19850925 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.17.25-28 and 8.18

The following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swamī on September 25, 1985 in Atlanta, Georgia. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 8th canto, chapter 17, text 25 to 28.

Jayapatākā Swami: He Keśava - who has taken the form of a dwarf, He Jagadīśa - Lord of the Universe, Your lotus feet, the tips on the nails of Your lotus feet have, are the cause of purifying the entire universe, by having the water of the Ganges flowing from Your lotus foot, as it penetrated into the edge of the universe. You are. the Trivikrama, or the Person who has taken the three steps. You are the. person who has assumed the form of a Dwarf. Trivikrama Prakāśa pūrvaka, Daitya-rāja - You are the person who has forced the, compelled the king of the demons Bali to take surrender at Your lotus feet. Oh Hare! - who attracts our minds with Your transcendental pastimes. All glories be unto You.

Prabhupāda said, whenever the avatāra appears, because They are all avatāras of Kṛṣṇa, actually we should worship all the avatāras.. always should worship Kṛṣṇa who possess all the avatāras within Him, rather than just only one particular.

However, since today is Vāmana Dvādaśi, so we will mention something directly about Lord Vāmana Understanding that all the avatāras are actually coming from Kṛṣṇa, we should understand all the various avatārs in the similar light, whether it is Vāmana, whether Matsya, Kūrma, Varāha, Narasimha.

So it’s appropriate to read the introductions, because the whole pastime comes over about 3-4 chapters. Lord Vāmanadeva appeared in mid-day, Lord Rāma and Vāmana appeared in the mid-day. So, generally we observe some upavāsa fasting till noon. Usually we do that on Ekadaśī, because you know, we are not supposed to fast on Dvādaśī, as He appeared on Dvādaśi. But today it is a rare occurrence of Mahadvādaśi, coinciding Vāmana dvādaśi. Otherwise normally on the Vāmana Dvādaśi, we fast on the Ekadaśi, we don’t fast on the Dvādaśi.

Jayapatākā Swami: (Reads introduction from SB 8.17, Verses 8.17.25-28 Translations and Purports)

After Aditi performed the payo-vrata ceremony for twelve continuous days, the Lord, who was certainly very pleased with her, appeared before her with four hands and dressed in yellow garments. As soon as Aditi saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead present before her, she immediately got up, and with great ecstatic love for the Lord she fell to the ground to offer respectful obeisances. Aditi’s throat was choked because of ecstatic feelings, and her entire body trembled with devotion. Although she wanted to offer suitable prayers to the Lord, she could not do anything, and thus she remained silent for some time. Then, feeling solace, observing the beauty of the Lord, she offered her prayers. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul of all living entities, was very pleased with her, and He agreed to become her son by incarnating as a plenary expansion. He was already pleased by Kaśyapa Muni’s austerities, and thus He agreed to become their son and maintain the demigods. After giving His word of honor to this effect, the Lord disappeared. Following the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Aditi engaged in the service of Kaśyapa Muni, who could see by samādhi that the Lord was within him and who thus placed his semen in the womb of Aditi. Lord Brahmā, who is known as Hiraṇyagarbha, understood that the Supreme Personality of Godhead had entered Aditi’s womb. Thus he offered prayers to the Lord.

One of those prayers is..

jayorugāya bhagavann
urukrama namo ’stu te
namo brahmaṇya-devāya
tri-guṇāya namo namaḥ
[ŚB 8.17.25] 

Translation: Lord Brahmā said – O Supreme Personality of Godhead, all glories unto You, who are glorified by all and whose activities are all uncommon. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You, O Lord of the transcendentalists, controller of the three modes of nature. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You again and again.

namas te pṛśni-garbhāya
veda-garbhāya vedhase
tri-nābhāya tri-pṛṣṭhāya
śipi-viṣṭāya viṣṇave
[ŚB 8.17.26]

Translation: I offer my respectful obeisances unto You, the all-pervading Lord Viṣṇu, who have entered the cores of the hearts of all living entities. All the three worlds reside within Your navel, yet You are above the three worlds. Formerly You appeared as the son of Pṛśni. To You, the supreme creator, who are understood only through Vedic knowledge, I offer my respectful obeisances.

tvam ādir anto bhuvanasya madhyam
ananta-śaktiṁ puruṣaṁ yam āhuḥ
kālo bhavān ākṣipatīśa viśvaṁ
sroto yathāntaḥ patitaṁ gabhīram
[ŚB 8.17.27]

Translation: O my Lord, You are the beginning, the manifestation and the ultimate dissolution of the three worlds, and You are celebrated in the Vedas as the reservoir of unlimited potencies, the Supreme Person. O my Lord, as waves attract branches and leaves that have fallen into deep water, You, the supreme eternal time factor, attract everything in this universe.

Purport: The time factor is sometimes described as kāla-srota, waves of time. Everything in this material world is within the time factor and is being carried away by waves of attraction, which represent the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

tvaṁ vai prajānāṁ sthira-jaṅgamānāṁ
prajāpatīnām asi sambhaviṣṇuḥ
divaukasāṁ deva divaś cyutānāṁ
parāyaṇaṁ naur iva majjato ’psu
[ŚB 8.17.28]

Translation: My Lord, You are the original generator of all living entities, stationary or moving, and You are also the generator of the Prajāpatis. O my Lord, as a boat is the only hope for a person drowning in the water, You are the only shelter for the demigods, who are now bereft of their heavenly position.

Chapter 18

Lord Vāmanadeva appeared in this world from the womb of Aditi completely equipped with conchshell, disc, club and lotus. His bodily hue was blackish, and He was dressed in yellow garments. Lord Viṣṇu appeared at an auspicious moment on Śravaṇa-dvādaśī when the Abhijit star had arisen. At that time, in all the three worlds (including the higher planetary system, (outer space and this earth), all the demigods, the cows, the brāhmaṇas and even the seasons were happy because of the Lord's appearance. Therefore this auspicious day is called Vijayā. When the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has a sac-cid-ānanda body, appeared as the son of Kaśyapa and Aditi, both His parents were very astonished. After His appearance, the Lord assumed the form of a dwarf (Vāmana). [Vamana means dwarf] All the great sages expressed their jubilation, and with Kaśyapa Muni before them they performed the birthday ceremony of Lord Vāmana. At the time of Lord Vāmanadeva’s sacred thread ceremony, He was honored by the sun-god, Bṛhaspati, the goddess presiding over the planet earth, the deity of the heavenly planets, His mother, Lord Brahmā, Kuvera, the seven ṛṣis and others. Lord Vāmanadeva then visited the sacrificial arena on the northern side of the Narmadā River, at the field known as Bhṛgukaccha, where brāhmaṇas of the Bhṛgu dynasty were performing yajñas. Wearing a belt made of muñja straw, an upper garment of deerskin and a sacred thread and carrying in His hands a daṇḍa, an umbrella and a waterpot (kamaṇḍalu), Lord Vāmanadeva appeared in the sacrificial arena of Mahārāja Bali. Because of His transcendentally effulgent presence, all the priests were diminished in their prowess, and thus they all stood from their seats and offered prayers to Lord Vāmanadeva. Even Lord Śiva accepts on his head the Ganges water generated from the toe of Lord Vāmanadeva. Therefore, after washing the Lord’s feet, Bali Mahārāja immediately accepted the water from the Lord’s feet on his head and felt that he and his predecessors had certainly been glorified. Then Bali Mahārāja inquired of Lord Vāmanadeva’s welfare and requested the Lord to ask him for money, jewels or anything He might desire.

yad yad vaṭo vāñchasi tat pratīccha me
tvām arthinaṁ vipra-sutānutarkaye
gāṁ kāñcanaṁ guṇavad dhāma mṛṣṭaṁ
tathānna-peyam uta vā vipra-kanyām
grāmān samṛddhāṁs turagān gajān vā
rathāṁs tathārhattama sampratīccha
[ŚB 8.18.32]

Translation: O son of a brāhmaṇa, it appears that You have come here to ask me for something. Therefore, whatever You want You may take from me. O best of those who are worshipable. You may take from me a cow, gold, a furnished house, palatable food and drink, the daughter of a brāhmaṇa for Your wife, prosperous villages, horses, elephants, chariots or whatever You desire.

***

Jayapatākā Swami: Anything You desire - sampraticcha.

***

SB 8.19 Introduction:

When Bali Mahārāja, thinking Vāmanadeva to be the son of a brāhmaṇa, told Him to ask for anything He liked, Lord Vāmanadeva praised Hiraṇyakaśipu and Hiraṇyākṣa for their heroic activities, and after thus praising the family in which Bali Mahārāja had been born, He begged the King for three paces of land. Bali Mahārāja agreed to give this land in charity, since this was very insignificant, but Śukrācārya, who could understand that Vāmanadeva was Viṣṇu, the friend of the demigods, forbade Bali Mahārāja to give this land. Śukrācārya advised Bali Mahārāja to withdraw his promise. He explained that in subduing others, in joking, in responding to danger, in acting for the welfare of others, and so on, one could refuse to fulfill one’s promise, and there would be no fault. By this philosophy, Śukrācārya tried to dissuade Bali Mahārāja from giving land to Lord Vāmanadeva.

So He is praising, how, no one has, ever been born in your family, who has refused to give charity to a brāhmaṇa, who has failed to satisfy whatever he wanted.

[ŚB 8.19.14] Translation: Bali Mahārāja’s father, Virocana, the son of Mahārāja Prahlāda, was very affectionate toward brāhmaṇas. Although he knew very well that it was the demigods who had come to him in the dress of brāhmaṇas, at their request he delivered to them the duration of his life.

Purport: Mahārāja Virocana, Bali’s father, was so pleased with the brāhmaṇa community that even though he knew that those approaching him for charity were the demigods in the dress of brāhmaṇas, he nonetheless agreed to give it.

Jayapatākā Swami: So after saying all these praises, then He said that, “Just give Me three pieces of land.”

Bali Maharaj said, “Well! I can give You a whole Island.”

“I just want three pieces of land; even the person has the whole world, he still won’t be satisfied.”

Śukrācārya’s logic however is, he should refuse. His logic is this the safe course is to say ‘NO’. Although it is a falsehood, it protects one completely, it draws the compassion of others toward oneself, and it gives one full facility to collect money from others for oneself. Nonetheless, if one always pleads that he has nothing, he is condemned, for he is a dead body while living, or while still breathing he should be killed. Somehow rich people always saying I am very poor; I don’t have anything. Even Śukrācārya is saying that, if everyone, when a rich person always saying he has nothing, gradually he is going to death. So, but he gives his logic here: In flattering a woman, in joking, in a marriage ceremony, in earning one’s livelihood, when one’s life is in danger, in protecting cows and brahminical culture, or in protecting a person from an enemy’s hand, falsity is never condemned, then one can lie.

Bali Mahārāja Surrenders the Universe. (ŚB 8.20 Intro.)

After hearing the instructive advice of Śukrācārya, Bali Mahārāja became contemplative. Because it is the duty of a householder to maintain the principles of religion, economic development and sense gratification, Bali Mahārāja thought it improper to withdraw his promise to a brahmacārī. To lie or fail to honor a promise given to a brahmacārī is never proper. (It includes sannyāsīs. We have to seriously note that.) for lying is the most sinful activity. Everyone should be afraid of the sinful reactions to lying, for mother earth cannot even bear the weight of a sinful liar. The spreading of a kingdom or empire is temporary; if there is no benefit for the general public, such expansion has no value. Previously, all the great kings and emperors expanded their kingdoms with a regard for the welfare of the people in general. Indeed, while engaged in such activities for the benefit of the general public, eminent men sometimes even sacrificed their lives. It is said that one who is glorious in his activities is always living and never dies. Therefore, fame should be the aim of life, and even if one becomes poverty-stricken for the sake of a good reputation, that is not a loss. Bali Mahārāja thought that even if this brahmacārī, Vāmanadeva, were Lord Viṣṇu, if the Lord accepted his charity and then again arrested him, Bali Mahārāja would not envy Him. Considering all these points, Bali Mahārāja finally gave in charity everything he possessed. Lord Vāmanadeva then immediately extended Himself into a universal body. By the mercy of Lord Vāmanadeva, Bali Mahārāja could see that the Lord is all-pervading and that everything rests in His body. Bali Mahārāja could see Lord Vāmanadeva as the Supreme Viṣṇu, wearing a helmet, yellow garments, the mark of Śrīvatsa, the Kaustubha jewel, a flower garland, and ornaments decorating His entire body. The Lord gradually covered the entire surface of the world, and by extending His body He covered the entire sky. With His hands He covered all directions, and with His second footstep He covered the entire upper planetary system. Therefore there was no vacant place where He could take His third footstep.

***

Jayapatākā Swami: So, then Bali Maharaja gave his Guru, the instruction.

***

SB 8.21 Introduction: 

With the second step the Supreme Personality of Godhead reached the topmost planet of the universe, Brahmaloka, which He diminished in beauty by the effulgence of His toenails. Thus Lord Brahmā, accompanied by great sages like Marīci and the predominating deities of all the higher planets, offered humble prayers and worship to the Lord. They washed the Lord’s feet and worshiped Him with all paraphernalia. Ṛkṣarāja, Jāmbavān, played his bugle to vibrate the glories of the Lord. When Bali Mahārāja was deprived of all his possessions, the demons were very angry. Although Bali Mahārāja warned them not to do so, they took up weapons against Lord Viṣṇu. All of them were defeated, however, by Lord Viṣṇu’s eternal associates, and, in accordance with Bali Mahārāja’s order, they all entered the lower planets of the universe. Understanding Lord Viṣṇu’s purpose, Garuḍa, the carrier of Lord Viṣṇu, immediately arrested Bali Mahārāja with the ropes of Varuṇa. When Bali Mahārāja was thus reduced to a helpless position, Lord Viṣṇu asked him for the third step of land. Because Lord Viṣṇu appreciated Bali Mahārāja’s determination and integrity, when Bali Mahārāja was unable to fulfill his promise, Lord Viṣṇu ascertained that the place for him would be the planet Sutala, which is better than the planets of heaven.

***

Jayapatākā Swami: Demons they felt that Bali Maharaja being always fixed in truthfulness, being very kind, merciful, cheated by Viṣṇu, so they decided to kill Viṣṇu to protect their master. Demons.. Demons have moral standards, but they are always inimical to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

***

[ŚB 8.21.29]: O King of the demons, you have promised to give Me three steps of land, but I have occupied the entire universe with two steps. Now think about where I should put My third.

yāvat tapaty asau gobhir
yāvad induḥ sahoḍubhiḥ
yāvad varṣati parjanyas
tāvatī bhūr iyaṁ tava
[ŚB 8.21.30]

Translation: As far as the sun and moon shine with the stars and as far as the clouds pour rain, all the land throughout the universe is in your possession.

[ŚB 8.21.32]: Because you have been unable to give charity according to your promise, the rule is that you should go down to live in the hellish planets. Therefore, in accordance with the order of Śukrācārya, your spiritual master, now go down and live there.

Jayapatākā Swami: Śukrācārya cursed him that, because you are disobeying, you have to go and live in hell. So Viṣṇu fulfilled that curse. But He gave him the place to live Sutala, which is better than heaven. Yeah. One of the lower planetary systems, but it's better than heaven.

ŚB 8.22 Introduction:

Bali Mahārāja was extremely truthful. Being unable to keep his promise, he was very much afraid, for he knew that one who has deviated from truthfulness is insignificant in the eyes of society. An exalted person can suffer the consequences of hellish life, but he is very much afraid of being defamed for deviation from the truth.

***

Jayapatākā Swami: He is being told that, you have to live in hell. He doesn't know that Sutala is actually better than heaven. He is been told that, you failed to fulfil. He is not worried that, oh my God, why did… he is not at all thinking, note this how glorified Bali is, he is not thinking, “I was ripped off, actually I don’t know who He was.” You know, in the pretext, he started thinking, “I promised three steps, and I haven't been able to fulfill it. I lied. Actually, I misunderstand how great this smallest Person is.” Any normal person you know, if someone says, he’ll give me something, and then he failed Someone had a whole scam behind it Then probably person would say was a rip-off or something, get all angry, this that Bali Maharaja, even though he was priorly ripped off his whole kingdom, he is feeling bad that, I could not fulfill my promise. He is using the colloquial slang words to give it a perspective.

***

ŚB 8.22 Intro continued:

Bali Mahārāja agreed with great pleasure to accept the punishment awarded him by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In Bali Mahārāja’s dynasty there were many asuras who because of their enmity toward Viṣṇu had achieved a destination more exalted than that of many mystic yogīs. Bali Mahārāja specifically remembered the determination of Prahlāda Mahārāja in devotional service. Considering all these points, he decided to give his head in charity as the place for Viṣṇu’s third step. Bali Mahārāja also considered how great personalities give up their family relationships and material possessions to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Indeed, they sometimes even sacrifice their lives for the satisfaction of the Lord, just to become His personal servants. Accordingly, by following in the footsteps of previous ācāryas and devotees, Bali Mahārāja perceived himself successful.

While Bali Mahārāja, having been arrested by the ropes of Varuṇa, was offering prayers to the Lord, his grandfather Prahlāda Mahārāja appeared there and described how the Supreme Personality of Godhead had delivered Bali Mahārāja by taking his possessions in a tricky way. While Prahlāda Mahārāja was present, Lord Brahmā and Bali’s wife, Vindhyāvali, described the supremacy of the Lord. Since Bali Mahārāja had given everything to the Lord, they prayed for his release. The Lord then described how a nondevotee’s possession of wealth is a danger whereas a devotee’s opulence is a benediction from the Lord. Then, being pleased with Bali Mahārāja, the Supreme Lord offered His disc to protect Bali Mahārāja and promised to remain with him.

***

śrī-balir uvāca
yady uttamaśloka bhavān mameritaṁ
vaco vyalīkaṁ sura-varya manyate
karomy ṛtaṁ tan na bhavet pralambhanaṁ
padaṁ tṛtīyaṁ kuru śīrṣṇi me nijam
[ŚB 8.22.2]

Translation: Bali Mahārāja said– O best Personality of Godhead, most worshipable for all the demigods, if You think that my promise has become false, I shall certainly rectify matters to make it truthful. I cannot allow my promise to be false. Please, therefore, place Your third lotus footstep on my head.

[ŚB 8.22.3]: I do not fear being deprived of all my possessions, living in hellish life, being arrested for poverty by the ropes of Varuṇa or being punished by You as much as I fear defamation.

[ŚB 8.22.4]: Although a father, mother, brother or friend may sometimes punish one as a well-wisher, they never punish their subordinate like this. But because You are the most worshipable Lord, I regard the punishment You have given me as most exalted.

[ŚB 8.22.5]: Since Your Lordship is indirectly the greatest well-wisher of us demons, You act for our best welfare by posing as if our enemy. Because demons like us always aspire for a position of false prestige, by chastising us You give us the eyes by which to see the right path.

[ŚB 8.22.6]: Many demons who were continuously inimical toward You finally achieved the perfection of great mystic yogīs. Your Lordship can perform one work to serve many purposes, and consequently, although You have punished me in many ways, I do not feel ashamed of having been arrested by the ropes of Varuṇa, nor do I feel aggrieved.

Glorifies Prahlāda…. (verses 8.22.7-8)

[ŚB 8.22.9]: What is the use of the material body, which automatically leaves its owner at the end of life? And what is the use of all one’s family members, who are actually plunderers taking away money that is useful for the service of the Lord in spiritual opulence? What is the use of a wife? She is only the source of increasing material conditions. And what is the use of family, home, country and community? Attachment for them merely wastes the valuable energy of one’s lifetime.

Jayapatākā Swami: So he was glorifying, how it was very fortunate to be forced. to get the shelter of Lord Viṣṇu. The Lord said that, he'd become the king of heavenly planets till the period of the Manu known as Sāvarṇī. Till that time, He's given him a place which is unattainable even by the Demigods. He shall live in the planet Sutala which is made by Viśvakarmā according to My (The Lord's) order which is specially protected by Me, it is free from mental and bodily miseries, fatigue, dizziness, defeat and all other disturbances. Bali Maharaja may now go and live there peacefully. Even the demigods have to worry about the demon’s attack, but this place cannot be attacked, protected by Viṣṇu. In other words, equal to heaven, but the advantage is that, it can’t be disturbed by any outward calamities, neither by any mental or bodily miseries. So although it’s basically in the similar level as the heavenly planets, in terms of its opulence on one level, and Viṣṇu's benefits are there.

[ŚB 8.22.33]: O Bali [Indrasena], now you may go to live in the planet Sutala, which is desired even by the demigods. Live there peacefully, surrounded by your friends and relatives. All good fortune unto you.

[ŚB 8.22.34]: On the planet Sutala, not even the predominating deities of other planets, what to speak of ordinary people, will be able to conquer you. As far as the demons are concerned, if they transgress your rule, My disc will kill them.

***

Jayapatākā Swami: The demons have to also.. they are normally they are pretty unruly. They have to follow him too, internally.

***

[ŚB 8.22.35]: O great hero, I shall always be with you and give you protection in all respects along with your associates and paraphernalia. Moreover, you will always be able to see Me there.

[ŚB 8.22.36]: Because there you will see My supreme prowess, your materialistic ideas and anxieties that have arisen from your association with the demons and Dānavas will immediately be vanquished.

ŚB 8.23 Introduction:

The great soul Bali Mahārāja experienced that the highest gain in life is to attain devotional service under the shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet in full surrender. Being fixed in this conclusion, his heart full of ecstatic devotion and his eyes full of tears, he offered obeisances to the Personality of Godhead and then, with his associates, entered the planet known as Sutala. Thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead satisfied the desire of Aditi and reinstalled Lord Indra. Prahlāda Mahārāja, being aware of Bali’s release from arrest, then described the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in this material world. Prahlāda Mahārāja praised the Supreme Lord for creating the material world, for being equal to everyone and for being extremely liberal to the devotees, just like a desire tree.

***

Jayapatākā Swami: Hmm, one who wants to know, some people say, why does the Lord create the material world? They can refer to these prayers where Prahlāda praised the Lord for creating the material world.

***

Intro continues:

Indeed, Prahlāda Mahārāja said that the Lord is kind not only to His devotees but also to the demons. In this way he described the unlimited causeless mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then, with folded hands, he offered his respectful obeisances unto the Lord, and after circumambulating the Lord he also entered the planet Sutala in accordance with the Lord’s order. The Lord then ordered Śukrācārya to describe Bali Mahārāja’s faults and discrepancies in executing the sacrificial ceremony. Śukrācārya became free from fruitive actions by chanting the holy name of the lord.

***

Jayapatākā Swami: There's is a very important verse here that says that, anything you do along with chanting the holy name, even if otherwise imperfect in religious principles, it becomes perfect by chanting the holy name. (8.23.16)

***

Intro continues:

Śukrācārya explained how chanting can diminish all the faults of the conditioned soul. He then completed Bali Mahārāja’s sacrificial ceremony. All the great saintly persons accepted Lord Vāmanadeva as the benefactor of Lord Indra because He had returned Indra to his heavenly planet. They accepted the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the maintainer of all the affairs of the universe. Being very happy, Indra, along with his associates, placed Vāmanadeva before him and reentered the heavenly planet in their airplane. Having seen the wonderful activities of Lord Viṣṇu in the sacrificial arena of Bali Mahārāja, all the demigods, saintly persons, Pitās, Bhūtas and Siddhas glorified the Lord again and again. The chapter concludes by saying that the most auspicious function of the conditioned soul is to chant and hear about the glorious activities of Lord Viṣṇu.

***

ya idaṁ deva-devasya
harer adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ
avatārānucaritaṁ
śṛṇvan yāti parāṁ gatim
[ŚB 8.23.30]

Translation: If one hears about the uncommon activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His various incarnations, he is certainly elevated to the higher planetary system or even brought back home, back to Godhead.

kriyamāṇe karmaṇīdaṁ
daive pitrye ’tha mānuṣe
yatra yatrānukīrtyeta
tat teṣāṁ sukṛtaṁ viduḥ
[ŚB 8.23.31]

Translation: Whenever the activities of Vāmanadeva are described in the course of a ritualistic ceremony, whether the ceremony be performed to please the demigods, to please one’s forefathers in Pitṛloka, or to celebrate a social event like a marriage, that ceremony should be understood to be extremely auspicious.

***

Oṃ tat sat.

Prabhupada said (purport), There are three kinds of ceremonies — specifically, ceremonies to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead or the demigods, those performed for social celebrations like marriages and birthdays, and those meant to please the forefathers, like the Śrāddha ceremony. In all these ceremonies, large amounts of money are spent for various activities, but here it is suggested that if along with this there is recitation of the wonderful activities of Vāmanadeva, certainly the ceremony will be carried out successfully and will be free of all discrepancies.

Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapataka Swami: Vāmanadeva ki

Devotees: Jaya

Jayapataka Swami: Trivikrama ki;

Devotees: Jaya

Jayapataka Swami: Gaura Premanande

Devotees: Haribol.

Jayapataka Swami: Any Questions? Yeah?

*Inaudible question about Ekādaśī tithi*

Jayapataka Swami: Not necessarily. A day is 23 hours and some minutes according to the lunar calculation, and for the tithi. So Ekādaśī is the tithi, eleventh day of the lunar calendar, lunar cycle. So, for a day to be considered the eleventh day, it has to fall. within the sunrise. So if Ekādaśī begins after brahma-muhūrta, then it's considered to be a weak Ekādaśī.. and therefore, Ekādaśī is observed on the next day. Otherwise we have 24 hours in the solar calendar 23 hours and some minutes in the lunar calendars. So, sometimes it happens that, the sun rises on the tenth, they have the lunar calendar, after few minutes eleventh begins, the entire eleventh is contained within. The solar day ends and the sun rises next day on the twelfth. But it only happens occasionally. When that happens, Ekādaśī effectively disappeared. You see sometimes in the calendar, which is the eighth day out of tenth, sometimes Rāma Navami, the day after is Ekādaśī. How is this possible? When the day after Its supposed to be Navami, which means 9th, the day after is tenth. How is it? That doesn’t happen so much. But sometimes it does happen that like the Kṛṣṇa Janmashtami is the 8th, Prabhupāda appeared on the 9th tithi, the day after, sometimes it is Ekādaśī, sometimes the tenth disappears. Sometimes the whole day like that, it will just happen to fit in. So technically speaking, whenever when the sun rises the day begins, not midnight, according to the Vedic astrological calculation. So when the sun rises, the particular tithi that it falls on, that’s. they work it out. They see that’s the day. Otherwise it is, even it is 10 mins left in the 10th tithi on the sun rise, it will be called Daśamī. Technically the day began in that tithi. Tithi is that’s the word for lunar day Day by lunar calculation.

*question continues*

Jayapataka Swami: I am not sure. (Inaudible). It’s a cycle. It’s starts from one full moon to the next full moon. We divide that into 28 or 30 whatever . Yeah. 30. They divide it according… I mean. I am not a whole astrological person. I am just giving you a gist of it. You know it's a whole detail. When an Ekādaśī begins, and at this time the almanac describes that Ekādaśī began when the sun was already at the aruṇodaya stage. That means it was already reddish in the sky, so such Ekādaśī's have to begin from before brahma-muhūrta according to our standard. So because, the weak Ekādaśī, it began too late. Therefore, it’s observed on the next day, it becomes a Mahā-Dvādaśī, that we observe Ekādaśī on the next day. So this is something like 3 or 5 or 7, I forget, there's like so many situations astrologically which happened, if any of those situation happened, then Ekādaśī is not considered to be Ekādaśī, and it is not considered to be the fast day. The next day is observed to be the fast day and it becomes Mahā-dvādaśī.

*some comment about same topic*

Jayapatākā Swami: Technically that because of the sun rose on that day in the tithi on the lunar calendar day of the 12th day, 12th cycle of the lunar calendar, therefore it is called Dvādaśī. But because for our practical purposes, somehow the Ekādaśī was passed up, therefore it’s observed the next day on the Dvādaśī, and that Dvādaśī becomes Mahā-Dvādaśī. During the function of Ekādaśī. So for all practical purposes Mahā-dvādaśī means Ekādaśī. The bottom line, Mahā-dvādaśī means that day is Ekādaśī. Vāmana-dvādaśī is not always it is rarely Mahā-dvādaśī. It is very rare. Normally Vāmana-dvādaśī is a normal Dvādaśī. There is no fast in the normal Dvādaśī. It is feasting. That’s why, if we miss an Ekādaśī, we don’t fast on the next day, we fast on day after It’s a regulative principle, one must feast on a Dvādaśī. Just like we have to fast on Ekādaśī, we have to feast on Dvādaśī. Today is Mahā-dvādaśī, that means more fasting and feasting.

[Jayapatākā Swami and Devotees laughing].