19931213 Bhagavad-gītā lecture with Hindi Translation

The following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on Dec 13^th, 1993 in Patna.

Here, Lord Kṛṣṇa is giving transcendental knowledge.

What is the purpose of life?

In the previous verse Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa says that, as all surrender unto Him, He rewards accordingly: -

ye yathā māṁ prapadyante
tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham

So, those who approach Kṛṣṇa in pure devotion they are directly getting Kṛṣṇa’s mercy.

Those who approach the part of Kṛṣṇa, in the form of devas and great men, only get partial mercy. Because those parts are holding a temporary position, they only give temporary fruit. So, worshipping the devas is better than not doing any worship. It is training people to do worship, training them to accept a higher power. But better than that, then there’s the jñāna where one gets mokṣa. So, this way sometime the worship of the devas is compared to the cotton. Cotton. Kapas. And the jñāna-mārga is compared to the, a lump of dirt. Not pūjā arcanā, jñāna. No, it’s like compared to a lump of earth. Earth, earth. Which is harder A ball of cotton or ball of earth. No, acha nahi, śakti hai. Śakti, If I say that I want to break that lump of earth with a cotton. All I take is the cotton, throw on the earth, will it break the earth? Now bhakti is compared to the stone. If someone say that I’ll break the stone with a lump of earth. Can they break the stone?  If they take the earth and smash it against the stone, the stone will break in little pieces. The earth will break in little pieces. So, just like that if you compare one thing to the next it may be better. But when you compare with the argument of bhakti-yoga then these are the hardest and nothing can break that. Better than doing adharma is to do dharma. Within dharma there are various levels. So, the karma is considered the lower level because in that we are simply getting temporary fruit. And better than that is the, getting of the jñāna or knowledge, transcendental knowledge. But the jñāna one may also fall down from that position. But because of, even in jñāna one is not having the devotion for the Lord. They only know what is material world what is the spirit, they don’t know about Bhagavān. Bhagavān saṁbandha nahīṅ jāna sakatā. So, this bhakti-yoga is directly giving us the blessing of Lord Kṛṣṇa. But, therefore it is considered to be the, the greatest of all the benedictions. Now say, one there’s also another example, there was one big minister. He was offering a free house for anyone to stay in. Very good three storied building, air conditioning, eating, car park Television, furniture, hot and cold water   You can have it for free. But only the owner is keeping one condition. That, anytime day and night some terrorist may come and kill you. But otherwise, you can live there as long as you like. You want that house? [Devotees: laughing] You can be peaceful in that house? [Devotees: laughing] Actually we are living in that house now. This body is that house. Anytime day and night we could leave this body. So how we can have peace? So, some people are there thinking that if I get some temporary thing then I’ll have all the peace. Yesterday I did program at one very big industrialist house in Bombay. He’s one of the most famous of India, everyone knows his name. But he told me how in his family there was so much aśānti at one point some years ago. At that time also, there was strike going on in the factory. So many troubles, all came at same time. Joint family broke up, every family want separate, separate all brothers. So that time somehow, he came in contact with Bhagavad-gītā As It Is.   And with devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa. So very soon that changed my life. Now he’s chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, he and his wife both chanting, they’ve nice temple of Kṛṣṇa in their house. So they understand that side by side as we’re leading this life, we had to prepare our self for the spiritual life. Otherwise, there’s no peace in this world. So, every deva has got that department. So if you go just like every there’s so many ministers in government. Someone is food minister, someone is home minister, someone is finance minister. So many, how many minister you have, 30, 40 portfolio like that, there are taitīsa-koṭī-devatā [Guru Mahārāja: laughing] Another position are there, you can also become a deva. If you do the puṇya long enough you get that birth as a deva. That’s why Indra gets worried if some yogī is doing lot of tapasyā that may be yogī will take his position. So, he send apsarā to break his meditation. It is the fear that yogī may want to take his position. At the end the question answer commentary with that. So, this way people are generally infatuated by these temporary blessings. But actually the more intelligent people are those who want the permanent blessing. Kṛṣṇa can give the permanent blessing because He is beyond this material world. All the devas they’re also within the material worlds.

Normally human birth is meant to get out of the material world. But now human population is increasing. Because from animal they’re coming up to human, but human not getting mokṣa. But now Caitanya Mahāprabhu has come to give special mercies - all human being can get out in this Kali-yuga. In the śāstra gives two main ways to get out of the material world, two, pair of complementary ways. One is, this in this Kali-yuga. No, in the Kali-yuga. One is the harināma. The other is the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. These two are specially given for the conditioned souls of Kali-yuga.

There’s a story, how once there was one man called Ātmadeva, brāhmaṇa He was a rich brāhmaṇa His wife name was Dhunduli. She was serving her husband very nicely. But sometimes she would be very dissatisfied, complain always. But the husband is living and he happy as a wife, even she complain sometimes. But in spite of having wealth, having family he was not happy Because he had no son. He taught without son what is the use of family life? So, he was very frustrated. He went to the forest, he thought let me commit suicide, if I don’t have a son what is the use of life? He met one sannyāsī. That sannyāsī asked him why you’re so sad? What is wrong? So, I’ve no son, putrahīna hai, maiṅ to putrahīna hai. So, what is the use of living? And the sannyāsī said that some people without, with son they also suffer. You should not be so attached to these things No no! Without son, I will not keep my life. So, the sannyāsī saw he was very much affected so he thought let me have some mercy on him. So, he gave him one fruit. You give this to your wife; she’ll have a nice son. So, he went back to his house He told his wife what happened. Now we got a very good blessing. Now you take this fruit and then we can have a child. Today I’m very happy. So, he gave the fruit to his wife. He went off to take his bath. But the wife she wasn’t happy. She thought my husband gave me this fruit. So I have a child. But if I have a child, I’ll get sick. Morning I’ll get some sickness and vomiting feeling. Then all my, my sally, my sister, my sister-in-law she’ll come and steal my things when I’m sick. This way I’ll become very big and it’ll be very uncomfortable walking and moving. Then the baby gets stuck coming out in that channel. Die, I don’t want to take this fruit. But if I don’t take it my husband will be angry with me, he wants a son.

So, I see in this world no one can be happy anyway, no matter. So, the lady, she wanted a child but she did not want the suffering. In this world to get anything you have to also get the suffering. So, the sister of that lady, of the Dhunduli, she said alright I’m actually pregnant now, I’ll give you my child. You tell my husband and give him some money, he’ll maybe give you my son. You tell your husband you’re pregnant and as just when I give birth I’ll give it to you and you say this is yours, he won’t know. Gauranga! So, they made this plot. She told her husband, yes now I’m pregnant. And they fed that fruit to the cow. Then the sister had the baby. So then, quickly gave and said, oh look it, oh today I had birth, here’s the baby. Showed the husband you know, oh I’m happy I got a son. He was giving out charity to all the people now he’s a father. Then here that cow that was given the fruit, that one gave birth to also a boy. Nara, nara-bacchā, human. So the people thought look at that, the cow even in his house now once is giving birth, even the cows are giving birth to human. That means he’s very fortunate man But that son from the cow had two, all human except ears are like this one, cow’s ear. So, he was known as Gokarṇa

Because that blessing of the sannyāsī was, would not fail. So that’s why even gave a cow, cow gave birth. But that, so that boy was that sister’s boy, the lady presented as her’s they gave the name Dhundukāri. But when he grow up, as he was growing he was a very bad person He would kill animals and make them suffer for pleasure He would beat up the other children, cause them suffering. But Gokarṇa was a very good boy, he was always attracted to religious activities. So as that Dhundukāri grew up he was demanding money from his parents and he go on and drink wine and eat that, do sinful activities Abuse his parents and mischief them. And the father that Ātmadeva, he thought that I was so happy without a son. Now I have a bad son and I’m suffering like anything. Then that Ātmadeva, that Dhundukāri like that also he beat up his parents and took their money and even, in this way in very unfortunate way they died. And Dhundukāri then he lived in the house of his father and he brought in prostitutes. Five, he was living with five, enjoying all the sense gratification But they say we want sarees, we want these bangles, jewels, you have to give us He had spent all the wealth of his father. So he went out and he robbed someone and took their wealth To give that, and he brought back and he gave for his, satisfying these prostitutes So then prostitutes that now he’s stealing, he’ll get caught by the police sometime, then we’ll be put in trouble, better we just finish him off. So, in the night they made a plan they’ll kill him When he’s in the sleep they tied him up. Then they tried to strangle him. But he woke up and he was very hard to killing. So then finally they just cut him in pieces. And they put him in the well and when people ask where’s your man, they used to tell ohh he went out distant place to make money. They sold all the property and then they left. It says that in the world there’s two kind of women, always a very pious religious women and they’re always doing proper thing according to the dharma but those who are one that adharma type they can do anything, they’re not, they have very hard heart. So when that Dhundukāri was killed like that by the prostitutes, he became a ghost. He went to his brother Gokarṇa and he took some horrible form and Gokarṇa what, what are all these, what horrible force coming like a big demon coming, then coming as a elephant and in a tiger what is this? He started chanting some Nṛsimha mantras So then that ghost took the form again how he’s his brother and said actually I’m your brother, I was killed like this, I become a ghost, you please save me from this hellish existence. So, but I just came back I did piṇḍa-dāna for you in Gayā, so how is it that you’re still a ghost? He said I was so sinful and you do hundred times piṇḍa, it won’t be enough for me. You have to do something more powerful. So, then Gokarṇa he found out that most powerful thing to do was to read the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Then he started to read the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam And he invited many people, so many brāhmaṇas and other sajjanas they came and do this. And the ghost he took a shelter in one bamboo Every day that Bhāgavatam was being read, one of the gīṭhas (knots) of the block  blew up, exploded. At the end of seven days, that ghost was liberated from ghostly body And the special vimāna came from Vaikuṇṭha to take him back. So, he got the spiritual body. So other rṣīs and brāhmaṇas said why he is going and why we’re not going? We were here for seven days also listening, said he was listening very carefully, you are not listening so carefully So, then they took back that liberated ghost. All the brāhmaṇas requested Gokarṇa, do one more time Bhāgavata-pāṭha, try we’d listen more carefully [Guru Mahārāja laughing] Again after sometime, he did Bhāgavata lectures And then Kṛṣṇa was so pleased by the lectures and everyone listening So Kṛṣṇa, He personally appeared and He took all of them back to Goloka Vṛndāvana.

Nitāi-Gaura sītānātha premānande! Hari Haribol! So, in this world, if you take shelter of the Harināma and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it could give us the most blessing. Bhagavad-gītā is preparation for Śrīmad Bhāgavatam But we have the choice whether we want the eternal happiness, eternal blessing of Lord Kṛṣṇa or just the temporary things which will come and go.

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

Who wants to be born again and again in the cycle of reincarnation sometime as animal, sometime an human, sometime as deva? Who wants to get blessing of Lord Kṛṣṇa and go back to the eternal abode of the Lord? Hare Kṛṣṇa! So, you’re all devotees here I see. So may Kṛṣṇa bless all of you. The process is very easy, you have to book your ticket now. You book the ticket by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, by hearing the teachings of Kṛṣṇa and by worshiping Kṛṣṇa These are Lord Caitanya’s instruction ‘bhajo kṛṣṇa bolo kṛṣṇa koro kṛṣṇa sikha’ Gītā is the teaching of, by Kṛṣṇa and Bhāgavata is teaching about Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Any question?

Question (translator:) All the mistakes that he has committed in past, the bad karma which is following him, how to get rid of them? Just like that Dhundukāri he got all of his bad karma wiped away.

Jayapatākā Swami: If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa says mokṣya, that He’ll protect you from all the sins.

sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

‘Sarva-pāpebhyo’, all pāpa He’ll protect you from. There’s no other way to get free from your sin except for taking shelter of the Lord Kṛṣṇa. Even if you do pious activity that doesn’t get rid of the sin.

Only by serving Kṛṣṇa you’d be get free from all the sin

What’s the question?

Question: The question is ki, to desire a son which seems it goes in contradiction to the teachings of the just now concluded class that of what you would be a son because this ṛsī was telling Ātmadeva ki, what made you bothered about to have a son

Jayapatākā Swami: No, it’s natural for the gṛhasthas to own a son. But he was trying to have son and he was not getting son. So, he was so unhappy wanted to commit suicide because of no son. Confirm [Devotees laughing]. This is the extreme case. If someone doesn’t get son, he shouldn’t commit suicide, he was being over. Gṛhastha-dharma means to have children. But that who doesn’t have children and life go on. But we should, it for devotional service then you should try to have a Kṛṣṇa Conscious child.

Just like one family disciple they want to have a child so just like Kardama muni he did tapasyā to get a good child. One mātājī is in Mayapur now for one month chanting 50 rounds a day doing tapasyā to get a good child. Since she’s going to try to have a child she wants that, should get blessing from Kṛṣṇa to have a good child.

Devotee: Chant for bringing daughter also Mahārāja?

Jayapatākā Swami: Child whatever [Devotees: laughing]. Some child, she’s doing the tapasyā not that husband, so no one could say what will come. [Devotees: laughing] We can bless him he has a boy. So, she wants to have a devotee child that’s what. If you think that you have a child, you’ll get in happiness that’s māyā. If you think I have a child, let me train my child to be a devotee and liberate the child this is the proper. And where people the, the child will give happiness may also give suffering in material life. So, you try, a gṛhastha, they try to have a, they pray to Kṛṣṇa to give a child who can become liberated soul, who can be a boon to the family for spiritual advancement. They also try to train that child.

So that’s being done as a service to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in Gītā  dharma-aviruddhaḥ maithuna aham. In Hindi the son is called putra and it means punnāma narakam trāyate hi putra. The son is who, who protects one from going the hell called put. So, there is a common belief that unless the son is born at least he will not be able to be gṛhastha or in, will not be able to cross back again. Unless he is blessed with a son, either he is seeking devotee he’s all the best then. If the son does the śrāddha, if the son is asura they won’t help any.

Question: They don’t help? Then why the karma-kāṇḍīs believe that son has to be born if one needs to be liberated.

Jayapatākā Swami: Regarding devotee and not only that gentlemen but these 4 or 5 or 10 generations will just crossover only because the son is born. I will give lecture like that also. Putra means ‘pu’ is hell ‘tra’ is to deliver. It’s not difficult Sanskrit. That’s why the son should go and do the śrāddha. He may not be a pure devotee if he just pious man he do śrāddha that can save his father from hell. But if he’s a sinning person he won’t also do śrāddha, then what is it?

That was one devotee of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, his son died, so he was lamenting. He was crying actually and the deity ask why you are sad, because my son died. But I’m here, I’m also your son, you. No, but my son here, when I die, he’ll save me from this hell, he’ll do śrāddha for me. Now I have no son, who will do the śrāddha.

So, then the Gopinath deity said, alright when you die, I’ll do the śrāddha for you, you don’t lament. So then after that, now that deity every year they take the deity to the samadhi of this devotee and the deity is doing the śrāddha ceremony. And they say some miracles happen also, that for one moment that black deity turns white. So, if you train your children up in dharma at least they’ll do the śrāddha. That will save you from hell. If you train them to be a bhakta they’ll save you from saṁsāra. 

Second Level Proofer: Karuṇāpati Keśava das

Second Level Proofed on: 19-Feb-2021