19810607 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.8.17

The following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on June 7, 1981 at the temple in New Orleans, Louisiana. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto 7, Chapter 8, Text 17.

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā 
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

śrī-caitanya-mano-’bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale 
svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ/ dadāti sva-padāntikam

vande ‘haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca 
śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam 
sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ 
śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale 
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine 
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe 
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda 
jaya-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa
Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare 
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma
Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

nārāyaṇaṁ namaskṛtya naraṁ caiva narottamam 
devīṁ sarasvatīṁ vyāsaṁ/ tato jayam udīrayet

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim 
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.8.17

satyaṁ vidhātuṁ nija- bhṛtya- bhāṣitaṁ
vyāptiṁ ca bhūteṣv akhileṣu cātmanaḥ
adṛśyatātyadbhuta-rūpam udvahan
stambhe sabhāyāṁ na mṛgaṁ na mānuṣam

satyaṁ vidhātuṁ nija- bhṛtya- bhāṣitaṁ
vyāptiṁ ca bhūteṣv akhileṣu cātmanaḥ
adṛśyatātyadbhuta-rūpam udvahan
stambhe sabhāyāṁ na mṛgaṁ na mānuṣam

satyaṁ vidhātuṁ nija- bhṛtya- bhāṣitaṁ
vyāptiṁ ca bhūteṣv akhileṣu cātmanaḥ
adṛśyatātyadbhuta-rūpam udvahan
stambhe sabhāyāṁ na mṛgaṁ na mānuṣam

satyam — true; vidhātum — to prove; nija-bhṛtya-bhāṣitam — the words of His own servant (Prahlāda Mahārāja, who had said that his Lord is present everywhere); vyāptim — the pervasion; ca — and; bhūteṣu — among the living entities and elements; akhileṣu — all; ca — also; ātmanaḥ — of Himself; adṛśyata — was seen; ati — very; adbhuta — wonderful; rūpam — form; udvahan — taking; stambhe — in the pillar; sabhāyām — within the assembly; na — not; mṛgam — an animal; na — nor; mānuṣam — a human being.

Translation by His Divine Grace Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swāmi Prabhupāda: To prove that the statement of His servant Prahlāda Mahārāja was substantial — in other words, to prove that the Supreme Lord is present everywhere, even within the pillar of an assembly hall — the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, exhibited a wonderful form never before seen. The form was neither that of a man nor that of a lion. Thus the Lord appeared in His wonderful form in the assembly hall.

Translation with repetition: To prove that the statement of His servant Prahlāda Mahārāja was substantial — in other words, to prove that the Supreme Lord is present everywhere, even within the pillar of an assembly hall — the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, exhibited a wonderful form never before seen. The form was neither that of a man nor that of a lion. Thus the Lord appeared in His wonderful form in the assembly hall.

Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda: When Hiraṇyakaśipu asked Prahlāda Mahārāja, “Where is your Lord? Is He present in this pillar?” Prahlāda Mahārāja fearlessly replied, “Yes, my Lord is present everywhere.” Therefore, to convince Hiraṇyakaśipu that the statement of Prahlāda Mahārāja was unmistakably true, the Lord appeared from the pillar. The Lord appeared as half lion and half man so that Hiraṇyakaśipu could not understand whether the great giant was a lion or a human being. To substantiate Prahlāda’s statement, the Lord proved that His devotee, as declared in Bhagavad-gītā, is never vanquished (kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati -Bg 9.31). Prahlāda Mahārāja’s demoniac father had repeatedly threatened to kill Prahlāda, but Prahlāda was confident that he could not be killed, since he was protected by the Supreme Lord. By appearing from the pillar, the Lord encouraged His devotee, saying in effect, “Don’t worry. I am present here.” By manifesting His form as Nṛsiṁhadeva, the Lord also preserved the truth of Lord Brahmā’s promise that Hiraṇyakaśipu was not to be killed by any animal or any man. The Lord appeared in a form that could not be said to be fully a man or a lion.

Thus, end the Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda of Text 18, Chapter 8, Canto 7 of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.

Jayapatākā Swami: Hiranyakaśipu was always inimical to the Lord and always inimical to his son Prahlāda. He wanted that Prahlāda should be the good son of the king of the demons. Prahlāda should simply be materialist, an exploiter and should denounce worship of Kṛṣṇa, acceptance of the presence of the Supreme Lord. And he tried his best to deprogram his son, by sending him to the student… to the classroom of the sons of Śukṛācārya. But instead of being taught or changed by the sons of Sukrācārya, as soon as the teachers left, Prahlāda used the opportunity to preach.

He told all the students to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. kaumāram ācaret prajño - That from the very childhood one should practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness. How half of our life is wasted by sleeping. The first ten years is wasted in simply, ignorance, practically speaking. The next ten to twenty years is wasted in playing around and studies, excuse me, ten years up to ten to twenty. And then from twenty to forty, fifty, one is fully engrossed into the family affairs. Even sixty. And the last twenty years of one’s life also the body becomes unpleasant, weak so then it is very difficult to fix the mind.

So, in this way, Prahlāda Mahārāja was explaining to his friends who had objected, “We are only children why should we get into all these spiritual activities? Let us play around and worry about that later.”

“That later will not do; now you must begin. Because if you go on saying later, there is never an appropriate time in this life.”

Actually, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he used to lecture that, “There is no shortage in this material world. There is no shortage. Everything is here for material enjoyment. So, one doesn’t also have to try hard for that material enjoyment. That will automatically come due to the previous activity’s reaction, the karma-phala. But if one wants to become Kṛṣṇa conscious which is the one thing which is missing in this world, one has to specifically try for it. One has to try to be Kṛṣṇa conscious.”

Automatically by the modes of nature, by the senses, one is taken. We have seen that picture in the Bhagavad-gītā: the five horses pulling, with the mind holding the steers or is it the intelligence? And the soul is being dragged along. Just like that, we don’t have to try for material happiness that is coming of its own accord. But to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, then we have to make a conscious effort. In other words, we have a material mind, and so it’s already addicted to material desire, material thought, material lamentation. Doesn’t need to be programmed for that. But our natural Kṛṣṇa conscious desire that is been covered by this conditioned mind.

So initially, we have to desire to return to our original consciousness. And by desiring to return to our original consciousness, by desiring to be Kṛṣṇa conscious and then acting in accordance with those desires, then automatically we become Kṛṣṇa conscious. But it’s not automatic. As soon as we turn our face away from Kṛṣṇa, then we start making our … so Prahlāda Mahārāja he never turned his face away from Kṛṣṇa.

His father put him to the greatest test, held him over the canyon thousands of feet sheer drop, sharp rocks below. “Prahlāda, stop chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa or I will throw you in this pit. Give up this nonsense path. What do you have to say for yourself now before I cast you down?”

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa
Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare 
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma
Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

That was Prahlāda’s reply.

“Damn you! Threw him down. Disgrace to the demon race.”

And of course, falling down Prahlāda is chanting, “Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare”.

Kṛṣṇa catches Prahlāda, sets him down. daivī prakṛti - Under the protection of the divine potency Subhadrā devī. The devotee is under her protection.

Of course, sometimes the demons, they are very clever like Hiraṇyakaśipu. He tried all the direct methods like throwing in boiling oil, having the demons try to cut him up, throwing him in the pit of snakes, putting him under the hooves of elephants. So, then he tried his diplomatic way.

He prepared some nice sweet with poison. And he came and said Prahlāda, “You have been working very hard doing the sankīrtana (laughter). I would like to just give you some token of my appreciation (laughter). Just take these sweet balls, simply wonderful.” And he gave the sweet saying, “After all you are my son.”

So of course, Prahlāda couldn’t put his faith in Hiraṇyakaśipu. In any case he prayed to Kṛṣṇa that, “I cannot eat anything that’s not offered to you. So, this is not your prasāda how can I take? Unless you take, I cannot just, I cannot take the bhoga, unoffered food.” And he was chanting, then Kṛṣṇa appeared. And Kṛṣṇa personally took a bite out of that sweet ball. And then He personally put the sweet ball in Prahlāda’s mouth. Prahlāda, he… Of course, once it touched Kṛṣṇa’s lips it became nectar. No longer was poison. So, of course again Hiranyakasipu’s plan was thwarted. So finally, Hiraṇyakaśipu he decided that, he is going to take in his own hands the sword, and he is going to personally kill his five-year-old son. Why he wants to kill Prahlāda? What was his crime? What was his fault? Simply he was a devotee, that was his fault and why? Not an ordinary devotee, he was preaching. It was enough, at least if he was a devotee without preaching, it would not have aggravated Hiraṇyakaśipu so much. You see.

There are so many devotees. Just like Śrīla Prabhupāda said, when there is, ah, how do you say that, opposition to the preaching - this is the sign that Caitanya Mahāprabhu is being represented. Of course, there may be some time, some misbehavior, that’s another thing, but actual preaching, the demons they will be upset.

Just like, when Caitanya Mahāprabhu was preaching. And His saṅkīrtana movement went out. Then of course, even the Hindu caste brāhmaṇas, they went and approached Chand Kazi that, “You must stop this Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not representing the Hindu religion properly. He is misrepresenting, He is accepting everyone. No matter what their caste, no matter what their creed, everyone even Mohammedans He is accepting into His movement, so He must be stopped. This is against the Vedas.” This was their proposal.

Of course, they were misrepresenting the Vedas, for their own caste consciousness and caste privileges. So, the Chand Kazi, he recorded their complaint. And then, of course the Mohammedans they also came and they complained that, “Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa in all the streets, in all the market places, in all the bathing ghats. He must be stopped.”

So, the Chand Kazi said, “I can understand that you are complaining about Caitanya Mahāprabhu chanting, since you are all Mohammedans. But my question is, why you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? Why you are chanting?”

And they said, “This is an amazing thing that when we hear these devotees chant, we cannot ourselves stop chanting.”

Just like one of our distributors that was distributing in New York, told us how, in this one particular street, there was one very heavy guard outside one store. And he used to break up the sales, used to threaten. But gradually… of course, every sale. The devotee would stay a little out from the store. But if he got close, then immediately the person would, would start to growl.

And every day he saw him and said, “Hare Kṛṣṇa.” Every day he just said, “Hare Kṛṣṇa.” And that person, he would always tell the people, don’t buy anything, these are the “Hare Kṛṣṇas, Hare Kṛṣṇas.” And after about a couple of months of this, so one day the distributor he took out, he had this Bliss Bar or something like that, some Yogi Bar or something. And he gave one to a person and that person ate it. And he saw that the guard was looking. So, then he also gave him one. He took it. “It’s alright, it’s good you know.” And went on distributing. The person went and ate it, eyes lit up, he came out and he said, “Good! Just thought I’d take a few more.”

And so, after that some chanting and a little prasāda, then gave him the book also. Then he started to help distributing. He became a great friend. Everyday gave him a bliss bar, kept him in bliss. And in this way, even the person in the beginning, very heavy character, very inimical, he completely changed, just by association with devotees. Just by the uh, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.

And this Hiraṇyakaśipu knew, told Prahlāda that, “You don’t associate with any devotees. Because association is so powerful you may become good. You may become a devotee yourself. You don’t associate. This association is just like a mirror on the consciousness.” This was his advice.

Of course, Prahlāda was already, before birth, because he was instructed when he was in the womb of his mother. When his mother was in the aśrama of Nārada Muni. He received the instructions from Nārada Muni, he was already a devotee. So, his father couldn’t understand where he got all this information. Although Prahlāda didn’t keep it a secret. So, this association is so powerful.

These Mohammedans when they gave their complains to the Chand Kazi, and he asked them, “Why you were chanting? You are Mohammedans, you are not supposed to chant. Why you were chanting?”

They said, “We do now every day. We are associating with these devotees. We hear them chanting. And it is always going in our brain and we are just thinking Hare Kṛṣṇa. Seeing Hare Kṛṣṇa and also even in our sleep, we dream Hare Kṛṣṇa. We don’t know what is this magic. We think maybe we are under some spell.”

So, of course the Chand Kazi, he broke the mṛdaṅgas of Caitanya Mahāprabhu first and his soldiers.

And all the devotees went back to Caitanya Mahāprabhu that, “Should we stop the saṅkīrtana? Should we stop it now? They have broken our mṛdaṅgas.”

“NO! Don’t stop the saṅkīrtana. Go on with the saṅkīrtana movement. Nothing can stop this saṅkīrtana movement.”

So then of course, they went back out and began the saṅkīrtana again. Then the Chand Kazi hearing the sound of the mṛdaṅgas, he personally came and broke the mṛdaṅgas.

Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu when he heard that the mṛdaṅgas have been broken, He took out and at that time there were fourteen different saṅkīrtana groups. They gathered the people from all the parts of Navadvīpa. And they all assembled, huge, hundreds and hundreds and thousands of people.

This was Lord Caitanya, simply by His word, hundreds of thousands of people would jump. And they all appeared enraged outside the Chand Kazi’s house, with torches in their hand. Some of them were little violent. “Kill the Kazi. Burn him. He can’t stop the saṅkīrtana movement.”

Some were shouting out. Some were breaking up the garden. The Chand Kazi was hiding under his bed (laughter). He

saw the huge crowds of people. He knew there was no escape. He came down and of course then he approached Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu that, “Why? Since your grandfather called me uncle, you are coming to your uncle’s house. Why you are acting in this very violent way? Is this a way to treat your uncle?”

Lord Caitanya said, “Well, since I am your nephew, is this a way you receive your nephew? Keep him standing out on the road?”

“No, no, come in, come in.”

Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, of course they discussed. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Why you are killing your mother?”

“What do you mean killing my mother?”

“You are killing the cow.”

“How the cow is my mother?”

“You are drinking the milk. Who is giving you the milk from her breast, isn’t she your mother? How you can kill her and your father too? The bull who is the father of the mother, who is bringing home the grains.”

So then in discussion, it actually came out that in the Quran, in the Mohammedan scriptures, it forbids one from taking meat, especially cow meat, if one wants to be spiritually advanced. For those who are materialistic, then there is another way. But if you want to actually go back to Godhead, it is forbidden in the Quran. So of course, that just shows where everybody wants to go now-a-days as following the Quran. They are not taking the higher path, that was recommended.

So that time, the Chand Kazi, he revealed to Caitanya Mahāprabhu that, “I saw a terrible vision in my sleep. After I broke these mṛdaṅga, after I ordered to have the saṅkīrtana movement stopped, a terrific form, half-man half-lion appeared, and He said, ‘If you ever dare stop the movement of Caitanya Mahāprabhu again, then I will finish you off.’ And He ripped my chest with His claws.” And he opened up the shirt and saw there, there was still the bloody mark on his chest.

“When I woke up, there, look it. this mark was still there.” And he was shaking in fear. Narasiṁhadeva had appeared to the Chand Kazi. Lord Caitanya just touched him and then he was filled with transcendental ecstasy, love for Kṛṣṇa entered into his heart. By the presence in the association of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Chand Kazi was changed, and he ordered that, “From now on the saṅkīrtana movement shall enjoy my full protection in Navadvīpa. It shall never be hampered.”

So, there may be some test and there some opposition. But by Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mercy, the association of the devotees is so strong that it overcomes the Chand Kazi. He was called the uncle of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, because just as in kṛṣṇa-līlā, Lord Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa killed His uncle Kaṁsa. So, the Kaṁsa of caitanya-līlā is the Chand Kazi. But Lord Caitanya showing His mercy instead of killing him outright, killed his demoniac nature, killed his demoniac nature by making him into a devotee. Even today the descendants of the Chand Kazi, they are still favorable to the saṅkīrtana movement.

So Narasiṁhadeva, He protects His devotees. Prahlāda was protected by Lord Narasiṁhadeva. The devotees pray to Narasiṁhadeva for the health of the spiritual master. Narasiṁhadeva, His mood is to protect the devotee. He was so angry, why He was so angry, He was shaking in anger because why was this devotee being pursued - simply because he was a devotee. Not because he had broken any laws or not because he had done any, because so many people are doing so many things. But because he is a devotee. Therefore, he was singled out to be tormented, to be tortured, to be harassed.

But Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mercy is such that even those who are the tormentors… the devotee has no enemy. Of course, to protect another devotee the devotee is willing to do everything in his power. But actually, the devotee, he has no enemy. And the proof is that even the so-called enemy, if the slightest chance is there to make him a devotee or to make him advance in devotional service or to give him some mercy that he will accept and not offend, the devotee always jumped at the chance. That means… enemy means someone who you want to see harmed. So, the devotee doesn’t have any enemy. He wants to see everyone transferred to the spiritual sky.

But of course, when such compassionate devotees are harassed then Narasiṁhadeva, He becomes angry that, “Here devotees simply giving out mercy, simply trying to distribute mercy, he is being, he is being persecuted, by this rascal king.” Devotee takes that, “I deserved to be punished in so many ways for all my sinful activities. This is simply Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Kṛṣṇa’s mercy upon me.”

Sometimes some difficulty is there to further temper the devotee and to open up new fields of preaching. But the devotee, he has to remember that, he is the representative of Kṛṣṇa, just as Kṛṣṇa took a personal offense that His devotee was being punished.

Similarly, when the four Kumāras entered into the heavenly planets, in to the Vaikuṇṭha-lokas and the two gate keepers stopped them. Lord Nārāyaṇa, He personally appeared before the four Kumāras and He said that, “I take personal responsibility for them because these are My servitors. Because they are My servitors, I ask your forgiveness for their activities.”

In other words, this is two-sided. Just as much as a devotee is protected by the Lord because he is representing the Lord, similarly the devotee has the responsibility to act, as the Lord, as the spiritual master would want him to act, that which will leave a good impression upon those people to whom they are preaching. Because, if a person becomes offensive to a devotee, then that is detrimental to his spiritual life. We can see that by being offensive to Prahlāda, the duration of Hiraṇyakaśipu’s life, his kingdom, his opulence, everything was lost - simply by being offensive to a devotee. So, a devotee doesn’t want anyone’s misfortune, doesn’t try to act in a way which will encourage someone to be offensive.

Of course, simply by chanting in saṅkīrtana or harināma or by preaching, if some demon is offended, for that we cannot stop preaching. But unnecessarily devotee will not act in such a way as to create a person to be inimical. Because that would simply take that person further away from Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

And Kṛṣṇa, He feels responsible. Because the devotee is His representative, they never say that, “Bhakta Bill did something wrong.” They always say, “The Kṛṣṇas.” The Kṛṣṇas - mean Kṛṣṇa’s devotees. So Kṛṣṇa, He’s the one that gets the ultimate result. So, He’s responsible to protect and He’s also responsible for the devotees’ actions. The devotee has to be very careful that, “I am representing the whole sampradāya and Kṛṣṇa, I must act responsibly in preaching.” Then one will get the mercy. Irresponsible action that embarrasses Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master ultimately, of course then, how can that preacher be successful?

So Prahlāda Mahārāja of course, he was always very gentle, well behaved. But he didn’t stop preaching. Every opportunity he got, he used it to preach and that was what they didn’t like.

So that the preaching goṣṭhy-ānandī devotee - the preaching devotee can never stop. There are two types of devotees, the bhajanānandī, who wants his own liberation, wants to do his own bhajan. The goṣṭhy-ānandī, who wants to see the devotees number increase. The goṣṭhy-ānandī, his pleasure, his satisfaction is to see the Lord’s purpose fulfilled. That is to have more and more devotees. The Lord wants that fallen souls should return. The goṣṭhy-ānandī, he is fulfilling that desire.

Just like we were saying,

śrī-caitanya-mano-’bhīṣṭaṁ 
sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale 
svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ
dadāti sva-padāntikam

I offer my respectful obeisances to Rūpa Gosvāmī. Because why? mano-’bhīṣṭaṁ - What is the desire of Caitanya Mahāprabhu he knows that, and he has established that. sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale - He has established that. This is the mood of the pure devotees. This is why in our sampradāya, you see the ācāryas are sometimes called Rupānugas.

What is the desire of Caitanya Mahāprabhu? He wants to see this mercy distributed. And someone who is understood that this is the dear desire of the Lord and is trying to distribute that mercy to satisfy the Lord, to establish His heart’s desire, is a follower of Rūpa Gosvāmi, a Rupānuga. So that is, you see the most exalted to know, what is the Lord’s desire, His special desire and to try to satisfy that, that is the epitome. The epics of spiritual perfection.

Everyone is trying to satisfy themselves. But they mistake themselves to be this body. So instead they simply satisfy their senses or try to satisfy their senses but fail miserably. But go to no end, to the very limit and trying to do so, always create havoc, competing with all the other similar sense gratifiers in the grand competition.

But the devotee, he is seeing what is the self, the real self, the self of the self, Kṛṣṇa’s desire and trying to establish that, by preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So that is the nectar of devotion, ocean being expanded. So, without those devotees, it’s very hard for these fallen souls to get delivered on their own - practically impossible.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s descent has caused the good fortune. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu, what did He say, “I am one person how many fruits can I give out? You all come take. Take this fruit of love of Kṛṣṇa, eat to your hearts’ content. Eat fully and then distribute it.” What does Śrīla Prabhupāda say? “Be happy in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and make others happy.”

I remember when, of course now it’s a little better but I remember just a year before this, two years ago, when I went to Guadalajara in Mexico, how Ācāryadeva, who had been so rigorously preaching all over Latin America and all over the world, in India, how his health was so completely deteriorated. Of course, there, we had some nice relief - there was a water fall 120 feet, some hot, some kind of warm springs falling down. He would just bathe a little bit. We would bathe together in this natural pond, in the hot spring water. But his health was so uh, deteriorated from preaching. But until his uh, body practically gave out, he didn’t, he didn’t stop or think to stop. Of course, now he has become more careful.

This is the quality, the devotees they just go on preaching. As much as strength they have they want to simply go on preaching. Śrīla Prabhupāda - untiringly how many, eleven or seventeen times at the age of seventy, eight years old, going around the world again and again? When he would come to India, we would always, “Of course, please stay here some longer.” He would stay one or two months there in Māyāpur, in November or October he would come, then again during the festival. We were very fortunate to get that association.

But he would say, “No, if I don’t travel then how this movement will go on? I must constantly travel.” He would say how he was cursed by the parents of the children of the devotees. Just like Nārada Muni had been cursed by Dakṣa. When Nārada Muni took all of his sons and made them into devotees, into brahmacāris, he was cursed that, “You will never have a fixed house. I curse you to never have a fixed house. You have to always simply wander around. Can’t stay any place more than a few days.” So of course, that was a very big curse for Dakṣa. The materialist, their idea of curse.

Just like we were reading this morning that when the Nārada Muni gave the story of Purañjana to King Barhiṣat, he said, “I can’t really understand exactly what you are saying because we are engaged in fruitive activities, we are karmī. Therefore, it is very difficult to understand what is the meaning of the story?” In the purport Prabhupāda explained that unless one performs devotional service, the actual meaning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the mystery of devotional service, it can’t be understood fully, they get confused.

So, like that, Dakṣa he is thinking, he is cursing Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni, “This is the greatest blessing I ever had. And I will now be eternally in travelling saṅkīrtana. I never have to settle down anywhere.” He took it as a blessing. This is the… Prabhupāda said like that, “I have the curse, therefore I can never stay anywhere, more than a week or two.” Actually, he was always travelling.

Of course, in Vṛndāvana, then myself and one or two other, some other devotees were there, and he told us, he was looking right at me, but I know that there were other people there also, that, “So now I cannot travel anymore. Now I am just staying here in Vṛndāvana. Now you must take this curse.” I think he said, “You sannyāsīs, you have to take this curse, travel.” So since then, I haven’t, except for the festival, I haven’t stayed anywhere for more than two weeks.

So, in any case, for devotee there is no curse. Even this curse that, “Prahlāda Mahārāja, I am going to finish you off.”, Hiraṇyakaśipu said, there is no question of curse. Only thing the devotee is worried about is that, “That I may not become attracted to the material nature and somehow I may not forget rather the lotus feet of the Lord.” That is the only thing the devotees are afraid of. Afraid of being attracted to this material nature. That fear is uh, purifying. Never afraid of the Lord.

Hiraṇyakaśipu was so afraid of Narasiṁhadeva. All the demigods were afraid of Narasiṁhadeva. But Prahlāda, he wasn’t afraid of Narasiṁhadeva. You know this is my Protector. This is my Lord. So, the devotee, he is afraid of forgetting Kṛṣṇa. Afraid of māyā. Not proud, humble against māyā, afraid of māyā. Not afraid of Kṛṣṇa, always clings to Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. Just like a baby, not afraid of his mother. Baby is always holding on to the mother for protection, but afraid of strangers. So, this material world is a strange environment to us. It is not natural. So therefore, we should cling on to the lotus feet of the Guru-Gaurāṅga, Nitāi-Gaura. And the easiest way to cling on, is to manifest the desire in this world, to try to establish Their desire, that is to give everyone Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in a very humble, determined and enthusiastic way, spreading all around the glories of the holy name

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa
Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare 
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma
Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

Jāya Śrī Śrī Nitai-Gaura!

Jāya Śrīla Prabhupāda!

Jāya Śrīla Ācāryadeva!

Devotee: Jāya! Haribol.

Jayapatākā Swami: Are there any questions?

Devotee: (inaudible)

Jayapatākā Swami: Of course, it is also said to be a sign of advancement when one sees one’s own heart to be hard. Usually, someone enters into devotional service, makes a little progress, he immediately thinks that I’m very advanced. Then when one advances further and gets a greater perspective on exactly how exalted is devotional service, then one sees oneself as being very insignificant. Even Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī, She saw Herself as being not at all a devotee.

So, if we start to see ourselves as not being a devotee, that can be also, a not being a very advanced devotee, that can also be a type of sign of advancement. The thing is that this should not discourage us. This should enhance our desire, to melt our heart to be a devotee. It is not unusual that we are hard-hearted, in fact if we are conscious of that, that is a good step in the right direction. Now we should begin to melt our heart.

I explained how when Caitanya Mahāprabhu… Within a few days Jagannātha’s Snāna-yātra will be happening. And when that Snāna-yātra happened, Lord Caitanya became mad in separation for Jagannātha, and His whole body became practically on fire. He ran the eleven miles to the Ālālanātha temple, and He fell down in front of Ālālanātha, the Lord, Viṣṇu-mūrti there in Orissa. He fell down, and He paid His obeisances and He fell completely unconscious right in front of the Deity in separation. And His body was so intense in love for Kṛṣṇa that actually He melted right into the rock. The rock melted. That stone, the impression of Caitanya Mahāprabhu body, full seven feet melted into the rock is still there in Ālālanātha, the temple of Ālālanātha near Jagannātha Purī. They have offered us to worship that stone if we want to. They offered us the right, one temple is doing the puja of that stone now.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His love is so intense for Kṛṣṇa, that by associating with Caitanya Mahāprabhu, by chanting His name, by hearing and remembering His pastimes, and visiting His holy dhāma, and always feeling separation for dhāma if one is not able to stay there, that will melt even a stone like heart. We should avoid, of course, offending Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s devotees. And we should stay in contact with Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And by His contact, that can easily melt even the hardest heart.

So, it is… generally those devotees who think that their heart is not hard or that they are already advanced, or they are not feeling themselves in a great need for a lot of mercy, they are in a more unfortunate situation than a devotee who is very eager for mercy, who is feeling himself one to be fanadi in need of Lord Caitanya’s mercy, and who is always anxious to get it. The thing is that the secret word in that mantra is the ‘eager’ to get the mercy. And we should take every realization of our own inadequacies to increase our desire, to increase our desire, to intensify our hankering for Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mercy.

Devotee: Is it accurate that there are only two kinds of person, demon or devotee?

Jayapatākā Swami: It is not demon and devotee. It’s demon and demigod. Demon and demigod. Devatā and asura. Sura, asura. The demigods, they are trying to enjoy their senses but they are trying to do so following the orders of Kṛṣṇa. And the demons, they’re trying to enjoy their senses but they are doing so in defiance of Kṛṣṇa. But devotees they are not even trying to enjoy their senses because they have understood that sense enjoyment is not the goal of life. They are trying to satisfy Kṛṣṇa’s senses.

So the devotees are different from the demons and from the demigods. The demons and demigods – they are always fighting with each other. But Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma – they are standing off on one side and watching. They are actually in no side.

Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu – he defeated all the demigods. Kṛṣṇa is not really concerned, unless the demigods make some special appeal. But only because Hiraṇyakaśipu started to torture Prahlāda, who was the devotee, then of course the Lord will protect His devotee. Prahlāda, when his father killed, was killed by, what did he say? He said, “Lord Narasiṁhadeva, please have mercy on my father. Do not take any offense.’’

In other words, the devotees he doesn’t have, he doesn’t see the demons as enemies. This is now a competition. Devotee is simply in love with Kṛṣṇa, he wants to see the good fortune for everyone. A devotee is transcendental to demons and demigods.

Just like the Americans, they think they are the demigods and that the Russians are the demons and vice versa. You see. Of course, theoretically, one can see those who are more God-fearing they are actually demigods and those who are more atheistic they are demons. But actually, neither of them are perfect. Neither of them are cent percent perfect - one is a little is better materially than the other. But the devotee is transcendental.

Devotee: How do you tell if a person is a demon or a demigod?

Jayapatākā Swami: Whether the person is a demon or a demigod, the devotee wants to see them all become devotees. Just like Bali Mahārāja, he was a king of the demons. But he became a great devotee. Kṛṣṇa has devotees who are both demons and demigods. That even a demon one who is addicted to sense gratificatory, he was envious nature, that by mercy of devotee he may also become a devotee. So, the devotee wants to even see the demons, you see, transformed.

Of course, the devotees sometimes get in the mood thinking that they are demigods and then fighting against the demons. You see. But actually, the demigods, you see, if they find that the demons are down, just like when they saw that Hiraṇyakaśipu was down, they immediately wanted to go and kill Prahlāda. Because they thought Prahlāda’s pregnant mother of, of Hiraṇyakaśipu, that he was also another demon. So, in that way, there is always this type of political conquest between the demigods and the demons.

But the devotees, they don’t mind to see the demons who try to stop Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s movement, punished or harassed so that the movement can go on unimpeded. At the same time, those people can themselves become devotees, they’re perfectly, that’s what they prefer much better. That means the devotee, he is not envious person. He is always wishing the welfare of everyone. But of course, if someone is stopping Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s movement then it is better for that person, if somehow or another his offensive activities are ended. Because the more offenses he is committing, it is the more unfortunate. Just like the snake is so offensive. So even the saintly people like to see when a snake is killed.

Comment: (Inaudible)

Jayapatākā Swami: Yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet - By any means, whatever it takes to get a person to accept Kṛṣṇa, become attracted to Kṛṣṇa. That is what Rūpa Gosvāmi recommended. First get a person attracted to Kṛṣṇa, first get him to understand to be attracted to Kṛṣṇa, to get a taste for Kṛṣṇa and then to understand that he is a servant of Kṛṣṇa. When he understands by getting a taste of Kṛṣṇa consciousness automatically one understands that I am a servant of Kṛṣṇa. And when one understands he is a servant of Kṛṣṇa then we introduce rules and regulations and so many different types of restrictions that will help that person to further advance. Before a person has accepted Kṛṣṇa or understood that he is the servant of Kṛṣṇa, if you simply uh, push on rules and regulations and restrictions for that person then he will uh, he will commit some offense and he will not be able to accept. So, the first thing is by any means, yena tena - whatever works for that particular individual get him attracted to Kṛṣṇa.

When I came in India, Prabhupāda said some very amazing things that we could say to the Indian devotees to attract them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Practically instead we could say very materialistic things, just because people are attracted. I don’t know if I should say.

Comment: (inaudible)

Jayapatākā Swami: No, no. kind of imagine or something.

Comment: (inaudible)

Jayapatākā Swami: It says that one should not see the Deity too close, see the spiritual master too close. So, I know sometimes, even servants of Śrīla Prabhupāda would approach the Prabhupāda that, “In my mind I am becoming familiar.” And then Śrīla Prabhupāda would, “Oh! That you must be, the disciple becomes familiar with the spiritual master that is very detrimental.” And then he would say, immediately said that, on one or two occasions, he would change their services and sent them away. That if one sees themselves becoming familiar then has to take whatever means he can to… That’s why it is difficult when one has to associate a lot with the spiritual master.

Sometimes devotees complain that, “Well, I never get to see my spiritual master and I don’t get that much association.” On the other hand, those devotees who are always associating with, sometimes you know, you see that the abundance of mercy is too much for them. Because the spiritual master is always refining the devotees. And usually the devotees, they don’t have that much tolerance to be refined that intensively.

They have to. They want them to learn. That can only come with maturity. One has to know who he is, in devotional platform. And train the mind to act accordingly. The mind is just like a little child. The mind, you can make the mind do this or that. So, with intelligence, one has to direct the mind. Just like the mind if starts thinking of sense gratification, you redirect it back to Kṛṣṇa. And if the mind starts to think of the spiritual master or senior Vaiṣṇavas, the Deity in some familiar or materialistic way, then you have to control the mind. No. No thinking that way. “Even if some senior Vaiṣṇava he is very familiar with me that is his mercy. But actually, I should have this mentality.”

If you let the mind take its own course, it will always take the wrong course, because it is a materialistic mind. So, by intelligence, you have to direct the mind. That’s why it is said that a mind which is controlled is one’s best friend. And an uncontrolled mind is the worst enemy.

So, as soon as we let the mind control, let it go its own way, then we’ll be in trouble. And as long as you keep it always with intelligence according to sādhu, śāstra and guru. Never depend on the mind. Mind will always work one down. But depend on the intelligence. Analyze what is the mind doing. If one is careless and not watching what the mind is, just accepting whatever the mind is coming up, we surely be in trouble. One has to be mature always as a dhīra, sober, controlling the mind with the intelligence.

Just like I remember one sannyāsī’s wife, of course he wasn’t a sannyāsī then. He was asking her you know just to wash his clothes and then she didn’t like to do that. She thought that you know there were other things that she should do. So he thought that, “Well. Of course, they were doing a lot of preaching and that at least one thing, at least that the wife would wash the clothes that would be something.” They got all the problems. “Then only I have to wash my own clothes on top of it. I may so just be a sannyāsī.” Approached Prabhupāda and took sannyāsa. All just over, over a little thing like that, you know. So, it says that the woman if sees the husband as representing Kṛṣṇa, if the disciples see the spiritual master representing Kṛṣṇa, if the citizens see their king as representing Kṛṣṇa, in that way then one is always Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Even of course if the husband is not Kṛṣṇa and may have so many defects, but if the wife sees that, if I follow the instructions of the husband which is a very austere thing to do sometimes, unless it is a completely, you know, a crazy suggestion against the principle or something, then by doing so, this is, this is my lot, this is Kṛṣṇa represent…, taking this as Kṛṣṇa’s desire, so then she is Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Similarly, the disciple accepts what the spiritual master says as Kṛṣṇa’s desire, he is Kṛṣṇa conscious. But as soon as we start to make our own conceptions about what we should do and what we shouldn’t do, then we are responsible. And when we make a mistake we are finished.

Even Rāmānujācārya, he was completely detached from his family life. But he couldn’t leave his wife because she was faithfully serving him. But he told her that if you make two mistakes in devotional service, then I’ll leave. And I forget what one of them was, but I know that he told her he gave a very exquisite order what to do in serving the Deity. And somehow, she just you know in her woman’s simplicity, she didn’t do it. She did, you know something else which appeared to be materially more suitable, and as a result the Deity service was improperly done, and then there was an offense committed. That and there was one other thing. Was receiving another Vaiṣṇava or something like that. On these two mistakes he left and took sannyāsa.

As long as she was serving properly, then she was responsible, not, he was responsible. Even though he didn’t particularly need to be in the family situation, because she was helping, he felt obligated to continue engaging her in service and to, supporting her in different ways. But as soon as she started to take the responsibility on herself to be more intelligent than he was, even maybe she thought she was right, well, she lost Rāmānujācārya.

So, in the same way if a disciple starts to think or a… even a junior or less advanced devotee starts to think oneself to be more intelligent, then he becomes responsible. So, of course if the disciple becomes independent of the guru that means he has got no shelter at all. Vaiṣṇavas may have difference of opinion. So still it is risky for a junior Vaiṣṇavas because whether their interpretation of what is pleasing to Prabhupāda is more accurate or what is their older godbrothers’ interpretation is more accurate but of the spiritual master, Prabhupāda, whatever it may be. The idea is that of course they are not without a shelter, but it’s a question of responsibility to understand what is the desire of the spiritual master.

So therefore, it is always the safe recourse sādhu, śāstra and guru. So, whatever the guru and the śāstra say that of course is absolute. The sādhus, the sādhus or the senior Vaiṣṇavas they are, they are giving the interpretations or the understanding of what is, how to practically apply and what is the meaning the verdict of the guru and the śāstra. So whenever one does some major decision it is always beneficial to discuss with the sādhus. If the spiritual master is present and of course whatever he says that is as good as Kṛṣṇa saying.

So, in this way if one acts so that all the time he is not responsible. But all the time he can directly see how I am just doing what the śāstra says, what the guru says and what the sādhus are saying, then he is always safe. There is no risk.

Of course, sometimes one has to take a risk to preach. But if there is a way to take no risk that is the best way. Especially personally Kṛṣṇa consciousness there is no risk. We take materially risk to preach. But then what we should do. We don’t want to take a risk, to do something which we do not know if is authorized by Kṛṣṇa - that risk we don’t take. But if we know is authorized by Kṛṣṇa, we willing to take any other kind of risk.

To take a risk which is we don’t know if is authorized by Kṛṣṇa perfectly, we are not perfectly sure, we are just doing it on some type of impetuousness or strength, and we have not really discussed with other Vaiṣṇavas or cleared it with the spiritual master, or do not have the direct scriptural understanding to back us up, but we’re doing it anyway, that is whimsical. That is the meaning of whimsical activity, activity which is not authorized. So, if we don’t know if it is authorized that is also whimsical. We should know factually, “What I am doing is correct, this is necessary for preaching and this is confirmed by sādhu, śāstra and guru.” 

So, if we are always doing things in that way then how we can offend or how we can be in trouble? Then we don’t have to worry about it. In this way we can respect the other Vaiṣṇavas and respect the spiritual master knowing that independent of their shelter, we are in a precarious situation.

Does that answer the question?

Jayapatākā Swami: Is there any limit to questions? I mean, No, I’ve had darśanas that are going up till two in the morning when we left here. But then the next day it’s rough on the saṅkīrtana. I don’t know you know.

Devotee: (inaudible)

Jayapatākā Swami: By not being whimsical. By not being whimsical. Purity is the force. Books are the basis. We have to always keep in line with it. That is the meaning of guru-paramparā. As soon as someone does something which is not directly authorized by the guru-paramparā and not just that my, my, even my own opinion is taken or if other senior Vaiṣṇava also agree with my understanding of the previous ācāryas’ desires in this regard and that is all authorized by the śāstras. Then, then in this way one stays within that flow.

But what happens, if they start to speculate, or they start to do things which they may think, they may feel that it is a good thing to do, but it is not directly authorized by the scriptures or by the line of teachers. So they don’t have a strict line of teachers and the scriptures are not also so uh, how do you say? exhaustive in answering a lot of questions, so what happens is, as the world became more and more complicated and if they speculating more and more on what should be the thing to do, because the scriptures don’t help, there is no line of disciplic succession so there is no teachers that know how to interpret those scriptures. So then you get hundreds and hundreds of different kinds of sects and subsects of different opinions and you end up playing bingo in the basement of the church for a double jackpot.

That’s why, we have to follow strictly the system of guru-paramparā, follow the instructions of previous ācāryas. Prabhupāda said, “It is not only that you have a guru. But you also have previous ācāryas.” It is like Prabhupāda he always try to follow the instructions of Bhaktisiddhānta but also Gaura-kiśora, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and Jagannātha dāsa Bābaji.

Of course, principally one has to follow his own spiritual master’s instructions. Beyond that one is conscious of what the mood of the previous ācāryas is and what their overall desire is. Just like if you want it right… to draw a line, you see, so you need, if you have two points of reference it is easier to draw the straight line. If you’ve just one, it tends to… You ever do that? In a notebook, you want to make lines this way, just make one, two inches, one inch across, and then you want to draw the straight line just by vision. Then you know you get to the bottom of the page and some of them are a little bit this way and that way? So, you do one measurement on the top and one at the bottom, and then you draw, and they’re all exactly in line.

So, it’s not that our own spiritual master is the universe unto himself, but it’s coming in a line and we can see the overall line, and that is according to time and circumstances. Of course, he is applying that and then as the times change, it’s a we see the overall line so it doesn’t just go completely, just it slightly goes.

Prabhupāda, he kept the basic mood of the previous ācāryas. But each one they may slightly have different types of preaching prominent in those times depending on the different stages of preaching. So, we will see that as Kṛṣṇa consciousness becomes more and more widespread over the world, that there will be new type of devotees and new types of māyās which will come up, which have to be dealt with, with different types of preaching programs.

Just like the problem of planting the seed, and when the seeds sprout then we have the problem of watering it, and manuring it and weeding it, so the problems in growing always change according to the stage and finally there is the harvest. So ultimately Lord Caitanya said in every town and village throughout the whole world, His name will be spread.

So, although there is a good progress made, there is still far to go. So as the movement becomes more and more established then there’ll be… just like Prabhupāda said, “I have so many plans for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I cannot reveal them all to you right now.” So Prabhupāda will be revealing through his mercy, more and more plans for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, building off the basic plans we have now.