19820822 Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā 14.1-16

(Disclaimer: The following is a machine-generated transcript and may contain errors or inaccuracies. It will be reviewed and verified against the original audio soon.)

The following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on August 22, 1982 – in Washington D.C, USA. The lecture begins with a reading from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā 14.1-16.

The MIC systems down at the site. Can everyone hear? All right, I will try. Oh my go. Gorapasian ātmā brindai śrī lakshmi vijayot savam sudhvago pirasolasang. Translations Accompanied by his personal devotees, C. Caitanya Mahprabhu went to the festival known as Lakshmi Vijayotsava. There he discussed the super excellent love of the Gopīs. Just by hearing about them he became very pleased and danced in great ecstatic love for the Lord. All glories to see Caitanya Mahprabhu known as Gaurachandra all glories to Lord Nithya Ananda Prabhu all glories to Advaita Acharya who is so exalted. Joya Śrīvasadi Gaurav Bhaktoga Joya Srota Gana Jara Gaura Pranadhan Joya Śrīvasadi Gaurav Bhaktogan Joya Srota Gana Jara Gaura Pranadhan all glories to all the devotees headed by Śrīvashatakura all glories to thy readers who have taken C Caitanya Mahprabhu as their life and soul.

All glories to the listeners who have taken Siet Caitanya Mahāprabhu with their life and soul. Text 4. Translation Bhashila Prabhupāda While Sichaitanya Mahāprabhu was resting in ecstatic love, Maharaj Pratapa Rudra entered the garden. Sarbhaghoma Upodeshobesh. Translation by Śrīla Prabhupāda Following Sarva Boma Bhattacharya’s instructions, the king had given up his royal dress. He now entered the garden in the form of a Vaishnava. Following Sarva Boma Bhattacharya’s instructions, the king had given up his royal dress. He now entered the garden in the dress of a vaiava purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda Sometimes members of the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, especially in the Western countries, find it difficult to approach people to distribute books because people are unfamiliar with the traditional saffron robes of the devotees. The devotees have therefore inquired whether they can wear European and American dress before the general public.

From the instructions given to King Pratapurudra by Sarva Boma Bhattacharya, we can understand that we may change our dress in any way to facilitate our service. When our members change their dress to meet the public or to introduce our books, they are not Breaking the devotional principles. The real principle is to spread this Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement. And if one has to change into regular Western dress for this purpose, there should be no objection. So here we see that Maharaj Pratapurudra is going to meet C. Caitanya Mahāprabhu in Chaitanya Mahāprabhu Transcendental Sankirtan movement. The Rathayatra was not only a time when Swamit Sankirtan was performed, but also we see that it was a time of reunion when various devotees who had been preaching in different places, they came together.

At that time, after the disappearance of Caitanya Mahprabhu and his other immediate, most of his immediate associates, of course, Narottam Das Thakur, he began the observance of this reunion at Lord Caitanya’s Appearance day. That memorable event is also mentioned Caitanya Charatamita at Kethuri. When the reunion of all the devotees they had a. At Gor Pūrṇimā they had a very big festival. And more recently, within the past 200 years that has been observed that the birthplace of Caitanya Mahprabhu at Gopurnima. But still, for us, as we can see today, the Rath Yātrā festival is a festival where devotees from far and wide, they all come together.

So it’s also a time of reunion, a time of association with each other, where everyone is engaged in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Hare serving Lord Jagannath and discussing transcendental topics and how to expand the Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. Informally, these discussions are going on. So actually, during Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s past times, all the devotees from Bengal, they used to come down by walking. 500 or so kilometers is the distance between Nabadvip Dam and Jagannath Purī. So they would walk down, taken by Shiva Anandasen Raghava Pandit A dwaiter goes high Nithyananda Prabhu and all of the Gaurav Bhakta Brindus, they would all come down and meet Caitanya Mahprabhu and the Ori of Bhakta Brindus. So of course they would come few days before the Rath Yātrā. Naturally, one tries to come a little before the festival.

And here we see that Maharaj Pratapuru that during the festival he’s able to meet Lord Caitanya. First, I’d just like to describe some of the past times when the devotees first come down and they meet Lord Caitanya Mahprabhu leading up to the Rath Yātrā festival that Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he sometimes goes to the river Narendra where Lord Jagannath’s Utsav Mūrti. Utsav Mūrti means that smaller deity, that festival Mūrti that goes and does various festivals like Jhulan, it’s quite rare that the main deity is taken on procession. Like Jagannath, he himself, the whole main deity goes on the Rath Yātrā festival. And that is a very rare occasion. Most big temples you don’t find that the main mul deity is taken out. That is an exception. In Jagannath’s case he himself comes out.

But before that there’s a Chandanyatra and other festivals where he sends his smaller deity himself. But he goes in the form of his smaller deity, Madan Mohan I believe is his name. And he goes out. And at that time Caitanya Mahāprabhu would also accompany that festival with all of the Pujaris and everyone and they will be chanting Sankirtan. So it just so happened one year that just as they were going in that procession that from the side from Bengal coming down the road, actually even the same road we come from Bhubaneswar and Bengal, it enters into the Purī main road near the Narendra lake. Sarobar means lake. So first when the devotees saw that there’s the Lord of their life, there’s Tichaytania Mahāprabhu, then immediately Haridwani, Jaidwani, everyone started to shout Hariba, Hariba. Go to Hariba.

And then the devotees that were with Lord Caitanya said, oh, here have come all the devotees from Bengal. They started to shout Haribo, go to radius Jai. Jai. And everyone then paid their obeisances. So first they paid their obeisances at a distance and then they approached each other. When they were approaching each other, then each devotee, they were paying obeisances to each other. And Lord Caitanya, he also started to reciprocate. At that time he wasn’t thinking that he was a Sannyāsī and they were Brahmacharis or Grihastas or whatever. He was just thinking, oh, these are all Paramahansa devotees. They are all pure devotees dedicated to the lotus feet of Jagannath Kṛṣṇa. And he was in that mood simply paying obeisances.

Actually, after being now the GBC for some years in South India and knowing the way that the smart Vaishnavas are behaving with each other, we find that these sannyasis, they never bow down. They follow that strict Vedic system, that sannyasis, guru of all the ashramas, they don’t generally ever bow down even to each other. They maintain that rigid formality. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu was unique in that regard, that he would bow down to other devotees. Even he was their master. Sometimes he would bow down, but in general to his peer devotees, no matter what position they were in it, if their mood was there, he would bow down to them. And sometimes the smartest, the very caste conscious, rigid Brahmanas, they criticize that why is the sannyāsī bowing down?

But actually, all the Vedic scriptures in the mode of goodness are saying that a vaiava is beyond all caste distinction. So respective vaiṣṇava, there’s no restriction whatsoever. One may be a sannyāsī or anyone, he may respect any vaiava if he feels that vaiava is of the pure category. This time, people, all the devotees, they became so overwhelmed that no one was judging that at that moment, who is the highly qualified devotee or who is even less qualified or ignorant devotee. At that time, everyone was in the mood of greeting each other. They’re all bowing down, paying their obeisances, embracing each other, crying, like anything, tears were coming. They are so happy to just meet all the other devotees. So then Lord Caitanya embraced the Dvaita and they were hugging each other and they were just chanting Haribol.

And just in this way, they covered each other with tears. And then Advaita and Nithyananda, the houses started bracing each other again. Everyone just became overwhelmed in the ocean of happiness to be able to be reunioned with Caitanya Mahpragu and his associates. So then naturally, after meeting in this way, the next thing that happened was a huge Sankirtan. Everyone started to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Hare. In fact, even Lord Jagannath’s devotees, who are a bit engaged in all the pūjā and everything being the Pujaris, they also started to chant and join in the same Sankirtan party. At that time, Lord Caitanya’s devotees, Jagannaths, Pujaris and the Bengal everyone, they became united in Sankirtan. So this is the wonderful thing about chanting congregationally the holy names of the Lord is that it has a uniting factor.

It can bring everyone together. And in that Sankirt, everyone is brought just on the common platform of complete, pure devotion. As long as one Keeps on chanting. Then there’s no limitation to how much one can advance. And as soon as we stop chanting, stop serving, allow the gap to come in. Of course, then were leaving the gate open for Māyā to enter in. So in this way, Lord Caitanya’s pastimes are going on that way. It’s always very thrilling when we meet various devotees coming from different temples and these festivals like Rath Yātrā.

We have a lot to owe to the Washington D.C. and other temples in Śrīla Gurupda’s zone and RLA Gurupda himself for taking the great pains and devotional enthusiasm Ut Sahot to organize such a big festival so that we can all come together and enjoy that transcendental reunion with all of the devotees for chanting and for preaching, especially here. It is definitely historic and memorable event that we’re able to chant and bring Lord Jagannath just to give the Darshan to these to at least the buildings which are governing this great country. I don’t know how many people were able to see from the inside of the building. Is apparently all on vacation. But of course there are many tourists from other places that were coming and also taking the advantage and some local people also.

So nonetheless, definitely the vibrations will have something by continuous preaching. And this type of Yagya definitely here at this capital, that can go a long way for changing the course of events in the whole country, which in case of America means the whole world. So this is like a type of Mahā Yagya. Just as the Brahmanas would do the sacrifices at Naimi Sharanya tone down the demonic influences. So we can understand that by doing Yajnas here in Nuhaastinapur that can curb the demonic influences and open the door for people advancing further in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So I thank all the devotees here under the shelter of Rla Guru Pad for doing this, giving us this wonderful opportunity. Meet with all the devotees. This is actually one of the things that is very prominent in Lord Caitanya’s pastimes, which are also prominent in Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes.

We read about the Gopīs, we read about Vrindavan, we read about Caitanya Mahprabhu. There are certain things which are common in both. That is that Kṛṣṇa meeting with the Gopīs was a very memorable event. It was always very ecstatic. And then again, of course, there was the separation. This meeting, being together and separating. This is always going on in the spiritual sky. So that part of Kṛṣṇa’s pastime also we found to be highly accented in Caitanya Mahapragoose pastimes, his devotees would come. Their meeting together would always be highly ecstatic. They would remain together chanting the holy name just in the mood of the Brijavasis the devotees in Vrindavan. And after some time they would again, they would of course have to part and they go off for their preaching work to different parts. And that parting also was a heart rendering pastime.

So thanks to Rla Prabhupda for starting Rath Yātrā all over the world, starting the Māyāpur Vrinavan pilgrimage, we are able to come together, meet the devotees, serve and again of course, unfortunately we have to go off in different areas and begin our preaching again. But we take with us that very deep and real experience of how wonderful it is to have the eternal friendship and association with Caitanya Mahprabhu’s devotees. That’s something that we can never forget. That taste is something completely extraordinary. The non devotees, they won’t be able to understand that what Chaitanya Mahara’s movement is giving the devotees. Because what have they experienced about love? I was seeing in one of the exhibits yesterday at the Rath Yātrā festival. I forget which one it was, but there was written up, I believe it was in Jagat Guru Swami’s exhibit.

No one knows what it. No one has experienced love. It starts off some girl was standing there reading it. So I didn’t read the whole thing. But that’s the basic thing. No one knows what is love. So we know what love is. That is described to us. How devotees exchange love, opening their mind, receiving another’s mind, offering some gift, receiving some gift in return, giving some service and accepting or giving some prasadam, accepting Prasad. In this way loving relationship is exchanged between devotees. So that we see in Caitanya Mahvru’s pastime those same loving relationships are being exchanged in this international society for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In the purport to the Upadish Amita Shloka Śrīla Prabhupāda describes that he has.

Made the international society for Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So devotees could come together so that they could exchange loving exchanges and have loving relationship with each other on this pure platform of pure Kṛṣṇa conscious loving relationship Dinathi prati Nathi Śrīla Prabhupāda ki. So just read on a little more. How Maharajpatapurudra took advantage of the mercy of the devotees to get association of Lord Caitanya Mahprabhu. We know Maharajpataparudra as a king. He could not get association with Lord Caitanya. It was forbidden because Lord Caitanya was trying to maintain a strict standard of a Sannyāsī not to meet with materialistic people. So he wouldn’t meet with Maharaj Pratapurudra who was at that time the King of Orissa, known as Gajapati. Text 76 Excuse me. Translation Mahārāja Pratapa Rudra was so humble that with folded hands he first took permission from all the devotees.

Then with great courage he fell down and touched the lotus feet of the Lord. Translation Mahārāja Pratapa with repetition, Maharaj Pratapa Rudra was so humble that with folded hands he first took permission from all the devotees. Then with great courage he fell down and touched the lotus feet of the Lord. Text 7. Translation Sichaitanya Mahāprabhu was lying on the ground with his eyes closed in ecstatic love and emotion and the King very expertly began to massage his legs. Translation Si Caitanya Mahāprabhu was lying on the ground with his eyes closed in ecstatic love and emotion and the King very expertly began to massage his legs. And the King very expertly began to massage his legs. Text 8 Rasa Līlā Shloka purī koreanastoban jayati teho di kang adhayakorena pathan the king began to recite verses about the Rasa Leela from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.

He recited the chapter beginning with the words Jayatite dhikam. Translation the king began to recite verses about the Rasa Leela from Sima Bhāgavatam. He recited the chapter beginning with the words Jayatite dhikam Purport These verses from sima Advagavatam Canto 10, Chapter 31 constitute what is known as the Gopī Gītā. Sunite sunite prabhu santosha apart bolo boli prabhu bole barabhat sunite sonete probur santosha apart bolo boli prabhu bole barabhar. Translation When C. Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard these verses, he was pleased beyond limits, and he said again and again, go on reciting. When C. Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard these verses, he was pleased beyond limits, and he said again and again, go on reciting. As soon as the king recited the verse beginning with the words Tava khatam Ritam, the Lord immediately arose in ecstatic love and embraced him.

As soon as the king recited the verse beginning with the words, The Lord immediately arose in ecstatic love and embraced him and raised him. Translation upon hearing the verses recited by the king, Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu said, you have given me invaluable gems, but I have nothing to give you in return. Therefore I am simply embracing you. Upon hearing the verses recited by the king. Said, you have given me. You have given me invaluable gems, but I have nothing to give you in return. Therefore I am simply embracing youg. Translation after saying this, R. Caitanya Mahprabhu began to recite the same verse again and again. Both the king and Craitanya Mahabra were trembling and tears were flowing from their eyes.

After saying this.

Began to recite the.

Same verse.

Again and again. Both the king and Cr. Caitanya Mahāprabhu Caitanya Mahāprabhu were trembling, were traveling and tears were flowing from their eyes. And tears were flowing from their eyes. Text 13 it’s in Sanskrit. My Lord. The nectar of your words and the descriptions of your activities are the life and soul of those who are always.

Aggrieved in this material world.

These narrations are transmitted by exalted personalities and they eradicate all sinful reactions. Whoever hears these narrations attains all good fortune. These narrations are broadcast all over the world and are filled with spiritual power. Those who spread the message of Godhead are certainly the most munificent welfare workers. My Lord, the nectar of your words and the descriptions of your activities are the life and soul of those who are always aggrieved in this material world. These narrations are transmitted by exalted personalities and they eradicate all sinful reactions. Whoever hears these narrations attains all good fortune. These narrations are broadcast.

All over the.

World and are filled with spiritual power.

Those who spread the message of Godhead.

Are certainly the most munificent welfare workers. Sanskrit word Bhurida Janah Buri da most munificent Janaha persons. This word buri da is something very significant.

Dha means Dhani, someone who is very charitable.

But Bhuri da.

That is that word signifies the one who’s giving out so much charity. Just like the rain cloud pouring down the rain. I think yesterday we had experience.

Rain cloud is very munificent.

It doesn’t hold back Simba. Bhurida means simply giving out the mercy without any restraint.

Giving out completely the mercy to everyone. So here it’s describing the most munificent Bodhidhara those devotees giving out the mercy, just like the rain clouds pouring it down, giving out the most valuable gift.

In fact, Brahma and Shiva, they do Tapasya to get this mercy of Lord Caitanya. But they’re not always able to easily get it. Sometimes they may also be refused.

But here we see that great devotees, of course, our beloved founder Acharya of.

Bhaktivedanta, Swami Prabhupda especially, he gave this mercy to everyone all over the whole world. And now he simply instructed his followers to do the same thing.

In this way, the mercy of Caitanya.

Mahabra was expanding more and more to every corner of the world. The purport of this verse is. This verse is from Sima Bhāgavatam 1031 9. There’s three more verses and then there’s.

A nice purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda. So we will go through just see.

Translation after hearing the recitation of this.

Verse.

Immediately embraced the reciter King Pratap Rudra and cried, you are the most munificent.

You are the most munificent.

At this point, Craitanya Mahprabhu did not even know who the king was. After hearing the recitation of this verse, Immediately embraced the reciter King Prata Paruja.

And cried, you are the most munificent.

You are the most beneficent. At this point see Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not even know who the King was. Text 15. Anusandan Bina kripa prashada korilo Purbo sheva de kitare kripa upajilo Anusandhana Bina kripa Prashada Korilo Translation Śrī Caitanya Mahprabhu’s mercy was aroused because of the king’s previous service. Therefore, without even asking who he was, the Lord immediately bestowed his mercy upon him. See Chaitanya Mahāprabhu’s mercy was aroused because of the king’s previous service. Therefore, without even asking who he was, the Lord immediately bestowed his mercy upon him. Translation by Rla Prabhupda how powerful is the mercy of Sir Caitanya Mahprabhu? Without even inquiring about the king, the Lord made everything successful. How powerful is the mercy? Without even inquiring about the king, the Lord made everything successful.

Report by Śrīla Prabhupda See Caitanya Mahprabhu’s mercy is so powerful that it acts automatically if a person renders loving service to Kṛṣṇa it never goes in vain. It is recorded in a spiritual account and in due time it will fructify. This is confirmed by Bhagavad Gītā240 Swalpama Pyasya Dharmasya Tayate Mahatobhoyat. In this endeavor there is no loss of diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear. R. Caitanya Mahprabhu has particularly bestowed upon all fallen souls in this age the most potent method of devotional service, and whoever takes to it through the mercy of C. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is immediately elevated to the transcendental position Simd Bhāgavatam recommends. Yagyay Saṅkīrtana prayer Yajanti hi Sumeda Saha Bhāgavatam 11532 A student of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness must receive Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu’s mercy then his devotional service will quickly succeed.

This was the case with King Pratapurudra. One has to be noticed by Śrī Caitanya Mahprabhu and a little service with sincere efforts will convince the Lord that one is a proper candidate for returning home. Back to Godhead. Mahārāja Pratapurudra did not have a chance to meet Śrī Chaitanya Mahprabhu, but when the Lord saw that the king was serving Lord Jagannath as a menial sweeper, the Lord’s mercy upon the king became a solid fact. When Mahārāja Pratapurudra in the dress of A Vaiava was serving the Lord did not even inquire who he was. Rather he had compassion upon him and began to embrace him. Kṛṣṇa Daskabiraj Goswami wants to point out that nothing could compare to the Lord’s mercy toward Maharajpatapurudra. Therefore uses the word dekho. Just see Enchaitanya Kripa Mahabal, how powerful is the mercy of C. Caitanya Mahāprabhu?

This is also confirmed by Prabhodananda Saraswati. Caitanya Chandami. To fight even a little of C. Caitanya Mahavu’s mercy serves as a great asset for spiritual advancement. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement must be spread through the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahprabhu. When Rūpa Goswami experienced the mercy and magnanimity of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he said Namo Mahabha Dhannaya Kṛṣṇa Prema Pradayate Kṛṣṇaya Kṛṣṇa Chaitanna Nam na Gaura TV Nama, I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, who is more magnanimous than any other avatar, even Kṛṣṇa himself, because he is bestowing freely what no one else has ever given. Pure love of Kṛṣṇa Das Thakur also sung Parama Karuna Pahudu Ijan Nitāi Gaurachandra. The two brothers Nitāi and Gora are so kind that no one can compare to them.

Similarly, Śrīla Narutam dash Thakur has sung Bajendanandana Jai sachi suto hailo se Balaramohillo nitāi dino hino jatochilo puriname udharilo tarasakhi Jaghay Madhai. See Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s special mission is the deliverance of all fallen souls in Kali Yug. Devotees of Kṛṣṇa must persistently seek the favor and mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu to become fit to return home, back to Godhead. Actually this Adas and the purport of text 16, chapter 14 Madhi Leela by Śrīla Prabhupda actually, who is there fit to serve Jagannath, to serve the Deity, to be Kṛṣṇa conscious in this Kali Yuga, who is fit? This was the special mercy of Lord Caitanya Patra Abichara. He didn’t consider who was qualified, who was unqualified. Rather, if anyone showed a sincere service attitude, he would give that person mercy.

Why don’t Brahma and Shiva and these demigods get the mercy of Chaitani Mahb when they do Tapasya for it? When. When they are exalted servants of the Lord? Why is that? They don’t get the mercy? And if they don’t get the mercy, what chance do we have? The reason they don’t get the mercy is because if they don’t give up their mood for being demigods, for being enjoyers, controllers, iswas, then they can’t get the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. His mercy is given to Dina Hino, to the fallen, to those who feel themselves humble, feel themselves inconsignificant. And for those who think themselves to be very exalted, to be great scholars, to be great demigods, to be great, whatever it may be. Therefore they have some right to get that mercy. They are not eligible. Lord Chaitanya, he neglects them, he deprives them.

But if someone very humbly surrenders or does some service, begging for the mercy that attracts the mercy of the Lord. Just like Maharaj Pataparudra, he Did some service for Jagannath that was pleasing to Lord Caitanya. Because of that Lord Caitanya, he gave this mercy. Just a little service like chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Hare Hare. In humility, knowing it will please Lord Caitanya Mahprabhu can attract his mercy. So we are depending on the mercy of Lord Caitanya. We’re depending on that mercy as it’s coming down through Lord Nithyananda, through that spiritual master. Actually, Śrīla Prabhupāda was sitting in Māyāpur one day. We had the great fortune of having his darshan. And suddenly he started saying that I am not depending upon my devotional activities to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

I am not depending upon chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa to become Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I am not depending upon studying and knowing the scriptures to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. You see, we’re not enumerating all the things he was not depending upon. Finally he said, all I am depending on. And the reason why I am doing all these things is simply I am depending on the mercy of my spiritual master to get the mercy of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahprabhu. This is the only hope to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. So of course, when we do these rath Yātrā ceremonies, I am sure the organizers feel the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Śrīla Prabhupda, the guru. I know that in Calcutta, in Madras, different rath Yatras, we Puran, we always feel the mercy of the Lord in so many ways. Just like this year they did the second annual Rath Yātrā in Madras, which is a noble effort.

There was never rath yātrā in South India before. And they had to finish the whole rath. Some. There was some delay. 2 days, 48 hours. They worked day and night and somehow they finished. They drove the rath out into the street. They got halfway to the rath site from whence the parade would begin. And one of the wheel spokes, two, three spokes, they just cracked. The weld cracked. And they were stuck there in the middle of the road. And the whole trade, everything was going to be delayed. It just so happened that the house before which they stopped was a life member. And he just happened to have a welding set in his garage. How many people normally keep welding sets in their garage? One in a million. He pulled out his welding set and had the person weld the wheels.

And it went on to the. So like that. There’s so many things happen.

No one can begin to numerate sa. It.

(Side B of the Cassette)

This Rath Yātrā in the world possibly because it’s held on the same day of Jagannath Purī’s Rath Yātrā 500 km away from it due to some mild competition. And also because Prabhupāda initiated Rath yātrā there in 1800 or maybe 1900. So because it’s Prabhupāda’s own Rath Yātrā site. So we are always holding the Rath Yātrā. And by Prabhupāda’s mercy it’s increasing every year. But every year there’s a struggle. The government always tried to give us so many difficulties. I don’t know why. I don’t think that Jagannath Purī has to get permits from the tram company, electric company, police tunnels and park, municipality, water and all these different departments. I don’t think they have to go through it. Possibly because they have few more years behind them. But unfortunately they haven’t freed us from all these formalities. Although we are challenging.

Since it’s the 12th annual Rath Yātrā there, so 12 years it’s considered in the Vedas one Yuga. So after one Yuga they should release us. But still up to now they haven’t. In fact the plot thickens. There was one tram operator, he’s the person in charge of lifting up the tram wires. In Calcutta there’s some low hanging live tram wires. Although our rath goes down, some of their wires sag so low that the 14 foot height of our cart still.

Makes it critical.

Just to get under those wires. So they have a special.

Special truck.

Which has some hydraulic system on the back that lifts up the wire so you can go under. So they give those to us every year for about 200 rupees fee. So this year he said he wants 2000 rupees.

So we challenged him.

Please sir, you should consider why you’re giving us all this trouble.

This, that. So after a lot of discussion he agreed that well, if you give me.

Some tapes, Bhajan tapes. So we showered him with a few Bhajan tapes.

That’s one thing India personality seems to.

Have more pull than the rules.

The rules can be interpreted accordingly.

To harass or to give help.

Of course that’s the same everywhere.

But at least there the people also have some ability to get that mercy of Jagannath.

And so in this way we finally we got through so many difficulties. But the police, they even up to five days before the Rath Yātrā in fact we had 20 big hoardings, billboards.

All over the Town was being announced on radio. Everywhere, people talking Rath Yātrā. Even the Polish consulate dropped over to the temple and he said, what is this Jagannath Rath Yātrā?

Everywhere I go, people are asking me. Even the American consulate told us that.

Whenever I come in the airport, they say to me Hare Kṛṣṇa.

When they see any foreigner, all they know is, oh, he must be a Hare Kṛṣṇa. Calcutta. This has become so much that even you know, even the Russian tourists come, they walk up, say Hare Kṛṣṇa, you have come for Rath Yadra. But even up to five days before, they had not granted us permission for the route. In fact, then the police commissioner, who’s on the same level as the inspector general of police, it’s a very big position because 25% of the whole population of Bengal is just there In Calcutta, about 10 million. And on floating population it’s another 3 million. So it comes up to 13 million in the daytime, down to 9, 10 million at night. So it’s one of the bigger cities. So our route happens to go. There’s only one main street in Calcutta known as Central Avenue.

And that goes from the length and.

Breadth of Calcutta, from the north to the south.

So we take it right from the mid south to the far north and block it off for eight hours. So there’s always a hesitant of giving that route to us for some reason. But since the government has declared it a holiday previous four years ago, it was not a holiday. The workers walked right out from the government offices and went down to Rath Yātrā, deserting their posts. So the next year the government decided that it was not good being a communist government to have indisciplined. So they made it a half a holiday. From two o’ clock everyone could leave. But no one wanted to wait till 2 o’ clock to leave. They all left at noon anyway. So because when everybody leaves, then what can anybody do? You see? So, and also no one’s going to, even the officers, they also left.

So this year they decided that to end all type of discipline, they had a solution. They declared the whole day a holiday and everybody observed it with full discipline. So they all came to the Raj Yātrā. And anyway, we haven’t got to that point yet. Before that though, we still hadn’t been granted the route. So Adri Dharn, the president Sadhana Swami and a few other delegation, they went down to see the commissioner. So he said that you have to change your route. You can’t go on the Central Avenue. You should Go on lower circular and upper circular road. So they had a big discussion. It just happens that now they built a flyover and the whole road has to go over this flyover.

So he’s explaining that, sir, if we take the 20 ton rathi cart with millions of people there in front and behind, over the flyover, 30ft in the air and then down again. What will happen if the cart gets out of control? And then commissioner looked to his assistant, he looked to him and the assistant went. And that sign had a thousand words. So then they said, well, what about Chitpur Road, which was another road that went by the college street. So he said that, sir, that from the beginning to the end, this tram line and the tram lines are very low. So it will be very hard to have that route there. And the road is very narrow, the people will not be able to fit. So then he said, all right, this is the last year.

It’s the last year.

You have to find another route. Where there’s no other route. Never mind, you have to find one. So he gave permission again. Police are very kind that they took out ads and all the papers, English, Bengali and Hindi. About 12 different newspapers, at least 8th page ads. It must have cost a minimum 25,000 rupees to the government to take out these ads. Notifying that annual ISKCON Rath Yātrā announcement. They’re saying, police announcement that these roads and they gave the whole route will be under police control from 3 in the afternoon until 8:30 at night. Anyone on these streets, whatever the police say, they have to do it. The cars, when they order it, they have to get off it. If any car is found on it at that time, it will be towed away at their own risk.

And they gave announcement like that and said, this also goes for the return route July 1, nine days later. So in that way, although we gave our own ads, they also gave the ads. It was quite kind of them. This was that first year they actually took out the advertisement. So that meant that they were having experience. And actually this year, the Chief justice of the Supreme High Court of in Bengal in Calcutta, he agreed to represent Maharaj Pataparudra and come and inaugurate the Rath Yātrā ceremony. He came from his bench in the High Court and came down, just taking off his robes and putting on his dhoti. Came down, we put tilak on his forehead. And he swept the street in front of Lord Jagannath’s cart, Maharaj Pat.

And he was accompanied by his swadharmini, his Wife who also touched the broom to assist. Then he also pulled the golden rope to inaugurate the pulling of the cart, came up and then met the devotees. And he was very pleased by everything. He went back to his court then. It wasn’t a holiday for the court, just for the government. Of course, there are many. Most of the lawyers are all there at the Rath Yātrā. So then, although it was announced at one o’ clock that the parade would start, even the police advertised it would start at 3. So they knew. The way things go in iskcon. So the chief justice, after he came, police, everyone were there. Then the people, they were all very anxious to start. We did that, we tried to do.

Some of the pump and thing that.

They have in Jagannath Purī. In Jagannath Purī, when they take.

Of course we can only do it on a limited scale.

But in Jagannath Purī, it’s a whole ceremony to take the deity from the temple. First they sprinkle Ganges water, bring the seven rivers, sprinkle Ganges water all over the cart. They have Adivas, they do various mantras, Chanta, Upanishads and different Vedas on top. Then.

So we do all these different type.

Of ceremonies, sweep the area before Jagannath comes. And then they have a line in Purī, of course, it’s a big pageantry. They have about at least a hundred devotees. Of course, we could do it here in the west there’s no problem. We only have 30, 40 devotees in Calcutta, but here there’s hundreds of devotees. They have 50 on each side lined up with these big round gongs. And they’re in two rows. And then there’s another 50 or 75 devotees right in front of Jagannath with chamras and the devotees, the Pujaris carrying the gongs. This is a Jagannath parade. They’re beating the gongs.

All hundred devotees.

At the same time, all the pūjā. And they’re bending as they’re beating. They’re going down like this.

And you listen.

And you can hear.

That for five miles.

And then the hundred devotees with the.

Chamas, they’re waving furiously, just like this.

Waving and waving, furious. And you can see that the non start. They do this. Sometimes it takes one hour to get.

Just to get Jagannath or Balaram alone.

From the temple down.

Sometimes even two, three hours just to get one deity down. Because Jagannath, being seven feet tall, weighing maybe he must weigh almost a ton. The little Pujaris are dwarf. They just look like pygmies.

They tie silken rope to Jagannath’s lotus.

Feet and also to his waist.

And somehow.

And they put. He has to go down these steps. So they put big for looking from the roof. So we could see at that time, people aren’t allowed in the temple. In any case, we’re not. So Jagannath, he’s coming.

They take him up to one step. And while he’s moving, it’s like walking.

They pull his feet forward and he goes forward.

And then they pull him with rope and they push him.

And they push him like this, his head forward. So this way he’s walking, just going like this.

And behind, while he’s doing, they have.

A big peacock fan, which is for.

Jagannath and for Balaram, a big white fan. And it’s about 12ft high. And you can see that fan. And if they keep it moving as.

Jagannath’s moving like this. So it looks like Jagannath is more.

Or less dancing, coming to meet his devotees. And the whole time, bom, bong thong, bong, bong, thump.

And standing through his Jagannathani.

Jagannathani ki.

So it creates a tremendous pageantry that is completely out of this world. Out of this world. Even.

Even today, what I have seen, of course.

The schedules that are getting worse, but still the pageantry is.

I saw in 1970. I don’t know today what to do. I imagine it’s the same thing going on for thousands of years. Jagadish is of course, born in Jagannath Purī Dam. So he’s saying that always from his childhood.

But now he also stages for the Calcutta Ra theatre.

So you will see then finally, when Jagannath.

Comes to the stairways, they put big.

Cotton cushions or silk cushions or some type of cushions, I believe a cotton.

And they have these big pillows.

Because when they take him from one step to the next, they don’t want.

Him to just hurt him. Load his feet so he falls onto the next pillow.

So when he hits that pillow, boom. You see that cotton go poof and.

Fly up in the air. You just see it shoot up. You can.

You can only see the juggernaut just.

Top of his lotus head, his turban.

Or you can see that. And you see it bam. You hear this as the pillows tight, sewn very tightly. When he goes on it explodes. Poof. And then the cotton flies out from up. And this way they take him down step by step. Then finally they walk him forward and all the people are there, the devotees. They take him right up to that Rath Yamtra cart. And then somehow they have to get him up this huge ramp the same way. So there, when they’re trying to pull him up and he’s going. I saw one time they’re taking Balaram, and Balaram is even a little bigger than Jagannath, I think. So when they’re taking Balaram up, somehow somebody let go of the rope around his waist and somehow it slipped. And you saw Balaram was coming back and there were hundreds of Pujaris holding.

It was just like. It was just. They were being crushed and he was coming down, and somehow they got him back up. It was amazing to see. It was. It was the proportion and the vision was just unbelievable. So these little Pujaris looked like just hundreds of Pujari in a huge Jagannath and Valadev. So somehow then they. They got up on top of the deity of the cart. And from there. So of course, in perspective, we tried to keep at least some of the mood. We have about 10 devotees with the gongs and the fans. We take Jagannath down slowly, but of course, he’s not seven feet. So we just bring him in a palanquin. But anyway, the Calcutta people, they get the mood and they like it very much.

Then if we have some big dignitary like the chief justice or someone come and inaugurate, they also like that very much. So then finally Jagannath is there. We chanted all the Brahma, Sangeeta slokers. We chanted all the mantras. Everything is ready to go. Prabhupāda has been established on the Roth cart. Then it’s time to take out the ropes. When the rope comes out, the people go wild. They just want to be the first to grab the ropes. They’re all grabbing and pulling it just to get that rope. They’re so eager to get. You can’t. There’s not a square millimeter on that rope without somebody grabbing onto. Even the people seem to be off the ground grabbing on the rope.

Somehow another.

They want to get to that rope. And then finally. Then we had to clear everyone away from the wheels.

This year we had about.

We had about 100 volunteers and people we hired to just stand around the cart and hold a cordon of sticks. Of course, and during the parade, 50 of them all disappeared. But somehow another. We have a whole system, air brakes there. We have to have. The steer can’t be under the cart because you can’t see what’s happening. So he’s up on the top and he’s got a big. Just like a ship, he’s got a big wheel that he turns. And then we have people looking at both the wheels when anyone falls under the wheel. And then we have rear people with the rear brakes that They have taken from 25 ton railway cars. And then we have of course the air brakes on top of that.

There’s four people in the front for pushing the people to stop them from pulling and a person with a red flag as soon as the time is stopped, Break. Red flag, push.

Break.

Still the people are so fired up that they won’t stop. One time they pulled so hard after we break they crack. They ripped this 2 inch thick solid jute rope. Just snapped it. It’s. It’s when they take off they just jumps forward and then anything before it. Sometimes it gets closer to dark, it gets more frantic and they just jump and they just pull it so fast and so hard that sometimes the people are so crammed up to hold on the rope they fall over each other feet and they just crawl in a big ball and the wheels are heading straight for the brake. Chuck em up. Then you see it’s just so it’s. The whole thing is like that a solid. Sometimes you can only go four feet at a time before you have to break again.

Untangled out people start all over again. Go. It’s going on like this. So. So this year there were about two. Just the whole way was a 10 kilometer route. Six miles, six, seven miles the whole way. This year by Jagannath’s mercy that the whole way was packed with people. Normally in the beginning it’s packed in the middle it’s good turnout but still it’s not fully packed. And in the end it’s packed at this time, even in the middle, even on the rich plush Park Avenue it was completely packed with people. The newspapers published one gave estimate of 25 lakhs of people or 2.5 million. And they said in the same crowd there was 2 lakhs of people at Juggernaut Purī. I don’t know how it’s beyond count, you see. There’s no way you can just see this unlimited heads.

But this time we are going up. We got at a certain point somehow the police allowed 10 cars to get through. And these cars were completely stuck amongst all the people. And the people they were getting angry at the cars coming through there. So practically.

You see.

Then the police they. They realize their mistake and Then just cut off. Certainly they thought, well, we will just have one row will be Rath Yātrā. The other row of the street, the traffic will come the other. There are 10 cars too. There are so many people, Their cars are completely jammed. They just had to push them off on the sidewalk. And then the car went out, the procession went on. They completely cut off the traffic. Just right from the beginning, the whole way it was a four lane up to a six lane street. @ some points they just closed off the whole street. Jagannath went down the middle and the whole street was just packed with people from one end of the building to the other end of the whole road, sidewalk, everything. Even the last year, the statesmanous was always against us.

In Calcutta they said so many bystanders and watched Iraq. This year they said people throng the streets which for us in Calcutta, as a media thing, it’s a big step forward because the statesman never says a favorable thing. The biggest coverage they gave to us was when the Polish embassy window fell out. When the consulate was looking out over the thing and he dropped the window out of that, his window fell out and it fell on three people’s head and they had bloody. I said bloody rat. That was the only time they gave a big coverage four years ago with nothing to do with us. It was just they were standing by and the window fell up. But because the emissary was the Polish Eminem was supposed to not be in concern.

So he looked from the top window to see what’s going on because right next to us is the Polish consulate and his window fell out. So this is the first year they even admitted that the roads were thronged, that this is the biggest event in Calcutta. They mentioned that and the Ganta paper said that Iska and Rathyatra has. Has conquered Calcutta. We were going up the street and were what at the one Bogusar, which links the downtown area to the main commuter railway station. As far as you can see there were trams and buses just stopped. All the people deserted them. Come and join the Rath Yātrā. So we stopped there and did an aarti for about 15 minutes.

And then a deputy commissioner of police came up and someone said, oh, he’s going to scold us now for just stopping at this intersection for so long. And we kept on with the aarti. In the meantime he came up and gave a 51 rupee donation and asked if he could have a little Jagannath Prashad. So anyway, there’s so many other things, but don’t think there’s time to say it all now. So anyway, we always feel that by doing this preaching that apart from the immediate whatever effect is there from the Rath Yātrā, that somehow Jagannath’s mercy, Prabhupāda’s Lord Caitanya’s mercy is there. And in so many ways the preaching expands thereafter. It polarizes some of the demons at the same time, it somehow just opened so many doors to preaching that you didn’t even know were there.

And of course, I was unfortunate in one respect that I was sent to India in 1970. So I was able to only I was able participate in the 68 Rath Yātrā in San Francisco at which I joined the movement. After that I was in Montreal and Canada. We didn’t have Rath Yatras except small ones we had from Prabhupāda wasn’t there. But I understand that in America, Prasutla Prabhupāda attended many Rathayatras and I think Śrīla Gurupda was present at several of them at least. So maybe if we could hear just a few things about anyone or any pastime from those from his lotus lips, that would give us some special insight into the mood that Prabhupāda would observe these Rath Yatras and how he was enthused by.

Them. I asked, what is the schedule? Does anybody know? Is there a lot of setting up? A lot of things blow down? As far as my being with Śrīla Prabhupāda, I don’t have very good.

Memories. I.

Was. I was with Prabhupāda in three in a row in 1974 when he went to Australia and then Chicago and San Francisco. There’s one Rathyatra that for Prabhupāda, his going there began in Calcutta and I missed it. But that was that to me is most memorable seeing Prabhupāda’s desire to go to that 1973 Rathyatra in London. I believe Jaipaka Mirage was there in Calcutta, maybe Jagadish Mirage was also the Prabhupāda appeared to be very.

Ill. He had dysentery.

And night after night he was.

Moaning. During the night he had so much difficulty and he wasn’t.

Eating. He said apparently it was something his sister.

Cooked. So then we thought not just finally, then the immediate attack.

Passed. But he was very.

Weakened. And so in general he didn’t take an illness as just a passing thing. Because of his how dear his presence was to us and his advanced age. He thought we should recommend some in general recuperation and different pace. But then there was this long.

Telegram from the GBC of.

England. Then Sham Sunder long telegram saying about describing in very flowery and even.

Exaggerated terms about what was going to happen at the Rathayatra there in London how they pick him up in a.

Helicopter possibilities of meeting the Queen and Arbus power planners. He didn’t take it as a joke. He was very at his telegram and the possibilities of a wonderful rap laptop there. But then he was. But he was so ill. So a decision had to be made whether to go to the rapture or.

Not. So Śrīla Powerpal called in all.

The GBC insaniasis who were present in Calcutta at that time to his room and different suggestions were made mostly that he should go not go for that rapture but he should go to Hawaii was the most prominent suggestion because it could write nicely and it wouldn’t be bothered by so many letters and things. He could recuperate then. But different opinions were given, some said different things. Then Prabhupāda said but you all have to decide and make your consensus. So then we all met and along with different opinions we arrived at the conclusion that yes, the writing told Prabhupāda and he said all right. And then after were dismissed then he decided so have voted London.

Carlson began to preach to us why he was saying that he was talking about the degradation of material society and ignorance in the wealth of how people are so ignorant they don’t even know what life is for. They don’t know the existence of the soul or God. And then we have to go to them and we have to preach this is our duty. And he said he especially Buffet was his duty to push on preaching and he had a special attraction for doing that in London. And so that was a very amazing thing that pop up even got off his bed and attempted to grow for somehow when they sent tickets they looked on the ticket for me. I was. There but I didn’t get a ticket. But others went. His secretary or servant went just left the.

Air.

Correct. And then I.

Came. I arrived in London the day.

After the Rafaja and then I heard how the power prop danced the whole way but the name of just knew that the power prop dance in Calcutta was wonderful and danced the whole way from 95 to Chifaba Square and I think they confirmed many pictures. So as amazing as that was when I heard coming from California knowing that condition power problem. I. Was.

Right.

Africa.