19810605 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.2.8

(Disclaimer: The following is a machine-generated transcript and may contain errors or inaccuracies. It will be reviewed and verified against the original audio soon.)

The following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on June 5, 1981 – in Murāri Sevaka Farm, USA. The lecture begins with a reading from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.2.8.

Translation By His Divine Grace Rla Prabhupda within the womb of Devakī is my partial plenary expansion known as Sankarshana or Sesha. Without transfer him into the womb of Repeat within the womb is my partial plenary expansion known as Sankarsana or Sesha. Without difficulty transfer him into the womb of Rohini. Purport the first plenary expansion of Kṛṣṇa is Baladeva, also known as Sesha. The Sesha incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead supports the entire universe and the entire internal Mother of this incarnation is Mother Rohini. Because I am going into the womb of Devakī, the Lord told Yoga Māyā, the Sage Incarnation has already gone there and made suitable arrangements so that I may live there. Now he should enter the womb of Rohini, His Eternal Mother.

In this connection one may ask how the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is always situated transcendentally could enter the womb of Devakī which had previously been entered by the six Asuras, the Sad Garabhas. Does this mean that the were equal to the transcendental body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? The following answer is given by RLA Vishwanath Chakravarti Thakur the entire creation as well as its individual parts is an expansion of the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, even though the Lord enters the material world, he does not do so. This is explained by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad Gītā 9.425 Māyā Bhang Jagat Abhyaktamurtina Mahbutani Nachahangatesha Vastita Nachamatani Pasya Me Yogamay Bhutas By Me in my unmanifested form this entire universe is pervaded.

All beings are Me, but I am not in them and yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Behold mystic opulence. Although I am the maintainer of all living entities and although I am everywhere, myself is the very source of creation. Sadav Kalava Idah Everything is an expansion Brahma, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yet everything is not the Supreme Godhead and He is not everywhere. Everything rests upon him and yet he does not rest upon and yet does not rest upon Him. This can be explained only through the Achinthya Veda philosophy. Such truths cannot be understood, however, unless one is a pure devotee. For the Lord says in Bhagavad Gītā 18501855 Bhakti one can understand the supreme Personality of God as he is only by devotional service. Even though The Lord cannot be understood by ordinary person.

This principle should be understood from the statement of the Shastras. A pure devotee is always transcendentally situated because of executing nine different processes of Bhakti, Yoga, Sravanang, Kirtananga, Vishnu sm. Thus situated in devotional service, a devotee although in the material world is not in the material world. Yet a devotee always fears. Because I am associated with the material world, so many contaminations affect me. Therefore he is always alert in fear which gradually diminishes his material association. Symbolically, Mother Devakī’s constant fear of Kangsa was purifying her. A pure devotee should always fear material association and in this way all the asuras of material association will be killed as the Shatgaruva Asuras were killed by Kangsha. It is said that from the mind Marichi appears. In other words, Marichi is an incarnation of the mind.

Marichi has six sons Kam, Crowed, Lobe, Moha, Madh and Maharj which means in English Lust, anger, greed, illusion, Madness and envy. The Supreme Personality of Godhead appears in pure devotional service. This is confirmed in the Vedas Bhakti Revsayati. Only Bhakti can bring one in contact with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The supreme Personality of Godhead appeared from the womb of Devakī and therefore Devakī symbolically represents Bhakti and Kangsa symbolically represents material fear. When a pure devotee always fears material association, his real position of Bhakti is manifested and he naturally becomes uninterested in material enjoyment. When the six sons of Marichi are killed by such fear and one is freed from material of contamination within the womb of Bhakti, the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears. Thus the seventh pregnancy of Devakī signifies the appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

After the sixth Anns, Kam, Krodlop Mohammad and Matsarja are killed. The Satan incarnation creates a suitable situation for the appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, when one awakens his natural Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Lord Kṛṣṇa appears. This is the explanation given by Śrīla Vishnath Chakravarti Thakur who said greed or lust. So thus in the purport on text 8 by his divine grace so Bishona Chakravarti Thakur has given a very nice explanation regarding the appearance of Kṛṣṇa and how and everything in connection with Devakī’s children we see that the six sons of Devakī, the Sharagarbhas that were killed by Kamsha, the sons of Marichi that From our mind comes lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness and envy. So devotee is always afraid of being entangled by material attachment, by material energy. So by that fear that means that one is protected.

We said just a few days ago that protects pride comes before the fall Pride will mean that one will lose that fear Think that well, I can be in material association and remain unaffected but here we can see that a devotee is always afraid of material association Afraid to intimately associate with material nature and therefore being always careful those enemies of the living entity, in other words the material contaminations, they are killed by that fear. See, the devotee doesn’t have any other fear not fear in death, not fear in so many different things but he has fear of material association. Prahlad Maharaj when he was praying to Lord Nasinghadev he also mentioned that I only fear that somehow or another, if I dare to forget you, if I by my ill fortune forget you, that is my only fear.

So this fear is very healthy to be afraid of material association when one is always afraid then what does it say here? His real position of Bhakti is manifested and he becomes naturally uninterested in material enjoyment. So just as we say Kṛṣṇa Surya sama Māyā Hoya Nukar Jaha Kṛṣṇa Tahmayadhikar mentions in the Caitanya Charitamritan that Kṛṣṇa is just like the sun in my eyes, just like darkness. Wherever there’s Kṛṣṇa, there’s no darkness, there’s no illusion. Where there is Kṛṣṇa, there is no nations. So by being afraid of material association, Kṛṣṇa kills all those six sons of the mind starting with lust, anger, greed, etc. And that means that then in that pure mind Kṛṣṇa appears. What a beautiful analogy. In the pure mind the Kṛṣṇa appears.

So we should be afraid not of losing our sense gratification, not of losing some type of material facility we should actually be afraid of losing our Kṛṣṇa consciousness of becoming under the sway of our mind and the mind, sons, lust, anger, greed, etc. Because by that influence of these six vices, so to speak, we become completely lost in material entanglement and by being Kṛṣṇa conscious, we are protected by being Kṛṣṇa conscious by being afraid of these, then we become Kṛṣṇa conscious, which is the goal. So you see how fortunate Devakī Rohini are. They are able to be personally the mothers of Kṛṣṇa. Mother, what a great opportunity. What a great fortune they have because of their long devotion for the Lord they are the eternal Rahini is the eternal mother of Balaram.

So this is a position which a devotee can also attain can become the mother of Kṛṣṇa, is possibly become a mother of Kṛṣṇa. And to take care of Kṛṣṇa as if he was one’s own child. That is Ka’s special mercy. But in order to Kṛṣṇa to come, in order for Kṛṣṇa to have that mercy, then one has to be afraid of those things which are against Kṛṣṇa, those things which are materialistic. Fear can be dovetailed. In other words, fear can be dovetailed. Since it’s our natural material quality to be always afraid. We discussed how everyone is afraid. So if we are afraid of the material association that dovetails our fear, you don’t have to stop being afraid, but stop being afraid of material nature, the material dangers that one becomes afraid of the material association.

So that fear will always stimulate one to constantly chant, constantly serve, constantly stay awake. Just as one knows that as death comes, someone comes to kill you’re going to flee, you’re going to run away, you’re going to protect yourself. So this material association or forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa is actually going to kill us. Because it’s going to cause us again and again to take material birth. So if we see material association just as personified death coming to get us, and if we are afraid and therefore always try to chant, always try to engage ourselves in service, avoiding lust, anger, greed, intoxication, illusion and envy, then we remain on the transcendental platform. Brahma Bhutta, Prasanatma Nasochetina, Kangshati Sanga, Shadu, Madh, Bhakti, Labate Param. Free from anxieties, free from troubles, we become on the transcendental platform.

So until we reach the transcendental platform, or even while they are, one will be afraid to intimately associate with Māyā or with illusion, with this material association. So a very nice example says here that Mother Devakī’s constant fear for Kaṁsa was purifying her Kaṁsa’s fear of Kṛṣṇa, that’s material fear. He was always afraid he was going to die constantly. Although he was more powerful than even the demigods, as powerful as 10,000 elephants. So powerful was Kaṁsa. But he was always afraid that he was going to die. Always afraid to save himself. Devakī was afraid of Kaṁsa, you see, but not afraid of Kṛṣṇa. So Kaṁsa is symbolizing this material fear and this demonic influence. The devotee is afraid of material association, but the non devotee is afraid of Kṛṣṇa, is afraid of death.

Says in the Bhagavad Gītā that for the demon who doesn’t believe in God, they see God finally as death. Because they cannot escape death. And that is their extent of God realization. Because they know everyone has to die. So therefore they see him as that. So the devotees, they spend their time very happily engaging in the nine practices of devotional service. Kirtanang, Vishnu Smaranang, Pada, Sevanam, Achanang, Vandanang, Dasyam, Sakyam Atmanivedanam. You see, each one of these nine practices of devotion also have a particular island in Nabuddeep. Nabuddeep in the spiritual form is situated just like a lotus with eight petals and the center has the corona. So the eight practices of devotional service are coming all the way around. And in the center is atmanivedanam or self surrender, complete surrender. This is the way the Navadip is situated.

We start from Simanto Deep Godam, Deep Madam Deep Kola Deep Ritu, Deep Janu, Deep Rudum, Deep Rudu, Deep Antar Deep nine islands, Sravanam, Kirtanang, Vishnu Smaranang, Bandanang Padasevanam, Dasyam Sakyam Atmanivedanam, Archanagvanthanam, Dasyam Sakyamatma Vivedanam. So in that way all the practices of devotional service are engaged in Kṛṣṇa service, hearing chanting, remembering, offering prayers and obeisances. Offering service at the lotus feet, offering worship, pūjā or archanam in the temple, as well as remembering servitorship, friendship and full surrender. All these different type of services are offered. Even if one can do one of these, a person can do even one of these perfectly. That’s enough. So of course the devotees, they don’t like to put all of their flowers in the same basket. So they try as many of them as possible.

And if possible they try all nine just to be sure that all of their energy is utilized properly. So in this way, just as when Ravana wanted to capture Sītā, Lakshman had put with his arrow a magic barrier around Sītā Devī. Ramchandra Lakshman had put. So when Ravana came to snatch her away, he ran up against that barrier like an electric shock, you see. And he was startled. And he saw that he couldn’t enter. So he had to entice Sītā to come out. That I am a hungry sadhu, a hungry mendicant. Please give me some food. I can’t go there. And as soon as she came out of the protection, even Sītā Devī was snatched.

As soon as we come out of the magic protection of these devotional practices and then we are enticed by even Māyā may come in so many Forms, even in the form of some righteous cause. Just stop your devotional service for a little time or just stop doing your. And then for this purpose later on you can again start. You see that type of idea may sometime come in. Neophyte devotees mind that just for some immediate quasi, just stop for a little time. And then again I will restart. And then what happens is as soon as one steps out of that magic circle, Ravana stole away Sītā Māyā steals away the devotee. And it makes it very hard to again come back into that protection. So our devotee is very fearful of all these kind of situations.

So does not leave the protection, the mystic protection of the ninefold practice of devotional service. You have heard of the Eightfold mystic system. This is the ninefold Bhakti yoga system. Actually. See how Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he was traveling. Nityānanda was traveling all over Navadip. Nityānanda went all over Bengal, the order of Caitanya Mahbru and was preaching the Sankirtan movement. Although 500 years have passed, still today, practically in every village there’s at least one Sankirtan party, or at least not more. When we go in our boat to these villages or in our bulak cart or however we may go, usually the people come out at the edge of the town and they greet us with their Sankirtan party, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Jay Jay Gora Chandra Jay Nith. They all take the devotees into the temple, into the village.

And there they arrange nice sitting place and a nice some refreshments. And then all the people sit down. They want to hear Kṛṣṇa Kota. The discussions about Kṛṣṇa. This spontaneous reception is very common in fact. Then usually after the discussion they say, please, we want you to all visit our houses. We are grihastas and we want that Hari nam nitāi gor because we usually have deities. And the devotees, they just put their padadulis, the dust from their feet in our house. The will be very fortunate. So then they invite the devotees like that. So there’s literally hundreds of houses. So you can only spend a few seconds in each house. So they take the Sankirtan party and in each house before they come, they throw some scented water on the devotees feet.

Sometimes even the wife gets so enthusiastic, you see her rolling in the mud. Supposed to be dust, but you know, because of the water. And then they have a plate usually with some rice on it and a little incense or deep. And they offer like this. And then they put the Rice in a basket. This way everyone gives also a few handfuls of rice. Or they take some sweets and throw them in the air. For all the people, all the kids along this way they go. We go house to house. The Sankirtan party and everyone is very. If you. I remember there was this one person who was actually not a Christian devotee. He was a demigod worshipper. Somehow the Sankirtan party failed to go to his house. So he made such a.

That he said that just because I am a poor man, you didn’t come to my house, you have to come to that. He was a very type of rough character. He practically threatened the host where were staying, that if they don’t come to my house, you know that well, I am going to get you the host, you know, this was your politics if they didn’t come. And so the host came. But please, you have to somehow know that, you know, just across the road just have to do a little kīrtana in there. Otherwise. So apparently the grandmother somebody was pressurizing that. So of course it’s a little rasa bas mixing of the mellows there. Ghastly with devotion. But somehow there was some attraction there. So they brought Nitāi Gore over there. In this way you see the people, of course the climate is nice.

From the poorest person he constructs a house out of mud. About 15 inch thick walls. They mix the mud with jute, which is a fiber like shredded rope. Jute is actually like rope. A shredded rope or with some grass, something fibrous to give the mud more of a uniform texture. And it’s a little clay mud. And then they gradually build up in one foot. In one foot or nine inch steps the house. And there will be people for 1200 rupees they will build the whole house. They will put one foot per day. Take 30 days. 30, 30 steps. If it’s. It’s not a foot, it’s like 9 inches. So many. So many levels to put in. And each day they will go.

And they will put one whole level on the house and it will go in the bottom from 20 inches to the top 15, a little bit slightly sloped with windows, doors, everything. Then on the top. Then there’s the bamboo or wood structure with either tiles or grass. Grass. Even in Copenhagen and Sweden you’d be surprised that there are many houses which have grass roofs. Grassroof is very warm. If it’s properly made, it can last five to seven years without any difficulty. There in Copenhagen I saw in the airplane they were showing how that they lasted even 10, 15 years. I imagine it doesn’t rain so much there. To do that, the straws have to be put backwards. They have to be put like a brush, practically. It’s a whole different system.

But if you just have it kind of lay flat like hairs, then it only lasts for one or two years. That’s of course, very easy to do. And the other way is very technical. The ordinary way would be to work from the bottom up, overlapping like this. But the way they do that, it goes from the top down, putting the grass roots up, not the root, they cut it off before the root. And then the straw goes like this. So then they keep going with the grass sticking up at a 90 degree angle, then coming down like that, coming over. So that makes a much thicker and weather impervious type of roofing, where tiles are very easy. Earthen tiles, even the tiles can be made by hand and fired just in a circular way.

You pile up, cover with cow dung and put in the center wood. And they light the wood and then let it burn for about, I think, a day or two. And the smoke comes out through the sides to the top. And then after it’s over, all the cow dung mud that was put around it is cracked. And inside, all the tiles which were made have all become red and fired. They put them on top of the roof so anyone can make their house. And what they do after they build the earthen walls, then they mix some cow dung and mud and they plaster the whole thing several times. And that becomes very smooth. Nowadays, even sometimes they put a little cement, but usually not. It’s just cow dung and mud that becomes so smooth. They put, you know, several coats on it.

And that the housewife, she just once a day she will, or once every couple of days will just give a thin coat over that. So it’s always very fresh. And because of the property of the cow dung, no flies come. It keeps away flies because the walls are so thick. The house is very cool in the summer and very warm in the winter. In this way the people have. It’s just so clean, the whole house. In the courtyard between the houses is all this smooth cow dung plaster. So it’s so clean and refreshing. Yet their whole house is costing $200 less or less, just a question of labor. Just mud and some straw, a few pieces of wood. But they’re happily living doing that with their couple cows there and farming the land and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Every night these people gathered together and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Especially the villages we preach in. So it’s not very difficult, very simple and one can be happy. They don’t require so many type of artificial. But now in the city, of course, all the college students, they have to have the cinema, they have to have their wine. So there’s so many different types of recreation that is within Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Different type of festivals and dramas and puppet shows and so many different things that could be there. Rathayatras and everything. The people, they don’t have to look for recreation in so many artificial things.

(Side B of the Cassette)

We went to the Disney World and there the RCA was saying in the years to come, everyone will have their video disc TV sets. And then you can just watch the 20,000 Leagues under the Sea and fight men fighting with giant octopuses. And you know, just sit in front of the TV all the time. But so rather than actually living their life, they’re just watching all these images on a screen. So here’s a practical that actually to experience life oneself, rather than just sit and watch other people experience life on stage sets, which is not even real life, is to actually experience life and to actually make advancement. So you see that simple living can be there. Of course, the success of simple living is when there’s the high thinking, just simple living alone. That’s not enough, that won’t satisfy anyone.

You see, I know that, I saw so many people wanted to get away into the country, so called the hip people or whatever. And you always see that they have to drive in every week for two, three days in the city for their recreation. Although they like, they know the country is very nice, but their mind is not simple. Their mind has not been able to tune into actually spiritual recreation, spiritual realization. So even they live in the country, they either bring the city out to them, they have to bring out their TV sets, bring out their intoxication, bring everything out there. Otherwise they have to come into the city to socialize. Because their mind, especially in the west, is too much absorbed in these type of passionate activities. So the real thing is simple living and high thinking.

If people chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, if they study Bhāgavatam, study self realization, they become very happy. They don’t depend on all these artificial. They go in the siddhis to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness or to collect or just to buy some necessary provision. They’re not going in there to go to the vin or to the dance, or to the whatever it may be. They’re not dependent on all these type of artificial things. So these people, most people, they put on some show of going back to nature. But actually they’re completely addicted to so many materialistic associations. So devotee here we see, becomes afraid of material association. Even becomes afraid of just the natural living in the country. That also is not the goal. Of course, it is from passion to goodness, but it’s also material goodness. So therefore one chants Hare Kṛṣṇa every day.

Here’s the Bhāgavatam every day, worships the deity, takes Kṛṣṇa prasadam, so that one is actually transcendental. Otherwise even a nice material situation may be there. But without Kṛṣṇa. That’s also fearful. That is also fearful. One will somebody like Prabhupāda said, even the sadhus that go in the forest, that there’s so many monkeys in the forest doesn’t mean that just because one lives in the forest sometimes india, Sannyas is going just naked through the forest. Of course, now there’s hardly any empty forest to go through. So there are so many monkeys also in the forest. That itself isn’t the qualification. But just like here, worshipping Nitāi Gorachandra, worshipping enchanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, taking Kṛṣṇa for Shadam. There has to be that spiritual consciousness.

A basic fear that if I simply associate with material nature without Kṛṣṇa, then I will become more and more entangled and I will become ultimately lost again. So that’s why even those villages, even though they’re very nice, gradually Kṛṣṇa is coming away due to lack of any preaching. So therefore we are going and preaching in towns, villages, everywhere so that the people may get that opportunity. If the people add Kṛṣṇa, then everything is perfect. Even in the very passionate factories. If somehow Kṛṣṇa can be added, then that also can be a tolerable situation. Otherwise it’s basically very intolerable. But for Kṛṣṇa, everything can become tolerable because one starts to get the happiness from within. It’s not dependent on all the artificial situations from outside. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when he came, of course there were no big factories and no big materialistic institutions.

There were simply these villages and the villagers and they welcomed Caitanya Mah Prabhu with their heart. And everyone was chanting as it says in that one kolinagram. Even the people herding the pigs, they’re also singing Hare Kṛṣṇa. Everyone can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So if even the pig herders are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, what does this speak of the other people? Everyone was chanting. So the whole village became with Ramchandra. Was it Ramchandra Khan? I believe maybe some other Khan. So many devotees there. They would all go down to see Caitanya Mahprabhu and they would bring with him the silken ropes for the Jagannath. This would be their yearly service. So like this, there are so many different devotees of Caitanya Pastime. We see how in every situation there’s always some people who are trying to give an obstacle.

And there are always some devotees who are persevering. Just like Caitanya Das after he met Caitanya Mahprabhu in Katwa, Caitanya Das was always chanting Caitanya, Caitanya before, he was known as Badacharya, but Gaṅgā Das Badacharya or something like that. But after chanting Hare, seeing Caitanya Maharabhu, he just became mad for Caitanya Mahāprabhu. In love of Caitanya Maharaj, he’s always chanting, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya, Caitanya. So he became known as Caitanya Das quite appropriately. Because that’s all he was chanting for so long. So of course, his wife approached him and felt that in her heart that it was actually Kṛṣṇa wanted her to have a child. And they’d been married for a long time. And they’d given up this type of desire for producing more children for some time. So he was a little bit surprised.

He says, not that I am a Māyā, but I feel in my heart that there is some special desire that actually is Kṛṣṇa wants this. So they went down, of course, and they decided to go see Caitanya Mahāprabhu and ask him. But he was at that time in Jagannath Purī. So they walked all the way down. Of course, there was a good excuse, but they wanted to see Caitanya Mahapur anyway. So they walked down to Jagannath Purī. And there in Jagannath Purī, when they came, they saw the big crowds and the people. They came somehow before the main temple of Jagannath, the main gate, the Shinha Dwara lion gate. And then they were so fortunate. Just at that time, there came Caitanya Maharu. Down the street with him was Ramanandarai Saroop Damodar Govinda Das, Baninath Kashi Miśra.

And so many of the devotees or the associates, literally dozens of associates behind Caitanya Maharabu. And seeing Caitanya Maharaj, they were struck with wonder. There, his beautiful lotus eyes, his long arms extending down to his knees. He was practically 7ft tall. His breast, his chest was so wide, like a doorway in his waist, thin just like a lion’s waist. And they fell prostrate on the ground, offering their obeisances. The Lord Shaytani Mabr stopped by them and looked at them. And he told Saroop Damodar that you make arrangement for them that they can see Jagannath and get Jagannath Prashad and then bring them to me later. Then he walked on, and everyone was, you know, shocked. Who are these Grihasta devotees? The Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He stopped and singled them out and said, give them all this special treatment. Who are they?

All the big sannyasis were discussing who are these people? And of course, Chetanya Mahāprabhu then took his darshan of Jagannath and Caitanya Das and his wife, her name was also Lakshmi Priya. They accompanied the group into the temple and had this darshan of Jagannath with Caitanya Mahprabhu. And then later they were taken and given Jagannath prasadam. So that night Jagannath came in a dream to Chaitanya Das and told him that you are going to have a son who is going to be a great devotee of mine. And you should go back to your village and Jagannath. So this was a very surprising dream for Chaitanya Das. Then in the morning, Govindadas called them to see Caitanya Maharu. When they came before Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they fell down, offered their obeisances. And they asked Chaitanya Mahāprabhu what was his instruction to them.

And Lord Chetan spontaneously also told him that you are going to be the father of a great devotee of mine. His name is Śrīnivas. And you should immediately go back to your village. What’s the name of that village in Bengal? Near Katwa. And the whole way you simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You constantly chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This will be your perfection. And I said, I am very pleased that you have come. And this way he gave some instruction. And they offered their obeisances and they went out. And then they were given some special Mahapshad by Govindas. And of course, they were filled with ecstasy to have been able to see Caitanya Mah Prabhu. And then of course, the wife, her inspiration was confirmed. So then they, after spending just a short time there, they quickly returned back to Bengal chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa the whole time.

When they got back to their village, then soon thereafter they had a child they named Śrīnivasa. And wonderful childhood pastimes. The mother would put the child on the lap and would constantly tell Śrīnivas the chant Sachi Sūta, Chant Nitanand, chant Sitanath Adoita Gosai, chant Gaurādhār Pandit, chant Sivas Prabhu. In this way it would always have the child chanting different names of Lord Caitani’s associates. Chant Muradi, chant Govinda, chant Hari Bol. And this way Śrīnivasa would always be chanting with his mother and playing around, chanting. He was always chanting as a child. And then when he got a little older, about 8 or 9, the father 10 maybe the father was started to ask the father, how is it that you got the name Caitanya Das? And so the father explained how he was previously Gaṅgā Das Bodhicharya.

He was going to go and see Caitanya Mahprabhu in Navadip. So on the way from his village Chakundi, I believe his village Chakundi ground. From Chakundi he went to Katwa. And as he reached Katwa, he saw huge crowds. And everyone was there. Thousands and thousands of people said, what is the big festival? What’s happening?

So you don’t know. Caitanya Mahabhar was here. Caitanya Maharaj was here. I was going to see Caitanya Mahbrah Nawaddeep. He said, no, he’s here now. He thought, I got the moon in my hands.

Just like going out to reach the moon. He got it right there. He was going to Navudip. Here’s Chaitanya Maharu.

So where is he? Where is he? Well, you don’t know. He’s come to take Sannyas. He’s in the ashram of Keshavarti.

Oh, so he knew Keshav Bharati. Well, he’d been many times to his ashram. So then Gangadas immediately hurried over to the ashram of Keshavarati. And there he saw Caitanya Mahavu engaged in Sankirtan.

And he was jumping and chanting and going around and around as the sword.

Playing the madraga very fast.

And he was going and spinning and spinning. And he was. And he was crying so much that the tears were shooting from Caitanya Maharaj’s eyes just like being squirted right out of a syringe. And everyone was being soaked around.

And all the people were chanting and encouraging and chanting Haribol. And Lord Chetan was spinning and dancing in this way. Finally, Lord Chaitanya realized that everyone with so many thousands of people were still watching him. Then he calmed himself or stopped his kīrtana. And he said, now let us go on with the other business. And so you see, at that point he said, bring the barber to cut my hair. So the barber was brought and he fell down at Lord Caitanya’s feet and grabbed his feet and said, please. He says, how can I cut your hair? Your hair is transcendental. You are divine. I cannot cut your beautiful hair. This will be. He said, listen, just do your job. This is my order. You’re going to disobey me. So then he was ordered. He Took out his instruments to shave Lord Caitanya’s hair.

And then as all the people saw that Lord Caitanya was going to cut his beautiful locks, the women and the men, they were all surrounding that place when they saw an as the barber went touch Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s hair and.

Cut it, there was a huge scream through the crowd.

No, no.

Not Chaitanimabu’s hair, not Gaurāṅga’s beautiful hair.

No, no.

They couldn’t see that Chaitani was into this renounced order. He was going to take all this austerity.

Everyone started crying and weeping.

And as Chaitanya Das was explaining this, how the people started all crying and weeping, he fell unconscious on the ground. And just the separation and that vision of Chaitanya Rabbi cutting his hair, it was too much.

He fell on the ground.

He was just weeping. Go Ranga, Go Ranga. And then when Śrīnivas heard all this, he was filled with separation of Caitanya Rabbi. He fell down, grabbed his father’s feet, put on his head and he was just crying. Go Ranga, Go Ranga. Crying, weeping, chanting Lord Shaitan in his name. Then hearing them fall down in the other room, the wife came and said, what’s happening? It wasn’t anything unusual. This was regularly. So she’s chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and bring them back to their consciousness. This was a type of family life that Caitanya Das Lakshmi Pre and Śrīnivasacharya of course at a very young age. And Śrīnivasa Charya was at that time when Narahari Thakur came and saw Śrīnivas. And then Nana Hari of course was that great personal associate of Vocanya.

He took his hands and just put them over the whole body of Śrīnivas and blessed him that he would do so much preaching for Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This way he also got blessing even at the childhood of so many great associates of Caitanya Mahprabhu putting their hand on his head and affectionately blessing him. So in this way Lord Caitanya Mahprabhu, he engaged everyone whether they were so called renounced or so called Grihastas. They were all completely attached to his lotus feet. And that was their real qualification. And they used their energy always to engage in chanting his holy name and performing the services that were needed to perform. Of course many people criticize Caitanya Das why he is just always chanting. But once he. In the beginning they used to criticize a lot. But actually when The Śrīnivas was born.

The local villagers were so pleased to see the little child that they started to give. He was a Brāhmaṇa, so they would give him charity just seeing how he had such a nice child. So in the end, Kṛṣṇa made some arrangements so he wouldn’t have to get too much into a heavy materialistic program. But in any case, Caitanya Das, he always stuck to his service of chanting and preaching because he was a Brāhmaṇa. So he couldn’t take any other type of employment. But more and more people came and received instruction when they could understand how he had got the special mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So this is a very nice program. If people can not only get back to nature but get back to Godhead at the same time, that will be the perfection.

People are attracted to simple living, but they have to also be taught that the real simple living is perpetuated and is actually perfected when we add the high thinking comes by chanting. By attending these type of classes, I know that sometimes in the heavy harvest and the difficult times india for the farmers, they all get up at 4 in the morning, have their Mangal Aarti in our Namhat villages, and then at 5 they immediately go out and start working in the fields. Because in the hot season, because it gets so hot. So from 5 or 5:30 until about 10, at 10 it’s just so hot that they can’t stay out. 140, 130, 112, like that and Bihar especially, they do this. And then in midday they all go one of these earthen houses which is nice and cool. And then they have their class.

Then they adjust it somehow or another, they all start today. Everyone gets up before they work out in the field. They all come together and have kīrtana. And in the winter, the other time with the cooler times of the year, they have a little bhāgavatam class. From four to six, their morning program. And then they start from six until 12 or one, all plowing the fields with their oxen and doing their work again in the evening when it’s cool, they all come together. So this of course, basically our program, morning and evening spiritual program. Everyone worked during the day offering their grains to Kṛṣṇa, supporting the family, simple living, high thinking. So people should be brought, should be made attractive so that other people can also take part, that they can find a little nectar in their lives.

They’re all burning in this material world with no peace. The devotee is very compassionate, wants to see everyone, gets that opportunity. Any questions? Yes, Śrīta Sharif.

Are devotees like Chaitanya Das? Are they like eternal associates? Or is there other devotees?

Other devotees can also have that pastime. Similar pastime. Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes are unlimited. Other devotees can have similar pastime. Bhaktivinod Thakur and his wife. They prayed for a Raya Vishnu and they got Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswati Thakur as their son. Very sincerely prayer is made. One can be blessed with a great soul who can spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Of course there’s no guarantee. But that is one’s sincere prayer. That prayer is sincere Kṛṣṇa grant. He’s Dwayamoi Family life was out of this world.