Godrume, Gitavali)
Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in this age of Kali not far from here, how far away from here, next door, few hundred meters away, not even half kilometer away, Lord appeared five hundred and twenty eight years ago, on Gaura Purnima day He appeared and with His advent the age of Kali became worship able as Mahaprabhu performed sankirtana all over, everywhere.
“udilo aruna puraba-bhage dwija-mani gora amani jage,
bhakata-samuha loiya sathe, gela nagara-braje” (Arunodaya Kirtan 1, Gitavali)
He would gather His devotees and that dwija-mani the top most Brahmin Vaisnava, Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu is playing that role, and He would gather and perform sankirtana.
‘tathai tathai bajalo khol, ghana ghana tahe jhajera rol, (Arunodaya Kirtan 1, Gitavali)
Mridangas, hand cymbals,
“preme dhala dhala sonara anga, carane nupura baje” (Arunodaya Kirtan 1, Gitavali)<br />
And His golden form ajanu-lambita-bhujau samkirtanaika-pitarau karuna-avatarau, that Lord, vande jagat priyakarau karuna-avatarau (Invocation prayers of Sri Caitanya Caritamrita)
He is dancing with tinkling jingling bells around His ankles, nupura baje and He danced and danced and chanted and danced. He performed that sankirtana, come on, come on join, come on.
He did that in Jharkhand forest also where He would perform there was, because His mercy is causeless mercy. sthanasthana nahi vicara patrapatra nahi vicara, where to perform, where not to perform, no consideration, anywhere, everywhere, even in the forest He performed sankirtana and the animals joined. The birds were joining, some tigers were still sleeping. (laughter) The Lord said, get up! And tiger opened eyes, oh! Get up! And immediately jumped and begins singing and there is also deer next to tiger rubbing shoulders (laughter) and walking with a great pride and singing and dancing.
And Mahaprabhu noticed after some time during that sankirtana procession that tiger and deer they were embracing (Hari Haribol). That was the first scene. Next scene was tiger and deer they were kissing each other (laughter). And Mahaprabhu He was on the way to Vrindavan, half way through, Jharkhand forest. Mahaprabhus stops there – oh! Vrindavan dhama ki jaya! This is Vrindavan. I have reached Vrindavan.”
Vrindavan is the place where krsnavarnam krsna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna is talked about, Krishna is described, His glories are sung, without no envy, no hatred. Even animals forgot, the born enemies of each other, no enmity, no, just chanting and dancing and appreciating, embracing, that’s the mood, that’s the mood of the sankirtana movement and we could say oh Mahaprabhu also, we would like Mahaprabhu to say well, that was Jharkhand forest and here is already Mayapur but as we perform sankirtan and Lord is so much pleased with our spirits, no envy. Of course He has said
trnad api su-nicena taror iva sahisnuna
amanina mana-dena kirtaniyah sada harih (Siksastakam 3)

Kirtana, constant kirtana is possible, constant kirtana means you have become eligible to return to Krishna’s abode because what goes on there is nothing different kirtanayah sada harih is all that they do in the spiritual sky, in the spiritual world. So here we practice, practice, practice, sadhana and then some bhava, prema. We are liking to chant and dance and so we become eligible.
And this is worshipping the Holy name and this kirtaniyah sada harih, amanina mana-dena part is there. So not only, Lord likes His devotees to be loved and served and worshipped by us. I only love the Lord? The Lord says you are third class. No, no my Lord I will love and serve the devotee of Your devotee! Oh! Then you are My devotee. This is Lords.
bhaja gauranga kaha gauranga laha gaurangera nama re
jei jan gauranga bhaje, sei hoy amara prana re
This is also the mood of the sankirtana movement. Bhaja gauranga, worship gauranga, kaha gaurangera nama, and all that, chant the names of Gauranga Gauranga, which is not different from
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare HareHare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Jei jan gauranga bhaje, jei jan, those devotees, people, Jei jan bhaja gauranga bhaje, sei hoy amara prana, they are my life and soul, they are my goal, they are my masters, I serve them also, I worship them. So both the Lord and the Lord’s devotees are to be worshipped, to be served, this way. No offenses committed, this is positive of saying no offense, committing offenses against, offending Vaisnavas is an offense so, number one, we get lots of opportunity to commit offenses but serve and love.
Srila Prabhupada gave us this Mayapur festival and he gave us every, he gave us Gauranga, he gave us dhama, revealed this dhama unto us, and invited the whole world starting from 1972 and year after year after year. Only bhajana kutir in 1972, and then 1973 Lotus building, then 1975-76 Long building called chakra right, longest building in Bengal at one time. Then some more buildings and this temple and then more buildings and now TOVP ki jaya!
Temples are getting packed. The thought was this is not a crowd, this is assembly of devotees, too much crowd. This should not be the mood, crowd, it is not a crowd. This is, devotees have congregated, assembled for further festival. Crowd is, you will find in Bengali market or Chandni Chowk has a crowd, means undesirable people, crowd, too much crowded here. But this is assembly of, association of devotees, more the merrier, more devotees happy devotees. There’s this one of the slogans of GBC’s, more devotees happy devotees.
So TOVP is also here, so this is not big enough. You are seeing ocean of devotees here but not big enough temple. So every temple was not big enough, that kutir was not big enough, and then Lotus building was not big enough. I think where Srila Prabhuapda is this is where Radha Madhava facing that way, that was part of the temple small, where this exhibit that was the temple hall, the Caitanya exhibit inside and expanded four times bigger then it became full. And when we hear that temple is going to it accommodate 10,000 devotees, (haribol) but for how long? (Laughter)
Bhakti Purushottama Maharaj was saying this year we have 10,000 devotees already and he was saying Maharaj from now every year there will be 10,000 devotees (haribol) and more. Temple is getting bigger, movement is spreading, more and more devotees are coming, this is our Mecca right Mayapur. All Muslims they must go to Mayapur, no Mecca! They will come one day. So all followers of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu must come to Mayapur.
So they are coming, Russians are coming, everyone is coming. And so you are all welcomed and I also like to greet each one of you present here, otherwise no opportunity, I have microphones so I can greet. Welcome all of you and well, have a good time. Are you having a good time with the Kirtan Mela? (Haribol)
How many of you have come for the Kirtan Mela? (Haribol) that’s everybody. How many of you have come for the 10th anniversary of the Panca Tattva installation? (Haribol) same party How many of you have come for the silver jubilee, 25th anniversary of the Parikrama? (Haribol) few less.
So you are welcome and enjoy this festival.
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Sri Pancatattva ki jaya!
Radha Madhava ki jaya!
Nrsimhadeva Bhagavan ki jaya!
Gaur premanande!

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

Venue: Germany,
Bhagvat saptha (Ajamil Katha series – Third session)
So by regularly reciting this Bhagvatam and all that is inauspicious will be destroyed to nil and devotional service unto Supreme Personality of Godhead would be established as irreversible fact. “Bhagavaty uttama-shloke bhaktir bhavati” (SB 1.2.18) this is the benefit.
By reciting Bhagvatam regularly, once a year also could be regularly. People say I am very regular, you know, going to the temple very regular every Janmashtami (laughter) very regular. So regular can be once in a year, once in each lifetime also. So Prabhupada translated that into action as every day. Hence he gave us his daily schedule that includes Bhagvatam, recitation of Bhagvatam; that’s his understanding. Atleast that much and then more on personal basis varies, private studies. If one does this then the outcome is ‘bhaktir bhavati’, ‘bhava’ means becomes, bhakti becomes yours, you attain bhakti. And thus bhakti unto who? “Bhagavaty uttama-shloke” – two adjectives have been used, of course to describe the Lord. He is described as ‘uttama-shloke’, ‘uttam’ is the best or uttam meaning transcendental, ‘tam’, you know ‘tam’? Satva rajas tam, ‘ut’ means above, above the ignorance, transcendental to ignorance, that’s the best, right? So uttam-shloke so you choose the best poetry, transcendental poetry to glorify that personality.
So it is known as ‘uttama-shloke’ and He is ‘bhagavaty’ meaning unto Bhagwan, unto the Supreme personality of Godhead that is bhagavaty. So, your bhakti develops in bhagavaty, Bhagwan, and what sort of bhakti ‘naishthiki’ – nistha, then no more changing, no more U-turns though reverses. In other words, one comes from the stage of shradha to the stage or platform of nishtha by studying Bhagvatam. So with the knowledge of the scriptures, which is essential, Rupa Goswami describes bhakti of various kinds and he describes initial bhakti is komal bhakti, ‘komal’- very tender. So with that kind of tender bhakti faith, some sort of faith, we come but we can’t survive like that. We want some steadiness in our life, no ups and downs or if some other school of thought or anti-Krishna Consciousness person talks to you and you are just in komal bhakti he will just crush your bhakti, trample it, walk it all over and you are finished and you are converted and become mouse again.
If we do not wish to be mouse again you will be able to defend what you are doing, you are convinced, this is, I know what I am doing, people say that. When we should know what we are doing is right thing. Of course so many foolish, everyone says so I know what I am doing but doing the right things which Krishna expects us to do, pure devotee, learned devotees expect us to do, we do that thing, that is right thing. So, the ‘nishtha’ is the matured stage of faith. When shradha matures, matures, matures, matures and then shradha becomes nishtha. So what do you do in mean time is study of Bhagvatam, study of Bhagvad Gita. Because what you do with shradha, you come to sadhu, ado shradhha sadhu sang, and what do sadhus do? Bhajan kriya they engage you in bhajan kriya and the very basic bhajan kriya is this “nityam bhagavata-sevaya shravanam kirtanam” this is bhajan kriya then one becomes free from all the undesirable unwanted stuff and that is called ‘anarthas’, one becomes free from anarthas then in business fixed up, steady, convinced and ready to move only forward.
So it is essential for us to become steady on our path, study of shastras, topmost shatra is of course Bhagvatam. You only could add one more shastra, that is Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, we can’t say above Bhagvatam, it is in same category. Of course Prabhupada does say graduation course and post graduation course. So it is essential that we study shastras so that we don’t remain just sentimental devotee philosophy and religion. Religious we become as soon as we come to Hare Krishna temple, they could make you religious on the very first day, they will shave you up, put tilak, give you new clothes and bead bag and you are religious. You have some sentiments, some attraction but not enough. So philosophy is required. The books are the basic foundation. So, yet this is another opportunity for us to study scripture in few days like a intense marathon catch-up with something that we did not do regularly for different reasons.
So, we’ll continue this 6th canto, chapter one, text no. 20 through text no. 39. Twenty verses we have selected and this is the history, story, now begins the story; very scary. This will bring us to the point of messengers of Yamadutas coming on the scene followed by messengers of Vishnudutas and Vishnudutas stopping those Yamadutas, stop…….. and they ask why? So up to there. ‘Atra’ means in this connection, what we have been studying this morning is introduction; oh! prayaschit is not the best ok, not karma kanda, not jyana kanda ok what about other regulative principles? Then bhakti of Bhagwan and also the service to Vaishnavas. So that topic preface to saying ‘atra’.
“atra codaharantimam itihasam puratanam
dutanam vishnu-yamayoh samvadas tam nibodha me” (SB 6.1.20)
This is Sukadeva Gosvami speaking to King Parikshit and of course he is not the only one there but this katha is for King Parikshit and others are being benefited. Not only those who are attending that katha are being benefited who else is being benefited by that katha? And what about you? Ya, we are being benefited right here. That Katha was recited there and then recorded in the form of Bhagvatam or it was already there in the form of Bhagvatam and then based on that Katha was presented by Sukadeva Gosvami and for all the generation after generation benefited and this is just the beginning overseas outside India.
So Sukadeva Gosvami says so in this connection to give ‘udaharanti’ there is an example. This is example of what you know all that was mentioned earlier this morning about that. So there’s example of this. ‘imam itihasam puratanam’ there’s a history ‘puratam’- very old history. “Dutanam vishnu-yamayoh samvadas” there was a dialogue between the Vishnudutas, the messengers of Vishnu and messengers of Yamaraj. And that ‘samvada’ – dialogue, ‘nibodha me’ – please listen to this samvada this dialogue from me and I am going to share that dialogue with you. So Prabhupada is making comment here the Puranas, or old histories, are sometimes neglected by unintelligent men who consider their descriptions mythological, this all the time happens in India. Mythological means imaginary, that never happened such a popular thing so called intellectuals. Of course the westerners came Dutch, English men came some 700 years ago and they realized Oh! These people, unless we make them weak their faith weak in their religion, we cannot conquer them, we cannot rule over them. So this was their propaganda. Oh! Your scriptures are just imaginary, it’s just mythology. And because it was said, bombarded hundreds of times over again and again then gradually many Indians now they also do the imitation of the westerns and their bosses were English men and they were saying. Oh! Scriptures are this, your scriptures, Sanskrit is very difficult language; although Sanskrit is very easy, easier than English or German or very scientific language. Hence it is easy also, natural for the soul. So propaganda also to begin with language is very difficult. Shastras are just full of mythology and Indians started yes yes…like a Nandi and that still goes on.
Although India was liberated 50 years ago so many so called intellectuals are still slave, remain slaves of the propaganda made by the britishers or the westerners. So this is very popular thing Prabhupada is attacking this, this is a mythology. Then of course our Mahatma Gandhi also, he had no faith in Mahabharat war, he also thought Mahabharat war was just imagination. He writes in his book ‘My experiments with truth’ and Prabhupada says you don’t make experiments with a truth, you accept the truth. Not that you make experiments with the truth. Mahatma Gandhi made some experiments with the truth and he is writing “if some could prove to me (Mahatma Gandhi) that this Mahabharat war actually took place” he said at that moment I’ll resign myself from the membership of this Hindu religion because he was trying to prove his non-violence theory, Bhagvad Gita, what do you learn from Bhagvad Gita? Non-violence. So if you talk of the battle and bloodshed, how could you prove its non-violence he thought.
So, this is deeply engrained in the Indian, especially psychic, it is mythology. Also the Puranam , meaning of Puran is old, the scriptures are old. But by definition, you should take note of this, Puranas are defined as Puranam api navam although they are oldest, they are ever new, ever fresh. That is the definition of the Puranas. Actually the description of Puranas or the old history of the universe are factual, although not chronological. Puranas record the chief incidents that have occurred over many millions of years, not only on this planet but also on other planets within the universe. Therefore all learned and realized Vedic scholars speak with references to the incidents in the Puranas. So, this kind of before you get people to study Puranas, you have to get into this and explain to them, no no, this is all factual because they have heard from the wrong source and hence the trouble. And then Prabhupada quotes that very famous “shruti-smriti-puranadi- pancaratra-vidhim vina aikantiki harer bhaktir utpatayaiva kalpate”.
If you perform devotional service bhakti ignoring shruti-smriti-puran then what you will end up doing is just cause lot of disturbance in the community of devotees and that we see all the time as soon as you don’t do things as per sadhu, shastras acharya “shruti-smriti-puranadi- pancaratra-vidhim vina” then simply and unnecessary disturbance in the society. And then of course in Puranas, the topmost puran that is established in the beginning of Bhagvatam, topmost puran is Bhagvat Puran and the topmost vaishnav is “vaishnavanam yatha shambhuh” (SB 12.13.16) shambhuh is topmost of all the vaishnavs, nimna-ganam yatha ganga, ganga is the best of all rivers, nimna-ga means river, nimna is down, ga means going, flowing downwards, who flows downwards? Rivers. So, “nimna-ganam yatha ganga devanam acyuto yatha” like of all the Gods, acyut is topmost, puranam edam tatha this puran that puranc”puran purananam idam tatha” this Puran, Bhagvat Puran is topmost. This is the glory of Bhagvatam. This is at the end of Bhagvatam, this statement we find. So, Puranas are the history and mythology.
So, it begins now “kanyakubje dvijah kashcid dasi-patir ajamilah
namna nashta-sadacaro dasyah samsarga-dushitah” (SB 6.1.21)
Kanyakubje is a place, Kannauj near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh in northern India. It is a town, Prabhupada also used to go there to do his salesmanship, for selling his medicines, ayurvedic products. So near there’s a place called kannauj, presently known as kannauj, in there “kanyakubje dvijah kashcid” – some brahmin used to reside there who is introduced here, what an introduction of a Brahmin? “dasi-patir ajamilah”, his name was Ajamil and he was dasi-patir, he was a prostitute’s husband, he was a husband of a dasi, low class woman, prostitute so that was his name. “nashta-sadacaro” nashtah – destroy, he lost all the good qualities, how did this happen? ‘Sadacar’ -acar also means pickles, but here it is not that, acar means how you behave, how you deal in your day to day life, that’s called acar. So, there are two kinds of acar, sadacar and duracar.
‘Sad’ means good, ‘du’ means bad. So he was sadacari, ‘sat’ also means eternal, not temporary, truthful. So he lost all his good qualities, how did this happen? “dasyah samsarga-dushitah” – because he came in close contact with this dasi, prostitute, samsarga means close contact; one could only imagine close contact with prostitute and this resulted in nashta-sadacaro, he lost all the good qualities. Now, we said this morning that history repeats, something like this could repeat or not? Is it possible to come in contact with prostitute? And loose all the good qualities? Of course if you are there to preach, who was it? Namacharya Haridas Thakur also came in contact with some sort of a prostitute but who converted who there? Depends who is powerful. But lot of times person going to prostitute even doesn’t try to give her Prasad or give her some good sense, invitation to Yatra. So in the presence of Haridas Thakur, Namacharya Haridas Thakur again in the presence of the Holy Name, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare”. Who got converted? Prostitute, she surrendered unto, full dandavat unto Haridas Thakur. She even shaved her head and put on nice sari and charity show, all that possessions she had she distributed everything. Took japa mala from Haridas Thakur sat next to and she was chanting day and night. She also was following footsteps of Haridas Thakur and she became a great Vaishnavi. So those examples are also there. From high potential to low potential, electricity flows or maya flows, so prostitute is quite high potential. So it has big potency, big maya, so anyone with a small maya going to prostitute, we get all the mercy of the prostitute, she will bless and she will lift you to her level, if you are at lower level, in potency, in maya she is at higher level. So this is what happened, “dasyah samsarga-dushitah”. The purport, the fault of illicit connection with women is that it makes one lose all brahminical qualities. Parikshit Maharaj’s original question was how to be free from falling down into the hell or into the hands of Yamadutas. In reply, Sukadeva Gosvami sighting this old historical example to convince Parikshit Maharaj, the potency of bhakti-yoga which begins simply with chanting of Lord’s name. Srila Prabhupada is ahead of the narration here. That’s Sukadeva Gosvami making that point that chanting will save fallen human society. Next verse,
“bandy-akshaih kaitavaish cauryair garhitam vrittim asthitah
bibhrat kutumbam ashucir yatayam asa dehinah” (SB 6.1.22)
Word for word: So, now one more time, the history of lifestyle of Ajamil will be described. There’s a description now and Sukadeva Gosvami is introducing the whole story history but when the Yamadutas speak, when it is their turn, they will also speak some more on the life, philosophy, activities of this Ajamil. So, he was now married, how did he end up marrying will be described later on, the next time there’s a description of his life. But now it is shorter version summarized. So, yes he is married, he got married to this prostitute and now he was maintaining the family, family has to be maintained. So, how was he doing? “bandy-akshaih” – he used to arrest people and then tie them up and take whatever was in their pocket or their belongings, he would go away with it. Kaitavai, he would cheat, all sorts of cheating, he was engaged in ‘cauryair’ – chor chor chor thief stealing “garhitam vrittim asthitah” all condemned activities he was indulging in making money, ‘yen ken prakarena’, somehow he was making money and the goal was bibhrat kutumba, maintenance of the family, he was maintaining the family, big family, 10 children he had and maintaining prostitute is not…..so many demands.
So he was working very hard and just to maintain the family and in Bhagvatam when Sukadeva Gosvami describes the symptoms of this age of Kali, if the husband could just maintain the family, he would be considered hero in India it is like, he is taking care of his family, so what’s the big deal. People just express satisfaction, you know, he’s maintaining his family, taking care of his family you know. Its right out of Bhagvatam, households would be considered heros, big accomplishment, maintaining family. So, how and all that is another thing. So, he was just maintaining his family. He gave trouble to others by arresting them, cheating them, gambling or directly plundering them, this was the way he earned his livelihood and maintained his wife and children, Hari Bol. And illicit sex is not possible with a chaste or aristocratic woman, but only with unchaste sudras, Prabhupada is making that point, and another very important in the continuation of that, the more society allows prostitution and illicit sex, the more impetus it gives to cheaters, thieves, plunderers, drunkards and gamblers.
Therefore we first advise all the disciples in our Krishna Consciousness Movement to avoid illicit sex, which is the beginning of all abominable life and which is followed by meat-eating, gambling and intoxication, one after another. So, whole society revolves around this illicit connection, illicit sex. If illicit sex is allowed to increase in a society, however, the entire society will be condemned, for it will be full of rogues, thieves, cheaters and so forth. So, this is what we see all over, but no-one understands what the difficulties are. In a country they would just like to explore newer and more possibilities of enjoying illicit sex that would result in more thieves and plunderers and terrorists also, they are coming, terrorists are here. America lost peace of mind long time ago out of this terrorism. So, more you go against or want to compete with Krishna, Krishna has 16,108 wives, this is all envy of Krishna but His activities, the topmost activities of madhurya lila. In this world, conditioned soul imitates that activity, and wants to exploit takes the position of Purusha-enjoyer and wants to imitate Krishna but what is at the top becomes the bottom in this material existence.
“evam nivasatas tasya lalayanasya tat-sutan
kalo atyagan mahan rajann ashtashityayushah samah” (SB 6.1.23)
So, again moving on, ‘evam’ – like this, in this way, few things are mentioned but rest we’ll have to imagine, make a picture complete. Rest of the lifestyle activities, deals, few have been mentioned. ‘evam nivasatas’ – like this he was living leading life, taking care of ‘tat-sutan’ – her children, doesn’t say his children, her children so she was into it more. “lalayanasya tat-sutan” and by taking care, maintaining family, plundering was going on everyday stealing all this is going on and coming back and on the way back doing shopping for wife and children and they are welcome welcome.
So he is making money like a donkey and wife is making her list of shopping at home and expertly getting all the money into her hand and spending. So what was going on was ‘kalo atyagan mahan’ – time was passing by; time was against him, time was coming and going but not being used properly. “Ayur harati vai pumsam” (SB 2.3.17) the lifetime is snatched, stolen of the human being, “udyann astam ca yann asau” with the rising and setting of the sun, yet another day is stolen, snatched away. But only that person doesn’t lose the time or his time is not snatched away, golden opportunity is not missing, who is that person? ‘Uttama-shloka-vartaya’ the person who is busy with varta, the descriptions of the topics of ‘uttama-shloka’, supreme Lord, those are getting together and doing ‘varta’ – discussions or may be studying on their own, remembering the past times of the Lord, that person is not losing the time. He is on time, he is with time, he is with the Lord. Lord is time. Those who do not make the best use of time, they are left behind, they lag behind and there’s all the loss.
One devotee was explaining, when I was a bhakta, I remember this example from that time, he was Achyutananda Swami, he said, it is like…Ok, take off in a airplane at noon time and then let your plane fly westwardly direction with a speed of say 1000 miles per hour approximately, what would be the experience? Experience would be sun would be just above the head, above that aircraft because earth is also making circles around its axis and its circumference is some 25,000 miles around. So your plane is going approximately 1000 miles per hour so if you take off at mid-day wherever you go, sun would be just above there, so what? Then the remaining example or the explanation is that if we are always chanting Hare Krishna then Krishna who is like a sun, chanting Hare Krishna or studying Bhagvatam or honoring Prasadam or taking Darshanam of beautiful Radha Madanmohan, engaged in devotional service of the Lord then sun will be always shining upon you, sun, Lord will act as a sun and you will never ever be in darkness like that person flying in the aircraft, he will be always in the light side, never the other side, dark side. So he wants to explain if we are always with Krishna, Krishna’s different forms, past time form or beautiful deity form or lila form or a dham form, the name form, “kali-kale nama-rupe krishna-avatara” (CC Adi 17.22) then always on the brighter side with Krishna. But this fellow, Ajamil he was losing all the time. So, now he was, he became 88 years old, and
“tasya pravayasah putra dasha tesham tu yo avamah
balo narayano namna pitrosh ca dayito bhrisham” (SB 6.1.24)
‘Pravayasah’, Prabhupada translates that who was very old, so he was 88 years old and he gave birth to his 10th child, he’s going strong, at the age of 88, the production is on. He’s factory, his home is a factory to produce, children production is putra dasha 10 tesam tu yo avamah and the youngest one, the 10th one namna he was named Narayan. Luckily, his 10th son as Narayan. “Pitrosh ca dayito bhrisham” and he was very very dear to both, father and mother. The word pravayasah indicates Ajamil’s sinfulness because although he was 88 years old he had very young child; according to Vedic culture, one should leave as soon as he has reached 50 years age one should not live at home and go on producing children (Maharaj laughs…..).One should not stay home and go on producing children. It is also said one should be ready to die away from family and you will be more depending on the Lord under those circumstances, think more of the Lord otherwise family members will show their face to you, do you remember me? They come in and do you remember me? Some old friend comes, neighbor comes, how are you? So all these forms, better not to have these forms sticking in front of your face. Trying to revive the affection and loving bonds. It’s time to cut all the strings and all the tags attached, extra strings “asha-pasha-shatair baddhah” (Bg 16.12) Krishna says. We are bound by shatair – 100’s of bonds of affection and desires. So when we are surrounded by so many family members and if they are not Krishna Conscious, of course they are Krishna Conscious, fine, they will help you to remember Krishna, they give you Radha Krishna photo or place photo of Radha Krishna on the wall so that you could see. So, let’s talk of at the age of 50, you leave home. So, then later on you leave your body.
“sa baddha-hridayas tasminn arbhake kala-bhashini
nirikshamanas tal-lilam mumude jaratho bhrisham” (SB 6.1.25)
“sa baddha-hridayas tasminn arbhake” ‘Arbhake’ means little child, his name was Narayan and he is attached ‘baddha-hridayas’ – he is very much attached to his son and his ‘kala-bhashini’ – broken language, he has just now started speaking and daddy daddy, Pabhupad, Pabhupad, children say Pabhupad, our devotees try to train children, so children say Pabhupad Pabhupad. So, parents like my son is saying the name of Prabhupad, it’s nice.
So, what your children say is broken but it is so pleasing nectar and you kiss them, kiss their cheeks, their hair, you feel like eating them, you like them so much, you wish you would put them inside the heart and making part of you, ‘atmavat saravabhuteshu’. So, ‘kala-bhashini’ this happens all over and the same thing was going on when Krishna was little child, Yashoda and Rohini, they were in ecstasy. ‘Nirikshamanas tal-lilam’ and all activities of a little baby were like a lila, that child’s lila, father and mother sitting, talking, glorifying the child’s activities, every move that child makes is talked about, watched. ‘Mumude jaratho bhrisham’ – this old man was enjoying all this. He always took care of the child and enjoyed child’s activities. Since the old man was very attached to the child he enjoyed the child’s activities and because child’s name was Narayan, the old man always chanted the Holy Name of Narayan. Although he was referring to the small child and not to original Narayan, the name Narayan is so powerful that even by chanting his son’s name, he was becoming purified, that’s nice.
“Tasmat kenapy upayena manah krishne niveshayet” (SB 7.1.32) somehow get attracted to Krishna. So, it is custom in Hindu society for parents to give their children names like Krishna das, Govind das, Narayan das. But now that is changing. People are, parents are giving all sorts of meaningless names in India also, I don’t know about the west, how many names are spiritual names or some meaning is there. In India, the children are named pinku, it has no meaning, other one is tinku, rinku, chinku (everyone laughs) it has no meaning. I was in Mexico, long time ago, 15 years ago and we were checking in our luggage and the lady working at the checking counter when she saw we are in Hare Krishna’s dress in saffron, she walked to us and said Oh! Are you Hare Krishna devotees, we said yes yes. So she was, I think she was not even the member of the congregation, so she said Oh! wow, my husband had bought one of your books (must be Krishna book) and she said now we have named our daughter Devaki, her daughter’s name is Devaki. See she had little or no connection with Hare Krishna movement but by reading Krishna book, they like this name and my daughter’s name is Devaki. So that’s a good fortune.
George Harrison, I heard when George Harrison departed few years ago, someone had proposed to Prabhupada, Prabhupada why don’t you give him a name? George should be given a name. Prabhupada said, he already has a spiritual name, he is Hari’s son, Harrison, he’s Hari’s son already (Maharaj and everybody laughs). So, spiritual names, you don’t have to go, without going out of your way, you end up chanting the names. Most of the names in India, lot of names are still spiritual names and my father’s name was Bhagwan, that is still in my passport my father’s name is Bhagwan and I am son of Bhagwan (everyone laughs) and he gave me name Raghunath, that was my so called karmi name, Raghunath and Prabhupada changed that to Lokanath.
So, it is custom in Hindu society for parents to give their children names like Krishna das, Govind das, Narayan das and also when they are initiated. So, now we have thousands and thousands of devotees with spiritual names and we get to address each other and what to speak of the newly born babies, they all have spiritual names, great pride all the parents give their children, spiritual names, janavi or so many nice names. Brajmandal parikrama, our devotee here, he has a son, he just came from brajmandal parikrama and then he had a son, so he decided to give his son name Brajmandal Parikrama Das, Varanashram Das is sitting near that pillar, he’s the president of our public farm. He has come with his daughter Janavi and son Brajmandal Parikrama Das.
“sa evam vartamano ajno mrityu-kala upasthite
matim cakara tanaye bale narayanahvaye” (SB 6.1.27)
So, time has come evam – like this, you know he was kind of wasting his life and ajno – fool, he is fool, he is losing his valuable human birth but the time had come “mrityu-kala upasthite” – the death arrived and I am here knocking at the door. matim cakara tanaye bale narayanahvaye – and because “mrityu-kala upasthite” – he is kind of seeing the Yamadutas messengers Yamaraja approaching him and at that moment he even further concentrated his mind on tanaye – unto his son Narayan and addressed him when the time of death arrived for the foolish Ajamila, he began thinking exclusively of his son Narayan, Prabhupada writes therefore, although the contaminated Ajamila was calling for his son, by concentrating his mind on the holy name of Narayana he remembered the Narayana he had very faithfully worshiped in his youth. Just see, he had been worshipping, that will come up as mentioned at 2 places in his history. So, he mentioned and that must be the reason. At least he ended up naming his son Narayan because he used to worship Narayan and as now he is chanting the name addressing his son Narayan Narayan, Narayan that he used to worship has been remembered by him. In this regards Srila Sridhar Swami writes commentary, according to the Bhaktisiddhanta it is to be analyzed that because Ajamil constantly chanted his son’s name Narayan, he was elevated to the platform of bhakti. Although he did not know it that Ajamila was not realizing that he was becoming bhakta but yes, was, Sridhar Swami states. He had been chanting Narayan Narayan Narayan and he was elevating himself although he was not aware of it, Ajamila wasn’t aware. This is understanding of Sridhar Swami he is no. 1 when it comes to commentaries, Sridhar Swami, he’s the Swami, they all bow down before him all other Swamis, all other Acharyas they respect Sridhar Swami so much and his commentary which is one of the oldest commentaries also, he was first, one of the first ones to write the commentary.
Ok, now the description of what he was seeing. Earlier verse said “mrityu-kala upasthite”, so now here they are “sa pasha-hastams trin drishtva purushan ati-darunan” (SB 6.1.28). He saw three persons “Hasta” – hands had ropes – pasha. They had ropes in hands and they were 3 of them and ‘ati-darunan’ – they looked very fearful, creating fear, fearful features they had, “vakra-tundan urdhva-romna”, tunda – mouth, “urdhva-romna” – there hair were standing on their hands. “Atmanam netum agatan” – and he was convinced Oh! there they are, they are here to take me away, netum agatan. “Dure kridanakasaktam putram narayanahvayam” (SB 6.1.29).
So near by there Narayan was playing and as he was attached to his son, he addressed his son, how? ‘Plavitena’ – tearful eyes, svarenoccair – loudly Narayan, Narayan loud, ‘ajuhavakulendriyah’ – helpless as he was, he addressed his son ajuhava and Sukadeva Gosvami was leaving home, Vyas Dev was also following him, this is ‘ajuhava’, ‘putreti tana mana taya’, putra putra putra, like that he was addressing, ‘putreti tana mana taya ajuhava’. He addressed his son, only trees responded; son did not respond, only trees responded meaning he said putra and the trees said putra, echo was there. And then the trees also started preaching to Srila Vyas Dev, addressing to Srila Vyas Dev, come on, even we are not attached to our off springs or creation, people just come and take the fruits away, we don’t run after them, look you are running after your son, this is the part of commentary.
Acharyas say, (this verse is there in the beginning of Bhagvatam), Sukadeva Gosvami, as soon as he took birth, he started going to forest “yam pravrajantam anupetam apeta-krityam” (SB 1.2.2) no purificatory process, nothing he has undergone, no samskaras, he took birth and started running to the forest and he was running after. “Putreti tan-mayataya taravo abhinedus tam sarva-bhuta-hridayam munim anato asmi” (SB 1.2.2) Sukadeva Gosvami said unto such muni, that even all the entities they understood the feelings of Sukadeva Gosvami, even trees understood the feelings or in the hearts of trees he’s residing, he understands, “tam sarva-bhuta-hridayam munim anato asmi” – I offer my most humble obeisance’s unto such says Sukadeva Gosvami says Srila Suta Gosvami, Suta Gosvami is now offering his pranam to his spiritual master.
So, there’s also son, father and son and father is running after Sukadeva Gosvami and trying to call ajuhava. A person, who performs sinful activities, performs them with his body, mind and words. Therefore three order carriers from Yamaraj came to take Ajamila to Yamaraja’s abode. Why three? The three of them had come, three Yamadutas because explanation is given here because everyone comments sinful activities, we have gone through this verse, this morning. “ukta-panibhih” (S.B. 6.1.7) ‘ukta’ means words ‘pani’ – hands and mana, ‘mana-ukta-panibhih’ – by mind you commit sin, by words you commit sin, by physical action you commit sin, three ways you commit sin. Hence, there were three messengers. And how many messenger of Vishnu? How come four? Because he chanted name Narayan, Narayan has four letters he said ‘NA’, one messenger came, ‘RA’ another one came, ‘YA’ third one came, ‘NA’; Narayana. This is also acharyas they say 4. And how many will come to us when….how many will come? (Someone replies 2) because we chant Hare Krishna (16) only 16? 32 it took 2 minutes (laughter).
“nishamya mriyamanasya mukhato hari-kirtanam
bhartur nama maharaja parshadah sahasapatan” (SB 6.1.30)
‘Nishamy’ means hearing, “mriyamanasya mukhato hari-kirtanam”, hari kirtan was heard coming from the mouth of ‘mriyamanasya’ – one who is about to die, who is that? Ajamila who is about to die but he chanted hari kirtan. Bhartur nama – Vishnudutas said Hye!, someone is chanting name of our bharta means swami means Narayan, our boss someone is chanting the name of our Lord, hye! Don’t you hear? ya I hear and when they heard that someone is chanting helplessly name of their Lord, Narayan or Vishnu, parshadah meaning the associates, representatives of Vishnu, sahasapatan – suddenly they also appeared. So, three of them were already there very scary personalities and to that spot Vishnudutas arrived. While chanting the name Narayan, Ajamil was actually thinking of his son. That chanting was sufficient to cleanse him of all sinful activities. As soon as Vishnudutas heard their master’s name being chanted they immediately came. In this regard, Srila Vijayadhvaja Tirtha remarks: “Ajamila chanted the name of Narayana because of his excessive attachment to his son. Nevertheless, because of his past good fortune in having rendered devotional service to Narayana, he apparently chanted the holy name in full devotional service and without offenses”. Acharyas are giving all the credit to Ajamil for glorifying the Holy Name or the potency of the Holy Name. He is upheld by their statements.
“vikarshato antar hridayad dasi-patim ajamilam
yama-preshyan vishnuduta varayam asur ojasa” (SB 6.1.31)
‘Vikarsato antar’ – by the time the Vishnudutas arrived on the spot, the Yamadutas had already throne the ropes and they started snatching, dragging Ajamila out of his body. From where Antar hridayad – from the heart region. Not from the feet they were dragging him, not hand, not shoulder, not back, they are expert they know where the soul is sitting. So they were snatching dragging him out where he was in the heart region, he was that ‘dasi-patim ajamilam’ – that fool, the husband of prostitute, of course he should be snatched by the Yamadutas who else.
‘Yama-preshyan vishnuduta varayam asur ojasa’ – but then there come Vishnudutas and they forbade, stop stop stop what’s going on here? They stop this snatching thing. If they had not arrived, if they had come in another 30 seconds, they would be out of there, soul out of the body. So, they caught, Vishnudutas caught Yamadutas in the middle of their act while they were snatching. A Vaishnava, one who has surrendered to the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu, is always protected by Lord Vishnu’s order carriers. ojasa – powerful voice, commending voice, they were demanding that they stop ojasa. By speaking with resounding voices, the Vishnudutas threatened to punish the Yamadutas if they continued trying to snatch Ajamila’s soul from his heart. It’s amazing, they want to punish, we will punish you. They have Vishnudutas have such power. Prabhupada, says Vishnudutas and Vaishnavas could even punish the Yamadutas or even Yamaraja, they are that powerful. Materialistic scientists do not know where to find the soul within the body with their material instruments, but this verse clearly explains that the soul is within the core of the heart (hrdaya); it is from the heart that the Yamadutas were extracting the soul of Ajamila. It is very clear; Prabhupada is taking the advantage of this and pointing out the place where the soul is sitting. During the transmigration, another piece of information, during transmigration from one body to next, soul is taken away by the order carriers of Yamaraja, that’s one thing okay then put into a particular type of hellish life (naraka), in order to become accustomed to the condition in which he will live in his next body. Do you get that? So now transfer from body to another body but in between what happens? He’s trained, he’s made accustomed to live in the new body and that training is done in a naraka for a while and then put into the body.
“ucur nishedhitas tams te vaivasvata-purahsarah
ke yuyam pratisheddharo dharma-rajasya shasanam” (SB 6.1.32)
‘Ucur nishedhitas tam’ – when order carriers of Yamaraja, vaivasvata-purahsarah – Yamaraja is described here as a vaivasvata, he is a son of sun God, Yamaraj. So when they forbade, Vishnudutas had forbidden then then Yamadutas said, ke yuyam – who are you? ‘Pratisheddharo dharma-rajasya shasanam’ – who are you to forbid us? Or act against the shasan, the rule of Yamaraja? We are Yamaraja’s people and we are abiding by the laws, the rules, so why are you stopping us? Why are you opposing us? Purport – When forbidden to touch Ajamila, the order carriers of Yamaraja were surprised because they had never been hindered in the execution of their duty by anyone in the three worlds. This is a first kind of experience this had never happened that they were in middle of getting something, someone out of the body and someone coming and stopping them, first time. Why are you stopping? And they ask few more questions.
“kasya va kuta ayatah kasmad asya nishedhatha
kim deva upadeva ya yuyam kim siddha-sattamah” (SB 6.1.33)
‘Kasya va’ – who do you belong to? We are Yamaraja’s representatives, but are you representatives of someone? ‘Va kuta ayatah’ – where have you come from? “kasmad asya nishedhatha” – and what for are you forbidding, opposing our activity? Our duty? ‘Upadeva ya yuyam kim siddha-sattamah’ – are you some Demigods? upadevah – some sub-demigods? “yuyam kim siddha-sattamah” – or are you some kind of pure devotees? Perfect beings? I mean who are you? You please identify, show your ID, ok, where’s your ID? Otherwise we will not take you seriously, show your ID’s.
So they have asked questions ‘Kasya va’ – who do you belong to? where have you come from? Prabhupada writes, they knew that a siddha-sattama is above the demigods and sub-demigods and, indeed, above all the living entities within this material world. The Yamadutas therefore inquired why the Vishnudutas were present where a sinful man was going to die. They were not able to understand. You look someone special, may be you are devata upadeva, ‘siddha-sattamah’ but this is a husband of a prostitute very sinful person and why are you here? It is very obvious that we should be just bringing him to Yamalok, there’s nothing else should happen to this person. So what brings you here sirs? Prabhupada writes Ajamila was not yet died Ajamila was simply in an unconscious state when the argument was in progress between the Yamadutas and the Viahnudutas. The conclusion of the argument was to be a decision regarding who would claim the soul of Ajamila. So soul was still there and now we heard the full description how the Yamadutas looked like? And here is the description of how Vishnudutas looked like. “Sarve padma-palashakshah” (SB 6.1.34) all the four personalities had their eyes big, lotus like eyes they had, “pita-kausheya-vasasah” – and they had golden yellow garments, ‘kiritinah’ – crowns, ‘kundalino’ – earrings, ‘lasat-pushkara-malinah’ – they had garlands of fresh lotuses around their necks, “sarve ca nutna-vayasah” – and they are all young, all of them are very young looking, “sarve caru-caturbhujah” – they all, four of them had four hands each and they were caru, Bhakti caru means nice, beautiful, beautiful hands they had, four hands each of those Vishnudutas and they were carrying “dhanur-nishangasi-gada-shankha-cakrambuja-shriyah” .
And their hands were decorated with the bow then arrows even they had the “asi” – sword, gada – the club, shankha- conchshell, cakra – disc; ambuja – lotus flower. These are different symbols and weapons they were holding and “disho vitimiralokah kurvantah svena tejasa” (SB 6.1.35) and they were so effulgent, so brilliant that on all directions timira – the darkness all finished, vanquished, dissipated, all the darkness. Anyways this is also mentioned their beauty, their personality and their clothing, their ornaments and weapons, this is also described by Yamadutas are saying, Oh! you have all this, look at your eyes, look at all this weapons but then it just doesn’t make sense you are beautiful people and powerful, “kim artham dharma-palasya kinkaran no nishedhatha” – we are kinkara, we are the servants of dharma-pal, dharma-raj and you are opposing us, this doesn’t make sense, I mean you seem to be nice people, very polite also, why should you be stopping us? Before even being introduced to a foreigner, one becomes acquainted with him through his dress, bodily features and behavior and thus understand his position, therefore Yamadutas saw the Vishnudutas for the first time, they were surprised, they said you have beautiful features, by your beautiful features, you appear to be exalted gentlemen and you have such celestial power and you have dissipated the darkness of this material world by your effulgence, why then should you be able to stop us from executing our duty? This is beyond their understanding. Now Sukadeva Gosvami comments and then Vishnudutas will take over, they will talk. Now, so far only Yamadutas had been talking.
“sri-suka uvaca ity ukte yamadutais te vasudevokta-karinah
tan pratycuh prahasyedam megha-nirhradaya gira” (SB 6.1.37)
“ity ukte yamadutais te” so, Vishnudutas had been hearing, Yamadutas speak so far. Now, Vishnudutas are described as vasudevokta-karinah means they always ukta means said, whatever Vasudeva says karinah – they are ready to do it, yes sir, they are yes men of Vasudeva or Vishnu. Now there are words kinkara- meaning? What could I do? kinkaran – nice servant, obedient servant , kinkar what could I do? Anyways, lady? What would be the lady called? Kinkari. Lady is kinkari, gentlemen is kinkara. Gopis are kinkaris and Gopas are kinkaras. They are ever ready, whatever Krishna says, they are ‘yes’ and they are ‘I have finished with that, what more could I do?’, “do this”, ‘done, more’ ok finish more so like that. Always more eager, anxious kinkar.
So the Vishnudutas, tan pratyucuh, they are addressing Yamadutas, and how they are doing? ‘Prahasye’, there’s a smile on their face. With a smile on their face and ‘megha-nirhradaya gira’ – their voice is deep, like a rumbling of a cloud. So not only they are looking or they are dressed like Lord, yellow garments and all, four hands and different symbols but their voice is also elsewhere, like Krishna, how Krishna speaks, “megha-gambhiraya vaca” (SB 1.17.4) like a deep rumbling sound, a deep voice. Lord has different deep things, three different deep things, His naval is deep, His intelligence is deep and His voice is deep, three things and there are 32 symptoms of a great personality. This is in Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu and three things are deep and one of them is voice, voice is deep, Lord’s voice is very deep. And different things are short, like that it goes on. His neck is short, His thighs are short , His genitals are short. Different things are broad, His chest is broad, His forehead is broad, He has big hips like ladies. But He’s like a lion; His waist is thin like a lion. Different things are fine, His hair are fine, His skin is fine, different different things are fine.
Seven parts of his body are reddish or pinkish, His eyes, palms, soles, lips, naval. And different parts of His body are Lotus-like, hands. Lotus because, color is like lotus, smells like a lotus, you smell Krishna’s hand and it smells like a lotus. Krishna’s feet are pinkish like a lotus, soft like a lotus, eyes, so like that different parts. So when you put this list together, its 32 different things, deep, short, fine, broad, lotus-like, pinkish. So one of them is voice. Couple of things not found, they are only found in the Lord, one is “srivatsa” (SB 5.7.7) on His chest, it’s a golden line on His chest, Lakshmi is residing there, on the chest and ‘kaustubha’ – when the churning of the ocean was done by the demigods, 14 different jewels emerged, one of them was Kaustubha mani and this was given to Vishnu. Until that time there was a difficulty in knowing who is who, they all dressed like Vishnu, Who is Vishnu? Who is Vishnuduta? But then once Lord had His Kaustubha mani, then it became very obvious, only one person has that Kaustubha mani, no one else has it.
So, others are holding this cakra gada and all that but no one has Kaustubha only Lord has it. From that time onwards it became easy to recognize who amongst this is Lord. Oh! Just find out who is wearing Kaustubha jewel, mani.
(Question asked from audience about Demigods, Maharaj answers) they are living entities living with wives when there is rasa dance in vrindavan demigods they are coming from universe. One can imagine there is whole society there of people and personalities and families. They all have 4 handed form and opulence like the Lord. It’s not that there are only men are there (laughter), so there are both male female complete. So called male female because only purusha is Lord everyone is prakruti . So lord expands and there are different incarnations of the Lord and Radha rani expands and laxmis and gopis come from radha rani then queens of Dwaraka they are expansions of alhadini sakti. So Krishna is expanding radha is expanding, the living entities are “mamiva vanso jiva loke jiva bhuta sanatan” that’s another category all together.
Yamadutas were surprised to see that Vishnudutas although polite, were hindering the rule of Yamraja, simply Vishnudutas were also surprised that Yamadutas although claiming the servants of Yamaraj, the supreme judge of religious principles, were unaware of the principles of religious actions. Thus the Vishnudutas smile thinking what is this nonsense they are speaking, if they are actually servants of Yamraja, they should know that Ajamil is not a suitable candidate for them to carry off, they were actually servants. We could stop here

Dated: 16-8-13

Venue: Class at gurukul Honey pot Festival, Vrindavan

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

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

“krsna jinaka nama hai, gokula jinaka dhama hai

aise sri bhagavana ko (mere) barambara pranama ha

yasoda jinaki maiya hai, nanda ji bapaiya hai

aise sri gopala ko (mere) barambara pranama ha”

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

“radha jinaki chaya hai, adbhuta jinaki mayahai

aise sri ghana shyam ko (mere) barambara pranama ha

luta luta dadhi makhana khayo, gvala-bala sanga

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

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

luta luta dadhi makhana khayo, gvala-bala sanga

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

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

drupada sutaki laja bacayo, graha se gaja ko

aise sri krpa dhama ko (mere) barambara pranama ha

kuru pandava me yuddha macayo, arjuna ko upadesa sunayo

aise sri bhagavana ko (mere) barambara pranama ha

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

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

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

Krishna Kanhaiya………. Dau ji ka Bhaiya

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

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

Krishna Balarama Jai Krishna Balarama (Kirtan)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Krishna Balarama ki …….Jai.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Krishna Balarama ki……………..jai

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Venue: Vrindavan

Date: 15/8/13

Hare Krishna you all are welcome to this morning Bhagvatam from Canto 4, chapter 30th text number 2 please repeat

“kim barhaspatyeha paratra vatha kaivalya-natha-priya-parsva-vartinah

asadya devam girisam yadracchaya prapuh param nunam atha pracetasah” (S.B 4.30.2)

TRANSLATION: My dear Barhaspatya, what did the sons of King Barhisat, known as the Pracetas, obtain after meeting Lord Siva, who is very dear to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the bestower of liberation? Certainly they were transferred to the spiritual world, but apart from that, what did they obtain within this material world, either in this life or in other lives?

PURPORT: All types of material happiness are obtained in this life or in the next life, on this planet or on another. The living entity wanders within this material universe in so many species of life and so many planetary systems. The distress and happiness obtained during the span of life are called iha, and the distress and happiness obtained in the next life are called paratra.

Actually, Lord Mahadeva (Siva) is one of the great demigods within this material world. Generally his blessings bestowed on ordinary people mean material happiness. The predominating deity of this material world, Durga, is under the control of Lord Mahadeva, Girisa. Thus Lord Mahadeva can offer anyone any kind of material happiness. Generally people prefer to become devotees of Lord Girisa to obtain material happiness, but the Pracetas met Lord Mahadeva by providential arrangement. Lord Mahadeva instructed them to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he personally offered a prayer. As stated in the previous verse (rudra-gitena), simply by chanting the prayers offered by Lord Siva to Visnu, the Pracetas were transferred to the spiritual world. Sometimes devotees desire to enjoy material happiness also; therefore, by the arrangement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the devotee is given a chance to enjoy the material world before his final entrance into the spiritual world. Sometimes a devotee is transferred to a heavenly planet — to Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Siddhaloka and so on. However, a pure devotee never aspires for any kind of material happiness. The pure devotee is consequently transferred directly to Vaikun?t?haloka, which is described here as param. In this verse Vidura asks Maitreya, the disciple of Br?haspati, about the different achievements of the Pracetas.

“kim barhaspatyeha paratra vatha kaivalya-natha-priya-parsva-vartinah

asadya devam girisam yadr?cchaya prapuh param nunam atha pracetasah” (Translation repeat)

So this is enquiry as this a dialogue between Vidura and Maitreya it’s a new chapter Vidura has enquired this is only no. 2 verse he had heard the meeting Vidura had heard meeting between Praceta and Shiva and Shiva reciting “Rudra gitena harim siddhim ahu” as they heard just by hearing Rudra geet its like Bhagvat geet or Bhagvat gita they have attained perfection. “prapuh param” param is Supreme Personality of Godhead, “param” is also Supreme Personality of Godhead’s transcendental abode Vrindavan dhama ki …..jai. We try to think beyond Vrindavan there is no difference this Vrindavan that Vrindavan.

One devotee from England coming for Vraja Mandala Parikrama spending so many days on Vraja Mandal Parikrama he shared his realization with us, he said in England while preaching, hearing, thinking he used to think going back to Godhead means going somewhere else. I have to go back to Godhead certainly I am in England now I have to go back somewhere else I have to go, it is going back home going back to Godhead. But as spending so many days in Vraja mandala parikrama going round, not going round and round he was on his first round, he was in the middle of the round but then he said his thoughts changed. He was no more thinking he has to go somewhere else that going back to home back to Godhead is some other location where I have to go, so this idea of going went away, his idea of going somewhere was no more there went because he was thinking I have come back home, I am back home “I am here I am here” this was his realization “I have come back home”.

“samastraye pada palva plavam” attaining lotus feet of the Lord that is also attainment of supreme “param padam mahat padam punya yaso murare” the Lord Murari whose lotus feet are “param padam” supreme destination and having taken shelter of those lotus feet of the Lord, then what happens this whole world compared to big ocean shrinks and becomes ‘vatsa padam” param padam, whole world which is a big ocean what is the word? So Lords lotus feet are “plavam” Lords lotus feet are a boat as you take shelter of Lord’s lotus feet you are immediately into the boat but there is no more ocean or as you sit in the boat the whole ocean has shrunken, has become how much water is there in the ocean just like a hoof print of a calf not even cow, cows hoof print are bigger smaller than that calf’s hoof print and then even boat can’t sit in that water (Maharaj laughs). Means you already you are in the boat but there is no ocean you are already back home.

So that param, these Pracetas have attained that kind of “prapuh param nunam” certainly they have attained. Oh! they are almost back home they are eligible to get there and all this was result of “asadya” going closer having approached “devam” which devam is this girisam “devam girisam yadr?cchaya” and this by the will of the providence the meeting has taken place between Pracetas and Shiva. So they have attained “param” but Maitreya Muni is interested to know what else did they attained were they interested going on a tour of universe and enjoy this part that part. Srila Prabhupada is writing here devotees may go to Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Siddhaloka. As those who are not in a big hurry to go back home they take a longer route. As Sukhdev Goswami explains in the 2nd canto in the beginning “satya mukti” instant liberation you are back home instantly or “krama mukti” gradually you want to get there you want to go through this longer route Maharloka, Tapaloka and Siddhaloka and finally through the covering of universe you return like going on padayatra or something and other ways Srila Prabhupada explains either taking elevator quickly get there on the 10th floor or you take stairs so some prefer going by the stairs and taking a good look at the universe enjoying becoming siddha could fly, very beautiful scenes ganga coming right down you could take your plane all around or you could do parikrama of ganga as its flowing down beautiful, wonderful.

So did they do something like that on the way back home that’s why oh! Barhaspaty disciple of Barhaspati, “eha” on this planet or “paratra” on other planets did they go there try to enjoy have good time in other places. kaivalya-natha-priya, “kaivalya-natha-priya-parsva-vartinah asadya” they approached they went closer to who? He is devam girisam and he is also mentioned “kaivalya-natha-priya” they went to Shiva and how is Shiva? He is “kaivalya-natha-priya” he is not “kaivalya-natha” he is priya he is very dear to “kaivalya-natha” kaivalya natha is Lord Krishna Lord Vishnu, “mukti pradata sarve shyam visnur eva na samshaya”. Oh! Devi please listen to this this “devam girisam” sharing his realization that mukti pradata sarve shyam the giver of liberation is Vishnu do you know that do you understand this “eva na samshaya” do not doubt giver of the bestower of liberation is Visnu at other place he has said “aradhanam sarve sam visnor aradhanam param” (Padma purana) aradhananam sarve sam so many objects of worship or meditation ‘aradhananam sarve sam” amongst all of them Visnu aradhayate param” Visnu is supreme. So Shiva he understands and this is the arrangement and certainly Shiva knows this and he is talking like that to his good wife Parvati so “kaivalya natha priya”. Pracetas went approached ‘kaivalya natha priya’ and they were greatly benefited by that association as they heard “rudragiten” Rudra geet the song of Shiva, song of god.

So as I was doing little fast forward in this chapter the question has been raised within this material world either in this life or the other lives? And the answer which would be unfolded gradually daily you have to hear every day “nityam bhagvat sevaya” and then everything would be disclosed step by step but just little glimpse of the future what is about to come and very briefly that Pracetas they spend 10,000 years in that water body so japa yajna and tapsa they did japa “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare” some mantra they did tapasya staying under water is certainly tapasya and chanting of Hare Krishna is also tapasya and it is divya tapasya as they did they were purified. So their association “adau shradha sadhu sanga” and then they had done their bhajan, bhajan kriya their japa yajna and they have continued their performance of austerities as per instructions guidance of Shiva and as they were purified bhrama saukhayam tavam anantam , “tapo divyam putra kayen satvam sadmad sudhe bhrama saukhayam tavam anantam”. Lord Rishabdev also in his geet is not called geet but Rishabdev geet is also there addressing his 100 sons he has sung a song in the 5th canto of Bhagvatam there he says as one performs austerities they have to be divya transcendental austerities then there is purification and “bhrama saukhayam tavam anantam”

So the result was there in case of Pracetas, result was they had darshan Lord appeared before them seated on back of Garuda and there is beautiful description of Lord’s form it has to be beautiful Lord is most beautiful and that’s why Bhagvatam is also beautiful “srimad bhagvatam” Bhagvatam is Srimad full of “Sri” full of opulence full of beauty also because “hari sarvatra giyate” “adau ante madhye” Lord is glorified everywhere in the beginning in the middle at the end of Bhagvatam. So the beautiful bhagvatam so there is beautiful description you will hear that beautiful bhagvatam as you keep attending bhagvatam and that beautiful Lord said oh! I am pleased with your performance of austerities and chanting of beautiful mantras. So ask for benediction “varam vr?nidhvam bhadram” (S.B 4.30. 8) you all bhadra- good ones auspicious ones “please ask for benediction” and Lord has spoken more and more but in the beginning He said please ask for benediction, ask for the benediction. And Pracetas also have spoken for long long time but in the middle of their speech responding to this “ask for benediction” and they did ask for benediction “kim vranimahi” oh! What benediction we could ask now we have been benedicted how? “tvadangri-mulam asadya” (S.B4.30.32) we have achieved; now we are approaching your lotus feet oh! Lord we are next to your lotus feet we are next to you and your lotus feet are right there you are standing on your feet. So we have approached “asadya” we approached your lotus feet, so isn’t that, we are with you we have attained you. So what more benediction something beyond you, is there something beyond you, you are all in all, you are everything.

So they have also used this word “asadya” Maitreya muni had mentioned in todays verse “asadya” having approached Pracetas they have approached lotus feet of Shiva or approached shiva and the result of that association or being with Shiva, Shiva is like the Guru, the guide, the counselor, the philosopher, the friend of these Pracetas and so Pracetas had approached Shiva and the benefit the outcome of this is ‘asadya tvadangri” now we are approaching your lotus feet. From Shiva’s lotus feet our spiritual master’s lotus feet have brought us to your lotus feet.

Lord Krishna says surrender unto me and spiritual master says surrender unto Supreme Personality of Godhead, what is the difference? Prabhupada would say, there is no difference. So Lord Shiva presented Bhagvat gita as it is, it’s not called Bhagvat gita its called Rudra geet but essence of Rudra geet is bhagvat geet he has repeated in his own words with full of realization but the essence is the same the conclusion is similar he has trained these, instructed these Pracetas to worship and surrender unto to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And Pracetas continue first of all what more benediction we could ask for oh! Lord as we have achieved you. But if there is some contamination still remaining within us “bhramana iha karmabhih” (S.B 4.30.33) we must, we are made to wander in this world then oh! My dear Lord please give us benediction, what is the benediction? “tavad bhavat prasanganam sangahsyan no bhave bhave” (S.B 4.30.33) where ever we go which ever planet we go to or even whichever species of life we go into let there be “sangah” association of “bhavat prasanganam” your devotees association is what we aspire for let there be devotee association where ever we go. We don’t care where we go up down round and round here there this body that body but let there be association.

Even Brahma praying like, that even if I have to take birth as what? spider some cockroach let that birth be in Hare Krishna devotees home or hare Krishna devotees kitchen cockroach (laughter) there will some tape there will be some singing some tape is being played there. I will be hearing or some remnants of food I will be able to eat there so I don’t care what good is this, what good is this life or position of Brahma if I am not Krishna conscious devotee of Krishna, devotee of Krishna I don’t mind even being a cockroach let that be in a house of a devotee or in association of devotee.

“satam prasangat mam virya samvido” Lord Kapil dev also talked of “satam prasangat mam virya samvido” where ever my glories are being chanted I like to be there, one should be there “bhavat prasanganam” in association of devotees and infact that is being association of devotees, hearing from devotees. So how far away is the Lord “where there is hearing and chanting is going on” is Lord away from that location? no..no…I am right there Lord says. “naham vasame vaikunthe” you may not find me in Vaikuntha some times “nacha yoginam hrdaye” or not even in the heart of a yogi but for sure you could find me my address, my permanent address note down what is that permanent address? “yad bhakta mad gayanti tatra tistha me” tatra tistha me- I am there where my devotees have assembled, they are together and they are chanting “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare” kirtaniya sada hari, kirtan is not limited to just this hare Krishna hare Krishna kirtan, this Bhagvatam “hari sarvatra giyate” Hari is sarvatra everywhere glorified, recitation of Bhagvatam is also what? It’s also kirtan lot of things are kirtan everything in fact could be kirtan.

In Srila Prabhupada’s experience he called that as kirtan, in Bombay at the time of construction of Radha Rasbihari temple construction in full swing and lots of sound khat…khat…and faat faat…polishing of floor, wielding. So devotees were proposing there is so much sound its construction site here it must be botheration for you, could we relocate you elsewhere in some quite corner? Prabhupada said this is music for my ears. The temple is being built for Radha Rasbihari so any sounds related with the construction that is also kirtan, all those sounds were like kirtan for Srila Prabhupad. So Prabhupada did not move he stayed on there in the middle of all those construction sounds. So kirtaniya sada hari, so kirtan, chanting, hearing, recitation of Bhagvatam, devotional service everything is kirtan, cooking, cleaning this is glorification, kirtan is also glorification of the Lord, Lord is being glorified in this way or that way or whatever activity is there, that is also being accompanied by chanting of Hare Krishna, in that case also there is kirtan.

So being with the devotees, where there is a kirtan, glorification, service to the Lord, being with them also involves serving them “mahat seva dwaram ahu vimukte” just doing mahat seva serving the great souls, serving the great devotees of the Lord, being with them serving them that is called “dwarum” wide open gate way that dwara is mukti dwara, that dwara is bhakti dwara as one associates with the devotees and serves devotees then mukti dwara, Haridwar (laughs) Hari’s dwara is open the gate way of liberation is open by association of devotees.

So these Pracetas when they met the Lord oh! What could I do ask for benediction? Give us association of devotees. So this Shiva who certainly also takes association “vaishnava nama yatha sanbhu” he is great vaishnava, greatest of all the vaishnavas bam bam..bhole…. (Laughter) bhola – he also very innocent also Asuthosh – quickly satisfied. Shiva had association of Sanatan Goswami on the banks of Manasi Ganga, Chakleshswara Mahadev resides there so he had good time in association of Sanatan Goswami. But then one fine morning or day Sanatana goswami decided to leave and he was walking away and Shiva approached him, what’s the matter why are you leaving please stay on I want to be with you in your association. And Sanatan Goswami said there are too many mosquitoes here (laughter) oh! I could take care of them Shiva said don’t worry I will take care, Sanatana goswami stayed on and Shiva took care of all the mosquitoes he drew them away with his trishul.

So shiva not always understood as he is or he is quite a mysterious personality so many aspects of his character and his life, his role. But in Vrindavan we know he is such a elevated personality that even he could enter rasa dance and comes to Mansarovar and he comes off course with his trishul and matted hair and snakes around his neck. Oh! Where are you going? I like to enter dance , not like this you haven’t even taken bath. So it was recommended that you need to have gopi like form and gopi like bhava not Shiva like form or bhava, off course he had bhava he dnt have form so he jumps in with his trishul and dam…dam …damru and snakes and scorpions and comes out the gopi form and then he was welcomed. So he could be the part of rasa dance of the Lord, so that is Shiva even gopis worship and pray to shiva and hence he is known as Gopeswar Mahadev. Gopis are worshipping Katyani also so that they could have “patim me kurute namah” let that son of Nanda maharaj be our husband oh! katyani please please and then katyani was pleased with them after 30 days Lord appeared became their husband stole all their clothes.

And then gopis are praying to Shiva so that they could have Krishna’s association they could also enter rasa dance and dance with Krishna such benediction please oh! Shiva known as Gopeshwar. He wants to take darshan of Krishna and goes to Nanda gram and yasoda says no..no….., he is knocking at the door and yasoda is seeing he is again with snakes not taken bath. Oh! If Krishna my little baby sees you he may be scared, he may get sick just by your drashan go away she slammed the door. And Shiva goes but he wanted to have darshan so at some distance he sits in trance praying and meditating, aspiring for darshan of the Lord and he becomes known as “asheswar mahadeva” not far from Nanda gram. And then of course when that drashan was denied after wards Krishna begins crying and crying and not stopping and yasoda was wondering what happened? What is this due to?

So neighboring ladies come and enquire oh! From what time did he start crying? You know that one baba had come and I sent him away he wanted to take darshan. So as soon I sent him away I closed the door form that time, so maybe there is some connection of your child’s crying, maybe he also wants to see that baba and then they went looking around for him, they found him and was brought to Nanda bhavan now you could take darshan, Krishna stops crying. Shiva was happy Krishna was happy in association of each other. Ok so this Shiva also Sadashiva appears as Advaitacharya is Shiva sada shiv expansion of Mahavisnu. Shiva’s dear devotee was kuber and Shiva was once very pleased, I am very pleased with you kuber ji ask for some benediction, again some talk of benediction, he said please give me benediction, say it say it benediction you could give me you become my son “tatah astu”. And this kuber appears as kuber pandit in Bangladesh and Sadashiv appears as Advaitacharya the son of kuber pandit that is Advaitacharya. Then Advaitacharya’s son called Acyutananda he supposed to be kartikeya son of Shiva this is there in Ganodeshdipika by Kavikarnapur this is how one time Shiva and kuber met and benediction and Shiva appeared as advaitacharya and kartikeya appeared as advaitacharya’s son.

And that advaitacharya Srila Prabhupada mentions Shiva is very very kind infact he is always likes to see that everyone attains liberation becomes Krishna conscious. This is what is on the mind of Shiva all the time he Is thinking ways and means to liberate all these creatures even lower creatures so he is called as Bhutanatha or Pasunatha. All the creatures including human beings they are called pasus in this world when they are not Krishna conscious “dharmen hina pasubhir saman” without Krishna consciousness you are pasu . So those who are not Krishna conscious they are pasus and their natha is Shiva, he becomes their natha and he thinks ways and means to liberate them, so he did that, Pracetas attained perfection of their lives…….Haribol.

Any comment question or comment?

Question: Why people aspire to go for higher planetary system it’s not bhakti?

Answer: ya…when they aspire to go there whether they are serious about Krishna consciousness or not whether that offered the benediction of going to higher planets that’s pariksha or the testing and the reason why Sukhdev Goswami proposed that to king Parikshit or mentioned about going to higher planetary system “krama mukti” to see whether king Parikshit was interested in such proposal, he would also like to take that path but he passed that test by showing no interest to take that path he wanted instant and of course had only 7 days to go he had no time to take long route, he preferred to do chanting, hearing and association of Sukhdev Goswami so that there is “ante narayan smritih” at the end. Say bola…say bola………..coca cola. One person he was so much attached to coca cola he was proposed to say name of bola say bola..say bhola but he was so attached to coca cola he said no… get me coca cola so he left this world chanting coca cola so he went to coca cola loka.

Ok any other

Question: Going around the planets is sense gratification?

Answer: Well Kardam Muni he also had darshan of Lord like Pracetas, Lord appears at back of Garuda at Bindusarowar, Kardam muni is performing austerities Lord is pleased he is so much pleased that tears are gliding down the cheeks of the Lord by seeing his devotee or his affection for the Lord, but then Lord arranged his marriage soon comes Manu and Satrupa here is our daughter please marry her and that marriage takes place so you could say there is some enjoyment there not only that they soon board a plane and they took a tour plane as big as a city contains birds the trees the lakes everything is there all facilities.

And going around this planet that planet. So this is opulence of the lord in service of the Lord as they are thinking of the Lord they are serving the Lord they are not poor, poor man’s children, their father He is wealthy so they may use this opulence’s to see the kingdom of the Lord or see the creation of the Lord. Well someone may go see the nature but if he is Krishna conscious he makes a connection of this beautiful nature with the Lord. In the nature “gando pritvyam” the fragrance in the earth that is me. so if someone is nice fragrance, enjoying fragrance but if that reminds him of the Lord. This is my Lord’s fragrance my Lord is so fragrant. That’s Krishna conscious enjoyment.

Or as he drinks water Lord says “raso ham apsu kaunteya” (B.G 7.8) the rasa the taste in water that is me. When one drinks water if it reminds him of the Lord it’s so tasty, this taste is my Lord that tasting water is not mundane any more. as we smell flower what do we do, if someone is very morose very down, as soon as he smells the flower it kind of lefts them., their consciousness is lifted, this is because of the Lord’s fragrance in that flower.

Once one devotee said we go see sunset its part of the tour but if you see the sun which is vibhuti the opulence of the Lord that “prabhasmi sasi suryayoh” that prabha, that effulgence those rays and that sun and moon that is me Lord says. So if you are seeing with that mood that’s me there is no maya, there is no illusion, sense gratification is not there, you are fully Krishna conscious or that darshan is making you Krishna conscious reminding you of Krishna.

In the spiritual sky there is so much opulence, there is so much opulence the residents of Goloka they don’t stay in some kutir or bhajan kutir they stay in palaces and what they eat is so very opulent, first class enriched with this and that but because they are fully Krishna conscious’s we don’t call that , what they eat, what they see, what they smell, what they touch it’s not gratification any more “atamendriya priti krishnaendriya priti” that’s the difference Krishna is out of picture he doesn’t exist and all that exists is for me for me. “jiva bhutam maha bhao yayedam dharyate jagat” (B.G 7.5) Prabhupada translates this dharyate as exploitation living entity is a superior energy of the Lord, one is material energy “prakrtir astadha” made of 8 elements that is apara prakriti after mentioning apara prakrti of 8 different kinds “bhumir apo nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca ahankara itiyam me bhinna prakrtir astadha” (B.G 7.4) yet there is one another para prakrti “viddhi me param para prakriti “ superior energy that’s is jiva bhuta living entity is superior energy of mine. But in this world as they conditioned they are bound what do they do? dharyeta one energy is there material energy is there and then the conditioned soul tries to exploit try to enjoy that material energy for his own gratification atmendriya priti but if the person is not trying to exploit he is Krishna conscious, in the service of the Lord then it’s his life Krishna conscious life. Krishna in the center, Krishna in the mind, Krishna at every step Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna krishna ….he. So there is no sense gratification, its gratification of Krishna

Ok Nitai Guar Premanande ………..Hari Haribol

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