19950910 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.20

The following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on Sep 10 1995 Denmark. The class begins by reading from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7th Canto, text 9 Chapter 20.

Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

 

nārāyaṇaṁ namaskṛtya

naraṁ caiva narottamam

devīṁ sarasvatīṁ vyāsaṁ

tato jayam udīrayet

 

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ

paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim

yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande

śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam

 

Which verse?

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7th Canto, text 9 Chapter 20

 

Translation:

 

My dear Lord, everyone in this material world is under the modes of material nature, being influenced by goodness, passion and ignorance. Everyone — from the greatest personality, Lord Brahmā, down to the small ant — works under the influence of these modes. Therefore everyone in this material world is influenced by Your energy. The cause for which they work, the place where they work, the time when they work, the matter due to which they work, the goal of life they have considered final, and the process for obtaining this goal — all are nothing but manifestations of Your energy. Indeed, since the energy and energetic are identical, all of them are but manifestations of You.

 

Purport by His Divine Grace Śrīla A.C Bhakthivedanta Swami Prabhupad:

 

Whether one thinks himself protected by his parents, by the government, by some place or by some other cause, everything is due to the various potencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everything that is done, whether in the higher, middle or lower planetary systems, is due to the supervision or control of the Supreme Lord. It is therefore said, karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur dehopapattaye. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul within the core of everyone’s heart, gives inspirations for action according to one’s mentality. All of these mentalities are merely facilities given by Kṛṣṇa to the person acting. Bhagavad-gītā therefore says, mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: everyone works according to the inspiration given by the Supersoul.

Jai Śrī  Śrī  Gaura Nitāi ki Jai.

Because everyone has a different goal of life, everyone acts differently, as guided by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

The words yasmin yato yarhi yena ca yasya yasmāt indicate that all activities, whatever they may be, are but different features of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All of them are created by the living entity and fulfilled by the mercy of the Lord. Although all such activities are non-different from the Lord, the Lord nonetheless directs, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: Translation: “Give up all other duties and surrender unto Me.” When we accept this direction from the Lord, we can actually become happy. As long as we work according to our material senses we are in material life, but as soon as we act according to the real, transcendental position or direction of the Lord, our position is spiritual. The activities of bhakti, devotional service, are directly under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Nārada-pañcarātra states:

 

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ

 tat-paratvena nirmalam

hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-

 sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate

 

When one gives up materially designated positions and works directly under the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one’s spiritual life is revived. This is described as svarūpena avasthiti, being situated in one’s original constitutional position. This is the real description of mukti, or liberation from material bondage.

 

Om Tat Sat.

 

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Thus, ends the Bhaktivedanta Swami translation and purport of 7th Chapter, excuse me 7^th Canto 9^th Chapter 20^th verse in the matter of Prahlad pacifies the lord with the prayers.

 

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam Grantharaj ki Jai.

 

So Here Prahald is offering prayers to lord Narasiṁhadeva. He is offering prayers which are in themselves each one is a thesis in transcendental knowledge. His prayers are so authoritative that they are so inspired by the lord himself.

 

Each one of them is a form of spiritual evidence, spiritual pramāṇa revealing great ascetic truths about the supreme personality of godhead, our relationship with the lord, the nature of the material manifestation.

 

Prahlad is only 5 years old by material calculations a kumāra. But he is blessed by Narasiṁha Deva so all and he is a bonafide disciple coming in the Brahmā Sampradāya. He is in the same disciplic succession that we are coming in.

 

But his guru is Nārada Muni. Very good. His spiritual Master is Nārada the second guru we are coming down in the disciple succession in another 34/33 levels taking shelter of his divine grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. The transcendental knowledge is preserved through the disciple succession. This verse gives us an interesting perspective on the material nature.

 

First Prahlad mentions that the whole world is under the three modes - goodness, passion, ignorance. We have heard that many times that it is important to understand how so long one is within the three-material consciousness one is bound to get tossed around by the three modes. In the ocean, then the waves as well as the wind they all have their effects.

 

So, the three modes are creating the environment in this material world. And everyone in the material nature is under these modes. Right from brahma down to the ant. Ant being symbolic that doesn't mean that one smaller than ants are also under I mean that’s just a... There are many smaller microorganisms they are also under the three modes.

 

So Prahlad is establishing the case that everyone in the material world is influenced by the lord’s energy.

 

You see, so someone might say since everyone is working under the energy of the lord then whats the question of being Kṛṣṇa conscious? They are already working under the energy of the lord. you see but this is a separated energy of the lord - ...vipinna Śakti.....The Bahiraṅgā Śakti. And although the energy of the lord is a manifestation an expansion non different aspect of the lord.

 

But those activities which are under his separated energy are under his external energy rather they are not considered direct but they can say indirectly connected. Although the lord manifest in the material world, he doesn’t directly involve himself with the activities of the material nature.

 

Unless somebody is actually surrendered to the lord ........verse.... if someone is always engaged in the devotional service of the lord then the lord is giving intelligence how to come. But if someone has a different goal in life which is mentioned here that different people have got different goals. Therefore, they work in different ways.

 

So, we can understand from this verse how important it is to fix our goal at the right place. The cause for which they work, the place where they work, the time when they work, the matter due to which they work the goal of life they have considered final. And the process for obtaining this goal all are nothing but the manifestation of the energy. Even though everything is the manifestation of the lord’s energy if the goal that someone has taken is final like some people their final goal might be, I want to be a world-famous musician.

 

Many musicians they are really into it they want to make it. After three years you see him working with circuit in the night clubs you know I gotta get a break you know I am gonna perform with a big actor a big one with a break and their final goal in life is you know they want  a break they want a take big movie you know a big music break.

 

But someone that wanna get a play on Broadway or if someone is to be the marathon gold medalist. The Olympics are coming up next year.

 

There are some people who are working out every day doing their pushups & are running and everything and for them the final goal in their life I mean they are not really thinking necessarily thinking not too far right now they are just focused gold medal at least a silver or bronze something like that some medal, gold medal in Olympics.

 

I have happened to be in Thailand after the last Olympics and small countries they don’t get so many medals in fact some don’t get any. And Thailand had one person got a medal Bronze medal for Boxing. When he got came back, they had you know massive reception flowers and (14:33 not clear) the buildings going through the whole city open, you know carcade honking the horns & people… hero was welcomed as he has got the bronze medal.

 

Anyways probably if you are in Russia or America then Germany they get so many medals that you know nobody you know maybe shake the hands with some politician or something and that’s about it. But there he was he was welcomes even though he was 3rd place in one...This came in the paper in India because they did not get any place in the Olympics.

 

One of the lady was a national champion in a particular sport called Kabadi. I don’t know in West they don’t know this. This is a nice sport.

 

Prabhupad said Gurukuls can play because they can play the holy names. I won’t go into the description of the game. It’s a team game. It a team game where you need to chant kabadi kabadi kabadi and tackle the opponents and things like that.

 

So, this particular lady was in the national champion team for five years. There was a big front-page article, there she was selling sabjis in Bihar somewhere 33 years old. Now she is already old she is no longer in the team anymore.

 

Just look at she was a national champ she was a big hero she was getting so many perks and things and now she doesn’t have enough food to eat she sits in the subway you know 6 in the morning to 8 o clock at might selling vegetables you know in a market which is one of the poorest occupation she can get even in India.

 

I mean in India at least; I don't know maybe in other places this is not so bad work. So they were lamenting you know where is the justice? Here is a national champ and you know she doesn’t even have food to eat.

So, people they set different goals and once they get the goal then they have to agree nowhere... Because as long as we set the goals which aren’t the ultimate goal, once you get then you have to see you have to get to the mountain now you have to get back down.

 

It’s so much harder to get down than to get up. Or they set some particular goal and then that’s some of these great performers they get their name and fame and they are still not happy and they get so frustrated that they commit suicide. They don’t know where to go from there. Because they don’t have any idea what’s the real goal of life. See these people getting some temporary goal and there the super soul helping people get their goals to the limit of their karma.

 

But they set all these worthless goals. Goals which after achieving again you are still in trouble; you still have to eat still have to go on do something.

 

So Prahlad he is understanding how the lord is working what is the Prabhupad explaining here is that ultimately all these duties all these goals none of them benefits not actually his service then it’s all a waste of its ultimately not the real thing we should be working for. Maybe as an intermediate or as a not as a final goal.

 

As somebody take something as an occupation and within their occupation, they want to achieve success. Alright. But if they take that as their final goal, see then they are really deluded.

 

All the devotees they might do so many activities those devotees who are working in society they do so many activities but in their mind, they understand that none of these is the ultimate goal even if they achieve it or don't achieve it, that doesn’t mean that that’s the perfection of life or the failure in life. Because the ultimate perfection of life is to achieve pure devotion for Kṛṣṇa. That’s why they say, everyone in the world has got all these different kinds of goals whether its business or whether maybe someone has a goal. I was flying over and it was ridiculous. I didn’t put on the head phones and it’s too ridiculous of a thing. There is a movie something .. marriage wedding.

 

And some girl .. .... plot you can figure out its not so deep. Her goal in life was that she wants to get married. By hook or by crook. So finally, you know I don’t know. but it all things a big failure. I got to know all the details. But it was a failure. It wasn't what she really wanted. So, once she got it.

 

So, this is the problem, we may have so many intermediator goals. Those aren’t crucial. Because we are bound to have Prabhupad said as a matter of course we have to take precautions for protection but ultimately our only protection is Kṛṣṇa.

A mother and father they take precaution to protect the child get medicines get to doctor but ultimately nobody can guarantee that they can save their child.

 

In spite of the best doctors, in spite of the best precautions, it doesn’t mean you don’t take them but it doesn’t mean you don’t depend on them absolutely the difference is that the transcendental knowledge means you know that ultimately we have to depend on Kṛṣṇa and this is what people lack today this is what sarvadhraman partiyaja means that we really depend on Kṛṣṇa.

 

So, something and we do it practically that’s our primary, it doesn’t mean that its fanatical that to only depend on Kṛṣṇa that we don’t use medicine or you don’t see a doctor. You know that if its gonna work that because Kṛṣṇa allows it to work.

 

If we get to the doctor if it’s really the right doctor that can cure that, that’s Kṛṣṇa’s mercy. And if we don’t get cured then we know that Kṛṣṇa allows wants to take us back.

 

So, this is the big difference between a Kṛṣṇa conscious devotee and a normal religious person. That’s why we see so many religious people, why does God allow these things to happen? And they ask the priests and say I don’t know it’s a mystery. They are in the speaker board unfathomable ways of the lord and you know what.

 

But here in the Bhagavatam is laid out exactly why Kṛṣṇa works the way he does. And it’s so unfortunate that it’s not developed into faith you know environment that people from different religions can take advantage of this wisdom, understanding the Vedas and we respect all scriptures and we find truth in all scriptures. But the vedas are giving us wisdom which are otherwise inaccessible.

 

So, they could get so much information instead of speculating and beating their heads on the walls and trying to why this is happening. It explains why how Kṛṣṇa works how he is relating because people have assigned different goals in life.

 

Like some people goal is the freedom of the bosnia from the services to get their own country and someone else within Bosnia and or separate from Bosnia.

 

Everyone’s got their different goals.

 

So Prabhupad said why are you blaming god. You get someone, there is a householder his goal is I don’t get robbed by the thieves and he is praying God save me I don’t get robbed. And then you got a robber, and his goal is how I can rob a house holder. And his prayer to god is please allow me rob this person and not get caught. I have a poor family I have no way to eat I have no other way to live I can’t get a job, So help me that I can rob this person and not get caught. Now whose side does GOD take?

 

Is, I mean there is very difficult situation.

 

So of course, because one person is you know theoretically honest person so Prabhupad explains that Kṛṣṇa gives some help little advantage to them or maybe some warning or some indication.

 

But if they are really spaced out, they are unconscious about it then they get robbed. So just like the tiger is depending on god to get his food.

 

And the deer is dependent on god that I don’t get eaten by the tiger. The tigers eat deer’s. So then how do you, you know who does, who gets the break?

 

So, then the lord he gives some little rodent some kind of Guinea pig type of rodent that goes with the tiger. The tiger is there and when do preaching in ...,they tell us tiger stories. I mean, you can sit up for hours if you wanna spend time hearing about tigers. They wanna tell you is about Kṛṣṇa but when you are right there.

 

Did you hear about that tiger?

 

You know you know for next 50 mins you are open for tiger stories. So you get an overdose of...(24:13).. of Narasimha dev. But they say how you know they can walk they cant hear them. They walk so softly.

 

The tiger being so big very big you know 500 kilos plus sometimes 8 2 and half three meters even they get linked. Tail is longer.

 

So, they are very big cat. They walk and they don’t make any sound. So that the fishermen they go the people they go in the jungle they go to little canals the tiger is smart. He knows this guy is going to the canals and there is only one way he can go. This way or this way. He is going this way so I go up the river. They have intelligence on how to catch their prey. And they wait and their stripes all this bush looks like their stripes everywhere you know you look everywhere you can see a tiger in every bush.

 

You don’t know you can’t see them. They crunch up and they become very small [devotes laugh] and when the boatman comes by, he is looking up looking where is he looking? Looking for the honey bees. They go in the jungle and they get honeys so they look for honey bees where the bees are going you know. They don’t know that the tiger is looking at them (audience laughing) so soon they jump. They become Shhh so long elongated and they become so long and BHUT with one nearly break the neck of the person.

 

It’s over, in once second. They don’t even hear, there is little so they tell you all  these stories and say we like to go to the center boat. Ok we will take you by boat, it’s not safe here you know.

 

So, there is little rodent that they may hear poor deer is there and the tiger is hiding by the water hole and this little rodent comes out and tee tee tee makes this sound.

 

Hopefully came out when the fisherman was there too but if he too much on the birds and bees too much looking at the bees and you know everything then he doesn’t hear the sound. The deer can run what the fisherman can do? You know the story of the young carpenter and the tiger? You forgot?

 

There was a young carpenter and he was going into the jungle with his saws and implements and an old carpenter is walking by and said where you are going? I am going into the jungle. What for?

 

I am going to get wood. And with my, you know I need to build some furniture and sell it and maintain my family. I cannot afford to buy the wood from the market I get it free from the forest.

 

Where is your gun?

 

You know there’s tigers in there they are dangerous.

 

You have to go with some weapon. Otherwise you know you will get eaten and then you go back and get a gun. He went he wore his gun over his shoulder and went. He thought what does the old guy know?

 

I have got my saw. If the tiger comes, I will just saw of the branch from the tree and I will start swinging the branch over my head and I will drive away the tiger. Good idea? What do you think?

 

So, he goes in and he is gathering gathers so much wood and everything. you know and then, Jai Jai śrī Śrī Gaur Nitāi, Nitāi Gaur Premānande Hari Haribol!!

 

Jai Gaur Nitāi Ki Jai!So across the clearing there is a little baby tiger only like four years old like 2 meters long,

 

Just still a baby running over and then the carpenter sees and he immediately takes out his saw and he sheesh shheesh trying to chop the chopping chopping kind of sawing sawing the branch but before he can finish sawing the tiger leaves Ahh it’s over. Curtains.

He never thought you know that well when the tiger is attacking, does not have all the time in the world to sit and sawing the branches. He has to act fast. He has only few seconds.

 

Second maybe, just a just a moment.

 

So, when the news came back to the village that the young carpenter got killed by the tiger. Another tiger story.

 

So, everyone was very sad. Few days later one devotee came to the village and he started to chant the hare Kṛṣṇa and got everyone to chant set up a little namahatta over there and got everyone to listen bhagavatam class, gītā class and then the next morning everyone got up little late you know late program. But then the sadhu the devotee already gotten up early has taken bath and was gone.

 

So where did he go?

 

He went into the jungle. The jungle?

 

The young carpenter just got killed. We better go and protect the devotee and they all went with their guns following his footsteps you know we have to protect this devotee.. There are tigers in there and he doesn’t know. Nobody could warn him in time.

 

So, they all went you know with their guns and everything and went deep in the forest. Before they could hear the tigers they could hear you know the wild animals cries they could hear also some sound of music.

 

So, what's going on?

 

They went and then they heard ting ting ting they had kirtan, this devotee chanting and you know move aside the branches and looked, there they see he is chanting and there the tigers the deers all doing kirtan with him.

 

Haribol Haribol

Hare Kṛṣṇa hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa hare hare

hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare.

 

They were amazing to hear tiger, bear, deer, everyone they are all chanting hare Kṛṣṇa dancing and looked at their guns, what do we need guns for. He has tamed them all he has tamed all these wild animals. you don’t need he doesn't need any guns. He had that power so you understand the story?

 

The story was told by Śrīla Bhakthi sidhantha saraswati Thakur.

 

Each personality there, the main personalities there representing different philosophical perspectives.

 

So, who is the young carpenter that goes in and he is prepared to save himself by sawing the branch? (One devotee said Materialist?) Not exactly. Who is the materialist since you said materialist? Who are the karma kandis which are those actors of the karma kandis, we will take it in reverse since we already, huh? the old carpenter.

 

This is the comedy of heirs but he was not the part of the story (gurumaharah and the devotees laughs) there I was just giving you a background.

 

The story begins huh ... it works, who is the carpenter? who is the carpenter? he he who is the one looking for the fruitive results? anyone knows? not the carpenter. he is another philosophy than the karma kanda. Yes, the ones who carry the guns.

 

The karmis are the ones who make all these protections, the medicines, the.. They are the ones they need this thing I will be happy if I have the house, If I have the car , If I have the big position in society if I get the name, I get the fame, if I get big bank balance all these things then this will all protect me .These are the and even if they keep all these things together to a certain degree they have some security but now without fear why are they afraid? Material life means fear.

 

So, the best is trying to do best you can instead of all the defenses but in spite of that, what are you 100% guaranteed of? Death then rebirth, you can't avoid that. Śrīla  Harikesh Maharaj, he always highlights that point guarantees in life. So the materialists they try to protect themselves with weapons. Who is the young guy who got eaten? Which philosophy is that?

 

Actually, Śrīla Bhaktha sidhantha saraswati Thakur says this is like mystic yogis. They think that they can conquer the material energy by their own efforts. At least the materialistic are taking the help of their weapons. So, they get some certain degree of success eventually they might get caught by the tiger anyway. But here the mystic yogi, he is going and he is just depending on his own effort.

 

But all of a sudden, the senses may reach out and grab him just like Vishwamitra meditating up came Menakā, the apsarā and are the and he was distracted from his meditation and śakuntalā was born.

 

So simply by the mystic yoga process is not enough to control the senses when they get out of control. Now who this is the hardest one probably. Who is the devotee who went and chanted? Lord Caitanya - pure devotee is pure devotee. (laughs) The devotee is lord Caitanya who is of course incarnation as pure devotee.

 

Lord Caitanya got all the animals to dance is Jarikhanda.

 

Generally, we are not able to do that. Prabhupad says at least we get human beings to chant then at least we will be considered success.

 

Lord Caitanya could get the animals to chant. It’s not that everyone could go to the jungle and get the tigers to join in the kirtan. That requires some special personality. But here the idea is the pure devotee he could get them to chant. Who do the tiger represent? The tigers are representing these material desires. The material desires that come and attack us.

 

So the karmis, they protect themselves they have material desires and they set themselves up in such a way that alright I can you know if I have a beautiful wife then I can stay with one wife you know but even then it’s not always easy, with all the guns all the set ups sometimes they don’t. They get involved in sinful activities. Now more or less such that they don’t even try.

 

These are karmis who are trying to follow some morality, so they set themselves up with enough sense gratification that theoretically they should be happy but still there is a dangerous situation and they are not guaranteed success. But to some degree they can maintain. What’s tiger are material desires kāma kroḍa lobha madha matsarja moha anger, greed, lust the illusion intoxication, envy all these vices and all the desires that are connected to those vices they were controlled by the pure devotee.

 

So, they are no longer dangerous for him. Bhakthi is the only way we can be safe from these material desires from this material contaminatiown. Not by karma not by gyana not by yoga. Karma means you know, regulative Karmis are actually great elevated people compared to the normal materialistic people.

 

Karmis means someone who is trying to follow the scriptural rules and regulations. There are very few Karmis. Most people today are vikarmis. They are doing illicit activities, sinful activities. But if you find someone trying to follow his religious honest labor and all that, it’s very rare. There are still that's the standard of society.

 

The people expect the leader should be like that even if they are not. Recently there is a big thing I don’t know much. But in the headlines, it shows some big sanitarian in America was found guilty of having improper maid relations and advances with 18 women and so many accusations and trying to get money for himself by getting a job for his ex-wife from some other people from legislation to help them.

 

Everyone says this is horrible you know this is terrible. He must resign. We cannot allow this. Because everyone knows that politicians do these things. He just got caught. You know very hard to imagine a politician who is not doing something like this sometime. Although officially everyone has to say this is horrible and think they don’t get caught. I hope they don’t find any skeletons in my classroom. But officially they all have to say yes this is very bad.

 

So, most people they are not following but maybe some people might be following or trying to follow the proper way. Those are called karmis and when they don’t follow is called vikarmi.

 

But The devotee, he controls all these things because he offers everything to Kṛṣṇa. Even if he has desires but what desires are in harmony with what Kṛṣṇa wants to be a musician alright but then do music to glorify Kṛṣṇa.

 

Use your musical ability to glorify Kṛṣṇa. That Kṛṣṇa’s glories will be expanded. If any fame comes from that alright its Kṛṣṇa’s mercy because anyway one will only get ultimately what you are going to get.

 

But the thing is to keep the final goal to be Kṛṣṇa Conscious. & Don’t do anything that will compromise your final goal. Anything which is neutral or which is also essential or anything which is conducive to reaching the final goal then you can do that. Anything that is an obstruction then you should avoid it. (39:30 ...Prathikulena Anukulena grahanam ..) Take what’s is favorable and reject what is unfavorable that’s the principle of bhakti.

 

So, if someone is an artist, they can use that either they paint pictures of Kṛṣṇa or they do art and with the money they gained from that they use that for Kṛṣṇa’s service. Somehow, they use the ability to serve Kṛṣṇa. Then in this way it’s not an obstacle.

 

This is like kolavecha Śrī dhar, he is a sincere devotee, he is growing his bananas. And with his income 50% he uses to worship the mother ganges.

 

So, the neighbors they tell him why do you spend 50% of the income to worship the ganges? This is my dharma my guru ordered me to worship the ganges.

 

This is my service. Ok you want to worship the ganges, but look you are a poor man, why don’t you just for one year stop worshipping the ganges build up your capital buy more land, get more bananas few papayas few other things you know, increase your capital and then after you get a lot of money you can do a big pooja, you can also have you know nice clothes & things like that.

 

Kolvecha said I am working hard; I am working honest labor. If the lord wants, if I stop worshipping and following the orders of my guru what is the guarantee that after one year just a little more, a little more I might never start again.

 

So, he kept his principles so fixed. He was such an exemplary devotee. His principle I am going to give 50% of my income to the ganges no matter what that was his principle. They said there is a hole in your dhoti, I have clothes, I am not naked.

 

So, what if there is hole? so what? You got a hole in the roof of your house. Ah Its a tropical climate. There is little sunlight we get sometime in the morning, what’s the problem? Arrey You are a fool, you don’t know you are a fool. Kolavachar Śrī dhar, he said I am working hard. If lord wanted to give me a break, I will get one but I am not going to give up my devotional service. And everyday he brings his bananas and sit in the market and who comes to buy the bananas from him?

 

The Lord Caitanya as Nimāi as small boy he will come and say. Alright how much are these bananas?

 

So why you ask how much?

 

I always charge you only the market rate. You don’t even have to ask. Ohh, you know you always want more from me and I am a poor brahmana and you tell me what’s the actual price? The actual price alright for a 8 conch shells? 8 CONCH SHELLS?

 

What a cheat?

 

I am a poor; you are charging me double you know you check in the market am I charging you more than you know the market rate. You will not get less than 10 conch shells anywhere you know 10 little not conch shells but 10 shells.

 

No No you are cheating me you are charging me, then he picked up the banana and gave him 4 little shells you know. What do you mean? bring back here.

 

What you are accusing me of taking these?

 

Are you accusing a brahmana of theft?

 

You want them back?

 

Alright take it take it.

 

Every day it was a whole you know a thing going on. Real rasa. you know whole rasa going on. And then people say why you take it from that young brahmana. I don’t know.  I really, I really like that Nimāi. You know It doesn't matter. Look he is so poor and He doesn’t even give the right price.

 

But in his heart, something happens. whenever he saw Nimāi his heart would melt. But he is still you know, Nimāi was still gets into an argument. But inside he just he actually just loved Nimāi.

 

So here who knows? who Kolavecha Śrī dhar is?

 

But a great devotee he is to come and have these pastimes.

 

So, when Lord Caitanya manifested his Mahā prakash pastime when Advaitha offered tulasi at his lotus feet and said you are the supreme lord and lord Caitanya at that moment was in ecstasy of Kṛṣṇa, his original form as the supreme lord. Only once or twice was he revealed that.

 

And for 22 hours 21 hours Lord Advaitha he was doing the arathy, so At that time lord Caitanya, he called Murāri  Gupta and he said you are my pure devotee and then he said and just waved and Murāri  gupta looked and he saw he was hanuman he looked up lord Caitanya was no longer there and there was Ramachandra and Sita and it was so overwhelming and phoo he faints.

 

When he came back when devotees put ganges water and bring him back and kirtans going on and he looks there is Murāri Gupta and there is Lord Caitanya again.

 

So, one after another he brings different devotees and he reveal even the ganges personified came so many things were happening so then he said you bring Kolavecha Śrī dhar.

 

So, the devotees went and saw kolavecha out there in the banana patch you know working and he looks up and there is four five devotees and they are completely in ecstasy. It’s coming from this kirtan and just had god realization. And so what do you all want?

 

Lord Caitanya wants... Nimāi Gaurāṅga wants you. What? He is calling you; you have to come now. Gaurāṅga? me?

 

He fainted; it was too much He is so humble. Now guaranga is the big leader of the sankirtan, He is still selling the banana doesn’t have time to come to the market anymore. But he still loves Gaurāṅga. Gaurāṅga wants to see him, it was so overwhelming he fainted he couldn’t take it. He had so much admiration for Gaurāṅga, so much reverence.

 

So, what to do? They picked him and they all carried him over there.

 

So, they put him down in front of Gaurāṅga and kirtan is going on and the Kolavechar Śrī dhar wakes up from his... and then he sees Gaurāṅga transcendental Gaurāṅga at that moment is giving so much effulgence you can’t see anything you can only see Gaurāṅga and the devotees the whole world disappears.

 

You can only see the spiritual word the spiritual effulgence he bows down to Lord Gaurāṅga prostrates himself offers his obeisance’s.

 

Gaurāṅga said, you have served me faithfully all these years. You have served your guru’s orders. So now I want to give you a gift, a boon you can have anything you want. So, tell me what is it that you want. No, I don’t want anything. I am happy. Or I will give you a kingdom you can have set of this and take care of bananas you can be a king and you can have an entire kingdom.

 

No no I don’t want to be a king, I don’t want this. No tell me what is it you want?

 

Oh, you don’t want a kingdom, I will give you mystic power Poof you can you know produce anything go anywhere ashta sidhi - lagima anima mahima prapti everything you can have all the mystic power.

 

Do you accept?

 

No No no I don’t want any mystic powers.

 

What do you want??

 

You have to, the lord is in the lord mood he wants to give some benediction. That’s his duty, his role the lord gives blessings, he gives benediction and he had to say what he want.

 

Sometimes people that’s why some people they don’t really, they can ask anything you need to know what is the supreme thing to get and most people can get anything they want like a new car. They might ask for a temporary thing You can get that just by going down & getting a job and then get a car. If you get Vishnu, he can give you anything. What is the thing to get.

 

He said alright I am going to give you what is even rare for the devas to get, rare for the demigods to get. I will give you liberation. You can merge in the JYOTHI! No no. I don’t want to merge in the jyothi, I don’t like this.

 

So, what is it you want tell me what is it you want? You must take from me one boon. So then Kolavecha Śrī dhar he says alright my lord, if there is something, I have to ask you then what I want is that every one of you incarnations, all your avatars if I could simply provide your vegetable and banana needs and if I can simply always see that smiling face of that young brahmin boy Nimāi .

 

This is the thing that I want most of all. But I am not, if you think I am not qualified to serve you in your incarnations then at least give me the blessing that I can be born in a family of your devotees and I can always engage in your devotional service.

 

The kirtan is going on, the arati is going on and then Lord Chaitanya said, I am going to give you Kolavacha Śrī dhar the supreme benediction. I am going to give you that which Brahma Shiva they all want, I am going to give you, I am giving you pure Kṛṣṇa prema.

He gave the best and then immediately Kolavacha Śrī dhar he achieves everything complete love for godhead. When the devotees hear this simple fire, simple rustic person who doesn't have any sophistication but he has the sincere devotion but the lord has given him the highest benediction of pure love.

 

They became mad, everyone said GAURĀṄGA!!!!!, GAURĀṄGA!!!!,

 

Nitāi Gaura Premānande Hari hariharibol, Haribol.

 

People started rolling on the ground pulling their hair. Guaranga! Gaurāṅga!

 

What mercy and Kolavecha as soon as he got the benediction from the lord, he became you know overwhelmed and ecstatic symptoms and he is also rolling on ecstasy in front of the lord offering his obeisance’s.

 

So here is the simple person you know, no PHD, no Master’s degree, No Bachelors probably didn’t even go to high school nothing right. But he had a bonafide Guru and he knew that the goal of life was to have pure devotion for the lord. He had fixed up his final goal. He had every opportunity in his life for fame, power, mystic powers, liberation, everything was offered to him but he knew what the final goal of life the ultimate, goal the ultimate achievement is and he just stuck to that he did not bite all the baits that was given to him.

 

Like the fish bite the first worm that come to them and get caught. You know does not wait for the worm that’s not attached to the hook you know crawling, so they get caught. But he did not get caught from all the traps even the lord himself set him up, he did not bite he did not take any of the traps.

 

So, he got the highest benediction. Māyā is going to test every one of you. You want fame, you want power even sometimes take you to swarga loka, here you go would you like to live in this heavenly environment. Alright this is not so bad, here you go, here is your room, here is yours. All kinds of options can be provided by the devas, by the mystic by the material energy even by Kṛṣṇa! Alright.

 

Even the gopīs went to Kṛṣṇa, & then he said what are you doing here in the middle of the night? Go back home.

 

The gopīs they didn’t go. When he told the same thing to the wives of the brahmanas that you shouldn’t be here, you should go and serve your husbands, everything so they... he convinced them.

 

So even Kṛṣṇa he throws curve balls. Even Kṛṣṇa sometimes, Kṛṣṇa even tests his devotee, I will give you a place in vaikunta, I will give you a place in Brahma Jyothi, I will give you this or that. And the devotee has to be really clear, that everyone is going to offer you anything except pure devotion, pure love of Kṛṣṇa. But don’t take anything short of that, don’t sell out. If you keep your final goal, I want pure love for Kṛṣṇa you will get it by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy.

 

That’s why viṣṇu says that, my devotee even if I offer them a place to live in my planet or a form like me, they won’t take it, if it doesn't include my devotional service. You know sometimes you want to go to goloka with me, If I get to do some service for you there there?

 

It’s not I want a ticket to Goloka and hang on outskirts I want to be able to serve you If there is service to do, they will go to… anywhere the lord wants but if there is no service, I will serve you anywhere. Without your service I don’t want to exist.

 

So that's why Kṛṣṇa says, Give Up! sarvadharmam parityaja: Give up give up all your duties. Keep your duties fixed, I want to serve Kṛṣṇa. And if you have that as your final goal like how prahlad is fixed then he will lead you right to Kṛṣṇa, If there is nowhere else that You can go will you be satisfied.

 

So, eventually Kṛṣṇa is there to fulfil... help the devotees, help everyone fulfill their desire.

 

So, if we fix our desire to be with Kṛṣṇa, serving him, to serve Kṛṣṇa he will fulfil that. Of Course, to achieve that we need help from the Vaishnavas, we need help from bonafide guru, we have to follow the sastra.

 

So, this is very... but we need to fix what’s our final goal. And this is what's mixing. This is why Kṛṣṇa Consciousness is special because you look at all the religion if we look at all the processes and nobody knows what is the final goal. They all fixed up in much lower level. Be good, God give us the daily bread.

 

So, whatever they are fixed up in some goal materially being happy and devoted to, it’s some karma mishritha bhakthi, gyana mishritha bhakthi, some mix is there even amongst the religious people.

 

But lord Caitanya is telling us devotion pure devotional service to Rādhā Kṛṣṇa to Gaurāṅga mahāprabhu, pure love of godhead that is the final ultimate goal of life. We should fix our target on that. Anything which is not an obstruction in the path which can help us in the path we should take it but something which is simply going to take us away from achieving that goal we should reject it. We may take some wrong turns on the way and you know sometimes it’s like the aero plane is blown of course. They need to realign the radar and you know from the new location again they need to go towards the destination.

 

Sometimes we may make mistakes we may get blown of course; we realize we made a mistake I blew it I should never have done that. OK, but now realign my target steering whatever and head back on course back to pure devotion.

 

See even though there is few missteps on the way if we keep our focus right and we careful not to make the same mistake and take the help of guru and Vaishnavas and sastra and by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy we will achieve it.

 

Nitāi Gaura Sitanath Premanande Hari haribol, Śrīla  Prabhupad ki Jai.

 

Any Questions?

 

Q: Yes, the other day we heard about (58:14 - 58:32 not clear)

 

A: Lord Caitanya, we always approach the lord in the mood of servitude servitor ship trying to assist him dasanudas, servant of the servant of the lord. And then from there when we enter into the, this time mood of servitor ship someone enters into  the pastimes of the lord if one is I mean with Kṛṣṇa there is a conjugal relationship but with Lord Caitanya maybe a few people are his parents, elders in the village and some people might be his friends and something classmates in the school just like lord nityananda, he had his cowherd boyfriends came as his associates.

 

But those are all once they already reinstated within the pastimes from this position you approach the lord in dasya and if we try to speculate and do other things, thats is precarious very dangerous. We should approach in dasya and then the lord will elevate us according to our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, then we are properly fixed.

 

But even if someone’s in a conjugal relationship with Kṛṣṇa with lord Chaitanya they are still assisting him in his pastimes in spreading the harinam. Because the lord himself is in the mood of his devotee.

 

Q: (1:00:12 - 1:100:16 Not clear)

A: Apparently, he also went through the test that he also went to the house of yasoda and had a similar pastime. He went there and provided vegetables and things for yashoda and nanda maharaj.

So, its... he has sometimes devotees have this kind of like unique seva. Like there is one devotee who used to always go Oh I am sure maybe I am merging the two pastimes.

 

The one who comes and offers the food and the brāhmaṇa and then Lord Caitanya used to come and take. He did the same thing in Kṛṣṇa līlā and that little Kṛṣṇa came and ate the offering and he would get upset and then Kṛṣṇa reveals himself. That was, he does that everytime, like a regular.

 

Kolavache Śrī dhar, I need to look it up. I am sorry. I am not 100% sure so I should not (1:01:14 - Not clear) but there are many small many players in the pastimes and everyone gets mentioned in Kṛṣṇa līlā and then they come back in chaitanya līlā and then maybe more prime role more visible role.

Yes mataji.

 

Q: Is this Mahaprakash pastime mentioned where (Not Clear)

 

A: It referred to there, but it's mentioned in detail in Chaitanya Bhagavat. Refer to Verse referring to. its mentioned in the purport also.

 

Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

 

Śrīla Jayapatākā Swami Gurumaharaj ki Jai!