19820309 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.22.25 First Gaura-Pūrṇimā in Kheturī

The following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami on March 9, 1982 in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 4th Canto, Chapter 22, Text 25.

harer muhus tatpara-karṇa-pūra 
guṇābhidhānena vijṛmbhamāṇayā 
bhaktyā hy asaṅgaḥ sad-asaty anātmani 
syān nirguṇe brahmaṇi cāñjasā ratiḥ
(ŚB 4.22.25)

Translation: The devotee should gradually increase the culture of devotional service by constant hearing of the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These pastimes are like ornamental decorations on the ears of devotees. By rendering devotional service and transcending the material qualities, one can easily be fixed in transcendence in the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

*Translation with repetition*

Purport by His Divine Grace Śrīla Prabhupāda: This verse is especially mentioned to substantiate the devotional process of hearing the subject matter. A devotee does not like to hear anything other than subjects dealing with spiritual activities, or the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We can increase our propensity for devotional service by hearing Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from realized souls. The more we hear from realized souls, the more we make advancement in our devotional life. The more we advance in devotional life, the more we become detached from the material world. The more we become detached from the material world, the last we associate with persons who are after money and sense gratification. this is the advised of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu,

niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya 
pāraṁ paraṁ jigamiṣor bhāva-sāgarasya 
sandarśanaṁ viṣayiṇām atha yoṣitāṁ ca 
hā hanta hanta viṣa-bhakṣaṇato ’py asādhu

(Cc. Madhya 11.8)

The word brāhmaṇī used in this verse is commented upon by the impersonalists or professional reciters of Bhāgavatam, who are mainly advocates of the caste system by demoniac birthright. They say that brāhmaṇī means the impersonal Brahman. But they cannot conclude this with reference to the context of the words bhaktyā and guṇābhidhānena. According to the impersonalists, there are no transcendental qualities in the impersonal Brahman; therefore we should understand that brāhmaṇī means “in the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as admitted by Arjuna in Bhagavad-gītā; therefore wherever the word brahma is used, it must refer to Kṛṣṇa, not to the impersonal Brahman effulgence. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (Bhāg. 1.2.11). Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān can all be taken in total as Brahman, but when there is reference to the word bhakti or remembrance of the transcendental qualities, this indicates the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not the impersonal Brahman.

Thus ends Text 25 Purport by His Divine Grace Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda!

Jayapatākā Swami: Today, we are gathered together on the most auspicious day, the 496th anniversary of the appearance of our Lord, the deliverer of this Kali-yuga, the source of all the avatāras, the avatārī, and the most merciful incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, Śrīman Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrī Śrī Śacīsuta kī!

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrī Śrī Śacīnandana kī!

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrī Śrī Śacīnandana kī!

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapatākā Swami: This is a perfect day for hearing about glories of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His teachings. The teachings of Caitanya Mahāprabhu were described by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja to be brilliant like the sun. Lord Caitanya, Nityānanda, They rose just like the sun and the moon, simultaneously from the eastern horizon of Gauḍadeśa, from the sacred land of Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi, in the Śrī Māyāpura-dhāma.

So, just as the sun and moon rise in the east, and they start their parikramā, or their circumambulation, going around the world, in the same way Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda took the message of Caitanya Mahāprabhu from the East, from Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, Navadvīpa-dhāma, and brought it all over the world for the benefit of all the fallen souls. Śrīla Prabhupāda kī!

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this hearing process is very important. One has to hear from the right source. When one hears from the right source, then immediately all of the pollutions in the heart are destroyed. When one hears from the right source and one becomes fixed in devotional service.

Śrīla Prabhupāda, when he traveled around the world preaching, simply by hearing his hari-kathā, the whole world was transformed to become devotees of Kṛṣṇa. This is revolutionary. Just like the Bhāgavatam said janatāgha-viplavo. It is destroying the sinful life of the populous. That is the revolution. So, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a revolution of consciousness, a revolution to destroy the sinful life of the whole humanity. One has to be very careful, especially those who have taken shelter in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, to remain under the shelter of Śrīla Prabhupāda, and to hear the instructions from the right source.

Here in this śloka that Prabhupāda referred to, he says hā hanta hanta viṣa-bhakṣaṇato ’py asādhu (Cc Madhya 11.8), that if one hears, if one hears the words from someone who is attached to this material world, someone who is not serving in a devotional mood, then it is like taking poison: viṣa-bhakṣaṇato ’py asādhu. Viṣa means poison.

So, this is our great opportunity, that by Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mercy and the mercy of our previous ācāryas, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, Gaura Kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja and Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has reached us. We have been given shelter.

So, Śrīla Prabhupāda has described that this movement is not different from Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It is one of the branches of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s tree. Therefore, we also have to be very careful to strictly follow the instructions of Śrīla Prabhupāda, because he is our connection with Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s tree.

Therefore, we worship Śrīla Prabhupāda as our Founder-Ācārya. He is our connection with Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s tree. He has manifested all of the mercy of Lord Caitanya for giving out unlimited shelter to the whole world. Actually, the whole world should be very grateful to Śrīla Prabhupāda. No one should be inimical because he has done what no one has ever done before. He has fulfilled the mercy prediction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Actually, people should not give him lip-service. They should not simply call him some exalted title, and then not actually accept Śrīla Prabhupāda as the direct representative of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu meant to unite all of the pure Vaiṣṇavas. They should not give lip-service, but they should actually give their heartfelt surrender to Śrīla Prabhupāda. But, that due to the will of providence, does not occur in everyone. At least in this movement, we must protect that consciousness, and just as Caitanya Mahāprabhu has predicted that His movement will spread to nagarādi grāma.

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma
sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma
(Caitanya-bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126)

So, by staying connected with the transcendental tree of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, this branch will grow, and grow, and grow, and grow, and grow, and grow, and its shade will cover the whole world from the scorching heat of this Kali-yuga. Śrīla Prabhupāda kī!

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapatākā Swami: ISKCON kī!

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapatākā Swami: And, just as it was predicted in the Padma Purāṇa that, “There are four Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas, Śrī, Brahmā, Rudra and Kumāra; but then in the Kali-yuga, all these four sampradāyas would merge into one.”

Similarly, in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Caitanya-bhāgavata, it is predicted that, “The ocean, the flood of Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so great, that it will sweep away everyone. Those who are the pure devotees, they will be swept inside of the ocean water, and those who are even the non-devotees, the separatists, the criticizers, they will be swept away and floating on the top, but no one will be able to escape the flood.”

This is especially the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Lord Nityānanda Prabhu, our previous ācāryas. Actually, we heard how Śrīla Prabhupāda had said that, “He never expected that, people in the Western countries would follow all of these regulative principles. He was hopeful that, they would simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. But he was very pleased that these devotees were sincere, they took up regulative principles very seriously, and they stuck to them, and therefore he could establish purity according to his desire in this movement.”

So, the Bhāgavatam, glorifies the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa and His different incarnations. Those incarnations come down to deliver, mainly to deliver the devotees, and of course to annihilate the demons, but mainly to deliver the devotees. So, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu came down, delivered the devotees, and He even delivered the demons, destroyed their demoniac mentality.

Soo kind is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And in His absence, [He has] actually not absent, but He is present, just as when Kṛṣṇa left Vṛndāvana, He didn’t really leave Vṛndāvana, He was in Vṛndāvana all the time, in His bhāva form. In the same way, Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura, he has instructed us:

adyāpi kare līlāya gaura-rāya, 
kona kona bhāgyavān dekhibāre pāya
(Caitanya-bhāgavata)

That today Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s saṅkīrtana-līlā is continuing and one who is highly fortunate, he will be able to witness, to have the darśana of those transcendental pastimes.

So, Śrīla Prabhupāda has revealed to us that this ISKCON movement is one of the, is the branch of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s tree, and the saṅkīrtana preaching is part of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s līlā.

Sometimes and then when there are very exceptional saṅkīrtanas, exceptional kīrtana, harināma, at that time it means that either Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda, the Pañca-tattva, or one of those great pārṣada devotees is present at that time. Therefore, the devotees are feeling exceptional, ecstatic symptoms. So, many times, Śrīla Prabhupāda has revealed that different eternal associates of Lord Caitanya enter into our ISKCON temples under the saṅkīrtana, the Ratha-yātrās, and They participate, seen only to a few fortunate souls, but felt by everyone by Their presence.

Devotee: Jaya!

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrī Śrī Pañca-tattva, kī!

Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!

Jayapatākā Swami: So, when you are out distributing transcendental literature, and you’re feeling some ecstasy, you don’t know that who is looking over your shoulder at that time. But you can be sure that Śrīla Prabhupāda, the spiritual masters, the disciplic succession, they are with you. That is their special mercy, that they are with the devotee while they are participating in the saṅkīrtana movement.

The easiest way to remember the Lord of course is by hearing His instructions, hearing His transcendental pastimes. When Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu left this planet, at that time all the devotees, of course were in great separation. At that time, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, he thought that we should call all of the great Vaiṣṇavas, all the devotees of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu together, and have a great festival at Gaura-Pūrṇimā day, 450 years ago. And he approached Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, his Godbrother, you can say cousin-Godbrother, and requested that if he would assist in organizing this festival, where he wanted to also install Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deities. And Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, he was very happy to help Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. He agreed that, “Yes. I will help you in this service.”

Then after that evening, everyone took rest. Śrīnivāsa Ācārya was meditating that, “It is going to be quite an almost impossible task, or at least very difficult to try to gather together all of the associates remaining of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, because they are all practically half-dead due to separation from the Lord. They had just completely stunned. To get them to come from Orissa and Bengal, everywhere to Kheturi, the place of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura’s śrīpāṭ, dhāma would be very difficult.” He was thinking, “How am I going to do this? I am insignificant. I’m not anyone who can make any demand on such very senior Vaiṣṇavas. But I have agreed. Now, I am in a real fix.”

So, at that time, somehow, by the Lord’s mercy, was drawn into a slumber. And he had a vision, a dream, Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared to him and told him, “This is My desire. I want there to be a grand gathering of all the Vaiṣṇavas from everywhere. All of My devotees should come together on My appearance day. Don’t fear. This is My desire that they come together. You go and bring everyone.” So, then He disappeared. So now Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, he woke up, filled with ecstasy, fainted. Through Supreme Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he got the order.

Immediately he called for the message bearers, gathered them together, gave them the instruction, gave letters to the different - Śyāmānanda Paṇḍita in Orissa, Jāhnavā Devī in Khaḍadaha, Rāghava Paṇḍita’s followers in Pānihāṭi, followers in Śrīkhaṇḍa, followers in Kuliyā-grāma, everywhere, Śāntipura, Navadvīpa. Naturally, then they didn’t get onto their Eastern Airways, or Trans World Airways Jets. But they simply went by foot, and they walked two, three, four, five-hundred miles at least to deliver the message of their spiritual master.

Actually, the saṅkīrtana devotees can take a very great inspiration from this. In those days, on the order of their spiritual master, they would have to take the message five-hundred kilometers by foot, through the jungles, over the rivers, everywhere. Now, they simply have to get into the saṅkīrtana van and go to the airport, or go to the streets and to the houses, and distribute. So, it has been simplified very much, by Lord Caitanya, Prabhupāda’s mercy.

In those days, they were very fired up to go out, even it meant walking five hundred miles to go to their saṅkīrtana spot. Saṅkīrtana-yajña kī!

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapatākā Swami: So, when they reached Jāhnavā Devī, the wife of Nityānanda, Nityānanda had already disappeared long before,although He didn’t leave any remnant, He just disappeared. Jāhnavā Devī was thinking, “How could I as a widow go so far and participate in such a festival?” So, Lord Caitanya, Nityānanda appeared. Lord Caitanya appeared there and also told Her that, “It was His desire to have this festival, and immediately She should go with her followers, and take all of the Vaiṣṇavas with Her.”

So, she gathered other like Abhirāma Ṭhākura and Mīnaketana Rāmadāsa, and so many of Nityānanda-pārṣada, and they all went together, and they went out to Kulna, they went into Navadvīpa, and they gathered all the devotees. When they got to Navadvīpa, Rāmāi Paṇḍita and other brothers of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura were all gathered together. They were thinking that, “We don’t have Acyutānanda, the son of Advaita. What about him? We can go to Śāntipura.” He came, just at that time and joined the party.

In this way, thousands of devotees, they gathered from everywhere. All of the remaining disciples of Lord Caitanya, or disciples of the immediate followers all gathered together. When they reached the Padmā river where the Kheturi grāma is, Kheturi village, at that time, the king of Kheturi had sent hundreds of boats, and he greeted the devotees washing their feet, putting sandalwood on their foreheads, giving them garlands, and then he had them cross over the river.

And the whole town of Kheturi was filled with ecstasy that all the devotees are coming from all over to observe the celebration of Gaura-pūrṇimā, and every house was decorated with mango leaves, with banana stalks, with sugar cane stalks. And the streets were washed, and they washed the streets with scented waters. And everywhere you could hear kīrtana parties going. You could hear Bhāgavatam lectures going. You could hear everyone speaking, everyone in the whole town was simply talking Gaura-pūrṇimā! Gaura-pūrṇimā! Gaura-pūrṇimā! Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s festival! All the devotees are assembling! This one is coming from here. That one is coming from there. Everyone was simply talking about, simply completely fixed in the transcendental festival of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s Gaura-pūrṇimā festival, into Vaikuṇṭha, into transcendental world.

So, at that time, on the day of Gaura-pūrṇimā, there was Bhāgavatam classes describing how when Lord Caitanya… and Caitanya-caritāmṛta classes how when Lord Caitanya appeared, how the whole world was rejoicing, how in the Ganges everyone was chanting, “Hari bol! Hari bol! Hari bol! Hari bol! Hari bol!”, reading the appearance of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. How, surrounded with all His eternal associates, He was dancing through the streets of Navadvīpa, how He went all over India preaching, everything was being discussed.

So, that time, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura requested from Jāhnavā Devī, who Herself of course is, the internal potency of the Lord, not a conditioned soul, not a liberated soul, but internal potency, antaraṅga-śakti, asked for permission to perform the abhiṣeka of the deities of Lord Caitanya and Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, as we have performed here for Rādhā-Mādhava just some year or two ago, two years. We also observed this auspicious day for installing Deities.

So, Narottama dāsa told Śrīnivāsa to take up the bathing coordination. He bathed the Deities. Six deities were installed that day, and then he took permission, and they took the mahā-prasāda garlands from the Deity and they garlanded all of the associates of Caitanya Mahāprabhu that were present. Then, Jāhnavā Devī gave the order to the associate, one of the associates that, “Now, you garland all of these devotees.”

In this way, the senior devotees also garlanded the junior disciples and associates that were present. So, in this way, there was a dadāti pratigṛhṇāti. dadāti - there was a loving exchange between everyone, giving proper respect for the various devotees, at the same time, filled with loving affection for one another. Then, Jāhnavā said to give the ārati. So, then the ārati was begun by Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, who was being given the equipment by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura.

As he began the ārati, Lord Kṛṣṇa performed a miracle. He started to expand from His transcendental field, form, Śrī Mūrti, His natural aroma, or scent. And that just by concentrated incense, more powerful, inconceivable, transcendentally ecstatic, the aroma, the actual bodily scent of Kṛṣṇa started to pervade from His Śrī Mūrti over the whole audience of the devotees. And as it hit, [Aside: I’m of course, these are crude example. We know that how when they show like chemical warfare, something the other sense, and if you start to. But here, in a transcendental way. as the aroma of Kṛṣṇa reached the devotees, they would visibly, completely just overcome and overwhelmed with ecstasy.

And they became mad in separation of Kṛṣṇa. In this way, everyone was completely incapacitated, and just swimming in an ocean of nectar. So, in this way, the ārati ceremony became just like one was actually walking through liquid nectar, and the kīrtana was so thick that everyone was not walking. They were simply floating in the thick nectar of hari-nāma, pulling out their hair, beating their chest, feeling so much separation from the Lord.

So, after that, Jāhnavā Devī gave the… then that… when things got back to normal, in due course, as normal as things can be in such an exalted assembly, then Jāhnavā Devī gave the… actually what… Acyutānanda said, “I want to hear Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura lead the kīrtana.” In this way, different people were leading kīrtanas. Different… so he was… “And I wanna now hear Narottama. Better he leads the kīrtana.”

So, then Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura started to lead the kīrtana, then everyone became completely overwhelmed. Everyone became so overwhelmed that practically the kīrtana just became all-pervasive, and all one could hear was that transcendental name, and everyone was so fixed, and they became so filled with separation, that all of a sudden, the most wonderful miracle happened, amidst that transcendental assembly. Suddenly appeared, visible to everyone, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Lord Nityānanda, Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa, Murāri, Mukunda, all of the associates, everyone they appeared, and they started to jump up and down with the devotees doing kīrtana, and everyone started rejoicing, “Jaya Śacīnandana! Jaya Śacīnandana! Jaya Śacīnandana! Gaura Hari! Hari Hari Bol!”

Devotees: “Hari Hari Bol!”

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way, then the kīrtana went on. Just as Kṛṣṇa appeared, when the gopīs were feeling separation, like that Lord Caitanya He appeared, mitigating all the separation of His devotees, and that kīrtana went on like a night of Brahmā. In the same way, if we completely absorb ourselves in this saṅkīrtana mood of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrīla Prabhupāda has trained us, we have to absorb ourselves in that mood. Every page in his books, every instruction is how to absorb ourselves in that mood of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s pure saṅkīrtana movement.

By being absorbed, all of those who were preachers, all of those devotees were going in different parts. Śrīnivāsa Ācārya was the rāja-guru, the king’s guru in Viṣṇupur. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, he sent his preachers to Manipur, he was preaching over East Bengal. Śyāmānanda Paṇḍita was preaching in Orissa. Like that, they are all preaching devotees, going in different parts, preaching, establishing the movement of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They came together. They discussed hari-kathā. They chanted the holy names. They wanted to be absorbed in that saṅkīrtana mood of Lord Caitanya.

Similarly, we may not be immediately so pure as Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura or others, because of course they are all eternal associates of Lord Caitanya. But by their mercy, by Prabhupāda’s mercy, anything can happen. But at least, even if we may not immediately see Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu with our eyes, if we absorb ourselves in the saṅkīrtana movement, if we absorb ourselves in that mood, we will be immediately able to feel His presence, feel His separation. And if we get that causeless mercy, that does not mean that we will also not be able to see Him, that we will also, in due course be able to see Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and His associates and pastimes, simply by surrendering to His saṅkīrtana mission, outreaching every town and village all over the world with this saṅkīrtana message.

Although Acyutānanda was only one of the six sons of Advaita, and at that assembly, only three sons came, and the other three sons of Advaita didn’t come, because they didn’t feel part of that mainstream of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s movement. That did not mean that in any way, that the festivities, or the transcendental desire of serving Lord Caitanya was in any way diminished. Everyone was fixed in their desire for satisfying Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Similarly, we have come together to hear about Caitanya Mahāprabhu, here, in front of Śrīla Prabhupāda, in front of Rādhā-Mādhava, in front of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to get their special mercy, we can be absorbed in this saṅkīrtana mood of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so sublime, His movement is so sublime that we can easily get His mercy in this Kali-yuga. Even though one is so fallen, even though one is so unqualified, he can get the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, simply for the asking.

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

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

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

“Give me Your mercy, Lord Caitanya. Give me Your mercy. Engage me in Your saṅkīrtana movement. Hey Kṛṣṇa! Hey Rādhā! Engage me in Your saṅkīrtana movement. Engage me in Your transcendental service.”

This is the prayer of the devotees. They are always praying that, somehow or other, by the will of providence, we have been brought to this ISKCON movement. And this is a movement to give the shelter to the whole world. But it is like a vessel, or an oasis in an ocean, filled with sharks, whales, various kinds of dangerous elements.

As long as we are on the vessel, we remain safe, and as soon as we go out, then we will be smashed up by some kind of ferocious animal, by desire for fruitive advancement, mystic power or liberation, by desires for fame, distinction, adoration, by various kinds of anarthas. Therefore, Śrīla Prabhupāda requested that we keep this movement very pure, absolutely pure, so that it can continue to be the shelter for everyone who wants to taste the nectar of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s movement.

So, it is a great responsibility upon us, and we need the blessings of all the Vaiṣṇavas. Especially we need the blessings of our spiritual master Śrīla Prabhupāda, the Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, our previous ācāryas, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We should get their mercy by any means, so no doubt it is an austerity to work together. It is the great austerity in this Kali-yuga, no one can work together. Nations can’t work together, states in the same country can’t get together, families, two towns.

Just look at California when will San Francisco and Los Angeles ever get together? They hate each other. Each one is always trying to beat the other. In Australia, Melbourne, and Sydney, they are always having conflict. It’s so much that they have to put the capital of the country somewhere in-between. There’s no way that either one would get the credit. In Canada, they got the two big cities Montreal and Toronto. They had to make it, well put it in Ottawa. So, cities, they can’t get together.

Families, they can’t even get together. Look at me. They are still fighting feuds, for hundreds of years in the Appalachian Mountains. Still even they… In the Vaiṣṇava sect, the Advaita-vaṁsa and the Nityānanda-vaṁsa, they don’t go to each other’s programs. And even in the family, husband and wife, mother and son, father and daughter, hardly they can get together. In this Kali-yuga it is very difficult to work together.

Śrīla Prabhupāda, he wrote a letter one time that there is a secret for working together. [If you are more attached, you see, to the, actually, that…] He said that the secret to working together, “Say someone is trying to work together for Lord Caitanya, then Māyā-devī, she will give so many ideas. And the only shelter is to be more attached to lotus feet of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, to the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya. So, then when māyā gives her idea, the devotee doesn’t accept. ‘No. I don’t care for your idea, Māyā-devī. I want only Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s idea.’ One can work together even in this Kali-yuga.”

So, what is seemingly impossible, what no one has been able to do, to work together in the Kali-yuga, Prabhupāda gave us this greatest test that, “Those, those followers of mine who are real lovers of me, the evidence of that, the proof will be to what extent they are able to cooperate together, how they are able to work together for spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.”

So, this is the burden of love. This is the austerity, right down to every - the brahmacārī in the āśrama who is worrying about the t-shirt that got stolen last night off the line and he doesn’t like the other brahmacārīs, or the person that lost their shoe, to the householders that just got married - it was arranged - and then for six months - the husband and wife can’t talk to each other - they go back to their Gurudeva and say it’s a wipeout, to the devotees in the temple who don’t like the temple commander - who is always yelling at them to get up fifteen minutes earlier than they wanted to, to the devotees on the saṅkīrtana movement, and the devotees who are doing the service in the temple, to have mutual respect for each other, and encouragement for each other, the devotees who are printing the books, and those who are distributing the books, and those who are writing the books, to the people who are coming to hear and read the teachings of the books, or the different leaders - to respect each other as Vaiṣṇavas and try to do whatever is pleasing for Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

That is our only goal in this movement. We want to do what is pleasing for Śacīsuta. Whatever is pleasing for Lord Caitanya, we want to accept that, and whatever is displeasing, that we have to reject. And how do we know what Lord Caitanya wanted, that Śrīla Prabhupāda has instructed us. For the next 10,000 years, this ISKCON movement is going to take the teachings of Śrīla Prabhupāda, so that we can know, how does Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted us to act so that He will be pleased.

If we fix up, then we can maintain our devotional attitude in spite of so many obstacles. Obstacles will always be there. Even we don’t want any obstacles, they come without our asking. Even we try to avoid, they seem unavoidable. Just like the battle of Kurukṣetra. So many attempts were made to avoid, but ultimately, couldn’t be avoided.

Like that, devotees are always trying to avoid any type of difficulty, any type of obstacles, and just push on the saṅkīrtana movement. But just as the Chand Kazi tried to come stop the saṅkīrtana movement, just as various criticizers tried to mislead people from following Lord Caitanya’s movement, and those who were very rigid, even they were chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, when Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu acted in a way they couldn’t understand. Actually, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa. We can’t imitate Kṛṣṇa.

We have to follow His instructions. In the same way, Śrīla Prabhupāda instructed us not to imitate, but to follow. He was the Founder-Ācārya. He was the one ācāryas of ISKCON, but he told us not to imitate, but to follow his instructions. Therefore, we are trying to work together, following his instructions. That is our motto. So, on this birthday of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we should fix ourselves in this determination: to be ready, determined to do everything we can pleasing for Caitanya Mahāprabhu, pleasing to Śrīla Prabhupāda, our previous ācāryas.

If we can do that one thing, then we’ll be protected from all types of influences of māyā.

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

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapatākā Swami: And just as I mentioned before in the parikramā, Prabhupāda said that, “From Māyāpur, the flood of the saṅkīrtana movement expands throughout the world now, taking the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śacīsuta.” Everyone should take out the saṅkīrtana mood into all these far corners of the world, determined not to in any way decrease the saṅkīrtana movement. To expand it. Just like the ocean of Lord Caitanya’s mercy is ever-expanding, the saṅkīrtana movement must always be expanding, to expand and spread everywhere the chanting of

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

Thank you very much!

Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!

Devotee: Śrīla Ācāryapāda kī!

Devotees: Jaya!