19810616 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.25.16-17

The following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on June 16, 1981 in Los Angeles, California. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 4, Chapter 25, Text 16 and 17.

jaya śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda
śrī-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 vāsudevaya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevaya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevaya

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 4.25.16

sabhā-catvara-rathyābhir
ākrīḍāyatanāpaṇaiḥ
caitya-dhvaja-patākābhir
yuktāṁ vidruma-vedibhiḥ

Translation by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Śrīla Prabhupāda: In that city there were many assembly houses, street crossings, streets, restaurants, gambling houses, markets, resting places, flags, festoons and beautiful parks. All these surrounded the city.

Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda: In this way the capital is described. In the capital there are assembly houses and many squares, many street crossings, avenues and streets, many gambling places, markets and places of rest, all decorated with flags and festoons. The squares are surrounded with railings and are devoid of trees. The heart of the body can be compared to the assembly house, for the living entity is within the heart along with the Paramātmā, and thus the heart is the center of all remembrance, forgetfulness and deliberation. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15), sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca. In the body the eyes, ears and nose are different places of attraction for sense enjoyment, and the streets for going hither and thither may be compared to different types of air blowing within the body. The yogic process for controlling the air within the body and the different nerves is called suṣumnā, the path of liberation. The body is also a resting place because when the living entity becomes fatigued he takes rest within the body. The palms and the soles of the feet are compared to flags and festoons.

with repetition: In that city there were many assembly houses, street crossings, streets, restaurants, gambling houses, markets, resting places, flags, festoons and beautiful parks. All these surrounded the city.

Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda: In this way the capital is described. In the capital there are assembly houses and many squares, many street crossings, avenues and streets, many gambling places, markets and places of rest, all decorated with flags and festoons. The squares are surrounded with railings and are devoid of trees. The heart of the body can be compared to the assembly house, for the living entity is within the heart along with the Paramātmā, As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15), sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca.  In the body the eyes, ears and nose are different places of attraction for sense enjoyment, and the streets for going hither and thither may be compared to different types of air blowing within the body. The yogic process for controlling the air within the body and the different nerves is called suṣumnā, the path of liberation. The body is also a resting place because when the living entity becomes fatigued he takes rest within the body. The palms and the soles of the feet are compared to flags and festoons.

(Aside: We should go on the next purport?!)

Text 17, Chapter 25, Canto 4 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

puryās tu bāhyopavane 
divya-druma-latākule 
nadad-vihaṅgāli-kula 
kolāhala-jalāśaye

Translation by Śrīla Prabhupāda: On the outskirts of that city were many beautiful trees and creepers encircling a nice lake. On the outskirts of that city were many beautiful trees and creepers encircling a nice lake. Also surrounding that lake were many groups of birds and bees that were always chanting and humming.

Purport: Since the body is a great city, there must be various arrangements such as lakes and gardens for sense enjoyment. Of the various parts of the body, those which incite sexual impulses are referred to here indirectly. Because the body has genitals, when the living entity attains the right age — be he man or woman — he becomes agitated by the sex impulse. As long as one remains a child, he is not agitated by seeing a beautiful woman. Although the sense organs are present, unless the age is ripe there is no sex impulse. The favorable conditions surrounding the sex impulse are compared here to a garden or a nice solitary park. When one sees the opposite sex, naturally the sex impulse increases. It is said that if a man in a solitary place does not become agitated upon seeing a woman, he is to be considered a brahmacārī. But this practice is almost impossible. The sex impulse is so strong that even by seeing, touching or talking, coming into contact with, or even thinking of the opposite sex — even in so many subtle ways — one becomes sexually impelled. Consequently, a brahmacārī or sannyāsī is prohibited to associate with women, especially in a secret place. The śāstras enjoin that one should not even talk to a woman in a secret place, even if she happens to be one’s own daughter, sister or mother. The sex impulse is so strong that even if one is very learned, he becomes agitated in such circumstances. If this is the case, how can a young man in a nice park remain calm and quiet after seeing a beautiful young woman?

Thus end the purports for text 16 and 17 of chapter 25, canto 4 Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, (by) translated and purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the characteristics of King Purañjana, in which Nārada Muni is describing symbolically or figuratively, this body and the situations in which we are existing, is very instructive, very instructive for all the living entities. Because, this body has different type of arrangements, so this is very nice. At the same time, these arrangements can distract us from our spiritual life, they can distract us from actually achieving that perfection.

Our spiritual master is given us so much transcendental mercy, so much nectar. There is the opportunity in this human birth of achieving complete realization of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, complete appreciation for Kṛṣṇa’s sacred name, His quality, His form and activities, His devotees and holy dhāma and other paraphernalia which is connected with the Lord. Transcendentally, all cause appreciation and awakening to our slumber in spiritual cognition.

We can become distracted by this body at the same time we can utilize this body to realize that nectar of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, utilizing our senses in Kṛṣṇa’s service. When a gṛhastha devotees approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu in Jagannātha Purī, they asked Him, “What is the… Who is a devotee first?” So, Lord Caitanya... He said, “Anyone who chants Hare Kṛṣṇa is a devotee.”

But of course, some different types of chanters are there. But basically, we respect anyone who chants Hare Kṛṣṇa because that is very rare and wonderful symptom. But there are some, who are not very strict in following their spiritual master on accepting the devotional principles. Therefore, they are bad example. So, still somehow or the other they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So, we respect them in the heart, we do not associate with those people, because they may pollute our own consciousness.

Then there are, those who are properly initiated and who are faithful to their spiritual master, who are strictly following the rules and regulations of devotional service, those spiritually advanced devotees, we bow down with our heads in obeisances and we call them prabhu or master. Because of their serving our Lord, they have become also worship-able to us, respectful object. Therefore, we call them master, because we like to serve those who are serving the Lord.

Then of course Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that, “There is one other category of devotees who has surrendered heart and soul to the mission of the Lord and is dedicated to preaching and giving out the mercy of the Hari-nāma, following in the footsteps of his spiritual master. And such bona fide spiritual masters when they are met they should be offered their sāṣṭāṅga-praṇāmas or full prostrated obeisances. One should, if having no spiritual master should take shelter of their lotus feet and respect them”.

So, like this Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “We respect anyone who chants as a devotee, yet there are different categories and types of behavior with different types of devotees.”

So, the second question they asked Caitanya Mahāprabhu was, “What else, what should be the proper behavior of a Vaiṣṇava?” Then He said,

asat-saṅga-tyāga, — ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra
strī-saṅgī’ — eka asādhu, ‘kṛṣṇābhakta’ āra
[Cc Madhya 22.87]

that a devotee has the characteristic to give up all types of asat-saṅga that means bad association. Bad association is said to associate with women and with those who are non-devotees. These are two types of bad association for the aspiring devotee. Now of course this was told to the gṛhastha devotees who are naturally married, they are living with their wives. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is advising that, “Although you may be living with your wives, but one should be very careful even in that situation, not to become too much entangled, not to become too implicated in material attachment.”

Of course, Śrīla Prabhupāda once he told us that, “Just like Cāṇakya said that ‘one should see every woman except his wife as his mother.’” Here also we find that, it mentions that, one should not be in a… śāstras enjoin, “One should not even talk to a woman in secret place even if she happens to be one’s own daughter, sister or mother.” So, because the sex impulse is so strong even if one is very learned he becomes agitated in such circumstances. So, the… it doesn’t mention one’s wife because naturally one’s wife one has license to associate with. That is why one is… marries to associate with one’s wife, that license is given. Cāṇakya also said, “Everyone, except one’s wife”.

Śrīla Prabhupāda was mentioning that, “Even in the Vedas they don’t say you have to see your wife as your mother; they never say that, you see your wife as your wife; that is the natural attachment that comes.”

But this Rāmakṛṣṇa, he one-upped everyone that he was so apparently to the history actually, he had a very licentious early life so that he became impotent due to excessive debauchery. So, when he was married to his (mother) actually his wife (Aside: what’s her name?) Saralā (Śāradā), he couldn’t, he was impotent at that time. So, he had no request, what he did is he took good advantage of it and instead of being embarrassed he started to address her as his mother.

In this way, it was attracted the fancy of the people that everyone knows that you accept everyone as your mother except for your wife that’s right, pious. But here he was accepting even his wife as his mother. That was really something that was quite extraordinary. In this way he was able to, although he was gṛhastha, he was calling his wife as his mother and not approaching her, of course there is no facility anyway because he had already expended himself. But he was able to utilize that to get a lot of popular support. But actually, Prabhupāda he was more or less ridiculing that.

Not necessary, this is bogus that one has to consider his wife to be his mother. But on the other hand, one does have to be careful, even with one’s wife that it does not cloud completely, doesn’t cloud the relationship with the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa. Even then one should be careful that in the heart, the attachment for the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa is not being clouded by association with the opposite sex. Because the impulse to enjoy senses is so strong, it is so dangerous that unrestricted sense gratification dampens our fervor in our realization of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So, it is very important that one should treat sense gratification in this material world with fear. Kaṁsa, he was always afraid. Devakī and Vasudeva, they were also afraid. But Kaṁsa was afraid of Kṛṣṇa. And Devakī and Vasudeva, they were afraid of Kaṁsa. You see. This was the difference. So, because Kaṁsa was afraid of Kṛṣṇa would come and kill him at any moment, he was always agitated, and he wanted to kill Kṛṣṇa. Devakī and Vasudeva, they were always afraid of Kaṁsa, they were always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how Kṛṣṇa may save the situation, how also Kṛṣṇa may be protected. This way they were always having different types of fear for Kaṁsa.

So, the example given in the Bhāgavatam by Śrīla Prabhupāda is that, “Kaṁsa is the personification of material fear. Non-devotees are always afraid, but he sees Kṛṣṇa as death personified. They are always afraid of death, doesn’t see Kṛṣṇa with the loving. Just like the mouse when picked up the cat’s mouth, doesn’t see the cat as a very loving person, sees the cat as death personified. But when the kid, the little kitten is picked up by the mouth of the cat, then she is feeling that I’m in, protected by my mother. Similarly, the devotee sees Kṛṣṇa in a very wonderful perspective as the most kind and gentle protector, while the non-devotee sees the same Kṛṣṇa as death personified.”

So, Kṛṣṇa should be approached as a devotee. But then we should fear, just like Devakī and Vasudeva feared Kaṁsa, the devotee should fear material sense gratification, should fear māyā. Because māyā can put one into complete forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. This is māyā’s quality.

Just as in Māyāpur when we go to the Sīmantadvīpa, we tell the story about how Māyā-devī saw Lord Śiva laughing and asked, “Why he was laughing?” and he said, “Well…” He was thinking of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, “Gaurāṅga!”

And she said, “Gaurāṅga?! I even hear this name ‘Gaurāṅga’ my hairs are standing on the end. Who is Gaurāṅga?”

He said, “Golden avatāra of Kṛṣṇa.”

“I want to meet Him.”, Devī said.

Pārvatī, “How can I meet Him?”

And he explained to her who Caitanya Mahāprabhu was and that she went to Navadvīpa dhāma and worshipped there. There she could meet Him.

So, she went to one of the islands near our Jagannātha temple and began to worship Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Gaurāṅga. Constantly meditating on His transcendental lotus feet, chanting His holy name until finally she chant, “Gaurāṅga, Gaurāṅga jaya, Gaurāṅga jaya Gaurāṅga!”

Then Lord Caitanya appeared to her with His hair tied up in a brahminical fashion with a flower in the hair and with His lotus eyes going to His ears, His golden form effulgent like the form of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and His broad chest and thin waist thin like a lion and His arms going down to His knees “ājānu-lambita-bhujau” and lotus and colorful scented flower garland with bumble bees flying around trying to taste the nectar from His flower garland, from His lotus feet.

In this way Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared in His transcendentally effulgent form as the golden avatāra to mother Pārvatī. She fell down at His feet and offered her obeisance.

“What do you want, my mother?” said Lord Caitanya. “Mother Pārvatī!”  And Pārvatī said that, “My Lord, You are giving pure love for Kṛṣṇa to everyone without considering who is qualified, who is unqualified. Whole world gets delivered by Your transcendental mercy? This is Your quality of unlimited compassion. I am known by the devotees as māyā. I put the, I bring the living entities out of Your devotional service and keep them into ignorance, in ignorance. And the devotees, they always criticize me saying,

kṛṣṇa—sūrya-sama; māyā haya andhakāra 
yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa, tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra

(Cc Madhya 22.31)

Wherever there is Kṛṣṇa, there is no māyā. That means eternally I am cursed to not be present before You, to not have Your mercy, while everyone is getting the mercy I won’t get. Is this my misfortune never to get pure love for Kṛṣṇa, never to get pure devotion at Your lotus feet? When will I understand what is the highest mercy, the highest love in pure devotion?”

So, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then she took the dust from His lotus feet and put it on her head.

So, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “My dear mother Pārvatī, you should know that you are the expansion of the yoga-māyā. You are ultimately the expansion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. You are necessary for me to enjoy My pastimes in this material world. You are the expansion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, you are external energy. So here in the holy dhāma, you are prauḍha- māyā. Prauḍha-māyā means that here and in Vṛndāvana you are Paurṇamāsī. You arrange the devotional service and moods of the devotees and protect the dhāma from the māyāvāda, māyā intruders.”

So, in this way He blessed her that she could understand at that moment her non-difference from Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, how she was the external energy. And she could understand her connection and she came into the mood of pure devotional service, appreciation and love for Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu. She became overwhelmed with ecstatic symptoms and there she resides.

Lord Caitanya informed her as Prauḍha-māyā, Lord Śiva has come as Vṛddha-śiva in Navadvīpa dhāma. And she keeps those who have not accepted the relationship with Caitanya Mahāprabhu, she keeps them in ignorance and those who have surrendered to Caitanya Mahāprabhu who have accepted their eternal relationship as His devotee, she increases their transcendental humor for the Lord. So Mahāmāyā, she is a great devotee.

But she is very efficient and her duty, especially outside the dhāma, is very single pointed. You see. That is to bring the living entity under her control. So, that means that whether we are, brahmacārī or gṛhastha, we have to be careful about coming fully under the control of mahāmāyā. The brahmacārī should completely avoid discussion in a solitary place with women. Brahmacārī and sannyāsī has to be very careful.

Jagadānanda Paṇḍita, he warned the brahmacārīs and sannyāsīs that, “Don’t think, don’t discuss with women, don’t think about women, not even in your dream.” Remember Choṭa Haridāsa, remember Junior Haridāsa and how he was evicted by Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu couldn’t tolerate when the people were showing, wearing red cloths, showing renunciation and being hypocrite talking with women solitarily, internally enjoying that because that tendency is there, very enjoyable, subtly and sexually gratifying to discuss with women in a solitary place. Therefore, our brahmacārī and sannyāsis they do not allow themselves to be alone. Of course, here the symptom is even, if somehow that happens and one doesn’t get agitated that’s very good sign. But one should not take the risk, one shouldn’t think himself proud.

There was one so called ācārya, in another branch you can say of the Vaiṣṇava sampradāya who challenged māyā. Wished that, “Let māyā Come! I will not fall down! I will show her. (you see) I am strongly taken Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet.” Our mood is tṛṇād api sunīcena - very humble, very tolerant, one to give glory to others not expect honor for oneself. So, what happened to that ācārya was, within a few years, that so-called ācārya, he fell down.

Māyā, Prabhupāda said, “Is to be conquered in this way, that one should be like a deep-water fish.” pārāpāra-śūnya gabhīra bhakti-rasa-sindhu (Cc Madhya 19.137) - the ocean of transcendental nectar of devotion is unlimitedly wide and deep. So, we become like the makara fish, the deep-water fish goes far, far in the depths of that transcendental ocean, swimming in the nectar current. And māyā would there fisherman is on the top, dragging her net. If one is puffed up and comes up to the top, then they can get snared by those nets of māyā. But if one is very humble and very deep into the nectar of devotion ocean, then the net and māyā are far above and one stays protected deep in that ocean. One should dive deep always remembering, chanting, hearing, relishing the service to the spiritual master and Lord Caitanya, feeling oneself very humble, very much afraid of associating intimately with māyā, not thinking oneself to be already over the hump, over the hurdle.

Actually, if you want to have pure kṛṣṇa-prema which means one’s material mind and intelligence is dismantled and one’s pure spiritual intelligence and mentality is there. One is always susceptible to attack from māyā. So, the defense is fear, humility and submerging deep into the ocean of nectar. Someone challenges or thinks, “No, no I am beyond all these things. I can associate or I can do”, then it is very dangerous. Because māyā, she is so strong.

We are actually so minute. We have to cling to the lotus feet of Guru-Gaurāṅga. Nitai-Gaura, we have to cling to Their lotus feet very firmly, then māyā cannot get us.

(Kṛṣṇa-bhoga vancha kare) kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare
nikaṭa-stha māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare
(Prema-vivarta)

As soon as we turn our face away from Kṛṣṇa desiring sense gratification, māyā she comes in, you see, (Aside: more expert than one of those, they call them Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers [American Football Teams]) and tackles us, throws us down on the ground. Immediately she tackles, flying in and throws us down. She guards us under her grip, lock, stock and barrel. So, the devotee is afraid of māyā.

So, what does the devotee do? That example is given by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He did is Guṇḍicā-mārjanam-līlā, the cleaning of the temple Guṇḍicā in Jagannātha Purī. He took all of His devotees and there was so many branches and leaves and things, he told everyone “Gather up all these things”. And He started picking up Himself leaves, branches, put them in His cloth, His own cloth. Lovingly he cleaned that temple. He told all the devotees, “Who can pick up more of these leaves and branches, whoever picks up more of the refuse, we'll take it outside and see.” Little transcendental competition was there, who can clean that temple leaves nice, nicest and the most enthusiastically.

And so of course everyone they were cleaning until the whole temple there was no more leaves, no more branches. And Lord Caitanya put His pile, and everyone looked at their pile and their pile was so much smaller than Lord Caitanya. Then they put theirs together and even everyone combined was less than Lord Caitanya. He was so enthusiastically cleaning, which shows Caitanya Mahāprabhu is coming down, Kṛṣṇa Himself, to show us how to be a proper devotee.

These leaves and branches are like different material desires, like material gross desires in our heart, they have to cleansed out of the... We say that our body is a temple, our heart here we see, how the heart is the, is the nerve center, is the capital of the city. (Aside: That is the exact word that they used, the heart is the capital or something.) The heart is considered to be the capital. So, in the capital, we have to clean all, all the impurities.

So, then it wasn’t finished there, then we know that Caitanya Mahāprabhu came back, and he had the broom and then he began to sweep that temple. Then all the devotees, they started to sweep and all the little twigs that were still left, the small and the dust, until the whole temple was completely swept clean. Every nook and cranny, all the parts of the temple was swept and after was swept, still it wasn’t finished.

Then again, there were the devotees waiting ready with the water in the jug. Until then Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu called for the jug and He personally was taking the water and throwing it on the floor, on the walls, on the vedi, the siṁhāsana were the Deity would sit. They cleaned the bhoga-mandira, the prasāda room, everywhere, the courtyard, the nāṭ-mandir, the kīrtana hall.

And of course, there were hundreds of devotees who bringing the water from the lake, from the well. And sometimes they would break the pots bumping them together. Sometimes they would throw the water on Lord Caitanya’s lotus feet and secretly sneak a little bit of that water, tasting a little nectar.

Of course, one devotee was caught red handed. And Lord Caitanya, He called Svarūpa Dāmodara, “Who is this, who is this Gauḍīya? You get your ability of devotee! He was drinking the water from My feet while I here inside the Deity room. This is very offensive.” So Svarūpa Dāmodara grabbed him by the neck, “What you doing?” pushed him out of the temple. Prabhupāda of course said that, Svarūpa Dāmodara, he was in charge of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas. So, that’s why Lord Caitanya said “Your Gauḍīya.”

Some devotees were in charge of certain areas and certain other devotees. Like Svarūpa Dāmodara was in charge of the Gauḍīyas. Rūpa and Sanātana they were watching over Vṛndāvana. Like this, different devotees were in charge. Śivānanda Sena would bring down the devotees from Bengal, but of course, over all the Bengali devotees and the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas was Svarūpa Dāmodara.

So, Lord Caitanya was giving a perfect example of a Vaiṣṇava, although He Himself is Kṛṣṇa. Internally He was pleased with the devotee, but externally He did not want to give a bad example while He is cleaning the siṁhāsana in the Deity room but someone would wash and publicly drink to see He would see that. So then after cleaning everything with the water, it appeared just as pure as Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s own mind, so clean and so pure.

But then again Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He came back into the temple and they began to clean up the little cracks in between, all the stones with little twigs or nails and things they were picking out all the little dust that was even within the crack, to get out every last speck. This is very important to understand how meticulously they were cleaning.

Because just as the analogy of Purañjana is there, this Guṇḍicā temple the analogy that rose - four regulative principles, then we get rid of the mental speculation, then we get rid of all these subtle desires and even as we given up all these desires we go and we find out where are the traces of materialistic mentality,the aroma of material desires.

And then in the purport, it is important to note, how Śrīla Prabhupāda said, “Even if someone who gives up the desire for sense gratification that we are so much addicted to fruitive activity, to thinking by the hard work and endeavor that we perform, we will enjoy some material fruit, some sense gratification.” That even sometimes devotees in a good motive, they think, “I will do some business, do some type of activity and give the money to Kṛṣṇa.” And if they are not careful, they get wrapped up even unknowingly into a whole fruitive mentality and they don’t end up giving anything to Kṛṣṇa. Instead, they simply become fruitive workers, again falling into material consciousness.

So, we have to not only clean even the gross desires, “No, I don’t want to enjoy sense gratification, No, I don’t want to enjoy fruitive activity.”, but even the subtle mentality, that aroma which is still, just like you after clean something, still you go in there, you can still smell the aroma of the garbage. Even the last scent of the filth that is within our heart has to be scraped out. That means, that therefore, we have to always remain humble. If we get proud that, “Already my heart is clean, I am a devotee, I made it.”, you see, then there will be so many cracks with little garbage stuck in it which we have not yet cleaned out.

Actually, if we were completely cleansed of the last aromas, we would be able to see and talk with Kṛṣṇa. As soon as we heard the message of Kṛṣṇa, our heart would melt, it would not stay like a stone. Even after chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, it would not remain, you see, without being melted, but melt. So, we have to be very careful to cleanse our heart.

So, we should protect ourselves like Devakī and Vasudeva by being afraid of māyā association. Not allowing our attachment to let us forget our duty to the spiritual master. That is only possible, if we are, a little bit uncomfortable with māyā. Even with one’s wife, one should be a little fearful of that attachment, you see, very fearful. That to say, it grows and one breaks the regulative principle that one can forget the spiritual master and again become bound up. Both husband and wife they have that responsibility to remain Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Naturally, there will be some attachment. It is natural. The mother will love the children, father will love the children, that is natural. But the real manifestation of affection is bringing one to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sense gratification is selfish and we have to beware of that selfishness. It is not affection-real affection or real sentiment or real love. And what is it? It is sense gratification, it is lust.

So, one has the license when one is married, but one has to be careful that whatever natural affection or attachment may grow, instead of being dovetailed properly to bring each other to Kṛṣṇa, to serve the spiritual master cooperatively, instead, by material association because māyā is so strong, instead one will become simply engrossed in sensual attachment, in sense gratification and lose sight of the little duty to spiritual master. Then what happens of course one becomes critical of other Vaiṣṇava.

When weeds like, the first is caused, the six weeds that are mentioned “‘niṣiddhācāra’, ‘kuṭīnāṭī’, ‘jīva-hiṁsana’.”

First thing is one breaks regulative principles.

Next kuṭīnāṭī’- fault find, become very critical of everything. Become very critical because when one is not up to the mark oneself, therefore one should bring everyone else down, so finds out what are their defects that more or less gives oneself some type of mental satisfaction. If everyone is bad and I am also a little bad, then that’s not so bad, but if everybody is good and I’m bad then that's very bad. Of course, the devotee always has the other humility, “Everyone is very enthusiastically serving and somehow or another, I have to come up to that standard.” To push everyone and thus to be pulled along. You see.

If there object is moving upward very fast it creates suction behind. So, we want everyone to go ahead and we want to be pulled along. Someone who is pushing up he is also going up, that is devotional. The more you can encourage other people in the devotional service, the more Kṛṣṇa pushes you up in devotional service. And māyā means “pull people down and try to push yourselves up.” The more that they are down, the person is himself being pulled down even if he does not know it.

So, first thing of course breaking principles, kuṭīnāṭī’, then jīva-hiṁsa - to become envious of other living entities, to become envious of oneself, to commit violence on one’s spiritual life.

‘lābha’, ‘pūjā’, ‘pratiṣṭhādi’ yata upaśākhā-gaṇa - that I need some personal, personal acquisition, personal property, profit. I have to. What am I getting? Hear sometimes they, “I have been serving the spiritual master, chanting for six years, what if I get out of it? No color TV!” Finally, they don’t see that for millions of years they have been acquiring karma, they got rid of their sinful activities. The opportunity to go back home, back to Godhead in this life, unlimited devotional credits have been given. But if it is not within their karma to enjoy so many material things, then what they do is they go outside.

Some people they have successes in their business and they are still miserable. Some people they go down to the pits of material nature. So, we should be careful. These are all predicted delusions if we allow the weeds to grow. We shouldn’t think, “What am I getting by serving the spiritual master, materially?” That is not why we approach a spiritual master, to get material things. That is what you approach the Lord Śiva for, Mother Durgā, “Give me a nice material facility, even if it is poison.”

Then spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa, They will only give material facility if a person is ripe, if a person can, is mature enough to tolerate that situation and properly engage it and dovetail it in Kṛṣṇa’s service.

What we get from the spiritual master? When people try to analyze materially, that means they are missing the whole point. Their heart has already become so filled with garbage, that they, so filled with weeds that they can’t see what was the original creeper, that their original creeper. They may have become dogs in their next life. And now they gained the opportunity, even fall down like that, they probably become demigod, and have to be in heavenly planets for so many thousands of years and miss Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s movement. Miss the chance to get back to Kṛṣṇaloka. You see. But they will get what they want, as long as they don’t offend the Vaiṣṇavas.

So ‘lābha’, ‘pūjā’ - they may want worship. “No one is appreciating me enough. I should be worshipped.” You see. pratiṣṭhādi’ - then they want position. “Where’s my position? I have no position. Without position, how can I serve my spiritual master, as his menial servant? How is it possible without position, I can serve him as a menial servant after so many years?”

Of course, these things are funny because they don’t, it is obvious. But it is not obvious to some people, what they are saying. And what happens that they ask me their heart has... they somehow flipping up on the top of the ocean of nectar, and they are not, they are not in the nectar anymore. They are watering the weeds.

So, Caitanya Mahāprabhu has warned us against this, in different ways, through Guṇḍicā, through Rūpa Gosvāmī. How we have to cleanse our hearts, how we have to pull the weeds, how we have to water.

mālī hañā kare sei bīja āropaṇa 
śravaṇa-kīrtana-jale karaye secana

(Cc Madhya 19.152)

We get the seed.

brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva 
guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja

(Cc Madhya 19.151)

from the spiritual master, by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy. And we become a gardener, we plant that in our heart and we water it with chanting, by hearing and other devotional services. And that grows and grows right out of this material world, right to Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet.

tabe yāya tad-upari ‘goloka-vṛndāvana
kṛṣṇa-caraṇa’-kalpa-vṛkṣe kare ārohaṇa

(Cc Madhya 19.154)

Reaches the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, which are just like desire trees and then it blooms the flowers and the fruits, they come of bhāva, pure love for kṛṣṇa-prema. So, we should not lose sight.

We are watering our creeper to go up to Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. “Well, I have watered my creeper for so long, what weeds if I got out of it?” That is what they are saying, “What weeds if I got out of it? I haven’t got the weed of material lust, I haven’t got the weed of material desire for position, I didn’t get any position, I didn’t get this or that, what is this? I didn’t get any weed?! Now I have to plant my weeds, it’s time for weed pūjā?!” You see.

Doesn’t make any sense! We shouldn’t become destructive. We should clean the last crack, aroma of material desire, so that we can relish nectar at every moment. The nectar ocean is there. tomāya cākhāite tāra kahi eka 'bindu' - Lord Caitanya told Rūpa Gosvāmī that, “I can’t give you the whole ocean. But if I give you one, I want to give you one drop and this one drop is more than the ocean. You see. If you take all the material happiness that possible in this universe, that one ocean of happiness, that is not even compared to one drop, compared to one drop of the ocean of spiritual bliss of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that one drop is like an ocean, compared to the drop. So, I want to give you that drop, and by that one drop, you will be able to understand, what is the ocean which is there, the ocean of bhakti-rasa-sindhu, the nectar of devotion.”

So, Mahārāja Purañjana, you see, of course he is the standard materialist’s example. But the devotee, seeing the qualities of Purañjana, becomes fearful of the association of māyā and starts to cleanse the heart very carefully. Doesn't allow, has the jewel of bhakti, protects it from all types of thieves, rogues, cheaters. Very important. Just like sometimes of course people are delivered, they don’t even know.

Just like, when Mother Jāhnavā, after She left that festival going to Vṛndāvana and She went into one town where all the people were Kali worshippers, Caṇḍī. And they saw that devotees were being respected. They became very envious, “Why are they bowing down to Jāhnavā? Why they are bowing down to these Vaiṣṇavas, these other villagers? They are rascals, why are they not bowing down to Caṇḍī, to mother māyā? They are not offering her any goat offering and drinking any wine. They are all offensive.” So, they went to Caṇḍī and told her that, “We are going to chop off the heads of these Vaiṣṇavas, they are so offensive to you, they don’t offer you any goats and wine and anything and they are offensive. We are going to finish them off tonight. Chop off their heads. We will wake up in the middle of the night and do this work for your pleasure.”

Of course, Caṇḍī Māyā was, is the greatest devotee. She tolerates these demons. You see. But when they want to offend the vaiṣṇavas, she cannot tolerate. So, she appeared in their dreams, as soon as they went to sleep. And her eyes were flaming red, and her hair was scattered, and she was accompanied by her she-demons. She had her huge chopper in her hand, and she told them, “I’m going to chop off your heads! You don’t know who is Jāhnavā? She is my worshippable Deity. She is the antaraṅga-śakti. These are all Vaiṣṇavas. devotees of Kṛṣṇa, my eternal master. You are going to chop their head off? If you do not beg them for forgiveness for your offence, I’m going to chop off your heads.”

They woke up shaking, “Aaaaaahhh! Aaaaahhhh!” They were very afraid of Caṇḍī.

They ran over to the Vaiṣṇavas and fell down at their feet, “Please, please, we did not know who you are, forgive us. Mother Caṇḍī has threatened us, now we know who you are. Please, please instruct us what is devotion, who you are, what we are to do? We have committed so many offences.”

So of course, Jāhnavā being an ocean of mercy, blessed them with ecstatic love for Nitāi-Gaura. And they became devotees. They stayed there for a few days. Jāhnavā and other devotees were going to Vṛndāvana, and they turned the whole village into, there were demons there, they turned them all into pure devotees.

Of course, when Jāhnavā went to Vṛndāvana, then all the Vaiṣṇavas in Mathurā, first they met Her and then they take Her quickly to Vṛndāvana. Then Jīva Gosvāmī, others all they came out and She was introduced, “This is Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja, this is Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī, Lokanātha Gosvāmī, Bhūgarbha Gosvāmī, so on so.” 

There She introduced to all the Vaiṣṇavas. Told that Raghunātha dāsa cannot come, he is in Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Then She was wandering in the forest and She saw Balarāma’s rāsa-līlā. She fell unconscious. She went to Rādhā-kuṇḍa and offered Her respects too. And offered respects by Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī who was filled with separation. They are worshipping in Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Then finally She was ordered by Gopīnātha to get a proper Rādhārāṇī mūrti for Him. There was a proper size and everything. And so, then She went back to Gauḍadeśa to get a Rādhārāṇī Deity for Gopīnātha in Vṛndāvana. Jāhnavā Devī… Like this, even the demons, you see, by the mercy. Māyā doesn’t want people to stay always. That’s why she kicks them. Her, she is like the cruel hand to remind us, we should just take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. So even that mahā-māyā, Caṇḍī had her demon devotees take shelter of the devotees of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So, we should take shelter. We should not allow our mind, which is got that aroma of sense gratification.

Prabhupāda says, “like washing the coal.” We thought it was like sometimes washing the coal, no matter how much you wash, the black just keeps coming out. Of course, someone gave an analogy that even coal, if you put tremendous pressure upon it, it turns into a diamond; that if one is always in the fire of devotional service, even the coal can become diamond. So, we should be very careful to place ourselves in that fire, to cleanse our hearts completely, and to always cling to the lotus feet of Nitāi-Gaura Premānande Hari Haribol.

Thank you very much.

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

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