19810907 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.11.10 Śrī Rādhāṣṭamī

The following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on September 7, 1981 in London, England. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 1, Chapter 11, text 10, and was recorded on the auspicious appearance day of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

Reading of verse 1.11.10

kathaṁ vayaṁ nātha ciroṣite tvayi 
prasanna-dṛṣṭyākhila-tāpa-śoṣaṇam 
jīvema te sundara-hāsa-śobhitam 
apaśyamānā vadanaṁ manoharam

iti codīritā vācaḥ 
prajānāṁ bhakta-vatsalaḥ 
śṛṇvāno ‘nugrahaṁ dṛṣṭyā 
vitanvan prāviśat puram
(ŚB 1.11.10)

Translation: O master, if You live abroad all the time, then we cannot look at Your attractive face, whose smiles vanquish all our sufferings. How can we exist without Your presence?

Upon hearing their speeches, the Lord, who is very kind to the citizens and the devotees, entered the city of Dvārakā and acknowledged all their greetings by casting His transcendental glance over them.

Jayapatākā Swami: …realize what is the solution to our problem, and if we take the necessary steps, then immediately all the problems are over. Actually, these devotees absorbed in the presence or in the separation of Kṛṣṇa, they are not aware of what conscious of all the sufferings of this material world. Such is the quality of Kṛṣṇa that someone who has developed some attachment for Kṛṣṇa, who once has been attracted by Kṛṣṇa, he can’t forget Kṛṣṇa. And for that person so-called happiness and distress in this material world is not a very significant thing. That is how powerful is the attachment to Kṛṣṇa. Because actually this material world is nothing but a reflection.

The sunlight is very intense illuminating. But the reflection of that through a colored, and even irregular, imperfect lens or reflective surface, cannot compare to the original brilliance of the sun. Just like, every day in England, the sun rise. But more often they are not, they have cloud-filled sky. So, the sunlight reflected off of the clouds somehow or another, a little bit gets through. But nobody takes that to be a replacement for the direct sunlight. They won’t say that sunlight and the sunny day is the same, just like today is a lousy day. No sun. Overcast. Gloomy. And when the bright sunlight comes through, they say, “Oh today is a very nice day!” And everyone will feel very encouraged.

So, if you’ve never seen the sun, then of course you might think that, “Well, it’s all right.” But once you’ve seen the sun, then no matter how many times you see the relative overcast, partly overcast, extremely overcast, you might see some difference. But it does not replace, you’re always hankering when we’ll have a nice sunny day. So, like that, this material world is covered by māyā. Whatever we see nice in this world is just a little bit of Kṛṣṇa’s quality coming through, but only a fraction.

When the māyā is removed, when the cloud is removed, then we see the full beauty. Then we see the full perfection, which we are hankering for. Someone would like us to believe that there is no such thing as a sunny day. Overcast is the eternal quality. There is no such thing as Supreme Absolute Truth, no such thing as the Supreme Person, Supreme beauty, Supreme perfection. Whatever we see, that’s it.

So that’s alright for those who never open their eyes to see more. But once someone has even his eyes slightly open, even he gets a glimpse, even a ray of that pure illumination, how can he be satisfied? How can that person be satisfied with this material, changing world as the summum bonum? So, we can make the best use of a bad bargain, just like these residents of Dvārakā. How fortunate they were?!

Kṛṣṇa came down to show that devotees can live with Him, they can have perfection with His association and various type of pastimes, various type of tastes, mellows, relationships. Just like the residents of Dvārakā, they were able to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. They were doing so many things in Dvārakā. That means that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not limited to anyone.

It is described that in the village Kālindī… Kulīna-grāma. In Kulīna-grāma Rāmacandra Khān… maybe another Rāmacandra, and Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he was always favoring the Kulīna-vāsīs. There even a people who were moving the pigs around here and there, even they were chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa; even they were appreciating Kṛṣṇa’s qualities. So, in other words, anyone can be Kṛṣṇa conscious.

This is Kṛṣṇa’s promise: striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās [Bg 9.32]. Those who are ordinarily unfortunate, not very attuned to high philosophical understanding, businessman, laborers, simple women– they are not very attuned to all the great philosophical speculations and understanding, they get the special mercy also, everyone! What to speak of those who are more intelligent, if they also take to surrendering to Kṛṣṇa very easily they can achieve.

So, this covering of māyā - separating. Māyā means that which is not, that which is not. So, the māyā, you see, is that which is, mā - not, yā - to go to Kṛṣṇa; that’s what stopping us from going to Kṛṣṇa, stopping us from seeing Kṛṣṇa, stopping us from understanding Kṛṣṇa. Māyā - You can’t go.

Just like I was mentioning, one Indian family encouraged their son very much to come to our temple and chant and pray to Kṛṣṇa for his material benefit, of course, getting good exams in his college, so on and so forth. Because they at least in India, the people believe in dharma, religiosity, but generally for getting artha - for getting economic development and kāma - sense gratification. But the boy was very intelligent so after little bit of, about few months of visiting, started chanting 16 rounds. So, he finally decided, “What is the use of going?" He is only a freshman. "What is the use of at this point, entering into or completing the whole educational field?”

He got the idea, “Well, let me enter the varṇāśrama college and study completely Kṛṣṇa consciousness, become a preacher.” His father felt that in the family he was the black sheep. All the other cousins they were very high position, officers and executives, military men. He was the more humble professional man. He wanted his son to complete his university, go to America, get a job and then he could come back from America with his son and show off to everybody that, “I made it.” Therefore, his father would save face.

Suddenly the son said, “No I am not interested in going to the West. I am interested in going back to Godhead.” Father became furious. He came in, yelling at the devotees. Before, he was all praise, “Wonderful program you people are doing. You are doing the real work of our Vedic culture.” He came yelling and screaming, “You ruined my son. You brainwashed him. Spies.” This and that. So many things. Why? Because this is māyā. Māyā, yes, you can even be a little religious. But only that God will supply your meal. “O Lord give us this day, our daily bread.” that’s all right. That also… because that is within māyā’s domain.

Just like we phone up, right? You say, “I want a pizza. Plain.” “O Lord! Give us our pizza, bread every day.” Right? Say what’s the difference? Only God we’re not paying anything. Pizza man we have to pay. Even that’s not bad. At least there is some relationship. Something is better than nothing. We are not criticizing. Something is better than nothing. Better than no relationship.

Those who are in modes of ignorance and passion, they have two kinds of relationships: no relationship, God is dead, or God is our order supplier. He will give us... Just like in Russia, after the revolution, then people were… the Government cut off the bread; cut off the supply of food. The people were starving. Then they approached the people, said, “Well, are you hungry?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have bread?”

“No.”

“Why don’t you pray to God? Go to churches. Pray. Go to church, pray.”

Then they go and pray, “God, give us some bread.” They come out.

Said, “Did God give you any bread?”

Said, “Not yet.”

“You pray to us for bread.”

“Give us some bread.”

“Bring in the trucks! Bring in the cavalry! Give them bread!”

“What is the meaning of your God? He didn’t give you bread. We gave you bread. We are God, The Party.” This is their system.

Of course, they can’t produce the bread without Kṛṣṇa providing rain, without Kṛṣṇa providing sunlight. Just like today, there is insufficient rain, so they have to purchase wheat from America. Why don’t they just produce? Because Kṛṣṇa didn’t give them any rain, so they are in a difficult situation.

So, this is the, of course the materialistic view. People’s faith is either they don’t believe in God or if they believe in God, He supplies. If the supply isn’t enough… just like the government; not giving enough facility, not enough chicken in every pot, alright, kick it out. So, it is becoming like that. “Oh, God is not supplying us; kick Him out.” They don’t… “God is dead.”

Even the word God, just to say it as a dogmatic type of context, the way that it’s puckered around. Therefore, we say, “the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” It’s a great concept. But actually, just like the sun is supporting this whole universe, and there are millions of universes greater, millions and millions of times greater than this universe, they are all being supported: eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān, by one original source who is ultimately intelligent, filled with imperishable quality.

We can become contacted immediately very easily and the real goal of life is not simply to have a hotline with Him to provide our bread. That He is already doing. He is provided the bread. Of course, we can pray like that. He will also take a personal interest to some extend depending on our activities also, but the real thing is that we actually rather cultivate our consciousness to realize His real nature.

To develop an attraction is not difficult. It automatically develops. When we hear about Kṛṣṇa, when we see Kṛṣṇa, naturally attraction develops if someone is not very offensive, who hasn’t committed violence or something on devotees. Generally speaking, just by a little contact with Kṛṣṇa, a little taste of kṛṣṇa-prasāda, or seeing the Deity or hearing the kīrtana, a person becomes attracted.

And the more that one allows himself, allows the mind to be attracted by Kṛṣṇa, doesn’t try to impede it. The tendency is to forcibly actually stem the attraction. When I first became a devotee, Montreal, my brother came up. He is five years younger than me. He was living in the temple, taking prasāda. One day he came and said that, “Now I have to go.”

I said, “Why?”

He said, “Because I am becoming very attracted. I like prasāda. I like the chanting. If I stay hear any longer, then when I go home, how I’ll eat? No one will be able to cook vegetarian food. I better get out quick, before it is too late.” This is materialistic. Actually, people are avoiding Kṛṣṇa. They avoid. They try to appear cool, but with the conscious effort to avoid anything in connection with the Supreme Person. Many people are like that.

Then there are many innocent people, they are not particularly avoiding, neither they are particularly, they have no association. They are also discouraged, because then there are many who actually appear, like to appear to be very conscious of God but their actual intention is only to get some material facility out of it. There is no actual real attraction to Kṛṣṇa’s qualities.

This Kṛṣṇa conscious movement is described here in the Bhāgavatam, as the pure akapaṭa as the concept, which is free from cheating. It discarded all types of cheating religions. Cheating religion has been described as something which has the result other than the eternal Absolute Truth. If religion is being used as an instrument to obtain something else, then it’s not pure.

If the goal and the means are the same, then it’s perfect because then it is eternal. But if the goal is different than the process, then it’s not perfect. Therefore, there will always be at one point, hypocrisy. So, this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement is based upon that unity in diversity that the goal and the means is the same, which is unique.

So here, these devotees, they are offering their prayers; they simply love Kṛṣṇa for Kṛṣṇa’s sake. They’re not saying that, “Kṛṣṇa, we want to see Your smile because by Your smile, this will increase the bank balance or anything else.” Although no doubt that by Kṛṣṇa’s presence they are getting all good fortune, but actually, they are loving Kṛṣṇa just for Kṛṣṇa’s sake. They love to see His smiling face. For them it is the greatest festival.

In Vṛndāvana, when Kṛṣṇa would come back with the cows, just in the evening. In fact, because of Kṛṣṇa coming back at that time of day with the cows from the field, and then the cow’s footprints, food hoofs kick up the dust and make the whole area filled with this dust from the cows, like a little cloud of dust comes up. So that time, the time before sunset, when the light of the sun starts to diminish, but it’s still not sunset. Not the twilight. A festival is called utsava. Go means cow, dhūli means dust–the time of cow-dust clouds coming in the sky. So that is considered one of the type of baths. Actually, that is purifying. That even one if he goes in that dust, it is not contaminating, it’s rather purifying. But the residents of Vṛndāvana, they would wait that time, not particularly because they wanted to be purified by the cow-dust, but because they wanted to see Kṛṣṇa’s lotus face. For them that was the greatest festival: to see Kṛṣṇa with His associates, with the cows coming in, nitya-mahotsava.

A festival is called utsava. Ut means to uplift, to uplift saba.. everyone, all the consciousness. Utsāha - enthusiasm. Utsava - It increases our enthusiasm, our enlightenment, our joy, our happiness, that is the meaning of festival. And maho means great. Mahotsava - a great festival. So, the Bhāgavatam describes that Kṛṣṇa’s coming back with cows and all the residents of Vṛndāvana running out of their house just to see Kṛṣṇa. That was a mahotsava, a great source of joy, inspiration, and enthusiasm for all of the residents of Vṛndāvana. It was a festival. Similarly, these residents of Dvārakā, for them, to see Kṛṣṇa that was the greatest festival.

So, if one develops this pure attraction and affection for Kṛṣṇa which is not conditioned by, “What Kṛṣṇa will do to me? What is in it for me?” Naturally of course, now we think, well, “I should worship Kṛṣṇa because I want to get out of birth and death. I want to realize my eternal spiritual self.” or “I want to get of this miserable condition.” or “I want to understand what is the ultimate reality?” Or we may have so many objectives initially, but this is the perfectional stage that these residents of Dvārakā had. They have transcended all type of other considerations. They are simply purely satisfied and desirous of seeing Kṛṣṇa for Kṛṣṇa’s sake. They have no other objective. And what is it say? “Whose smile vanquished all obstacles.” That means that when they see Kṛṣṇa, then there is no suffering. When they’re not seeing Kṛṣṇa, that’s their suffering. In other words, if we are always seeing Kṛṣṇa, where is the question of suffering?

Someone else may like… Just like in the airport we see so many people. Of course, now we don’t see it so much in America, because personal relationships are not as thick as in other places, although we do see it sometimes. But especially in the orient, in India and Bangladesh, sometimes we see that fifty people would come to see off someone at the airport. And as they’re going, they’re crying, going for a two-week touring or something. Crying, you know and hugging each other, and the kids waiving, and just on and on. And when they came back, you know, it’s a big reunion.

Just like I was at a wedding of a disciple in Orissa. So, they had to get… they got married in the village. The custom is that the girl’s family conducts the marriage, they sponsor all the expenses and everything. So, they held it there to please the family members. The custom there is that the mother-in-law, that means the mother of the girl, because they’re losing their daughter, daughter is going to go with the husband, she cries. This mother, the way she cried, one would think that it wasn’t a question that the daughter was going, but she is already dead!

She cried so intensely that at one point, she fell down and started rolling on the ground. Everyone just looked at each other, “What to do?” (laughter) So, it got so intense that even the daughter started crying. Very soon, you know, half the women were all bawling, and a few of the men also. Their feeling… so there can be a very strong type of sentiment, but actually then after a month, the daughter-in-law will come back, or the daughter will come back because… So, there’ll be a big, you know… or they come off the plane, they’ll be very happy, they’ll… then after about two hours, it’s all right back to normal.

But here we see that this is actually for them is a daily festival. With Kṛṣṇa there’s no satiation. The attachment or the sentiment we see in this world is simply a very dim reflection. But the pure… And no one can say that, “Oh, because of seeing you, all the, all the miseries, all the problems are vanquished. All the suffering is gone.” Simply the suffering, that the person has come back; that much suffering is gone. But after half an hour, then all the suffer... No, they are seeing Kṛṣṇa, all their suffering is gone. So, someone who can see Kṛṣṇa, of course, his faith is unshakable. We can start to see Kṛṣṇa by chanting.

Kṛṣṇa is non-different from His name. If we chant

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

We can see Kṛṣṇa through our ears, and we can develop that spontaneous faith. Spontaneous faith is one kind of intellectual faith, developed by knowledge, by understanding. Then of course, there is the blind faith. So, we do not advocate blind faith.

First of all, one should understand by his intellect, understand the philosophy, study it, be satisfied, then one should apply it. By applying, then one will have a realized faith. Just like we can read that oxygen and hydrogen, when you combine them by combustion, you get H2O, you get water. “Sounds good.”

But then when you ignite some hydrogen take some oxygen, then you get water vapor, it’s a very simple scientific experiment they do in every high school chemistry class. Then you get water vapor, “Oh, yes. This is the proof.” The whole modern-day empirical science is based on it. First understand a theory, then do an experiment, and see if it works. So of course, the difference is I can ignite the hydrogen and you can see the water. But in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa I can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, but you may not see what is going on by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, but I would be able to experience. Because seeing is also material, all these different are material, but our experience is on the spiritual platform. So, with spiritual awakened senses, with spiritual intelligence, we can experience. So that’s also… there’s an experiment. You take someone to… you come and say, “Well this doesn’t make any sense. Not very scientific.” But just like someone says, “This is a very good restaurant. Come and eat there.” The person eating the food and everything, “Great.” makes a few smiles. So, then that won’t really convince you. You may believe that, “Well this tasted pretty good.” But when you actually taste the food yourself, then you will able to say. So, it’s not very scientific to just rely on the other person. He must eat himself. So that system is there.

In spiritual life, we should practice. Then by having the intellectual developed faith, realized faith, then the spontaneous faith comes. Then we go on advancing more and more. So, then we have faith to accept the spiritual master, we have faith to accept devotional the service of Kṛṣṇa, irrevocably, irrevocably. It tells us… Now, the Bhāgavatam advises that we should perform devotional service:

vāsudeve bhagavati 
bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ 
janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ 
jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam
(ŚB 1.2.7)

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo 
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje 
ahaituky apratihatā 
yayātmā suprasīdati
(ŚB 1.2.6)

Suprasīdati - for complete satisfaction, for complete satisfaction. ahaituky apratihatā causeless, ahaituki means causeless; unmotivated. Apratihatā means unbroken. “Today, I believe in Kṛṣṇa, tomorrow I don’t believe in Kṛṣṇa. Day after I cannot believe Him.” The faith, the connection, and the practice it has to be developed to the point where there is unbroken.

Unbroken means every day we chant. At every moment we may not be able to simply meditate on Kṛṣṇa at the beginning stage. We have so many works, we have so many things. But daily, we’re thinking of Kṛṣṇa, practically every spare movement, we’re thinking of Kṛṣṇa, and then in remaining time, we are doing different services for Kṛṣṇa, or we’re maintaining our body and soul together for the purpose of developing our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the ultimate goal. So that is also not unrelated. apratihatā.

But then if we divert our attention to other goals, or if we are serving Kṛṣṇa to obtain some other purpose, which is temporary, limited, imperfect, then our practice becomes no longer able to give suprasīdati - complete satisfaction. Yayātmā. Ātmā means the soul, the spirit living force, which is active principle, vital principle in the body. Ātmā also means the mind, intelligence. Ātmā also means the body.

So Yayātmā suprasīdati means that when we are Kṛṣṇa conscious, which is the sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo, the perfection of all occupational duties, of all religious practice, of all yoga, then not only simply some spiritual… maybe someone will think it’s ephemeral or something, some type of spiritual satisfaction; but simultaneously the spiritual, which is of course the most, which is the essential satisfaction, but simultaneously our mind, and our body becomes satisfied, becomes happy.

Otherwise, how devotees can maintain regulative principles, how they can lead a… sometimes even accept austerity if they are not actually appeased, not only in their… some spiritual way, but spiritually, mentally, and physically – in all respects one gets completely satisfied. The senses stop agitating, the mind stops jittering as we develop our spiritual consciousness, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Such a faith develops in the Lord that no other consideration is any more prominent.

Just like for instance, our Pañca-tattva great devotee Śrīvāsa, he and his good wife Mālinī were of course the purest of devotees. Lord Nityānanda, He used to visit their home practically every day He was in Navadvīpa. And Nityānanda Prabhu, He known as avadhūta, because He is beyond the varṇāśrama, He is beyond different types of system. He is actually, of course the Supreme Lord, and He doesn’t, He is not restricted to any kind of materialistic regulative principles.

He was… He had a particular affection to Mālinī, just like she was His mother. And so, when He would go to Śrīvāsa’s house, He became in the mood just like a small five-year-old boy, although He was fully grown. He wouldn’t eat with His own hand. He would just sit there, like a little baby. 2, 3 years old they don’t eat, the mother has to feed. And Mālinī would take the food and feed Him. It was a unique relationship. So, in this way, Lord Nityānanda, He sometimes became absorbed in this, and then Mālinī became absorbed in vātsalya. She was thinking, “Nityānanda is just like my son,” or just saw in that vision as her son, and her affection in that vātsalya, parental relationship was completely manifest, as was Śrīvāsa’s towards Nityānanda on these, especially on these occasions.

One day Lord Caitanya, he decided to test Śrīvāsa. Test his faith. So, He told Śrīvāsa, “Śrīvāsa, why you are, why you are keeping Nityānanda in your house? He is an avadhūta; He is just doing this and that without any consideration of Vedic principles. You don’t know what is His caste, what is His family tradition? Like a nondescript, He wanders here and there. Why you are keeping Him in the house? He may ruin your whole family in this way. You should immediately kick Him out; don’t keep Him in your house. Why do you want to keep Him in your house? Throw Him out and save your family.”

Viśvambhara, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He spoke very strongly like that to Śrīvāsa.

Śrīvāsa paid his obeisances and said, “Lord, I am Your eternal devotee. That You are trying to test me like this, is not very appropriate. I know that Nityānanda and You, there is no difference. There is no difference, there is no difference between Nityānanda Prabhu’s body and Your body– They’re transcendental. Even if Nityānanda were today to go with some drunken yauvani (Aside: that means, drunken you can say low-caste girl, means that like a mediate, you know just like white aborigine. Devotees laughing) Even if He wants to go with some drunken prostitute or something, still I wouldn’t in any way forsake Him. Even if by His being in my house my whole dynasty, my whole family, everything my wealth my good name, it all gets destroyed, I don’t care. I’ll never, I’ll never give up the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda. Whatever He does or doesn’t do, that I’m not going to see, because I know that actually He is on the transcendental platform. Therefore, He can do anything to my vision will not affect my faith.”

Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard this and He started jumping, “Haribol, Haribol, Haribol!” Jumping up and down, He was dancing. “Your faith is so strong! This is a great source of joy to Me.” Because actually Śrīvāsa, he was very hurt even that this test was being done and when he spoke it, there were tears in his eyes. He was very intensely speaking it. There was no doubt that he meant it from the core of his heart.

Lord Caitanya said, “For your faith, I am going to today give you a special boon, a special blessing. Anyone who resides in your house, even the cats and dogs, the animals that somehow or another are residing in your house– all of them will have indestructible, permanent, pure devotional service, prema-bhakti! Simply by residing in your house, and because of your faith, that even you’ll sacrifice family life, everything, even if Lakṣmī Devī who is always residing on the chest of Nārāyaṇa, who is the goddess of fortune– all the wealth, everything is coming from her– even if somehow or other, she loses her fortune and she becomes a beggar, going from house to house begging, but there will never be any abhāva, there will never be any want in your house. There will never be any want. There will never be any shortage or insufficiency; you will always have enough to perform devotional service and to do all the necessary. You’ll never have any shortage. These are my blessings.”

Even sometimes Kṛṣṇa Himself tests the devotee. Just like Nārada Muni told Dhruva Mahārāja, “Go back. Go back to your kingdom. What is the use of your coming out here and looking for God? You just go back and don’t take all the risk of being here in the jungle with the animals, and the tigers and lions, and snakes, they may devour you.” Dhruva Mahārāja said, “Thank you very much for your kind instruction Nārada Muni, but I beg your pardon, because I cannot accept. I had come here with determination to find God; if you can help me to find Bhagavān, then I’m glad to take…”

…nothing to do with the material world. Therefore, we have to be careful not to allow material austerity, material penance, material pious activity, to creep in, ordinarily, these things are considered to be very great religious. We don’t even allow them to come in. What to speak of sinful activity? Far away! So, by serving with a mind focused on Rādhā Kṛṣṇa, constantly bring your mind back, automatically by the mercy of Nitāi-Gaura, we are purified. We gain this highest perfection of life.

So Kṛṣṇa has many energies but it described of all the energies He has many pleasure potencies. His pleasure potency is very vast. But the prema, that is the crest jewel. So that personification of prema, pure love, is Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī; She alone possesses the highest, complete manifestation of pure love– She is embodiment of that pure love. So, it’s not possible to discuss or understand, until one gets the siddha-deha; then he can begin to appreciate Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.

Before then, we can get just like a drop from the ocean; even that drop is overwhelming. But it is very difficult to understand. Therefore, we should first of all understand our position in this material world, as was so nicely explained that how we are wandering from body to body. How our different desires… Now, if we purify our desires, follow in the footsteps of the pure Vṛndāvana devotees, then we can achieve the highest perfection of life.

It’s one of the goals to be able to understand what is the real meaning of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa worship? What is the real meaning of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s līlā? It’s not something that can be academically immediately understood. Even the descriptions are not equivalent to the full understanding. They’re an explanation to give indication, what is the purpose, what is the meaning? But the actual understanding is only realized. It’s not something which we can contain in words, or in our minds, it is something which is realized by pure fully developed soul. Just like Rāmānanda Rāya and Lord Caitanya discussing… So many scholars!

We gave in India and there was one Christian priest who wanted to write a review on Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Actually what happened was, we wanted to get Caitanya-caritamṛta to be reviewed. We gave it to the biggest newspaper there. So they did a… they thought they were doing a funny business. So, what they did was, they said, “Alright.” They called the biggest Christian scholar and said, “We would like to review this book.” So then he gave him the Adi-Līlā one, and Antya-līlā five to review. He read the book five times in three months. And he said that, “I can’t review it. This goes into something which is beyond me.” And he said lot of other things. But practically he was transformed to some extent to a devotee, but it was actually just beyond him. That, if he explained, if he gave the review, it would be an expose on other religions. That was his point. What this is disgusting, goes so far beyond, that as a Christian priest if he were to give a proper review, he would be excommunicated. That was the basic thing that he was… So, the point is that we have to understand our position, very carefully serve, and develop this selfless mood.

Actually, I am still recovering from a very big shock I got yesterday. A very innocent thought that today being Rādhārāṇī’s appearance day, that yesterday was… the day before, customarily day before we have some function. Alright, so in Caitanya-līlā, Rādhā came as Gadādhara, and Vṛṣabhānu came as Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi. So, l described how they first met, how it was very wonderful that Puṇḍarīka, who was Vṛṣabhānu, became the guru of Rādhārāṇī, of Gadādhara in Caitanya-līlā.

I simply explained that Lord Caitanya was a co… Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa combined, to become Lord Caitanya… well it is esoteric purpose of coming. And… then some devotee with the second… with the brāhmaṇa thread on, at the end of the class, he said that, “If Kṛṣṇa is the Paramātmā, then why does He have to become… then why does He have to take the mood of a devotee to understand what the devotee is thinking? To understand what Rādhārāṇī is thinking?”

And that question is so far off, that question has got so many aparādhas and rasābhāsas in it that I still haven’t recovered. How a devotee… it was an innocent question though, but it’s just completely… Because first of all, we are discussing here Rādhārāṇī got nothing to do… First of all, “If Kṛṣṇa is the Paramātmā…” completely… “If Kṛṣṇa was the Paramātmā.” Why if? You’re doubting that Kṛṣṇa is the Paramātmā?!

It’s one thing if - it’s some other person. Refers to “If Kṛṣṇa was the Paramātmā.” - the Kṛṣṇa-aparādha. Then the second thing was that, then, “Why does He have to take the mood of Rādhārāṇī to understand what Her mind is?” Paramātmā is in the conditional souls’ heart. That equated Rādhārāṇī to a conditional soul, having a material body, and that, “Kṛṣṇa was Her Paramātmā, then why Kṛṣṇa can’t know Her mind?” - that was Rādhā aparādha. And the whole thing was a rasābhāsa. Then I thought. “I can’t… you know, this has taught me that I should never explain anymore anything that is a little bit esoteric, because then some devotee very innocently, you know, would just get involved in some kind of doubt and then commit offences.”

Kṛṣṇa in Vaikuṇṭha, He is the Supreme Nārāyaṇa. There He knows everything that’s going on, but He takes a different mood in Goloka. That is His opulence. Just like in the court room, the high court judge is completely in control of everything; but when he goes home he allows his wife to control him. That doesn’t mean that he is any less. Rādhārāṇī is expansion of Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure potency. She has all the transcendental qualities, but She is attracted by Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, She is defeated by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, He also allows Himself to be defeated by Her. And this goes on in the eternal pastime, which is beyond our ability to understand.

So somehow, as an expansion Lord Caitanya has come down. It is very impossible for us to understand. Still great devotees like Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja, Rūpa and Sanātana, they’re so kind to give some explanation, just so that we can know. But then we should understand that how far we should move this Paramātmā from Kṛṣṇa and what is the position of Rādhārāṇī? A devotee should be very careful, as I said, worshiping Rādhā Kṛṣṇa, even discussing Rādhā Kṛṣṇa, very deep water. You have to be very careful. Then I was trying to explain, and I thought that still belligerent attitude is there. So therefore, I didn’t want to get too much deep into any more thick water.

We should understand what is the position of Rādhārāṇī? She is not a conditioned soul; She doesn’t have a Supersoul Viṣṇu in Her heart. She is Kṛṣṇa’s non-different energy–- you saw that picture of Kṛṣṇa; They are completely one. But somehow, they become two, and we’ll never really understand until we follow in the footsteps of a pure devotee. All we can understand, all that we can just explain is just to understand this point that this is the topmost. This is the ultimate summum bonum of life. Not that we can understand by discussing it, by having joint meeting, by private discussing.  It’s not possible. But by first of all understanding in a relative way by our limited intelligence, that actually there’s no higher concept than that it encompasses everything. Now, follow in their footsteps, follow in the footsteps. Become a pure devotee. Surrender yourself. Give up desire for personal sense gratification. Simply serve the desire of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Chant constantly Hare Kṛṣṇa. Always remember.

Then what is guaranteed here if one is always remembering, and chanting and serving Rādhā Kṛṣṇa, serving the Lord? Then one attains to Their direct service in the future. What more can one desire? At that time, then we can understand actually all these details, actually even before then gradually more and more is revealed.

What then now the discussion is just that one can be convinced, “Yes, there is nothing more complete understanding of Absolute Truth than that. This encompasses everything. Now I have to really understand it, by realization.”

We believe in realization. We are not academic. We realize by realization. Knowledge is there, and the realization of that comes through the practice. Even a sādhana-siddha, even someone who is practicing sādhana, the daily practice of rules and regulations, if he sticks to it, develops this mood, follows in the footsteps of the pure devotee, then he achieves the same success as the eternally liberated soul.

So, in spite of it being Kali-yuga with so many deficiencies, with so many obstacles, by the mercy of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa They’ve come down as Caitanya Mahāprabhu to give us this mercy to lift us up. Somehow and another the people that are present here today, they are the most fortunate– favorite of Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Gokulānanda and Their devotees. Somehow or another they’ve been brought to the association of devotees, with a little endeavor, just by changing the mental attitude from personal sense gratification to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Because Kṛṣṇa is summum bonum, He is like a root of everything, when we satisfy Him, we automatically become satisfied.

If one just changes his mentality, following in that, developing that mood, and serves with that new mentality, immediately he can feel transcendental bliss. Once he achieves that transcendental bliss, then it’s very easy to forget about sense gratification. But without changing our mentality, if we think that we are going to get transcendental bliss. it’s very difficult. We can get for a moment, then it goes away. So that is an essential thing now– to change your mentality from one of being an enjoyer, one of being controller, to one of being a servant, one of being enjoyed by the Lord.

That’s why Narrotama dāsa Ṭhākura, “viṣaya chāriyā kabe śuddha ha ‘be mana? - When will I give up this desire to Lord it over, to enjoy? When will I have the desire simply to be enjoyed, to be a servant, and give up this false material position?” This can happen very easily by the mercy of Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī. She has reached the topmost position.

Lakṣmī, Mahālakṣmī is performing tapasyā to try to achieve the standard of purity and chastity of Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī. But She was refused even admittance into the rāsa dance. Gaurī, she also wants to achieve that highest standard of chastity. What is to speak the consorts of Indra, Vasiṣṭha and other great? They are always hankering, but they… She is the crest jewel. Take it that Her mercy is there embodied in Caitanya Mahāprabhu. I heard direct, heard mercy has been given down through Nitāi-Gaura, six Gosvāmīs, through the spiritual master and the Vaiṣṇavas. Somehow, we should get that mercy, whatever we can, and get the special favor of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and go back to home, back to godhead. Wherever they like we can go in Their transcendental service.

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

Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī ki!

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrī Śrī Rādhāṣṭamī-mahotsava kī!

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapatākā Swami: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda kī!

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapatākā Swami: Jaya Śrī Tīrthapāda kī!

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapatākā Swami: Jaya! 

Jayapatākā Swami: Golden color, like molten gold. How it is possible? Exactly. She doesn’t have a material form. This is the description of Caitanya-caritāmṛta but we can’t exactly understand. Kṛṣṇa is so attractive, He attracts even the cupid. But Rādhārāṇī is so attractive, She attracts Kṛṣṇa, but She doesn’t try to attract anyone else neither does She to be attracted by anyone else; Her only purpose is to be attracted by Kṛṣṇa. Not conscious of anyone else.

When one hears and is not agitated by sex desire, reminded about material sex activity, that is one of the qualifications that was mentioned in the śāstra. One hears about the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs and becomes materially agitated, so then definitely one shouldn’t listen. The other qualification is, Prabhupāda said, “One should understand the first nine cantos of the Bhāgavatam and then go on to the tenth, the most confidential subject matters: Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, gopīs and Kṛṣṇa’s pastime.”

Pardon? Why not, when all the energies are there, why not? Tulasī also, she is one of the principal mañjarīs. Vṛndā-devī. Tulasī is Vṛndā-devī.

If we are chanting and we’re not, our hearts are not melting, that means that we have the effect of sinful activities and aparādhas, you see. But because we’re chanting, we may be getting some shelter. But if our chanting is completely offence-less, then we’ll directly perceive Kṛṣṇa is non-different from His name. We’ll have a complete realization of Kṛṣṇa through chanting. Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura and another devotees achieved. We can take it that definitely we have offences. So all we can do now is try to avoid more offences and then serve very carefully to eradicate what offences we have now.

It may be that now we’re just cleansing; we don’t have any great, pretty big offences. But if we’re careless, then it is further affect. Sometimes devotees, they seem to make rapid advancement, then they get stuck. They even have decrease sometimes, due to seeing other devotee in a materialistic way committing offences.

Prabhupāda said that, “We have to be careful not to think…” We may think that, “Oh, Prabhupāda was a pure devotee and when we were, Godbrothers were all present sometimes we would think of each other maybe in some other vision.” But he was saying that, “You have to see each other as Vaiṣṇavas. All my followers are pure devotees. Don’t offend anyone. Kṛṣṇa will be displeased.”

In preaching sometimes one has to protect. If some other… Like Prabhupāda would sometimes protect us from other borderline activities which were not very favorable to ISKCON, but were performed by other Vaiṣṇavas, he had to criticize to protect us. Even then, he would ask for forgiveness and explain that for preaching, sometimes it is necessary, but, we should just take the attitude of being very careful not to offend any devotees, or the holy name, or the Deities.

Definitely, we are suffering from different type of offences; otherwise we would not be not in complete spontaneous devotional service after chanting for some time.