19930408 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.4.18-23

The following is class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami on April 8, 1993 in Mumbai, India. The class begins with a reading from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6th canto, chapter 4, text 18 through 23.

mukum karoti vachalam panghum laṅghayate girim
yat kṛpā taṁ aham vande śrī guruṁ dīna taraṇam
paramānanda mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya īśvaram 

ŚB 6.4.18

*repetition*

yathā sasarja bhūtāni
dakṣo duhitṛ-vatsalaḥ
retasā manasā caiva
tan mamāvahitaḥ śṛṇu

Translation: Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Please hear from me with great attention how Prajāpati Dakṣa, who was very affectionate to his daughters, created different types of living entities through his semen and through his mind.

Purport: The word duhitṛ-vatsalaḥ indicates that all the prajās were born from Dakṣa’s daughters. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that apparently Dakṣa had no son.

Jayapatākā Swami: It explains that in Svāyambhuva Manu after because of offending Lord Śiva, then he got his head cut off and was substituted by goat-head. He was ashamed over that and he gave up his body. Now in the sixth manvantara known as caksusa-manvantara, he again took birth as the son of pracetas in the womb of Marisa. So now we are reading about Prajāpati Dakṣa. Next few verses don’t have any purport, so just go through quickly

manasaivāsṛjat pūrvaṁ
prajāpatir imāḥ prajāḥ
devāsura-manuṣyādīn
nabhaḥ-sthala-jalaukasaḥ

(ŚB 6.4.19)

Translation: With his mind, Prajāpati Dakṣa first created all kinds of demigods, demons, human beings, birds, beasts, aquatics and so on.

tam abṛṁhitam ālokya
prajā-sargaṁ prajāpatiḥ
vindhya-pādān upavrajya
so ’carad duṣkaraṁ tapaḥ

(ŚB 6.4.20)

Translation: But when Prajāpati Dakṣa saw that he was not properly generating all kinds of living entities, he approached a mountain near the Vindhya mountain range, and there he executed very difficult austerities.

tatrāghamarṣaṇaṁ nāma
tīrthaṁ pāpa-haraṁ param
upaspṛśyānusavanaṁ
tapasātoṣayad dharim

(SB 6.4.21)

Translation: Near that mountain was a very holy place named Aghamarṣaṇa. There Prajāpati Dakṣa executed ritualistic ceremonies and satisfied the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, by engaging in great austerities to please Him.

astauṣīd dhaṁsa-guhyena
bhagavantam adhokṣajam
tubhyaṁ tad abhidhāsyāmi
kasyātuṣyad yathā hariḥ

(SB 6.4.22)

Translation: My dear King, I shall fully explain to you the Haṁsa-guhya prayers, which were offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead by Dakṣa, and I shall explain how the Lord was pleased with him for those prayers.

Purport: It is to be understood that the Haṁsa-guhya prayers were not composed by Dakṣa, but were existing in the Vedic literature. So here is the first verse of the Hamsa-guhya prayers:

śrī-prajāpatir uvāca

namaḥ parāyāvitathānubhūtaye
guṇa-trayābhāsa-nimitta-bandhave
adṛṣṭa-dhāmne guṇa-tattva-buddhibhir
nivṛtta-mānāya dadhe svayambhuve

(ŚB 6.4.23)

Translation: Prajāpati Dakṣa said: The Supreme Personality of Godhead is transcendental to the illusory energy and the physical categories it produces. He possesses the potency for unfailing knowledge and Supreme willpower, and He is the controller of the living entities and the illusory energy. The conditioned souls who have accepted this material manifestation as everything cannot see Him, for He is above the evidence of experimental knowledge. Self-evident and self-sufficient, He is not caused by any superior cause. Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.

Purport: The transcendental position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is explained herewith. He is not perceivable by the conditioned souls, who are accustomed to material vision and cannot understand that the Supreme Personality of Godhead exists in His abode, which is beyond that vision. Even if a materialistic person could count all the atoms in the universe, he would still be unable to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As confirmed in Brahmā-saṁhitā (5.34):

panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-saṁpragamyo
vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām
so ’py asti yat-prapada-sīmny avicintya-tattve
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

The conditioned souls may try to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead for many billions of years through their mental speculative processes, traveling at the speed of the mind or the wind, but still the Absolute Truth will remain inconceivable to them because a materialistic person cannot measure the length and breadth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s unlimited existence. If the Absolute Truth is beyond measurement, one may ask, how can one realize Him? The answer is given here by the word svayambhuve one may understand Him or not, but nevertheless He is existing in His own spiritual potency.

Oṁ tat sat.

Jayapatākā Swami: Thus, end the verses are 18 to 23 of chapter 4, canto 6 of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam  - the Haṁsa Guhya prayers.

He is an interesting personality whose service to his Guru and father - Lord Brahmā. First father is Lord Brahmā and Brahmā wanted him to expand the prajā to increase the population of the universe. So Dakṣa tried to carry out that instruction but due to committing offenses at the lotus feet of Lord Śiva, pure devotee he fell down from his exalted position.

But by the mercy of Śiva, he was somehow brought back to some position but still now he has taken another birth. But he still is carrying out his devotion or service to his original spiritual father Lord Brahmā even though he has taken birth again.

And He is continuing with the attempt to create prajā throughout the universe - the living entities. It is interesting how that someone would do devotional service to a spiritual master or to one’s father like that even over a number of births. Dakṣa took off where he left off. Once he grew up, immediate he tried again to create prajā. He was so powerful that through his mind he tried to create descendants mentally, but he was not satisfied with the quality. So just producing quantity is not enough one wants also to have good quality offspring who would be beneficial to the world.

So, He decided that the only way to achieve success in his activities is to worship the Lord. Śrīmad Bhatavatam explains akāmo vā

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā
mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ
tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena
yajeta puruṣaṁ param

(ŚB 2.3.10)

whether one has no desire or desire for some fruitive activity or all desires or no desires or desire for liberation, everyone should engage in the devotional service to Hari to achieve that without any condition.

In this way Dakṣa is offering prayers to Viṣṇu and he also gets the blessings of Visnu at the end. We can see that although Dakṣa sometimes - he tends to get overwhelmed by his material situation. Sometimes he commits offenses to Vaiṣṇavas at the same time he worships the Lord Hari, Kṛṣṇa another time.

So, in the universe there are different types of devotees. Some devotees are devotees with some material desires they are called sakāma-bhaktas, some are without any desires. So those devotees with desires cannot understand those without no desires that is why we get a situation where some devotees simply want to serve Kṛṣṇa for Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure. To serve Guru and Kṛṣṇa for their pleasure and then by doing that because Kṛṣṇa is the source of everything when we please Kṛṣṇa, we are part of Kṛṣṇa we also feel transcendental happiness. So much happiness that it is incomparable with anything else but the other devotees who are sakāma-bhakta they think if you worship Hari and He will fulfil your desires. Why?

When already we have enough now or now you are young why do you want to surrender to Kṛṣṇa now because already your desires are getting fulfilled - wait till when you get old and you are ready to die and that time you can’t enjoy life anyway, then you should surrender Kṛṣṇa and get mokṣa. that is their general idea.

So, you find so many parents they tell their children not too much devotion, not so young, wait until you are ready to fall over (not clear 12:40) just before the last breath. I don’t know what time is just before the last shakes of death you are supposed to surrender but that doesn’t work. People don’t suddenly at the last point of death, surrender.

One of Prabhupāda’s disciples one time tried to get his mother to chant. So, he begged her please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa she was on her death bed, Doctors said that she will leave any minute so please chant chant. She said no I can’t I am feeling too weak, I don’t have the strength, no I can’t I can’t aaaah! *Guru Mahārāja makes sound of dying man and everyone laughs*

Son told us all that so many words she said you know. If she had just said Hare Kṛṣṇa she would have been blessed. See so many words giving so many of I can’t, I don’t. She could have just said Hare Kṛṣṇa less only two words. Instead she gave 10-15 words excuse and then died. Because that blessings to be able to chant Kṛṣṇa you can’t just expect at the last moment if for the whole life you have been thinking of something else.

Someone thinks that my daughters get married then I will dedicate myself but then once the daughters get married, I have to worry about granddaughters. You find so many elderly Indians aristocratic people, but even though their children are already somehow or other everything is taken care of but their grandchildren, nephews, brother’s sister’s children, grandchildren so many families go on expanding so they get totally involved in all those things.

And actually, the idea to really concentrate on doing devotional service in most cases it doesn’t come. It is a very special mercy to get that, so actually it mentions Prahlāda he mentioned kaumāra ācaret prājño - from the age of five, someone should be practicing devotional service, so if we are already over five years age, we can count how many years we missed out, first five alright children are not able to concentrate on things.

So those five are dependent on the parents, so you find that for the grhasthas they are so many saṁskāras in the first five years of life, birth saṁskāra, anna-prāśana. Then cutting the hair then writing the first words with a pen and the guru will write Hare Kṛṣṇa. Or something on the chalk board taking the hand of the child everyone gets a nice feast everyone gets good prasad – mahā-prasāda.

So, in this way first five years the parents they engage the children in so many samskara almost one every year or two but after five then they go to gurukula and they study that time they can start to study more seriously. But of course, now-a-days for most of the public even in India, there is no such training. Their training is also now sitting in front of the television and watching you know, violence and drugs and so many horrible things that go on there.

So anyway, whatever is there it is there. It is nothing very spiritual. In this way, life goes on and people neglect what is the real purpose of life. So here we see even though Dakṣa  he may have been quite dedicated in carrying out the order of Brahmā, who in one sense you can say is a spiritual master. Even though he may have got because this particular service of filling up the universe with offspring, it is a little dangerous. So sometimes he would also make mistakes still he was so fortunate that he would get the darśana of Viṣṇu, he would also get blessed by various ways. His children got - became pure devotees for some other reason why later he also cursed by Nārada Muni because after having so many nice sons, Nārada Muni went and preached to them: “You all take sannyāsa and preach all over the world,” so none of them became gṛhastha so Dakṣa  got frustrated, I am supposed to make progeny, suppose to fill up the universe and all my sons are taking sannyāsa.

So, he got angry with Nārada Muni and so he wanted to curse him. So, he cursed him that you cannot remain in one place more than three days. So, for a grhastha that’s like a big curse from someone in Dakṣa’s position. If you always are moving that means so much - no comfort is there you can only get comfort if you can stay in one place. So he cursed Nārada Muni that you had to keep on moving but for Nārada muni that was a blessing. It was a blessing.

So, he just keeps on moving and preaching everywhere the glories of chanting the holy name

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

So Śrīla Prabhupāda said that he also got that curse of travelling and preaching because so many young men and women - they joined Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and their parents also were angry with him. So he said that they cursed me so like Nārada,  I cannot remain in one place for very long. 

Even though Śrīla Prabhupāda had such nice quarters in Bombay, he couldn’t spend a long time. He would go on from place to next preaching. So Śrīla Prabhupāda also said that now my sannyāsīs - they have to take this curse. In Vrindavan before leaving, he said now I can’t travel anymore. Now you sannyāsīs have to take this curse. This is a special curse to travel and preach.

So, the curse of a brāhmaṇas are very powerful but there is also a story in the Prema Vaivarta how Lord Caitanya delivered someone from a curse of a brāhmaṇa.

It explains how Jagadānanda Paṇḍita he explained how he used to go to the house of Śacī mātā and how Śacī  mata would sometimes give him the remnants of the prasādam,  that Caitanya Mahāprabhu  had taken.

It is said there that he would sit there and he would get these remnants sometimes he found śukta and neem sometimes it was śukta, it was different types of śāka. Two types of śāka it was arjuna śāka or something another śāka were there two śāka – mocā - that means the flower of the banana, then various other type of vegetables with rice. It is said He would taste all these and he would feel so much love for Caitanya Mahāprabhu - he like overwhelmed with love eating the remnants of Lord Caitanya’s - prasad cooked by mother Śacī. So it was like a transcendental nectar - unbelievable unparallel.

So, one day before lunch in the morning, Caitanya Mahāprabhu went out with the saṅkīrtana party and He went over to svarup ganj over the jalangi river and He was chanting in Madhya dwip. At that time Lord Caitanya - He was tired after the kirtan. He said now I am going to associate now just with cowherd boys and relax. Immediately some cowherd boys appeared - they brought Him some yogurt and milk products for His associates. One of them said actually my mother was born in Māyāpur. Her name is Śyāmalā. And she used to always go and help mother Śacī in her house. She was living there. She was a small girl and so she used to always call mother Śacī as Ma.

So actually, because in that sense You are my uncle. Since my mother is your sister because if my mother called your mother, mother that means that she is your sister so you are my maternal uncle.

So, you should come and see your sister - your elder sister and she will have so many nice milk sweets to give you. She will be very happy to see you. So then Lord Caitanya went to the house of Śyāmalā then she gave dahī, khīra, so many nice milk sweets. Lord Caitanya and all his associates sat down and very peacefully they accepted this prasādam from Vaiṣṇavī. After this they went to this one lake which is known as Kāliya daha and they are going to wash their hands.

They said watch out here, none of the cows would go drink water there as there is a ferocious crocodile there and this crocodile scares everyone - is very huge. So then Lord Caitanya, He called all of His associates and they started to chant kīrtana:

 

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

(Guru Mahārāja sings kīrtana)

so, the crocodile started moving here and there. Maharaj knows the story very well. We visit Madhyadwip and we tell this story there. The crocodile is going here and there and then in the Kirtan, the crocodile came up and started approaching Lord Caitanya. And the villagers were - they very worried. What’s going to happen The crocodile came up very close and Lord Caitanya just kept on chanting  

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

The crocodile went and fell at the feet of Caitanya Mahāprabhu  and touched His lotus feet. Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! The crocodile disappeared and, in its place, came a deva-kumāra, a young resident from the heavenly planets - small boy from heavenly planets. He fell down at the feet of Caitanya Mahāprabhu and offered his obeisances and he was crying and everyone was shocked what happened and he was crying and he prayed to Caitanya Mahāprabhu:

By your mercy - I have been wandering this Universe for four yugas as a crocodile because I was cursed by Durvāsā Muni. As a naughty boy when I was in the forest when I was in heavenly planets Durvāsa Muni was relaxing under a tree, I just went and clipped his hair- his mat of hair. When he woke up and found his hair was clipped, he knew immediately it was me. He cursed me to become a crocodile for four yugas. I pleaded I am just a small boy please I didn’t mean it. I am very sorry.  Please you have to help me then he cursed me that, I be crocodile actually first he said just be a crocodile.

So, then he said alright you would be a crocodile for four yugas and in the fourth yuga Nanda Nandana Kṛṣṇa when appears in Navadvīpa dhāma as Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu. Gaurāṅga! in that greatest of all the holy dhāmas, He will appear there at that time and He will deliver you. So then deva-kumāra circumambulated Lord Caitanya.

He said: by your causeless mercy I have been delivered from this curse. You are an ocean of mercy. Please bless me that I can engage in your eternal devotional service. My mother and father - they must be worried. I have been away from home for a long time. I like to go and see them. In this way he took the blessings and zzzip. He was taken up to the other planet where he came from.

It is time for lunch - noon time in Māyāpur to get a lot from Śacī-mātā. A day in the life. In this pastime of Caitanya Mahāprabhu - why I remember this pastime because Jagadānanda mentions whoever hears this pastime he gets freed from the curse of brāhmaṇa.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so merciful that even if someone gets cursed by brāhmaṇa gets free from that by His causeless mercy. You see it is very difficult how Dakṣa committed an offense and he got simply by the causeless mercy of Śiva, he was given a head back. Now again he is doing devotional service. He is worshipping Hari.

So, it is very difficult to get such a blessing. Here simply by remembering the pastime of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, one can be delivered from the curse of brāhmaṇa. So here in this verse what is Dakṣa praying in his reincarnation? He is praying how the Supreme Personality of Godhead is transcendental to the illusory energy and the physical categories it produces. This is very important for people to understand.

Mostly the Māyāvādīs - they think that Kṛṣṇa is a product of the material energy. They think that Kṛṣṇa is coming from the Sattva-guṇa. So somehow the Bhagavān is some manifestation of mode of goodness and original truth is impersonal and that is beyond the material energy. But here it explains that the Lord, he is transcendental to illusory energy and physical qualities. that means that the Lord is saccidānanda. He doesn’t have material body. Even if someone may say that well he can also have a material body. His body is more spiritual. He manifests something visible to materialists that doesn’t diminish his original spiritual position. In any case He possesses the potency for unfailing knowledge for supreme welfare, whatever the Lord wants that will happen. Nobody can stop the Lord’s will. If Lord wants to deliver you nobody can stop Him.

If Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that I want to deliver that person. Who will stop. We may think that how can I see the Lord How can I? I am so fallen. He is so great.

But Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so merciful that if He decides that I want to deliver all these conditioned souls. You can get delivered by his will power. If he has the will power, He wants to destroy a demon like Hiraṇyakaśipu, nothing can stop Him. If he wants to deliver a devotee nothing will stop Him. His knowledge is unfailing.

Sometimes we have knowledge but we forget our memory fails us. Our knowledge doesn’t really solve - it fails us. Somehow, we are not able to understand. Even Brahmā got bewildered. Brahmā Vimohana līlā in Vṛndāvana. He was taking Kṛṣṇa for an ordinary cowherd boy.

So somehow our knowledge may sometimes be inadequate but because Kṛṣṇa has unlimited knowledge, His knowledge is unfailing always. He is the controller of the living entities and the illusory energy. He is not controlled by the illusory energy. We are controlled by the illusory energy and conditional life and material world. Therefore, we surrender ourselves to Kṛṣṇa. We want directly to be controlled by Kṛṣṇa.

Śrīla Prabhupāda gave the example that you can be controlled like the way a cat controls a mouse when she catches. The cat takes a mouse, lets it go somewhere and again catches in the mouth. The way that the cat catches a rat is different than the way the cat catches the kitten. The cat catches her kitten in the mouth also but that is to protect the kitten moving from one place to the next.

So, we put ourselves under Kṛṣṇa’s own protection - his internal energy so then we become like a kitten protected by a cat. If we are in material life – serving Kṛṣṇa, let me serve Kṛṣṇa later until that later comes until we serve Kṛṣṇa, then we are like the mouse under the control of the cat.

So, what do you want to be? Mouse in the cat’s mouth or kitten in the cat’s mouth? This is the point. The conditioned souls who have accepted this material manifestation as everything cannot be Him. He is above the evidence of experimental knowledge.

Kṛṣṇa is in the spiritual world, Viṣṇu is in the spiritual world therefore the experimental knowledge of this world cannot touch Him. He creates the material energy and the material energy creates this world. So that it is two steps removed to get the point of Kṛṣṇa. We can only realize the material energy. But those who are intelligent they can see there is intelligence running behind the whole running of everything and that is the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu.

So, the evidence is self-evident - He is not caused by any superior cause. Let me offer my respectful obeisance’s unto Him. This is a big question people always ask who causes God? What does God come from? He is not caused by any superior cause. He is without cause. He is the original cause of everything else and He has no superior cause and that is why He is God or he is Bhagavān or Parameśvara, the absolute truth. He is without any cause. Svāyambhuve- manifest without any cause. In this way, very beautiful prayer is being offered.

This prayer is being explained by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura that it was already there in the Vedas. We might not be able to compose beautiful prayers. We can repeat the prayers like Brahma-saṁhitā like some other prayers given in the Bhāgavatam or by some previous ācārya. And by repeating those prayers also we get the mercy of the Lord.

At the end, Dakṣa gets the special darshan of the Lord. Even though he didn’t compose the prayers himself, he memorized it and he offered it to the Lord, the Lord accepted it.

Kṛṣṇa is more powerful. Why do you doubt Kṛṣṇa’s power?

Even Dakṣa said that He is above illusory energy.

Devotees: But Kṛṣṇa is not controlling me directly?

Jayapatākā Swami: But you surrender to him, He says that he will control you. Then you should be crying that why you are not surrendering? Why you are not surrendering to Kṛṣṇa? Surrender to His representative the Guru and get the same shelter. We can know Kṛṣṇa by Vedas. He is the writer of the Vedas. He is the knower of the Vedas.

So, the Vedas are the means to understand Kṛṣṇa – Śāstra pramāṇe - by the evidence in the scriptures we can know about the Lord. This is the special importance of the Vedas. Without the Vedas, we wouldn’t know anything about Kṛṣṇa.

People sitting around talking or speculating. They can’t understand Kṛṣṇa If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, you have to know from the Vedas. You have to learn the Vedas, you have to come to a spiritual master and in this way by the mercy of Guru & Kṛṣṇa one can understand about Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Otherwise, it is not possible. To know him for a conditioned soul. So Kṛṣṇa gives the process of devotional service that is called anukūlena kṛṣṇanuśīlanam - doing service in a favorable way. We have to do devotional service in a way that Kṛṣṇa asks us to do it. Then, it is favorable then it is effective.

There is always the pure Vaiṣṇava way which is trying to please Kṛṣṇa for His pleasure to do everything so that Nanda Nandana, so that Rādhā Rāsa Bihārījī so that they are pleased. And the bhogīs those who are not really Vaiṣṇavas, they want to do any rare religious activity according to their own idea. And therefore, often it is not favorable to Kṛṣṇa.

So, they don’t get the same effect. Just like for instance Lord Caitanya was in Jagannātha Puri. It also explains how he was observing Ekādaśī one day and there was Gadādhara, Rāmānanda Rāya, so many other devotees of the Utkala / Nilācala and they were observing Ekādaśī fasting and chanting:

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

and then Kāśī Miśra, Sārvabhauma Bhattācārya they came with so many baskets of mahā-prasādam of Jagannātha – rice, dāl and subzis so many mahāprasādam Jagannātha sweets. And then the presented everything before Lord Caitanya but it was Ekādaśī. He was fasting from grains.

So, then he offered His obeisances to the prasādam and all His disciples followed suit. And He remained offering prasādam until the sun rose and then He got up and took bath and then He broke His Ekādaśī fast with the prasādam.  And one of the devotees said he had doubt and he said since prasādam is pure and why can’t you take the prasādam  of Jagannātha which everybody knows is purifying the whole three worlds why can’t you take it on Ekādaśī.

Then Lord Caitanya explained to him how that everyday people take prasādam.  Even though sometimes actually they are taking with the mood of enjoying not so much in the mood of serving the Lord. So there is a special feature on Ekādaśī all the sins are in grains and prasādam also even for that reason those who are the devotees on that day they just concentrate on chanting the holy names.

And for that day They don’t take any rice or any grains and they just take the anukalpa- non-grain prasad or they fast. And they chant the whole night remembering the glories of the Lord. They spend all their time hearing and chanting. So those who are actually more in the enjoying mood they will eat grains on that day. But the actual devotees - they will follow Ekādaśī.

So, chanting the holy name and following Ekādaśī go hand in hand so when Lord Caitanya explained everything like that then everyone accepted that... How merciful the Lord was how we just had to follow the process the way He did this is inconceivable.

Why something will be like that but it is like that if you want to achieve success in devotional service, we have to do it to the way as Lord Caitanya the way Lord Kṛṣṇa have explained. They said that we should observe Ekādaśī. We observe Ekādaśī. You can become speculative & go on arguing but it doesn’t produce any positive result.

So, at a certain point these things become inconceivable this is the way it is. This is why you do it. Why? Why? At a certain point it is the way it is. It is explained how it is. To a certain extent how it came about if you try to go really deep into the whole mechanism it is beyond us. It is just the way Lord set it up. This is how we really test it.

Who is really taking prasad in devotional mood who is taking in a serving mood and the devotee is anyway after the next day - the grains don’t go bad in a day - the next day the devotees - every day there is feasting on prasad on one day they are feasting on the holy name more than prasādam. They don’t take grains that day.

So, there are so many examples like that. So devotional service has its intricacies and devotees they take advantage.  They just follow Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Vedas and they get all the blessings. And those who don’t actually follow, they miss out a lot of the special mercy. Doesn’t matter, If you follow the injunctions properly, you get the mercy.

Dakṣa is following the injunction - giving a bona fide prayer and you will see what kind of mercy he gets. He will also get darshan of the Lord. So, this way if you follow the previous ācāryas, whether you have no desire, all desires, whatever may be, you get the mercy. Therefore, we have to follow mahājana yena gatā sa panthā -- incidentally the path given by His Divine Grace Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. And given by the previous ācāryas and in this way we can be successful in our devotional service.

Question: Chapātīs from ground flour or grains and spices?

Jayapatākā Swami: In commentary by some ācāryas - there are statements given in the Hari Bhakti Vilāsa, I don’t remember the Sanskrit verses.

Śrīla Prabhupāda gave the explanation that everything that has rice/grains/beans and pulses, cereals, these things are not accepted. It is mentioned also - the word śaṣya is mentioned in Hari Bhaktivilāsa.

In Gauḍīya-maṭha they don’t take the pañca-śaṣya - the five seeds which are mentioned in pañca-śaṣya - which includes sesame and mustard. Some people may say that those aren’t grains because it is mentioned pañca-śaṣya and śaṣya also includes rice, oil seeds. So those oil seeds are not taken.

So, in Gauḍīya Maṭha, they eat ghee on Ekādaśī, every other day take mustard. So that smārta Vaiṣṇavas are accepted, Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas aren’t. Some smārta - those who observe Ekādaśī - they may take some shortcut but Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas we don’t find any evidence even if you can’t take mustard oil it is not the end of existence. So what to speak of taking ground chapati. Chapati is brown. So, we don’t take anything with grain unless they get śāstric evidence that one should grind it. It is sinful on Ekādaśī. The onus is on them not on us.

Question: [Not clear 45:40].

Jayapatākā Swami: It is a transformation Prabhupāda said you are cooking sweet rice it is no longer milk it is kheer it is changed. Someone is making fruit salad - curd and fruits - you cook the fruits like curry sauce then it is changed. if you just take fruits if you cook it with grain like sabu or something then it actually changes you won’t get the same shakti as simply taking milk another. 

Question: [Not clear 46:45]

Jayapatākā Swami: Massage not after eating. I remember One time in Kolkata, Piśimā cooked him some special preparation fried - potato mashed - made with mustard oil- That preparation came up to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda said that this preparation is very good. But that was the exception. Exception proves the rule. It is a special preparation cooked with mustard. Otherwise cooked with ghee. We saw it. We didn’t enquire everything we saw. There is no karma.

Although Prabhupāda said buffalo milk is not good for the brain, but he said buffalo yogurt is very good. It is thick. (not clear 49:30)

Devotee: In the spiritual world, Kṛṣṇa has buffaloes? Does Kṛṣṇa use buffalo yoghurt?

Jayapatākā Swami: Any mātājīs have any questions??

He is saying that Prahlādānanda Mahārāja is saying when Kṛṣṇa conquers the buffaloes in the spiritual world. They ferment milk and they feed Kṛṣṇa buffalo yoghurt. I don’t know what the pramāṇa is, that is what he is saying. Kavichandra Mahārāja is saying that there is some controversy, anyway.

But Prabhupāda said that buffalo yoghurt - see if you take buffalo milk - someone said to Śrīla Prabhupāda cow milk is good for intelligence. Is Buffalo milk good for intelligence. Śrīla Prabhupāda said no, so then he said that you can take buffalo yoghurt.

So generally, yoghurt is physically good for you. I don’t know much. I just repeated what conversation I heard.

Śrīla Prabhupāda ki jai.

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam Grantharaja ki jai.

Second Level Proofer: Karuṇāpati Keśava das

Second Level Proofed on: 18-Feb-2021