19871023 Govardhana Pūjā

Lecture Code: 19871023

Occasion: Govardhan Puja

Date: Oct 23, 1987

Place: New Talavan, USA

His Holiness Jayapataka Swami:

On the auspicious day of Govardhan puja we are gathered together this morning performing the sacrifice. As you heard earlier today that the residents of Vrindavan headed by Nanda Maharaj wanted to do Indra puja and they are, but then Kṛṣṇa objected and He preached to them better to worship Govardhan and Govardhan hill is non-different from Kṛṣṇa. Actually Kṛṣṇa was teaching them that it’s very important to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead and not to be distracted by the worship of demigods. Indra provides rain, so the farmers to please Indra they wanted to do Indra puja. But if someone does Vishnu puja, Kṛṣṇa puja that includes everything. So on the advice of Lord Kṛṣṇa induced all the villagers to cease their demigod worship and simply do directly Kṛṣṇa worship, through the Govardhan puja. Of course, this is a prelude to the anger of Indra who then wanted to punish the residents of Vrindavan. So he sent too much rain, he sent all flood and then Kṛṣṇa lifted up Govardhan hill and protected all the residents of Vrindavan. Later Indra could realize his mistake that the residents of Vrindavan were not whimsically giving up his worship, but they are worshipping the Supreme Lord of everyone, Kṛṣṇa Himself. So this Govardhan is one of, considered one of the most sacred places, in the world because Kṛṣṇa would go there and perform His pastimes. Anything that is very dear to the Lord is also a spiritual, you read, you heard from Vikradhara prabhu about the auspicious places. Prabhupada said that according to Vedic civilization the holy places of pilgrimage are considered most sacred. And there are so hundreds and thousands of holy places like Jagannath Puri, Vrindavan etc. So in this Vrindavan also there is the, in Mathura so there is the Govardhan. So therefore to this day, we observe the Govardhan puja.

In 1977, Srila Prabhupda wanted to go around the Govardhan hill, even though he was very weak. You see this was the whole drama, in fact, Tamal Kṛṣṇa Goswami written a drama about it how Prabhupada wanted to go on the bullock cart around Govardhan hill. But the doctor said that if he goes in the bullock cart around the hill surely he cannot survive. And some devotees, I was there and other devotees were there, some devotees, I was pleading with Prabhupada that he shouldn’t go because we want him to be with us longer and he was making different statements. We’ve been like better to go in action preaching out on sankirtan than lying here in the bed. Let me go around Govardhan I can leave my body while going around Govardhan. So that was like too much for us to bare. So then some took the attitude, alright let’s take Prabhupada, it’s his desire and some took the attitude that well, we pleading the Prabhupada please don’t take such strenuous risk. So in the end of Prabhupada he exceeded to alright I’ll stay here and I think we took Prabhupada around the temple, you know.

But at Govardhan puja is a special day we worship the cows, we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, we offer offerings to Lord Kṛṣṇa. In this way by worshipping Govardhan one can get unlimited mercy of the Lord. So this day also is a very auspicious day the best worship we can do is also to offer that Prabhupada used to say that ‘the flower of a soul’. When the spirit soul surrenders to Kṛṣṇa that’s the special offering, is very pleasing to Kṛṣṇa. And if someone takes to the Kṛṣṇa conscious movement seriously taking these vows made in a holy place in the temple of Vishnu, since it is a holy place, taken in the presence of Vaishnavas, taken in the presence of Guru, taken in presence of so many other auspicious witnesses, public and general friends, all these vows are very important. Whether wedding vow, or whether initiation vow, all the vows have that deep significance especially today. So, Prabhupada explains how the Kṛṣṇa conscious movement is giving the population of the entire world a chance to take advantage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness through the ISKCON centers. Where one may perform deity worship and chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahamantra and in this way obtain results with effectiveness increase a thousand times. This constitutes advanced welfare activity for a human society. This was Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission as it was predicted by Him in the Chaitanya Bhagavat Antya Lila 4.126

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu wanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement with installed deities to spread to every village and town in the world. So that everyone in the world might take advantage of this movement and become all auspicious in spiritual life. Without spiritual life nothing is auspicious

‘moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo mogha-jñānā vicetasaḥ’

no one can become successful in fruitive activities or speculative knowledge without being Kṛṣṇa conscious. It’s recommended in Shastras everyone should be very eagerly interested in taking part in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and understand the value of spiritual life. So, in this very short human life, we need to take it very seriously. We take a vow, invoking the presence of eternal time of Brahma, this side this disciplic succession. It is not for a short period of time but it is for a continuous period of time. The vows that are made or even the initiation vows even for life after life, wedding vow is for the entire life of this body. You know, no one can say what the next life would be? Hopefully one doesn’t have to take birth again they go back to home, back to Godhead. So one can get this eternal benefit but during this lifetime that means one has to very sincerely follow the instructions handed down by the scriptures, by the disciplic succession.

In the Caitanya Caritamrta, describes Madhavendra Puri because of his very enthusiastic devotional service he was able to attract Kṛṣṇa. So in his dream, actually one-day Madhavendra Puri when he reached Vrindavan he was so happy. Then he went and visited Govardhan, he visited all the holy places, he went everywhere. That time there were no formal temples or much but, see this is the place he was in such ecstasy he didn’t even think about eating. He just went and visited all the holy places there and at in the afternoon he just sat down to chant his japa. He hadn’t eaten the whole day. Then one cowherd boy came and gave him a pot of milk. Said who are you? Then the cowherd boy at this village, I want to offer you this milk please take it. So you haven’t eaten all day so you should take this. And how do you know I haven’t eaten all day? He said, "I’m responsible to see that everybody in this village gets fed". Some people, they work and other people they request the grihasthas for some donation. So the ladies at that water whole were telling me that you’ve not requested anyone for food that you didn’t eat food the whole day. So I took it upon myself to bring you this little offering of milk, I’ll go now into the village and I’ll be coming back later I‘ve some other work and I’ll take the empty container. So he was very attracted to this beautiful boy, the boy left. So he drank the milk, that boy never came back.

That night Madhavendra Puri took rest then the boy appeared in his dream. And he said I’m here in this bush for a long time, I’m in the forest here at this jungle in Govardhan for a long time and I’m not getting the, My pujari put Me here, to escape from the attack of Mohammedans. And I’m getting hungry, and haven't bathed for a long time, so please take Me and establish Me in a temple and see that I get some regular offerings. Then the boy disappeared in his dream or the boy took him by the hand in the dream and showed him where He was in the forest, that here I am. Then he could, then Madhavendra Puri woke up, so then he went to the village and told all the villagers come on come on bring your sharis and things we have to cut our path in the jungle, the Gopal deity is there waiting for us. So they went and cut the path into the, into this thick thick forests and there they were amazed that exactly what Madhavendra Puri showed according to the dream he seen in the night before. There was this, covered in mud and grass, there was this ancient deity of Kṛṣṇa. This deity was established by Vajra, the grandson of Kṛṣṇa. And they took the deity out, then Madhavendra Puri in one day he got all the devotees of that village working day and night without rest, tirelessly, enthusiastically they constructed an entire temple with stones and everything. They took the stones and cut and made the entire temple they constructed. And all the ladies cooked huge offerings of prasadam, so much that it created in front of the deity, a mountain of rice and big piles of chapatis and so many other preparations and milk. Whatever ghee they had in their house they gave all of it cause they were so happy Kṛṣṇa had come, revealed Himself and come to the village.

So on that Govardhan, initially it was on Govardhan later He was shifted, they had this deity installation and hundreds of, hundred and eight, forget how many, about hundred and eight I think, pots of cool water from the Govinda kind, I believe, were carried in big containers and the deity was bathed with cool water. Even it’s hot there in the sun in the jungle for so long. Then He was massaged with scented oils and then again bathed with waters, abhishek with water with spices in it, with yogurt and with panchagavya, panchamrita. By milk, yogurt, clarified butter, cow dung in water, cow urine in water then with the panchamrita milk, yogurt, ghee, honey and sugar syrup. Prabhupada explained how the, these both the panchagavya, the panchamrita that milk products are the main ingredient. In one it’s all milk, all cow products and the other it’s milk products with some sweetening to add a little sweet touch. But the principle majority content is all products of the cow. So the cow is very essential for advancing in spiritual life. Cow’s milk is a perfect food for allowing a personality to be vegetarian and get adequate milk or get the adequate animal fat without harming any animal. But also the milk is a type of wonder food that increases the ability to understand spiritual matters. And see sometimes, it said that if you eat fish that makes you smart. But it said by eating fish you may get materially clever like a cat or something but spiritually you cannot understand things. You lose your spiritual intelligence. Milk is a wonder food without harming any animal species or birds or anything, it doesn’t harm them! Cow produces more than the own calf can drink, produce extra for human beings. By eating milk we get not only physical nutrition, we get spiritual intelligence for reading the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam.

So then this big festival was held and Madhavendra Puri himself performed the arati to the deity. So that was also like another type of Govardhan puja. When they made the mountain of rice, Prabhupada explained that this is all known as Annakut or mountain of rice. And in Bengal and Vrindavan this festival of making mountain of rice and worshipping the cows, observing Govardhan puja is a very big affair. So this is very auspicious time, so take these important vows of life. Purpose of human life is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. To be Kṛṣṇa conscious one needs to serve Kṛṣṇa. To serve Kṛṣṇa, one serve Kṛṣṇa, must serve Kṛṣṇa through the via media of the bonafide spiritual master. These are all the advices, picture of the shastra. So spiritual master accepts the responsibility of a disciple on behalf of the disciplic succession. The disciple accepts to follow the instructions of the spiritual master without fail.

Thank you very much!

(devotee:) Question: (inaudible 17:25)

His Holiness Jayapataka Swami:

Or so may there’s no need of any immediate change, Prabhupada given us the basic standard. Things haven’t changed that much and who’s qualified to, to do that? Prabhupada said he didn’t want any acaryas to be appointed. We shouldn’t be like the head of the institution by can just change things. He said in the future there might be some kind of, so the cream raises to the top and maybe some type of person somewhere in the future that comes, he didn’t indicate that there was anyone immediately that he foresaw. But in the future it might be that someone comes up like that. But it’s a very big prophet, and for that the Prabhupada also established the Governing Body Commission to be like the, check imbalance to see that the basic teachings of Prabhupada are protected and not whimsically changed.

Mean everything you just said is already been covered by Prabhupada. Or somebody wants to increase the number of rounds in the future, there’s scope for that. Since Prabhupada promised that well if you chant 16, follow four principles I’ll take you back to Godhead. If someone in the future wants to reduce that, then it’s a very big question that whether that person is also gonna have that capacity to guarantee the taking back to Godhead, what are his credentials. And rather we see that, as the Kṛṣṇa conscious movement preaches and people should be becoming more Kṛṣṇa conscious when things become a little more peaceful, when there is less preaching to do, say that whole world becomes much more civilized in Kṛṣṇa consciousness probably it’ll go the other way. Okay now you should chant 32 rounds, cause there is less preaching to do, or now you should chant 64 rounds.

So if we reduce it that leads to a big question of doubt that Prabhupada said that he would wear carmichaels, for instance he would wear a suit and tie that would promote for preaching, he was convinced that he’ll do it. So some certain scopes are given but the question remains whether really, he didn’t, he didn’t do it, take if it would increase the preaching, for himself at least but he authorized the disciples. So, and there supposed to be some kind of, you know a very serious change then that there’s some question of it’s validity. Then the Governing Body Commission is supposed to analyze the teachings of Prabhupada that see whether in fact, these are, the proposed change would actually be valid or not. That’s the thing that we wanted to just be a double check because one individual might think something might not work out. Prabhupada also if we make little change in our spiritual life that can create a big habit cause that’s not authorized. He was so insistent.

I remember one time I would chant ‘Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare’ and I was chanting in the kirtan and I saw some of the devotees they weren’t chanting. So that I just yell out bolo! It’s in India you know bolo means chant! Hare Kṛṣṇa! Prabhupada call all of us, don’t add a new words to the mantra (laughing). He was very afraid, he said that the problem of the westerners is you always wanted to change. One time he made a joke, he said, stand on your head cause it was like a mantra, ‘Stand on your head, clap your feet. Just do something new, do something new’, this is your American or your western disease (laughing). For the sake of doing something new just do some, you know it’s like you have to do something. If you do it everything’s going to be brake, nothing’s broken, even it’s not broke you got to fix it right? (laughing) You got to do something. He was afraid that this idea, everything is going along people would think we just had got to do something new just for the sake of being new. We have to, see Prabhupada was very concerned with it. The Indian civilization, in general, the Vedic culture Vedic it doesn’t change, that’s the beauty of it, it remains, it is the constant and just like the clothing, it’s so simple. See everyone are, wear saree, dhoti it’s one cloth very simple, not very complicated. Of course may be here in the west you need the warmer cloth cause it’s a no matter it’s cold. But this is the beauty and simplicity of the Vedic culture. Teachings of Prabhupada was sublime and if we started to change things where it is unnecessary, just to show that we’re different, I got a new idea, we can get distracted from the real purpose, unnecessarily make things complicated.

So that’s why everything went, but that should be backed by Veda praman. But for the sake of preaching, sometimes some things can be done but then one has to see whether the actual preaching is there. Certain things are definitely taboo, playing around with mantras, changing the preachings, changing the rituals, these are very dangerous. The techniques of book distribution or the techniques of getting the people to engage in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is an area where there is a little, little scope for creation, creative application, so it’s in the preaching field because ‘Yena tena prakāreṇa manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet’ by bringing the people to Kṛṣṇa. But then the more that kind of gets into our traditional teachings and practices it becomes a bit precarious, but going out in people it sounds cool.

Hare Kṛṣṇa!