The following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapatāka Swāmi Mahārāja on June 8, 1997 in Melbourne, Australia. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, Fourth Canto, Chapter Twelve, Verse 32 and 33.

sa ca svarlokam ārokṣyan
sunītiṁ jananīṁ dhruvaḥ
anvasmarad agaṁ hitvā
dīnāṁ yāsye tri-viṣṭapam

 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.12.32

Translation

Dhruva was seated in the transcendental airplane, which was just about to start, when he remembered his poor mother, Sunīti. He thought to himself, “How shall I go alone to the Vaikuṇṭha planet and leave behind my poor mother?” [Audience repeats]

Purport

Dhruva had a feeling of obligation to his mother, Sunīti. It was Sunīti who had given him the clue which had now enabled him to be personally carried to the Vaikuṇṭha planet by the associates of Lord Viṣṇu. He now remembered her and wanted to take her with him. Actually, Dhruva Mahārāja’s mother, Sunīti, was his patha-pradarśaka-guru. Patha-pradarśaka-guru means “the guru, or the spiritual master, who shows the way.” Such a guru is sometimes called śikṣā-guru. Although Nārada Muni was his dīkṣā-guru (initiating spiritual master), Sunīti, his mother, was the first who gave him instruction on how to achieve the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is the duty of the śikṣā-guru or dīkṣā-guru to instruct the disciple in the right way, and it depends on the disciple to execute the process. According to śāstric injunctions, there is no difference between śikṣā-guru and dīkṣā-guru, and generally the śikṣā-guru later on becomes the dīkṣā-guru. Sunīti, however, being a woman, and specifically his mother, could not become Dhruva Mahārāja’s dīkṣā-guru. Still, he was not less obliged to Sunīti. There was no question of carrying Nārada Muni to Vaikuṇṭhaloka, but Dhruva Mahārāja thought of his mother.

Whatever plan the Supreme Personality of Godhead contemplates immediately fructifies. Similarly, a devotee who is completely dependent on the Supreme Lord can also fulfill his wishes by the grace of the Lord. The Lord fulfills His wishes independently, but a devotee fulfills his wishes simply by being dependent on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore as soon as Dhruva Mahārāja thought of his poor mother, he was assured by the associates of Viṣṇu that Sunīti was also going to Vaikuṇṭhaloka, in another plane. Dhruva Mahārāja had thought that he was going alone to Vaikuṇṭhaloka, leaving behind his mother, which was not very auspicious because people would criticize him for going alone to Vaikuṇṭhaloka and not carrying with him Sunīti, who had given him so much. But Dhruva also considered that he was not personally the Supreme. Therefore, only if Kṛṣṇa fulfilled his desires would it be possible. Kṛṣṇa could immediately understand his mind, and He told Dhruva that his mother was also going with him. This incident proves that a pure devotee like Dhruva Mahārāja can fulfill all his desires; by the grace of the Lord, he becomes exactly like the Lord, and thus whenever he thinks of anything, his wish is immediately fulfilled.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.12.33

iti vyavasitaṁ tasya
vyavasāya surottamau
darśayām āsatur devīṁ
puro yānena gacchatīm

 Translation

The great associates of Vaikuṇṭhaloka, Nanda and Sunanda, could understand the mind of Dhruva Mahārāja, and thus they showed him that his mother, Sunīti, was going forward in another plane.

nitai gaur sitanath premanande, Hari Haribol!

Audience: Hari haribol!

We’ll read the purport a little later. So, this from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Fourth Canto, twelfth chapter, text 32 and 33.

 Purport

This incident proves that the śikṣā- or dīkṣā-guru who has a disciple who strongly executes devotional service like Dhruva Mahārāja can be carried by the disciple even though the instructor is not as advanced. Although Sunīti was an instructor to Dhruva Mahārāja, she could not go to the forest because she was a woman, nor could she execute austerities and penances like Dhruva Mahārāja did. Still, Dhruva Mahārāja was able to take his mother with him. Similarly, Prahlāda Mahārāja also delivered his atheistic father, Hiraṇyakaśipu. The conclusion is that a disciple or an offspring who is a very strong devotee can carry with him to Vaikuṇṭhaloka either his father, mother or śikṣā- or dīkṣā-guru. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura used to say, “If I could perfectly deliver even one soul back home, back to Godhead, I would think my mission — propagating Kṛṣṇa consciousness — to be successful.” The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spreading now all over the world, and sometimes I think that even though I am crippled in many ways, if one of my disciples becomes as strong as Dhruva Mahārāja, then he will be able to carry me with him to Vaikuṇṭhaloka.

Thus end Bhaktivedanta Swāmi translation and purport from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Fourth Canto 12^th Chapter, 32 and 33 verse.

* * *

So Prabhupāda’s humility in this last verse just [8:00 not lear] He shows us how we should have always a humble state of mind. It shows us how - we should - somewhere Prabhupāda is saying that, “I am crippled in many ways, but if my disciples become as strong as Dhruva Mahārāja, they will be able to carry me with them to Vaikuṇṭhaloka. That is really critical, that if my disciples become as strong as Dhruva Mahārāja, actually I will carry with me -  with him to Vaikuṇṭhaloka It also shows here how the relationship between the dīkṣā-guru and disciples, is something very sublime. And the connection is not – is on the spiritual platform. Today we are having an initiation ceremony which means that people are accepting a dīkṣā-guru. Prabhupāda said that in ISKCON, he said that my disciples, I am the dīkṣā and the śikṣā-guru for my disciples. Also, he also said he wanted some of his other older disciples like GBCs to act as śikṣā-guru for his disciples. So I am the dīkṣā-guru , you can be śikṣā-guru. And recently, I have been realising that, probably in ISKCON, the senior devotees, especially the gurus, of this I can speak for myself, may be often we consider more our responsibility to our dīkṣā disciples, where, in ISKCON, Prabhupada, in many places, he said that, “I am travelling all over the world to encourage the devotees and now I want to retire and write.” This was like in seventy seven, even in seventy six, he also said the same thing. “So, now I want some of my sannyāsi disciples, they should take up this responsibility to travel and preach and encourage all the devotees and instruct them.” So then, I was getting this realisation that śikṣā is also very important.

In this case we see Dhruva Maharaja, if it wasn’t for his mother, giving him some initial śikṣā, then he would not have fought to look for God. Of course, if his dīkṣā-guru hadn’t come, he probably wouldn’t also been able to find God. It was a team effort. Mother gave him the first inspiration – “Look for God.” He was looking but he didn’t know how to look. So he was looking under the tree, in some bushes, and some - picking up rocks. ‘Are you God?’ He didn’t have the slightest idea of who God was. So he was even going up to tigers and, “Are you God?” [laughter] “You tiger?” [Laughter] And, so Nārada Muni came. He said, “Are you Bhagavān?” And Nārada said,  “No, I am not Bhagavān. [laughter]But I am sent by Bhagavān.”

The guru, the bonafide spiritual master doesn’t say that he is God. He presents himself and considers himself as the servant of the servant of Bhagavān. Servant of the servant of the Supreme Lord. That’s the special qualification of a bonafide spiritual master - to be a vaiśṇava. In Caitanya Caritāmrta, whoever knows - memorises verses perfectly Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja said, yad yāpi jani, amar guru caitanya dāsa – something, I don’t remember. tatāpi ……prakāśa. Something like that.

Although I know that my guru is the servitor of Lord Caitanya, I know that he is also His external manifestation – ār prakāśa.

So the guru – Kṛṣṇa works through the guru to benedict the disciple. He works through the spiritual master from inside the heart, Kṛṣṇa guides us as caitya guru but sometimes we get mixed signals, our mind has got a very strong signal there. We are not able to tune into the Super Soul perfectly. We get a little bit of the - sometimes in the radio stations we mix in between the two stations. You don’t get one clearly. So that’s something like what’s happening in our mind, in our consciousness. We are getting a few messages from the Super Soul, but the mind is so overpowering in the beginning, that we really can’t differentiate what is inspired by Kṛṣṇa , what is inspired by Supersoul. So therefore, we have the guru who is external and we ask him and he tells us. This is inspired by Krsna. Sometimes Prabhupāda says, ‘This idea is inspired by Kṛṣṇa, it is a good idea.’ And sometimes he would say, ‘That’s māya.’ [Laughter] So, that is one of the functions of the guru. The other function is that a guru is a via media to Kṛṣṇa. We are supposed to be servant of the servant of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is more pleased when we serve His devotee – when we serve Him directly. Some people, they say – they may decide, ‘I don’t want to take initiation, I don’t want to have a guru.’ And really they are short-changing themselves because the way to get closer to Kṛṣṇa is by pleasing Kṛṣṇa and what is more pleasing – most pleasing to Kṛṣṇa is when we serve Kṛṣṇa’s devotee. Kṛṣṇa’s devotee who is taking all kinds of risk to spread the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement here in the material world is very dear to Kṛṣṇa and if someone is helping him, then naturally Kṛṣṇa becomes very pleased. What’s more so then if you just directly try to serve Kṛṣṇa . In fact, even in Ādi Purāna,Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna that those who say they are My devotee are not My real devotee. But those who say they are the devotee of My devotee, they are My real devotee. So, although someone may think, you know, I am a devotee of Kṛṣṇa , I don’t need a guru, actually it’s very offensive.

 Just like when Nārāyana saw that Dhruva is looking in the forest for Him, He told Nārada to go and help him what is the real process, how to get to Me. So Dhruva Mahārāja then ultimately rejected to take Nārāyana’s help – I don’t need anybody’s help, then how would he have reached Nārāyana? He could still be looking in the forest.

guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja

That guru and Kṛṣṇa – their combined mercy gets us back to Kṛṣṇa. By mercy of Kṛṣṇa we can get guru and by mercy of the guru, we get Kṛṣṇa. This way there is -  there is a - Prabhupāda said that this is a team effort between both. So we are looking – sometimes someone is praying to Kṛṣṇa, ‘I want to return to You. I want to take Your shelter. I want to be Your devotee.’ And then Kṛṣṇa may send  - one – bring one in contact with the bonafide spiritual master, one feels inspired, one feels[17:04 not clear].– and wants to – but also one may due to false ego think that ‘ Wah! I don’t need a guru’.  So, it is like turning away Kṛṣṇa’s help. So, one is stuck in the dark well of material illusion and someone lowers the rope and he says, ‘No, I don’t want to tie the rope. You have to come down and tie it around my waist.’ How can he get down? You have to do that much – just hold on. I’ll pull you, you hold on. No, I won’t hold on. You have to make the rope tie it around me or something. It is very difficult. Sometimes it has happened in some rare cases, but Bhakti Siddhāntha Sarasvatī Thākura said that you should not expect that Kṛṣṇa will do everything for us. Neither we should expect that we will do everything for ourselves. It is a combination – we have to do our part and then Kṛṣṇa sends the rope in the form of the guru. So taking initiation – that is of course a very formal vow and that’s a commitment of both the guru’s and the disciple’s side that guru is committed to representing Kṛṣṇa and to guiding the disciple back to Kṛṣṇa and the dīkṣā-guru is known as nondifferent than Rādha Madana Mohana. He has to take the responsibility as - for establishing the relationship with Kṛṣṇa. And for establishing the relationship, then he also is responsible for the activities of the disciple. So any karmas that the disciple performs the guru also gets reactions. Śrīla Prabhupāda said that if the disciple doesn’t get back to Godhead, then the guru is also obliged to come back. So dīkṣā-guru is a very serious responsibility.

 Many associates of Lord Caitanya, they didn’t accept this responsibility to be a dīkṣā-guru for one or whatever the reason. Even Lokanātha Mahārāja didn’t want to be a dīkṣā-guru. He took a vow not to be one. But then Narottama Thākura, by his extreme dedicated service forced him to reconsider. In the case presence of Gauri Dāsa Pandita, he sent his disciple - Sukhi Krishna Dāsa, to study under Jīva Gosvāmi. Jīva Gosvāmi was the śikṣā-guru of many devotees. Even Srīnivāsa Ācārya, he came and took initiation from Gopāla Bhatta Gosvāmi but then he also studied under Jīva Gosvāmi as his śikṣā-guru. Narottama Dāsa Thākura took initiation from Lokanātha Gosvāmi but he studied under Jīva Gosvāmi. So Jīva Gosvāmi was practically speaking, śikṣā-guru for most of the people of those – most of the great ācāryas at that time. We don’t even know if he initiated anybody. One thing happened in Vrindāvana was that Sukhi Krishna Dāsa, he got the anklet of Rādhārani and She put her finger on his forehead and a little white mark came out from there. Some detailed pastime follows. I don’t remember exactly which kind of [21:10 not clear] few. Everybody had some unique. He uncovered something for Rādhārani that she lost. Is it an anklet? What did Srīnivāsa Ācārya find? That was a nupur? Ring? Narottam? Did he find anything?

Devotee: There was…

Jayapatākā Swami: There was some… bell coming out from the ground?

Devotee: [not clear]

Jayapatākā Swami: So Srīnivāsa is the nosering, Shyāmānanda is the anklet or nupur… according to. So also when he was worshipping the Shyāmasundara deity he became so ecstatic, that they gave him – all the associates - they gave him the name Shyāmānanda. So Sukhi Krishna Dasa became known as Shyāmānanda. Normally at the time of initiation, you get your spiritual name. It means you have a dīkṣā-guru . Now sometimes your dīkṣā-guru will send you to someone else with more instruction. This is what happened because Jīva Gosvāmi was so - such a qualified spiritual master that many gurus were sending to him to get instructed. When Sukhi Krishna Dāsa came back, he had a new name Shyāmānanda Pandit. He had a new tilaka. So then Gauridāsa - not Gauridāsa, his disciple – Hridayānanda, who became known as Hridaya Caitanya. Hridaya Caitanya, he wanted – ‘What happened here? You are initiated or what? You also have a new name, a new tilaka and what is - you know. That was a bit – beyond. What normally a śikṣā-guru does is give all kinds of instruction and guidance and trains up the disciple, but wouldn’t change the name normally. The name is already given by the dīkṣā-guru and then the tilaka was another – where does this tilaka come from? So he - what, he was so concerned about this. He wrote a letter to Jīva Gosvāmi to clarify the point. Jīva Gosvāmi was upset that somebody misunderstood. So he said I didn’t change his name. He was given this name by deity - practically that happened. All the vaiśṇavas accepted because of his great devotion for Shyāmasundara. I don’t know exactly how it happened. Don’t know that – how he got the name – something worshipping Shyāmasundara.

Devotee: [Says something. Not clear]

Jayapatākā Swami: And, so then he also wrote back that, as far as the tilaka you could try rubbing it off. It is not tilaka. It is actually a mark from Rādhārāni’s hand. So we got [24:31 not clear] back and rubbed and it disappeared for a second and come back. So then he said ok. So here we can get a little bit of an example between the duties of a śikṣā-guru and a dīkṣā-guru. The śikṣā-guru doesn’t disturb the relationship between the disciple and his dīkṣā-guru . That’s permanent. At the same time the śikṣā-guru also gives śikṣā or instruction. Now in ISKCON what we see generally that [25:02 not clear] people one śikṣā-guru----my guru. Because generally the dīkṣā-guru is also the śikṣā-guru. So one has just one spiritual master. But I can foresee that in ISKCON really in the future there will be a - situation will be like - this is my dīkṣā-guru , of course I also take śikṣā from this person. That’s already happens. I also tell many of my disciples to take śikṣā from some – with my blessings from different spiritual masters and does that. We are also -  the point is here is, to get them back to Vaikuṇṭha. And similarly, some devotees have approached me and asked me for giving them śikṣā, especially, like the wives of my disciples who are initiated with other gurus – it is very natural, because they are my śikṣā disciple. And, and many other devotees, even some new devotees, they have another spiritual master, but they also have faith. So we see this as something very natural. And we can see in this particular verse, how the śikṣā-guru also is getting the ticket back to Godhead. So I, I need everybody I can get. [laughter] I can help somebody get back like a  [laughter] may be. But it is interesting. For those who are taking dīkṣā, per say, focus in, this is my spiritual master and may be that for many that’s, that’s  primary spiritual master who gave the name, the spiritual master that they have, the only spiritual master to a large degree and they are mainly guided by his – like Prabhupāda had his older disciples guiding the younger ones. And many times, it is the disciple of the guru that is guiding someone. They feel the connection in that way. Some cases, it is more the guru directly instructs them. In some cases, this is how the combination of dīkṣā and śikṣā.

Whatever might be, the point is that everybody - Kṛṣṇa is listening that – He is really the guru. And He is working through His different representatives, His different manifestations. So, when we take initiation, we are connecting with Kṛṣṇa . And we are connecting with Kṛṣṇa not directly we say, ok through the spiritual master or dīkṣā-guru, but when we are connecting with the guru paramparā by taking initiation today from me, the disciples – you are connecting with the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya ISKCON disciplic succession and you are connecting with Śrīla Prabhupāda and all the previous ācāryas and that is a permanent connection and that you will eternally be under Prabhupāda’s shelter and Prabhupāda is working through me to help you at this time. That’s what we should understand, that always you should be thinking how to serve the previous ācāryas, of course we could do that through our own spiritual master or spiritual masters. We can see how it is important that - we don’t know how long we will live in this world. Therefore we could, say somebody, if Kṛṣṇa takes me away before one of my disciples gets second initiation, then they will have to get second initiation from another spiritual master. But they should get that with him, that Prabhupāda’s disciplic succession because that’s what they are already under the shelter of - you should maintain that shelter, that connection. In some cases, in the broader family that we are here under Śrīla Bhakti Siddhāntha Sarasvatī Thākura and we are coming down, so. Prabhupāda asked me and some other devotees like Tamāla Krishna Mahārāja and Girirāja was also there, BhaktiVedānta Swāmi Charity Trust, that we should try to ultimately unite devotees in the Sāraswat family. It is a tough nut [laughter] to crack but made a few initial steps in that direction. And some disciples of other Gaudiya ācāryas have joined ISKCON or taken shelter of ISKCON, or accept ISKCON gurus as śikṣā-guru, or accept Prabhupāda as their śikṣā-guru. And in that way, we can see that in future we can have more and more unity in this way.

I have one devotee working with me and who has been in ISKCON for over twelve years who is initiated by one of the persons who was – one disciple of Bhakti Siddhāntha – that was ācārya after Thīrtha Mahārāja. But because of so much struggle in their āśrama – misunderstandings and things - his disciples would not give him any kind of scope for really doing devotional service up to their capacities. So they felt very much, what I have to say – they felt dissatisfied with the situation and they asked their guru what they could do and what they – whether they can join ISKCON or whether they - ‘I want you to do pure bhakti, so ISKCON is doing pure bhakti, if you want to join you can do that.’ So like that I have been taking – giving shelter to some people like that, who are really and they told me accept Prabhupada as your śikṣā-guru - nobody even knows that they are initiated by Prabhupāda for practical purposes. But spiritual life is a very broad thing at the same time it is sharp like a razor’s edge. There is always a certain limit to everything and these things had to be managed.

So this particular verse tells us, whether we hear about śikṣā-guru, we hear about dīkṣā-guru , we hear about vartama pradarśaka guru, I think the first – one of the very first, may be the first patha pradarśaka guru for me is, that means he is  also known as my śikṣā-guru , is Jayānanda prabhu. Because the first day when I came to the temple, he gave me some devotional service. He engaged me in making the ratha cart. And for a week, I was making ratha yātra cart with him and he was preaching and in that week of association and building the ratha cart, then I decided that I would fully practise Krsna consciousness and give it my level best and see it all goes. And so at the day of the ratha, he shaved me up.

Devotees: Jaya!!! [Laughter]

Jayapatākā Swami: I don’t know if this is the special category of the first shave – the first to shave you up. But that morning as they were getting to pulling the ratha, he was there shaving me up. Madhudvisa prabhu – he had mentioned that- he had been coming to the temple for six months or so. He saw me come in for one week or so, saw me jumping and working and then he saw in the ratha yātra, I was all shaved up. ’Wow, this guy just came in.’ [Laughter] Then he said I was looking very enthusiastic. So after the day, after the ratha he shaved up. [Laughter] So, but – my patha pradarśaka guru already got back to Godhead, so may be he will take me back. Anyway, this is a very – very wonderful to see how Dhruva Mahārāja – he didn’t forget his śikṣā-guru at the time of going back, you know, may be somebody would think like that my Temple President or Nāma Haṭṭa director will help me in the beginning, when they are getting on to the airplane back to Godhead. [Laughter] i don't remember, if it wasn’t for those vegetarian cooking classes I would never have made it. [Laughter] And Kūrma prabhu, “No, no he is your cooking guru. So he is already -see that plane there, he is going back.” But  what we really – Dhruva is such a broad-minded person, he is thinking of all, you know, all the people that helped him. At least, he is thinking of his mother. The other thing is - the downside is when we take initiation we don’t even remember our guru. We have to be committed that – at least we have to remember that commitment we take today. It is a very serious commitment. And Prabhupāda said that if a disciple doesn’t reciprocate with the mercy that the guru is giving, doesn’t remember the guru, that they are krpaṇas, or miserly. So we want the blessing not to be miserly, to be always consider it ungracious. That we can – that the guru is helping us and we should reciprocate. Now the other thing is like, here we hear that how Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Thākura said, ‘If I could perfectly deliver one soul back to home back to Godhead, I would think my mission of propagating Krsna consciousness to be successful.’ Now that’s also the important factor that we are a ghośṭi ānandhi movement. Krsna consciousness is here to give this message to others. Prabhupāda made this his mission that - he could have had a mission of just going into līla smaraṇa or remembering pastimes or some other aspect. But he took the mission to save all the souls who are burning in this material world due to forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa, to try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa from so much, from His anxiety that He wants to see people delivered. So basically, we need lot of help. Specifically, I need unlimited amount of help. I will take help from anybody who can give. Time is running out – thirty years now in the Kṛṣṇa conscious connection – still haven’t got near to fulfilling the instructions Prabhupāda gave. He told me that I want you to expand the propagation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness unlimitedly [Laughter] and it is still limited [Laughter] So, since it is unlimited, I have to make unlimitedly, so it doesn’t matter to me if any place in the world or universe, any ISKCON temple, if anybody helps in any way whatsoever, spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it is helping me. So in one sense, I am grateful to every ISKCON devotee, because for anything they do to preach or distribute books because that is helping not only Prabhupāda, but it is also helping me fulfill his instruction to see that propagation of the propaganda is unlimited.

I was very discouraged actually this year when Kālakāncha prabhu, he did a census of – he got report sent from the devotees around the temples  - and then he said that according to the information that he got – he was missing a little bit of information as far as he can tell. There is only 97,000 congregation members in ISKCON, five active congregation and 5,900 temples - devotees in the temples. And we always think that there are millions of followers. Hope is gone. But definitely it should be much much more than that. Maybe ten, twenty thousand in temples - not too bad but this should be really millions of people practising Kṛṣṇa consciousness. First, the problem is that we don’t  know all the people that are practising, we don’t know, there are so many books out there and so many people might be practising, but we have not integrated them within really active membership roll. So there may be many more than what he has recorded. Or maybe the temples are worried about being taxed for the active congregational members of the underscore. [Laughter] Because the word was out the – the tax for ten percent may be active, so they may think  - many are inactive. I don’t know, may be, may give many purports to that. But anyway, it’s – that’s also sad that people have to understate the statistics. Whatever might be, we have to do a lot better and everybody who takes initiation, they should really and truly feel a very strong commitment to helping Prabhupāda, helping their dīkṣā-guru to expand the Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. May be to the neighbour, or may be to the work colleague, or may be to the children, or may be to the husband, or may be – anybody, at least somebody and as many as possible - no limit. Your real estate agent, your insurance agent, your grocery man, your undertaker. [Laughter] Whatever might be, try to give Kṛṣṇa consciousness to others. That’s our request, so. I have heard different initiation vows, you know, vow of Ekādaśi, reading one hour Prabhupāda’s books. I don’t want - I don't ask for any of those kind of vows, although you should definitely follow Ekādaśi, you should read Prabhupāda’s books. One thing that I do ask is to help me and the Kṛṣṇa conscious movement to - in this mission of propagating Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the only additional vow that I ask today. And we can see if you can help somebody. Look at Dhruva Mahārāja’s mother - she just did a little help. She just said, ‘Look for God. Look for Bhagavān and she got a - she got a, you know,  limousine back to Godhead. [Laughter] First class airplane. So I am sure that if devotees can also help others to be Kṛṣṇa conscious then, that would be also the best guarantee for them to get back. Because if anybody who help, they can get back, then you also get a free ticket so it is a good investment. So there’s no loss, no diminution. Neha bikrama nāśo asti . What is that?

Audience: [prompting the śloka]

GuruMahārāja: na vidyate. svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. The second line? [ Audience prompts again] pratya vāyo na vidyate. No diminution – pratya vāyo and nehā bikrama nāśo asti – no loss. So this is the meditation we should go on. So what’s happening now is, a heart to heart relationship is already there between the disciple and the guru and that’s been formalised and Kṛṣṇa as the fire, as the deities, as the guru and the vaiśṇavas - they are witness. It is also important that one takes a formal commitment. Sometimes there might be a doubt – whether I committed or not, whether I am accepted or not. This is no doubt – there are so many witnesses - those who are taking initiation are also accepted and although we understand that already there is a commitment, that’s formalised and accepted and after first [44:27 not clear] devotional service you take shelter of a guru or you take initiation, and you take instructions and you follow the instructions in this life under the shelter of guru you get back to Godhead. So, as you are going back however if you do remember this Jayapatāka guru goes [laughter] as Dhruva Mahārāja did. Any question or comment?

Actually, we are taking, unqualified disciples, they need the help, you know. So many unqualified disciples. So, all the disciples should be very careful to be qualified and follow strictly. In the beginning disciples make so many mistakes and they make offenses but guru forgives these offenses. In fact, if somebody was offensive to a vaiśṇava, one way of getting forgiven for the offense is surrendering and becoming a disciple. Because as a disciple then one gets forgiven constitutionally from so many offenses by the guru. But then one should gradually become mature and then avoid offenses. Prabhupāda gave the example that a little baby, if it makes a mess in the mother’s lap, it is kind of understandable. That’s why they put diapers and things because they don’t have any control – fully - full control of their senses. But, you know, if you have a nine year old boy, and he sits on your lap and makes the same kind of mess, you might consider that this is a bit of a problem there. [Laughter] This is not expected, you know, for a grown boy like that to do such things. You are supposed to have more control. So like that as a disciple grows, and learns from the spiritual master how to be more mature in their spiritual life, it is also responsibility to maintain that. You can’t play daily, when you are already grown. So we want the devotees to grow and become more and more responsible, although in the beginning we know that there will be problems and there will be[46:55 not clear] have to help more. The hope is always there. The guru always hopes that one day the disciple will become mature and be able to take up the responsibility. And I was also thinking that all the devotees in ISKCON, the younger, the Prabhupāda’s disciples as well as the older second generation, many to become more and more serious and qualified  because in the future everyone has to become spiritual master and spread this disciplic succession. So the first step to be a spiritual master is to be a disciple. Be very qualified as a disciple and become ready, well-learned in the scripture and the practices of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And with that qualification in the future, whatever is required, one would be able to also take on other responsibilities. We need to have very serious disciples, they, in the future can take to these responsibilities. Now any question? People who have taken[48:15 not clear] have mercy on us[48:18 not clear] Now we have - I just have to do – the first [48:25 not clear] of the ….we have the – do the initiations first and do the grains and the saṁskārās? You want to give the….

So you are ready for taking this responsibility? Probably I need to ask you to move a little bit because here the best way to pay obeisances is straightforward. Shouldn’t put your feet to the deities or Prabhupāda, so there is a gap right here. This was recommended by [49:11 not clear] Chandrashekar and who’s been chanting longer? Chandrashekar, somebody else chanting? Chandrashekar. Ok Chandrashekar and his wife. Both come together and pay obeisances. You did ācamana and everything? You put on the new neckbeads? Put on the new neckbeads first here. Some mātājis- initiated mothers can put on, also for [49:52 not clear]

This is younger or older sister? [laughter]

Devotee: Younger sister. Older sister, actually.

Jayapatākā Swami: Older - younger materially but older spiritually. Mother is here also? Where is the mother? Very happy? Do you have an extra garland? You can give. Give that to Alex. Give the new one for the mother. It was meant for her.[Laughter] What are the four regulative principles? Did you pay obeisances? Say the praṇām mantra now.

Devotee:

 nama om viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāyabhūtale
śrīmate jayapatāka-svāmin iti nāmine
nama ācārya pādāya nitāi krpa pradāyine
 gaura katha dāma dāya nagara grāma tāriṇe

Jayapatākā Swami: What are the four regulative principles that you are committed to follow for the rest of your life?

Devotee: Not meat eating, not gambling, no illicit sex and no intoxication.

Jayapatākā Swami: How many mālas of japa everyday? Minimum?

Devotee: Sixteen māla.

[Jayapatākā Swami: speaking in Bengali]

And you are willing to helping me and spreading my mission of serving Śrīla Prabhupāda? Hare Kṛṣṇa .

[laughter] Department heads have their way, the vows [laughter] So your name is – you are the servitor of Lord Caitanya who is beautiful, charming, expert, attractive and endearing. Your name is Cāru Caitanya dāsā Adhikārī.

Audience cheering Haribol!!!!

[Laughter]

Jayapatākā Swami: Anita. You want a spiritual name? [laughter] Your name is the name of Śrīmati Rādhārāni, means you are the servitor of Rādhārāni. And it means that you are the servitor of Rādhārāni who is the energy and the form, the manifested form of transcendental bliss. So your name is Ānanda Rūpiṇi devī dāsī.

Audience: Haribol!!!

Jayapatākā Swami: Offer your obeisances to Prabhupāda, get his blessings. Prabhupāda is our śikṣā-guru as our Founder Ācārya, ISKCON’s - everyone’s, we all take his….. (recording ends)