Venue: Pune
Srila Prabhupada ki jay!!

Srila Prabhupada did most of his classes also in English, not many knew in the audience. 50 years ago, he also on the occasion of his sannyas ceremony in Mathura, he also had spoken in English. So this is yet another reason for us to speak in English. He was concerned about his followers. They were from all over the world. So we also speak the international language, english for their benefit. And even if you don’t understand the language that Prabhupada would speak in, those persons are still benefitted. Sometimes in Juhu, he would speak in English, others some children or others and he would make those comments. “They don’t understand my language but still there is a benefit.”

There was another time he was speaking in Vrndavana in Hindi and some of his disciples they thought, ” Oh! We don’t understand this language!” Especially Gurudas, he mentioned. As he was getting ready to get up and walk away, Prabhupada said, “Sit down!” But I don’t understand!” “You will be benefited; still the transcendental vibration has purifying effect regardless”. 50 years quickly passed since Prabhupada sannyas initiation. Persons takes sannyas, he renounces everything then he is free for the benefit of the rest of the world. He gives up his small family and gains bigger family. This world Holy Name Week that has been resolved by GBCs and now being implemented all over. This year is 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada sannyas. Every year we celebrate Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in America. In 1965, Srila Prabhupada arrived in America around this time. As he arrived, he had a gift for the rest of the world. He was carrying Bhagavatam and he was carrying the Holy name of the Lord. These were the two matchless gifts that Srila Prabhupada gave to the rest of the world. So this World Holy Name Week started with the day. Earlier we had World Holy Name Day. We started also during Srila Prabhupada Centennial and we were perpetuating that event World Holy Name Day now becomes World Holy Name Week. To remind the whole world the arrival of Srila Prabhupada in America with the gift of the holy name is the connection for you to remember. The gift that Caitanya Mahaprabhu had come down to the earth, he came with the gift. And that gift Caitanya Mahaprabhu shared within India. And he said, Caitanya Mahaprabhu left this job of sharing this gift to the rest of the world to the International Society for Krsna Consciousness whose founder Acharya is Srila Prabhupada ki jay!!

“You want tea or me?” Kind of started from around that dialogue time. Srila Prabhupada had been travelling in North India. He had a business, an agency, he had goods, he had medicines. Then during those travels, he had also gone to Jhansi. Then he had some preaching opportunity there at Gita Mandir. And he liked that field. He kept coming back there to Jhansi. He was going back and forth from Jhansi to Allahabad. He still had a business in Allahabad. But during one such visit as he was visiting Allahabad, Srila Prabhupada then wife ‘Paper!kabadi’ get your newspaper on the scale weigh. Paper on one side and they weigh, five kilos, you get three rupees. So you couldn’t imagine Srila Prabhupada’s wife, she sold big, thick fat Bhagavatam. And she got some tea biscuits. Srila Prabhupada found out ‘Where is my Bhagavatam?!” He realized what blunder had taken place. Prabhupada was furious and he had asked that final question. “You want tea or me?, tell me.” His wife said in a humorous mood, ‘Of course tea.” Okay have it. You will have a tea not me.

And Prabhupada left home and then never return. He broke his family connection. Whatever little connection was there remaining, residue, he got rid of that he headed for Jhansi. So that was in early 50s, could be ’51- ’52. He spent several years in Jhansi. He was thinking of having a global institution, league of devotees. There was advertisement also that appeared on the paper. He invited youths to join from any nationality. “they will be trained into brahmacaris and made into brahmanas and exported all over, lodging boarding free of charge.” And he was placing these adds in the newspapers. Advertising in newspapers, “Brahmacari wanted. Brahmacari wanted.” There was very little or no response in fact of such adds. He was literally by himself. He had conceived his international organization. He had a place in Jhansi. He was talking a bit, planning a bit and he had one disciple, Doctor Prabhakar Mishra. Around that time also Srila Prabhupada was still making trips back and forth.

Once Srila Prabhupada got a telegram. The message was that his workers had ran away with some funds. And disciple read out the message to Srila Prabhupada and looked at Srila Prabhupada’s face thinking that Srila Prabhupada must be now really morose or miserable getting such news. But that wasn’t the case. Srila Prabhupada was smiling and Srila Prabhupada had to say,

‘ yasyaham anugrhnami harisye tad dhanam sanaih ‘ (S.B 10.88.8).

Srila Prabhupada quoted that verse and explained that to his disciple. When Lord is very merciful, He takes away that person’s wealth. So Lord is very very kind to me. And disciple was surprised and pleased also to hear such response from his Gurumaharaj. So his money was being stolen and his family connections were getting weaker and weaker. Then finally he had, ‘tea or me’, then he had left. Now he was in Jhansi. The land that he had where he was thinking of setting his society, league of devotees, from there he would preach all over the world. He lost that land.

There was a Governor called K.M Munshi, his wife Lilawati. She was thinking of setting up Mahila Sanga there in Jhansi with the help of governor, her husband is Governor, she managed to capture that place. Srila Prabhupada lost the claim over that property. That property is still there in Jhansi. Srila Prabhupada left Jhansi for Mathura, Vrndavana. Earlier he had also been going between Jhansi and Mathura. But now he had finally come to Mathura. He had become associate of Gaudiya Math in Mathura. His Godbrother Prajnana Keshav Goswami Maharaj was in charge of the Math there. Srila Prabhupada was a writer. They were publishing patrika and Srila Prabhupada would contribute to that pre editorial. So he was part of the Gaudiya Math by now. These is all part of his life time in preparation. Srila Prabhupada was preparing to go finally, to go to the West.

In 1922, he had received this order. “You preach in English language”. That was also instruction. That must be another reason why Prabhupada would always preach in English language. So Srila Prabhupada was preparing. Ealier, he was also thinking, “In order for me to preach in English language, go the West I need money.’ One of the purposes he kept doing his business. He wanted to make some money. He was also thinking. “My godbrothers, they have different Maths. They are just doing madukari, bheeksha, begging. I will not do that. I will earn money. I’ll utilize those funds to spread Krsna consciousness or go to the West.”
But Krsna had different plan. In one dialogue, Srila Prabhupada said that he was thinking that he needed money to preach, go to the West. And Krsna wanted to prove otherwise. You don’t need money! What do you need money for?! Srila Prabhupada with his conversation with Syamasundar Prabhu, Brahmananda also one time said, that he had so many opportunities to get jobs with this company, that company. But he kept making wrong moves. He kind of blew up those opportunities. He could have made very easily ten thousand per month those days, Prabhupada said. That’s lot of money. But he didn’t go for it, this bad intelligence. Krsna was giving this bad intelligence. Lord was behind that bad intelligence. Krsna was giving those directions. No no, don’t go for this. Don’t get this job. So he was without money. Finally when Srila Prabhupada went to the West, he had no money. He didn’t fly to the West. He went in a cargo boat with free passage. When he arrived, he had only 5 dollars. He could only survive for 5 minutes in New York with 5 dollars. So he had no friends, no money. Under those circumstances Srila Prabhupada was going to launch the International Society for Krsna Consciousness. A zero bank balance and Srila Prabhupada was going to launch the International Society for Krsna Consciousness. Those original 40 rupees he had, we say 5 dollars, its equivalent to 40 rupees. He kept those 40 rupees.

After some years Prabhupada had come to India. He landed in Delhi airport and then he was going to Chippiwada near Lal kila, Red Fort. That is where Srila Prabhupada used to stay before he had gone to America. He used to stay there to get his books printed. So when he arrived at Chippiwada in a taxi, there was no one to receive him. Srila Prabhupada took taxi to his own residence, one Radha Krsna temple there. So when he had to pay taxi bill, Srila Prabhupada used those 40 rupees to pay the taxi bill. So those 40 rupees were sitting all those years with him as balance. He spent those 40 rupees on taxi. Practically he had those 40 rupees but he didn’t use those 40 rupees in America for his International Society for Krsna Consciousness.

So he started from a scratch, from a zero bank balance and he had no friends. Then Krsna proves, yes! This is possible. You don’t need money. So while he was, Prabhupada in Jhansi and now coming to Mathura, he had been getting dreams. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur appearing in the dreams and asking him to take sannyas. After the dream Prabhupada gets up and remembering that dream, he would say, ‘How horrible!’ Bhishma, Bhishma, something like that. When Bhishma decided to take sannyas, the demigods exclaimed, “Bhishma! Bhishma!” These were the words of the demigods, oh! How could you do such a thing?! How could you take such a vow of not marrying? You are just a young man, prince and no marriage? How horrible?!” So those demigods were thinking like that. And this is how grandfather Bhishma got the name ‘Bhishma’. How horrible or terrible is this thought of sannyas. So Srila Prabhupada was thinking how horrible. Then after some time again the same dream. ‘How horrible, no no, I can’t do this’, Prabhupada was thinking.

Then Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur was not giving up. He was after Prabhupada. And again he appeared in the dream and even gave hint, come come come, follow me, follow me. Again he is reminded of taking sannyas. So third time as Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati appeared in the dream and instructed him to take sannyas, Srila Prabhupada took this as, ” My gurumaharaj is reminding me of my mission of going to the West and preaching in English language.” So he made this connection- this sannyas is for preaching. You should be sanyasi for preaching. Then gradually now he was preparing mentally and practically taking some steps so that he could be in sannyas order of life or undergoing the formality of sannyasa. Although he was more than sanyasi himself.

“You must be sacrificing everything for Krsna. That is sannyas”, in one dialogue Srila Prabhupada had said. You sacrifice everything for Krsna. That is sannyas. This is practical definition of sannyas. “sacrifice everything for Krsna that is sannyas” and How does Krsna says that in Bhagavad Gita?

‘anasritah karma-phalam karyam karma karoti yah
sa sannyasi ca yogi ca na niragnir na cakriyah’ (B.G 6.1)

I remember this verse very well. I will tell you in a minute why I remember this verse. Prabhupada was with the reporter and Prabhupada just defined sannyas means sacrificing everything for Krsna. Someone else said, “That means akarma?”
Prabhupada said, “No, that is more than akarma.”

Reporter, “Sannyas is akarma?”
Yes, sannyas is akarma, that is described in Bhagavad Gita, ‘ anasritah karma phalam’. That is also karma, ‘karyam karma karoti yah sa sannyasi’ ‘ when one works with this principle he is a sannyasi. Srila Prabhupada was very proud of his grhastha disciples also. They were in this mood, sacrificing everything for Krsna. Surabhi, later on he became sannyasi, but one time he was grihastha. He was architect from Holland. He was architect of Vrndavana, Mayapur, Mumbai temples. He was sacrificing everything, renounced. And of course he was not the only one. But sometime, I remember him, Prabhupada saying he is a sannyasi. He had a wife and all. But seeing his dedication, his sacrifices, sometimes he said, he is like a sannyasi.

‘kamyanam karmanam nyasam sannyasam’ (B.G 18.2).

This is another definition of sannyas that Lord Krsna talks about in Bhagavad Gita. ‘sannyasam, nyasam’ ‘nyas’ means to renounce, to give up. What do you give up? ‘kamyanam’ You give up kama, ‘kamyanam nyasam sannyasam’. Be sannyas, give up this kama-lust of various kinds. Little philosophy behind sannyas is, that giving up this ‘kamyanam nyasam’, that is sannyas.

So everyone may not undergo sannyas in a formal way. But those who wish to go back to home, back to Godhead, they have to be in the mood of sannyas. Their consciousness has to be at the level of sannyas, otherwise there is no going back to Godhead. You cannot say, I am just a lady, I am just a vanaprastha, I am just a grihastha but I want to go back to Godhead. Fine, you may not take sannyas. It is also fault to take sannyas. In this age of Kali, five things are forbidden. One of those forbidden item is sannyas. It is a good excuse not to take sannyas. It’s forbidden. You know prabhu, it’s forbidden. So one has to become free from this kama. You wish to go back to home; you don’t have to take sannyas. You don’t have to go around, ladies going around with tridand in their hands. You don’t have to do that but there is something that makes you eligible to go back to Godhead. And that is ‘kamyanam karmanam nyasam sannyasam’. Giving up lust, ‘kama esa krodh esa’ (B.G 3.37) and mukti kami, bhukti kami and siddhi kami. These all have to be given up, ‘sakale ashant’. One who is ashant cannot go back to Godhead. Person has to be very shant, very much peaceful then he goes free from kama.

Bhakti defines us, ‘sarvopadhi vinirmuktam’ (Brs 1.1.2) that is one.

‘anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmandy-anavrtam’ (Brs 1.1.11)

You have to transcend this, go for bhakti and perform devotional service. Then it doesn’t matter which ashram you are in, which varna. You perform devotional service, you get rid of all the kama, lust.
So let’s get back to this,

‘anasritah karma-phalam karyam karma karoti yah
sa sannyasi ca yogi ca na niragnir na cakriyah’.

So I remember the day I wanted to be sannyasi. So first time I approach Srila Prabhupada, he asked me to wait for. He didn’t say how much time. Those days there was no sannyas minister and 5 years waiting period. Srila Prabhupada was kind of all in all for us. So we would run to Prabhupada. Or he would recommend, ‘Oh, you take sannyas,you take sannyas.’ He would surprise his disciples, ‘you take sannyas.’

So one time I approached him to take sannyas. I was two and a half year in the movement (Laughter), joined in ’72 and approached Srila Prabhupada in ’74 for sannyas. Prabhupada said, ‘wait’ (Laughter). Then I was waiting. Srila Prabhupada then during one visit of Mumbai, he asked Sridhar, ‘ You take sannyas you go to Vrndavana, I am coming there very soon.’ So when the news reached me, I ran to Prabhupada, ‘Me too, me too!’ What I have done wrong? Me too, me too! Like children, father has given a toy to one son and another son runs, me too, me too (Laughter). So when I approached Srila Prabhupada like that, ‘me too, me too! I want to take sannyas. Give me sannyas’, Prabhupada was at the building at the back which doesn’t exist anymore. So there used to be BBT building on the top floor Srila Prabhupada stayed. That was his quarter. There were just me and Srila Prabhupada.

That time Prabhupada said, ‘Oh, you are already sannyasi!‘ ‘No, no, no! (Laughter). Srila Prabhupada was tricking me. So that time Prabhupada pulled this weapon. ‘anasritah karma-phalam karyam karma karoti yah’. He was preaching to me. He quoted this verse, ‘anasritah akrma-phalam…’. You are giving your karma, everything to krsna, this and that. He was giving the verse and his purport. I was listening very carefully. But it was not convincing. So after going back and forth Srila Prabhupada said, “Oh! You want to undergo formality of sannyas?’ ‘Yes Prabhupada!’ ‘You join Sridhar. You and Sridhar go to Vrndavaana.” Haribol!!
So this talking to reporter, ‘anasritah karma phalam’ the true meaning of sannyas. The meaning is coming directly from Krsna, the spirit, the consciousness of sannyasi. So Srila Prabhupada was certainly more than a sannyasi, was born more than a sannyasi. But then he must be thinking, ‘My gurumaharaj is reminding me of my mission going to the West preaching. So I should be taking sannyas.’ So he was now settling in his mind and heart of undergoing formality of sannyas.
So those days Caitanya Math, you know what Caitanya Math is in Mayapur? Where Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur has his Samadhi. This was the headquarter of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur. The Gaudiya Math later on became Caitanya Math. So Srila Prabhupada was considering taking sannyas from Maharaj incharge. There was a legal dispute over that property and one of Srila Prabhupada’s godbrother, Bhakti Vilas Tirtha Maharaj, he was heading the Caitanya Math those days. Srila Prabhupada approached him. Srila Prabhupada’s gurumaharaj was no more. Of course long back, 1936 Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur had departed. It’s now late ’50s, some 20 years after Bhaktisiddhanta departure. Srila Prabhupada now taking sannyas. He had to take sannyas from one of his sannyasi godbrother. So he had approached Bhakti Vilas Tirtha Maharaj. But Bhakti vilas Tirtha Maharaj, he said,’ We could consider your case if you join me full time. You join Gaudiya Math, Caitanya Math and we’ll give you all the facility and then we’ll certainly give you sannyas.’ But Srila Prabhupada was not in mood of joining Gaudiya Math in a formal way. He was always kind of outside. He was a grihastha. He was initiated. He was supporting Gaudiya Math but never became integral part. And his godbrothers, there were so many disputes for this property and that property. Srila Prabhupada was not simply impressed. There was so many splintered groups, no united efforts. They were basically maintaining those temples, no preaching spirit. So it was not very appealing to join.

Also another reason for Prabhupada not joining and taking sannyas from Bhakti Vilas Tirtha Maharaj was, Srila Prabhupada wanted to get some of his books printed. He was thinking, ‘If I go to the West, I should carry some books to make my preaching substantial preaching.’ But then again they were willing to take care of his lodging and boarding but they were not in a position to print Srial Prabhupada’s books. They had no funds. So Srila Prabhupada gave up that idea of taking initiation from Caitanya Math. So this was earlier and now Srila Prabhupada was already in Mathura. Sometime had passed and Srila Prabhupada was doing some writing for Keshav, the Gaudiya Math. And dream after dream he was being reminded of sannyas. Srila Prabhupada was seeing the connection of his gurumaharajis first instruction to go to West. Preach in English language. Now he is asking him to take sannyas. ‘Take sannyas and go to the West and preach in the western world.’

So Srila Prabhupada finally made up his mind to sannyas. Now he was going to take sannyas from another of his godbrother, Prajnana Keshav Goswami Maharaj. His Math was in Mathura. Srila Prabhupada had come from Jhansi and he was staying there working for that Math. Also Srila Prabhupada when he came from Jhansi, he came with one deity of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He had deity of Lord Caitanya with him in Jhansi. So he carried this deity of Caitanya Mahaprabhu to this Keshav Gaudiya Math. And that deity of Caitanya Mahaprabhu was on altar along with Radha Vinodabihari, Radha Krsna deity with Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Prabhupada’s Caitanya Mahaprabhu is still there. We used to go in the past. Now some difficulties are there.

Some 10-15 years ago, we used to go during our Vraj Mandal parikrama to that place, visit the temple where Srila Prabhupada took sannyas on this occasion. That was another reason for us to go during Vraj Mandal parikrama, visit the place of Srila Prabhupada sannyas initiation. Then we used to take darshan of that Caitanya Mahaprabhu. One hand is up like that and other hand down……. ‘ma sucah’.

When I had gone to Bankura in Bengal to get the deities for Padayatra, the murtiwala, I asked him. ‘What is the meaning of one hand up and one hand down like this?’ (gurumaharaj showing). He said, “This meant ‘ma sucah’, do not fear. And other hand, come here, come near, do not to fear. He is pointing to His lotus feet, ‘mam ekam saranam vrajah’ take shelter. Do not fear.” That murtiwala was explaining. So this is the mood of Mahaprabhu. So that Caitanya Mahaprabhu deity in that mood used to be there.

I am sure He is still there. In that temple Srila Prabhupada on this occasion 50 years ago took sannyas from his godbrother. Srila Narayana Maharaj also was present there during that ceremony. It was a very simple ceremony. Mostly the residents of the Math had attended the function. Narayana Maharaj had chanted mantras. Keshav Prajnana Goswami Maharaj had given talk. Then Visnu Pragyan goswami Maharaj, another of his godbrother. Two persons took sannyas. Another godbrother of Srila Prabhupada called Sanatan, he was 90 years old.

How old was Srila Prabhupada by that time? -63 years. Srila Prabhupada was 63 years old. This is 1959 we are talking, month of September 17. It was on 17, September 1959, two godbrothers are taking sannyas from another godbrother. So after lecture of Pragyan Keshav Goswami Maharaj, he asked Srila Prabhupada to also give a lecture. In Lilamrta it is mentioned, Srila Prabhupada would be surprised. Srila Prabhupada did give lecture. I have no account of what he said. He looked around and the audience was Hindi speaking. But he spoke in English on that occasion. So Srila Prabhupada received the name, Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj ki jai!!!! Everyone say jai!!! His Holiness Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj ki jai!! It was not so many at that time present. Also Sanatan also received his name. I think he became Muni, Muni Maharaj ki jai!! After they received their names, ‘swaha swaha’ happened. They went around the fire with kirtan. And they had the idea of taking group photograph.

The godbrother who had given sannyas is sat in the chair and the two candidates; they stood on either sides of Keshav Maharaj. And they clicked photograph. That photograph, you have seen? That was 50 years ago. That was purnima day, month of Bhadrapada, full moon day. Which also happened to be of Visvarupa taking sannyas some 500 years ago. He was getting this name Sankararanya Swami. And that time, He wasn’t very far from here. Visvarupa was just in Pandharpur. As a sannyasi, Visvarupa was in Pandharpur. That was the last station, last destination and then He had departed from there. So that was ’59 then. That was yet another milestone in Prabhupada’s life, he is taking sannyas. And yet another heading towards preparing for his travel to the West and preaching the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

As I was going through some material that I was provided this morning by Vamandev, I came across another conversation where Srila Prabhupada is talking about different stages, phases of sannyas. Kutichak, Bahudak, Parivrajakacharya and Paramhansa. So as I read that, I was also reminded of the morning walk conversation that took place in Mayapur which had again connection with me as a sannyasi. This was in ’76. As I had arrived in Mayapur, it was my first morning in Mayapur. Srila Prabhupada had already started his morning walk. And this day he was walking on the roof top of the lotus building. That was the only building those days. You know lotus building in Mayapur?. Prabhupada had his conference on the 2nd floor. GBC take their prasad on that building. Srila Prabhupada was walking on that building making rounds and rounds. Jayapataka Maharaj, his quarters are now there.

So he was walking and I climbed up the stairs. As I came on the roof, I noticed Srila Prabhupada party was coming. Srila Prabhupada in front and so many, 23 tridandis. He and his GBCs were walking, so I offered my obeisance’s. So as I was about to merge in the group, Prabhupada pointed to me, ‘Here comes paramhansa.’ Hariboll! (In the audience). That was not meant to be glory, no compliment. He rebuked me and I was wondering why Prabhupada had to address me that way- ‘Here come paramhansa’. Gradually Prabhupada made that as the topic. As he was walking, I realized.

So Prabhupada, he started talking of kuticaka sannyasi. He takes sannyas and he builds his kutir outside his hometown or home village. And he gets his tiffin from his home (Laughter). He carries on for sometime. Then he kind of, ‘Why should I get tiffin from my home?’ He stops this, then he begins going to many homes. He becomes bahudaka, bahu-many, not one but many. And as he get trained depending upon others or different sources then he thinks, ‘Why should I stick to one village, one kutir?’ Then he starts travelling, even further depending upon Krsna. He becomes parivrajakacharya. And as he makes further progress, further purified and detached, then he comes to the stage of paramhansa. He may not follow other rules and regulations. He is avadhuta, he is paramahansa.
So the reason Prabhupada called me paramhansa that morning was, my sannyasi cloths were not bright saffron cloths. In those days we didn’t have that chemical dyes that last long. After you wash or few months fading away again becoming like a whitish. So just a little tinge of saffron but mostly looking white. But I still didn’t care. The rule is saffron cloth and I was not paying attention. I was transcendental to that rule, the colour of the cloth. And Prabhupada had to get on my case, ‘Ah! Here comes paramhansa!’ He doesn’t follow the rules. Now he is already paramhansa (Laughter). I just gave him sannyas some 6 months ago and within 6 months he is paramhansa (Laughter).

Srila Prabhupada as a sannyasi moved from Mathura to Vrndavana. He was staying in one temples and then finally he had rented this Radha Damodar quarters. Now he had sannyas. He is getting seriously into writing projects. Srila Prabhupada writing, writing, writing. First Canto of Bhagavatam, commentaries, typing also editing himself. Then travelling in the train third class. That class doesn’t even exist now. There used to be first class, second class, third class. On that class Prabhupada would travel to Delhi to get his books printed and taking all the trouble. When the printer was interviewed, he had told the interviewer devotee that, ” Sometimes I would notice that he would come without any food to his printing press. Either he had no time or no money for eating.” It is also a famous fact that he would go to paper place where he would buy paper to print his books. After purchasing paper, he would carry that big bundle of paper to the printing press. The printer would be surprised. He is an author, a sannyasi and he is carrying the bundle of paper on his head. And printer would print books and again no money for paying the printing bills. So printer would give Prabhupada only, ‘ Okay you take 50 books.’ Printer would print 500 or 1000 books. He would give only 50 books.

Then Prabhupada had to go, sell those books, save the money and make more payments. ‘Okay you take another 100 books now.’ The printer would not release all those books. As and when Bhaktivedanta Swami would go around selling books to the libraries here and there and come with more money, he would get his books. So that time he was staying in Chippiwada. There is one Radha Krsna temple there. We were trying to take charge of that temple during centennial but that didn’t work. We had found Srila Prabhupada’s old typewriter, some things from Prabhupada those days. As we would visit Chippiwada, Jama masjid, that’s where Prabhupada was staying.

Like that he was preparing, Life Time Preparation, Sannyas was part of that preparation. Printing his books was part of that preparation. Then he had no money to fly. There was a Gita sammelan in Kurukshetra and Srila Prabhupada had gone to participate in Gita sammelan. Kurukshetra is the place where Gita was spoken. Prabhupada was attending that ceremony. During that ceremony, Sumati Moorarji had taken note of this sadhu, Bhaktivedanta Swami. She had some encounter. So when there was time now to go the West, as he could not fly, Krsna wanted to show, “You don’t need money. I’ll bring you to the West. You will see how I bring you to the West.” Srila Prabhupada had gone to Bombay to meet Sumati Moorarji. She was a big rich lady. She had a shipping corporation, so many ships, cargo ships. So Prabhupada was trying to get a seat. She was discouraging, “Oh no, you are an old man. You want to die?’ He was already 68, 69. But Srila Prabhupada was determined. So finally she had agreed to give a seat on cargo ship, not a passenger boat but a boat that carry goods. From Bombay he had gone to Kolkata via Nagpur. In the famous Jaladuta diary, Prabhupada made that entry. He travelled from Bombay to Kolkata, he writes via Nagpur. So devotees of Nagpur, they think Srila Prabhupada went to America via Nagpur (Laughter). But his destination was America. He was going there to catch the boat. The boat was leaving from Kolkata. So Prabhupada had his trunk. You have seen that diorama in Vrndavana. Srila Prabhupada carrying trunk, his umbrella climbing up the stairs of the Jaladuta boat. He boarded that boat there. Through Bay of Bengal his boat has came to Colombo city. Prabhupada going around Colombo. “It is a very clean city. This reminds me of Pune”, Prabhupada said. You knew that, am not making up. In one conversation, I have that conversation. Prabhupada had visited Pune during his business trip. So, ‘This reminds me, this clean city of Pune- green and hill stations during British times.’ He was reminded of Pune in Colombo. Then he continued his journey. He went to Cochin. That is where his books, the great Bhagavatams were loaded into the boat. Srila Prabhupada had spent one night in Cochin.

Some years ago Padayatra was visiting Cochin so I visited also. During that visit we went to see that very same home where Srila Prabhupada had spent the night. The same lady who was hosting and had cooked for Srila Prabhupada was there. She also showed us upstairs. She said, “Swami held satsang here.” He had only one night and he was taking opportunity to do satsang. The gentleman had gathered some of his friends. So Prabhupada did program the night before he departed.
The following day, his books were in Jaladuta boat and Prabhupada on boat and journey started. It took almost some months. Srila Prabhupada celebrated Janmasthami. Janmasthami, he was on the boat. He had done fasting, then some more cooking for midnight offering. He had gathered all the crew members and others. He had Janmashami celebration on the boat. He would take all these opportunities. What could we say? Vaikuntha man as he was. He was saying about his gurumaharaj, “Utility is the principle. Always thinking of engaging others, in their company glorifying Lord Krsna.” Then in the diary we have whole account, ‘Sea sickness and I had vomiting today. I am getting better today.’ Everyday he would make some entries. ‘I am remembering my Radha Damodara in Vrndavana.’ All his emotions, Prabhupada would write down all his feelings. Then he had heart attacks. Then he was wondering, “Oh!! but what about my mission? I have to fulfill mission of my gurumaharaj.” He is thinking of his gurumaharaj mission of how to preach. Again making entry, ‘Then Lord took charge of my boat.’ He took charge of Jaladuta. As if Krsna became boatman. It’s a huge big boat, then from that time onwards, everything was smooth journey. No turbulences, no knocking of the boat that causes sea sickness. After a few days, the 11th of this month, this year, this day that is Prabhupada arrival in Boston. Then with the captain of the boat, they had taken little tour of Boston.

This was first encounter of Srila Prabhupada with the Westerners, the American specially. And they were moving so fast, back and forth. No one ready to stop. They were so busy and absorbed. “My God, what about my mission? Who is going to listen to me here?” Prabhupada said. His very first thought. So as Prabhupada got back on the boat, and between Boston and New York, Srila Prabhupada wrote that poem, Markine Bhagavat.
He started intense prayers,

‘nachao nachao prabhu nachao se mate
kashthera puttali yatha nachao se mate’

I’m just puppet in Your hands my dear Lord. Please You make me dance as You feel. You make me dance. I’m given the name Bhaktivedanta but now it is up to You. You may prove it I am Bhaktivedanta. I don’t know how. You have to do something my dear Lord. You make me dance. You make me talk. And then he arrived in New York. He gets down from the boat. Not right there, there must be that evening. When he got down, there was no one to receive him. He didn’t know where to go. He writes down. He didn’t know whether to turn left or right. ‘Where should I go now? I don’t know. It’s New York. Where to go?’

So he had no friends, no hotel booking. He had only 40 rupees in his pocket and his luggage, his umbrella were there. Lord was with him. He started preaching with the whole amazing circumstances. Bowery and all these hippies and drunkards. He started practically on footpath of New York. When he was sitting on the bench, he was talking with somebody, ‘Temples are everywhere. Books are being distributed.’ He was seeing. He had that vision. He had that goal. What is separating? Only time is separating. Only matter of some more time and these all would be in place- temples, followers and book distributions.

And he had this Matchless Gift shop. He had a shop, he managed to get this storefront on 26 second Avenue. There are different avenues. Srila Prabhupada managed to get that on rent and then twice a week he was doing his programs there. He was meeting people on the street giving his address. “You meet me there. We have programs there on such and such time.” They were all coming. They said, “Swamiji, Swamiji there is a sign here on this shop. The previous owner, he shifted his shop but he left behind the sign. “What does sign say?” Prabhupada asked. Sign says ‘ A Matchless Gift’. He said, ‘That’s nice, keep that sign. Let’s keep that sign. Because I have the matchless gifts. I have come to your country to give the matchless gifts.’ So that place became known as, still it is very popularly known as ‘Matchless Gift’. So kind of moment started there. As the followers were coming regularly, chanting, dancing and sitting down . Srila Prabhupada was feeding them, he who was cooking, he was washing pots. Others were just guests. When chanting and dancing were over, Srila Prabhupada was teaching them the swami step. Prabhupada taught some steps and they name it ‘swami steps’. Prabhupada had a hat, then the ‘swami hat’. They were naming like that. The swami hat, swami step.

Then one day Prabhupada had this idea of doing public kirtan. So he took his followers to a place called Tomkins Square Park, not far from this 26 avenue. And he held the first public congregational chanting in the Western world. Haribol!! He did kiratn and so many people gathered around. Then Kirtanananda, Acyutananda, there were only few followers with him. After or in the middle of the kirtan, Prabhupada stood up next to the tree and he is giving his talk, explaining this Mahamantra . You remember that photograph? Prabhupada sitting and there is a tree behind. He is addressing some westerners. He is standing up. So that is Tomkins Square park. During Centennial of Srila Prabhupada in1966, we held major kirtan there to commemorate the very first ever kirtan held by Srial Prabhupada in the western world, public place.

To promote World Holy Name Week while Eklavya prabhu was in New York. He went to Tomkins Square park few months ago. He took a cameraman with him and he stood next to the same tree. The tree is still there. And he gave a five minutes talk, presentation with animated body languages and promoting this World Holy Name Week. I’m sure during these days, the New York Radha Govind Temple devotees, they also are planning. We just received a news.
New York, they are planning everyday nagar kirtan in different places. Haribol!! New Jersey is another state. New York is another state adjoining next to each other. So both states New Jersey and New York. New York is also city, New York is also state. Like New Delhi is also state, New Delhi is also city, like that. So devotees will be going to the Tomkins Square Park and holding the big nagar kirtan there during this World Holy Name Week. Holy Name is Srila Prabhupada gift to the whole world. Essence of Krsna Consciousness is chanting the holy name of the Lord. He gave gift of the holyname. This is no less than krsna. He gave the gift of the holyname. What does that mean? He gave Krsna. He gave holyname means he gave Krsna to the Western world, to whole world. So this World holy Name Week culminates in the last day, the 11th , last day is the day of Srila Prabhupada arrival in America.

For some years now we have been doing this celebration by chanting,
“Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare”

So he took sannyas for the benefit of the whole world. He renounced, sacrificed everything for Krsna and taking sannyas. He went to the West and he delivered the Holy name. He gave Krsna to the whole world. So his followers continue his mission spreading the Holyname. And this World Holy Name Week is providing us, as there is book marathon making special effort. Not that other time books are not distributed, but we make some special effort to distribute some additional books And we get involve as many temple devotees, congregations, youths, man, woman even child is involved with the book distribution.

During centennial again we started ‘Feed the World Day’. We had one World Holy Name Day, Feed the World Day and World Enlightenment Day. We had these three days. Because we thought these are Prabhupada’s gifts. Prabhupada gave books, gave Holy Name and gave prasadam. So during that centennial master plan, had these three days. So the World Enlightenment Day is carrying on. Bhagavad Gita Jayanti Marathon, that is going strong. Feed the World Day, am not sure. It was going on for some years. We are not hearing so much. Mukunda Maharaj was behind that. Now we started with the centennial and we are continuing on this World Holy Name Day. But now day has expanded into week. This time, it is more than a week. In fact, it is nine days.

So we are very happy and proud of ISKCON Pune taking lead in propagating the Holyname of Lord. Ganapati Bapa moriya, I think we had enough of that now. That’s fine but ‘harer namaiva kevalam’. The recommendation is ‘harer namaiva kevalam’. Take note of this ‘harer-hari naam’, ‘harer namaiva kevalam’. People don’t know who is Hari. So they try to equalize other names with Supreme Personality of Godhead’s name, Krsna, Rama names. Or something that could be part of the religion and they think the part is everything. Part is the whole thing. For some people the part is the whole thing. So this is Hari-naam, time for spreading the Holyname for the benefit of everybody.

Things are not getting better, only getting worse day by day, year after year. So many clashes and so many differences, economy is melting down. What is melting down? The glacier, also the snow is melting down and coming down, going into the ocean. And there is a fear of the ocean levels may be rising. People of Mumbai, they don’t wish to undergo jal Samadhi. They will all have to rush to Pune, take shelter of Pune. Those are the days ahead of this world unless something is taken seriously. Whole life style is not revolutionized otherwise their present their life style, it is only a death style. People want to die in a style. That cannot go on. ‘This show cannot go on any longer’, Prabhupada said this. Last public lecture that Prabhupada delivered, then no more public function, that was in ’77 month of April.

In Azad Maidan Prabhupada delivered the talk. The topic was, ‘ The Modern Civilization is Total Failure’. So that was ’77, 32 years ago. People were wondering, ‘What is Swamiji talking about? The modern civilization is total failure?’ They still had some hope. They were thinking, the technology and the sciences are going to deliver some goods, keeping their promises. But Prabhupada, he was convinced with the total failure 32 years ago. Now it is more than obvious. Of course people are so stubborn and not honest. They may not admit this but everything is right there.

Caitanya Caran, spiritual scientist, he will tell you. He has all the statistics, all the numbers. It could be eye openers. So only solution Prabhupada was proposing, the only alternative is Krsna Consciousness. Not just for India but for the Whole world. He never thought of India only. God never thinks of India only or Hindus only or human beings only. Prabhupada’s thinking was high, thinking like God although not God. ‘saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair’. Like father like son. God, Krsna is father so he is son. Abhay Carananaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada was thinking like God, broad thinking looking into the future. He was very much concerned about the welfare of the whole world.

So push forward this Hare Krsna movement, understand this. Prabhupada always appealed, ‘Understand this Hare Krsna movement’. Today is your first day. Ganesh was in the way, He is supposed to be vignaharta. He became some kind of vigna for you propagating the Holyname. But now he is gone, he could be with us. Demigods love chanting the Holynames. They love chanting.

‘yam brahma varunendra-rudra marutah stunvanti divyaih stavair’ (S.B 12.13.1)

When there is arati of Gauranga Mahaprabhu, Brahma comes. ‘arati korena brahma-adi deva-gane’. Then comes Shiva, ‘kiba siva-sukha-narada’, they all come. Only few names have been mentioned. But others also they participate. They know Krsna’s position. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared, all demigods had welcomed the Lord. They were participating; in disguise they were doing kirtan.

Brahma had come again. What did he do? Exclusively he devoted his life for chanting the holynames.
“Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare”

Is anybody busy like Brahma? He is most busy person. He went on the retreat 100 years and took little break and just chanted and chanted and chanted. So tell busy people the example of brahma. He took some time off.

Okay so we stop here. I have heard of your plans. I had read about it. We also wildly speculating your plans for others to read and hear, get inspired. We are getting communications now all the way from Fiji writing and different part of the world. The Moscow, one mataji last Sunday, she had set up a table. And she was getting devotees to take a vow for japaton-additional chanting. It was big success also.

Someone from New Jersey has submitted list of maybe 100 names. This prabhu, this mataji, two more rounds , everyday ten more rounds. They have already given us a report. These devotees, those many rounds. Grand total, how many additional rounds they chanted in New Jersey every year. There is account like that. We sent appeal to so many Gurus, spiritual masters for them to appeal to their followers and disciples, very good response. They all have sent communications, encouraging inspiring their followers to participate in this World Holy Name Week. This is for chanting. This year seems to be the best ever. So keep it up. Keep sending reports. You don’t have to send only final installment. As it went everyday or every other day, you provide what happen. This helps and we circulate that.
There is also internet kirtan that you should take note. Tomorrow night in Vrndavana there will be kirtan, internet kirtan. Kirtan will be lead in Vrndavana. It is also to be heard and to be followed globally. So from 6 to 7 Aindra Prabhu is going to be leading kirtan. Haribol!! From 7 to 8, they have scheduled me to lead kirtan. Haribol!! 8 to 9 is Indradyumna Maharaj, Haribol!! That much I remember now.

So these are the three kirtans to be broadcasted from Vrndavana. The technology in Pune, it exists. Eklavya is also here.
What is expected is, you hear as these kirtan are being lead. As I lead here, you hear. I’ll be in Vrndavana leading and you would be hearing here and also responding. We had done this last April. This internet kirtan, we tried once before 24 hours. I was in Bangladesh that time. So second time we are attempting this internet kirtan. So look into that, try to tune in. There are also temples doing 24 hours kirtan. I know ISKCON Aravade, Nagpur, Solapur. We were just there just there in that area. 24 hours start either from Mangala arati time till next Mangala arati time or starts at noon or evening till next noon. Taking turns, one day is one of the feature. We have nagar kirtan , public chanting, Japaton and internet. These are the broad guidelines. Within those categories you could have many ideas. In Bengal it is famous as ‘asta prahar’. You make a schedule and 4-5 devotees in a team depending what your strength is. You do one day, one night and continuous 24 hours. And others could participate. You don’t have to be here. You could be in other place also, some other temple. It could be here. It will be nice if it is done here.

Speaker: HH Lokanath Swami
Venue: Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir
Date: 7 March 2016

So that’s the verse, Eleventh Canto, Chapter 5, Text 32. Are you familiar, if you have looked at the board? Yeah! Sounds familiar? Not new! But ever ever new also at the same time! Never be-comes old!
So here we are in land of Gauranga, Gauranga! (Devotees respond: Gauranga!) Sri Krishna Cai-tanya Mahaprabhu ki (Devotees respond: Jaya!) And also we have gathered here amongst other reasons, gathered here for Kirtan Mela ki (Devotees respond: Jaya!) Yes, you have come here for Kirtan Mela! Some of you have just come for the Kirtan Mela.. So I thought of selecting a verse that talks of Caitanya Mahaprabhu as well as of course talks about the kirtana, sankirtana- yajna, that we are engaged in here. So quickly as time is running.

krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah ( SB 11.5.32)

Translation and Purport by disciples of His Divine Grace A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prab-hupada ki (Devotees respond: Jaya!)
“In the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Krsna. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krsna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions.”

“This same verse is quoted by Krsnadasa Kaviraja in the Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila, Chapter Three, verse 52”. And I was reminded that Laghu Bhagavatamrta of Rupa Goswami, he also quotes this verse in the very beginning of Laghu Bhagavatamrta, Rupa Goswami does, its part of his mangalacarana, same verse.

“His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada has given the following commentary on this verse. “This text is from Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.32). Srila Jiva Gosvami has explained this verse in his commentary on the Bhagavatam known as the Krama-sandarbha, wherein he says that Lord Krsna also appears with a golden complexion. That golden Lord Krsna is Lord Caitanya”. Did you hear that, “That golden Lord K???a is Lord Caitanya.” Very nice the way Prabhupada is commenting based on Krama-sandarbha. “who is worshiped by intelligent men in this age. That is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam by Garga Muni, who said that although the child Krsna was blackish, He also appears in three other colours — red, white and yellow”

“ idanim krsnatam gatah” (SB 10.8.13), Garga Muni, idanim krsnataam gatah, now He has be-come Krishna. But previously He was, suklo raktas tatha pita (SB 10.8.13). He has three other colours, sukla-white in Satya Yuga, rakta-red in Treta Yuga and now He has appeared in Dvapara Yuga as Krishna, so what is the remaining age, Kali Yuga, pita. So four colours mentioned and then he had already mentioned three ages. So fourth age is Kali and pita is remaining colour, so that is Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s colour.

“Who said that although the child Krsna was blackish, He also appears in three other colors — red, white and yellow. He exhibited His white and red complexions in the Satya and Treta ages respectively. He did not exhibit the remaining color, yellow-gold, until He appeared as Lord Cai-tanya, who is known as Gaurahari”
Hari who is Gaura. Either Gauranga whose complexion is Gaura anga, golden complexion or Hari Hari. So Gaurahari! He is Hari, but what kind of Hari He is? (Devotees respond: Gaurahari) Gaurahari! Don’t just say Hari! Hari! Say Gaurahari! “Srila Jiva Gosvami explains that k???a-var?am means Sri Krsna Caitanya”. That is he is getting back to the verse, there is krsna-varnam and that refers to Caitanya. “Krsna-varnam and Krsna Caitanya are equivalent. The name Krsna appears with both Lord Krsna and Lord Caitanya Krsna.”

“namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te krsnaya krsna-caitanya-namne” -I offer my obeisance’s unto krsnaya, krsnaya because namah is there, I offer my obeisances unto Krishna, you say that in Sanskrit as krsnaya, which kind of Krishna, krsnaya krsna-caitanya-namne, Krishna whose name is Krsna Caitanya, unto that Krishna I offer my obeisances. krsnaya krsna-caitanya-namne, Krishna whose name is Krsna Caitanya, I offer my obeisances unto Him.
“Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but He always engages in describing Krsna and thus enjoying transcendental bliss by chanting and remembering His name and form. Lord Krsna Himself”. So that is krsna-varnam, anyway I will go ahead, keep going and then get back.

“Lord Krsna Himself appears as Lord Caitanya to preach the highest gospel. Varnayati means ‘utters’ or ‘describes.’ Lord Caitanya always chants the holy name of K???a and describes it also”. He chants and He describes. And that is why He is called here as krsna-varnam, the very first word of this verse is what, krsna-varnam, krsna-varnam, varna. So Krishna, these are varna’s. Also varnan, from that comes, varhah, description. So krsna-varnam, who always chants and describes, so thats krsna-varnam. And because He is K???a Himself, whoever meets Him will automatically chant the holy name of Krsna and later describe it to others”. That’s preaching.

“He injects one with transcendental Krsna consciousness, which merges the chanter in transcendental bliss”. In all respects, therefore, He appears before everyone as Krsna, either by personality or by sound. He appears as personality or sound. Personality is there in the form of vigraha and sound is,

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

He appeared you could say. And there is no difference. The form and the description, not different. Or form and the sound no difference, form and the sound. Simply by seeing Lord Caitanya one at once remembers Lord Krsna. One may therefore accept Him as visnu-tattva. In other words, Lord Caitanya is Lord Krsna Himself.”Haribol! (Devotees: Haribol!)

So its a long purport but we don’t have long time for the class here. So I will kind of stop there and well go to the verse and make few comments. Some comments have been made and we’ve already read, we heard. But we could make few more connections.
Earlier in this same chapter question was raised by Nimi, King Nimi and Karabhajana Muni, he is talking to Karabhajana Muni. It is a dialogue between King Nimi and Karabhajana Muni. And the question raised was,

sri-rajovaca
“kasmin kale sa bhagavan kim varnah kidrso nrbhih
namna va kena vidhina pujyate tad ihocyatam” (SB 11.5.19)

Please tell me, kasmin kale, or kasmin yuge, in which age, bhagavan kim varnah, Lord appears in which kind of varnah, or complexion, colour. namna, or what name does He become known as in different ages, kena vidhina pujyate and by which process, paddhati, mode of worship He is worshipped in or worshiped by.
So he was interested to know in which age, which Lord, which incarnation, colour, please tell me colour, please tell me the name, please tell me the process He is worshipped. So after Satya, Tre-ta, and Dvapara, he has already given reply to those questions or those ages have been described. Which Lord appears and what colour does He appear and how is He worshipped and what are the names. And now is the turn of the age of Kali and then he talks of this verse.
In the age of Kali, the Lord appears, krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam, so this kind of Krishna, Lord appears in the age of Kali, krsna-varnam, krsna varna, He always chants,

Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna he!

Like that. krsna-varnam, He always chants and always describes Krishna, that’s krsna-varnam, krsna varna tvisa akrsna, tvisa refers to the luster, complexion, ok what kind of complexion, a-krsnam, a means no, krsna means black. He does not appear as a blackish complexion. Opposite of black is what? White, more than white! He appears as golden, which is very close, white plus much more! krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam and that one also, krsnaya krsna-caitanya-namne gaura-tvise namah, same tvisa is, you find tvisa here and that pranama mantra of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu there is also tvisa, tvisa, grammar has done something to that tvisa. So gaura-tvise, I offer my obeisances unto the Lord who is of golden complexion, like that mantra we offer obeis-ances with.

“namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te
krsnaya krsna-caitanya- namne gaura-tvise namah”

Four things quickly, four things are mentioned, Krishna’s, Lord’s name is mentioned, what is His name, krsnaya krsna-caitanya, then His form is mentioned, what kind of form, gaura-tvise, form of the Lord, gaura-tvise is a form. So name, form, and quality, what is the quality of, namo maha-vadanyaya, this is the quality of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, amongst all or many, so many qualities, this is predominating quality of Sri Krishna Caitanya. He is namo maha-vadanyaya, maha, most magnanimous, matchless Lord, no one comes close to Him when we talk of the magnanimity of the Lord. So namo maha-vadanyaya, this is, this is the quality, guna of the Lord and what is remaining, nama, rupa, guna and lila, the pastimes, so what is the pastime of this Lord Gauranga, namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te, krsna-prema-prada, krsna-prema-prada, da the giver of Krishna prema, prada, He gives so much, prakrsta rupena, gives so much. So its not only, like narada, just da there but prada, He gives so much, ocean of prema. So that pranama mantra itself has nama, rupa, guna, lila of Gauranga.

So tvisakrsna, tvisa, refers to complexion of the Lord which is a-krsna, not black. sangopanga-stra-parsadam, so there are four items here. The letter sa there, sa means with, equipped with, with that, sa anga, anga, upanga, sangopangastra, astra, sangopangastra-parsada, fourth is parsa-da.

sa anga, sa upanga, sa astra, sa parsada, He appears along with all these items here. So He appears with anga, limbs, they are like a part of Him. So Nityananda, Advaita is anga of the Lord. In the commentaries by acharyas, Jiva Goswami they explain this. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura also quoting other commentators. Srila Prabhupada briefly does mention, we did not reach that part in the purport.

upanga, Srivasa and many many devotees are upanga’s. So anga, upanga, astra,

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

is a astra, is a weapon, to do what, “paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam” (Bg 4.8), there are so many duskritina’s, dusta’s the demons. So astra the holy name, so the astra’s are used for killing the demons. But the Lord has appeared as the most magnanimous. So this time His wea-pons are not the usual bow and arrow, the axe like a Parasurama is using, Krishna is Sudarshana. In fact when Nityananda Prabhu was attacked, Caitanya Mahaprabhu had appeared on the scene with Sudarshana! But then He was reminded, No, No, No, Nityananda Prabhu, not in this age, not this weapon.

The weapon is,
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
It is also described that Lord’s beauty is also weapon. The demoniac mentality or demoniac con-sciousness is killed or defeated just by the beauty of Gauranga. He was so beautiful, just by look-ing at Him, the arrows are shot at, at the person who is looking at Mahaprabhu and he is killed in no time. His beauty is the weapon, captivating, capturing and then that person surrenders unto Gauranga.

So there are the astra’s mentioned, there are several astra’s. Prasadam is also astra. And hence comes the ISKCON bullet, ISKCON bullets are gulab jamuns. And you are finished! So Prabhu-pada just fed prasada and so many demons, American demons, demoniac nature was killed. There were hippies, there were demons, they chanted Hare Krishna, ate gulab jamuns and they were happy. The hippies became happies.

So Prabhupada was senapati bhakta, talking of senapati, sena means army, he is chief in com-mander and then he made New York his destination. Go to New York, New York the capital of the age of Kali. And upon arrival there he started showering bombs of the holy name and the time bomb his books were also weapons. They would explode but not destroy but construct beautiful heart or consciousness.

So Bhagavatam is a weapon, Bhagavatam is complete, in there is Krishna’s beauty, Krishna’s form, Krishna, Krishna. So sangopangastra-parsadam, His parsada’s are Gadhadhara is His par-sada, Govinda was His parsada, Ramananda Raya was His parsada, Rupa Sanatana were His par-sada and many others. So all those who were with Him at that time, those who appeared along with Him, they are anga’s limbs or upanga’s secondary limbs, or astra’s the weapons or parsada’s His companions, they are always around.

“yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah”

So first two lines is one part in this verse. Lord is described. It is just Lord’s description. What kind of Lord is described? Like this, krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam, am, am, you see, for some reason it is ‘am’, ‘am’. So they are one family, they are together. They all describe Lord. And here is already established now. He is Sri Krishna Caitanya, because gaura-tvise a-krsna, He is not black, He is golden.

So then the two more parts are there, yajanti hi su-medhasah, su-medhasah yajanti, su-medasah is su means nice wonderful, medhasah intelligent. The most intelligent persons yajanti, they wor-ship, most intelligent persons, what do they do, they worship. Who do they worship? In this verse, they worship krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam, su-medhasah yajanti, intelligent persons worship this Lord, Gauranga.
‘alpa medhasam’, Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita, alpa medhasam, those who are less intelligent devan deva-yajo yanti, they worship demigods, less intelligent Lord said. Less intelligent alpa medhasam, here is su-medhasah. Alpa means no or little, and su-medhasah, so much intelligent, highly intelligent persons, most intelligent persons would go for Gauranga! go for Gauranga! go for Gauranga! go for Gauranga! go for Gauranga!

So yajanti his su-medasah, now they worship this Lord, but how do they worship, what is the mode of worship? what is the process do they adopt? That is the third part. yajnaih sankirtana-prayair su-medhasah yajanti, they worship, how do they worship yajnaih, yajnaih means by per-formance of yajna and doesn’t stop there, not giving any room for speculation, immediately that yajna’s name is mentioned. Which yajna? sankirtana yajna. There is no yajnaih and then full stop. Period! No! yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajnaih su-medhasah yajanti, the intelligent persons wor-ship this Lord in the age of Kali by chanting

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

So you must be intelligent that you have assembled here to worship the Lord who appears in the age of Kali. Worship how, by chanting krsna-varnam, as Lord did personally in fact, krsna-varnam, Lord personally did this “apani acari jagate sikhaya” by His own example He taught others, He taught the whole world. So He chanted 500 years ago personally. All that chanting started in Mayapur, Navadvipa and He takes sannyasa, He travels all over India chanting and dancing and the way He has shaken up, shaken, shaken up the whole world, or universe and left the vibrations – Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna! So that is what is shaking us up, waking us up, those vibrations are still in the air! Of course He has not stopped chanting, still He is here, Gau-ranga is here! “kona kona bhagyavan dekhi bare pare”, those who are fortunate they could even see today, Gauranga Mahaprabhu performing His pastimes and His pastimes here are kirtana lila.

And same lila Prabhupada expanded that. Mahaprabhu chanted just within the boundaries of In-dia and Prabhupada said, ‘Mahaprabhu left this job of spreading, chanting beyond the boundaries of India up to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.’ (Devotees: Haribol!) So he became the founder acharya 50 years ago, ISKCON was founded, and then same “sankirtanaih kapitarau” as sankirtana was started by Mahaprabhu here was then inauguration took place and now it has reached far and wide. And what is the indication, how do we know it has reached far and wide? Right here, we see the faces from around the world, we heard day before yesterday devotees from 70 countries are here. (Devotees: Haribol!)

And then I say, I have been saying this, from nama to dhama. Devotees receive nama wherever they are, in their country they receive nama, and that nama the holy name brings them to dhama. (Devotees: Haribol!) So nama to dhama.
So one day will come as predicted by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, this yajnah, sankirtana-yajnah will be performed in every town, every village of this planet. And from every village, from every town devotees will be making plans to come to Mayapur for Kirtan Mela, amongst other festival aspects. And they will be coming from every little town, Timbaktu, there is a Timbaktu, from there also they will come. So this is just the beginning, this is just the beginning, 50 years passed and now another 9000 years to go. You could imagine. This temple which is going to hold 10,000 devotees, the TOVP temple in the front is built to accommodate how many devo-tees,10,000 but for sure as soon as temple is opened it will be filled, it will be packed. (Devotees: Haribol!) Then we have to make plans for bigger temple, or stadium.

Ok Thank you very much!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“adav ante ca madhye ca harih sarvatra giyate”

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

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

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

“yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Venue: Vrindavana
Dated: 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The materialism versus spiritualism, so India has always stood for the values, the spiritual values. India produces men of character and big big heros, personalities. There was a time the students, the scholars they would come to India to study different sciences. India was known for the knowledge. Knowledge is complete knowledge; our shastras are also, all aspects. Not just how to attain moksha and go beyond this existence and attain liberation. That of course, but even how to lead a practical life, a successful life, a good life, healthy life, prosperous life. How to do that, this was also taught. This education was also there. That knowledge did exist. That treasure, house of knowledge still there. We had Nalanda, you heard that name, that university? Nalanda and Takshashila and Navadvipa. The scholars came from all over the world. One scholar from China, he had come and travelled, toured all over India. And he was so impressed with the learning, the body of knowledge, all aspects of knowledge and the scriptures which contain complete knowledge. Materialism, spiritualism, you name it and it was all in there.

So I just read this, this scholar, his name is Chinese name; during his tour, he has gathered all the manuscripts which he wanted to bring back home, Back to China. (Laughter)

His home, it sounded like back to home, back to Godhead. And then, he was taking some scholars with him who would teach, interpret those scriptures and explain the deeper meanings. So as they were back home, back to China, they had to travel on the way through a boat. What ocean that could be? Bay of Bengal, some tours, Japan side, Pacific and like that they were going. So they were traveling in a boat loaded with the manuscripts from India and the scholars also. It must be some rainy season like that. Again not just India or Hindus. Because this knowledge that we are talking is a science like a physics and chemistry and other sciences. It is said everywhere, right? H2O, 2 parts of hydrogen and 1 part of oxygen and all that. KLMnO4, catalyst and what comes out is H2O. This is the same formula that is being taught all over. Then this is called scientific. In fact, knowledge given by the Lord and our sages is scientific, is eternal, unchangeable, very valuable.

So Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada ki jai!! He was that Bharatratna. You may want to call someone Bharatratna and give a title. He was the ratna of this soil. He knew the value and then he endeavored to share this knowledge, this wealth, this treasure with the rest of the world by establishing, by founding this International Society for Krsna Consciousness. I am personally very very happy. This is how Srila Prabhupada was encouraging his countrymen to step forward and understand India’s culture, India’s scriptures, India’s wealth, real wealth and be enriched, become rich in experience and make the whole world also richer. So he did a lot. He did everything possible so that, some of the Indians will understand the value of the world around all over will understand. And he was successful. We could see right here he is taking every opportunity he took talking all the time, sharing this knowledge all the time. So it was kind of disappointing in early days that just one student from Bombay joining. Of course later on some more joined and more they are joining. But I am talking of the way it started in ’71, ’72, ’73. So not only I am happy , I am happy because I know that what used to make Prabhupada happy. I am sure Prabhupada is watching from wherever and he is happy to see so many youths of India are taking keen interest in this subject matter. So it is very encouraging. So I am happy that I have the opportunity to be with you, share something with you today.

Curbing the symbol of sin, that is the whole work for us this evening. Curbing, killing, smashing, dashing and subduing the sin or symbol of sin. It says in fact, the greatest symbol of sin is the lust.
Thank you

Venue: Dubai
Dated: 2008
There are lots of Jagannath temples in Damodara desh. The place we are staying, there is also Jagannatha Baladev Subhadra. Here also Jagannatha, lots of Jagannathas. In Dubai, streets are quiet wide, no overhead wires. For holding ratha yatra, these streets are pretty ideal. In India, the roads are narrow, there overheads wires all over. Devotees have to, you have seen them how they do? When that day will be coming when we’ll have a grand ratha yatra here in Dubai? Haribol!!

One day that will happen, maybe within our lifetime or soon after, 50 years. Sounds difficult and even there is impossibility. That day I was thinking, having Jagannatha temple indoor. 15, 20 years ago if we were to hear that in 2008, the country called Damodar desh, hundreds and hundreds of devotees, followers of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and hundreds of homes with deities of Jagannatha and Gaura Nitai. Who could have believed such thing? Forget it, not possible, in Dubai Middle East? Something that we thought would not happen, not possible. Here we are seeing that dream coming true or impossibility becoming possible. So likewise this 40 or 50 years ago, the whole world or well in India or Bengal, they were wondering when the prediction of Caitanya Mahaprabhu going to come true? Is it going to come true? Caitanya Mahaprabhu predicted,

‘prithivite ache yata nagaradi grama
sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama’

Caitanya Mahaprabhu predicted ‘prithivi’, what is prithivi? Whole planet, ‘prithivite ache yata’, as many nagars and grams, towns and villages are there on this planet. In those many villages, in those many towns “haibe mora nama”- My name would be chanted, this was prediction. This 50 years ago devotees were wondering, is this ever going to happen? Or the prithvi that Caitanya Mahaprabhu refered to, is that just India or is that just Bengal or Orissa or just Radha kunda or just may be Manipur? There was some chanting of the holy name was going on.

In 1965, Srila Prabhupada took that journey. It took him 30 days he traveled by boat Jaladuta. Devaduta was travelling by Jaladuta. Beautiful name of that boat, Jaladuta, Duta means messenger, so there was messenger travelling on that boat, Devaduta, Caitanya duta. He could only travel by cargo ship that time. Now we want to go to the West, travel to the West we do not consider that as an option. We just fly, cross the oceans, one ocean or seven oceans we land. But Srila Prabhupada had to undertake that kind of journey and he landed in New York. From the boat he just climbed down, there was no one to receive him. Srila Prabhupada writes in his Jaladuta diary, Prabhupada’s diary called Jaladuta diary. Well, he did not know where to turn, right or left. Once he was in New York off the boat or down the stairs, there was no one to receive him, no hotel booking and no one to pick him up.

So we say, he was by himself. We also say he was penniless; he had only 5 dollars worth 40 rupees only. Then Prabhupada started chanting, “Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare”. He did not have microphone. He did not have anybody to play drum for him. He would be literally on the footpath and chanting. Only passers by people on the footpath, of course Americans. They would listen and of course everyone get attracted. There was a magnetic, something magnetic would get them, so they had to stop. The holy name was the Lord Himself and stopping them. Of course the personality of Prabhupada, the way he had dressed that was also very much different from American national dress. So they were stopping and hearing. Prabhupada would speak. Sometimes people would ask and Prabhupada would show, ‘this is Krsna, this is God, Supreme Personality of Godhead.’ ‘If He is God, what is the girl doing there?’ (Laughter) So much ignorance. The world is full of ignorance. Americans had no clue that if this is Krsna and next to Him has to be who? Srimati Radharani. Not only Radharani but Simati Radharani. And if that is Rama then next to Him? Sri Sita devi. And if that is Narayana then next to Him? Sri Lakshmi devi. It is such a common knowledge. Even children know this in India. Even that much was not known to these ignorant Americans. So those were the good old days, in abroad days. Under those circumstances, Srila Prabhupada inaugurated his Hare Krsna movement. Then he will be sometimes sitting in the park on the bench. One day someone sitting next to him and some dialogues begun. Srila Prabhupada is by himself but he is talking about the temples around the world and Krsna consciousness around the world. And he was explaining to that gentleman that he was talking to.

The International Society for Krsna Consciousness was limited just to him, just the one person, founder. He was not even registered by the time he was talking. So that was 42, 43 years ago. Very soon Hare Krsna movement was founded in New York. And Srila Prabhupada had invitation to go to San Francisco. Srila Prabhupada took flight and he was landing in San Francisco. He looked through the window of the aircraft of that airline. To him all those buildings, tall sky scrapers, they look like a match box one on the other; Prabhupada describes. That was the first flight Prabhupada ever took in his life. He was 70 years old and New York to San Francisco in 1965 at the age of 70. That was the first time Prabhupada had flown, taken flight. Already he had some followers that invited him to come to San Francisco and hold festivals. Some kind, big name from the hippie era, San Francisco was the capital of hippies. One of the leaders of the hippie kingdom, they were attracted to Prabhupada, to his singing.

So during that visit, as Srila prabhupada stayed in San Francisco and Jagannatha ratha yatra festival was held. We were talking of Jaganntah ratha yatra in Dubai. The first ever ratha yatra in Western world took place, that was in San Francisco in 1966. There were 10,000 Americans attended that ratha yatra in the Golden Gate park, famous park. When I heard those numbers, I was thinking maybe they are just talking, maybe little, someone just making numbers. But very recently, I saw the footage of Yadubara Prabhu, Prabhupada disciple. He has made almost a movie, the footage is available now on ISKCON Cinema. You have seen? I saw the footage and I was amazed. I had been hearing, seeing is believing and when I saw the crowds, I was amazed to see the number of Americans attending that 1966 ratha yatra. It was so successful. Prabhupada was so much pleased. You can imagine the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada for the successful completion of Jagannatha ratha yatra in San Francisco. That was not even regular ratha, chariot; flat bed truck. And the deities were made by one of his followers called Syamasundar. Malati is his wife and they have a daughter called Sarasvati. Prabhupada asked him to make the deities. How should they look like Prabhupada? Asked Syamasundar.

And Prabhupada gave them small doll sized deities. Where did Prabhupada find those deities? In fact, Malati, wife of Syamasundar as she was doing her shopping in one of the Hyper bazaars, I just read Hyper bazaar. I read Super bazaar, today I read Hyper bazaar. So one of those Hyper, Super, super duper bazaars that Malati was doing shopping one day and she found little strange looking dolls. Along with her shopping she also bought that doll back home or back to the small Hare Krsna center. Srila Prabhupada found the doll which Malati’s daughter Sarasvati was playing with that. Srila Prabhupada saw that strange looking doll, for him the doll was not strange at all. And he immediately said, ‘bring that, bring that here. Where did you find it?’ He inquired from Malati and she gave the whole explanation. Prabhupada said. ‘ go back, if you look just around where you found this deity doll, there should be two more similar kind of strange looking.’ And Malati ran back to the store and was surprised to find two more of those dolls. She returned and now there were three of them. Srila Prabhupada placed them on the desk in front of him And Srila Prabhupada was moved, he was in prayerful mood as he was looking at these dolls with devotion. Everyone was surprised and was wondering what is so special about these dolls, strange looking dolls. Then Srila Prabhupada for the first time, he explained Lord Jagannatha. Jagannatha Baladev Subhadra ki jay!! He explained Jagannatha Puri and Jagannatha Baladev Subhadra deities.

So when Syamasundar had to make deities, Srila Prabhupada said, ‘ you make deities looking just like these.’ He gave that as a model of deities after these small Jagannatha Baladev Subhadra. And then that ratha yatra was held and big turnout. Srila Prabhupada said that San Francisco will be known as New Jagannatha Puri. Haribol!! He named that town as this town or little state has been named Damodar by Jayapataka Maharaj. So Srila Prabhupada said, ‘this new city will be New Jagannatha Puri.’ The grand ratha yatra festival had became talk of the town. Gradually now they are holding ratha yatra every year, year after year. The Mayor of the town San Francisco, he declared, ‘the day Hare Krsna will hold ratha yatra, that day will be the Jagannatha Ratha Yatra Day.’ Haribol!!

He made that as a big declaration. Whenever there is ratha yatra that is Ratha Yatra Day in San Fancisco. So the deities are there in San Francisco, the tall deities. They are not the original deities.

Till September 1965, the chanting of the holy name was happening mostly maybe few people somewhere in the Western world were chanting hidingly or they worshipped their Lords also hidingly, in a closet they worshipped. But soon the Hare Krsna chanting was happening on the streets of major cities of America. People were taking note and they soon of course reach straight over to Europe and European countries and to South Africa, Africa and countries, even East Africa also, Canada. Prabhupada went to Japan side and finally returned to India also. That’s where we met him in 1971.

When Prabhupada went he saw the Western world and he conquered the Western. He went, saw and conquered. Who said that? Alexander and then he was also loosing all those. He was not good as maintenance. He is known for conquering and loosing his kingdom. So Prabhupada was going, seeing and conquering those countries. When he took birth he was just a baby, it was predicted, this child is not an ordinary one. He will establish 108 temples. So Prabhupada did that, more than 108 temples he established within his lifetime. He made Hare Krsna movement popular, Hare Krsna people. In Tokyo Hare Krsna, San Francisco Hare Krsna, London Hare Krsna, everywhere the chanting and dancing parties everywhere within very short span.

So as we took that point earlier, the world was wondering, is this holy name, could it be spread all over the planet? All over the world? Or it will be limited to Bengal, Orissa, Radha Kunda or Manipur, just few of those places in India. Srila Prabhpada- empowered Acharya- Senapati bhakta we call, chief in commander of the Sankirtan army, he went to New York. Why New York? Because that was capital of the age of Kali, is New York (Laughter) Maya’s kingdom, Kali’s kingdom and its capital.

That commander in chief, he headed for that capital. He wanted to conquer that capital. He goes there and there has to be some weapons. So what weapon? Hari nama, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. The Hari nama was exploding on the streets of New York entering in the hearts of the people Americans, explosion. As a result all the ignorance were getting destroyed, smashed. Also Prabhupada came up with the bullets. What are the bullets? Gulab jamun (Laughter).

All this the language of the army, he was the commander in chief; also the books are time bombs. (Laughter) It may take little time but literally they will explode and will revolutionize, revolution in consciousness. That is terms Prabhupada also used this term, revolution in consciousness. This revolution, French revolution and his revolution and that revolution. Russians have their revolution in 1900, lasted for some 80 years only and then collapsed. Then Prabhupada came up with the revolution.

Revolution, dissolution, no solution. (Laughter) Prabhupada said in his purport and no solution. Prabhupada gave a solution also, by revolutionizing consciousness, humanity change, change of heart, change of consciousness. He changed something. If you change one thing in a person’s life and then everything else changes. What is that you would like to change? Change that person, if you change one thing and everything else changes. What is that? His consciousness. You change the consciousness and everything else, all the external features also, the form will change. So from substance to the form, substantial change and the root level, changing at the root level. Thinking, thought level, consciousness level, soul level go deeper. When Prabhupada had temples opened, he had temples commanders also, bullets, bombs and revolution.

Srila Prabhupada did go to Iran, atleast once, maybe more than once, is that Middle East he came that close and was heading towards. And then one of his disciples, he translated Bhagavad gita in Arabic language. In Iran devotees would preach from Bhagavad gita. They would begin their discourse saying, ‘allah uvaca’ (Laughter), nothing wrong.

‘bhagavan aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya
yasasah Sriyah jnana-vairagyasyos caiva’ (Visnu purana 6.5.47)

Bhagavan is ‘sad aisvarya purna’ full of six opulence’s. One of the six opulence’s is strength, His greatness. So Allah means God is great. Who could deny? If you want to say God is great in just one word, one name, Allah is that name. God is great, so that is fine.

So prior to 1965, the world was wondering, when is the holy name going to spread all over the world? It was spreading all over the world but had not reached the Middle East countries. Devotees are coming through, while coming from Europe sometimes devotees would drive from London to Mayapur, to Vrindavana. They would come for the festivals from these countries Tribhuvanath Prabhu my Godbrother.

So Prabhupada time, my godbrothers and godsisters, Yamuna was one of those very daring souls that pass through Middle east countries. There are some photographs of devotees, some war and some explosions, bombs and they were risking their lives. They took sometimes but finally Krsna consciousness is here in this part of the world taking deeper roots. And if has reached your hearts, if it is deeper rooted in your hearts, then it cannot be uprooted. If it is just something external at tilak level ‘nake tilak galaya mala’, and then ultimately you are ‘kalir chela’. This is very cheap, these symptoms, these external features. Of course they are deeper meaning and that’s part of Krsna consciousness. But sometimes they are just there but nothing within, nothing deeper. That is not the case here.

You have taken to Krsna consciousness very seriously, your homes are temples. Ghar ek mandir hai, har ek ghar mandir hai. We used to hear “dil ek mandir hai but now ghar ek mandir hai”. So we are very pleased that you have taken to Krsna consciousness seriously and practicing it. Some people in India say, “Oh, you know I am pretty regular going to the temple. I am regular, every Janmasthami. (Laughter) And the Rama navmi also, every Rama navmi”. Pretty regular, that’s also regular right? Once a year, that’s regular. You are more regular than ever before whether you are in India or not that regular. Not only you go, once a week you may go to the satsang program. There are so many weekly home programs. And then of course your home every day, you are attending to the Lord and making offerings offer obeisances and chanting and hearing.

You know how much regular it has to be? The sastras say, ‘anuksann, sann’ moment and the next moment also. sann and anuksann, ‘anu’ means to follow. One sann anuksann, then next sann, next asnn and then next and then next. ‘abhiksnasah’ continual, ‘srnvanti gayanti grnanty abhiksnasah’ (S.B 1.8.36), means nirantar, all the time. ‘satatam’ the way the word sounds, satatam, there is no space in this word ‘satatam’. ‘satatam’ means constantly, satatya . English word does not sound like that, constantly is not satatam, see the difference. ‘tesam satata yuktanam’, the 10th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, the Lord says, ‘tesam satata yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam’ (B.G 10.10). Those who worship Me serve Me satatam.

So once a year, that is also regular but every moment is also being regular. Once a week is also regular (Laughter). Once a day is also regular. So carry on practicing and spreading, preserving, propagating Krsna consciousness. This is the best gift that you could give it to anybody. Charity begins at home. You could give it to the family members and you could give it to your neighbors and give it to others. There was a time that Indians; they would go away from India to the West. Also maybe to get away from God. God has caught up with them. They went to the West, God has followed or Srila Prabhupada came with the God. Many wise Indians are accepting God, not just any God from the 33 crores Gods. But now you also know who is God and who is Supreme Personality of Godhead also. That discrimination, that understanding was not there before. Now Srila Prabhupada, pure devotee on behalf of Krsna and previous acharyas, he is making very very clear, crystal clear in his books who is God. I am not God, you are not God.

There is also trouble like that. I could make you God. You just have to get mantra, I will give you mantra. They sell mantras and some fools buy mantras thinking that they will end up becoming God. So many misleading statements, confusion, misunderstanding, speculating, impersonalism and lots of more. Srila Prabhupada made it very very clear and he made it available. It is available here now. As a result you have best of the whole world. You have some opulence of the West and you have culture and religion of the East. Chant Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare and take Krsna prasad. You have Bhagavad Gita also As It Is? Do not keep it as it is (Laughter). I have Bhagavad Gita and I keep it as it is. So don’t do that. Take it out, read. We’ll be meeting few more times in next few days if we have time.

I’ll stop here. Thank you for inviting us. It is an opportunity in great numbers present, houseful. Hare Krsna.

Venue: Vrindavan
Dated: 2008
Occasion: Srila Prabhupad’s Disappearance day

As we are gathered here at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada remembering him, I am reminded of a verse from the Bhagavatam.

“yesam samsmaranat pumsam sadyah suddhyanti vai grhah
kim punar darsana-sparsa-pada saucasanadibhih” (S.B 1.19.33)

Thus, the remembrance is sufficient for suddhyanti, for purification, remembrance of Srila Prabhupada. ‘kim punar darsana’, then what to speak, some of us had also opportunity for darshan of Srila Prabhupada. ‘sparsa’ the touch, the lotus feet also we touched and massaged his feet. ‘pada saucasanadibhih’ we did worshiping and washing his lotus feet. ‘asana adi bhi’, we offered him asann and etcetera, so many other services we were able to render while he was amongst us. But now all that we are left behind is basically one item from this list and that is darshan. And I was saying darshan that is available now to us is only sada darshan, the philosophy. So Prabhupada gave us his instructions and we could be sheltered by that darshan.

Today we have assembled to celebrate the disappearance day. But on the occasion like this, especially on disappearance day, I feel Prabhupada is appearing more, Haribol!!

As we hear about him, as we are reminded about him, especially I got to see Prabhupada disciples gathering in big number on this occasion. And my thought also, we cannot imagine Prabhupada’s disappearance. Prabhupada cannot disappear from this world, from ISKCON, from our life. That could be the end of lot of things if Prabhupada disappeared. We cannot allow that.

Hence, darshan of Srila Prabhupada in the form of his instruction, were specific instructions also given to us. And general instructions and his purports, his books full of darshan which is available now, accessible to not only to his disciples, but grand disciples and generations to come. This morning I was strongly feeling gratitude, I feel occasionally, should feel this all the time. But today I was thinking Prabhupada gave me Krsna. Prabhupada gave me life. I was dead. Life without Krishna is simply a death.

We become lively; life comes as we are made lively by the spiritual master, by his instructions and his guidance. We are all indebted to Srila prabhupada for what he has done. He has given Krsna. Is there anything more anyone else could give? No. So once his disciples were asking, “Is there anything we could do to become free from the debt that we owe to you Srila Prabhupada?” He said, “Nothing could be done.” But after a little pause he said, “Yes, you do as I did.” And that refers to, ‘You preach as I preached.’

It’s nice we are gathered and we are making offerings. But then the best offering would be offering ourselves wholly and solely to propagate the mission of Srila Prabhupada which is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission. Giving Krsna to more and more and more people and this will be most pleasing to Srila Prabhupada. And as we do that, Srila Prabhupada who is very far from us, he will be very next to us as we follow that instruction.
So on this day, we are being reminded, it’s a day of separation but how we could stay closer is by following him, dedicate our lives to propagate this Krsna consciousness movement for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada ki jay!!!!

Venue: ISKCON Nagpur
Dated: 16th August 2015

We should hear katha with shanti and silence and then hearing will give you all benefit, in between the ear and atma there is mana you should take care that mana does not create disturbance in hearing.

“ankulasya sankalpa pratikulasa varjanam”

Yo u are all welcome for Sunday feast, last time in Purosotam masa we heard the Mahima of Harinam. Yamraj said to his dutas bring those who don’t bend in front of Lord and those who don’t chant harinam. In vrindavan we did Bhagvat mahatmaya that was shown online on mayapur TV. Do you watch TV? yes this TV you can watch, iskcon TV you can see sitting at home.

Then I went to Jagannath puri for Navakalevaram utsava new deities were installed. It was a great experience. Special darshan of Lord Jagganath. Lord Jagannath walks in a special style His devotees carry Him. Lord puts His merciful glance on all His devotees.

“jagannathah svami nayana-patha-gami bhavatu me”

May that Jagannatha Swami be the object of my vision. Please come on the path of my vision. I experienced at a moment that Lord is just looking at me. Then at Pandarpur I reached for ashadi utsava. Do you go to Pandarpur? Haribol Pandurang is also Krishna.

“panduranga panduranga vithala vithal”

Lord standing on brick, 20 lakh people had come for darshan of Vitthal. Some came walking in that we had two Hare Krsna dindis. They walk for 18 days then 18 hours they stand in queue for half second darshan of Lord Vitthal that’s enough for the devotees darshan of Lords lotus feet. There are very less temples in India where they allow touching the lotus feet of Lord and Lord Panduranga is one of them.

“sadhavo hrdayam mahyam sadhunam hrdayam tv aham” (S.B 9.4.68)

The pure devotee is always within the core of My heart, and I am always in the heart of the pure devotee. My devotees do not know anything else but Me, and I do not know anyone else but them. Once in Pandarpur devotees could hug Lord Vitthal they call methi in Marathi, the two hearts very close. Lords heart and devotees heart that was 100 years back now they stopped that system.

Then I went to China from Pandarpur, “sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama” “In every town and village, the chanting of My name will be heard.” (Caitanya-bhagavata, Antya 4.126)

This preaching has reached to China also; I was not the only one to go. Srila prabhupada send HH Tamal Krsna Goswami to china for preaching. There are 2000 serious Hare Krishna devotees. Bhagvat gita is translated in Chinese language and distributed all over. Our team distributed 1200 Bhagvat gita to Chinese. The people there were kirtan preme, once in kirtan they were sitting and clapping then they all stood and then they started dancing. I was surprised and very happy to see them dancing. We distributed mantra cards to them. They can’t pronounce hare they say hale hale and then slowly they said hare hare…they all paid fees to attend kirtan program it was not free.
Hindi chini bhai bhai, I told them this in one program; in 1962-63 childhood I heard this Hindi chini bhai bhai. I was confused what is this- Hindi is language and chini is sugar how’s that possible a language and sugar are brothers. Then as I grew older I understood what it meant when I came in contact with Srila Prabhupada. So how we become bhai bahi? When we have common father the Lord then we become bhai bhai. Same Lord is sitting in every bodies heart “aham bija-pradah pita”. We are all brothers Hindi Pakistani bahi bhai . People all over the world are brother’s bhai bhai.

In China some people following Christianity had also come for the program their rosary beads also had 108 beads. Many people are ignorant also they don’t know who the Lord is. Lot of preaching of Buddha dharma is there in China. Then I returned back to Delhi then Kolkata for the celebration of Srila Prabhupada’s journey to west on 13 August 1965; 50 years completed. Prabhupad was born in Kolkata and in Kolkata he got instruction from his guru to preach in English in the west in 1922. Then full life Prabhupad was preparing to go to the west. Prabhupada lilamrita describes his entire mission. In 1922 he got instruction and in 1933 he got initiated your name is Abhay Caran, ac not ac of railway its Abhay Caran Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada. Then in 1944 he printed back to god head magazine, in 1955 he took vanprasta -you want tea or me he asked his wife and humorously she said of course I want tea. She was not aware that Prabhupada was serious. Then he went to Jhasi.

Then in 1966 ISKCON was established in New York. Jhasi devotee said ISKCON was conceived in Jhasi and delivered in New York. Prabhupada said ISKCON is my body. But how he went to New York via Nagpur. Prabhupad wrote dairy the name of that diary is Jaladutta dairy. Then in 1977 Lord gave Prabhupada 11 years for establishing dharma. “dharma-sthapana-hetu sadhur avatar” (Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya-lila Chapter 17 Verse 185) he established dharma in the whole world.

So in Kolkata we celebrated golden jubilee at Netaji stadium its capacity was 12,000. And it was full pack for 12 hours. Delegates from 107 countries had come. Srila prabhupada ki jai.
That was the most auspicious moment when Prabhupad went to west that was the starting of his preaching mission. We all devotees went for darshan of birth place of Prabhupada. When Prabhupada was small he used to go for darshan of Radha Govindev and used to keep looking at the Lord.

His father was a great devotee. In such family Prabhupada was born. Many sadhus used to come to his house. And his father Guar Mohan Dey used to ask the sadhus please bless my son that he becomes a devotee of Radha rani. Prabhupada used to organize small ratha yatra when he was small. And used to tell his sister after ratha yatra we will distribute prasad so keep prasad ready. This was all preparation lifetime preparation. Senapati bhakta -Srila Prabhupada. So many of us collected here but Iskcon started with one person that’s Srila Prabhupada. Caitanya Mahaprabhu preached in India during his yatra but for the foreign land preaching he appointed Srila Prabhupada he left it all to Prabhupada to ISKCON.

Srila prabhupada made famous Lords name all over the world in a very short time. Because of his efforts we are all blessed by golokera prema dhana he made us rich.

Vivekanada swami also preached in west and one lady was inspired and came to India and Prabhupada brought many and many devotees.

The glories of Acharyas should spread in all brahmanda. Prabhupada ki jai

Padayatra India is often affectionately referred to as “the mother of all padayatras.”This is because it has provided inspiration for devotees and leaders alike since its inception in 1976, and more especially since the phenomenal 1984 walk from Dwaraka to Mayapur. Padayatra India has nurtured and encouraged many devotees to organize walks in their own countries or to eagerly participate in them, making padayatra a worldwide phenomenon. The use of bullock carts has also served as a motivation, particularly in Western countries, where the idea was initially thought to be impractical and impossible.

“Mother” implies there is a father and children. Could we call Srila Prabhupada the father of ISKCON padayatra? Without a doubt! It was Srila Prabhupada who initially planted the desire seed of bullock cart sankirtana in my heart and subsequently in the hearts and minds of several other devotees. During the decade leading up to the celebration of the Srila Prabhupada Centennial in 1996, more than a hundred padayatra sankirtana babies were born around the planet -and some have lived long lives, some for only a few days or weeks, but all of them glorious in their own special way.

Since Radhastami 2009, when Acarya Dasa took over the leadership, Padayatra India has flourished. To my great satisfaction, this modest brahmacari from Maharashtra has risen to the challenge. He has the ultimate advantage a padayatra needs – he hails from a village and is steeped in village culture. Under his watch, the number of padayatris has almost doubled. He is like a magnet attracting new devotees – predominantly village boys – to the program and empowering them to participate. An increase in numbers means an expansion of every aspect of padayatra, beginning with kirtana. Acarya has breathed new life into the harinama the padayatris take through the villages to attract people to the evening arati, thus rejuvenating the evening program. He also steadily promotes book distribution, and has encouraged Surya Vamsi Dasa to engage in a new service: visiting university campuses along the padayatra route and inviting chancellors and professors to purchase full sets of Srila Prabhupada’s books for their libraries. Acarya’s main assets are his unwavering Krsna consciousness and his expertise in keeping the group unified. He willingly praises the devotees for their efforts, and supports them wholeheartedly. No matter how busy the padayatris are, Acarya makes sure they always set aside at least one and a half hours each day to study. In this way the group is more cohesive and their preaching more powerful. Motivated by a strong desire to give the mercy of Sri Sri Nitai-Gaurasundara even to the most forgotten souls, he has recently taken some serious risks by leading the padayatris through a dangerous area in Jharkhand. But one night the devotees were attacked by a band of dacoits, which resulted in several padayatris being injured and valuables being stolen. Acarya has learned his lesson to be more careful in the future and avoid criminal districts.

Padayatra India has engendered several walks on the subcontinent, and continues to do so. Since 1992, the Bhubaneshwar temple has been holding its annual three-week bullock cart padayatra in Orissa. In 1997, Bhakti Vikas Swami inspired a devotee to organize a team of brahmacaris to do bullock cart padayatra in Gujarat. In 1999, a group of about twelve devotees began a padayatra in Maharashtra and walked for an entire year. At the beginning of May 2004, Revati Ramana Dasa and the Tirupati devotees arranged for a group of about 1500 devotees to walk for two days from Tirumala to Appliaguntha. Since December 2012, a small group of devotees led by Visnuswami Dasa have been walking from village to village with a bullock cart in their native state of Andhra Pradesh, and in May 2013, Rasa Bihari Dasa organized a three-day bullock cart padayatra in Goa. Another walk will soon take place in Kerala, and the Tirupati devotees are once again considering padayatra sankirtana. Kartika 2014 will mark ISKCON’s 28th Vraja-mandala parikrama. It will also be Parasurama Dasa’s 20th Kartika bullock-cart padayatra through the twelve forests of Vrndavana, with a focus on mass distribution of prasada and booklets specifically targeted to the Vrajavasis.

We pray that Padayatra India will continue to give birth to offspring in all the Indian states and beyond. After all, there are so many oxen eager to pull Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai’s cart and attain the perfection of their animal form of life.

Venue: Vrindavan
Hare Krishna! Welcome all the devotees this morning, Welcome to Vrindavan Dham ki jay! So as I was given choice, I could continue, choice was I continue with the regular verse or I could choose another one. So I chosen not just one but eight, they are not on the board, so I will reveal unto you.
So this is very special, very very special month, right? According to Srila Prabhupada and Bhaktirasamrtasindhu, Damodar month is best of all the months. Forty years ago, it was 1972, this is 2012, so 40 years ago Srila Prabhupada considered this is to be very important special month. Srila Prabhupada stopped all his other engagements, all his travels and he rushed to Vrindavan. “My plan is to come to Vrindavan for Kartik” he wrote,” and I want to stay in Radha Damodar temple until nearly the end of November. I will lecture daily in courtyard”, not this courtyard, this did not exist. Well the land was here. Radha Damodar courtyard. “I will lecture daily in the courtyard especially for the benefit of the devotees. So you can make the arrangements”. And that year Kartik began in October 15th and Srila Prabhupada was there on time, before time. So this year is also then the 40th anniversary ISKCON’s Damodar festival in Vrindavan. Haribol!!(claps). The managers may not have taken note of this, but because as I also happened to be there did little counting, 40 years ago.
So regarding Damodar masa mahatmya, Srila Prabhupada writes in Nectar of Devotion “one of the most important ceremony function is called Urjavrta. Urjavrta is there, urjavrta is observed in month of Kartik specially in Vrndavan. There is a specific program for temple worship of the Lord in His Damodar form. Damodar referes to Krishna’s being bound with rope by His mother Yasoda. It is said that just as Lord Damodar is very dear to His devotees. So the month known as Damodar or Kartik is also dear to them. Even person is lacking seriousness who execute devotional service according to the regulative principles during the month of Kartik and within the jurisdiction of Madhura in India are very easily awarded Lord’s personal service.” So what is Srila Prabhupada writing for Damodar, greatness of month of Damodar and the month Damodar both are very dear to the devotees of the Lord. During this month as the beginning of the month, one devotee asked Srila Prabhupada the question about this. This is, okay, “can you describe” asked Prabhupada, “Can you describe what is that, what that is, that Urjavrata and how it is observed?” and Prabhupada replied, “urjavrata, you can chant Hare Krishna 24 hours a day for a month (Haribol!laughter). That also was the response of the devotees, assembled devotees also laughed and then Prabhupada said,” Yes! Just chant Hare Krishna 24 hours a day just for a one month.” The devotees laughed. Gurudas, one of the devotee present during that Kartik festival, some 40, 50 devotees and that number was considered very big number. When someone contacted us and asked how many devotees? So many devotees, so many devotees, how many? How many? 40 devotees. That was big number (laughter). So Gurudas was amongst them, amongst many others. So Gurudas, when Prabhupada said just chant Hare Krishna 24 hours a day. So we started immediately, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare… then Prabhupada let go that chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, then Prabhupada said, “don’t sleep, don’t eat (laughter) this is urjavrata, can you execute it?” Pabhupada asked. And devotees, one particular devotee replied,” Oh! I don’t know!” Could you do this?” Prabhupada said. “I don’t know!” and this provoked more laughter.
According to Gautamiya tantra, some tantras and mantras, Kartik is particularly meant for mantra siddhi, perfection in chanting Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, mantra siddhi, Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, siddhi means chanting and chanting, some perfection, as perfection in yoga. Siddhi, perfection of chanting is attained in this month or this month is favorable for attainment of that mantra siddhi. So that year 72 Kartik, Srila Prabhupada stayed at Radha Damodar and we, we stayed at Keshi ghat. Which King’s palace is there? Kaunse Raja ka? Bharatpur. Yeah! So Bharatpur King’s palace, so we were staying in the palace. Early morning we took bath in the Jamuna along with the tortoise, kacchap, big, big tortoise were there those days (laughs).
so Prabhupada did it as was the plan. He was going to give the classes for the benefit of devotees, not a public program, no public function. He wanted to give lectures, so he did famous Nectar of Devotion lecture series, you know? Many Iskcon devotees know about this, nectar of devotion lecture series. So early morning, Bhagavatam lesson, Bhagavatam in the morning and nectar of devotion in the evening and Srila Prabhupada used to do send us to this property. Every morning, in the morning we start our kirtan at Radha Damodar and going through Loi Bazar and zig zagging and then coming by Radha Madanmohan temple and through Bhaktivedanta Goshala, did not exist that time and the more zigzagging and coming here, some basic digging for foundation, construction had started. Not this tree but the previous one, is this second or third tree? It is third one, ok! This is third avatar of that tree. The first one was here, not very tall, when we offered our obeisance’s into the dust of our lands property its Raman Reti also and as we stood. Ok second, president is correcting me. He knows the history, so, as we stood next to the tree, tree was well was same height as ours 3/4/5 feet tall. So Srila Prabhupada purposely had ‘preserved the tree’ secret tree Tamal tree and the design was made so that the tree stays in a courtyard.
So that was our program early morning coming here, chanting and then going back and attending Prabhupada’s lectures, morning evening and lots of association during the day going into his, well what we could say, quarters very little, small room, very small room, a man was shocked when we were arrived from Bombay, Aditya mataji was there and Panchadravid, who was Dravid Brahmacari and then he become Panchadravid. He was initiated; I also receive my initiation there on the day, very first day of the Kartik, day before kartik, Sharad purnima. That morning took devotees to the Seva kunj, morning walk on Sevakunj that morning and Prabhupada talking of pastime of Lord there, about night pastimes, rasa dance, brief introduction, that was the theme of that morning walk and so that was one month’s very intense program being in Vrindavan and being with Srila Prabhupada, being at Radha Damodar and Damodar Vrata and Damodar month and chanting Hare Krishna and maybe we were trying to get some perfection to our mantra siddhi during that time. Srila Prabhupada ki jay!
So I just thought talk of Bhagavat, talk about Bhagavat, Srila Prabhupada as Bhagavat, mahabhagavat. So Bhagavat lecture right? This is Bhagavatam lecture. Sure when next time Srila Vyasadev would add few chapters to Bhagavatam, some appendix, Srla Prabhupadawould be there on the chapters, Prabhupada’s chapter, Prabhupada, Jay Krishna Balaram ki jay!
So we are having little setting of the scene. We want to do little meditation somehow meditation of Damodarastak which we have been singing every day and we will continue to the end of the month. So just we will go deep into the mantra get little deeper in understanding the emotions and then devotion, from emotion comes devotionwe were hearing from yesterday Devakinandan Prabhu he said emotion then devotion no commotion (laughs). So this Damodarastak is from Padma purana and Satyavrata Muni, he gets the credit or he is the one who compiled this and this appears as dialogue between Narada muni and Shaunak rishi and this Damodarastak is then included in Hari Bhakti Vilas of Sanatan Goswami and Srila Sanatan Goswami even gives commentary on this Damodarastak and explains how this month of Damodar, Damodar vrata is to be observed and one text or two meditation on Damodar with Damodarastak as the prayer, ok.
So we are familiar with the astak, Damodar, this pastime Damodar, Damodar, dam is the rope and the udar is the belly of the Lord and during this month, on the day of Diwali, in the morning in Gokul this pastime takes place in this month during this pastime. Although He always ate butter and He stole butter but one day He was caught red handed not red handed,white handed (laughter) and then He was tied not just Him but the mortar also considering that this mortar must also be punished, this mortar helped Krishna to steal. So both were tied, ukhalbandhan lila. So that is how the beginning first astak reminding us that Lila the pastime
“namamisvaram sac-cid-ananda-rupam lasat-kun?d?alam gokule bhrajamanam”
Namamisvaram, immediately as soon as we begin this astak first thing one does is namami, bow down or I bow down to namami unto whom? Namami isvaram the Supreme Personality of God head and that is described as sac-cid-ananda rupam, of course the pastime is not possible without rupam. Brahmajyoti, brahman cannot perform any pastimes. Brahman is just to be, no movement, no activity nothing, so no pastimes, no association nothing. But here sac-cid-anand rupam. I offered my obeisance’s unto Isvaram, who is sac-cid-anand rupam.
‘lasat-kunadalam gokule bhrajamanam”
And that rupam that form was just one item is mentioned is wearing kundalam, earrings are bhrajamanam and they are effulgent shining they are also dancing, they also dancing, as Krishna is moving trying to get away from mother Yashoda that is coming next that is running away and as He runs away the kundal earrings are also moving to and fro they are dancing each of the ornaments of the Lord they play different roles and they relate with the Lord they are also like personalities and they have different reciprocation with the form of the Lord.
So these kundalas, they are effulgent, they are dancing and why they are effulgent, effulgence of the face of the Lord is reflected on the earrings, not that there some effulgence is there in those kundalas those earrings, but they are reflecting more effulgence, where that is coming from? From the form of the Lord which is effulgent, His face is effulgent and that reflects on His earrings and that more glowing and dazzling earrings as one looks of them.
“yasoda-bhiyolukhalad dhavamanam”
Yasoda was there with the stick in her hand where is He I will find Him, He has broken the pot next door while Yasoda was taking care of the boiling milk, spilling milk so many emotions are explained that the milk was thinking oh! Today Krishna may not drink me because He is drinking His mother’s Yasoda’s breast milk so today He is not going to drink me. Oh! What good is my life? I better commit suicide. How could I do that? The fire just around, so milk is boiling and throwing himself or itself into the fire. “I commit suicide. I gave up my life that is the mood of the milk. The milk also has the mood. So while Yasoda rushed to take care of that milk. Krishna gets very angry. That morning she did not come to wake Him up, as soon as she got up she started churning the butter (laughs) and finally He had came found, finding Yasoda very busy then still she does not say word or doesn’t talk of feeding Him think of feeding Him. He had to hold that churning rod and everything stopped and then He jumps in the direction of the breasts giving clear indication “I want milk, I’m hungry” then Yasoda sits down just now started feeding but then she had to rush into the kitchen then He was angry and want to do something so what could He do so He broke that churning pot where the churning was going and then He ran away from the scene expecting Yasoda to return and bit Him up or do something so He goes next door.
Pastime is so, so attractive they don’t just let you go they grab you, “talk about me, talk about me, me too, me too, talk about that pastime too, where are you going? Grab you by neck, force you to think, to think of that pastime. So Krishna He was stealing butter standing on the mortar expecting Yasoda to turn up any moment so He was looking this way and looking that way He was stealing and distributing also, He had whole charity show going on lots of monkeys had lined up me too me too me too me too me too and this me too…..ok you too. So He was distributing and there comes mother, Yasoda-bhiyolukha as He is scared of Yasoda, Supreme Personality of Godhead namami isvaram, that Isvara is scared. Very difficult to understand, Very difficult to understand even that who was it? Kunti Maharani also had difficulty understanding that Lord, oh! While she is offering her prayers she is remembering this pastime of Krishna stealing and He is tied to the mortar and but Krishna was going through, she was finding it very hard.
So seeing Yasoda Lord dhavamanam He is trying to run away escape,
“paramr?s?t?am atyantato drutya gopya” and Yasoda is trying to run swiftly quickly although she is well built with her hips, breasts and elderly lady and Krishna is just little boy, easy. Children never walk they only run like a air they fly. But Yasoda still making endeavor and running swiftly behind to catch hold up that naughty boy she has stick hold in her hand.
“rudantam muhur netra-yugmam mrnjantam karambhoja-yugmena satanka-netram”
So as a result this is the outcome, what is happening rudantam Krishna is crying swabbing Netrayugmam- two eyes are being rubbed, mrjantam, karambhoja-yugmena, His is using His two lotus hands, to rub His two lotus eyes, that’s the idea. Rudantam muhur, again and again and again and again, rubbing netram, two netras two eyes they are being rubbed with the two lotus hands and satanka-netram His netra are full of scare He is afraid, one could read His mind by looking into his eyes, look He is scared, satanka-netram
“muhuh svasa-kampa-trirekhanka-kantha” (Laughs) I did this I did this also myself when my mother was running after me and kind of get me and sure next program was bit me (laughter) did you go through this sometimes? How many of you? Even in Russia! (Laughter) So this is perfection. In fact of this vatsalya, vatsalyarasa, this pastime is perfection. He had really become human like, the human like, child like, more drama, real thing, not a natak, real life story, life experience of the Lord and He wants to experience that, otherwise in Vaikuntha, there is so much of that jay jagadish hare….. and prayers this and that He is fed up. Stop! Stop!! I want to, for a change I want to have some other experience, so my parents and they are superior and they, and the boy also has to be naughty boy. Children are lots of time are very naughty. He is the naughtiest, He is the supreme child, so he has to be a naughtiest “matah parataram naanyat” so when I become child I want to be really child that no one could match my childness, childishness.
So “muhuh svasa-kampa” He is breathing, very heavily breathing. As a result there is a tremble in the body and how is the tremble noticed? Around his neck there is sthita-graiva graiva means diamonds and ornaments and that is also shaking. Because His body is shaking the ornaments around neck is also shaking. “Damodaram bhaktibadham” so Damodar Has been bound up. So the pastime has been wound up very quickly just in two verses while Srimad bhagavatam there is a whole chapter and bhakti-baddham. He could be bound only with bhakti and not otherwise, not possible. Later on it comes up this kubera-atmaja. So bound by Yasoda later on when these two trees were uprooted and this Manigreeva and Nalakoowar appeared and they offered the prayers also and before they were to go away take off they are, they were appealing to the Lord may I help you? May we help you? Could we untie you?” Krishna says, thank you very much! But it’s not possible for you to untie these knots. These knots were bound by a devotee and not just any tom dick and harry kind of devotee but my mother bhakti-baddham I have bound by Bhakti, so only another bhakta of that caliber could untie these knots, not just anybody could come with the seizer and no!, So, so that offer was made for untying but it was not the job of these two brothers
“itidrak sva-lilabhir ananda-kunde sva-ghosam nimajjantam akhyapayantam”
“Iti” means referring to these two verses mentioned described earlier. Itidrk like this, sva-ghosam sva-lila His own lila. Ananda-kunde He was feeling up the kundas the lakes with what? Not with water, performing this pastime, Lord was feeling up the lakes of Vrndavan with ananda-kund what kind of kund? Ananda-kund, filled with the bliss feel with anand, sva-ghosam sva-ghosa and the residence of Vrndavan what they would do? nimajjantam, they would throw themselves into those ananda-kund swim, swimming in ananda-kundas drowing in ananda-kundas. Lord performs His pastime fills ananda-kundas whole braja is filled .with anandambudhi-wardhanam
“tadiyesita-jnesu bhaktair jitatvam”
And this is a reminder, those who are trying to understand the supremacy or His aisvarya and God is great kind of that understanding of God yesita-jenusu to them Lord is reminding, never know, in fact I could be conquered, not only understand but I could be conquered by bhaktas and their bhakti bhaktair jitatvam. I could be conquered by my devotee’s not just information gathering about me, my greatness especially here in Vrndavan. There is Madhuryadham, madhurya, aisvarya- vaikuntha, madhurya-Vrndavan and audarya of Mayapur. Lord became so magnanimous that He shared his madhurya His sweetness, the sweetest pastimes the sweetest personality was shared by same person Shri Krishna Caitanya. Krishna becomes Sri Krishna Caitanya and in Mayapur other division of Goloka, of course other side of Goloka and He does the program of the distribution, audarya dham. So I could be conquered by my bhakta bhaktair jitatvam.
“punah prematas tam satavrtti vande” he had offered his obeisance’s in the beginning. Now he says I like to offer my obeisance’s satavrtti hundreds and hundreds of time again and again Oh! Damodar accept my obeisance’s premataha with a loving my loving obeisance’s.
“varam deva moksam na moksavadhim va na canyaa vaee haa varenad apeha” na moksavadhim va,
And then he is addressing the Lord, varam dev oh! Deva, oh! Lord, moksam na moksavadhim va I am not interested in moksa, na canyam vrne ham not other kind of deal and you are varesa var isa you are the best amongst the benedictors. You are Varadraj. In south India there is deity called Varadraj, var means benediction blessings benediction, varad-one who gives the benedictions and Varadraj the King of those benedictors.
So you are Varesa, Varesa you could give anything and everything to me but I am not specially this moksa business don’t give it to me no no no no no no moksatva me and na canyam and other benedictions na dhanam na janam kind of mood is there, kavitam wa jagadish kamaye
“idam te vapur natha gopala-balam sada me manasy avirastam kim anyaih”
Ok! I don’t want this; I don’t want that, take something! Ok! One thing, one thing you could give me vapur nath gopal-balam, oh! gopalbal, gopal bal, bal gopal, Sri Krishna, sada me manasy avirastam, please reside in my mind, in my heart. The pastime of you as bal gopal of this or this Radha Damodar pastime I did meditation upon that darshan of that, this is what, you please come and sit in my heart, sit on and appear on the smritipatal. There is a screen, the screen, so you appear so that I don’t have to watch television, I will be just busy and happy to have your Darshan all the time your pastime revealed unto me and kim anyaih? Any other thing? No I am not interested. Nothing! I just, just this, this is my only interest.
“idam te mukham bhojam atyanta-nilair vrtam kuntalaih snigdha-raktais ca gopya”
Again going back to that pastime and the Lord Balgopal, “idam te mukhambojam atyanta-nilair,Your mukhambhoj” your lotus face is, lotus like face atyant-nilair very deep bluish but then I see, kuntalaih snigdha your face is covered with the curly, kuntalaih, curly, snigdha, glossy hair, not dry but glossy hair, very fine hair, that is making a frame around your face then at the back they are also hanging either side, but I also saw raktais ca gopya. What are those reddish spots on your face? Your full bluish, your bluish face, but there are some, some red, the cheeks are red what are they due to? “muhus cumbitam” that mother Yasoda she does chumban she kisses you again and again as if she likes to eat you up such a sweet boy! Mother think why is he out he should be part of me, trying to kiss him expressing all the affection. This is a perfection of the affection and the kissing is siddhi, snehasiddhi so Yasoda is expressing her affection and is ends up kissing and that kissing were making, Lord’s face so fine tender, little touch and immediately there is a reddish “muhus cumbitam bimba-raktadharam me” like a reddish like what? Bimb there is bimb fruit very reddish, especially when it is ripe, the bimb fruit is ripe is very reddish deep red like a blood red and that is your face is like that Aha! He says manisha that form that form I like to meditate upon that form I like to posses. That form I like to have property that is my property alam laksa-labhaih, the millions of other benedictions oh! I am not interested this is enough this much is enough.
“namo deva damodarananta visno prasida prabho duh?kha-jalabdhi-magnam”
And then Lord has been addressed by many sambodhan, addresses are here. First of all, my obeisance’s is Deva is one, Damodar is another one, Anant is third one, Visnu, Visnu is forth one and also we grahanesh, Isha five different ways Lord has been addressed. Prabhu also was that’s another one, sixth one. Deva, Damodar, Anant, Visnu, Prabhu, Isha six addresses to get attention of, of the Lord He has been approached this way and that way and getting His attention to Look! Look ! look at me oh! Lord dukha-jalabdhi-.magnam I am drowned, I am lost dukha-jalabdhi-.magnam, magna, dukhajala ocean of sufferings, so many complications, I am really caught in the net of this mundane existence dukha-jalabdhi-.magnam. Then that is why, Lord krpadrsti I need your krpadrsti krpa drsti drsti with krpa your merciful glance what kind of glance your merciful glance upon this mamagya me the fool ignorant fellow as I am please have some mercy upon me, krpa-dr?st?i-vrst?yati-dinam batanu, aksadrsya my eyes want darshan I want to see you I want to see you I want to love you, someone sang that song? George Harrison,’ Oh! Sweet Lord! Something like that I want to see you, so aksadrsya what good are these eyes if I not seen you then what have I seen! I have seen nothing! I want to see you my Lord and then continues…
“kuveratmajau baddha-murtyaiva yadvattvaya mocitau bhakti-bhajau krtau ca”
And the end of that day that Diwali day pastime of this Damodar pastime what happened kuveratmajau baddha-murtyaiva yadvat. Those two sons of the Kubera who were bound up in the body of a tree, but what did you do? Tvaya mocitau , you liberated them, you got them out of these tree bodies and not only that bhakti-bhajau and you drowned them in the bhakti, you deeped them in the bhakti kunda gave them abhishek, sarvatmasnapanam kind of sarvatmasnapanam you gave your bhaki to them, bhakti-bhajau krtau ca, tatha, oh! now I know you like that, me too, me too the way you liberated those two brothers sons of Kubera and endowed them with devotion, bhakti unto you, tatha like that prema-bhaktim svakam me prayaccha to me also give me that prema-bhakti, na mokse graho me ‘sti damodareha and again reminding that mukti business this moksa business, please don’t give that to me and I want only bhakti oh! Lord and finally
“namas te ‘stu damne sphurad-dipti-dhamne tvadiyodarayatha visvasya dhamne”
Take note of this, there are two words, one is damne and the other word is dhamne damne, dhamne. Two different distinctions and of course meaning is entirely different. Namaste I offered my obeisance’s unto the damne, unto the rope, my obeisances unto that rope tied around your body. Namas te ‘stu damne sphurad-dipti-dhamne and so many effulgence coming from that rope, that effulgent rope I offer my obeisance’s unto, is one thing and then tvadiyodarayath, tvdiya your udar I offer my obeisance’s unto your belly and what kind of belly visvasya dhamne now this is dham, that was dam and this is dham, dam is rope and dham is abode. So visvasya dhamne your belly is abode of the universe whole universe is within you. When mother Yasoda asked ok! Open your mouth and Krishna opened aaa! And Yasoda looked inside what was inside? Whole universe whole Brahmanda was within, that pastime took place at Brahmand ghat that is why the name Brahmand ghat. So whole universe was within, all planets within Krishna, whole earthly planets within Krishna, Delhi-Agra within Krishna, and then Jamuna flowing within Krishna also, Yasoda and Krishna standing she is looking inside. Ye! another Yasoda inside you, she looked inside Krishna, she is scared, open your mouth kind of. So visvasya dhamne, you are abode of whole universe, Jaganniwas, You are Jaganniwas niwas, you are residence of the whole Jagat. That is why, that is why it was not possible to tie His belly with the 1 meter long rope, if the whole universe is within Him. What should be the length of the rope to go around the universe? You need that long of rope, not belly is that around circumference of the belly circle ok how much is this? Ok, 9 inch or 1 foot that was the calculation. But the fact is, your udar is tvadiyodarayatha visvasya dhamne that is why took all day, still she did not give up trying very hard and so two inches short.
“namo radhikayai tvadiya-priyayai namo ‘nanta-lilaya devaya tubhyam”
So I offer my obeisance’s unto Radhikayai. What kind of Radhika, tvadiya-priyayai, she is very dear to you. So I have to offer obeisance’s to somebody who is very dear to you, not only to you. You won’t be happy. I offer my obeisance’s unto you. Radhika is very dear to you, so this month, month of Karthik, Damodar urjavrta is urja, shakti, alhadini shakti. This is also month of worshipping Radha, Radha Krishna. How we do it? Chant Hare Krishna 24 hours a day and there is a worship seminars how to worship Radha. “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare” could there be better worship more than worshipping Radha Krishna than chanting Hare Krishna this is the best program if someone wants to know how to observe this urjavrata, how to worship Radharani in this month? How to get her benedictions? How to please her? Chant Hare Krishna that’s very basic foundatinal and this is Hare Krishna movement program program given by Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu,
“namo ‘nanta-lilaya devaya tubhyam”
And again started with namami, obeisances and ending with obeisances, ananta-lilaya devaya tubhyam. Obeisance’s unto Lord with anant lilas. Unlimited pastimes, amongst those pastimes this damodar pastime stands out very tall, self effulgent, self effulgent pastime or dominating pastime, dominating childhood pastime, so considered most pleasant. Ok, so, that is some kind of runing through quickly of this Damodarastak, mindsets or minds are set properly, in proper mood and we sing also, we should know what we are singing about not just parrot like singing, understanding something has to happen as we sing and then something has to happens as we sing and then what happens that sticks to our consciousness, everything has to become Krishna conscious.
ok any discussion points or questions? So, lots of things are happening during this month. Lots of festivals also I was thinking besides this Damodar pastime and this month has Damodar name, month kind begins with. Yes? There is comment, but no question, no questions. There is one comment yes.
Mantra meditation is while we are chanting, worship is going through our heart, mantra meditation, mantra should get into the mood of meditation. When we say Hare, immediately there is bhava-bandhanat mocay, this is the thought. Oh! hare please make me free from that bhava-bandhan as we go on sevayogyam kuru, please make me fit for devotional service. When we chant please you also reciprocate with me you reciprocating with Radha so you are radha, you are Radha Raman, you are this raman, that raman that you also do raman with me. Please include me in your pastimes. Please do not ignore me, let me part. So like that when we say, Hare, there is one meditation and when we say Krishna there is another meditation again Hare another meditation again Krishna another meditation Krishna Krishna Hare Hare each one of these meditation ideas thoughts.
So there is meditation and this is what we have to get into, mantra meditation Hare Krishna Hare Krishna not just words but this is a whole object of meditation. And anything else? (one mataji asks question) During mangal arati what happens? You are late by few minutes, why not come on time. Few minutes earlier, you don’t get light, sun is not rising, then also you can meditate, meditating on vande guru sricaranarvindam, dhyayastu vanstasya yasastrisandya 3 times a day you meditate upon pray unto him, seek blessings of your spiritual masters. So I see you could chant at home, yah! Ok, 24 hours you have to stay busy.
Yes! yes! What does it represent two fingers, two short? One is the endeavor of the devotee and then that one figure is covered and then Lord sees you are endeavoring and with devotion you are endeavoring then Lord takes the other step from His side and then other figure is covered and then it’s no more short and Lord is bound. So and that is applicable to whatever we do if we do and we don’t make endeavor then nothing happens.
So our endeavor and endeavor with proper mood, devotion, understanding this that and consistency also utasahat, niscayat all those factors from our side and then Lord takes action. He reciprocates with the devotee. And then there is no gap between He and us, we are with Him and He is with us. Nitai Gaur premanande hari hari bol!!