So did you notice that this killer of Dhenukasur is Balarama and its very appropriate that Balarama killed Dhenukasur. Dhenukasur is an ass (laughter) he is very dull headed. So Balarama He is adiguru, the original spiritual master. So the dull headedness within us, the assess are known for two thing one thing is they are less intelligent because the grass is everywhere they could eat but they think they must carry this big load on their backs then only at the end of the day they will be able to get some grass they think they must work hard that’s one thing. And then they try to enjoy and one of the, besides the grass they try to enjoy also the female association and when they run behind to approach to she ass but what does he ass gets in return? (sound of a kick) (laughter) just a big kick in the face. So they are working hard and wanting to enjoy sense gratification – all sorts specially sex life.
So what happens we want to just quickly say very important subject matter what we going to share it is important that we listen to this Krishna killing demons past times. Usually there is tendency to skip them and run for something more nectarine or even Rasa dance forget this killing part, violence but these past times of Krishna killing different demons they are in there with the purpose also that each of these demons Krishna is killing they represent different anarthas some bad qualities in them. So when we hear Krishna killing demons with whatever bad quality in them if that bad quality was say in us then we also just by hearing that past time that anartha in us gets killed we become free from that anartha by hearing that past time. So spiritual master on behalf of Balarama plays the similar role and brings us to the senses the mentality of wanting to work very hard like ass or they run after the opposite sex, so this anartha in Dhenukasur as we hear that past time we become free from that mentality that anartha, that bad quality in us. So like that there are other each demons represent different different bad quality and as we then like this we become purified then gradually ready for other more nectarine pastimes like rasa dance and then we are thoroughly purified it’s like preparation first thing first. So in few days we will be also reading in sequence the five chapters dealing with the rasa dance in summary form.
So I just wanted to remind you the benefits of hearing such past times and then more things we are going to quickly know about Krishna before we go for Kaliyas subduing Kaliya-kaliya daman leela its very exciting thing. So let’s spend little time, so then that day it was almost evening time and
“ krsnah kamala patraksah punya sravana- kirtanah
stuyamano anugair gopaih sagrajo vrajama avrajat” (S.B 10.15.41)
So Krishna kamal patraksah lotus eyed Krishna lotus eyed blooming lotus eyed His eyes reach almost His ears if ours do not reach what do we do? Do some painting so that we try to make our eyes bigger or kajal we try imitate Krishna
“punya sravana kirtanah” His friends “anugair gopaih” they are singing different glories appreciating Krishna, praising Krishna and all of them together they are now returning to Vraja meaning towards Nandagram in the evening time. Sukhdev goswami describes Krishna and His beauty further he says the cows are also walking the dust of braja is so light as they walk so much go raja go raja go dhuli is raised up in the sky and then that settles Krishna’s hairs are smeared and peacock outfit is also smeared covered with that dust – vraja, He has garland of forest flowers and caru-hasam His eyes are rucireksana- charming eyes and caru-hasam Krishna is known for His very attractive smile, charming eyes and smile on His face. “venum” He is playing His flute and other cowherd boys are also doing that now they are coming closer and closer they are about to enter Nandagram and the gopis are waiting the cowherd girls. There are two kinds of gopis you have to take note of the cowherd girls are also called gopis but the elderly gopis and young gopis they have different bhava towards Krishna different relationship with Krishna one is vatsalya bhava and another ones young ones have madhurya rasa- relationship- mellow with the Lord. And for the first time these young gopis have been mentioned because for first time Krishna is now of the appropriate age to enter experienced yet another rasa, yesterday or day before yesterday we were mentioning in Gokul Krishna experiences vatsalya rasa and little bit of sakhya or friendship then He grows and while He is calf herd boy vatsapal then He is spending more time with His friends sakhya bhava becomes dominant some vatsalya bhava continues but as He grows yet another dimension is added to His pastimes, His life and gopis come into picture and that’s what is going on here now.
As calf herd boys they were also returning evening but the young girls never cared to, they were also too young to think of those matters conjugal relationship only elderly ladies with vatsalya bhava – parenthood they would be waiting to receive Krishna but they would look straight look at Krishna meeting of eyes and everything. And now also that two kinds of gopis were awaiting Krishna’s arrival the elderly gopis are just looking at Krishna as affectionately as child but other gopis young gopis they cannot look at Krishna directly social difficulties are there young boy young girls. So they are looking elsewhere but with the side long glances they are looking Krishna, Krishna is going that way – they are looking there, their face is there but the eyes are that side (laughter) the side long glances only they could look at the Lord. And these gopis with the side long glances as if their eyes are like bee like and they are drinking “mukunda mukha saragham” (S.B 10.15.43) the face of “pitva” they are drinking the face of the Lord is like a flower and gopi eyes are like honey they are trying to drink, the bees always go to the flowers to get the honey and by doing so their tapa- so much separation from the Lord, Lord being away so as they drink that nectar emanating from the lotus face of the Lord that fever goes down they are pacified a bit.
So now they are Krishna and Balarama they are all the way close to Nandabhavan and they entered Nandabhavan. They are greeted by Nanda also Yasoda is there Rohini is there.
“tayor Yasoda rohinyau putrayoh putra-vatsale,
yatha kamam yatha kalam vyadhattam paramasisah” (S.B 10.15.44)
According to the time, place and circumstances they are always expressing their affection by giving different kinds of gifts, sweets or whatever children are in need of Krishna and Balarama, so first thing as they return from the forest
“Gatadhvana- sramau” sram they had been walking all day behind the cows the hot sun so “majjanonmardanadibhih” (S.B 10.15.45) bathing takes place in order to do that “nivim vasitva” Sukdev Goswami says the little boys now wearing only undergarments all other their clothes are off they are wearing undergarments and they been bathed by mothers Yashoda and Rohini while bathing little massaging is being done, putting some oil there and you know all day they are working very very hard “ruciram divya srag – gandha manditau” so then they are offered fresh garlands different other gandhas, chandan and their body decorated that way with fresh clothing.
“janany- upahrtam prasya” (S.B 10.15.46)
The dinner time they are made to sit down and they are feed “svadv annam” svadu svadu sweet dishes all they cook is nectarine, nice nice chappan bhoga offered. “lalito palito” there is lalan and palan both things are done. “samvisya vara-sayyayam” and finally around 10:30 or 26 minutes after 10 they have put to bed on a very special bed Krishna and Balarama they take rest – sukhe nidra gela. So this is one sample, sampling of how He returns how He is greeted at the entrance by two kind of gopis finally into Nandabhavan they are bathing, new clothing, feeding, put into rest and this is everyday. Everyday is exciting no routine, no boringthing and we have to. So like that Krishna’s past time continues and Sukhdev goswami quickly turns our attention to Jamuna river.
Jamuna maiyya ki ……………………………jay so kalindim “ yayau ramam rte rajan kalindim sakhibhir vrtah” (S.B 10.15.47)
Once upon a time that day Balarama was not with them, again Balarama is not with them all cowherd boys and Krishna only going into the forest they are now on the banks of Jamuna “atha gavas gopas ca” (S.B 10.15.48) the cows and the cowherd boys they are very thirsty and they end up drinking jamuna jal thirsty they are so what could they do. But “dustam jalam” the poisonous water they drank jamuna jala has become poisonous ‘visa-dusitam” and the result was they fell lifeless right there in front of Krishna “salilante” just on the bank of jamuna.
“viksya tan vai tatha-bhutan krsno yogesvaresvarah iksayamrta -varsinya” (S.B 10.15.48) He opened His eyes and He glanced over all the friends, the cows and “samajivayat” brought them back to life and now they were playing different games very close to Jamuna and Krishna is only thinking how to He understood what is this due to? Why water of jamuna is so poisonous?
“vilokya dusitam krsnam krsnah krsnahina vibhuh” (S.B 10.16.1)
Such wonderful…(maharaj laughs) Krsnam, “dusitam Krsnam” krsna – means here Jamuna. Krsna – krsnaa… if you say “hare krsnaa.. hare Krsnaa.. Krsnaa.. Krsnaa.. hare hare” you are saying “hare jamuna hare jamuna jamuna jamuna hare hare” different mantra you are chanting. Krsna- krsnaa…. Krsnaa… is jamuna Krsnaa… is also Dropadi, there is subtle difference understand, Krsna –Krsnaa.., suta-sutaa… “dusitam krsnam” so the river jamuna has become polluted this is because “Krsna ahina” ahina means serpant and because he is blackish he is addressed here as is Krishna-ahina the black serpant. And this is all vilokya Krsnah Krishna saw Lord Krishna saw that the river Krishna jamuna was polluted by black Krishna ahina, black serpant that is Sukhdev Goswami and “tasya visuddhim anvicchan” and in order to purify, cleanse the waters of contaminated river “sarpam tam udavasayat” He sent away the kaliya so Sukadev Goswami has summarized the whole chapter just in one verse this will and require attention let’s see how far we go interesting details here. The rivers water was so badly polluted full of poison that would be boiling because of poison heated and boiling the birds are flying above the river with the vapors coming evaporated water full of poison the birds would breath that air and result would be they would be falling dead into the river it was that bad. Also “praninah mriyante” animals were dying, birds were dying so what did Krishna do? He wanted to chastise this kaliya sent him away. So in middle of the game Krishna He climbed up kadamba tree right on the bank of this kaliya rte- this kaliya lake this name was kaliya lake because kaliya was residing in the lake.
So Krishna climbed up hey! Where are you going? He was just playing, and now He stopped the play and He just very swiftly He climbs up the tree and He is now standing at the top of the tree, top of the tree tallest branch and He is standing there (maharaj is asking the audience – you could see Him?) yes you have to see Him, you have to visualize this pastime kadamba tree on the bank of jamuna kaliya lake is part of connected with jamuna little extended lake. So He goes up there and He is doing (maharaj slapping his arms) He is slapping “asphotya” slapping arms – challenging that kaliya are you ready? come come lets have a fight wrestlers in India do that come come so this is what Krishna also did and “gadha – rasano” (S.B 10.16.6) Krishna is tightening his belt and the next thing is “nyapatad visode” He fell in the lake, then from there He is into the lake. So big splash all the water has been agitated, waves, water causing flood and the water is spreading now going beyond the lake and the kaliya he heard the splash and he noticed. Oh! There is someone has encroached my territory “asrutya niriksya .” (S.B 10.16.8) the snakes they hear with their eyes they don’t have ears. caksuh-sravah kaliya heard with the eyes the big splash and noticed also, saw also he was deep into, he has his home family also, palace there, children also came out in the direction someone had fallen into that water.
“tam preksaniya sukumara-ghanavadatam” (S.B 10.16.9) and so Krishna is swimming at the top and from underneath kaliya comes he is looking up at Krishna and this beautiful young boy he sees and he has a bluish complexion sri vatsa, he is noticing, He has a srivatsa mark on His chest Laxmi resides on the chest of Sri Krishna in the form of a golden line – suvarna rekha or srivatsa “pita vasanam” He has golden yellow clothing “smita-sundarasyam” His smiling face “kridamtam apratibhayam” and fearlessly He is playing there not scared He is fearless. “kamalodaranghrim sandasya” so kaliya comes he is furious and he starts biting Krishna and next thing he has done he has enveloped Krishna in its coils.
And so the cowherd boys and cows they were watching this scene. Krishna is their lives and it was too much for them to handle this situation for cowherd boys and the cows so they were going unconscious, they were falling there unconscious just on the bank of kaliya lake. “krandamanah su-duhkhitah” (S.B 10.16.11) they are crying they are very very distressed not knowing what to do they eyes are fixed on Krishna and they are standing still, motionless only looking with great anxiety and so while this was the scene on the bank of kaliya now all over Braja mandal there were bad omens. Lighting and this and that signs giving indication that something dangerous has happened in Braja somewhere so many indication.
Whenever such thing happen everyone of course Nanada Yasoda they immediately think of where is Krishna? Where is He? Is He difficulty? Hey! and another thing that they noticed “vina ramena gah krsnam jnatva carayitum gatam” (S.B 10.16.13) oh! Today Balarama has not gone with Krishna so oh! For sure there is some trouble. That other day also He did not go so Brahma had stole again Balarama had stole the cows and cow herd boys and again Balarama hasn’t gone look at all these difficulties all around bad omens everywhere. So they were expecting the worst and they were also thinking is Krishna alive does this mean He is no more, these thoughts were also coming to their mind. “duhkha –soka-bhayaturah” (S.B 10.16.14) full of lamentation have taken over.
“a-bala-vrddha-vanitah sarve anga pasu-vrttayah nirjagmurbgokulad” (S.B 10.16.15) so like that cow going looking for calf, all the men elderly men, gopis they left home, left Gokul, left Braja, left Nanadagram and they are searching “krsna darsana lalasah” (S.B 10.16.15) they are very very eager to find and see identify, locate their Krishna. While everyone is in total anxiety Balarama He isn’t because He knows extraordinary power of His brother Krishna, nothing to worry. But He could not share; He couldn’t say anything because of this emotion of everybody. But He was “prahasya” smiling, trying to conceal His smile and laugh as He is seeing everyone else in total anxiety and so they all go they want to find Krishna. So on the way they see some foot prints hey! come come everyone they all gather around the footprints and they see that these are the footprints of Krishna there are different signs – the flag, thunderbolt and immediately they understand these are foot prints of Krishna see see everyone confirms. And then they follow the foot prints they keep going following those foot prints and they end up on the bank of …………..Jamuna “jamuna jalasayante”
And what do they see there? Some animals died, cowherd boys unconscious, some are struggling to stay alive, those who are alive they are looking, where are they looking? They are looking inside so immediately everyone’s attention has gone towards that scene there ghastly scene. And so as these persons have come towards kaliya lake and as they see Krishna they are all trying to go in there to protect their Krishna they don’t care whether they will get drowned they just want to protect Him but Balarama forbid them stopped them, kept them away from entering the lake. So Krishna stays for few moments for a little while in that state but then seeing the condition of everyone else all around Vrajawasis everywhere, elderly ladies, gentlemen, Gopis very very anxious, crying, screaming wanting to get closer to Krishna but they can’t get there. So Krishna manages to get out of the coil of kaliya and kaliya and Krishna they are facing each other like two wrestlers, trying to overpower the other one.
And kaliya is trying to get closer to bite or again catch Krishna in his coils and Krishna is trying to avoid that so that kind of battling lasted for a while and this was little relief for those who were watching because atleast he was not in the tight grip of kaliya. But He was still there in the middle of the lake in front of kaliya, so next thing Krishna does is He is pushing some of the hoods of kaliya and he jumps up and Krishna is standing on the hoods of kaliya Haribol…………………Haribol.
And He has His flute and he begins His “akhila- kaladi gurur nanarta” (S.B 10.16.26) He is the adiguru of all the artist, all the dancers and the flute players, musicians He is the original guru – the master of everybody and He begins his dance. Krishna begins His dance on the hoods of kaliya, kaliya has one hundred and one hoods so that becomes His platform Krishna’s platform and as soon as Krishna desire to dance on the hoods of kaliya immediately just that minute the Gandharvas, the Siddhas, the caranas they all begin the orcastra party, they all play the best music and nice drumming is going on helping Krishna to, the dancer comes in good mood when there is nice music. So there are different scenes here Krishna kaliya in the middle of lake, Krishna in the middle all the Brajavasis – the audience on the bank of the lake water they don’t know what to expect, they are still in anxiety and up there in the sky it is all filled with the Demigods and gandharva and Apasaras and they are providing all the necessary music and Krishna is dancing on the hoods of kaliya, He is Nataraja – the best of all the dancers, amitabh bachchan is nobody why even remember him before Krishna. Krishna is best dancer and He is dancing, playing his flute also and he has ankle bells – jingling, tinkling around his ankle they are also playing and his attempt is He is trying to express anger and poisonous flame are emanating from different hoods, so which ever hood is most active trying to find Krishna, bite Krishna, Krishna puts his foot right there and “anghri pataih” he hits He dances, His dancing is working like hitting the hoods ok this one is out of 100, He has 100 to work with so as he is dancing he is watching also, playing now which hood where, which one now. So some times he is here middle hood, then this hood then that hood like that he is going all over and hitting this hoods now he has 50% taken over, 50% are just life less vomiting blood and then He is working on more hoods, some more dance and music goes on and on…….
Pushpas are being showered on Krishna and He is enjoying and now all his hoods, all 101 hoods have been totally subdued, kicked and brought under control by Lord who appears to do this “vinasayaca duskritam”. So at this point the Nagapatnis – wives of Kaliya they come they are addressing the Lord who is still standing on the hoods, head of their husband “nyayyo hi dandah” Krishna whatever you have done is very fair we have no complaints, this is the purpose you appear “tavavatarah khala nigrahaya ”.
“anugraho ayam bhavatah” infact benediction of yours upon our husband and ourself “tapah sutaptam kim anena purvam” we don’t know what kind of austerities our husband has performed as a result you have blessed him touched his head left lot of dust of you lotus feet on the heads of our husband they are reminded even that Laxmi she has performed so much austerities hoping to get closer to Krishna, getting the dust of lotus feet but she did not become successful but look our husband has become successful getting that sacred dust on his head and they say “vanchanti yat-pada rajah prapannah” (S.B10.16.37) this is the only desire of devotees of the lord just to get the dust –surrender into the dust of krishna’s lotus feet. They did not desire “na naka prstam” they don’t desire to go to heaven they don’t want to be emperors “paramesthyam” they dnt want post of Brahma they dn’t want to be any kind of rulers “na yoga –siddir” they don’t want bhukti-siddhi-kami no nothing………………..

Narottama Das Thakuravirbhava mahotsava ki jay!! All glories to the appearance day celebration of Srila Narottama Das Thakur.

Out of the many songs that Narottama Das Thakurhas written, there is a collection of songs called ‘lalasamayi prarthana’. Following is the song from this collection:

gauranga’ balite habe pulaka-sharira

‘hari hari’ balite nayane ba’he nira

ara kabe nitai-candera karuna haibe

samsara-vasana mora kabe tuccha ha’be

vishaya chadiya kabe shuddha ha’be mana

kabe hama heraba shri vrindavana

rupa-raghunatha-pade haibe akuti

kabe hama bujhaba se jugala piriti

rupa-raghunatha-pade rahu mora asha

prarthana karaye sada narottama dasa

H H Lokanath swami Maharaja reads and comments upon the purport by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada:

“This is a song sung by Narottama dasa Thakura, a great devotee and Acharya in the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya, the disciplic succession coming down from Lord Caitanya. Narottama dasa Thakura has written many songs, which are recognized as authoritative by all the Vaishnavas. He has sung these songs in simple Bengali language, but the purport—the deep meaning of his songs—is very significant.”

In this song, he says, “Gauraga balite habe pulaka sarira” – when does one attain the perfection of chanting? – as soon as he chants the name of Gauranga, who inaugurated the sankirtana movement and at once there is shivering in his body. Of course it is not shivering due to cold, unlike us. (laughter). There was no external bodily cause for his shivering but Narottama das was shivering from within because his soul was trembling in ecstasy. This is not to be imitated. NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR is asking “When will that fortunate day come that I shall simply sing Lord Caitanya’s name and there will be shivering on my body as soon as I chant Lord Gauranga’s name?”

Then he says, “As soon as I shall chant ‘Hari Hari,’ or ‘Hare Krishna,’ there will be pouring down of tears from my eyes.” hari hari balite nayane bahe nira. That is the sequence. First there is shivering and then there will be tears in the eyes.

Then NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR is asking, “ara kabe nitai-candera karuna haibe”. We are all asking for the mercy of Lord Nityananda. Lord Nityananda is supposed to be the original spiritual master. So we have to approach Lord Gaurnaga through the mercy of Lord Nityananda. What is the symptom of the person who has achieved the mercy of Lord Nityananda? NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR says that the symptom of one who has actually received the mercy of Lord Nityananda that he has no more material desire. “samsara-vasana mora kabe tuccha ha’be”. Tuccha word is derived from the word ‘spit’. Tuccha means as insignificant as spitting. Srila Prabhupada once literally spat while giving a class in Calcutta. He was speaking the verse from Srimad Bhagavatam, 7.9.45 “yan maithunadi-grihamedhi-sukham hi tuccham” and then he spat. (Sex life is compared to the rubbing of two hands to relieve an itch. Grihamedhis, so-called grihasthas who have no spiritual knowledge, think that this itching is the greatest platform of happiness, although actually it is a source of distress.)

‘Sansar vasana’ means desire for material enjoyment. NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR wonders “When my desire for material enjoyment will be insignificant, non-important – tuccha.’’ Of course, as long as we have material bodies, there are so many material needs. We do not fulfill our needs in the spirit of enjoyment, but only to keep body and soul together.

NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR says further, “rupa-raghunatha-pade haibe akuti”, “Beginning from Rupa Gosvami down to Raghunatha dasa Gosvami,” pade, “at their lotus feet. When I shall be eager to be attached at their lotus feet;” Akuti means eagerness. Srila Rupa gosvami is the father of devotional service. He has written a book called Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu in which he has given directions on devotional service. These topics are also dealt with in Caitanya Caritamrita and other books. We have summary of those directions in our book, ‘teachings of Lord Caitanya’.

One has to learn the conjugal loving affairs of Radha and Krishna through the teachings of these six gosvamis. NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR directs us not to try to understand the conjugal love affair of Radha and Krishna by our own efforts. We should try to understand this jugal priti under the direction of the gosvamis. As long as the mind is too much absorbed in materialistic thoughts, one cannot enter the kingdom of Vrindavana. But NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR says, “vishaya chadiya kabe shuddha ha’be mana, kabe hama heraba shri vrindavana” “When my mind will be completely purified, uncontaminated from the material contamination, at that time it will be possible for me to see what Vrindavana is.” When my mind will be completely purified, free from material anxieties and desires, I will be able to understand Vrindavana. Then I will understand the conjugal love of Radha and Krishna and then my spiritual life will be successful.

So this song is a glimpse of the life and teachings of NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR– It reveals the thoughts of Narottama, his emotions, feelings – in summary this song is a glimpse into the consciousness of NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR. “gauranga balite kabe..” His heart is full of thoughts like this, always. They are revealed to us through his writing. Thus we could read his thoughts in black and white. Hearing them we get to know NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR. Vaishnavera kriya mudra.. very difficult to understand. (CC Madhya 23.39 – Even the most learned man cannot understand the words, activities and symptoms of a person situated in love of Godhead.). Just by looking at a Vaishnava you may not understand him and his exhibition of activities like trembling of his body, rolling on the ground and other ashta-vikaras. His exhibition of these activities is not with a purpose that others will take note of it or take his photographs or video etc. He does not care for these things. The vaishnava may try to contain his emotions and yet some of his emotions may spill out. They come out in the form of the ashta vikaras. His soul is in contact with Supreme soul and what transpires through this communication or linking (yoga) with the Supreme (yoga) is the symptoms like trembling etc. The result is Hari Hari balite nayane babe nira. The love of Godhead overflowing within the heart of the vaishnava starts to drip out of the eyes in the form of tears. Tears of love of Godhead.

Thus through such songs, we get to know personalities like NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR. I don’t know how much we really get to know because it is not easy to know a vaishnava. Just as it is difficult to know the Supreme Lord, it is equally difficult to know the devotee of the Lord. In fact, the more we understand a devotee of the Lord, the more we can understand Krishna. The more we understand devotee and our spiritual master, the more we understand Krishna. If we fully understand the devotee, we can also fully understand Krishna, as much as a human being could possibly know. Prabhupada says, even Krishna does not fully know Himself fully. He is ever changing, ever growing, and ever expanding. So how much could we, living entities can know Krishna? We can know Krishna to the degree we know pure devotees, to the degree we know vaishnavas, and to the degree we know our spiritual master. “Saksat Haritvena samasta sastrair..” Krishna is sanatana Hari, Gaura Hari, and the spiritual master is saksat Hari.

Knowing Krishna is also possible by knowing dham, being able to see dham, or being able to reside in the dham. In the words of Narrotatma das Thakur in this song, “vishaya chadiya kabe shuddha ha’be mana, kabe hama heraba shri vrindavana” . One who is able to see Vridavana or Mayapur as it is and is able to finally stay at these places; not just as visitor but resident of these places can really know Krishna. However in spite of being resident, if one’s mind goes to various other places from Mayapur to Calcutta, from Mayapur to London, then it is of no use. Hence, NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR says, “When my mind will be freed from the contamination of this material enjoyment and I shall be purified, then it will be possible for me to see Vrindavana as it is.” When my mind will be suddha or pure, then my chanting of the holy names will also be pure – without offence. It will lead to shuddha bhakti, purified devotion.

Devotional service could be performed when my mind will pure (shuddha). This is all for us, and not for NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR. This song are his instructions to us. You do not even have to refer to scriptures. His songs ARE scriptures!

Jagannatha Das Babaji used to say, spiritual realizations are very cheap nowadays. How much cheap? Oh, you just give 50 paise and buy the books of Narottama das Thakur’s songs. Just read and sing those songs and you will have realizations, you will get all clarity and you will be on your way back home, back to Godhead.

All the teachings of the Vedas are there in the songs of NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR. He made it easier. Sanskrit is difficult to understand. You can just sing the songs that deal with all spiritual topics. He writes the songs dedicated to vaishnavas, to his spiritual master who is like his life and soul, to Gauanga, and to Radha and Krishna. These songs are famous everywhere – Orissa, Bengal.. and Prabhupada made them famous all over the world. In every town and village, they are known as Narottama dasa’s songs. Even if they may not know the Vedas or Upanisadas, they know Narottama dasa Thakura’s songs! Thus they have access to the Vedas, to the sastras when they read and sing songs of Narottama Das.

Everything is there in the songs. We get a glimpse of that knowledge depending upon how much surrendered and purified our minds and souls are. To the degree of purity of our minds, we can understand the songs of Narottama das. Even one song is enough to realize and go back to Krishna. Through his songs, we can understand his emotions, his devotional mood and deep purport of his songs can help us understand Radha Krishna.. “Radha-Krishna prana mor yugal kisor”

Srila Prabhupada gave us these gifts of songs of Narottama Das Thakur and Srila Bhaktivinod thakur. Now those songs are all over the planet. Soon the songs of NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR in coming 5000 years will reach every town and village. Not just the mahamantra. Maha mantra will reach every town and village along with these songs. By then news will be out about NAROTTAMA DAS THAKUR and his songs. He was not just another devotee. Just to be a devotee is not a small thing. But he is not just another devotee or another associate but direct contemporary of Caitanya maharpabhu.

Narottama Das Thakur’s transcendental life:

He appeared in 1531, three years prior to disappearance of Sri Caitanya mahaprabhu on a full moon day. Today is that full moon day of Magh purnima. Caitanya mahaprabhu appeared on Phalgun purnima and Narottama Thakur appeared on Magh purnima which is one month prior to Gaura purnima. Once, Caitanya Mahaprabhu was in the kirtan and the kirtan stopped in the middle. CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU was in full ecstasy, His body trembling and tears gliding down His cheeks, He pointed to the village Kheturi gram and shouted “Narottama, Narottama..”. these were the words of CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU. All the devotees were wondering what happened. So they concluded that the Lord is indicating the appearance of some personality called Narottama. When CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU uttered the name of Narottama on His lips, it appeared very auspicious to the devotees. This also gives another glimpse of Narottama’s personality to see how CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU was attached to Narottama.

CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU entered the river called Padmavati (now in Bangla desh). The Lord filled Padmavati with love of Godhead. He instructed Padmavati, “I am leaving this prema with you. This is meant to be given to a very special person. Only to that person, you deliver this prema. She asked, How would I know who is that person? Mahaprabhu assured her, you would know. When this person enters your waters, it will flood, not because of rainy season or something but you will just rise and expand by the entrance of that person. So to that person you give this prema. That is what happened. When Narottama entered the waters of Padmavati, the river swelled and flooded and she remembered the instructions and gave the Krishna prema to Narottama. The Lord personally invested His preme into Padmavati’s waters until this personality of Narottama could come.

Narottama Das Thakurappeared as a prince, Krishnananda Datta. The king and his wife Naraynai gave birth to this very special child, very beautiful. We may end up thinking he might have been more beautiful than I am! (laughter). But no one had ever seen a beautiful child like Narottama. He had different features. His body was golden, his naval was deep. His eyes were wide like blooming lotus. Not a word jugglery but literally. His arms were long, reaching his knees. Certainly there was no match to his beauty. Upon his anna-prasan ceremony (feeding grains for the first time), he refused to accept. Soon the parents realized that those grains were not offered to the Lord. As they offered it to the Lord and brought him the maha-prasad, he gobbled it up. Even as a child he was teaching what to eat and what not to eat. He was sent to school. He was a brilliant student – shrutidhar – with a photographic memory. He soon became a very learned pandit in Sanskrit grammar and poetry.

He came in contact with Gauranga bhaktas and he started listening to Gauranga lilas. He got attracted to the personality of Sri Gauranga and Nityananda prabhu. He began chanting Their names and was very eager to find them and meet them. Lord Gauranga gave him darshan in dream in sankirtana as Pancha tattva. Soon Narottama lost all attraction for anything worldly. The family members became afraid about his leaving home and going away. So they decided to get him married. Surely, they thought, if he is married he will be bound. Bound by kama-pash – by the ropes of lust.

However Narottama was thinking of only going to Vrindavana. Family members kept guards to keep a strict watch on him so that he may not run away to Vrindavana. One day the king of Bengal sent a message to Narottama’s father. His father along with his brother left for Navadvipa to see the king. Narottama thought it as a good opportunity to run away and he did. He went to Vrindavana dham. On the way all the pilgrims were treating him nicely. However the guards searched for him and found him. Narottama fed them nice Prasad and told them Gaura katha so well that they forgot their job of grabbing him and bringing him home. They did not do that assignment and Narottama was able to head toward Mathura.

Then he reached Mathura. Upon reaching there, he heard the news! Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana gosvami were no more! He was so anxious. “Rupa Raghunatha pade hoibe akuti” he wrote. He was dreaming and thinking day and night, when that day would appear when I get to meet with Rupa and Raghunatha and so many other devotees in Vrindavana. We could imagine about Narottama’s reaction to that news. As if a thunderbolt had struck him. He lamented and fell unconsciousness. Knowing his thoughts, Rupa and Raghunatha and others appeared before him and gave him darshan even though they were not physically present.

Then he moved on to Vrindavana. In fact there was a prediction that Narottama would arrive on one of these days and Jiva Gosvami was expecting him. As he arrived, Jiva gosvami was one of first personalities to welcome Narottama and bring him to Radha Govinda temple. Then he saw some of remaining associates of Gauranga Mahaprabhu.

Narottama was searching for his guru. By this time, Narottama was studying under Srila Jiva gosvami. Jiva gosvami is Narottama’s shiksha guru, the instructing spiritual master. He was also serving Lokanath gosvami incognito. When Lokanath gosvami would take care of his daily bodily cleaning, Narottama would secretly go to that place and would clean that area thoroughly well. Days and months had passed like this. Finally Lokanath swami noticed it and found out who was secretly cleaning the area after he took care of his body? He came to know that it was none other than Narottama. Finally that connection was made. Narottama was initiated by Lokanath gosvami. Initially Lokanath gosvami had a vow of not making any single disciple of his own. However Narottama was insisting that he must have Lokanath gosvami as his spiritual master. They were both determined. Finally Lokanath gosvami gave up his vow. Narottama found his spiritual master.

Narottama wrote a song about the guru, “sri guru charan padma kevala bhakti sadma vando mui savadan mate”. (maharaja asks everyone to read the purport to this song). Srila Prabhupada selected this song for the daily ‘Guru pooja’. Every word, every line is so much important.

The lotus feet of our spiritual master are the only way by which we can attain pure devotional service. I bow to his lotus feet with great awe and reverence. By his grace one can cross the ocean of material suffering and obtain the mercy of Krishna.

My only wish is to have my consciousness purified by the words emanating from his lotus mouth. Attachment to his lotus feet is the perfection that fulfills all desires.

He opens my darkened eyes and fills my heart with transcendental knowledge. He is my Lord birth after birth. From him ecstatic prema emanates; by him ignorance is destroyed. The Vedic scriptures sing of his character.

ur spiritual master is the ocean of mercy, the friend of the poor, and the lord and master of the devotees. O master! Be merciful unto me. Give me the shade of your lotus feet. Your fame is spread all over the three worlds.

My spiritual master is the final destination for me. My destination is his lotus feet, uttama gati. When I reach the lotus feet of my spiritual master, I will also reach the lotus feet of Krishna. His lotus feet will bring me to the lotus feet of Krishna. By the mercy of my guru, I will achieve Krishna.

One day in Vrindavana, one Gopi like beautiful lady approached Narottama and told him, “your service in Vrindavana is to boil milk”. Narottama approached his guru and mentioned to him that such and such lady told me that my service in Vrindavana was to boil milk. He asked his guru what was the meaning of that. Lokanath gosvami said, first of all, that lady is not just an ordinary lady. It is Radha rani. She has revealed your eternal service in Vrindavana. Narottama is actually “chamak-manjari” from the spiritual world of Goloka Vrindavana and the particular service of this manjari is to boil milk!

One day he was in his transcendental service of boiling milk for Radha rani. He was in trance and the milk started overflowing due to his meditation. He tried to put off the fire to stop overflowing of milk and his fingers got burnt. Soon he was out of that trance or absorption in service. Suddenly he came back to his external consciousness. He tried to hide his burnt finger as he did not want others to know about this transcendental service. But the news spread and others came to know the position of Narottama.

He kept studying there under srila Jiva gosvami. By this time, Shyamananda and Srinivas acharya were also studying. Jiva gosvami was thinking that his disciples should go on Vraja mandal parikrama. Soon after he had this thought, he saw Raghav gosvami of Vrindavana. He stayed near Vrindavana in a cave, which is still there. Raghav gosvami was also preparing to go on this parikrama. Srila Jiva gosvami requested him to take along Shyamananda, Srinivas acharaya and Narottama das with him on Vraja mandal parikrama. There is a description of this parikrama in Bhakti Ratnakar. It describes of their experiences; every few steps they would roll on the ground, their bodies trembling and tears flowing from their eyes. They went around Vraja like this hearing about Radha and Krishna, different pastimes, and wetting all the dust of Vraja with their tears which they were constantly shedding.

Jiva gosvami instructed them to go on the preaching mission with the books. Narottama also visited Mayapur, Shantipur, Puri, and then his hometown. By this time his father was no more. The area was being ruled by another king, named Santosh. The king greeted Narottama with great reverence. This king had association of Narottama Das Thakurfor some time and he became initiated disciple of Narottama das along with so many other prominent persons. However Narottama was not born in brahmana family. The then existing smarta brahmanas took objection to this initiation process saying how could Narottama do this. They decided to visit him for a debate. When they came to his village, there were so many learned disciples of Narottama, having taken up various occupations of vaishya category. When Smarta brahmanas entered the town, they happened to meet with all these disciples of Narottama Das Thakurat in various market places. All the disciples were speaking in Sanskrit! They had dialogs with the brahmanas and defeated the brahmanas in debate. The smarta brahmanas thought that these are just the disciples of Narottama; they are doing all sorts of occupations, and yet they are so learned. Thus they realized the position of Narottama das and did not go to debate with him.

First ever Gaura Purnima festival: Then Narottama das decided to celebrate the first ever Gaura purnima festival with great pomp. There were many temple opening events, deity installation was going on. This was the first ever gaura purnima festival and devotees from all over arrived. The whole festival lifted everyone’s consciousness. The main objective of festival was to raise consciousness of the devotees who were present in the festival. Narottama led an ecstatic kirtan. Vaishnavas were playing musical instrument, touching each other’s feet, they all were singing in the kirtan with right raga and right bhava. How can we describe that kirtan? It was practically out of this world! Pancha tattva Personalities from another world descended and joined Narottama’s kirtan. Meeting of the two worlds took place without any barriers. Even though Caitanya mahaprabhu, Nityananda prabhu and other members of Pancha tattva had already left this mortal world, everyone assembled there saw all these personalities joining the kirtan. Jahnava mata, Nityananda prabhu’s consort also saw Him. Advaita acharaya’s sons saw Advaita acharya. Finally kirtan stopped and everyone was back in their normal worldly position. They felt the absence of all these divine persoanalities and they fell unconscious as if having lost their lives, not being able to see again Mahaprabhu and Nityananda prabhu.

Jahnava mataji cooked feast and served everyone in the Gaura purnima festival. She was the acharya of gaudiya vaishnavas. That time there were many differences of opinion, many interpretations in understanding of the vaishnava philosophy after Mahaprabhu’s disappearance. During this festival, Jahnava mata, through ista gosti, reconciled everything, establishing the final conclusions and thus unified all the vaishanvas present at this festival at Kheturi dham. Then they played holi, throwing colors with the Deities. In this way Narottama Das Thakurorganized the first ever, grand Gaura purnima festival.

Our Gaura purnima festival is beginning now, ending after one month on Gaura purnima day. So please meditate upon this first ever Gaura purnima festival and on the life of Srila Narottama das thakur!!

Hari bol!

Performing devotional service in Kartik on of this ceremonial function is called “araja vrata” or “Damodhar vrata”. Uraja vrata is observed in Kartika October-november especially in Vrindavan there is specific program for temple worship of Lord in His Damodhar form. Damodhar refers to Krishna being bound with the rope by His mother Yasoda. It’s said as Lord Damodhar is very dear to His devotees so the month known as Damodhar or Kartika is also very dear to them. The execution of devotional service during uraja vrata in month of kartika is especially recommended to be performed as Mathura Mandala- Braja mandal.
This system is still followed by many devotees they go Mathura or Vrindavan and stay there in month of Kartika especially to perform devotional service during this period. In Padma Purana its said the Lord may offer liberation or material happiness to a devotee but after some devotional service has been executed particularly in Mathura during month of Kartika the devotees wants only to remain only pure devotional service unto the Lord. The purport is Lord does not reward devotional service to ordinary persons who are not serious about it. But even such unserious persons perform devotional service according to regulative principles during kartika within the jurisdiction of Mathura in India are very easily awarded Lords personal service. Haribol………………..Guara Haribol, Haribol………………..Guara Haribol.
Padma purana ki ……………………………..jai.
Today is not month of kartika, today is last day of month of ashwin, ashwin and kartika put together is sharad ritu or autumn season. So its end of one month and today as month is ending its purnima its very special purnima -sharad purnima also known as “Rasa purnima” so we have different verse on the board from the 10th canto please repeat.
Sri – badarayanir uvaca
“bhagavan api ta ratrih saradotphulla-mallikah,
viksya rantum manas cakre, yoga-mayam upasrit ah” (S.B 10.29.1)
TRANSLATION : Sri Badaraya?i said: Sri K???a is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full in all opulences, yet upon seeing those autumn nights scented with blossoming jasmine flowers, He turned His mind toward loving affairs. To fulfill His purposes He employed His internal potency.
PURPORT: As we begin the famous narration of Lord Krishna’s rasa dance, a dance of love with beautiful young girls, questions will inevitably arise in the minds of ordinary people regarding the propriety of God’s romantic dancing with many young girls in the middle of a full-moon autumn night. In his description of the Lord’s rasa dance in K??na, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, rila Prabhupada painstakingly explains the spiritual purity of these transcendental activities. Those advanced in the science of K??na — the great teachers, or acaryas — leave no doubt that Lord K?sna is full and satisfied in Himself, free of all material desire, which is, after all, a sense of incompleteness or lack.
Materialistic persons and impersonal philosophers stubbornly reject the bona fide explanation of sri krishna’s transcendental nature. There is no reason to deny the beautiful reality of an absolute person able to perform absolute romantic activities, of which our so-called romance is merely a shadow or perverted reflection. The irrational insistence that material activities cannot be a reflection of the perfect, spiritual activities performed by God reflects the unimaginative emotional disposition of those who oppose the reality of sri Krishna . This psychological disposition of the nondevotees, which leads them to fervently deny the very existence of the absolute person, unfortunately boils down to what may be succinctly described as envy, since the overwhelming majority of the impersonal critics eagerly pursue their own romantic affairs, which they consider quite real and even “spiritual.”
The actual supreme lover is Lord krishna. The Vedanta-sutra begins by declaring that the Absolute Truth is the source of everything, and even Western philosophy was born in a somewhat awkward attempt at finding the original One behind the apparent many of material existence. Conjugal love, one of the most intense and demanding aspects of human existence, can hardly have nothing at all to do with supreme reality.
In fact, the conjugal love experienced by human beings is a mere reflection of spiritual reality, in which the same love exists in an absolute, pristine state. Thus it is clearly stated here that when K?sna decided to enjoy the romantic atmosphere of autumn, “He resorted to His spiritual potency” (yoga-mayamupasrita?). The spiritual nature of Lord krishna’s conjugal affairs is a major theme in this section of the srimad-Bhagavatam.
A woman is attractive because of the sweet sound of her voice, her beauty and gentleness, her enchanting fragrance and tenderness, and also because of her cleverness and skill in music and dance. The most attractive ladies of all are the young gopis of V?ndavana, who are Lord krishna’s internal potency, and this chapter tells how He enjoyed their brilliant feminine qualities — even though, as srila Visvanatha Cakravart? ?hakura has mentioned, Lord K?sna was an eight-year-old boy when these events took place.
Ordinary people prefer God simply to be a witness of their romantic affairs. When a boy desires a girl or a girl desires a boy, sometimes they pray to God for their enjoyment. Such people are shocked and dismayed to find out that the Lord can enjoy His own loving affairs with His own transcendental senses. In truth, Sri K?sna is the original Cupid, and His exciting conjugal pastimes will be described in this section of the Bhagavatam.
When Lord K?sna descends to the earth, His spiritual body seems to take birth and grow as He displays His variegated pastimes. The Lord could hardly allow His boyhood to pass without exhibiting the supreme loving affairs between a young boy and young girls. Thus Visvanatha Cakravart? ?hakura quotes srila Rupa Gosvami as follows: kaisora? saphali-karoti kalayan kunje vihara? hari?. “Lord Hari perfects His youth by arranging loving pastimes in the groves of theVrndavana forest.”
So the topic is wonderful, Krishna is wonderful – Krishna’s pastimes are wonderful but our mind is not always wonderful so wonderful, so it becomes difficult to relish the wonderful pastimes of wonderful Lord Sri Krishna. No problem we have help of all acharyas we have help of king Parikshit also who is helping us understand Krishna’s most wonderful pastimes “sri-radhika-madhavayor apara madhurya lila guna rupa namanam prati-ksanasvadana-lolupasya vande guru sri caranaravindam” this is a topic of our previous acharyas the topic is Radha-Madhav, the topic is “radha-madhavayor apara madurya lia” madhurya –lila is also the topic at every step “prati-ksanasvadan-lolupasya’ they have become addicted in relishing these pastimes. ‘radha-krsna padaravinda-bhajanandena matttalikau” matta they are intoxicated, you cannot take them away from these topics of “radha-krsna bhajananda’ they are enjoying these pastimes.

Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared after long long time He appeared why did He appear? “kalau avatirnah kalau samarpiutum unnat ujawal rasam” Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared to deliver those pastimes what pastimes? ‘unnat ujawal rasam’ that rasa from that rasa come “rasa dance” from rasa come rasa. I give you some rasa while some one is serving you sabji what do you say? Hey prabhu rasa…rasa…juice…..mellow, so essence of the sabji is rasa. So there are 12 rasas and 5 principle rasas and of all those ‘unnat ujawal rasa” of all those 12 rasas unnat – the topmost rasa, which is ujawal, which is brilliant rasa, effulgent rasa is madhurya rasa. Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared to deliver that rasa to His followers of course. Madhavendra puri pada had already set the scene by relishing himself those pastimes and talking about those pastimes he was the first acharya in our line and that’s where we have different branch, we differ from Madhvacharya so sometime extend and what is the special dimension our sampradaya – our parampara has this ‘madhurya lila-guna-rupa-namnam”.
Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu spend His time during the day He would chant “Hare krishna Hare krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare” this was for the public for everybody chanting of the Holy name ‘Hare Krishna” He did had Bhava of Radharani and the complexion of Radharani also relishing radha-krishna pastimes, radha –madhav pastimes, radha-shyamsundar pastimes.
So today is that day and than that night tonite Lord Krishna enjoyed those most wonderful pastime “bhagavan api ta ratrih” those nights, we thing it is only one night but here there is mention of many nights “ta ratrih” why is it? One night became as long as Brahmas night, so one was equal to many many nights. Hence the ratrih or the night has been mentioned as many nights. So “bhagavan api ta ratrih” so when that night was there evening time and it was “saradotphulla-mallikah” Lord is seeing around the blooming Jasmine buds, jasmine flowers, Prabhupada also mentions them as mallikah flower, they are mentioned as mallikah in Sanskrit text and they are also translated as jasmine flowers. So when Lord saw those flowers He was reminded of the autumn season “viksya rantum manas cakre” rantum manas cakre in His mind something happened in His mind. That evening when He saw those jasmine or malikah flowers that was evening time getting darker Lord immediately manas cakre within His mind or He made up His mind to “rantum” He wanted to enjoy oh! This night would be good night appropriate night for me to enjoy “rantum”. From ram comes Ram also, ram means to enjoy, form ram comes Raman reti, Radha raman raman also has ram.
So He had this thought Oh! Let me enjoy this is right night for me to enjoy “yoga-mayam upasritah” or as Lord desires to enjoy that night immediately Yogamaya got into action and Lord is thinking of meeting Gopis that night and enjoy the peak the best part of that night is going to be ‘rasa dancing” with Gopis. So this is a display by the influence of Yogamaya, arrangement of Yogamaya the Lord is be performing rasa dance. What makes us dance or the materialist dance or they become the dancing dolls or puppets in the hands of women, hands of lust and that is Mahamaya Prabhupada is describing, two kinds of Maya – Yogamaya “yoga-maya upasritah” . Chapter 29 to 32, five chapters Sukhdev Goswami will be describing these are all like “rasa dance” chapters and this is all display of Yogamaya, verses the Mahamaya of this material existence Srila Prabhupada is helping us to understand, he says Yogamaya because it is “bhagavan api ta ratrih” He is Bhagavan and His activities are Yogamaya activites or Yogamaya is in action. So there is relationship between this verse here wherein there is mention of two things one is ratrih –night mentioned here and “rantum” – enjoyment mentioned here, this has relationship with Lords statement to Gopis.
Krishna steals Gopis garments pastime at Chirghat “hemante prathame masi” (S.B 10.22.1) it was month of hemant after kartika, kartika is sharad ritu and when kartika ends new season, after autumn comes new season hemant ritu. So in that hemant ritu gopis perform special vrata and they worship Katyayani and their purpose was they wanted “nanda –gopa sutam devi patim me kuru te namah” (S.B 10.22.4). As Prabhupada is writing they are chanting mantra repeatedly oh! Katyayani give us Krishna as our husband, oh! Katyayani give us Krishna as our husband…………………..give Krishna as our husband, they were doing japa, chanting repeatedly “nanda –gopa sutam devi patim me kuru te namah” so that went for one month. And at the end of that month as Lord was pleased He arrived at the scene and they were bathing in Jamuna. He stole their garments climbed up the tree and said – come on come on and He has also briefly spoken to them and there He said towards the end of His dialogue with the gopis Krishna said “yatabala vrajam siddha mayema ramsyatha ksapah” (S.B 10. 22.27) OH! Now you may go, He had returned their clothes and He joked, He had little fun transcendental fun. Now you may go go now girls and return to Vraja your desire is fulfilled for in my company you will enjoy the coming nights after all the purpose of your vow to worship goddess Katyayani was to be with me to enjoy my company. So Lord said yes yes in future nights we will do that in future nights “ramsyatha ksapah” ksapah-nights. So many nights have passed gopis were thinking ok one night, two nights…..10 nights….30 nights….1 month….10 months from that time Lord Krishna said-coming nights we will get together I have understood what is your intension you had been praying to katyayani. She has blessed you I am here I am accepting you for my company I understand I can read your mind, so we will do this in coming nights so you may go now.
So as that was said some 10 months prior now today or tonight this evening Lord is thinking oh! I have promised gopis my company during the nights oh! That night could be this night, this night could be that night and hence here “bhagavan api ta ratrih”, ta ratrih- ta ratrih refers to some particular night the night which the Lord had mentioned yes yes we will enjoy future night so that night was going to be this night tonight. He is Bhagavan, He is atmaram but still He has this desire He wants to enjoy the company or He has promised. Sukhdev Goswami goes on explained or described that night moon bright moon has risen “tadodurajah kakubhah karair mukham” (S.B 10.29.2) Sukhdev Goswami is a great poet poetic way he is describing that moon is rising in the east and the moons rays- karair, moon rays are described as if those are hand of the moon and that moon with his ray like arms is holding a brush in his hands and he painting that horizon with pinkish color or he is sprinkling some kind of powder or painting that horizon and he is also comparing this horizon “priyah priyaya iva dirgha darsanah”. As if horizon is a lady who was waiting for her husband to return, husband was for long time and finally he is back and as he comes there is a meeting between wife and husband they are looking at each other, some time the husband may remove the veil like that and see her beautiful face.
So like that those kind of dealings are taking place between the moon and the horizon, little romantic description these kind of scenes are favorable for pastimes like this, dealing like this. And next thing Lord is doing now Lord this is the setting of the scene just few words have been said and then acharyas are talking more, filling in the details or elaborating the whole scene of rasa dance. As Lord only desired “ rantum manas cakre” immediately magical way Yogamaya arranged whole scene not only the moon was there the flowers were blooming, the cool breeze was blowing, the peacocks were dancing and the whole thing was happening in the banks of Jamuna which was flowing nearby. Lot more could be said it’s not a ordinary thing, yogamaya made arrangements for the Lord, the topmost, most wonderful, most confidential, most pleasing pastime the Yogamaya is going to move out of her way. So Vrindadevi the whole team that does the preparation sets the scene before Radha Shyamsundar and billons of gopis “laxmi sahastra satasambrahma sevyamanam” before they come whole setting of the scene is there.
So kind of scene is ready the next thing Lord is doing is “jagau kalam vama-drsam manoharam” (S.B 10.29.3) Lord played His flute with His pancham svara- high pitch and sound going al over Braja mandal travelling sound and when “nisamya gitam tad ananga-vardhanam” (S.B 10 .29.4) and that sounding flute playing of Lord Krishna has been heard “nisamya gitam” as gopis have heard those sounds and its mentioned here and Prabhupada also explains that the original kamadev – kandarba – the God of incharge of transcendental lust that is Krishna. So Krishna is playing His flute and immediately their desires have been aroused or with that they are reminded- yes yes don’t you remember I had said – one of those future nights we will be together and this sound of this flute has conveyed yes yes that night has come , that night is tonight gopis come. And they all rush and there is whole description what they were all doing, they were doing this “duhantyo” – milking cows or they were cooking in the kitchen, they were putting garments they were bust this way that way. But as they heard the flute playing they immediately rushed and they are heading towards Krishna in the vamsi vata. And king Parikshit he says what? King Parikshit says this is like Prabhupada helping us to understand this pastime this relationship between Radha, Krishna and gopis, this is most difficult thing to realize, understand. Because one is the realm of prema but those who are under the attack of the lust they have hard time understanding Krishna’s pure transcendental loving affairs full of love full of prema.
King Parikshit says oh! Sage Sukhdev Goswami he had just started describing the scene this rasa dance and immediately hey! stop stop oh! Sage the gopis knew Krishna only as their lover not as the Supreme absolute truth so how could these girls their minds caught up with the waves of modes of material nature? free them self from the material attachment. Question has been posed and nice purport has been complied king Parikshit was sitting in the assembly of great sages and other important personalities listening to the words of Sukhdev Goswami. If he was Sukhdeb Goswami and king parikshit he would not have interrupted but seeing that who else is in the assembly he had to raise this question. According to Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur as Sukhdev Goswami began speaking of gopis conjugal love for Krishna, the king noticed the expressions on the some of the faces of the more materialistic person present there, he was looking side long glances hey! What are they thinking?. So Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur is pointing out that king parikshit took note of the expressions on the persons sitting around him, some of the more material persons and realized the doubting lurk in their hearts. This was their doubt not king parikshit,s doubt he could smell. Face is the index of the mind seeing their faces he could read their minds oh! I know what is in your heart? What is doubt? What is your question?.
Therefore although the king thoroughly knew the purport of Sukhdev Goswami words he presented himself as experiencing personal doubt, so that he could eradicate the doubts of others this is why he asked this question which we just had heard. So even the team Sukhdev Goswami and king parikshit they are helping us to understand, they are giving us kind of glasses wear these glass first put on these glasses first before you look at the rasa dance or before you want to understand this pastimes. And in response while Sukhdev Goswami is responding to this question and Prabhupada teaches us all the time these things. Sukhdev Goswami has quoted persons who constantly direct their lust, anger, fear, protective affection, feeling of impersonal oneness, or friendship towards Lord Hari are sure to become absorbed in thoughts of Him. There are many statements but this is one statement “kamam krodha bhayam sneham’ if you do that for Krishna or you target that towards Krishna then that impurity that bhava, fear they get eradicated or that lust even lust of course this has to understood that there is no tinge of lust in gopis or Radharani.
But admitting that there was some lust, the reply is but that they are directing that to Krishna so “nityam harau vidadhato yanti tan mayatam hi te” (S.B 10.29.15) tat- maya- they become full of Krishna, they become Krishna conscious as they direct their lust, that person is purified. And then gopis have come “svagatam vo maha bahagah” (S.B 10 .29.18) welcome welcome, whatever they were doing they left that in the middle they there with Krishna 1000s of them are arriving and so welcome is there. At the same time He is asking why have come oh! What brings you here Krishna is very tricky. Like you ring someone, you phone someone and as the person at the other end picks up the phone hey! What do you want? You are the one who telephoned the other gentlemen and he picks up the phone and hey! What do you want what’s the matter? Not that that person wanted something. So Krishna is the one who played the flute, gopis have come, gopis should ask oh! why did you call us what is the reason that you are calling us.
But contrary happening Krishna says why have you come? So not a straight path transcendental crooked ness we see in this pastime and then there are 5 chapters pastimes are there. (maharaj says) I just want to read the very last statement and we will conclude.
“vikriditam vraja-vadhubhir idam ca visnoh sraddhanvito nusrnuyad atha varnayed yah,
bhaktim param bhagavati pratilabhya kamam hrd-rogam asv apahinoty acirena dhirah” (S.B 10.29.39)
So vikriditam this pastime, this krida – rasa krida of visnoh Krishna with vraja-vadhu, the damsels of vraja, so this pastime of Radha Krishna and gopis. One who listens to this, at the end of the 5 chapters there is phalasruti – what is the benediction ? what is the benefit of hearing, reading, studying these pastime? Not that you are not allowed..no…no.. please study, please read this part but how to do that “sraddhanvito” –with faith in the speaker who is speaking and again what kind of speaker “anusrnuyat” not only srnuyat but anusrnuyat. You should listen these pastimes from someone who has listened like, You should listen these pastimes from someone who has also listened from someone and that person has also listened, meaning by adding this “anu” –srnuyat, parampara principle has been stressed otherwise its very dangerous very risky business, misunderstanding Krishna is guaranteed. If it is not heard properly from proper person a proper dose also, one tablet or as per prescription of the physician you take the dose, not the same amount of dose for every person at every different level that also is prescribed or accordingly the expert preachers will talk.
And not only one should hear but “ varnayed” one who describes these pastimes what is the benediction? “bhaktim param bhagavati pratilabhya kamam” such person will achieve bhakti unto Bhagavati the Supreme Personality of Godhead “param bhakti’ supreme devotional service and what would be the other side benfit? “kamam hrd-rogam asv apahinoty acirena dhirah” kama – the lust in the heart or hrd-roga, you heard one disease called heart disease, heart problem lot of people in the world has what problem? Heart disease but that not the kind of disease Sukhdev Goswami is talking about he is talking of the disease condition of the heart kama full of lust , heart full of lust he describes this as hrd-rogam. The person with hrd-rogam, the heart problem quickly he will become “aphinoty” he will be able to drive away that roga that kama from his heart. And that person will become sober-dhirah-peaceful in his mind by listening to these pastimes of radha and krishna. So tonight is very especial night, beautiful night Prabhupada decribes most beautiful night and tonight devotees also they keep sweet rice, so that when Krishna and radha whenever they want to its long night, sweating and sitting down to eat little snakes sweet rice and then what ever are the remnants the next day devotees take that sweet rice or even the moon rays they enter the sweet rice .
So it very especial sweet rice devotees get the next morning Krishna has very special night tonight, please take note of tonights moon very special moon and it is not a sun and moon moon according to our acaryas this is not the moon from the heavenly planets that participates in Krishna’s pastimes or plays his role in krishna’s rasa lila pastime, its another moon the transcendental moon specially appears to participate in krishna’s pastimes. So please read more read Prabhupada’s Krishna book and read these pastimes talk about these pastimes.

“putrams ca sisyams ca nrpo gurur va

mal – loka – kamo mad  anugraharthah

ittham vimnyur anusisyad ataj-janam

nayojayet – karmasu karma- mudhan

kam yojayan manujo rtham labeha

nipatayan nasta-drsam hi garte”

Venue: Los Angeles, Date – 2009 June 07, S.B 5.5.15

This morning we will read from S.B canto 5th, chapter 5th, and text no.15

TRANSLATION: If one is serious about going back home, back to Godhead, he must consider the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead the summum bonum and chief aim of life. If he is a father instructing his sons, a spiritual master instructing his disciples, or a king instructing his citizens, he must instruct them as I have advised. Without being angry, he should continue giving instructions, even if his disciple, son or citizen is sometimes unable to follow his order. Ignorant people who engage in pious and impious activities should be engaged in devotional service by all means. They should always avoid fruitive activity. If one puts into the bondage of karmic activity his disciple, son or citizen who is bereft of transcendental vision, how will one profit? It is like leading a blind man to a dark well and causing him to fall in.

PURPORT: It is stated in Bhagavad-gita (3.26): “na buddhi –bhedam janayed ajnanam karma-sanginam, josayet sarva-karmani vidvan yuktah samacaran”

“Let not the wise disrupt the minds of the ignorant who are attached to fruitive action. They should be encouraged not to refrain from work, but to work in the spirit of devotion.”

“Lord Rsabhadeva’s teaching to His sons” is the chapter and he has taught lot of things so for, beginning form the very 1st verse of this chapter  “nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke” (S.B 5.5.1) very 1st statement of Rsabhadev someone said this was most quoted verse by Srila Prabhupada. “janma karma cha me divyam” this is one of the most quoted verse, no this one but where the teaching of Rsabhadev begins, Rsabhadev uvaca, Srila Prabhupada quotes this verse again and again and again to his disciple. This is what Rsabhadev was expecting that spiritual masters would do such things, or whether they are spiritual masters “gurur va” not only guru but “gurur va” and someone else and guru or this why is or “narpo gurur va”. Whether nrpa the king is instructing putrans citizen are like his putras children, so nrpa is giving instructions “manyor sisyat”.

So Rsabhadev is giving a guideline here “etham” all that I have spoken thus far,  all the teaching that I have shared with you my dear sons, he is addressing his sons infact 100 of them but could Lord be limited to just 100 sons. He could have unlimited sons or we could say in fact everyone is his son in that setting or in that context as history goes he had 100 sons. But we are all his sons whether we are disciple whether we are citizen whether are we children whatever, fathers, mothers, daughters, neighbors, friends everybody, everybody is son of the Lord.

But all the sons, all those entities are not sitting there only 100 of them are sitting. But he says but these teaching are for everybody. So in future when spiritual masters would get on the mike they had to teach like this, I have just taught you my dear sons. So they should be teaching and that way let Krishna speak for himself you shut up, you don’t talk let Krishna speak let Rsabhadev speak for himself. So he had already spoken and but he was addressing 100 sons only what about his rest of the sons they should also get the message the instructions and that job is done not by spiritual master only, it is also duty of  the king, will be instructing his citizens. And the fathers would instruct their children and that way everyone in the audience everyone is covered, you know someone is suppose to be instructing them and at different level of their elevation in their age as they grow they go through phases or ashrams. There is someone “gurur na sasyat, svajano na sasyat pita mata na sasyat”you should not become guru “guru na sasyat” or that person is not a guru or that person is not svajan, Oh! These are my people svajana. You are claiming them to be yours but then you have obligations toward them. Pita Oh! I am a father Oh! That’s fine but you should be doing something as a father. Oh! I am a mother that’s good so you have to something as father, mother, Svajana and the guru. Also they have to do?  “na mocha yet sampat mrutyum’”.

Your disciple, your citizen, your child and you have to make sure he doesn’t take birth again. You be last father and mother of your child. He had so many fathers and mothers he had enough of it, so you be the last father, last mother and to do that you have to repeat these instruction of Rsabhadev to your children, to your disciples, to your neighbors, to your friends, you repeat say these teachings of Rsabhadev share with them, so that ‘na mocha yet sampat mrutyum’ mrtyum “ mrtyu you have to save them from mrtyu, you have to save them from death, birth and death if you don’t do then what kind of spiritual master are you, what kind of svajan  or what kind of mata , pita you are not that you may be clever I am it’s my role I am father, mother you are not unless you stop  the cycle that person dependent upon you cycle is not stopped. So Rsabhadev says “etham” thus for etham I have given some teachings and they should be shared, repeated, explained “pari prasnena sevaya” (B.G.4.34) could be there “tad viddhi pranipatena pari prasnena sevaya”. So “asisyat” this should be instructed, this should be shared, this teaching of mine should be shared. “vemanur”  Srila Prabhupada is translating “your disciples, your sons may take little extra time or something, don’t get angry “vemanyur” have some patience without getting angry you should share these instructions of mine with putran with  the children, if you are father or for someone like Sri Rama all the citizen were like His children. He looked after all the citizen as if they were part of his family; they were his children that are Raja and Praja. Praja is that of Raja, Praja you are born of, you are child of Raja, the King, all the citizens they are children of the king, he is the father, father figure. So he looks after, he takes care materially; spiritually of all the citizens this is how he manages his kingdom. So whether you are father, mother or whether you are ‘nrpa’ king then putran all your citizen, all your children or “gurur va” or if you are spiritual master, then you have sisyan disciples, they all should be instructed, etham the way I have done Rsabhadev says.

And “mal lok kamat mat anugrahat”, so instructions should benefit the children’s, sons or citizens or disciples in what way? They should be taught about arouse the desire of “mat loka” my loka,  goloka, my loka that’s my lok mat loka, Goloka “Goloka eva nevasate akhelat ma bhuta” you tell them about my loka and they should have desire “kama” mat loka kama. They should be making “going back to home” Back to Godhead as a goal of their lives. “mad anugrahata” and to give my anugraha, my benediction, my blessing- anugraha, anugrahitosmi – I am great to you sir, anugraha – benediction, special blessings vara, vara varadane, varadraj- Lord is known as Varadraj. In South India there is a deity called Varadraj not only vara, varada one who gives the benediction, special anugraha – varada. But that deity is called as Varadraj; like rajvidya – raja king of all the deities, those who give benediction. And I was there during Padayatra I was praying for benediction “Give me some service my dear Lord” my God brother, God sister are doing so much I am not doing enough give me benediction. I asked for little more knowing that He is Varadraj and offered prayers like that and Lord gave me so much service that I had to go back and enough (laughter). I had this realization it’s not a story telling I remember one time I was praying to the deity and then thing changed, so he proved I am Varadraj. I am varadraj, king of benedictory anugraha. “anugraharthah”

So whatever instruction the gurus are giving, the king gives or parents are giving the goal is “mat lok kama” “going back to home” we are going some devotees sing also, they don’t only say “going back to godhead” but they sing we are going back to home back to godhead …………..ting ting ting (Maharaja Singing) (laughter).

There is a big boat and Srila Prabhupada is the captain, join in inviting everyone please come (Maharaj laughs). So that is one part that “anusishyat” instructions should be given the way, I have given the instruction or teachings. And who gives instruction? And unto whom they are given? That is one part and the goal of those instructions is going back to home and my “mad  anugraharthah” and that is Rsabhadev, that is Supreme Personality of Godhead in that advent, incarnation mat-mat-mat “man-mana bhava mat bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru” (B.G.9.34) four times Lord says – remember, He does not only say remember, become devotee, worship, offer obeisance’s. He doesn’t say only that much but every time He is asking us to do 4 things but every time He says do this for me. “man – mana mat-bhakto”, you are mine give it to me, remember me, mat bhakto – become my devotee, mad –yaji you want to worship, worship me,  mam namaskuru and if you are thinking of offering obeisance’s, unto me you offer obeisance’s. not living any scope any room for any speculation or any, that could be anybody, everybody I am worshiping, I am offering obeisance’s, I am remembering, but Lord says it’s me, it’s me, it’s me four times it’s me remember me – the speaker of Bhagvat gita. And here the speaker of these teachings Rsabhadev is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So room for no interpretation is required, you do this for me. “mat loka” there were so many lokas; this world is full of lokas, swarga loka and this loka, 14 planetary systems filled with loka.

“mal – loka – kamo mad  anugraharthah” Lord is asking two things should be done, in nut shell two things and He has put himself there “my abode” and “my anugraha” mad  anugraha, artha the goal should be mad  anugraha- my benediction, it’s me, without no false ego, it’s He, it’s Him. “atat jnana mudham” that is the second part. So this party is “atat jnana” or “atat jya” and it’s the plural of that, tat means that, there are 3 words small small 3 words here, atat, jya, a means no, tat-that, jya means knowledge. Those who do not have knowledge of that who is that? That is Lord, someone brought the harmonium here that said “hare om tat sat”. So that “om tat sat” is Krishna one who has written this instead of writing “Hare Krishna” he has written “Hare om tat sat”. So that Krishna is tat. Tat-that when you say that, it’s understood that means, who is that this refers to always throughout the scriptures when it comes tat, tat is that end that is Supreme Personality of Godhead. And mayavadi would like to say oh! tattvam asi, tattvam asi, this is not I am but you are.

Instruction in the Upanisads to the disciples are like that its dialogue between Guru and disciple. So one Guru says in one of the Upanisads “tattvam asi”, tat-that, tvam-you, asi-are, you are that, you are that, you are that, tattvam asi. So that is Sankaracharya and he, it is in sastras in Upanishads and he thrives of this “tattvam asi” “aham brahmasmi”. The 4 Upanisads have 4 maha vakyas and he makes that as basis of his misleading statements for which purpose he had appeared it was empowered.

“kalu brahman rupina” I will appear oh! My Devi Parvarti in kaliyug I will appear as brahman rupina, and mayavad asat sastram, I will promote this mayavad which is asat sastram. Asat -no sat, it is sastram but asat sastram, before even his advent he is declaring what I am going to be talking is all asat sastram, mayavadam asat sastram and this will be cover up for Buddhism, this is part of the statement, cover up for Buddhism, only distance little bit from Buddhism; not go all the way.

So Buddha said zero and Sankaracharya, said not zero, one and then followed by Sankaracharya all the 4 vaishnav acharya appeared and they say specially Madhvacharya Aye! Two not zero, not one- two, then appeared Caitanya Mahaprabhu “you have given to much stress on this two-two… …no no they are two but they are one simultaneously. This two was stressed so much that relationship between the two loving dealings, affections, they were kind of minimized because they wanted to get rid of this, so much emphasize, communism, then capitalism, then the other extreme, they had to bring the other extreme then the communism, that also does not work. So again zero, our vaishnav acharya are fighting against, well  Sankaracharya already fought against zero and he published one. The vaishnav acharyas had to fight now against that one, establish two because they stressed too much on this two, two. The Caitanya Mahaprabhu had to come and do little refinement, little adjustment no, no not only two but they are also one “Achintyabhedabhed tatva” and that’s it no one else is going to come now to do any evolution or innovations or adjustments all done now this is set for next forever. So this tat is ‘attaya’ those who do not know tat that, that is Lord, “nayojayet – karmasu karma- mudhan”

So do not engage them in “na yojayat” do not engage them “karmasu” in karma, this is karma, karma jnana karmakand, jnankand. So do not engage them in ………….activities the karmas. He is karmi we say he is karmi means he is a fruitive worker, he does karma and when there is fruit of that karma, he likes to gobble it up, he likes to enjoy fruit of his own labor. “karmany evadhi karaste ma phalesu kadacana” (B.G.2.47) Krishna said in Bhagvad gita another famous verse if any verse they know it’s this one “karmanu evadhikarasta” in fact the first part not even the second part “karmany evadhikaras te” yes we have right to do our duty the whole Hinduism is based on this. Oh! What is that, Krishna says “karmany evadhikaras te” and they become jubilant and they run. Whole impetus, it gives them boast all the activities “Krishna has stamped” “karmany evadhikaras te”. But they forget “ma phalesu kadacana” hye! Hands off you do activity but when there is a fruit don’t touch it.  “ma phalesu” “karmany evadhikarste ma phalesu” you have right to do your duty so that adhikar is also part of second part of Krishnas statement “ma phalesu kadachana” “ma adikaraha phalesu kadachana”  you have no adhikar, you have no right to go for the fruit of that oh! That’s for me “ma phalesu” do not “ma phalesu kadachana” “ma karma –phala hetur bhur” there are 3 ma’s there. One, two and three don’t s in the verse. You do this, you do your duty ok first thing is the fruit, it’s not for you “ma phalesu kadachana”  “ma karma –phala hetur bhur” do not think you are the cause of the duty do not think I am the doer.

“ma karma –phala hetur bhur” and then “ma te sango stv karmani” so person may say ok I have no fruit for me ok,  I can go for it, but at least some name, fame you know, I did it could I at least get the name. No fruit but at least I should get the credit for doing it. No, No “ma karma –phala hetur bhur” but then why should I work, no fruit, not even name then I will not do the duty. Lord says do not get attached to not doing the duty. “ma sangastu akarmani” ma=do not, sangas=attachment,  akarmani. So that means Lord is making the circle complete by saying “karmany evadhi karaste” you just do you part ok, you just do your part and others 3 don’t do this, don’t do this, don’t do this, do not become oh! Why should I do, I would become renounced.

No you don’t do that keep doing “karmany evadhi karaste”” so that other parts missing links are there everything one goes for just “karmany evadhi karaste” they just hear the half truth and they run. Distribute books I was told and Prabhupada said distribute books, he also wanted to say something more How to distribute? And the devotees ran out of the door, distribute books. But you read my books also read my books; I have complain the only complain about my disciple what is the complaint? They do not read my books. So distribute books yes that part we were into it, but then read my books that is also there. So we kind of hear half truth and go for it. So have patience and hear the whole thing hear the truth and then act. So Rsabhadev is talking ‘ataj-janam’. So those who don’t have knowledge of that, that is Supreme Lord meaning all this ‘matlok kama’ all this kind of jnana – knowledge, direction, instructions. “na yojayati” please don’t engage them in karmasu, karma mudhan. They are already karma mudha, they are bewildered, they are illusioned so do not engage, do not talk of the karma kand sections of karma, fruitive activities. And third part is benefit and what is the lost? If you engage them then there would be big loss, they would be lost in fact “garte” in a hole in a well.

“kam yojayan manujo rtham labeha” The manujas  born from Manu manujas – the human beings and if they are engaged yojayat, they are engaged in that karma furtive activities then artham what is the benefit “artham labeha kam” what benefit is there? In fact there is no benefit its only loss, what is the loss? “nipatayan nasta – drsam hi garte” fall down go deeper “nasta-drsam” they will be destroyed, finished and “gate” as they will go deeper into material existence. So we have become human being very fortunate but if you get into dark regions. So the solution is already there. Srila Prabhupada is quoting yet another statement of the Lord from Bhagavad-Gita. “josayet” this verse of Bhagavatam says “yojayet” Bhagavad-Gita.    “josayet” – dovetail, engage-dovetail, “Josayet sarva – karmani vidvan yuktah samacaran” (BG 3.26)

“ataj-janam” those who are ignorant of this ultimate reality or absolute truth that Supreme Personality of Godhead those who do not know “ajnanam karma- sanginam” same parties, karmis mentioned here. So Krishna says in Bhagavat –gita “ajnanam” here He says “ataj-janam” “ajnanam karma – sanginam”  “na buddhi bhudam janayed”. The wise do not disrupt the minds of ignorant who are attached to the fruitive actions. Then what are they supposed to be doing? Or what do they do? They should encourage not to refrain from work but work in spirit of devotion and that is devotional service. And that is this mal-loka-kamo” going back to home. “ mad- anugra- harthah” the benediction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead not just benediction of  some Demigods that is result of karma may be elevation to the higher planetary System or not just getting into merging into Brahamanda. But go forward, more forward, upward, so to be action less is not possible.

Krishna says that not even for a movement one could be free from action. “na sanam api” So active you must remain, one may be engaged now in some fruitive activities. So let them be active but somehow engage them in activity of devotional service. So that is what Srila Prabhupada has done by giving us this International society for Krishna Consciousness which is full of devotional activities, all varieties wide spectrum. So you may not be fully and quickly understand everything but just do it. If you are into just doing it, just do the devotional service (Laughs) and that’s the mantra just do it, do not even think just do it. If that is your philosophy just do it, just take Prasad doesn’t hurt just eat, the cookies, just raise your hands, oh! What for! Just raise the hand. Say Hare Krishna. What is this Hare Krishna? Doesn’t matter say Hare Krishna (laughs) Devotee laughing?

So with this karma kanda, jnana kanda goal is “vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo” (B.G.15.15) I am to be known. But then this karma kanda this is very slow taking stair case, gradually who knows when, you are going to be going higher, when reaching destination. But if you perform some devotional service you go throw the lift. So knowingly unknowingly you perform devotional service, devotional activity. That person in New York in the early days he came with a toilet paper (laughs) he couldn’t think of anything else to go to swamiji, so he bought it on the way toilet paper and swami ji accepted happily. So that was his participation in International Society for Krishna Consciousness (laughs). He contributed toilet paper.

So in any way I could be hooked, just the touch with the Holy Name or sankirtan party. Do we not hear, I saw a sankirtan party down town, I did not understand but I stood there. And as they stand and hear passing by the Holy name is touching their heart and soul and something clicks and it sits there for some time. It seems nothing happened but them one fine morning there is a push go this way, so that way and then one would join that boat; we are going back to home.

People taking part in ratha yatra, there is only a core group that has come to take part in ratha yatra but so many others, they were not there for ratha yatra. They just turn around and there is Jagganath, they turn around and there is cookie in their hand. What answer? Eat it, eat Prasad, hears the Holy name on the Venis beach he did not go to Vrindavan, Mayapur, he did not come to temple here but temple goes, Lord goes to them. When you are little sick you go to the doctor but when you are too much sick then doctor goes to the patient isn’t it? When you are little sick you personally go to the doctor but it you are more sick then doctor has to come to the patient. There is so much sickness, sick people so they don’t come they can’t come to the temple which is like a hospital and Lord and there devotees are like the doctors. Sometimes these doctors go to the patients, go to the patients go door to door knocking is anyone sick here (laughs) or they just go to those coming in contact and then ratha yatra like festival, people are exposed, devotees go, out and distribute books in the middle of the crowed they stand and they are making it available, here are the tablets, here is the dose “gita” “Bhagavatam” here is prasadam – govindas, here is music.

Devotees in Paris they have a metro yoga, our devotee program in Paris they have a metro yoga. The metro the trains that goes round and round, devotees jump on that metro and began chanting. And then they stop and they talk of this is a “relief program” for stress and strain this is relief program. How did you feel? How did you feel? I felt great then they more chant more, stop and talk, they hand out some invitations. In once a year the people are invited for the music festival, attractive music festival. So they handout thousand invitations, some 100 people, 150 people come and there is a music festival “Hare Krishna music”, they will talk and Prasad. So this yoga works, metro yoga is working, they are in business it’s going on. So devotes so many outlets or inlets are there through which they could come in and they don’t have to stop doing what they are doing but add Krishna and whole devotional service and carry on move on and on. Ok I will stop here.

Hare Krishna!

Question 1 : – When we are coming to the temple we take are shop forward but there is always danger of two step backward if you are associating with karmis. So I wanted if you could give some encouragement devotee are working the outside world how to avoid the two steps backward?

Answer: – But they could also step forward and be right there, others may be little slower. So whenever they thinking of going forward they will not take one, then two steps small small steps they will jump right in also. And some those who go away, not active sometime then they come back and when do they begin, here they  had left off, in few days they are on the microphone giving Bhagavatam class (laughs) they are talking Bhagvad geeta and you know it’s all there. We should certainly not like to see setbacks, we used to be worried about this Prabhupada was still with us and those day we talk of gloop, we don’t use that word so much now may be there is less glooping (laughs) or there are less to gloop, we don’t use that word so much now may be there is less glooping (laughs) or there are less to gloop, there were so many there, so there was morning glooping, some were glooping in the afternoon (laughs) during the night (laughs) numbers were bigger  so the frequency of glooping was may be. So approach in Prabhupada and his point encouraging point was “they will come back” then he would add “in this life or the next” “they will come back”.

So that was kind of relief to hear from Srila Prabhupada that they are lost forever but they would be ours very soon one of these days one of these months or as they get older they will have second thoughts and they will reveal situation and this one going that one leaving departing this makes also one think of one’s situation. So again as it is advised here in this verse and that particular Bhagavad –gita verse quoting from 3rd chapter. Not to disturb somehow engage them encourage them in devotional activities, keep them linked, this program I think its reaching setbacks can’t come to the temple. Ok so you could use your internet open your computer and take darshan of Rukmini Dwarkadhish or see the greetings, great the Lord and meet the speakers of Bhagavatam at your home. But then one should not get attached. Oh! God is everywhere or at home also I am taking darshan and that like. But it’s some kind of means provided to you to make easier that is not the standard practice, its meant for you to step forward go forward, go to the Lord come take darshan and chant and dance in association of devotees, physical association, personal association, face to face. There is some kind of impersonal could they ask questions? We should have program to reach out those prabhus, just now again there is a talk going on reuniting Prabhupada family, reaching out Prabhupads disciples where ever they may be and encourage them; remind them, so like that.

Question 2:- Arjuna is a military man and we know military man means that he kills, Prabhupada gives example of a soldier on battle field, but when you come back and kill you go to jail. I am just kind of wondering if you could say something about in reference to how Arjuna could think like this that I am killing for Krishna, I seems to be a pretty happy kind of thing to do. And other thing is what is our duty as a devotee in Krishna consciousness, what are we our be Brahmans, vaisyas or kshtriyas or sudras in order to understand how to give everything to Krishna you need to be satisfied, properly, satisfied in your life and if you know that then it seems you could give that fruit to Krishna. But if there is some confusion what you are? You don’t know how to properly act so these are confusing kind of things for a conditional soul?

Answer: – I am not Arjuna (laugh) only Arjuna could do even Arjuna was not ready; Arjuna had thoughts like you have in the beginning. He was concerned about so many things what about this drama? What about? Arjuna has come up with a small list in the 1st chapter of Bhagavad-gita, all his concerns to which Krishna address in the 18th chapter  “sarva darman parityajya” (S.B 18.66) Arjuna asking what about this dharma?  and Krishna says don’t worry “mam ekam saranam vraja aham tvam sarva papebhyo moksayis yami ma sucah” I will take care of the rest.

So all those were very extra ordinary circumstance where these instructions are given to Arjuna and he is instructed to get up fight.  And well if they are killed grandfather has to say from his experience in the Bhagavatam that all those who were killed went back home they were all liberated. Because the killing took place in the presence of the Lord, in fact Arjuna was only seeing the back of the Lord while others were seeing the face of the Lord; they were even more fortunate position then Arjuna. So as they were face to face with the Lord. Lord killed this is the time. When Sri Rama hides behind the tree and killed Bali. So that Sugriva could join, Sugriva and  Sri Rama together. Sugriva was also in trouble his wife also was in cuscody of Bali. Lord Ram and Sugriva were in similar situation. Ones wife with Ravana and ones wife with Bali . So when Rama killed get rid of this Bali. So Bali first of all thought this is not fair you are hiding you wanted to kill me or fight, you could have come face to face, what is this act? Then Lord proposed oh! I could save you, you could take your arrow, and then Bali was thinking no! no! don’t do this don’t do this opportunity like this to be killed by you, as I see you face to face, I may not get this opportunity again. Do not take that arrow out let be in there, let me die in your presence.

So some may or may not know benefits of being killed by the Lord or being killed in the presence of the Lord. So it was very extra ordinary situation in which context Arjuna was asked to do killing. The society is like a body, when the body is sick doctors comes and he does the operation for which he is not punished, there is no penalty in fact we say thank you doctor, for tearing in body apart and stiching again we thank him.

So Lord had to do that kind of operation, “paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrutam” (BG4.8) He has made his vision very clear by this statement “I come to kill the miscreants or anyone who takes part or becomes party to the miscreants I kill them”.  But at the same time He does something “aho bakiyam” Lord is known for that, Uddhav was amazed that magnanimity of the Lord oh! That baki putra had come with intension “jigansaya api” she had intension of killing the Lord but see Lord elevated her and gave her the position of mother in this own abode. So something’s are kind of inconceivable. But we couldn’t do it you know, the army officer order shot, kill then it is done and you get award, reward for doing that but privately if you pick your gun and begin then you will be hanged or you will be punished. This is one part and the other part is who are we? And we should be situated properly before we could do something or perform devotional service. Which Varna, which ashram do we belong to; things are not very clear in this age of Kali (laughs).

It’s not a normal time again because we said that was extra ordinary time, that battle field was very extra ordinary situation,  same time this age of kali is also pretty extra ordinary it’s not a normal time. And Prabhupada says each age like a one season, four ages – four seasons. So this season is age of Kali is pretty dark and gloomy. We can’t even see who is who, it’s dark. And this darkness is because of mode of ignorance “aham ajana jam tamaha” tama the darkness is because ajnana – ignorance, mode of ignorance. So who is who? Who are you? Who am I? It’s very difficult. “Kalau nasta drasham esham” Bhagvatam in the very beginning says, people have lost the eye sight they are not able to see. Ok then I will shade some light; I will provide the light of Bhagavatam. “adhuna purana arka uditaha” Lord says “I will as Bhagavatam”, so that people could again see things as they are.

So it’s kind of we don’t know, there is whole mix up, you know. It’s kind of more distinct in the past this person is governed by ignorance, ok put him in this box called sudra box. This person is predominant in mode of goodness, ok he is Brahman. And between these two there is Ksatriya, he still has goodness but passion also. Then you go to sudra very little goodness, lots of passion but ignorance also.

So Lord says in Bhagavad-Gita there is rivalry these 3 modes of material nature kind of battling and fighting and one who comes victorious defeating the other two. Then after sometimes other two are there every dog has its day (laughs). So other modes of material nature they come at the top and sometimes you are in goodness, lot of time you are in passion and lot of time you are in ignorance.

So it’s very difficult to say if goodness then you have to be always in goodness. But that’s not the case ignorance is dominating in this age of kali.

So Bhagvatam says “kalau sattvam haram pumsam” sattavam – goodness is stolen by this age of kali. So goodness is gone and what is left is little bit of passion and lot of ignorance. And so we come from that stock, we walk out of that dark regions and then we try to find out who am I? So we are just told “jiver swarupa hoya Krishner nitya das” you are servant of Krishna.  We kind of start there and the goal is to become vaishnav. Whether we are Brahmans or sudras this that there is not much time life is short and there is “miles to go before you sleep” “miles to go before you sleep woods are lovely, dark and sleep” you heard that before.

So so many things are attracting,  distracting. So this not the time exactly to go step by step, this varna that ashram. “Hye! You disciples are in early twenties and you have given them sannyasa order of life”. One press reported questioned how come at the age of 75 onwards, he had studied somewhere at the age of 75 you take sannyasa. He was objecting young people, young disciples you have already made them into sannayasi so they are young reporter is saying not old. So who dies? Those who are old they die. They are young, old people die so Srila was questioning oh! They are young and I am old, but if there any guaranty of them not dying before I do. You say that they are young, old people die, but they could also die, there is no guaranty this is not Ramraja. In kingdom of Ram there was no such a thing that the parents, father performing the funeral ceremony of his sons. If this happened they would run to ring the bell and the king has to answer. Hey! What is my son had to die. Could any one complaint like this these days? People teenage and in twenties and thirties they are dying.

So anyways so Prabhupada was trying to impress upon, there is no time for going systematically from this to that to that Varna, ashram. So we just make the best use of the bad bargain. Get out of here, come out clean vaishnavas. So as much as possible try to follow Varna, ashram Prabhupada did talk of forming economy based on land and the cow administration. Ya! You are all ksatriya but you are also Brahmin and you are also Vaisya so like that as vaishnavas we play different roles. And sometime we act in this capacity or that capacity. But do it again ‘the goal is to work for the pleasure of the Lord. And so this is done as aradhana unto the Lord; for the pleasure of the Lord this varnashram it’s linked with the Lord.

So that aim in mind we Ksatriya or Brahamin or Vaisya or Sudra for the pleasure of Lord we act.

Haribol…………!

His Holiness Loknath Maharaj Ki Jai…………………!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Srila Prabhupada ki ……….jai

Aindra Prabhu ki…………………jai

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

Harinaam Sankirtan ki………jai

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

S.B
2.5.34

“varsa-puga-sahasrante
tad andam udake sayam kala-karma- svabhava –stho jivo jivam ajivayat”

Translation
and purport by Srila Prabhupada, Srila
Prabhupada ki ……………jai

TRANSLATION-
Thus all the universes remained thousands of eons within the water [the Causal
Ocean], and the Lord of living beings, entering in each of them, caused them to
be fully animated.

PURPORT- The Lord is described
here as the jiva because He is the
leader of all other jivas (living entities). In the Vedas He is described as
the nitya, the leader of all other nityas. The Lord’s relation with the
living entities is like that of the father with the sons. The sons and the
father are qualitatively equal, but the father is never the son, nor is the son
ever the father who begets. So, as described above, the Lord as Garbhodakasayi Vis?n?u or
Hiran?yagarbha Supersoul enters into each and every universe and causes it to
be animated by begetting the living entities within the womb of the material
nature, as confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita (14.3). After each annihilation of
the material creation, all the living entities are merged within the body of
the Lord, and after creation they are again impregnated within the material energy.
In material existence, therefore, the material energy is seemingly the mother
of the living entities, and the Lord is the father. When, however, the
animation takes place, the living entities revive their own natural activities
under the spell of time and energy, and thus the varieties of living beings are
manifested. The Lord, therefore, is ultimately the cause of all animation in
the material world.

“varsa-puga-sahasrante
tad andam udake sayam kala-karma- svabhava –stho jivo jivam ajivayat”

The
animations are very popular these days and that’s considered to be very
advanced or very intelligent thing to do. Animation in television they get
different dolls to fight with each other, they seem to be talking or running
after each other. The Disney world you know in America the most famous
animation are by Disney world in North America. So we are parts and parcels of
the Lord and like father – like son, the ability of the Lord is also in us in
minute quantity and this is little minute animation that we become the cause of
or off course we create little children, Lord has created all of us and we
create few children.

Lords
begets living entities within this womb of material nature “mama yonir mahad brahma” (B.G 14.3)
Lord makes “mahat tattva” that is
the womb and Lord glances, He glances upon that total Material energy mahat
tattva in front of  Him, He doesn’t even
have to touch it, just by looking at it He does the impregnation and how many
countless living entities they get animated as per kala-karma-svabhava, their karmas which they had committed during
previous creation and that bhava, their inclinations, their tendencies.

So
we create few living entities or we not create living entities they always
exist we gave bodies become cause of giving bodies to few children. But look at
the Lord how much He could create “tasmin
garbham dadhamyaham sambhavah sarva bhutanam tato bhavati bharata” (B.G
14.3). He becomes the cause of sarva
bhutanam of all the living entities and giving them bodies also first of
all they are His parts and parcel. So when it’s difficult to trace the history
when the living entities were created “mama
amsa” from purna- some amsa, some parts and parcel were created we don’t
difficult to find out. So that creation of living entities then later on giving
them bodies also to sarva bhutanam- all the living entities.

I
(maharaja saying) never heard this creation as lila- srusti lila, Devananda
prabhu was explaining different incarnations have different lilas  or even there is lila, I never for first time
I was thinking this is also lila of the Lord, creation is also lila – srusuti
lila and the 3 purusa avataras put together are performing this lila. So what
we do little bit it’s not described as lila we also have little creations few
children ok, big house ok or housing colony that’s kind of creation, big bridge
we built, little space Apollo 8 or Apollo 11. there are unlimited oceans, night
time we see so many planets floating like dust particles float in the air, they
we send little sputnik floating. So these are tiny creations of tiny living
entities, so they are not described as lilas. but when Lord performs herculean
tasks –big big tasks, creation of the universes not just one but unlimited
universes and then within each universe so many planets and so much variety and
you just, Jai Sri Sri Guar Nitai
ki…………………….jai.

For
a tiny living entity as we are from where we are sitting or where ever we are
existing from there you take a look at the universe that so many universes and
beyond that is another kingdom – the spiritual kingdom. And how much living
entities tiny and the tiny living entities brain is further tiny brain Prabhupada used to call tini brain, he
would describe so that tiny brain how much that could understand. What we know
is very very little there is a planet – there is a space- so many planets in
that space – the ocean- whole world out there or in there in the ocean. So many
varieties of entities in there of the total creation of the Lord all that exist
how much does living entities know? How much does living entities know? Just a
fraction who was that? It was Einstein – he said the knowledge meaning- you
admit how much ignorant you are, if you could admit that I am so much ignorant
means you are kind of knowledgeable. But one who thinks oh! I know everything
that is how the ignorance is described I who thinks I know everything that
means you are ignorant, but if you admit yes yes I am ignorant infact I don’t
know so many things, O! He is knowledgeable at least he knows that he doesn’t know.
So this scientist Ensitein he was admitting “you go to the beach and take one
sand particle from that beach Juhu beach, Prabhupada used to walk and then you
admit that my knowledge is this one particle that now I am holding within my
pinch just one particle may be that much or even less than that I know compared
to the number of the sand particles are there on this beach or there are so
many beaches also.

So
how much could living entity know? Not much so when Lord He performs His lila
of srusti lila the creation then it is just mind boggling, it’s just “acintya” just beyond the grasp the
capability of living entity to know it. But in order to make living entity knowledgable
or at least know as much as living entity could to the extend they could know here
in this section of Srimad Bhagvatam the creation has been described not just
the theory of creation the facts of creation have been described. I was
thinking how Narada Muni he has gone to the authority in the creation next to
the Lord or Lords right hand man, Lord is cause of all causes that’s the
chapter here we are dealing Lord is
cause of all causes sarva karana karnam.

So
the popular fact is that Brahma is the creator but even Brahma had to be first
created by the Lord before He creates more things. So Lord is cause of all
causes, cause of Brahma, who is kind of secondary cause of the creation. Lord
is first sarga then visarga, we were hearing and understanding yesterdays
lecture also. So Brahma is certainly has a big role if anyone has role to play
besides the Lord that is Brahma, he has a big big role to play in creation of
the Lord or creation of Brahmanda. So what Narada Muni is doing he is going all
the way to the top person, the top authority in this creation who is
responsible for creation, he goes there ok Brahmaji give us some – it’s like a
interview, we heard of those 10 questions yesterday which are at the beginning
of this chapter “yad rupam yad
adhisthanam” and total number of 10 questions were raised.

So
Narada Muni who also has inferior position he is going to the superior
authority he is going to his father, Narada Muni is son, Brahma is the father.
O! Father, father daddy daddy could you please tell me explain to me be kind
upon me. So these things human being should know or they should know these
things even as Lila of the Lord, creation is Lila of the Lord and O! my dear
father Brahma ji and he is asking all these questions all possible questions
that human being could possibly would want to know about the creation. Those
questions have been raised by Narada Muni probably he sat in Badrikasrama some
point and he I was making a list or these questions probably people from Delhi
would ask, these questions from New York, people from here there would ask and
he made a list and Badrikasrama because that is his headquarter, Narada Muni,s
head quarter is Badrikasrama, Badri-Narayana he worships in Bharatavarsa. “Narayana Narayana Narayana” when you
see Narada Muni you remember Narayana or he reminds everybody of Narayana, he
gives out Narayana, so Badrikasrama is his place.

So
he made a list and he is approaching Brahma “could you please tell us about
this creation? This, this ………different
10 questions”. And what we are hearing these days in the Bhagvatam class
including today’s verse is a reply, is a response to Narada Muni,s questions.
The person who is asking questions who has made the list of questions is a top
notch authority himself, pure and he is the representative of all the people.
Or he has to go around and O! What if somebody ask me about the creation, you
know I go everywhere I better know I better equip myself with answer to these
questions otherwise it could be very embarrassing position as those yamadutas
were embarrassed. Prabhupada writes if you are representing someone before you
out to represent you better be knowledgeable about the representation.

So
Narada Muni he is a world preacher and he is going to the top most authority
and wants to know all the things about creation. And the answers given are
nothing but the truth if anybody knows about the creation of course Lord knows
and there is and there is another person who knows and that is Brahma because
he is directly involved with the creation. So that person had been interviewed
by Narada Muni and these are facts “facts are facts” it is the truth for all
the time to come. Brahma and Narada Muni they wanted to go on record and that
record is here this Srimad Bhagvatam several chapters many many chapters
dealing with creation “sarga, visarga” very in-depth mystical also and so many
great details and very interesting details about the creation of the Lord.

So
this is it if anyone, anywhere, at any time is interested in knowing about the
creation of the Lord, creation which is out there, this is the place, this is
the source you go into Bhagvatam and vedic text, Upanisadas, Puranas, essence
of all that is here in Amala-Purana –
Srimad Bhagvatam Purana and you hear this you read this and you become
knowledgeable about the creation of the Lord. The creator mentioned here is
jiva “jivo jivam ajivayat” flows very nicely sounds very nice “jivo jivam
ajivayat” one jiva, jiva also means life, o! This is nirjiva they say- this
does not have jiva – this does not have life. So the first person Prabhupada
describing that person as leader of the all the living entities, but  he is also jiva because  he is full of life in fact life comes from
life which Prabhupada made that bold statement “life come from life” so that is
right here jivo. In the beginning there was jiva the supreme living entity and
he is cause of all causes from that jiva that life rest of the life has come in
to existence.

“hiranyagarhba antaryami” that jiva has
been described as “hiranyagarhba, “hiranyagarhba” that is Garbhadakshai Vishnu
that jiva has been also described as antaryami, antaryami Krishna the Lord in
the heart or supersoul “samsara
vyatirikta parmeswara”. Jiva is samsara vyatirikta – means someone whose is
beyond this samsara – this material existence this jiva doesn’t come from, it’s
not product of this samsara “samsara vyatirikta” and He is a Parmeswara, living
entity is also samsara vyatirikta beyond this material existence but He is not
only “samsara vyatirikta but he is “samsara vyatirikta parmeswara” He is
Supreme Personality of Godhead and He is creator. He creates brahmanda anda –
egg shape – brahmanda “mama yonir mahad brahma”.

So
brahmanda is the universe and He is also creator of panda another word has been
used for the living entity. Brahamanda is universe and the anda, one is anda
one is panda, anda – brahmanda its the material universe and pinda – each one
of us is pinda like we say “pinde pinde
matir bhinna” or “munde munde matir
bhinna” matti means intelligence, Devakinandan prabhu was also throwing
light on how each one is different, our thoughts are different everything is
different you could see he gave a class and I am also giving a class he said if
one of us could give class we would be talking but differently this is also
amazing creation of the Lord, no two persons look alike there are 100 of you
are sitting and each different looking except who? Jananivas and Pankajangri
even after 30 yrs I can’t figure it out, I have to take few minutes to understand
whom I am talking to (laughter) whom I am talking to is this Pankajangri or is
this Jananivas I think one has bigger sikha and one has smaller sikha, there is
some difference, difference is there but very subtle.

So
isn’t that amazing and sometimes we also hear its true from the beginning of
creation till now all the bodies created by the Lord, not two bodies are alike
not that the present batch each one different but previous batch and the
previous batch each batch no 2 bodies were created just alike there is at least
some slight difference, little scar something different and this is something
amazing that we could just sit and appreciate and become Krishna conscious.
If  we could just sit and be amazed instead
of going to Agra to see the wonder 8th wonder of the world, you could just sit
in Vrndavan and hear about the creation of the Lord and be amazed such a
wonderful Lord He is no that Krishna is wonderful Krishna, His pastimes are
wonderful, this chapter Prabhupada has given title as wonderful Krishna but he
is wonderful Maha Vishnu, wonderful Garbhodakasayi Vishnu, wonderful
Ksirodakasay  Vishnu, we don’t have to
only appreciate rasa dance and talk about the rasa dance, how amazing! And
appreciate but here this this srusti lila is such a amazing thing, you could
relish if you could go deeper and understand step by step the creation of the
Lord and the subtleties and the details and the flavor it’s just amazing thing
what Lord does, amazing, wonderful creation of the Lord.

The
Brahmanda that anda and this panda and all that is in anda is all in this
panda, all that is out there also in this body in minute quantity different
elements which are out there pruthavi, teja , vayu, akash “bhumir aponala vayuh kham” (B.G 7.4) out there in here also of the whole,
you want to sample just sample your body and analyze your body and by knowing
panda you could know lot about the anda whole brahmanda. So what attracted my
attention was also Prabhupada writes in the purport of the 2nd verse of the
same chapter and this is Srila
Prabhupada ki…….jai “contrary to
such mental speculative theories of creation however Narada Muni wanted to know
all the facts of creation in truth not by theories”.

So
many theories must be floating at the time Narada Muni also and big bang theory
and many other theories are there and Narada Muni just wanted to just smash
those or expose those or establish the fact not just go by theories but he
wanted to establish the truth about the creation. So Srila Prabhupada being a
representative of all the previous acharaya Brahma and Narada Muni, he is
really trying to attract the attention of the whole world. Are you interested
in knowing how the world was created? If
you say yes here Bhagvatam is the way. You may be studying theories which
is full of mental speculation but the facts are these, this was spoken by the
person who was involved with the creation right there and then. Millions of
years ago when the creation took place this person Brahma he was right there
not just witnessing but he was involved making his hands dirty. I have not
studied Bible in detail but what we hear from our devotees who are from
Christian background is the description of the creation of this world of course
the great thing is which we appreciate that they admit that this world was
created by the Lord that’s good thing first of all, this world was created by
the Lord not much detail and He took some 6 days to create and by that time He
was exhausted and then on the 7th day He took rest and that was Sunday and
following in the footsteps of God we took rest on the 7th day we are also of
course we are fighting for more rest. So besides Sunday now we have Saturday or
half day we want to work less and get more pay.

Or
in the beginning there was ad “sabda”
this is the part of the creation described, form sabda there was a sparsa,
rupa, rasa, gandha like that each of these 5 elements earth, water, fire , air
, ether, ether- has only sound, ether is more subtle creation or element and it
has only sound and the next only has sound and touch and like that you go to
the next one there are 3 things, 3 sense objects, 4th one has like that
………  So whatever is written in Bible is
also true giving credit to God His creation of course it’s His creation He
existed before the creation He was there at the time off creation, He created
it. But the only trouble is how much could you relish what is written in bible
that is also lila but described in such a summarized way that you could not
really relish and for the fact can’t
appreciate also unless you get into the details of the creation you
can’t appreciate it. So what is in the bible although truth but not much that
you could relish because so many missing links are there and some holes are
there and it doesn’t make sense sometime. So this is how a devotee is
explained. So this is what the Christians have to say or bible has to say. Then
very recently I came across statement from Quran about the creation. They kind
of agree with the description of creation which is described in the Bible the
Muslims agree with what is written in the bible only disagreement that they
have with the Christians or with the bible is they say O! come on you are
making God Alha kind of ordinary person, you are saying that He worked for 6
days to create then he was exhausted, he was tired com on God can’t be tired he
is never tired.

So
and then He created for 6 days, the 7th day he took rest they don’t agree with
this taking rest Lord taking rest doesn’t go together. And that’s the only
difference between what Christians and the Muslims have to say about the
creation of course both the parties fully agree that Lord has created this
world. But because what has been presented in bible and Quran is not a complete
and perfect and in great detail some place it doesn’t make sense and that has
given rise to the speculations of the scientist. The scientist or intelligent
being, intellectuals they always want to keep brain busy and active and so
exercise as other do exercise of the muscle or intelligent people the
intellectuals their power is in the brain muscle and they want to keep them fit
and active. So they were referring to this bible, Quran theories and that was
not convincing and then some intelligent theory had to be presented to the
world so they came with what is popularly known as big bang what is the theory?
Big bang What was big? The bang was big, the sound that explosion made they
kind of talk of some kind of mahat tattva or the mass of the matter was sitting
there, the matter was there and then nothing or suddenly or no prior cause or
notice or any person involved because there was no person according to them
before the creation just a big bang, big explosion took place and the whole
water scattered everywhere and came into a beautiful round shaped balls started
floating (laughs) but that’s not the experience when there is explosion, when
the terrorist came they also went to the twin tower – trade towers they exploded
those twin towers, some beautiful thing came out that you could take
photographs? O! What a beautiful creation or Americans got their karma.

In
Japan the most powerful bomb was exploded did some housing society, some
plants, some beautiful things came out of that explosion? So the experience
that we have of the explosion is that nothing beautiful, nothing wonderful,
nothing that could use comes into existence as a result of smaller big bang or
some explosion. So with this we reject, so behind every explosion there is a
person he is right there lighting the bomb may crude was y of lighting the bomb
with a candle may be that was being done some 50 yrs ago but now remote control
but still there is a remote, machine is there and person to push the button is
there. So no explosion is automatic unless some person is involved. So this is
how the big bang theory is down the drain. I also was thinking how because what
was available to the western world, the information or views or news of
creation from bible and Quran they did not satisfy the scientist or the
intellectuals and then they had to speculate and speculate and speculate to
their hearts content there was no one to stop them.

Generation
after generation they went on speculating and supporting this imaginary
theories big bang and some other theorizes and did this because the facts were
not available to them, the Bhagvatam theory was not made popular. Of course all
this big bang theory this is all in last 500 yrs or few thousand yrs there was
a time when this was the theory this was common knowledge. O! How was the world
created? Everyone knew you could stop any one on the street and ask them how
the world was created? And they would refer to conversation between Narada Muni
and Brahma or Maitre Muni and Vidura they knew because every student his
schooling began with the guru’s ashrama they all went to Gurus ashrama “brahmachari gurukule vasandanto gurur hitam”.
The perfect Narottamas, purified, through purified and honest persons as they
were they were only speaking truth and spreading the truth travelling
extensively where ever there was some black spot, some ignorance some were they
would go rush there with a torch light of knowledge and dispel the darkness by
discussing these topics of creation from Bhagvatam and some other Vedic
sources.

So
one time few thousand yrs ago in Sat-yuga, treta-yuga every single human being,
practically everyone knew how the world was created. So present theories are
just few hundred yrs old, concoctions and mental speculations which world is
buying because nothing substantial is being presented. But now the task has
begin with Srila Prabhupada entering the field of the whole world with the
original facts from Narada Muni and Brahma which are right there in the
Bhagavatam, which are being distributed far and wide. So this big bang theory
doesn’t have much future, not much longer into the future this big bang theory
would be accepted as something intelligent, like so many other theories are
being challenged, not only by Hare Krishnas but other intelligent being are
challenging theories one of such theory very popular theory is Darwin theory of
evolution being challenged all the time.

I
had read such report in the news paper before the challenges and the rejection
of the Darwins,s  theory of evolution but
something very recently a week ago, Darwin under attack by  U.S school board, American school boards are
attacking Darwin,s theory appeared in the front page in Sunday express on 2nd
if January and of course the whole news is from America printed as it is
(laughs) and God or Darwin report says God or Darwin choice is yours and this
U.S school board  they want to go for God
they want to reject this Darwin or at the most report says ok ok may be we
could accept this as a theory but not a fact may report also says, “I
definitely would prefer to believe that God created me” and I am not the or the
descendent of the apes, ape- the monkey, the Darwin is presenting that – the
most evolved being was apes-monkeys. Some 6 or 7 thousand yrs ago, the human
being from the monkey instead of using 4 feet he kind of stood up started
standing up gradually an d then his fore
limbs became his hands and his tail went inside from back and suddenly
he had hands, feet and tail, stood erect.

So
this all happened some 6 or 7 thousand yrs ago and then human beings first
edition, first version of the human beings were such uncivilized, uneducated
they were just  living in the caves -cave
men theory, the cave kings. And you know they used to fight a lot amongst each
other, men of one cave with men of another cave. They had no instrument they
just used rocks, throwing rocks at each other. The time of your battle field of
Kuruksetra where you describe amazing kind of weapons were used, the Mahabharat
war around that time, actually human beings had just now came into existence
and just even using rocks may be some sticks to beat each other and there were
no towns and cities and from that time the human being has further evolved and
he is becoming more and more intelligent and intelligent and more civilized
human being is the present version of human beings. So in brief in the
beginning was amoeba when the world was created in the beginning was amoeba not
Brahma (laughs) but amoeba.

So
that theory and there is little more into that and that’s theory of Darwin, Darwin’s
theory of evolution which was being taught in all the schools and colleges all
over the planet including in India unfortunately. I am sure even Mathura
university- vidyapitha is teaching the evolutionary theory of Darwin. Vaishnavs
never taught such theory Prabhpada would not even spit at such theories why
even spit and waste his spit at such garbage (laughter). He would just use his
boot to kick, he did not want to kick the face with is foot but with the boot
only. So one by one let us maintain staunch faith and some more patience and we
would relies that all those things which are presented as some kind of the
truth all over the world will be exposed and they would be proven wrong when
they know what is right and gradually there is a major change. I was talking
with Bhakti Swaropadamodhar Maharaj on phone just few days ago he conducted his
world conference- scientific conference in Rome in Italy just few days ago to
celebrate Prabhupada,s 108 birthday anniversary and he said there were so many
scientists but 32 of them he has a list of 32 scientist talking in favor of God
or Gods existence. There was a time, scientist means prove it, can you show me
God? If yes then I accept but now the same scientists are coming to the senses
gradually, gradually there is a global revolution in consciousness and

certainly the chanting of “Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare”
and study of scriptures the air is getting filled with the truth which is
defeating the myth and with that that
truth is inspiring so many individuals all over the planet now.

There
is a study first time, I was amazed to know, you would also be amazed first
time the research in consciousness being done.
Some scientists are doing research into consciousness you go beyond it’s
not just a matter something living, some consciousness they want to study the
consciousness though they may have different ideas what the consciousness is.
but at least they are coming to the conclusion that is world is not just dead
matter as darwin was also trying to prove- This is a bunch of chemical and
interaction of these chemicals life comes into existence. No, this verse is
talking that original jiva that samsara vyatirikta parmeshwara the Supreme
Personality of Godhead who was full of life He put life into everything else
around into living entities and got them into going, working as per their karma
and svabhava and ajivayat He becomes the cause of giving life to others, life
comes from life.

So life is being studied as consciousness for
the first time, this is happening of course you know Prbahupada in easy journey
to other planets  Prabhupada writes the
scientist are coming to the conclusion if there is a matter O! Possibly there
must be antimatter also, there is material there must be something ant material
also. What is antimaterial? There is a sprit, matter is matter then anti matter
is sprit. So some scientist are waking up to the reality it is good fortune and
good fortune of so many others because in this day and age the scientist have
become the Gurus of the masses, the Gurus or acharyas position has been taken
by the scientist. The scientist says something everyone Prabhupada says double
standard, sadhus is talking the acaryas is talking  you are challenging show me prove it but when
scientist say something lot of things which are not proven people don’t ask
those questions any more O! Could you prove it, their speculations they are
just blindly accepting it. And Prabhupada says double standard you are asking
us to show me, you are not asking the similar question to the scientist to
prove it.

So
it is very important for this spread of Hare Krishna movement over the planet
the scientist are a big stumbling block because they are taken as authority.
They have presented so many bogus
theories they dnt know to begin with thathey are souls or anybody is a
soul and to become scientist you dnt have to be man of any kind of
character….no, you could be women hunter, you could be meat eater, you could be
speculator and what else? What did I miss? Drunkard you could have a wine
bottle in one hand and you are punching the keys you are typing on the screen
its fine, its fine they can be Murderers, they may be terrorist could be
anything, no questions raised only their theories are accepted because with
those theories you get to exploit this material world and that is when you
could be ‘ishwaro-aham”, That you could declare but practically be that Ishwar-
the controlees, the enjoyer. So it’s a good team scientist are making the job
easy, facilatiinng this demonic nature and giving them how to be the enjoyer,
the ishwaro – aham. So from ishwaro-aham status that human being want to
achieve they want kingdom of God without God. Srila Prabhupada ki…jai wonderful
Prabhupada has made he was the first one to speak this kind of language, most
relevant statement Prabhupada has made. So from that position that human beings
are taking ishwaro-aham we have to bring them down to “daso- aham” “dasosmi”
not “boss-asmi”. So theories and scientist they are exploiting and people are
getting distracted and as a result infact there are suffering. They want to
enjoy but there are sufferings. So last lecture series Prabhupada gave on the
planet in Mumbai was the present day modern civilization is a total failure
only alternative is Krishna Consciousness this was his topic from Mayapur he
went straight to Mumbai and everyday he was roaring like a lion although we had
to lift him literally we had to lift him and put him on Vyas ashan but once he
was on the microphone he was getting the audience trembling. He was very bold
and out spoken and this civilization is total failure, only solution is Krishna
Consciousness. So, so many myths are being spread but Prabhupada books are
everywhere do you know that, I am sure another
places also this holds true that Delhi distributed 86 thousand Bhagvad –
Gitas in Marathon (round of applause). Devotees   of Delhi, Punjabi Bagh – 86, 000 Bhagvad-
gita and so like that it’s  just one city
score and wait till you hear about what Bombay did and other temples did to
distribute books and spread this knowledge. So this is Prabhupada,s program so
that the truth is established, the dharma “dharma sansthapanar thaya” and then
“sarve sukhina bhavantu” people would be happy and in real sense be prosperous
and that’s life that’s real life. So let us push on Prabhupads program,
Prabhupadas movement spreading the holy name and Bhagvatam knowledge based on
Bhagvatam this will spread the truth and whole world would be benefitted and
this is the topmost welfare work Prabhupada used to say.

Thank
you very much

Dated: 16^th Jan 2006

Venue: ISKCON Chow patty, Mumbai.

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

“Sa tva mampya acyuta sirsni vanditam

karambhujam yat tvad adhayi satvatam

bi bharsi mam laksma varenya mayaya

ka isvarasyehitam uhitam vibhur iti” (SB 5.18.23)

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

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

Translation once again (repeat)

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

“na tatha me priyatama atma-yonir na sankarah

na ca sankarsano na srir naivatma ca yatha bhavan”

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

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

Similarly, Srimad  Bhagavatam 10.47.60  also  states,

“nayam sriyo nga u nitanta-rateh prasadah

svar-yositam nalina-gandha-rucam kuto nyah

rasotsave sya bhuja-danda grhita-kantha”

labdhasisam ya vdagad vraja-vallabhnam”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Radha Gopinath ki jay!

Nitai Gaur Premanande hari haribol!

Srila Prabhupada ki jai!

Iskcon Chowpatty ki jai!

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

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

As this is a childhood pastimes of Krishna and Balarama

“vanam vrndavanam nama pasavyam nava-kananam

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

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

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

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

“punyadri-trna-virudham, tat tatradyaiva yasyamah’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“vr?ndavanam govardhanam yamuna-pulinani

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

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

“evam vrajaukasam pritim yacchantau bala-cestitaih

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

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

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

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

“avidure vraja-bhuvah saha gopala-darakaih

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“tau vatsa-palakau bhutva sarva-lokaika-palakau

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

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

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

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

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

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

Venue: ISKCON Chowpatty Mumbai.

Dated: 1^st June, 2012

Occasion: Pandava Nirjala Ekadasi

Hare krishna…..(devotees) Hare Krishna, thank you very much Pandava Nirjala Ekadasi ki ………………..jai (On the occasion of Pandava Nirjala Ekadasi 16 hours kirtan was organized in ISKCON Chowpatty Mumbai) when I heard this event is being organized the kirtan is being organized initially I was bit surprised normally we do 64 rounds, 108 rounds this is the first time we are having such event the kirtan on Nirjala Ekadasi. But I am happy I found some quotes from Caitanya Caritamrita in favour of this loud chanting of kirtan.

“japile sri Krishna naam apne se tare uccha sankirtan parupakar kare” this is in Bengali from Caitanya Caritamrita  “japile sri Krishna naam apne se tare” if we chant japa “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare” of course we don’t chant louder like that. So what that does is apne se tare the chanter is benefited, the chanter is liberated by the japa, however tare uccha sankirtan parupakar kare but if you chant uccha sankirtan loud chanting which we do when we chant and dance, play instrument then that delivers others also parupakar kare not just selfish your own liberation but liberation of others as one chants loudly.

“ata eva uccha kari kirtan karile sata guna fala haya sarva sastra bale” again uccha hari kirtan those who chant out loud “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, (Maharaj saying devotees to be louder) Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare” sata guna fala haya you get the benefit is 100 times sata guna fala haya sarva sastra bale and all sastras are declaring this boldly that chanting louder the benefit is 100 times Haribol…………….Haribol……………………

“dante trn dhari guara daki se tumar kripa kari eso amar hridaye mandire” and this is a prayer that I chant dante trn dhari holding literally we don’t have straw here holding the straw in between our teeth we are calling out loudly O! Guaranga or O! Holy nama O! Naam Prabhu kripa kari please be kind to us and eso please come here and reside where hridaya mandire – in temple of our hearts. Srila Prabhupada quoted from Mahabharata. When I was away from Dropadi this Krishna is quoting while I was away from Dropadi she cried with words hye! Govinda (devotee follows) hye! Govinda, this call from me has put me in debt and that indebtedness is gradually increasing in my heart this is Krishna speaking these are Krishna’s thoughts and feelings as she chanted Hye! Govinda I am indebted and that is gradually increasing in my heart Srila Prabhupada continues to comment the Mahamantra is also simply an address to the Lord and His energy. So to anyone who is constantly engaged in addressing the Lord and His energy we can imagine how much Supreme Lord is obliged. It’s impossible for the Lord to ever forget such a devotees jai Hari naam prabhu ki …………………..jai.

So being Nirjala Ekadasi not even jala today one devotee was carrying water bottle I was wondering (laughter) I was sitting next to him (laughter) at one point he even opened and I thought next he is going to do gobble up, instead of feeding himself he feed water his mridanga (laughter). I was mistaken I thought I will catch him now. So body gets only air today, no food, no water and the soul only gets the nectar “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare”. So as we fast this fasting is called upavasa, upavasa menas fasting but just by fasting you dnt really do the whole sum upasava. We had to understand the deeper meaning of upavasa, upa– means near and vasa– meaning residence today is the day or upavasa is the day to reside heard Lord, in close proximity of the lord you reside and then that could me called upavasa, near, residing staying near to the Lord.

So that can’t accomplished just by fasting, devoid of no grains, no fruits, not even water, that may some means or facilitation so that we could reside near the Lord, but residence near the Lord is only possible by communication, union with the Lord or bringing the Lord closer to you, then you reside there, he has come near, then what is the fear (laughter). So best way to do this upavasa to stay near the Lord is by calling out the Lord and then Lord makes its appearance “yatra mad bhakta gayanti tatra tistami” Lord resides there. But today Lords addressing this one whatever this address this Lord is going to reside for 16 hours Haribol………….Haribol…………….and beyond that as we keep chanting and remembering him remembering him return to our respective temple and homes later tonight.

From Bhagvatam 7th Canto that says “dhanur hitasya pravanam pathanti sarantu jivam param eva laksham”. As we chant the Holy nama of the Lord this is compared to shooting arrows of course there is arrow then there must be bow otherwise the arrow is not going to work and there is bow and arrow then there has to target also. So this Bhagvatam verse says “the mantra is the goal” the living entity jivam is the arrow. So now you have bow and we ourself the soul is the arrow then what is the target “param eva” that Supreme destination “param brahma param dhama paramam bhavan” (B.G 10.12) that Lord, Lords lotus feet, the Lords form is the target and this arrow is not going to hurt the Lord, this arrow is very soft and gentle. So this is like making offering like a flower being offered, ourselves being offered to Lord, living entity being offered “svaha…………………”

Sankirtan yajna is like offering unto the Lord, soul is being offered to the Lord and the mantra which is and of course the body, the mind, the mantra this is part of that bow when everything is properly aliened, those who take bow and arrow they are very careful very attentive and there eye sight and the tip of the arrow and the destination is all in one straight line, of course not spaced out, their hands are not trembling like Arjuna said “I can’t even hold my bow” “govindam sramsate hastat” (B.G 1.29) my mouth is drying up, body is trembling. So everything together and focused we push the soul gets the boost from the body, mind and the mantra is the Lord himself, mantra is the Lord, the means is the Lord and the destination is also the Lord in the form of the Holy Nama.

So we are very happy as this event has been organized by ISKCON Chowpatty, so we have all gathered here I noticed as I was looking around most of you are young folks. So 40s and 50s just handful you are all young devotees. Normally youngsters used to say O! When we become old we will take to this process, we will see then. Now things have changed the Hare Krishna movement is changing, Caitanaya Mahaprabhu is changing everyone is welcomed, the youngsters are the first one to come older folks should be joining us as we keep going with the chanting. So everyone is welcomed specially  young devotees have come and not just Svarop damodhar Prabhu’s kirtan was dedicated to the loving memories of all those lovers of the Holy Nama, lovers of the Lord, those who used to make the dresses of the Lord, I was told. So they are certainly close very dear to the Lord, they were tailors of the Lord, made clothes for the Lord. So that atrocity took place and then they were taken away from amongst us so we pray so that they continue to serve their Lordships where ever Lord brings Lords keeps them engaged in the service so we pray.