Ultimate Dharma is Devotional Service- Bhakti of Lord Krishna.

Venue: ISKCON Nagpur
Dated: 18 June 2015
Day 3: Tulasi krishna priya namo namah…..(Gurudev singing)

“Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya….”

Hare Krishna,
Purushottam masa is it only for matajis? No! It’s for all of us. In this creation of Lord Purushottam men and women both are prakritis of Lord, so this mass is for His prakriti so that prakriti does some progress in spiritual life. Yesterday we saw how Ajamila had out of body experience and how he left all his bad behavior. Vishnudutas had reached Haridwar to take him back “ami jato amcya gava amacha rama rama gyava”. There the Vishnudutas had come at bank of Indraini 400years back Tukaram went with his body “sahadeha”. As he took his body back there is no samadhi of Tukaram Maharaj, you will not find his Samadhi.

This Purushottam masa is a way to go near Lord, so we do sravanam and kirtan. So one time will come when we will also have to say “rama rama ami jato amchya gava”. We will also should have a destination like Ajamail, it will good na? Haribol. That should be our vision. So we were listening from Sukhdev Goswami where he narrated a story of Ajamila. He was a good cultured Brahman but when he went to bring flowers for the Lord and saw the scene and lost his chetana. He went after the prostitute and brought her at home, some people go to the prostitutes but Ajamila brought her home. Did all bad things to maintain her, cut some body’s pockets and necks.
Two types of Grahastas – 1) Grahasta and 2) Grahamedhi

Grahasta should make his house a ashram means making home a temple, there should be tulsi and cow in place of dogs at home. There should be sastras and scriptures at home, there should be cleanliness. Whatever is cooked in kitchen should be offered to Lord. “je-dina grihe, bhajana dekhi, grihete goloka bhaya” Srila Bhakti Vinod thakur says when I see kirtan at home my home becomes Gokul- that’s grshata ashram.

Lord Krishna, Sri Ram were grahstha , many acharyas were grahsta Srila Prbhupada and Bhaktivinod Thakur and many Tukaram Maharaj also was grashta. Sukhdev swami says “nidraya riyate naktam” people spend night in sleeping and other activities. Hiranyakasyapu also used to like Gold and sleeping. Some people are always lying on the bed like patients are lying in ICU.

As sun rises where is money ? Where is money sweeter than honey, sometimes people also call their wives as honey (Laughter). The entire modernized people come in this section. So Ajamila was grahmedhi, infact he was worst type of grahmedhi. By some fortune he named his youngest son as “Narayana”. He was very attached to his kid, so he was “Narayan centered” he used to call his son always narayan narayana….
He must be thinking “I will not die let others die” he was ignorant busy with his life. Maharaja Yudhisthira said (Mahabharata, Vana-parva 313.116):
“ahany ahani bhutani gacchantiha yamalayam shesha? sthavaram icchanti”

Every day we see people dying, we have heard people die but still we think we will not die can anything be more surprising then this. So this poor Ajamila was wasting his life and one day that time came when Kalsarpa came- Yamadutas come they were so fearsome. Ajamila out of fear and helplessness called “Narayana Narayana”.
“Yampasa panayah” Yamdutas had already thrown their pasa and they had almost taken him out of body. (Slide show was shown in Temple Gurudev says) See the pictures – you can see Ajamila half out of body, that past which is out is soul- Soul also has svarupa it has hands, legs, body, and from his body also light is coming out. So Ajamila called out Narayana…Narayana..Then both the parties where there and each one was clamming we will take him. We will take him. Vishudutas and Yamadutas discsussions goes on and finally Yamdutas go back to Yamraja.
Then Ajamila offered obeisance’s to Vishnudutas and was about to pray but they disappered then he repented a lot and decided now hence forth I will not do all this bad things, I will behave nicely, I will become satadachari help everyone. Then he went to Haridwara .

When is had uttered “Narayana” it was in Nama bhasa level – clearing stage and after Namabhasa come Suddha nama. He decided I will chant the Holy name always. Then he must have read Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu, read about 10 nama aparadha. Initially he would go saying bye to narayan and do all his bad deeds “mum me nama bagalme…”. So now there was revolution in consciousness and he became stable in bhakti it’s described in Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu “Ghana taralata”. Now he was determined to chant holy name and avoiding all nama aparadhas. There are seva aparadhas and vaishnava aparadha which we should avoid.

We should change our habits, some people lit a cigarette in morning and then begin there day. We should lit a lamp in morning and begun a day. Some people ask help to lit ciggarette and say thank you very much now you have burned my cigarette and later my lungs will burn thank you in advance….(laughter). So now Ajamila was transformed and this time when Vishnudutas came to Haridwara he left his body and the soul entered the transcendental plane. This is the final shot (looking at the slideshow Gurudev is saying beyond this you cannot take photos). The Vishnutdutas are welcoming Ajamila see the beauty of the souls so wonderful, when you will see your soul, when you have realization you will spit at the body. So after self realization you will see your body in mirror you will say “the body that’s not me” –“to me nave” (Marathi).

So now this is 6th canto, 3rd Chapter King Parikshit is asking question,
sri-rajovaca
“nisamya devah sva-bhatopavarnitam pratyaha kim tan api dharmarajah
evam hatajno vihatan murarer naidesikair yasya vase jano yam (S.B 6.3.1)

Praikshit Maharaj is saying Hye! Sukhdev Goswami – Yamaraja is the controller of all living entities but his order had been foiled. When his servants, the Yamadutas, informed him of their defeat by the Visnudutas, who had stopped them from arresting Ajamila, what did he reply? I am confused please tell only you could answer my question.
So this question was asked at the banks of Ganga by Parikshit Maharaj. So Yamadutas reached and described the entire incident to Yamaraj. So Sukhdev Goswami is describing us the discussion between Yamadutas and Yamaraj.

So it’s said yamaduta ucuh.
“kati santiha sastaro jiva-lokasya vai prabho
trai-vidhyam kurvatah karma phalabhivyakti-hetavah” (S.B 6.3.4)

Yamadutas, the order carriers of Yamaraja, were so disappointed that they asked their master, almost in great anger, whether there were many masters other than him. But when we we went to Kanoja there was a different party.

“yadi syur bahavo loke sastaro danda-dharinah
kasya syatam na va kasya mrtyus camrtam eva va” (S.B 6.3.5)

If in this universe there are many rulers and justices who disagree about punishment and reward, their contradictory actions will neutralize each other, and no one will be punished or rewarded. Otherwise, if their contradictory acts fail to neutralize each other, everyone will have to be both punished and rewarded.
Animals and birds don’t have karma they undergo evolution. “vedo narayan saksat” to follow veda is dharma, animals don’t have such dharma. They are not under control of yamaraj and it’s not expected that they will follow dharma. So only human beings are under the jurisdiction of Yamaraj. We were about to bring Ajamila, such people should be punished so that they don’t repeat their acts “once bitten twice shy”.

“niyamanam tavadesad asmabhir yatana-grhan
vyamocayan patakinam chittva pasan prasahya te” (S.B 6.3. 9)

We about to bring him but they freed him and broke our pasa.

“tams te veditum icchamo yadi no manyase ksama
narayanety abhihite?ma bhair ity ayayur drutam” (S.B 6.3. 10)

As soon as the sinful Ajamila uttered the name Narayana, these four beautiful men immediately arrived and reassured him, saying, “Do not fear. Do not fear.” Oh! Dear come near do not fear I am here (laughter). They said we wish to know about them from Your Lordship. If you think we are able to understand them, kindly describe who they are? You please explain us how many rulers are there? Are you not the only rule?
So Yamaraj remembered Lord Hari before answering their questions, so who is remembering Lord Hari. Yamaraj, did you know this yamaraja You must be thinking yamaraj is terrorist. So if you want to know about anybody hear about him not just go after the face. “dila sacha aur cheraha zhuta” (laughter)

yama uvaca
“paro mad-anyo jagatas tasthusaa ca otam protam patavad yatra visvam
yad-amsato sya sthiti-janma-nasa nasy otavad yasya vase ca lokah” (S.B6.3.12)

Yamaraja said: no..my dear servants, you have accepted me as the Supreme, but factually I am not. Above me, and above all the other demigods, is the one supreme master and controller. Whose partial manifestations are Brahma, Visnu and Siva, who are in charge of the creation, maintenance and annihilation of this universe. These are the Guna avatar, like that there are many avatars “nanaavatra”. So is the controller of all, He is like the two threads that form the length and breadth of a woven cloth. The entire world is controlled by Him just as a bull is controlled by a rope in its nose, right..left …go stop…so like that Lord controls everything.

Then there are departmental heads as Prabhupada said, there are many Isvars but Parmeshawar is one “ishvarah paramah krishnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahaha anadir adir govindaha sarva-karana-karanam” this is definition of Lord .
So Yamaraj is saying Indra, the King of heaven; Nirrti; Varuna; Candra, the moon-god; Agni; Lord Siva; Pavana; Lord Brahma; Surya, the sun-god; Visvasu; the eight Vasus; the Sadhyas; the Maruts; the Rudras; the Siddhas; and Marici. We are also affected by the modes of material nature. Even those in the mode of goodness, like the many demigods and great rsis cannot understand the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

So Yamdutas have still not forgotten the Vishnudutas, Yamaraj says- yes yes whom you met were Vishnudutas they are worshipped by the demigods and they have a beautiful form. They always do protection of Lords devotees that are their duty. So this is arrangement made by the Lord. From whom they protect? They protect the devotees from my Yamadutas also. Such things keep happening you did not know the glories of Hari Nama- Holy name that’s your mistake.
So those who have tilak on the forehead and mala in hand (Gurudev showing his bead bag) oh! What is this accident! Injury in your hand, or do you have gun you are going to target me (laughter). And tulsi beads in neck, like a dog which has belt in neck is safe but the dog without the belt is taken by the municipality van. God knows where they take them? May be china there they will get lot of customers for dogs (laughter). So the Vishndutas protect the devotees.

Yamaraj says- “dharamam to saksad bhagvat pranitam” (S.B 6.3.19) what is the source of dharma? Lord, we can’t make dharma, now a day’s people are making dharma. “dharamam to saksad bhagvat pranitam” Prabhupada had recited this verse 100s and 1000s of time, come on say it! “dharamam to saksad bhagvat pranitam”.

“svayambhur naradah sambhuh kumarah kapilo manu?
prahlado janako bhismo?balir vaiyasakir vayam” (S.B 6.3. 20)

Yamaraj says- Lord Brahma, Bhagavan Narada, Lord Siva, the four Kumaras, Lord Kapila [the son of Devahuti), Svayambhuva Manu, Prahlada Maharaja, Janaka Maharaja, Grandfather Bhisma, Bali Maharaja, Sukadeva Gosvami and I myself know the real religious principle. “dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam” so we 12 mahajans know the dharma.
So all of us should know about dharama, we keep studying chemistry, physics, how to earn money, how to get degrees. During our times we just have 4 -5 degrees but now a days there are so many degrees. But these all degrees are “avidya” then what is vidya? Knowledge of dharma is vidya. I am student of Bhagvat Gita and I am doing course “discover yourself”. You become ‘Bhakti sastris’ read Nectar of Instructions, Bhagvat gita and Bhakti Rasamarita Sindhu (NOD). Srila Prabhupada has made all arrangements for us. “divya jnana hrdi prakashita”

“etavan eva loke smin pumsam dharmah parah smrtah
bhakti-yogo bhagavati tan-nama-grahanadibhih” (S.B6.3.22)

Devotional service, beginning with the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, is the ultimate religious principle for the living entity in human society. Ultimate dharma is devotional service- bhakti of Lord Krishna. Lords name liberated Ajamila, so we should do kirtan of His Name, Guna, rupa and dhama. And this sankirtan is enough destroy our sins.

Now yamaraj is going to give special instructions to yamadutas, he says “now be careful don’t bringing any one don’t repeat this mistake”. Those who are enjoying devotional life, those who are attending sravana utsava don’t bring them.
My dear servants please bring to me only those sinful persons who do not use their tongues to chant the holy name and qualities of Krsna. Please chant chant…..but people says can’t can’t…bring such people. And whose hearts do not remember the lotus feet of Krsna even once, and whose heads do not bow down even once before Lord Krsna bring them.
Bow down if you have not payed obeisance’s by bowing down, then your name will be deleted from the computer of Yamadutas and noted in Vishnudutas computer Haribol… Send me those who do not perform their duties toward Visnu, which are the only duties in human life. Please bring me all such fools and rascals. Those who are bound by desires, attachments bring them to me, ok understood.

“tat ksamyatam sa bhagavan purusah purano narayanah sva-purusair yad asat krtam nah
svanam aho na vidusam racitanjalinam ksantir gariyasi namah puru?aya bhumne” (S.B 6.3.30)

Then Yamaraja, considering himself and his servants to be offenders, spoke as follows, begging pardon from the Lord.] O my Lord, my servants have surely committed a great offense by arresting a Vaisnava such as Ajamila. O Naraya?a, O supreme and oldest person, please forgive us. Because of our ignorance, we failed to recognize Aj?mila as a servant of Your Lordship, and thus we have certainly committed a great offense. Therefore with folded hands we beg Your pardon. My Lord, since You are supremely merciful and are always full of good qualities, please pardon us. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You. It’s a rule if a servant commits mistake, the master has to be punished as said in Nayasatra, so yamaraj is following that.

Now there is comment of Sukhdev Goswami – he says the best atonement is taking Lord Holy name. So now Yamadutas have heard all this talk about Lord, they were surprised and now they were fearful to look at the devotees.

“itihasam imam guhyam bhagavan kumbha-sambhavah
kathayam asa Malaya asino harim arcayan” (S.B 6.3.35)

Sukhdev Goswami says I had heard this katha when the great sage Agastya, the son of Kumbha, was residing in the Malaya Hills and worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I approached him, and he explained to me this confidential history.

So same katha I have recited here, now you can tell about this katha to your dear ones then you will get the benefit of the katha, now think whom you will tell this katha to. You can also read it again.

Nitai Gaur Premanande …Hari Hari bol…




Effects of Holy name

Venue: ISKCON Nagpur
Dated: 17 June 2015

Jay Radha Madhav Kunja bihari….

I welcome you all on the first day of Purushottam Month- Those who have arrived even before the time. There are many exemplary souls like Valmiki, Jagai-Madhai, Mrugari (who was a hunter & guided by Narad Muni). Every devotee sitting here is an example of ‘Effects of Holy name’. What you were and now see what you are! Chaitanya Caritramita is full of such examples.

Ajamila named his 10th Son as ‘Narayan’ and every now and then he was calling, “Narayan, come here! Narayan, where are you?” Like father-mother usually call their kids but Ajamila was with some extra love towards his son. Yesterday we listened about Yama-dutas and Vishnu-dutas. Vishnu-dutas questioned Yamadutas , “Prove that you are dutas of Yamaraj. What are symptoms of Dharma? And whats’ your procedure to punish a soul? Do you have some system?

The conversation between Yama-dutas and Vishnu-dutas, is being delivered to us here. Hence only it’s included in Bhagvatam. If Ajamila got benefited from this conversation we too would. One who will listen katha with faith and propagate it with devotion to others (who are very busy and not even having time to die) he or she will never go to hell, so our one batch is ready who will never see hell. Plus he or she will be get Worshiped in Vaikuntha.
Vedas are Narayan, they originate with the exhalation of Lord. Vedas are ‘apaurusheya’. Three gunas (Goodness, Passion and Ignorance) are running this world. Even these 3 gunas are responsible for four Varnas (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra). Brahmin is in Goodness, Shudra in ignorance and remaining two are mixture of Passion & ignorance.

In kaliyuga maximum people are ‘shudras’ as they are filled with ignorance. Four ages (Satya, Treta, Dwapar and Kali) are also reflections of these four Varnas. Satyayug with Brahmin, Treta with Kshatriya, Dwapara with Vaisya and Kaliyuga of Shudras. But Lord is the ultimate controller – ‘mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram’ (BG 9.10)

Now Yamadutas replied, “No no! We have a well defined system to decide to punish or not.” A big IT system, with supercomputers and a secretary named Chitragupta as Data entry operator. We are always ready with database. Our informers are spread over everywhere. Who are the Informers? Sun, ether, air, Moon, 10 Directions, Earth, and Time. So where do you run? They are eyewitnesses of your all activities.
Based on qualities of our previous Karmas, its get decided where one will take Birth. And our four Varnas they are based on ‘Characters’ not on the Birth “guna-karma-vibhagasah” (B.G 4.13). It means one is not Brahmin just as he got birth in Brahmin family. There are 3 types of work: 1) By Thoughts 2) By Body 3) By Tongue. As Silkworm creates the cocoon around his body with his own fluid and get locked inside it, so the soul is with his own Karmik reactions creates for death and rebirth.

They said, “Once Ajamila was very courteous, he was following all sastric injunctions, very pious one”. But once he went in a garden for fruits and flowers. There he saw a man-woman indulged with each other and got agitated. Then he went behind that woman. Both that man and woman were Sudras. There are only two themes of films nowadays: sex and violence. One Hero and one villain, they are so fallen but yet our Heros ..Indeed both are villain.
Human is indulged in such activities like cats and dogs. Animals carry on with their activities anywhere without any shame. Hence Prabhupada used to say ‘its society of cats and dogs’. Woman is the topmost pleasure for man and so is man for her. Both are busy in glorifying each other. They see nothing beyond that. Senses should be pulled back from their objects like a tortoise roll back its senses.

Madan, Kandarpa, Anang etc. all are names of Kamdev (God of Lust). Anang means without body as Lord Shiva once burned him, so without body. Madan-Mohan means one who attracts even cupid. We pray to Madan-Mohan so that He should remove Madan(cupid) from our path of devotion. So Ajamila violated all Sastric injunctions. Hence we will punish him in 28 types of our hell. Now the turn is of Vishn-dutas Ajamila is listening it with Half-in half- out of his body.

Here the 2nd Chapter of 6th Canto begins,
Vishnu-dutas said, “Each movement he was uttering the name of Lord. Narayan come here..Narayan eat this and so on. So, he has repented all his misdeeds. And when at last moment he yelled Narayan!1 What to say about it!” Common man follows the great ones.

One who is perfect-chanter has repented all his misdeeds. Big one or small one all his misdeeds get nullified. Krishna says that the way Draupadi called me, “Hey Govind! Hey Krishna!! “I got indebted to her. In “Hari-naam Chintamani’’ by Bhaktivinod Thakur and again in Padma-purana its described that there are three stages of Chanting: 1) Offensive 2) Nama-bhass (illusion) 3) Shudha-Nama. Nama-Bhas means when name was taken in illusion.

At the time of that movie “Dam Maro Dam..mita jaye gam, bolo subah sham Hare Krishna Hare Rama’, we used to go for preaching in Mumbai. So looking us, people used to run in home and play that Song on tape-recorder in a loud just to tease us. The fire will always burn when one touches it knowingly or even unknowingly, so is Holy name. Though they were trying to tease us but definitely would have got benefited.

The devotees in Tokyo (Japan) go to the visitors even the Muslim and they say –“please see this books” again and again until they are anger and say.. “haRAMkhor”. Then devotees became very happy. Same is with Chand-kazi. Devotees of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu told him- “everyone is saying ‘Hari Bol’ why don’t you Kazi sahib? So to avoid them, he replied ‘Tomorrow I will say HARI BOL’. And the devotees jumped in joy.
So Vishnu-dutas freed Ajamila from the bindings of Yama-dutas. Now he is contemplating about his misbehavior. Similarly we should contemplate on Katha. Listening is just the starting, after that it comes remembrance and contemplation. We don’t want just accumulation but assimilation. Now he is contemplating about past, wife and his parents. And he decided to be a new person from the same movement. He realized that he was acting just as a toy in hands of a prostitute earlier.

Srila Prabhupada wrote, we are just toys of your hand my Lord please make us dance as per Your wish

“nacao nacao prabhu nacao se-mate
kasthera puttali jatha nacao se-mate”

So it’s time that we should also pray, because more or less we all are like Ajamila. Now Ajamila is of 88 years, it’s already too late. Now he went to Haridwar. Haridwar Dhaam ki Jay! Ganga Maiyaa ki Jay!!
Devotion is something beyond liberation. After sometime, Ajamila saw the Vishnu-dutas. He understood that now they came to take him. So he gazing at the Ganga River he left his body. And attained the divine form like Vishnu-dutas. And he entered the Golden plane and then the plane took off.
Nitai- Gour Premande Hari Hari Bol !!
Although Ajamila went to Vaikuntha but our Katha doesn’t end here. We will again come with the third session tomorrow.
Hari Bol !!




Lord Ram- best example of simple living high thinking

Second session
Jai Sri ….Ram bhakta Hanuman
Welcome everybody to the second session of Rama katha….Ramayan
Sri ramah sharanam samasta jagatam, ramam vina ka gatih
ramena pratihanyate kalimalam ramaya karyam namah
ramatrasyati kal bhima bhujago ramasya sarvam vase
rame bhakir akhandita bhavatume Rama tvameva ashrayah”

That’s the prayer at the lotus feet of Sri Rama, at the very beginning of Ramayan mahatmya. “Sri ramah sharanam samasta jagatam” Sri Rama is shelter for the whole world. ‘Ramam vina ka gatih’ The Question has been raised is there any other destination for human beings other then Sri Ram? Ram is all in all and the goal of humanity at large. Ramena pratihanyate kalimalam- Rama is a destroyer of kali-mal anything that is inauspicious, mal – that is dirty is destroyed by Sri Rama. Ramaya karyam namah- until such Rama and His pastimes and His personality I offer my obsceneness. Ramatrasyati kal bhima bhujago- Even the kal personified, he is scared, he is afraid of Sri Rama. Bhujaga- yes when kal becomes serpent then he is ready to; not anyone here but ready to gobble up that kal sarpa, kal taking the form of a serpent and kal is scared afraid of Sri Rama “Ramasya sarvam vase”- Everything is under the control of Sri Rama.
“Rame bhakir akhandita bhavatume” – and I pray for uninterrupted devotion and devotional service unto Sri Rama. “Rama tvameva ashrayah”- Rama O’Lord Sri Rama You are the only shelter for me, the beauty is all the vibhakties have been used here prathama to saptami to sambodhan made that into prayer. Sri Ramah, Ramam, Ramena, Ramaya, Ramat, Ramashya, Rame, hey Rama. Different cases they call cases- vibhakti each one gets the prayer and the glory of Sri Rama….Jai Sri Rama.
We have only three days we have only two days we have only one and a half day as I am looking at the watch here the clock here. We don’t even have whole day one or one and a half day, I wish we had all the time just to do this and what about the duty? What about the duty? Is that the beauty? We have no other duty? We have no other duty this is the best one final and constitutional duty. Go get a job when we chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna on the streets of New York, New jersey, or wherever Atlanta or Toronto or Tokyo sometimes people say – go get a job and then Hare Krishna’s says we are on a job, this our job, this is the job, we are the bodies and with body comes other things and so there is no end and we stay busy 24 hours a day. Seven days a week and four weeks in a month and twelve months in a year and all the years of our life, I have duty, I have duty to perform. If we are souls, yes are we all soul? We have souls or you also have souls? It’s nice; can we live just as a soul? Or do we need body? Do we need body? Is it possible to survive, exist without the body? Just imagine for a moment, not possible. That mataji is thinking, she is convinced, you won’t survive (laughs) it is required to be on this earth, do we have to be on this earth? Yeah do, does it need a body? I didn’t say to be on the earth or because you all thinking of the earth, yes we could, we could adjust without the body. Some devotees have already demonstrated that, almost 24 hours Haridas Thakura is chanting “Hare Kishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare” and it was almost like body doesn’t exist for them. They are very close to that existence without the body that there would be not need of the body. But we have the body but some time we just become the bodies also and we do not take in to consideration that we are the soul and we simply keep taking care of the body or bodies of others ignoring forgetting the soul all together. So more we could take care of ourselves, take care of yourself, how many time you have heard this mantra, take Care, take Care of yourself, either take care or take care of yourself but what ids that self? Soul, soul is that self, so to take care of that soul or self we have assembled here to feed that self to nourish that self, to make that self healthy, make our atmas mahatmas or parmatma also, could we make our atma into parmatma? Now you know that mahatma, mahatma is what? Only when you wear saffron cloth like Ekalavya prabhu then your mahatma or could child be also mahatma? Mahatma Child, mahatma lady. There is nothing to do with what colour of cloth you wearing.

“mahatmanas tu mam partha daivim prak?tim asritha
bhajanty ananya-manaso jnatva bhutadim avyayam” (B.G 9.13)

Meaning- Anyone who has taken shelter of davi prakriti- of the Lord, that person is mahatma, so anyone who chants “Hare Kishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare” that’s mahatma. Anyone who listens to Krishna, to Sri Rama, that person is mahatma or he is becoming, becoming one as he is chanting and hearing, feeding the soul, he is growing. His health is getting better all the time. You won’t be the same what you were at the beginning, what you were at 6:30 and by 9 o’clock you already have become bigger size mahatma you do not sleep. So when we are connected with parmatma we become mahatma even that flow, Rama flows in our direction in the form of His holy name in the form of His pastimes, His form, His abode, He is a current, He is a flow of spiritual energy and the nourishment, the tonic and we become healthy normal size.
So the Lord Rama along with Sita and Laxman they are already in the forest on exile and ready to be there in the forest for 14 years as vanvasis literally like one of the resident of forest. Depending on natural resources and no pillow, arms are the pillows, no dunlop mattresses just soft grass if it is available soft if not then whatever kind of dry grass or no grass, whatever kinds of fruits or leaves or dry leaves, the barks are clothing and plenty of water, crystal clear water as pure as the purified mind of the sages. This is the description we find in sashtra. It says water is as clear as the clear mind of the saintly person, you don’t need water purifying plant just purify the mind. If we all purify the mind we could shut or close those water purifying plant, right, did u get that? Is everything we are asking Rama Chandra prabhu. There something was making noise in the kitchen I asked what is this sound, said pot washing or dish washing or there is some cloth washing machine, dish washing machine I said where is mind washing, is there something mind washing machine also? And if there was something to wash the mind then job is done, life could be so simple, and natural close to nature close to God. So Sri Rama was leading that kind of simple living and high thinking. And what are we doing? Living is very high and thinking is low or no? There is also difference. When you say just do it, means no thinking, just do it, don’t even think. If you feel good, do it, just do it. So that’s why we are studying Ramayan here.
The best example of simple living high thinking, we need Ramayan and Rama now than ever before and Rama is available His examples, His ideal is here for us to follow. Then we become better human beings, better character and what not all the good qualities generous we become, friendly we become and what not we become, clean we become, good neighbours we become, good parents, good friends, goodness would prevail in all our dealings and activities by having that connection with Sri Rama, Sri Krishna, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So it was time to cross the river and the boatman was there. Nishadha nishadha – kevat was his another name, Ramayan says nishadha, Kevat. He said oh! He was talking to laxman my job is same as Sri Rama’s job and when Laxman heard this and he was furious what? You are comparing your activities with my Sri Rama and then he explained, I take people across to the other shore in my boat and Sri Rama takes people across these material oceans of material existence. Some similarity is there, so once he was another side Sri Rama, Laxman, Sita. They visit ashrama of Bharadwaj muni this is in Prayag raj, already on the banks of triveni sangam confluence of Ganga Jamuna Saraswati.
Sri Rama is very very respectful to the sages, He was trained like that, being kshatriya He also thought that the Brahmins are superior we are just kshatriyas, we are just arms, the Brahmins are uttam anga, as the top most part of the body is head so likewise the Brahmins, that is the Brahmins position that top in the society, they are the direction providers, they are the guides even for the arms when to act and not to act that direction comes from the head Brahmans. So He was trained like that so the full dandvats at the feet of Bharadwaj muni and sitting at his feet he listens to all that good advice etc that Bharadwaj muni had for Sri Rama. Sri Rama is also looking for some place He could some part of the forest where He could stay and Bharadwaj muni was the one. Oh! you can see that? That mountain, that is in Chitrakut that mountain is still there but not that tall to be seen from Prayag raj seen that in those days they could point out to that mountain. So they started their journey in the direction of Chitra kutt, as they were departing Bhradwaj muni was chanting all the auspicious mantras svastivachan mantras he chanted you can chant, we have a muni here also.
(A devotee does svastivacan) You heard in the back? So svastivachan all the auspiciousness he was praying for, they entering the forest and let there be no obstacles, no difficulties, let there be all auspiciousness. So Bharadwaj muni chanted prayers. Sri Rama was departing for chitrakutt. On the way they also meet Valmiki rishi. Valmiki muni’s ashrama is we went up there, this is different from that I mentioned yesterday other one was on the banks on Ganga near Varanasi where he compiled his Ramayan Sita and Luv Kush also stayed. This one is another ashrama I visited both not this time I visited one this time and one in the past. I have also visited chitrakutt, we are going there. Anyone here has gone to chtrakutt? One mataji. Half dozen hands are up, flute is up, your flute went or you went? (Laughter) both.
So Valmiki muni also had to Rama was making further inquiries for where to stay and then Valmiki muni in turn inquires from Sri Rama Please tell me first of all where you do not stay? Is there any place where you do not stay? You tell me, then there you stay. Where you don’t stay. Pretty smart reply (laughs) but you have ask me and then he made another appeal to Sri Rama, my dear Lord you please stay and make your residence in the heart of your devotees. You like that? Yeah, sounds good? Any one for this Rama staying in your heart? Some room there? Or is it already packed? Get reed of some desirable elements or entities. Once you have Rama in your heart and heart becomes and you become big hearted. You could accommodate the whole world in the heart. When Rama is not there then it just you and very few fellows, your selfish little narrow world there. So Rama Sita Laxman they proceed to chitrakutt. Is one of the most scenic places I have visited and what to speak about 900 thousand years ago how much beauty and tranquillity and purity of that place. There is a river Mandakini river flows, water is so clear, also so many fish communities doing there swachand vihar and they are swimming. They proceed deep into the water and water is very very clear. and then we went kind of some distance towards the town and the water was getting muddy and way in to the country side into the forest into the mountains all clear water as soon as the human touch everything is nasty, dirty.

So this thing has nothing to do with these dirty businesses at Ramas time. So there is a Rama ghat and there is a Sita ghat. Where Rama used to take bath and quite distance where Sita used to take her bath. They made parna kutir there residence, some bamboos and some leaves thatched roof, locals also helped to make that residence and Rama stays there. Longest period of Ramas 14 years exile He spent in chitra kutt some 11 and half out of 14 years He spends in chitrakutt. This is the time this is the place Bharat comes. Bharat!! Rama bharat Milan Milap took place in chitrakutt. Bharat was, when he returned to Ayodhya, he was out of station, he was not in station when all these thing transpired this Kai kai asking for a boon and Rama into the forest and all these proposal of Bharat becoming the prince, the king. He did not know so when he returned and by the time when he returned to ayodhya his father also was no more and due to the pangs of separation from Sri Rama he went back home, he departed. In the middle of the night he left the body just prior to that he was talking to kaushlya. He shared that episode when he was in the forest, hunting and the shravan kumar was carrying his parents taking them on pilgrimage they were blind old and blind, he had placed them to some distance and he had gone looking for water and parents were thirsty and as he was filling the pot made some sound and Dashrath the king he was hiding looking for some prey some animal to come to drink water and he thought it is some animal and without thinking further he just shot an arrow and when he rush to the spot thinking its lion or tiger or what it is deer? What did he find? But it was shravan kumar. As he was about to take last breathe, he said please my parents must be thirsty can you please bring some water to them? So Dashrath was talking to kaushlya i like this he was sharing what had happen once. So as Dashrath had gone to shravan kumar’s parents with water and he was trying to feed them water was not talking hey! shravan kumar why didn’t you talk today? And he was just feeding them water because this was dashrath. So finally as he had to respond then he tells all that had happened and those parents of shravan kumar had cursed well.

Jai ho………Gaur Nitai ki..jai …Jai Sita Rama Laxman Hanuman ji ki. ……….Jai

So as they were dying in the separation of their son and son was no more so no reason to survive so there was curse “you also die just like we are dying now” so Dashrath knew one day this probably is going to happen to me. He did not under what circum and how could and this is happening to him so that night he shared all this with Kaushlya and the same night he departed. So when Bharat returned to ayodhya to find, Rama was in the forest with Laxman and Sita and father was no more and his mother was the cause and he was curious, very angry totally disappointed he gets on the case of the kaikai and he is not interested becoming the king, “No Rama is the king, he has to be the king, not me” That sounds like tretayuga like, someone from tretayuga. If it was just our time you would have it, I would have gone for it. There was a different quality of consciousness, different values in those ages. That’s why the age of gold and what bronze like that? Then silver. Gold, silver, bronze and this is iron, scrap, can’t compare. So then Bharat he wants to go meet Rama wherever he is find him out and bring him back and he thinks he could bring him back that’s kind of taking, “yes, I am going to do it, I am going to bring Rama back” And so many family members were ready to go with him, the mothers were ready to go with him, his brother was ready to go with him. He takes small army with him and now he is going to the forest some army he is not going as a vanvasi he is going as a son of the king. So he comes to the spot where Rama had spent the night and where the king had offered him “hey you could come to my palace” we heard yesterday “palace no, me no palace, nothing to do with the palace” He had just slept at the bank of the river and from there he had crossed the river as we just heard few minutes ago, so Bharat comes to that spot and he meets the same kevat, Nishadha raj mentined in Ramayan. “Have you heard of our Rama, has he gone from here? Oh!sure he was here, he had spent night here, what do you mean he spent night here? As nothing is here to reside in? Oh! He is right there do you see that some grass? He just lied down on that dry grass other night and this is where he spent the night and what about his dinner? Oh! He ate some fruits and berries and some and when bharat heard this was too much for him to hear and handle. He wants to do the same thing when Rama is living like this I will also follow the same standard and soon he gets into this mood. He takes that swear for next fourteen years. So they crossed the river, they go to Bharadwaj muni same ashrama, he is like following the same path and Bharadwaj muni says were abouts yes do you see that mountain? Chitra kutt there so Rama should be around there in there so he goes in that direction. When they were coming closer where Rama and Laxman were staying, Laxman saw he was at the top of the tree. Laxman is always guarding, he is a anga rakshak, the body guard, he is shankarshan, he is the protector, like Balarama, he is always protecting that’s his position constitutional of position of Laxman, Laxman is Balarama, Shankarshan.

So he was on guard it is forest where he guarding Rama and Sita and sees army coming and he notices Bharat is there he runs to Sri Rama “hey get ready, let’s get ready, what for? We have to fight.” He thought Bharat had come to fight with Sri Rama and Rama had to cool him down “calm down, calm down, Bharat and is he going to fight with us? No no way…” so that great meeting of that two brothers took place at “chitra kutt”. You get to visit the very spot where they met, where two brothers stood as they were meeting and embracing each other. Where they stood those rocks melted just by the touch and kind of an atmosphere you know feelings of brotherly affection and friendship and the rocks melted if our heart could melt that would be something….and there is whole appeal of course that was a purpose of Bharat visiting Sri Rama “you have to come, you are the king, no please return, please come, let’s go” that’s all the appeals from this angle that angle. Oh! Then before that Rama also gets the news of Dashrath being no more and we could only imagine Sri Rama’s feelings, He felt all vacant world without father being no more so when father is no more elder brother is like father. “You have to come, don’t take my mother’s word seriously and forget her boons and you come you rule us but the promise is promise. Rama is known for the He is ekvachani, He is ekvachani, ek patni and ek vani. It’s like that way, once He has given promise He keeps and He is keeping his father’s promise infect father had promised to kaikai but He was involved with that promise connected with that promise so He took that upon himself so fourteen years no question of me returning. Bharat is falling at His feet and all that and finally Rama says you could take my sandal, wood shoes; I won’t come take my sandal, take my shoes, so that’s all he could bring back to Ayodhya. Not Rama but His shoes he took them on his head and he was place them that shoes on the thrown considering Rama is there he is the ruler and him sitting at the feet those feet, before he goes but you have to make sure fourteen years and as soon as fourteen years period is completed, you have to be back if you are one second, one moment longer delayed well, then do not come back or if you come not come it won’t make any difference to me I won’t be there, I won’t survive one minute one moment longer, so Rama had to promise “yes, yes brother I will come, as soon as fourteen years, the day, the moment they are completed, I will be back. So with that hope, that anticipation that brother would be back, Rama would be back Bharat returns but he doesn’t enter Ayodhya. We were there last month, there is a place called Nandigram, besides the outskirts of Ayodhya. He stays there for fourteen years he doesn’t enter the capital city of ayodhya and shoes of Sri Rama were in Nandigram and he was leading life just like Rama’s life in vanvas in van.

Same food, no stitched cloths, he had matted here, long hair, no hair cutting, no cooked food, that was bharat following that fourteen years waiting and watching, he was counting, seems not moving. When we have fun time flies otherwise you think for Bharat one day was like a one year without Rama for him. So after many years they were in chitra kutt Rama proceeds down south to Dandkaranya. On this aranya kanda of Rama this is dandak aranya, so that is dand-karanya. The central India, parts of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra or like that parts of Andhra Pradesh that was whole central region danda-karanya. Very thick forest so He moves on to the place which now has known as Ramatek, not far from Nagpur the present day Nagpur, there which was abode one time abode of so many sages rishi’s, muni’s performing there tapasya, in their beautiful setting natural setting but as Rama was there he noticed that there were the human skulls and the skeletons everywhere as he was walking and going from one ashrama to other ashrama, big piles some time what is this? And he was informed the rakshsa’s this what left over of the rishi’s and muni’s and this all rakshsa’s ate them up, this left, this is just bones behind and when Rama heard of this, he took his bow and arrow and he takes vow that he will wipe out all the demons all the rakshsa’s form the planet. Ramtake, this is Rama’s vow, Rama sankalp, this is also the place where augastya rishi’s ashrama. We could go visit augastya rishi’s ashrama there we could read the instruction writing on the wall that says Rama visited this place 8,80,000 years ago. 8,80,000 years close to 9,00,000 years ago so someone was asking whether Rama was in this last tretayug or previous one so it couldn’t be previous one. It is 8,00,000 according to that description also and other understanding is also there and then augastya rishi suggested Sri Rama to proceed in direction of Godavari and reside there so Rama, Sita, Laxman they are kind of coming down southerly direction from there they go east ward, in the south east towards Godavari which is presently known as panchvati, also known as Nasik, panchvati, there are five banyan trees, vatta vriksha’s.
Rama’s times, there even they are now, even if you go tomorrow if you take flight and if you don’t have faith or you can telephone somebody in Nasik, they had been witnessing Lord’s pastimes, there are those trees, now that Godavari, the sages always choose to be on the bank of lake or river they need lots of water for being suchi – being clean, water has lots of big role to play also for those who, when water flows it is good for meditation so when you stay on the bank of a river or bank of ocean, bank of a lake it makes broad minded big minded . So it’s just something that helps to become more god conscious, Rama itself, He was a god himself and He doesn’t have to become Rama conscious or Krishna conscious. So they also made there parna kutir there, they were staying there, they had good time, wonderful time and then comes surpanakha comes the sister of Ravan, with the proposal for Rama, Rama was the target, Rama said I have and I am with my wife but Laxman is himself (laughter) so she was kind of being pushed back and forth then she was trying to harass and she was thinking she was a master piece of beauty or miss universe (laughter) “get rid of sita, get rid of this creature, go for me, surpanakha means her nails were like a soop, not drinking soup, supp that you used, have you ever used? Your supp, suppado gujrathi ma (laughter) Marathi madhye supp, “ saar-saar ko gahi rakhe, thutha dehi udai”, that one keeps all the saar or the grain and everything else thutha dehi udaay, that big one, long one she had her nakhun, nails were one supp here, one there, five so surppanakha do you find some surpanakha’s around? Coming in the tradition pretty dangerous, surpanakha’s still she thought she was…so as she was now attacking, harassing Sita because her proposal was not going anywhere and Laxman, he became furious and he chopped off her nose and ear also so the place where it fell that place is known as Nasik, Nasik named after nasika of surppanakha, not very auspicious name and then some more things were tried kharan, dhushyan, she goes back there and come with a big army of fourteen thousand strong and wanted to battle with Rama or defeat him but Rama just crushed and brush them aside they were finished and then surppanakha goes all the way to Shri Lanka and whole reporting was done and trying to take revenge and of course she went with her nose was still bleeding and “that Rama has wife and she should be good for you, he is just mare mortal this Rama” and taking revenge and this desire of me having sita as his concert or queen yes, he was ready but he wanted a help form marichi. Marichi was very tricky and he had different powers of changing bodies and imitating voices, mimicry they call, so when Ravan proposed that you please come along we are two, then he mention what mission was, we have to get sita and we have to fight Sri Rama and when marichi heard the name of Sri Rama they two will be battling he said,” no, no, no…let’s not mess up” because this is Sri Rama and marichi had first experience of Sri Rama, when Vishwamitra muni had come to Ayodhya asking for I like to have your two son, Rama and Laxman so that when we perform our yagya swahaaa… swahaaa…we don’t want any disturbances so they could be good guards.
So of course Dashrath was not ready and then Vashishta muni also to intervene and let them go and as they were there the first demon Rama had killed was tadka, also lady, in Krishna’s pastime the first demon he killed was putana and here it was tadka. And then he had made this marichi also target and when Rama shot His arrow this marichi was lifted in the air and thrown some few thousand miles all the way in Lanka. He survived but that was a power of Sri Rama’s arrow as He shot arrow it left and person landed in Lanka, so when he remembered and when he heard marichi that ravan was proposing…oh! To encounter with Rama, nooo…..nooo…he started trembling, I know it won’t work when I say you have to come, no,no..no I can’t and he was also convincing to forget this proposal not that I should not go but you also should not go if you really care for your life forget making Rama’s Sita as your wife just think of your life (laughter) you want to survive, you better stay behind but then again he ravan changed his mind and he wanted to go and marichi was not willing to go I will kill you and ravan was pretty serious about killing marichi and then marichi ok..let’s go because he was thinking if I go I die if I don’t go I die better let Rama kill me you know, better than this demon killing me I would get nothing I would have this kind of killing and if Rama kills me that will perfection of my life let me go, ok..Let’s go. So they both went and this marichi becomes the deer and he begins dancing around the fence the garden around the humble abode residence of Sita, Rama, Laxman and he was quite charming creature, the deer and deer catching attention of sita and sita wanted and fell in love and I must have, Rama…Rama..Rama…and well if something gets into the women head, right? I don’t know but I hear (laughter) can’t get out (laughs).
So as sita was insisting then Rama was ready to go to chase after that deer bring him back alive or dead and then he had to make arrangement yes, Laxman, you stay with Sita so as Rama was behind this deer, deer started running away from the ashrama, Rama was chasing after and at quite some distance away that made a sound Laxman help Laxman it sounded just like Rama’s voice it was voice of this deer, he played this trick sending signal, a message that Rama is in distress Rama is in difficulty, Rama needs help and then Sita couldn’t help but sent Laxman but Laxman was not willing and sita starts making all kinds of accusing him oh! I understand your ill intensions; you were waiting for this moment oh! I know you so poor Laxman he had to do as sita said had to leave and he was a junior brother and Rama was elder brother, he was a junior and he had to and he knew this is not right thing to do, leaving sita around unprotected no, but he just had to obey the command. We hear I don’t know what reference but we hear that laxman had made up his mind the next time I appear, I incarnate, I am not going to be a junior brother I want to become the elder brother and that is Balrama Rama becomes no this Laxman becomes Balrama and Rama is Krishna like that he is in a superior position so well, that clear the path of Ravan, he was just waiting, hiding around the corner where as Rama and laxman were away, he comes in the scene disguised dress as a Brahmin BHIKSHAM DE HEE!!! BHIKSHAM DE HEE!!! He knew mantras and he was quite learned but just being learned doesn’t mean a devotee. Hiranyakashyapu was also very austere and tapasvi that doesn’t mean devotee of the Lord and who was Jarasandha? Very charitable dani but not devotee.
So “naham vedair na tapasa na danena na cejyaya sakya evam-vidho drastum” (B.G 11.53) Lord says that in Bhagwat Gita , just because someone is jnani and tapasvi — by bhakti only I achieved or you could perform tapasya but it should be for the Lord. “yat karosi yad asnasi yaj juho?i dadasi yat yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kurusva mad-arpanam “(B.G 9.27 )so if it is arpanam for the Lord you do tapsya and you do daan for the Lord and whatever you eat you eat for lord and you eat Krishna prasadam “tad kurusva mad arpanam” that’s perfection otherwise tons of tapasya goes on and charity all shows are going on but that does not mean, people have learned also, there is very little to do with devotion and not necessarily this all thing means devotion unto the Lord so Ravan was a pandit so he knew the mantras and tantras he was a big tantric also.

So then he was glorifying sita and making all the proposal be my queen, why you are in the forest, come to the palace. Chanting his own glories that I am lankesh and all demigods are scared of me and all this. So Sita the chaste lady, pativrata, sati, Rama had valve, His vow was ekpatni, He was ekpatni, He has ekpatni vrat, one wife as sita and for sita it was pativrat, pativrata, so he has taken ekpatni vrat and she has, she was ekpati vrata. Different vrats were out there, brhamcharya vrat is also there and ekdasi vrat so different vratas valve and sankalpas and with a great determination those things are followed so this is another vrat of sita and Rama, pativrata and ek patni vrat. If this is followed by present day, humanity could make a big difference big difference, could change the face of the earth just by doing this, just like Rama following his footsteps, do this or that will make changes and could make a big difference and now in Delhi, every month 700 families are there with their divorce papers, every month 700 and number are growing. So not far behind America and when we were little children we used hear oh! we are 200 years behind and we are 150 years behind the west and 100 years, 50 years, now we have caught up or we right there or we are ahead of them in some respect very unfortunate.

Prabhupada was the one who knew the value of Indian or ancient Indian and the culture, the dharma, the principals, the real wealth, everyone kept saying oh! we are poor country so everyone is going to west only to beg but Prabhupada did not come to beg but he came to deliver give the gift, the best gift of India. That’s this sashtras, this culture this dharma, this bhagwat gita and chanting of “Hare Kishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare” This is our wealth prabhupada was convinced this is a wealth of bharat varsh. Why have you come to our country? Question raised by a correspondent reporter in London, swamiji why have you come to our country? And then swamiji said that oh! You, you were also there in India for almost 200 years but my purpose is different not here to take revenge or you came so I have also come barabari ho gai. So you had, whatever you thought was valuable from India, you all had been looting that, stealing that bringing that over to England including the Kohinoor ka hira and many other things and they were cleaning up taking boat loads of this and that whatever thing was valuable. So Prabhupada said you had been doing this but you know your viceroys, I think they were called viceroys, their representative of Brittan in India and they left behind real wealth, the most valuable thing they left behind so I have come to deliver those (a big round of applause) free delivery, home delivery so whatever is gift, the ancient culture of our nation, this is the gift of our nation to the rest of the world.
The knowledge contained in Gita and Bhagvatam, this is the gift of my country and the names of God. This is “goloker prema dhana harinaam sankirtan”
So that, Srila Prabhupada, infect he had come to New York first and we may say “oh! Practically empty pocket, five dollars in the pocket, he had five dollars when he reached New York which he didn’t even spend those five dollars, those five dollars stayed intact. And when Prabhupada went back to India, then he took taxi from Delhi airport to Chippiwada, which was near the red fort. He had to pay the taxi fare and you know how much was the taxi fare? Forty Rupees. Five dollars were forty rupees. So he paid that taxi bill forty rupees to that taxi wala, he did not use. So he started with five dollars infact he had not even used so he was with zero balance and he had nothing but his wealth was holy name, so he was the wealthiest person. And that is how he was able to make, at least some of the dropouts, misguided, frustrated American boys into happy beings, happy human beings. Although they were hippies they became happies. Prabhupada in India would proudly say I went to the west even hippies have become happies. He was proud, so if hippy could become happy then if you are already happy then more happy so all the wealth that could not make Americans happy, Prabhupad’s formula, Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s holy name made them happy and they are sticking to that holy name from last 20, 30, 40 years they are happily they are happy. So we say he had no money no friends and one said this is true when Prabhupada came off that Jaldutta boat he didn’t know whether to turn left or right he went by himself but the best friend was also accompanying him his best friend is Lord Sri Krishna. So he was with the best friend and he was the wealthiest person because holy name was his wealth, his property.
So Ravan was making all this proposals but because Sita being cultured pativrata there was no question of her budging an inch or considering proposal, no way… as she was not submitting to his proposals. Ravan even to scare her assumes in his gigantic form of regular Ravan size and he had 10 heads and still she was fixed and then Ravan over powers her, snatches her, grabs her takes her off into the sky flying towards his capital Lanka and Sita is screaming and crying for help….Raaam…..Raaaam…Raaam…Raaam…Help help somebody help, please somebody pass on the words to my Rama and no no responses and she noticed that on the top of and nearby tree, the Jatayu was in a kind of sleepy state, old, Jatayu was old, 60000 years old, not much, 60000 years old. Of course Rama had come across jatayu as he was entering this dandakaranya getting closer to this panchavati, Godavari and He thought He is some kind of demon here so He was ready to kill him but then jatayu gave whole introduction of himself including the part of peace information that “I knew your father, you know, we were close” There is some kind of relationship between jatayu and dashrath, they were close so Rama spared him and he had also agreed I will be guard, protecting you, so when sita was being snatched and when sita cried for help then Jatayu, he really woke up and he gave a big fight, real fight, he fought with all his might, although very old in age and ravan was kind of young fellow but jatayu fought, fighting lasted in the sky like two mountains were battling pushing. Jatayu also managed with the claws jatayu had claws bird he killed those mules, yolked to his chariot that’s the description with the claws and he with use of the beak he killed the chariot driver of Ravan, he smashed the chariot into pieces and then ravan had to land and both were on the ground and battled further but after a long battle this elderly old jataayu was exhausted and ravan took advantage and he chopped off the wings of jatayu and then again took sita and flying the sky ways, direction of lanka and as they were flying over that rishmukh parvat, there Sughriv and his 4to 5 ministers including hanuman they were there. She threw some of her clothing some ornament, pearls and a necklace, leaving some indication behind and as Rama was returning he thought he had accomplish the mission of killing this deer and he noticed “oh! laxman, hey…why are you here? And he had to explain the reasons and Rama was very disappointed, very angry, “why did you disobey my command? And as they both were returning towards their kutir, all the jackals were hauling and all the bad omen’s were all around Rama was thinking for sure this is, this meant either sita has by now killed by some rakshsa or taken away, Rama was kind of sure of this.
And as they finally return to the kutir, only two find sita is not here, well he was not surprised, Rama was not surprised, but he was certainly displeased and then they started the whole search for sita….sita….screaming all over, top of the mountains, into the valleys, in the planes, they go everywhere being searching, looking, crying, praying, even Rama in his kind of madness He is asking the trees, bushes, the animal. ”oh!…have you seen my sita, have you seen, anybody here seen my sita going this way? It was very similar to those gopis searching for Krishna , as it was never reversed, here Rama was looking for sita or gopi, she was gopi for him, only one deer as Rama was inquiring, from deer he was inquiring, the deer raised his head and Rama thought this is some indication, sita into the air and gone in this direction, he was watching that deer and that deer as if he is pointing out that way…that way, so by this time they were just searching around where there was resident but now they took this clue from the deer and started going south and only after some distance they begin seeing this the battle ground this two jatayu and ravan had battled, they saw the mules and broken cart and well Rama was expecting the worst, threat signs were there, some rakshsas have battled, over my sita and also some of the broken bangles and some ornaments also and further they go some blood, they thought there is no need to search any further sita is no more, thought that blood was sita’s blood and they followed that blood trails and their they see bird, one…rakshas in disguise of the bird and Rama, this is the job of this demon and Rama was ready to kill him and as he was more closer, he could see “oh! jatayu? It was jatayu, what happen? Then the whole tale was told, I did my best but finally saying the last words as Rama the bird fell in the lap of Sri Rama looking at his face and chanting his name and bird left departed. So another tragedy already they were looking for sita and had not found and they had just heard and transpired and now jatayu is no more they cried and lamented over the lost of jatayu, two brothers they performed all the final rites for jatayu where everyone looking for fire wood they collected the wood, prepared the funeral, fired put the body of jatayu on the top, to the flames chanted all the mantras all the ritual they followed finally taking bath in Godavari they thought when their father dashrath died they were not able to attend that funeral at least his friend, dashrath’s friend jatayu. When he departed and he render great service to us so both brother did fulfil their obligation and they were proceeding searching looking to get any more clues, then this Kabandha, he was a special person cursed body deformed and Rama had also battled with them, Rama chopping his right hand and laxman also chopping his left hand and “could you provide us some clues, where abouts of ravan? No, no, I don’t know, I have no information, we are birds, but then kabandha says you proceed, you go in the direction of pumpa-sarovar, there sughriv is there with his ministers, residing on there rishmukh mountain and he is in the similar difficulty as yours. He is also separated from his wife and kind of in exile and so may you could become allies and he has big army of monkey and they could go anywhere on the earth looking for sita they could help find sita for you.
So Rama and Laxman they precede and they were also going to meet shabri on the banks of the pumpa-sarovar and they were also going to meet for the first time, they were going to meet Hanuman and so far hanuman is not in the picture so far. So now as they go to pumpa-sarovar , sughriv is “hey go find out, are this some spies of Bali coming? go…go…go.. and hanuman is going meet this guys as some old Brahmin, going down and approaching and inquiring and prior to that of course, meeting with shabri and then finally meeting with Sugriv and killing of bali and then more search for sita……….
So we will talk on those later those pastimes in 3rd and final Ramayan session tomorrow.
Jai Sri Ram




Overview of Bhagavad-gita chapter 7

Venue: Cross Maidan Festival : Reading from Bhagvad-gita -As it is chapter 7, I was not mentioned any particular verse, then there are so many choices of course by now you must be knowing why chapter 7 has been selected for this festival here at Cross Maidan. Yes exactly Srila Prabhupada had been giving his discourses on this chapter 7. In 1971 during morning hours, Srila Prabhupada ki …………………….jai. Of course I missed the morning talks, morning talks are for more serious students. Anyone could come in the evening but to come in the morning it takes, you to be somebody seriously interested in the subject matter. So maybe I did not have so much interested in 71, I was coming in the evening attending Srila Prabhupad’s Hare Krishna festival right here at Cross Maidan. Unfortunately I did missed morning Bhagavat gita lectures. The 7th chapter onwards of Bhagavat gita 7th  through 12th  chapters is considered as ‘Bhakti Yoga’ discussion.

“yoginam api sarvesam, mad-gatenantar-atmana, sraddhavan bhajte yo mam, sa me yuktatamo matah” (B.G 6.47). This is how Krishna has concluded the 6th chapter of Bhagvat-gita saying that of all the yogis – The Bhakti yogi is the topmost “sraddhavan bhajte yo mam sa me yuktatamo”  yuktatamo means the topmost. This way one who is engaged or this way one who links with me, yoga is linking and the best and complete linkage is there when there is a Bhakti yoga with devotion and of course it is  Srila Prabhupad the Vaishnav acharya who describes or translates Bhakti as not just devotion but Devotional service. While lot others are, whenever there is word Bhakti devotion they say, devotion. But Prabhupad translates this devotional service not just sitting around, so that is over that meditation is over and Dhyana yoga is getting completed here and now is a time for, meditation as well as action that is devotional service.

“mam anusmara yudhacha” cha means and, You have to do 2 things Krishna says “mam anusmara” that is one thing while remembering me “yudha” you have to fight “cha” means and this and that. Not only mam anusmara only remembrance or not fighting but fight while remembering me that is Devotional service for ksatriya. So that Bhakti yoga is being described here in 7th chapter and some more chapters. The knowledge of the absolute is the title of the chapter. Shri Bhagavan uvaca, so we will just take look at different verses of this chapter. I was just running through the chapter I could see practically every verse in this chapter is the most quoted verse. Srila Prabhupada used it very frequently; many of the verses were used. “mayy asakta-manah partha, yogam yunjan mad-asrayah, asamsayam samagram mam, yatha jnasyasi tac chrum” (B.G 7.1)

‘Please hear’ who says this? Shri Bhagavan uvaca, “Shrunu”, attention or says try to hear, in fact early morning also it is little difficult we are fresh not fresh also at the same time, sleepy morning sometimes.  So the advice here is try to hear the Supreme Personality of Godhead said. Now hear Oh! Son of Prutha how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of me with mind attached to me you can know me in full free from doubt. How fortunate is Arjuna we are hearing these words of Sri Krishna here at Cross Maidan, some 5000 years later, but there was Arjuna hearing it directly from the lotus mouth of Lord “ya svayam padmanabhascha mukha padmat vinisritaha”.  Bhagavat gita is very very special scripture because it has been spoken by Lord himself “Padmanabh” the Lord with lotus navel speaking these words from his lotus mouth “mukha padmat” and “padmanabh vinisritaha” these words are coming right out of mouth of the Lord. The 1st person to hear this right in front of Sri Krishna is Arjuna. He was recipient of this mercy and to these words he has said this is prasad my dear Lord.

“nasto mohah smrtir labdha, tvat-prasadan mayacyuta” (B.G 18.73) Hye! Acyutam OH! Infallible one, I am thankful to you for this prasad. What he has heard, he has heard 18 chapters almost, few more sentences to go and then Arjuna says yes ‘nasto mohah’ my illusion finished “nasto mohah smrtir labdha” I have regained the consciousness and this has become possible “tvat-prasadat” by your prasad only, the prasad that Arjuna is referring to are these words of Shri Krishna in the form of Bhagavat gita. So He was the 1st one to receive prasad and what we get here in Cross Maidan is what? maha maha prasad.

Acharya have heard this in disciplic succession and we finally heard it from Srila Prabhupada. Bhagavad gita – As it is, let Krishna speak for himself Srila Prabhupad would emphasize let Krishna speak ‘you shut up’ OH! You have spoken enough could you shut up now kindly stop! Let Krishna speak. Of course those who sit with Bhagavad gita even they do not let Krishna speak that’s the point what to speak of others those who are busy just doing prajalpa or gram katha but who do so called Bhagavad katha, Bhagvat gita talks even they do not allow Krishna to speak. Hence Prabhupada had to insist let Krishna speak for himself. He can speak let him speak, so that is Bhagavad gita-As it is, so we are hearing it from Srila Prabhupada so it is maha maha maha maha prasad.

“asamsayam samagram mam, yatha jnasyasi tac chrum” (B.G 7.1) So if we allow or as acharya’s allow Krishna to speak then “jnasyasi” to know Krishna becomes possible. Samagram Krishna as He is could be known if we hear Bhagavad gita-As it is. And asamsayam there is no doubt about this, there was no even need of such a statement Krishna is speaking so there is no doubt but He is still using that yes don’t be doubtful why should one doubt. Krishna had no doubt infact Krishna was not doubting but it is for us “sarvam etad rtam manye, yan mam vadasi kesava” (B.G 10.14) this was Arjuna’s stand. “sarvam etad rtam manye, according to me ‘manye” I consider this is Arjuna speaking “am manye” ‘I consider what do you consider Arjuna? “sarvam etad rtam” all that you, Krishna is speaking this is nothing but the truth “sarvam etad rtam manye, yan mam vadasi kesava”. You are talking to me oh! Kesava and this is all truth nothing but the truth you are speaking this is Arjuna’s stand. Still Krishna says “asamsayam samagram mam, yatha jnasyasi” – you will know by doing what? Shrunu – just hear, give me ear, hear right here.

“jnanam te ham sa-vijnanam, idam vaksyamy asesatah” (B.G 7.2) Again samagram Krishna already said that again He says “asesatah” as I speak this would be complete,  nothing no balance I will talk complete “asesatah” sesa – asesa, sesa means balance something is remaining. Anantsesa Krishna is unending of course He is “asesatah” and I will talk of jnanam also  savigyanam “jnanam vigyanam sahitam” in other words. My talk will be dealing with jnana and savigyan  “ajgyatva na eha” In this material world there is nothing more to be known I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge both phenomenon and numinous this being known nothing shall further remain you to be know and then Krishna talks. Everyone is not interested, everyone doesn’t come for this knowledge, everyone doesn’t come to the pandal, everyone doesn’t, is not interested in these topics these Hare Krishna or the religion or God Krishna

“manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye, yatatam api siddhanam kascin mam vetti tattvatah” (B.G 7.3) out of many thousands among men one may endeavor for perfection & those who have achieved perfection hardly one knows me in truth how rare is knowing Krishna. Krishna clarifies here “manusyanam sahasresu” out of thousands & thousands – “manusyanam sahasresu kascid” someone “kascid yatati” endeavor “siddhaye” for perfection and “yatatam api siddhanam” and out of those endeavoring “kascin mam vetti tattvatah” those who know me as I am tattvatah that is even more rare. This knowing Krishna tattvatah is of great importance, Tattvatah – tattva, tattva one who knows this tatt, tatt means that, what is that, that is Lord, tatt means Lord. Om tatt sat, tatt means Lord tattva the siddhant the whole science about that “tatt” is called as tattva & then “tattvatah” to known Lord “tattvatah” full tattva siddhant.

“janma karma ca me divyam evam yo vetti tattvatah” (B.G 4.9) so that kind of understanding would help “tattvatah” and “tyaktva deham punar janma, naiti mam eti so arjuna” naiti mam eti for that person there is no birth but he comes yeti he comes to me he doesn’t go for another birth but he comes to me so how important is this tattvatah, tattva buisness has been stated here. “ bhumir apo nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca, ahankara itiyam me bhinna prakrtir astadha” (B.G 7.4) Again very often quoted verse by Srila Prabhupada talking about 5 great elements and 3 subtle elements & the grand total is asta – astadha 8 all this 8 elements are “me bhinna prakrtir” this is my external energy “bhina” separated energy Prabhupad translates, separated energy earth, water, fire, ether, air, mind, intelligence & false ego all together these 8 constitute my separated material energies.

Although the scientists have further broken down these great elements into other more elements and they have reached number 108, about 108 they are not able to kind of go beyond that just discussing with some scientists few days ago how number is about 108? I said yes that’s something special number Gopis are 108, Upanishads are 108 and what else is 108? Our beads, 108 beads so how many elements they have 108, those many elements some gases are also there some elements are there physical we could touch & some like that. So all those are also in the body all that is in Bhramhand is also that in this body in Pinda this is called as pinda, body all that is outside of course because we eat part of Bhramhand and then  this is little 50 kg or may be some are 150. So all that is outside around is in there but of course mind, intelligence & false ego is even beyond the list of 108 elements. So that makes the body different from the dead matter and there is yet another element which is very special that Krishna is going to be talking about in a minute’s time.

“apareyam” immediately He says  “apareyam itas tv anyam, prakrtim viddhi me param, jiva-bhutam maha-baho, yayedam dharyate jagat” (B.G 7.5) He is talking here besides these, these means these 8 elements that He had just talked about. Oh! Mighty armed Arjuna there is another Superior energy of mine which comprises the living entities who are exploiting the resources of this material inferior nature. The body is there He has mentioned comprising of 8 elements but “jiva bhutam” yet there is another energy of mine ‘param’ is superior. He is describing that energy as superior jiva bhutam that is the living entity. 8 elements is the matter & Prabhupad, the scientists are kind of coming to some right conclusion finally Srila Prabhupad writes that in “easy journey to other planets” he talks about the Russian scientists. They are wondering oh! If there is matter then there must be antimatter also then it is complete. Only matter oh! There must be antimatter, anti material. So what is that anti material what is that, that is the spirit? That’s the soul. So in one verse Krishna talked about the matter & that energy is inferior energy and here is talking of “param prakrtim” My superior energy is anti material it is jiva bhutam that is the living entity in this body & then He himself then Krishna is establishing himself also there is a body, there is a soul and there is Me then.

“etad-yonini bhutani, sarvanity upadharaya, aham krtsnasya jagatah prabhavah pralayas tatha” (B.G 7.6). Then that is “aham” and this aham is referring to Krishna and then that is Me aham , aham but there is no pride in the Lord aham. He is just speaking the truth what else could He have said He is speaking as He is aham yes. “krtsnasya jagatah prabhavah pralayas tatha” I am what am I? I am both origin and dissolution of this world. And I have created all created beings have their source in these two natures Krishna says what are these 2 natures? One is the matter and another one is spirit these two natures are created, all created beings have their source in these 2 natures of all that is material and all that is spiritual in this world know for certain that I am both origin & dissolution so He is all in all. “Mataha” such a famous verse “mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya, mayi sarvam idam protam, sutre mani-gana iva” (B.G 7.7) Prabhupad’s favorite verse, Prabhupad wanted emphasizing Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead how many times he has said this, how many times has he written this wherever he mentions Krishna, right Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Never tired this is contribution of Srila Prabhupad, this is Srila Prabhupad emphasizing again this is Bhagavad gita As it is. “mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti” There is no one else with full realization & conviction Srila Prabhupad repeats the  message of Krishna Oh! Saraswati tell me, Srila Prabhupad would ask Saraswati tell me OH! You know Krishna? Who is Krishna? Who is Krishna? You know Saraswati in 71 she used to be on the dais just few years old,  Malati & Shyamsundar their daughter. Sometimes Prabhupad would ask do you know Krishna? She would say ‘Yes, yes’ I know Krishna, tell us tell us & she would say Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead & Prabhupad fully satisfied he would say she knows more than other so called  learned scholars. They don’t know but she knows. Who is Krishna? Krishna is Supreme Personality of Godhead.

“mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti” nanyat there is no one else “kincid asti” not even little bit mattah superior – no, no not even little bit kinchit- just tiny bit “nanyat kincid asti” Oh! Arjuna there is no one superior to me Krishna is described as “asamourdhvam” asama-aurdhvam

No one is equal to Him urdhvam no one is above Him avurdhvam, aswarudhavam & He is one “oh! Conquer of wealth there is no truth superior to Me everything rest upon Me as pearls are strung on a thread” there is a common thread. Thread is common amongst all those pearls in a necklace. Every pearl has a thread and same thread, same thread through each pearl. So likewise same Krishna through each & every atom, not just Bhramhanda. This is the realization of Brahma also “andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham-govindam adi purusham tam aham bhajami” (Sri Brahma-samhita 5.35) Oh! I am right in there in Bhramanda in universe I am there as Garbhodaksaya Vishnu “andantara-stha” what about “paramanu-cayantara-stham” paramanu the smallest unit you break down, break down break down Brahmanda the smallest unit is molecule, atom that  is paramanu-cayantara-stham in there also I am  there. So there is mani “mani-gana iva” “mani gana iva”(B.G 7.7)

So Lord is in that sense also He is all pervading, He is everywhere, atoms are everywhere, He is in each & every atom. So we hope one of these days they looking at the atom, nucleus, proton, neutron as they make progress take close look if they ever could produce microscope of course that microscope infact is Bhagavad gita and that microscope is Bhagavatam its available here right and now see through the eyes of the scriptures and you will see within that tiny atom Lord residing in there, that provision has already been made.

“raso aham” and now Lord is taking few examples ok He takes this mani, that mani this pearl that pearl different things He picks up from this universe and He says I am in this, I am in that, I am in here there starting with “raso aham apsu kaunteya prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh pranavah sarva-vedesu  saddah khe paurusam nrsu”  (B.G 7.8) Few samples to begin with rasa. I am rasa, I am taste, did I say it right? Taste, taste two ways to say, 3 ways English teacher is correcting, juice has taste “raso aham” I am taste of what? “Apsu” in water. Taste in water that is Me “raso aham apsu kaunteya” – Srila Prabhupada would aleast once or may be more times Prabhupad  picked up while talking on this verse once he picked up his water cup & he drank water. Every time he drank water & he spoke every time he drank – he could remember taste of this water oh! That’s Krishna. He would become Krishna conscious he said, is it difficult? All day you are drinking water oh! This taste is Krishna. “raso aham apsu kaunteya”

“Prabhasmi sashi suryayoh”prabha means light I am also light Krishna says and He mentions two objects “sashi suryayoh” sashi is moon & surya is sun, the light of sun & the moon that is Me so every time you see the sun or sun rays or every time you see and without help of sun you cannot see, Prabhupad would explain such a simple thing but stupid as we are, we never think sorry! Stupid as I am. I don’t think that I need help of sun to see this is again Prabhupad training us ok if there is no light, you have your eyes there is no light could you see? no. I can’t see what is your power of seeing if there is no light? and light is Krishna. Only with the help of Krishna you could see. If He doesn’t wants to show you, you can’t see. Can’t we see how controlled we are? “Prabhasmi sashi suryayoh” and  the light and then it was Prabhupad who explained it further that light of sun and moon is not its  own light it is in fact the light of Krishna, Bhramajyoti coming from spiritual sky and the sun is only acting as the mirror and just reflecting that light of Krishna when we were just children. When I was a child in the village I remember that we take a mirror & go out of house during the day & then (laughs) reflection of it we would throw right into the house, right into the eyes of the mother. Hey rascal!  And she cannot see and then she is screaming or we will tease her somebody& we would go outside and put the bright sunrays right into the eyes with the help of the mirror.

Yes you know you have done this ever? You have some experience like, at least few, yes anyone else? Oh! So many what happened, I thought I was only one. This kind of tricks are kind all of pervading, must be same God who is keeping these tricks around and alive & so this like a child throwing with the help of the mirror light into the dark house so this universe is otherwise dark & this Bhramhanda, the sun & moon are acting like mirrors & original Krishna Kanti the Bhramajyoti is reflected upon this, inside this world. So “Prabhasmi sashi suryayoh pranavah sarva-vedesu” (B.G 7.8)

Omm……………this is “pranavah sarva-vedesu” (B.G 7.8). “ommm” “climmm” “shremmm” These are different “pranavah” but of all this “ommm” this is Me. Of all the different syllables “om” in vedic mantra that’s Me and the sound there is “sabdah khe”  shabda is sound and “khe”  “bhumir, apo, nalo, vayuh, kham. What is kham? – Ether the 5th element. Earth, Water, fire, air, ether kham. The sound in ether is Me Krishna says. Sound in ether is that’s Me, its Krishna.

“paurusam nrsu” and  the ability in man or woman, ability anyone who is able capable that ability capable, that capability that ability is due to Krishna. “paurusam nrsu”. So like that Krishna is pointing out here how He is that common thread that goes through the whole creation. “punyo gandhah prthivyam” (B.G 7.9) Sometime ago (laughs) there was some kind of obnoxious  smell. Did you smell it? I was smelling it was not pleasing at all, some smell but bad smell that’s not Krishna. “punyo gandhah prthivyam” prithvi  this is prithvi earthly planet prthivyam in prithvi, in earth there is gandhah smell and punyo gandha. Original Prabhupad translating that original smell, fragrance in the earth that is Me, that’s Krishna. And that fragrance is in the flower. One time Prabhupad also said he was looking at the beautiful bloomed fragrant flower and he said this is like the face of Lord Krishna. That beauty that smell every time you smell you are not supposed to be smelling first offer it to Krishna what a beautiful flower! Let me offer this to whom? Krishna. Other person would think oh! What a beautiful flower let me offer this to my girlfriend or Boyfriend so the consciousness is different. So they are trying to exploit, abuse Lord’s energy, Lord is in there and like that “jivanam sarva-bhutesu tapas casmi tapsvisu” (B.G 7.9)

“bijam mam sarva-bhutanam viddhi partha sanatanam”  (B.G 7.10) like that He goes on “buddhir buddhimatam asmi tejas tejasvinam aham” In this I am, if someone is intelligent that intelligence is me Krishna says & I give  intelligence mataha from me intelligence. “balam balavatam caham” (B.G 7.11). Strength of the strong that is me, it should be used in my service this is Krishna’s proposal says. “dharmaviruddho bhutesu kamo smi bharatarsabha”

Prabhuapad  pointing this it is right there, throughing some light on this “kamo smi” even the lust that is Me, if it is dharma-aviruddho, aviruddho means it is not contrary to dharma. If lust is not contrary to dharma within the parameter of dharma than that kamo smi aham, that kama that’s is Me.

And then He continues and then we have reached the 14th verse after different mentions how Lord is in everything, He is the common factor, the thread in all whole existence and He says “daivi esa guna-mayi mam maya duratyaya mam eve ye prapaddyante mayam etam taranti te” (B.G 7.14). So this is guna-mayi  maya this is my maya I have mentioned this this this all these different things “esa” all this is guna-mayi, guna-mayi means full of guna, three modes of material, its full of 3 modes of material nature  things “mam maya” and this is my maya and because it’s my maya of course it’s my maya so  it has to be  “duratyaya” very difficult to overcome, very powerful because whose maya is it? Its Krishna’s maya so it has to be powerful otherwise what kind of maya is it? It is your maya my maya not so strong but its Krishna’s maya and “duratyaya” very difficult to overcome but its not only scary He is just letting us know yes yes its difficult to overcome, on your own, ok go ahead try it,  it will not work, You would not succeed in overcoming this maya on your own and this is where I come into the picture. I am just around here, here, here look here, I am here come near OH!  Dear! Here here, He is calling.

“mam eve ye prapaddyante mayam etam taranti te” Lord says “mam eve ye prapaddyante” if they surrender unto me “mayam etam taranti te”– yes for sure very easily they could overcome my maya which is I have described as strong maya. Doesn’t matter it is my maya, my maya is not strong than I am, it is my maya I can just order my maya, Hye maya! Oh! Maya get out, out I say, maya out like the owner of the dog orders different names. Oh! Dog, my friend wants to come in get out of here. So that kind of command Lord has over his energies, his own energies. But there are, Krishna continues there are some what kinds of people – 4 kinds of people they do not surrender unto Me. Lord just gave a clue that if you surrender unto me you will cross this maya, overcome this maya. But then the next verse He says there are 4 kinds of people they never surrender unto me you know, they never surrender unto me who are they? You want to know? Anyone interested? Not so much interested, interest is growing gradually ok.

“na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah mayayapahrta-jnana asuram bhavam asritah” (B.G 7.15) Prabhupad  always fools and rascals and demons, cats and dogs. When I joined, around the time I joined, I was like couldn’t he use some better terms people used to come all the way down town coming to Juhu. I had just joined and people coming big big people with their, ties and coats their  wives  sitting next to them  with pearls and Prabhupad- rascals and fools and demons, cats and dogs on and on and on . I was just a new bhakta and I was thinking what! Such a nice people they are with their wives and family members they came all the way from the town just to hear that they are cats and they are dogs, you fools, you rascals, you demons (laughs). I had hard time digesting for some time I had difficulty how could but soon I was, well gradually I realized that Prabhupad was presenting Bhagvad gita – As it is. So these terms are right there in Bhagvad gita which other speakers, the commentators they do the sugaring of the pill but Prabhupad was presenting it how? As it is, straight forward. So who are they? “Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, who are lowest among mankind whose knowledge is stolen by illusion and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons do not surrender unto me”. So these are the 4 fellows, 4 kinds of people this is not talking of Indians or Hindus only but people on this planet all over the world, they don’t surrender unto Me, these 4 kind. And then Krishna goes on to now that there are also 4 kinds of people they surrender unto Me. These 2 verses are next to each other for your information now you will not forget. First list of those who do not surrender now those who surrender unto Me.

“catur-vidha bhajante mam janah sukrtino arjuna arto jijnasur artharthi jnani ca bharatarsabha” (B.G 7.16) these are 4 kinds they surrender unto Me and they have been described as “sukrtino”. Krta means activity, krti, krti krta “sukrta and duskrta” good activity and bad activity. So sukrtino surrenders and duskrtino do not surrender and they are “arto” – in great distress those who are in great distress they surrender unto Me. “jijnasu” those who are curious, “artharthi” need of money and “jnani” some knowledge they have. These 4 kinds of people they come to Me, they surrender unto me. We have few more verses

“bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate” (B.G 7.19) talking of surrender there are some people do take little extra time but they have been described here as “jnanavan” and finally they surrender unto Me. who surrender to me? “jnanavan”. Earlier previous verse said “sukrtino” the pious people, soul’s surrenders unto Me. Here He says “jnanavan” those who are in knowledge “jnanavan” they surrender unto Me. “bahunam janmanam ante” after many many births  “bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan” those who have knowledge they surrender unto Me. And what is knowledge – “vasudevah  sarvam” this is called knowledge. If someone asks what is knowledge? Krishna is describing what is knowledge? – “vasudevah  sarvam iti” “iti” means this much. One who knows, how much? “vasudevah  sarvam” Vasudev is all in all, that  person is described here as “jnanavan”. That person is in full knowledge and in full knowledge as he is, what does he do?  “mam prapadyate” surrender unto Me. How many such people surrender unto Me?  “sa mahatama su-durlabhah” very very rare persons surrendering  unto Me with full knowledge after acquiring full knowledge surrendering  unto Me. Such thing is rare “sa mahatama su-durlabhah”.  After having talked of persons surrendering unto Him Krishna now states – there are some others yes yes they do surrender but not to me who are they? who are they? Find this out.

“kamais tai stair hrta-jnanah prapadyante nya-devatah tam tam niyamam asthaya prakrtya niyatah svaya” (B.G 7.20) “kamais tai stair hrta-jnanah” Those who are afflicted, influenced by by what? “Kama” – lust “kamais tai stair” and what does that “kama” do “hrta-jnanah” hrta means stolen “hrta-jnanah”. They are stolen, they are deprived the knowledge is confiscated from them. They have no knowledge who has stolen? “kamais tai stair hrta-jnanah” the lust is stealing lust is the thief, stealing the knowledge “kamais tai stair hrta-jnanah” and they have intense desires and desires have to be fulfilled. So yes they do surrender prapadyante but nya-devatah, oh! They have found some other devatah. They have found some other personality Anyadevatah meaning Krishna says other than Myself. Those who are “jnanavan” those who are full of knowledge, they come to me. But there are others whose knowledge has been stolen by the lust so they go to others. And who are they? anyadevatah, they are the demigods and demigoddess are the one that they go to.

“antavat tu phalam tesam”  (B.G 7.23) Ok fine we can’t stop them from going to anyadevatah other demigods but they should know Krishna says   “antavat tu phalam tesam” . the fruit that they are going to be deriving, the benefits  fruit that they are would be deriving from going to other demigods is going to be “antavat” is going to be “anta” its going to be  ending very soon not lasting very long. And they are  “alpa-medhasam”   this is how  Lord is describing them as less intelligent as they are. The demigod worshippers are less intelligent “devan deva-yajo yanti mad-bhakta yanti mam api” and they go to the demigods. Those who worship demigods go to demigod,  mad-bhakta but those who my devotees “yanti mam api” they only come to me Lord is making the distinction here. And now the case of the mayavadis,  Krishna talked of the materialist those who do not surrender , then He talked about those who surrender but not unto Me but they go to Demigods, and now He is talking of the impersonalists.

“avyatam vyaktim apannam manyante mam abuddhayah param bhavam ajananto mamavyayam anuttamam” (B.G 7.24) “avyatam” so these are the impersonalists also described as unintelligent man as “mam abuddhayah” they have no buddhi no intelligence. So what do they think what is their philosophy “avyatam vyaktim apannam manyante” oh! They think the Lord is ultimately “avyatam”. He is impersonal, He is just a light, He is all pervading then occasionally He becomes “vyakta” He takes a form. He is normally avyata, He is  not manifested  He has no form but then He assumes the form “avyatam vyaktim apannam manyante” They consider “manyante mam” muze about Me they think like this and of course they are “abuddhayah” they are less intelligent “param bhavam”  they do not know My superior nature which is inexhaustible and the finest.

“naham prakasah sarvasya yoga-maya-samavrtah” (B.G 7.25) oh! I do not like this Lord is making a comment.  “naham prakasah sarvasya” I do not everyone doesn’t get light, doesn’t see the light of the day or doesn’t become knowledgeable “yoga-maya-samavrtah” and yes

They are all governed by My maya “yoga-maya-samavrtah”. They are all covered, I am never manisfest to the foolish and unintelligent for them I am covered by my internal potency.Therefore they do not know that I am inborn and infallible. And this is Lord we are getting closer to this chapter of course we did not cover every verse,  we skipped few. There are 30 verses in this chapter.

“vedaham samatitani vartamanani carjuna bhavisyani ca bhutani mam tu veda na kascana”  (B.G 7.26) Lord says “vedaham” – I know veda aham – I know Vedas or I know Vedas I know I know not only Vedas but I know Vedas also but  everything else that is to be known is known to Me. “Samatitani” all the things from the  past everything from past I know. “Vartamanani”. Everything that is happening right now right here I know “ Vartamanani”. bhavisyani. I know the future of everything of everyone but the trouble is “tu” means but saying something different, contrast while I am like this I know past, present, future of anybody, everybody, everything. “mam tu veda na kascana”   but also I know all living entities but Me no one knows, but Me no one knows . And in the very beginning of this chapter  Krishna had said , “Srnu”, you better hear me  Arjuna jnasyasi and by hearing me you would towards the end He says no one knows  me but knowing because possible by “srnu” by hearing that’s why Krishna is speaking so that we would know.

“yesam tv anta-gatam papam jananam punya-karmanam te dvandva-moha-nirmukta bhajante mam drdha –vratah” (B.G 7.28) text 28 “Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life and whose sinful actions are completely eradicated are freed from the dualities of delusion, and they engage themselves in My service with determination” .Devotional service is getting established here You hear Me you would know me, You know me then you would serve me, that’s the sequence. Bhajante – They will go for worshiping me bhajante mam. How will they worship? “drdha –vratah” established in knowledge, equipped with the knowledge they will worship me, haven’t  become free from “te dvandva-moha-nirmukta” they would become free from dvandva, dualities of this existence free from illusion. “yesam tv anta-gatam papam” papam  finished by hearing me. jananam punya-karmanam  All those pious persons those who listen to me they will worship me “bhajante mam drdha –vratah”. Those in full consciousness the last verse of the chapter.

“sadhibhutadhidaivam mam sadhiyajnam ca ye viduh prayana- kale pi ca mam te vidur yukta-cetasah”  (B.G 7.30) “Those in full consciousness of  Me, who know Me, the Supreme Lord, to be governing  principle of material manifestation of the demigods, and of all methods of sacrifice can understand and know Me the Supreme personality of Godhead, even at the time of death”. They would know prayana- kale pi they would keep knowing and remembering Me  even at the time of ‘prayan-kale pi” even at time of death. So that’s the perfection if we remember the Lord at the time of death. So The next chapter would be “Attaining the Supreme” – knowing the Supreme, knowledge of the Supreme this was the chapter “Knowledge of the Absolute” – 7th chapter and 8th chapter is  “Attaining the Supreme” you know you achieve.

Any questions, any comments (maharaj asking the audience)

Question1. Maharaj ji you quoted one verse where Krishna says He knows the future, many people want to know the future so they go to astrologer so is that equivalent to trying to find Krishna?

Answer: Everyone is curious Krishna is knowledgeable He also knows the future,  persons curious to know the future they go to the astrologer to know their future but Krishna also knows so is there difference. Yes the astrologer – if you chant Hare Krishna those who are chanting Hare Krishna they need not go to astrologer. Those who chant Hare Krishna and also “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare! Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare”

Hye! Lives are changing means your future is changing and it is ever changing. What your astrologer is going to tell you is like a action – reaction if you perform this action this could be cumulative effect. So the astrologer has way to calculate or know your past and then your activities. He also asks you some questions and he has way to find out your past and based on that – and at that time your life is governed by so many different planets, there are governing factor. Then nothing changing so far you remain mundane and that’s your future, because this action that action this rahu, this ketu that graham so this is your future. But as soon as you chant Hare Krishna, surrender unto Krishna that is surrendering unto Krishna everything changes.

“aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah” (B.G 18.66) I am going to make you free from all the reactions of your previous lives and do not fear you will come to Me. So astrologer could  talk about your next birth based on your  previous birth but if you hear Krishna, surrender unto Krishna then there is no more birth and astrologer has no way to talk beyond this creation or Bhramhanda. They can’t talk of that future but scriptures could tell yes you could go not only back to Godhead but you would take this flight and you will land there and you would be received by this party and this is your rasa – mellow, dasya, sakya and you will be entering this nitya lila and engaging so like that, this is what you are. They see inside you within this 8 elements gross and subtle there is a soul they see the soul and talk of the soul. So astrologer could talk of the bodies’ future and the mind, intelligence, false ego part. But as soon as you are surrendered it’s another jurisdiction and another knowledge, another future.

 

Question2. In the verse “raso aham apsu kaunteya” what does apsu refers to? How could we taste Krishna?

Answer:  Apsu refers to water; Prabhupad in the purport is also talking about drinks and vine. Well Wherever there is water infact, in  water there is water, in juice there is water, in vine there is water, the grapes you  take fresh grapes and do so many things with the grapes and rotten them and  this and that and  essence of this you want to drink that’s vine. But originally it is coming from water. So the taste is essentially a characteristic of water, fragrance comes from the earth like that Krishna describes. If there is sound that comes from ether, in the air there is a sound and touch, in the fire there is sound, touch and the form,   in the water there is sound, touch, form and taste. In the earth there is sound, touch, form, taste & smell. So water is known for its taste. Wherever there is taste that is from water. So I think I have heard you could correct me, they would remember that taste in that vine there is a Krishna connection they would become Krishna conscious. Because that taste is originally the taste of the water.