19820121 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.16.22 and Vaiśiṣṭyāṣṭakam Verse 3

The following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on January 21, 1982. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto 1, Chapter 16, Text 22 and continues with the Vaiśiṣṭyāṣṭakam verse number 3.

Purport by His Divine Grace Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda: There are some necessities of life on a par with those of the lower animals, and they are eating, sleeping, fearing and mating. These bodily demands are for both the human beings and the animals. But the human being has to fulfill such desires not like animals, but like a human being. A dog can mate with a bitch before the public eyes without hesitation, but if a human being does so the act will be considered a public nuisance, and the person will be criminally prosecuted. Therefore, for the human being there are some rules and regulations, even for fulfilling common demands. The human society avoids such rules and regulations when it is bewildered by the influence of the Age of Kali. In this age, people are indulging in such necessities of life without following the rules and regulations, and this deterioration of social and moral rules is certainly lamentable because of the harmful effects of such beastly behavior. In this age, the fathers and the guardians are not happy with the behavior of their wards. They should know that so many innocent children are victims of bad association awarded by the influence of this Age of Kali. We know from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that Ajāmila, an innocent son of a brāhmaṇa, was walking down a road and saw a śūdra pair sexually embracing. This attracted the boy, and later on the boy became a victim of all debaucheries. From a pure brāhmaṇa, he fell down to the position of a wretched urchin, and it was all due to bad association. There was but one victim like Ajāmila in those days, but in this Age of Kali the poor innocent students are daily victims of cinemas which attract men only for sex indulgence. The so-called administrators are all untrained in the affairs of a kṣatriya. The kṣatriyas are meant for administration, as the brāhmaṇas are meant for knowledge and guidance. The word kṣatra-bandhu refers to the so-called administrators or persons promoted to the post of the administrator without proper training by culture and tradition. Nowadays they are promoted to such exalted posts by the votes of the people who are themselves fallen in the rules and regulations of life. How can such people select a proper man when they are themselves fallen in the standard of life? Therefore, by the influence of the Age of Kali, everywhere, politically, socially or religiously, everything is topsy-turvy, and therefore for the sane man it is all regrettable.

Thus ends the purport of Text 22 by His Divine Grace Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda of Chapter 16, Canto 1.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Dharma, the personality of religiosity in the form of a bull is asking the mother Earth is in the form of a cow, why she is lamenting. In this inquiry, we are able to understand some more details about this Kali-yuga. We can understand that in the Kali-yuga there are so many problems. People are fallen away from the strict path of religiosity. In the Vedas it is described that unless one follows the authoritative teachings of the scriptures, then one is surely going to simply create a disturbance in the human society.

This has been explained in Sanskrit, quoted by Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī.

śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā
aikāntikī harer bhaktir utpātāyaiva kalpate
[BRS 1.2.101]

utpātāyaiva kalpate – means simply tremendous disturbance. In the world, whatever religiosity is being pushed is also this type of unauthorized disturbing religiosity in most of the cases, religion which does not accept God as He is. What is the use of a religion that does not accept God as He is? But in most of the cases the religion that people are understanding today, even those which were originally pure, due to so many misinterpretations, they are also understanding in a distorted way.

In this regard, in the Padma Purāṇa, where it says that the ślokas that one or mantras that one receives from outside the bona fide sampradāya will be fruitless – mantra, asampradāya-mantra niṣphalāḥ. In the Padma Purāṇa it is described that there are four sampradāyas – Śrī, Brahmā, Rudra, Kumāra. Lakṣmī, Brahmā, Lord Śiva and the four Kumāras. And each started a sampradāya. Lakṣmī Devī gave mercy to the sampradāya of Rāmānujācārya, Brahmā gave to Madhvācārya, and Lord Caitanya has blessed this sampradāya of Brahmā and Madhvācārya by appearing therein. The Rudra sampradāya is Viṣṇu Svāmī. Viṣṇu Svāmī contemporary or one of his main ācāryas who is famous in this part of India is Vallabhācārya. And the Kumāra’s sampradāya, famous ācārya is Nimbārkācārya, Nimbārka Gosvāmī.

Also, it predicts in the Padma Purāṇa that, “Someone will be born in Jagannātha Purī [it is called Puruṣottama], someone will be born in Jagannātha Purī and by his preaching the message of the four sampradāyas would spread all over the world and pure Vaiṣṇavism would be established. And one of the member of one of the four sampradāyas would appear in Jagannātha Purī and spread pure Vaiṣṇavism all over the world by his, by his influence.”

So, in studying the history we can understand that Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura appeared in Jagannātha Purī and he was always trying to spread the message of pure Vaiṣṇavism, pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world and on his order our beloved spiritual master and founder ācārya Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda went and carried his message all over the world. Śrīla Prabhupāda said that “If there was any secret, it was simply that he was carrying out the order of his spiritual master.” So actually, in this Kali-yuga there are so many faults, but there is only one solution. And there is only one good quality, but that good quality is so wonderful that it out shades all the bad qualities.

This is described by Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Mahārāja Parīkṣit (ŚB 12.3.51]: kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ - “Hey Mahārāja Parīkṣit, this Kali-yuga is like an ocean of defects. So, what is the use of going on explaining more? But in spite of all these defects there is one great good quality. asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ - a great, wonderful quality in this Kali-yuga which you won’t find in other ages. kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya - by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa in the saṅkīrtana, mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet - one is liberated from the material bondage, liberated from the contamination of the material modes, elevated to the transcendental platform and paraṁ vrajet - returns to his original position, in an eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa in pure loving devotion.”

This greatest of all boons, this most rare and highest goal, most rarely achievable and highest goal of life, pure love of Kṛṣṇa is easily available in this Kali-yuga by chanting, the name of Kṛṣṇa. How hard munīs and ṛṣis have to endeavor, performing different types of tapasya, different types of austerity, penances in order to achieve even a siddhi, mystic powers, what to speak of liberation? And hardly anyone would be able to achieve the Vaikuṇṭha-lokas or Kṛṣṇa-loka, what to speak of actually achieving pure love for Kṛṣṇa? But that is available in this Kali-yuga. That is a very great, inconceivable boon.

One may not be able to perform his karma properly or his jñāna properly or his yoga properly in Kali-yuga, but one can perform kṛṣṇa-kīrtana, and by that achieve all the benefits which would only be achieved by the other processes after great difficulty or may not even be achievable. So that is a very great opportunity, but unfortunately, the fallen people of this age, they don’t know anything about chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, they have no desire to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, they have no taste for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Nowadays because chanting has become popular, many groups are chanting. But because Prabhupāda has preached Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra all over the world which is the authorized mahā-mantra of the age, so individual gurus and paṇḍitas, to give themselves some vaiśiṣṭya, that means some particular characteristic that you can recognize him from others, just like a muni, as every muni has to have his own idea, each one of them makes up their own kīrtana. You see. Someone may say, “Hari Hare Kṛṣṇa, Gopāla Kṛṣṇa” or one may say “Nārāyaṇa” or this one, or that one, they go on making up different mantra, that is just to keep a party line.

But the point is that to actually repeat the mantra which has been given in the Vedas. Just like in the Kali-santarana Upaniṣad it is clearly said the 16 names of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra,

iti ṣoḍaśakaṁ nāmnāṁ kali-kalmaṣa-nāśanaṁ
nātaḥ parataropāyaḥ sarva-vedeṣu dṛśyate

Said that there is no alternative in this Kali-yuga except chanting these 16 names, they destroy all the evil effects of Kali-yuga. So, who is actually bona fide is in one of these four sampradāyas and he is chanting the authorized names. It was predicted that the four sampradāyas will become one by preaching. They will all become Brahma-sampradāya.

So, this preaching was initiated by Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura in a broad scale. At that time Śrīla Prabhupāda, he also felt very deeply that the order of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura was not being carried out. And therefore, he gave so many advises and so many prayers. Some of his Vyāsa-pūjā offerings contain a wealth of instruction. Actually, Śrīla Prabhupāda told us that we should learn from the example of the Gauḍīya Maṭha. A bad example is also something to learn from.

When someone makes a mistake, then an intelligent person will learn from that, and not make the same mistake. If someone runs out in the rain and gets wet, an intelligent person will realize that it is wet, it is raining, he doesn’t run out. It says, “Wet paint on the wall”, and someone comes up and says, “Wet paint, is it still wet?” He puts his finger on it and looks at his finger and it is all green from the paint, “Ah, the paint is wet.” Then other people will not walk over and touch the paint. So, the writing is already on the wall, we have the example from our predecessors, advanced Vaiṣṇavas, that no matter how advanced one may be in sādhanā, in philosophy, or into various types of spiritual activity and ritual, or even how many buildings one has been able to accrue, but the real thing is, one has to take up the message and the teachings of the previous spiritual master.

Unless the instructions of the spiritual master are followed, then everything is lost. Then it becomes like an empty shell. So of course, Śrīla Prabhupāda is our founder ācārya of this movement, and he has perfectly captured the real essence of the previous ācāryas before him, their instructions.

So, for the eternal future of our movement, we have to also always follow the instructions of Śrīla Prabhupāda very carefully. In that way, the line is handed down. Simply clarification is there, but no alteration beyond the essential mood of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Especially since Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura came and revived the Vaiṣṇava movement of Lord Caitanya, and prayed for a spark of Viṣṇu, and Bhaktisiddhānta came in fulfillment of the Padma Purāṇa prediction and in the fulfillment of the prayers of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. And then on the order of Bhaktisiddhānta, Śrīla Prabhupāda is empowered and directly Caitanya Mahāprabhu acting through Śrīla Prabhupāda, personally going all over the world, through the presence of Śrīla Prabhupāda. This movement has again been spread as Lord Caitanya has predicted. So, we have to follow their instructions very carefully.

In this regard, Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote at the, at the 86th appearance day of Bhaktisiddhānta, an aṣṭakam called the Vaiśiṣṭyāṣṭakam, [the eighth…] the eight special characteristics of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. I thought to read from the third Vaiśiṣṭya. There Prabhupāda has written, and as best I can give a brief translation and discuss the topic, tṛtiya Vaiśiṣṭya:

sabāi miliya basi’yādi cinta kore tabei sucāru haya se-saba pracāre tai se tomara ājña sabāi miliya pracārera kārya kara vanite majiya

nakala karite gele viparīta phala yata dina yabe saba haibe vikala ekhanao phiriya eso prabhura ajñāya sakale miliya maji tahara pūjāya

phula-phala mahotsave pūjā nahi haya vāṇīra sevaka yei sei ta’ pūjāya vāṇīra ye sevā haya sei śabdabrahma phiriya aisa bhai nā kario dambha

‘kāli-dāsa naga’ sei mastara masaya balechila ekadina prakāsya sabhaya kalira misana ha’la sara pṛthvi jure mahāprabhura sarakathā khacara bhitare?

chi: chi:! loka-lajja nai amadera bhai vyavasādari cale kari śiṣyera varai prabhu tai balechila pracāra karibare kaniṣṭha tukuka sudhu ghanta naribare

So, within each aṣṭaka there is ten ślokas. That is why it took a little long.

He is saying sabāi miliya… I will just give in English to save time. That if we all sit down together, and we think and discuss, how to expand the movement of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then that is very expert, and that preaching becomes very efficient and effective.

tai se tomara ājña sabai miliya - In this way it is your order that everyone should together take up the preaching work and in the distribution of Lord Caitanya’s vāṇī or message, enjoy transcendental pleasure together in transcendental association with all of the Vaiṣṇavas. But instead of following the order of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, if we simply artificially imitate him by establishing…

[Aside: He didn’t say this. But the purport, of course, says that, they imitated by establishing one ācārya instead of establishing a governing body that Bhaktisiddhānta had ordered them for preaching unitedly.]

That, nakala karite gele viparīta phala yata dina yabe saba haibe vikala - As long as they try to artificially imitate Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and simply, independently, independently set up private ācāryaships, it will simply be a disturbance, and will simply be an unfruitful effort for actually satisfying his desire.

ekhanao phiriya eso prabhura ājñaya - Now come back, come back, accept the Lord’s order, let us all together enjoy in worshiping our spiritual master. A festival of flowers and fruits is not a real worship. Only a festival of flowers and fruits is not a real worship. But to be the servant of his order, that is the real pūjā. And he who is the servant of that order, he is the real worshiper. Who serves the order of the spiritual master, [he be…] that order is śabda-brahman, and he becomes, he is on the transcendental platform. So, come back my dear brothers, do not be puffed up, do not be falsely proud, come back.

Then he said: kālīdāsa naga’ sei mastara masaya balechila ekadina prakāsya sabhaya

[Aside: I am sorry, but I don’t know the purport.]

He is saying that, “Our master Kālīdāsa Naga has said that once in an open meeting, one day.”

[Aside: So, this is something that they know, those Godbrothers,they know exactly. I don’t know if this is the time when one Godbrother openly chastised the other missions, the other missions who have proclaimed that their leaders are avatāras. I think it must be that, because in the next śloka Prabhupāda says, kalira misana ha’la sara pṛthvi jure, so the word “mission” is used. That there are some missions that say their guru is God, and one disciple of Bhaktisiddhānta did not accept that and denied publicly in a very strong way, and he got special mercy from Bhaktisiddhānta.

So here Prabhupāda says that, Kali’s mission is all over the world, that Kali’s preaching is going on everywhere in different ways, and Mahāprabhu’s, Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s essential lessons or teachings they are being kept inside a cage, because the preachers are not going out and preaching, they are not cooperating together, they are involved in their own individual effort. Therefore, it is staying contained.

So, then Prabhupāda is saying, chi chi. Chi chi means that is the word that you say in Bengali when you want just to be disgusted. Just like shame shame! Shame shame that “ Do you not have any shame? lokalajja nai - Don’t we have any shame brothers for what is going on? That, just like a businessman we are going around accepting disciples. So, for that reason our master has told us that we should simply do preaching. He told us that it is simply the neophyte, kaniṣṭha devotees who stay and ring the bell and do the worship in their temple and don’t arrange for broadcasting the message of Caitanya Mahāprabhu all over the world. So, come out, come out of your cages, come out of those āśramas which are like prison houses, and come out and preach everywhere amongst the people.”

So, this was the third Vaiśiṣṭya offered on his appearance day. And it appears to be at that time, which was before Śrīla Prabhupāda went to the West. Prabhupāda had full vision what was required of Bhaktisiddhānta, to satisfy Bhaktisiddhānta’s desires. It was his humility, his attempt, he was trying always to encourage his Godbrothers to work unitedly. When he saw there was no hope, when he tried his whole life, then finally at the age of 70 when he saw no matter what he did, there was nothing that would get the others to work together in a cooperative spirit, then he single-handedly went out to preach. After trying for practically fifty years of his life to get everyone or forty years of his life after Bhaktisiddhānta had left, to get everyone to work together, then he went out and spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world, came back.

I personally saw when he came back in Māyāpur, he would beg all of his Godbrothers to…

When something is together then somehow or other you keep it together. Once you break it is difficult to bring it back. That type of crude material example we can see that, once this Gauḍīya Mission stopped following the strict order of Bhaktisiddhānta and broke apart, practically speaking they could never be brought back together. At least in that whole generation until now we have not seen them be able to do it. Nor I see any sincere desire in that direction.

In ISKCON, now the ball is in our courtyard and history will be our witness how we are able to follow the instruction of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, our founder ācārya and continue working together, continue to preach by using our common intelligence all over the world because we are under the same banner. People have the greatest respect for this movement and whatever happens anywhere that is to the credit and discredit of everyone. So that type of a unified force even from the material vision has got unlimited potency.

Although in calculating in other material ways you might say that we are limited, but even the materialistic, they look, they cannot find where is the limit of this movement. And actually, we know that where there is Kṛṣṇa, there is no limit. He has got unlimited power, unlimited resources of every kind, because He is the Supreme Bhagavān, the Absolute Truth.

So as long as we can keep serving the order of our spiritual master, the other rituals which we do, nothing wrong with them, but we shouldn’t think that the rituals are the everything. The rituals are simply a method for reminding us of our duties to follow always the instruction of the spiritual master. That instruction – serving that instruction, that is Bhāgavata-dharma, that is śabda-brahma, what Kṛṣṇa has given in the Gītā, in the Bhagavata. We understand how to practice through the words of the bona fide ācārya.

So, through the words of Śrīla Prabhupāda, previous ācāryas, we know how to practice this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And if we stick to that principle of serving their order, then there is no doubt that this movement will go on receiving the unlimited blessings of Kṛṣṇa. That is why Śrīla Prabhupāda in his very books has written that, “If someone thinks that they can preach the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu by leaving this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that person is hallucinating. He is hallucinating.”

In the third canto of the Bhāgavatam, fourth part, Kapila Muni describes to Devahūti, Kapila Bhagavān describes to Devahūti that there are four types of devotion. Basically, there are two types: materialistically contaminated and pure. In the materialistically contaminated, you can divide into three – tama, rajas and sattva. That can further be divided into nine-fold devotional service which comes 27, and then again subdivide each one into goodness, passion, ignorance becoming 81. But above that is pure devotional service which is simply carrying out the desires of the Lord through the guru-paramparā as He has desired without any material consideration or without any material adjustment, simply performing their instruction without a desire for any material gain.

Someone who is contaminated by ignorance, it describes that he is very envious, he is a separatist, he wants, he thinks that he is the only one who is doing properly and everyone else is not able to do properly, and he is pretty angry, and he is very vengeful, this is the devotional symptom of a person in the mode of ignorance. But because he has accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme goal, he is respected but is avoided, because such a person is not good association.

Someone who is performing devotional service in the mode of passion, it describes that he wants to get his own personal aggrandizement, he wants to get his own name and fame, he wants to get various type of material facilities, comforts through devotional service. In this way he is also a separatist, because his purpose is a bit separate than Kṛṣṇa, he has got some other motive.

A devotional service in the mode of goodness, person is performing rituals, doing the pūjā in the temple, doing the varṇāśrama system, and being a little proud that he is very pakka in those type of rituals, in that type of varṇāśrama, and in this way he wants to also get liberation, wants to somehow be elevated in a, in one way or another, and he feels himself very effective, actually he also has a separate mentality, and his mentality is not purely to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, but he is little bit proud of his own position in one way or another.

So, these three categories have been mentioned, and then in the fourth category the same teaching that, ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati - that unbroken and unmotivated devotional service completely satisfies the self, that someone who is in pure devotional service, he immediately becomes satisfied. He immediately becomes spiritually ecstatic, and he does not have any desire for any benefit in exchange of that service, neither is the service broken by any, by any material thing. It goes on continuously irregardless of whatever the situation may be.

So, we should be very careful to follow the orders of Śrīla Prabhupāda as is given in his literatures and as they are coming down in a very pure way, unmotivatedly in the mood of pure devotional service. No matter how great one may be if we are careless, we can become contaminated by any of these three guṇas, and any of the 81 shades of contamination of devotional service. Even if it is the 81st which is sattva sattva, double combined with ātma-nivedanam, still we don’t care for that. We want cent-percent pure devotional service - anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam. We want that pure devotional service. Therefore, we should be very careful against contamination of even sattva-guṇa, what to speak of raja and tamo guṇa?

If some devotee becomes overwhelmed by tamo-guṇa, becomes revengeful, becomes envious, becomes angry in his devotional service, he should give it up. This is not the way to please Prabhupāda. That is not for Prabhupāda’s interest if someone becomes very motivated in devotional service, he should give it up. If one becomes little bit proud or somehow situated in some type of material mode of goodness vision, varṇāśrama idea that, “Because I am a sannyāsī, I cannot serve in one way or because I am a gṛhastha, I cannot preach Kṛṣṇa’s message.” - there is no such restriction for rendering pure devotional service. Or the preachers sometimes are looked down upon by the pūjārīs, this and that, all these type of things, these show slight mixture of different shades of tamas, rajas and sattva-guṇas in devotional service. But one should come up to the pure platform of simply carrying out the order of the spiritual master; everything else is instrumental to that end. That is the essence.

So here we find that in this Kali-yuga because the leaders have lost the guidance of the scriptures, they have been misled, the whole world is in a topsy-turvy situation. The only solution, the only solution in this Kali-yuga is this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, that means that simply the preachers of this pure process of Lord Caitanya’s movement, they are the hope for the whole world. So, the preachers must always remember Prabhupāda’s instruction that purity is the force. Purity means to avoid not only the gross breaking of the material principles, the regulative principles, but also to avoid contamination of mode of goodness, passion or ignorance in our devotional service.

We should at every moment think simply what is pleasing to Kṛṣṇa, what is pleasing to my spiritual master, the guru-paramparā, accept that. What is displeasing, reject that. This is the principle of surrender in devotional service. We should always follow that maxim and definitely we will get the shelter of our previous ācāryas, and we will be able to fulfill even more than our own idea [the…] just as Prabhupāda he was able to fulfill the predictions more than his expectation. Similarly, by Prabhupāda’s mercy and the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His great devotees, this ISKCON movement will be able to fulfill the desires of Lord Caitanya and Prabhupāda more than what we could expect, if we simply stick humbly and sincerely to their vāṇī, to their words, that is our only shelter, that is our only connection.

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

Are there any questions?

Yes…

Question: (inaudible) devotional service in tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa, so what are we to do with the people who are not devotee, but they are sattva-guṇa, which actually we are preaching in India at this time? The most of the people, they are in sattva-guṇa, they are educated, they are going to temple and they are puffed by the sattva-guṇa, so what is their position to us?

Jayapatākā Swami: So that is devotional service in sattva-guṇa. They are going to temple, they are doing some devotional service, may be their standard… There is nine type of devotional service is subdivided, then again subdivided, then again 81 divisions in each guṇa, and in the three guṇas. So, that simply the solution is to preach pure devotional service.

Sometimes because Lord Caitanya’s movement, He is able to purify even the most fallen people, that those people who are very much in the mode of goodness, they think, “Well, this movement of Lord Caitanya is only for the mlecchas, for the fallen people, for the different type of out castes or whatever, but for us we follow strictly the conservative varṇāśrama program, Hinduism, this and that, whatever.” But the point is that Lord Caitanya’s ocean of nectar is ever expanding and as an ocean overcomes its boundaries by the preaching of the devotees, and we have to be able to show the good example and to present to them that this is not meant simply for a particular class of people, but it is meant for all classes, whether their background is sattva-guṇa or whether it is tamo-guṇa or whatever it may be, it is for everyone. This is the universal process of this Kali-yuga.

And those who are intelligent, they will accept, and those who are not intelligent even they don’t accept. You see, those who are intelligent they accept, and they swim in that ocean of nectar when it floods, and the others they may not be able to swim but they are swept away anyway, and they are forced to float on the top of it, because there is no more dry land to stand on, everywhere there is simply the nectar of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s movement.

In this way by organizing big festivals, by organizing preaching in various way everywhere, those people, they will not be able to avoid to chant. So, Lord Caitanya, He said, “Be humble, beg the people, beg them, go door to door, beg them to take up the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, the worship of Kṛṣṇa, the study of Kṛṣṇa’s sacred teachings, Gītā and Bhāgavata.” He said, “Beg the people.”

Personally, Lord Nityānanda and Haridāsa Ṭhākura, They went door to door begging. This preaching movement is pure nectar, going and simply begging from the people. A person is very proud and if you go and you beg from him one thing, you please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, how can he refuse that, “No, I won’t chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.” Is there anyone? How can he refuse if he is proud of being religious, if we present it in the right way? But that ability, that is only possible if we get the mercy of our, you see, the spiritual masters, of Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda, then if we somehow or another we get Their blessing, we go on trying, surely some day we will be able to get so many people.

In South India, we were asking the people to take up the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, and they are very, they’re strict, but even the high brāhmaṇa class as well as even some Muslims and other people, they all came forward to pledge that, “They will chant everyday 108 times Hare Kṛṣṇa, because this is the yuga-dharma. And they are going to follow the principles of Caitanya Mahāprabhu as far as possible.” And in one meeting, in Madras alone, 3000 people were signed up.

I went to Delhi. Lokanātha Swami said, “I don’t think you can do it in Delhi, it is very difficult.” So, we printed up in one day 100 sheets and then in the middle of the Rāmānandī meeting, I made an appeal at the end that, “This is the yuga-dharma, which of you will chant 108 times a day to carry on the torchlight of knowledge of Caitanya Mahāprabhu for purification in this Kali-yuga?” And out of the assembly of about 1500 people, 500 people stood up, “We will daily chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, we will follow the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.” They came up to sign the form. That Rāmānandī guru, he flipped out, or he completely became wild, took the microphone from me, said it will cause a disturbance, this that, and gave it to some this Rāmāyaṇa singer who started immediately singing Tulasī dāsa Rāmāyaṇa, “Rāma-nāma”. In spite of that people jumped over the stage and signed up and said, “Give me a form. We want to…” Even one of the Rāmānandī sādhus, he came and said, “I’ll also chant.”

Devotees: Haribol!

Jayapatākā Swami: The point is that this process if we beg the people to chant, so many people will come forward. Then all we have to do is, see that after we, they agree to chant, that we keep some contact and see that they go on chanting. Anyway, whatever it means, if somehow or another through book distribution, through our appeals… Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he wrote to his disciples. We found some old letters which are collected, and he wrote a letter to a disciple, how they can preserve the Māyāpur preaching. He said that first thing is to establish printing press, then to distribute, print and distribute books. And the third thing he said is, go on preaching in Nāmahaṭṭa. Nāmahaṭṭa means that to get every person to practice, not simply that only full-time devotees practice, every single person has to be encouraged to practice in their own house, in their own community, you see.

That Prabhupāda said also in the third canto of the Bhāgavatam that, “There is no reason why every family in every society, in every country of the world cannot chant Hare Kṛṣṇa in their house every day.” Śrīla Prabhupāda… This is what Śrīla Prabhupāda kept repeating to us the varṇāśrama preaching. Varṇāśrama preaching. We always said, just the devotees said, “No the public, the public, the public.” Varṇāśrama preaching that is the modern, that is the way Prabhupāda described it as not different from what Bhaktivinoda said, Nāmahaṭṭa. It means getting the people to practice. What is varṇāśrama? Accepting Kṛṣṇa. If you don’t accept Kṛṣṇa there is no question of varṇāśrama. So, it is the same program.

Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Devotees: Jaya!