The following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami on November 19th 1995 at Murāri Sevaka Farm, in Mulberry Tennessee. The class begins with a reading from the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya Lila, Chapter 20 – verse 16 – 28, and continues with a class from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4th Canto Chapter 2 text 35
His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja: By performing congregational chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one can destroy the sinful condition of material existence, purify the unclean heart and awaken all varieties of devotional service.
Caitanya-Caritāmṛta Antya Līlā Chapter 20 verse 16 to 28
kṛṣṇa-premodgama, premāmṛta-āsvādana
kṛṣṇa-prāpti, sevāmṛta-samudre majjana
“The result of chanting is that one awakens his love for Kṛṣṇa and tastes transcendental bliss. Ultimately, one attains the association of Kṛṣṇa and engages in His devotional service, as if immersing himself in a great ocean of love.”
uṭhila viṣāda, dainya, — paḍe āpana-śloka
yāhāra artha śuni’ saba yāya duḥkha-śoka
Lamentation and humility awoke within Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and He began reciting another of His own verses. By hearing the meaning of that verse, one can forget all unhappiness and lamentation.
nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis
tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ
etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi
durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ
“‘My Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, in Your holy name there is all good fortune for the living entity, and therefore You have many names, such as “Kṛṣṇa” and “Govinda,” by which You expand Yourself. You have invested all Your potencies in those names, and there are no hard and fast rules for remembering them. My dear Lord, although You bestow such mercy upon the fallen, conditioned souls by liberally teaching Your holy names, I am so unfortunate that I commit offenses while chanting the holy name, and therefore I do not achieve attachment for chanting.’
aneka-lokera vāñchā — aneka-prakāra
kṛpāte karila aneka-nāmera pracāra
“Because people vary in their desires, You have distributed various holy names by Your mercy.
khāite śuite yathā tathā nāma laya
kāla-deśa-niyama nāhi, sarva siddhi haya
“Regardless of time or place, one who chants the holy name, even while eating or sleeping, attains all perfection.
“sarva-śaktināmedilākariyāvibhāga
āmāradurdaiva, — nāmenāhianurāga!!”
“You have invested Your full potencies in each individual holy name, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attachment for chanting Your holy names.”
ye-rūpe la-ile nāma prema upajaya
tāhāra lakṣaṇa śuna, svarūpa-rāma-rāya
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, “O Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī and Rāmānanda Rāya, hear from Me the symptoms of how one should chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra to awaken very easily one’s dormant love for Kṛṣṇa.
tṛṇād api su-nīcena
taror iva sahiṣṇunā
amāninā māna-dena
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
“ One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor but is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.’
uttama hañā āpanāke māne tṛṇādhama
dui-prakāre sahiṣṇutā kare vṛkṣa-sama
These are the symptoms of one who chants the Hare Kṛṣṇamahā-mantra. Although he is very exalted, he thinks himself lower than the grass on the ground, and like a tree, he tolerates everything in two ways.
vṛkṣa yena kāṭileha kichu nā bolaya
śukāñā maileha kāre pānī nā māgaya
“When a tree is cut down, it does not protest, and even when drying up, it does not ask anyone for water.
yei ye māgaye, tāre deya āpana-dhana
gharma-vṛṣṭi sahe, ānera karaye rakṣaṇa
“The tree delivers its fruits, flowers and whatever else it possesses to anyone and everyone. It tolerates scorching heat and torrents of rain, yet it still gives shelter to others.
uttama hañā vaiṣṇava habe nirabhimāna
jīve sammāna dibe jāni’ ‘kṛṣṇa’-adhiṣṭhāna
“Although a Vaiṣṇava is the most exalted person, he is prideless and gives all respect to everyone, knowing everyone to be the resting place of Kṛṣṇa.
ei-mata hañā yei kṛṣṇa-nāma laya
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caraṇe tāṅra prema upajaya
If one chants the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇain this manner, he will certainly awaken his dormant love for Kṛṣṇa’slotus feet.”
kahite kahite prabhura dainya bāḍilā
‘śuddha-bhakti’ kṛṣṇa-ṭhāñi māgite lāgilā
As Lord Caitanya spoke in this way, His humility increased, and He began praying to Kṛṣṇa that He could discharge pure devotional service.
premera svabhāva — yāhāṅ premera sambandha
sei māne, — ‘kṛṣṇe mora nāhi prema-gandha’
Wherever there is a relationship of love of Godhead, its natural symptom is that the devotee does not think himself a devotee. Instead, he always thinks that he has not even a drop of love for Kṛṣṇa.
Purport: Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura comments that persons who are actually very poor because they possess not even a drop of love of Godhead or pure devotional service falsely advertise themselves as great devotees, although they cannot at any time relish the transcendental bliss of devotional service. A class of so-called devotees known as prākṛta-sahajiyās sometimes display devotional symptoms to exhibit their good fortune. They are pretending, however, because these devotional features are only external.The prākṛta-sahajiyās exhibit these symptoms to advertise their so-called advancement in love of Kṛṣṇa, but instead of praising the prākṛta-sahajiyās for their symptoms of transcendental ecstasy, pure devotees do not like to associate with them. It is not advisable to equate the prākṛta-sahajiyās with pure devotees. When one is actually advanced in ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa, he does not try to advertise himself. Instead, he endeavour’s more and more to render service to the Lord.
The prākṛta-sahajiyās sometimes criticize pure devotees by calling them philosophers, learned scholars, knowers of the truth, or minute observers, but not devotees. On the other hand, they depict themselves as the most advanced, transcendentally blissful devotees, deeply absorbed in devotional service and mad to taste transcendental mellows. They also describe themselves as the most advanced devotees in spontaneous love, as knowers of transcendental mellows, as the topmost devotees in conjugal love of Kṛṣṇa, and so on. Not actually knowing the transcendental nature of love of God, they accept their material emotions to be indicative of advancement. In this way they pollute the process of devotional service. To try to become writers of Vaiṣṇava literature, they introduce their material conceptions of life into pure devotional service. Because of their material conceptions, they advertise themselves as knowers of transcendental mellows, but they do not understand the transcendental nature of devotional service.
Jaya Jaya Śrī Caitanya Jaya Nityānanda, Jaya Advaitacandra Jaya Gaura Bhakta Vṛnda (devotees repeat)
What’s the Bhāgavatam verse today?
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4th Canto Chapter 2 text 35
āplutyāvabhṛthaṁ yatra
gaṅgā yamunayānvitā
virajenātmanā sarve
svaṁ svaṁ dhāma yayus tataḥ
Translation by his Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Śrīla Prabhupāda
My dear Vidura, carrier of bows and arrows, all the demigods who were performing the sacrifice took their bath at the confluence of the Ganges and the Yamunā after completing the yajña performance. Such a bath is called avabhṛta-snāna. After thus becoming purified in heart, they departed for their respective abodes.
*translation w/ repetition*
Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda: After Lord Śiva and, previously, Dakṣa left the arena of sacrifice, the sacrifice was not stopped; the sages went on for many years in order to satisfy the Supreme Lord. The sacrifice was not destroyed for want of Śiva and Dakṣa, and the sages went on with their activities. In other words, it may be assumed that if one does not worship the demigods, even up to Lord Śiva and Brahmā, one can nevertheless satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (7.20). kāmais tais tair hṛta jñānāḥ prapadyante ’nya-devatāḥ: persons who are impelled by lust and desire go to the devatās to derive some material benefit. Bhagavad-gītā uses the very specific words nāsti buddhiḥ, meaning “persons who have lost their sense or intelligence.” Only such persons care for demigods and want to derive material benefit from them. Of course, this does not mean that one should not show respect to the demigods; but there is no need to worship them. One who is honest may be faithful to the government, but he does not need to bribe the government servants. Bribery is illegal; one does not bribe a government servant, but that does not mean that one does not show him respect. Similarly, one who engages in the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord does not need to worship any demigod, nor does he have any tendency to show disrespect to the demigods. Elsewhere in Bhagavad-gītā (9.23) itis stated, ye ’pyanya-devatā-bhaktā yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ. The Lord says that anyone who worships the demigods is also worshiping Him, but he is worshiping avidhi-pūrvakam, which means “without following the regulative principles.” The regulative principle is to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Worship of demigods can indirectly be worship of the Personality of Godhead, but it is not regulated. By worshiping the Supreme Lord, one automatically serves all the demigods because they are parts and parcels of the whole. If one supplies water to the root of a tree, all the parts of the tree, such as the leaves and branches, are automatically satisfied, and if one supplies food to the stomach, all the limbs of the body — the hands, legs, fingers, etc. — are nourished. Thus, by worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead one can satisfy all the demigods, but by worshiping all the demigods one does not completely worship the Supreme Lord. Therefore, worship of the demigods is irregular, and it is disrespectful to the scriptural injunctions.
In this Age of Kali, it is practically impossible to perform the deva-yajña or sacrifices to the demigods. As such, in this age Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam recommends saṅkīrtana-yajña. yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ (Bhāg. 11.5.32): “In this age the intelligent person completes the performances of all kinds of yajñas simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.” tasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭaḥ: “When Lord Viṣṇu is satisfied, all the demigods, who are parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, are satisfied.”
tasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭaḥ
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fourth Canto, Second Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Dakṣa Curses Lord Śiva.”
Jayapatākā Swami: The Sacrifice was completed by the devatās and they performed their bath in the Yamuna and Gaṅgā confluence. The Yamuna Gaṅgā confluence is known as prayāga and it’s a very sacred place where different pastimes of the Lord occur, sacrifices were performed there. Lord Brahmā perfomed the sacrifice there, long time ago in the month of Dāmodara. And from that time the Dāmodara month became a very holy month it appeared to Lord Viṣṇu written in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa. The Kumbha-melā Mohinī mūrti, she dropped some nectar outside of the confluence from the pot. So, once in 12 years, and also after 6 years, people gather together and bathed there and enacted Kumbha melā. Also many, every year in māgha month there’s a māgha melā in the immediate years. Last year there was the kumba melā and then this year is the māgha melā. The month of māgha is also a special month.Month of māgha is the next month, there’s the Dāmodara, then there’s the agrāyana, then māgha, I remember Vaiṣṇava {not sure}18.18 but it’s the second month after the Kārtika or Dāmodara. That month its recommended people to be vegetarian also, and get special blessings for doing it, spiritual activities in the month of māgha.
We were discussing recently in Māyāpur because we had the flood, we were discussing the glories of the Ganges, because the Ganges is coming from the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa. it is worshipable by everyone, even Lord Śiva he took that water on his head. Lord Brahmā carried it in his kamaṇḍalu, it’s a water pot and everyone in the universe especially Ganges. The Ganges comes down to heavenly planets and that’s known as Mānasa-gaṅgā. For long time The Ganges hadn’t come down to this planet. But when the Sagara Mahārāja’s descendent were burnt by Kapila Muni, because of their offence to him, then his descendants tried to bring the Ganges down as a means of liberating them. If the Ganges water touches even the bones of someone they immediately achieve liberation, liberation of the exalted birth. So, Bhāgi Mahārāja was successful in worshiping the Ganges, and the Ganges agreed to come down.
So then again she came and, came from the Himalayas down to the Prayāga where it mixed with the Yamunā and theSarasvatī so it’s known as Triveṇi. There’s an underwater, underground river called Sarasvatī, recently the scientist had discovered that at this place 2000 people on the surface of the earth is a very big river. In the Veda says there was an underground river there, that river some water is mixed also. But it only lists about 2 rivers. It seems that even from the time when this happen, this was very long ago this place was a holy place of pilgrimage, devatās they also came and bath there. So, this planet we have holy places, so they look for it the residents of higher planet they were restless they live on the higher planet. But they came here probably their yajña and bathing in the sacred waters. There’s a reading that by hearing about the Ganges, by seeing the Ganges, touching the Ganges water, by drinking the water, bathing, one gets all kinds of spiritual blessings and deliverance. In fact even if your living far from the Ganges, by taking water from a well or something while bathing if you say Gaṅgā! Gaṅgā! You can also get some of the benefits of bathing in the Ganges.
In fact scriptures say why are people anywhere in the world, if they are feeling contamination and their consciousness all they have to do is say the two syllables GAṄGĀ! (devotees repeat) GAṄGĀ! (devotees repeat) And they get purified. There’s somebody dies and you're taking their bones and ashes to Ganges to put there, if on the way while you’re carrying them you die because of some accident or something because you were carrying his bones, you were taking to the Ganges you go back to Godhead. You have sometimes devotees carry these pots to the Ganges or something and sometimes they carry they don’t feel so happy to be carrying people ashes but actually it’s such a sacred activity that even if you don’t make it you make it. (devotees laugh) So the Ganges is so powerful and endued by the Lord with Mercy. Lord Caitanya said that even in spiritually advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in Caitanya Bhāgavata it said you have to respect the glories of the lord, Bhāgavatam, Gaṅgā what was the fourth thing, I think the holy name, not sure fourth thing, Mahāprasāda…no tulasī, tulasī. Tulasī, Gaṅgā, Bhāgavata, what was it, and the devotee, treat the devotees like the Lord. So, it’s very important, Gaṅgā is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa and very dear to Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya was glorified that Lord Kṛṣṇa use to bath in the Yamunā and the Gaṅgā just got the touch of the Lord Viṣṇu's lotus foot but the Gaṅgā was satisfied by Lord Caitanya.
Lord Caitanya would everyday bath in her waters for a long time, for hours and hours together, so you can imagine how many, how much ecstasy she was feeling.In fact there is history that one great devotee of the Ganges was doing his Gāyatrī mantra, and while he was doing his Gāyatrī mantra. then he sees the water coming up and up and up, it's going down, up, down, he said what’s going on here. You know why this is happening he looked, and he saw there was this young boy golden color running by the side of the Ganges as the boy walked little bit away from the Ganges, the Ganges would come up to touching his lotus feet as he walked into the Ganges the Ganges was going down.
He said what is this, unique, then saw the personified Ganges come out the deity of the Ganges out of the water. She’s beautiful white like moon like color, like moon light and she offered her obeisance’s to Lord Caitanya his child form and prayed to him, different prayers, glorified him my Lord. When the devotee of Gaṅgā whole life he’d been worshipping Gaṅgā never saw deity of the Ganges the personality of the Gaṅgā coming out. Immediately coming out he offered his obeisances and he saw that personality go back into the Ganges. Then he went over and offered his obeisance’s to Lord Gaurāṅga and prayed to him, that you are the master of the Gaṅgā that means you are Kṛṣṇa himself, please reveal yourself to me. So then Lord Caitanya showed his form as Kṛṣṇa and came back to His Gaurāṅga, and told that devotee you can remain here in Navadvīpa and see my pastimes on the condition, you don’t tell anybody who I am, because I’m here in a special pastime nobody should know. If you reveal this, then I will be forced to transfer you immediately back to the spiritual word.
So, Gaṅgā was very fortunate, and she was feeling so much separation, when Lord Caitanya left. One time the ocean wanted to have the darśana of Lord Caitanya, and the high tide flooded up to the Ganges. At that time the Gaṅgā was glorifying, the ocean was glorifying the Ganges, said you are very fortunate because you are flowing in Navadvīpa and getting the association of lord Caitanya. But Gaṅgā then glorified the ocean that no you are fortunate the Lord left me and went, and lived at Jaganātha Purī and he was bathing in your waters every day. The ocean said well that was only for some time, but he is eternally residing in Navadvīpa with you. Actually this year we had we had the flood in Māyāpur, and no one had predicted this flood. I had a feeling in my heart there would be a flood this year but all the experts they weren’t predicting and somehow on the Pūrṇimā day a rare thing happened. The high tide never reaches Māyāpur usually, Māyāpur is quite far from the ocean. There’s a place at the edge of the Māyāpur Dhāma, the Navadvīpa Dhāma called Samudragarh, where historically this ocean that came on rare occasions. But this time the tide you can see, although the river was not moving, there was no current, the high tide had come right up to Navadvīpa Dhām, maybe the Samudragarh to somewhere would come up so that the effect was there was no current, and there was a huge backup of water and there was flood everywhere. But there was no current on that particular days just for the day of the full moon, and few days before so we could see that in the pastime going on, because the result of ocean comes up or tide comes up, and there the high river you get a situation of flood which is what we had, 6ft of water 1-2 metres of water in the āśrama, everywhere 20 km all over flooded. Pūjārī said this was a special mercy of the Ganges to purify the any accumulated sins left by people in the Dhāma.
Prabhupāda says in the Caitanya Caritāmṛta that when the holy abode of Lord Caitanya flood is an indication that the devotees around the world need to flood the world with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and from the Holy Dhāma that flood of mercy will expand all over the world. So now it’s very important that everybody should take the clue from Lord Caitanya, specially on the eve of Śrīla Prabhupāda centennial and really work out a programs for observing this centennial enthusiastically, at 1996 we need to flood the whole world with the mercy of Lord Caitanya and glories of Śrīla Prabhupāda. Śrīla Prabhupāda Ki! Jay!
The Ganges is so merciful you know the devatās they are bathing and they are feeling, they’re becoming purified in the heart after the sacrifice after the final bath. There is a history how there was one devotee called Dharmeśvara Dāsa. Dharmeśvara, he was a great devotee of the Gaṅgā, and he use to go down to the Ganges and worship her, take his bath. So, one time he went down worshipping, he takes the water of Gaṅgā and he offered prayer and he would offered it back to Gaṅgā. One more pure thing is to offer to her, her own water. You can also do ārati incense and flowers so as a devotee as a Vaiṣṇava. so worshipping devatās and demigod as devotees of Viṣṇu is not contradictory, that’s the actual scriptural injunction. But when you worship them as independent, without reference to their relationship as a devotee of Kṛṣṇa then it’s like trying to bribe them and then it’s not completely authorized the way off doing it.
Actually traditionally you will find that any worship (side) is this being taped? Audio? This is the system of worshiping if they have the śālagrama-śilā, worship the śālagrama-śilā and then offer the prasādam to the demigod, and that’s the system that Lord Caitanya established in the Liñgarāja. In Bhubanesvara the prasādam of Ananta Vāsudeva deity of Kṛṣṇa, non different to Jagannātha Deva next to the Liñgarāja that was offered to the Liñgarāja, to the Śiva deity and that prasādam the devotees can take just like Jagannātha Purī Prasādam is all offered to Vimalā Devī, which is a form of Durgā. We all accept that because the Vaiṣṇavī if she takes Kṛṣṇa prasāda, we can take that remnants from her plate it’s no problem. It’s very purifying for ourselves, that’s how they want to be worshiped as devotees.
And when people just independently worship them without their reference to their relationship with Viṣṇu, then that’s the problem. So it’s not that the devatās and demigods are not highly placed devotees, or not worthy of our respect. It’s like we respect the president of united states, decided to come here certainly we would offer him all respect and welcome him, and everything as a person who is representing the lords controlling power for one country, protecting power as a distinguished personality. So what to speak of some great devatas came here, certainly we would offer them all respect, we shouldn’t criticize devatās, we shouldn’t show them any disrespect, and even if people do worship them we know well let me worship the man in the right way, we can either train him to worship in the right way, or at least Kṛṣṇa also says indirectly they are worshiping only him, by worshipping his government servant. It's not the best way, it’s not the direct way but indirectly they are worshiping. So even the devata’s they were bathing in the Gaṅgā, so Gaṅgā’s so sacred.
So this Dharmeśvara, he was a brāhmaṇa devotee and he would go and he bath there and worship the Gaṅgā, and then he took a water pot of water back with him, and in the mean while in this particular kingdom there was one brāhmaṇa who was very fallen. He was a very simple person by birth, he was a brāhmaṇa but he was a narādhama, lowest in mankind. He was an atheist he would do so many sinful things in his life , he was just a cruel person that he had so many bad karmas. He would exploit people, cheat but somehow he had the favor of the king, because he was bluffing and flattering him and he got some big position, but actually he was doing all rascal things, all nonsense, very horrible things. There was some bull on the ground that was supposed to be or getting in his way or something, it was lying there on the ground wasn’t doing what it’s supposed to. So this the person the sinful person’s name was Kālakalpa, and he took a stick and just started beating the bull, Get out of here! Get moving whatever, but the bull was like you know little lazy in the hot sun but after getting beating up a few times, after all he was a bull and he got fired up (devotees laugh) so he charged that Kālakalpa, and he got gored him right with his horn right in the heart and ripped his chest open, Kālakalpa died. So Kālakalpa's dead body was lying on the ground with his chest ripped open, and Dharmeśvara's going by, and say here’s you know that brāhmaṇa he had a water pot of Ganges, and he took the Ganges water and got a Tulasī prasādam, Tulasī behind his, took that and sprinkled over his body and he went on, kind of unconsciously, here’s someone just died, god bless you (devotees laugh) as he was going after a little while, then he saw that he had some kind of special vision that you know very elevated personality, he could see Yamadūtas messengers of death, but they were wounded, bleeded, battered some were have their arms cut off, some were legs were cut, limping being helped, some dead bodies were being carried by…just like what happen you know what happened to all you people ,and they said we really got reaction for our offences, what do you mean? What happen?
Well this Kālakalpa, he was a very big sinner and Yamarāja soon as he died he sent us huge thousands of us, go and get him bring him back, we’re going to take care of this guy now and send him to the right hell, so we all went in mass we were really going to get him and drag him back but then in the mean time you went and sprinkled him with Ganges water, so we got there the Viṣṇudūtas have beat us to it, there were these, we didn’t know these who these personalities were, but there were very beautiful people with four arm cakra, conch shell and clubs and thing and cakras and we said what are you doing with that sinful person and they said well we’re taking him, how can you take him? I mean what kind of justice is this how can you take him to the kingdom of God?
This person he was a rapist, he was a thief, he invited some friends to his house and mercilessly killed him, stole his money, and chopped his body into little pieces and threw it in some you know buried the body, he had widows that he got pregnant and got them to have abortions to get so they wouldn’t be revealed and this person has done so many sinful things, he belongs to us you know, he should come with us we’re going to toast this guy, (devotees laugh) and the Viṣṇudūtas said well everything you said is true, he did all these horrible things but he was sprinkled with the holy water of Ganges, and therefore by that activity he became very dear to the Lord and he got purified of all the sins. But the Yamadūtas they were just so passionate that time they said what do you mean? just by sprinkling a little Gaṅgā water he got purified from all those sins? You have to give him to us this is ridiculous.
At that time they started you know and the Viṣṇuduta’s got really angry, you are supposed to be messengers of dharma! And you are criticising and doubting the śāstra, nothing is existing in this world in the realm of dharma there’s not given in the scripture and the scriptures are saying that by chanting the holy name by the touch of the Gaṅgā water you get purified from all these sins but your doubting the scripture but you’re supposed to be messengers of dharma therefore you are not actually messenger of dharma, you are atheists, that you are, you are offenders, since you have offended a dear devotee of the Lord therefore you are subject to punishment, and you are also daring to come and attack us therefore now you will get yours! SUDARŚANA CAKRA! CUT! Viṣṇu's Sudarśana came *whizz*! Started chopping of the Yamadūta’s and their running shhh! They are getting attacked by all the weapons of Viṣṇudūtas. ( Devotees Laugh) And so then that’s why you know there’s so many got killed they’re all running and whoosh and those who survived they were lamenting you know we nearly blew it. So when Dharmeśvara realized these things immediately he turned back and went back to the Gaṅgā and offered his obeisances and started worshipping again and because maybe you know he wasn’t taking it just doing it really could see that how wonderful how great the Ganges is, how purifying so he start to worship, and the Gaṅgā blessed him, and she came and appeared before him in her deity form in her personified personal form, beautiful moonlike form, what does she carry, she carries a conch shell and a lotus maybe, can’t remember one is the conch then another. She has her own think lotus but I’m not 100% sure and she rides on a crocodile. Crocodile mount, there are crocodiles in the Ganges, you don’t see them much where we are. Thank Kṛṣṇa (devotees laugh)
When I first came there I heard about there was a flood in one northern part of the Ganges, and it washed down some crocodiles, and some man come for taking his bath before the wedding ceremony, and he got eaten by the crocodile. So the whole bride was waiting there everything to get married then the bride groom was not able to come (devotees laugh) he was occupied with dinner. So, but after that we never heard about, so far, we haven’t but there are Gaṅgā crocodiles in some, there are in the Sundarban also. So, any way that’s the mount of Gaṅgā so she appeared before her devotee he offered his obeisances and she said I’m very pleased with your worship, and you can ask me what you want, what boon you want. And that he said, I simply want to be able to have blessing that I can, when I leave my body I can be touching your holy water and chanting the holy names. Like always be in the fixed devotional service. So, Ganges is very great devotee of the lord, and she is very merciful, and is very powerful, even here the devas they are taking advantage, they’re doing their final bath in the holy Ganges.
We don’t know how much mercy Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Lord Nityānanda send to us, and how Prabhupāda has brought Krsna consciousness to the west and all over the world. We cannot imagine how much mercy actually we received and receiving like the Yamadūta’s, we might sometimes underestimate it or even doubt there’s so much mercy.
If we took advantage of the mercy in this one short lifetime, if we focused our energy and actually be Krsna conscious by lord Nitāi-Gaura Candra’s mercy we could achieve that in one lifetime. Even if we don’t achieve, we’ll be very much advanced in the path even by trying. One may not be 100% there, but if you really try by the Lords mercy even if some demon like the Kālakalpa he was taken back to the spiritual world. He didn’t do anything but just got a little water sprinkled on him. So if we really try to be Krsna consciousness even if we’re not all that successful but if we just keep trying our level best and trying to keep on improving, there’s every hope that we can get the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, he’s very merciful, cannot under estimate the mercy of GauraNitai. So we read in the Śikṣāṣṭaka chanting the holy names of lord brings all good fortune, sometime we don’t get the taste because we’re committing offences we doubt the glories of the lord, we offend the devotee’s, offend the deity’s and the holy books and things for different offences that we commit that makes us not able to taste the nectar of the chanting otherwise we could. So, all glories to the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam Ki! Jai! Gaṅgā Gaṅgā (devotees repeat) Ki! Jay! Yamuna (devotees repeat) Ki Jai! Śrī Śrī Nitāi-Gaura Candra Ki! Jai! Śrīla Prabhupāda Ki! Jai! Guru Mahārāja kī ! Jai !
Lecture Suggetions
-
19960302 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.25.30
-
19960301-2 Śrīla Prabhupada līlā
-
19960228 Introduction To Congregational Preaching
-
19960128 Krishna Contest for Kids Award Ceremony
-
19960128 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.3.6
-
19960115 Bhagavad-gītā 18.62
-
19960109 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.4.21
-
19960106 Bhagavad-gītā 18.68
-
1996 Ratha-yātrā Address
-
19960102 Śrīla Prabhupada Centennial Inauguration
-
1996 Valuable Questions & Answers - ISKCON Radhadesh
-
19951228 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.9.45
-
19951216 Krishna Prema Question And Answer Ratha yātrā Festival
-
19951212 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.9.30
-
19951207 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.1.10 Initiation Lecture
-
19950923 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.20.53
-
19950913 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.21
-
19950912 Bhagavad-gītā 3.27
-
19950911 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.20
-
19950910 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.20
-
19950823 Bhagavad-gītā 2.69 | Nāmahaṭṭa Program
-
19950823 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.2.1
-
19950819 Śrīla Prabhupada's Appearance Day
-
19950814 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.10.17-18
-
19950813 Bhagavad-gītā 17.5-6
-
19950813 Caitanya-caritāmṛta.Ādi-līlā.1.63.64
-
19950810 Bhagavad gītā - 9.22
-
19950809 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.13.52
-
19950807 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.13.50
-
19950806 Bhagavad-gītā 10.1