19970722 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.31.4-5

The following is the class given by HH. Jayapataka Swami on July 22, 1997 in Sridham Mayapur , India, The class begins with a reading from the Srimad Bhagavatam 4^th Canto, Chapter 31, Verse 4 to 5.

tam āgataṁ ta utthāya
praṇipatyābhinandya ca
pūjayitvā yathādeśaṁ
sukhāsīnam athābruvan

(Srimad Bhagavatam 4.31-4)

pracetasa ūcuḥ
svāgataṁ te surarṣe ’dya
diṣṭyā no darśanaṁ gataḥ
tava caṅkramaṇaṁ brahmann
abhayāya yathā raveḥ

(Srimad Bhagavatam 4.31-5)

(Devotee Repeats )

Translation 4.31-4

As soon as the Pracetās saw that the great sage Nārada had appeared, they immediately got up even from their āsanas. As required, they immediately offered obeisance’s and worshiped him, and when they saw that Nārada Muni was properly seated, they began to ask him questions.

Purport

It is significant that all the Pracetās were engaged in practicing yoga to concentrate their minds on the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

pracetasa ūcuḥ

Translation 4.31-5

All the Pracetās began to address the great sage Nārada: O great sage, O brāhmaṇa, we hope you met with no disturbances while coming here. It is due to our great fortune that we are now able to see you. By the traveling of the sun, people are relieved from the fear of the darkness of night — a fear brought about by thieves and rogues. Similarly, your traveling is like the sun’s, for you drive away all kinds of fear.

Purport by Srila Prabhupada

Because of the night’s darkness, everyone is afraid of rogues and thieves, especially in great cities. People are often afraid to go out on the streets, and we understand that even in a great city like New York people do not like to go out at night. More or less, when it is night everyone is afraid, either in the city or in the village. However, as soon as the sun rises everyone is relieved. Similarly, this material world is dark by nature. Everyone is afraid of danger at every moment, but when one sees a devotee like Nārada, all fear is relieved. Just as the sun disperses darkness, the appearance of a great sage like Nārada disperses ignorance. When one meets Nārada or his representative, a spiritual master, one is freed from all anxiety brought about by ignorance.

Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta Swami Translation and purport to the Srimad Bhagavatam 4^th canto 31^st Chapter 4^th 5^th verse, in the matter of Narada instructs Pracetas ,

So the pracetas __ doing their meditation, then Narada came to see them , immediately they got up from the asanas , to receive Narada offer obeisance’s, __ after he properly received , asked him question, this what’s happening, , when we are walking in the night in 1970, with Srila Prabhupada at the Vivekananda road, when Srila Prabhupada suddenly decided to go into the one house of Mr. Kodak ,rich Indian business man and he told them Babu that I am here, my name is Bhaktivedanta swami Prabhupada, the servant came back after about sometime and then told Babu puja kartha hai, …. Babu is doing puja, baito, wait, sit down, this person obviously neophyte because if the guru comes, doing puja, or meditation or whatever it might be the duty is to immediately get up offer obeisance’s, offer respects and receive the Guru because you are worshiping Krsna but he directly sending his representative, so you should immediately receive the representative of God, that will please the lord more. This person doesn’t have the standard , puja, directly the representative of God, so obviously kanishta adhikari or neophyte, practically we can see the difference between pracetas and ___, there was __ so also , other example Srila Prabhupada given to __ immediately puja or whateer they are doing the came out and receive Srila Prabhupada and gave him, welcome panihatti, __ revathi Balaram, immediately Srila Prabhupada went there, doing, ___ gave respect, just see, some pole __ saints, Bakthi, other people they don’t , the pracetas they knew, although they doing yoga, their yoga was not, some impersonal yoga, meditating on the Supreme Personality of Godhead this is important ___ is interesting here mentions, pracetas offered O Brahmana, ___ talking here king __ are immediately of course, I have just arrived in the morning to Mayapur I left last night from Calcutta but only reached Mayapur morning, because ____ (Devotee laugh) _____ 1.30 in the morning, some have you know, and no one to guide us, some have Krsna’s mercy, and we get though all the difficulties, Pracetas___ was your journey comfortable, now after hearing this, I see that better not to have journey comfortable, we hope that your journey was comfortable, desire, sometimes people, we had nice journey what you are suppose to say, it was horrible, this the___ we say we hope the journey was comfortable, ___ someone has taken the trouble and then you are reciprocating, __ desire, we don’t hard time to come and see me, quite reasonable isn’t, you took al the trouble to come, we had a hard time or you took all the trouble to see us, we hope the journey was very comfortable, and nice, this way the pracetas they received Narada with seated him, greeted him with sweet words, also with practical respect___ , then they also appreciated, that we are very fortunate to be able to see you, very interesting comparison is made here, sun made the far of darkness of night, your travelling takes aware all kinds of fear, we got experienced that whenever Srila Prabhupada went, with so many difficulties, devotees face , but when he was present generally __ very much relieved, very much pacified, simply by the presence of His Divine Grace Abaya Charan Bakthivedanta Srila Prabhupada , it was a rare exception if someone did not feel pacified or you know, I remember one time Anirudda, on __ in Calcutta, something, he was a secretary of Srila Prabhupada some have misplaced, misphilosophy, anyway, __ but when Srila Prabhupada arrived he was frustrated, some have and Srila Prabhupada told to him why you are looking long face, when the Guru is present you should be happy, because if you ask any question to Guru and your doubt, ___why should be unhappy when the guru is present, may be when the guru is far away you cannot see him, feel separation or feel some difficulty, guru is present then why should you be unhappy, ___ happy, actually you see, Srila Prabhupada he was going around the world, taking so much trouble, night we started coming here, travelling, even if you go __ untroublesome if possible, we try but it’s difficult relatively there is some lesser, reroutes, they try to put us fastrack you know first class passengers they have to wait in last, long queue, things like that still, as matter of , certain amount of discomfort, Srila Prabhupada endeavored so much difficult in going around the world, you cannot imagine at his advanced age how much difficulty he was enduring to visit all the devotees around the world, but his purpose was to encourage them, he knew that if he courage the devotees, if he saw them, they will be encouraged, Srila Prabhupada cared very much of the devotees, we can see here how Narada Muni he cared, so much about the Pracetas he is taking the trouble to see them, just to encourage them in their spiritual life, it is not that Narada goes ___ donation or something, some money there is no kind of fund raising, fund raising motive, his motive is simply to give them encourage them, and show them

Jaya Sri RAdha Madhava ki jaya (Devotee says jaya)

Jaya sakhi vrnda ki jaya (Devotee says jaya)

Gauranga Mahaprabhu ki jaya (Devotee says jaya)

Mayapur Chandra ki jaya (Devotee says jaya)

Just to encourage them, to give some association , to inspire them in spiritual life, and this verses, I mean not verses, there is a conversation with Srila Prabhupada actually told his GBC’s , and his sanyasi disciples, how ___ good team to go around and to encourage devotees, like I am doing, you need to go around, so since I mentioned this before that since the Gaura Purnima festival, feeling very much how Srila Prabhupada wanted leaders of ISKCON to take up the __ of encouraging the devotees, and caring about them, this kind of unique we have particular verse comes, where Narada Muni doing the same thing, of course Srila Prabhupada told me that I have to take Narada Muni’s curse that he has 1977 when I was in Vrndavan tour 2 occasions he told me that I have to take the curse ___ on his behalf.

But as soon as I leave Mayapur, I can’t stay anywhere more than few days, that’s the curse, but Narada Muni of course he can travel anywhere very quickly with his veena, flying going ___ universe, immediately, we have to take booking, reservation, tickets, and all __ customs immigration and sometime they want to search our things , I arrived in New York they want to search everything, just to see everything what is this, ___ good things, __ so it happens , well Narada Muni doesn’t have to all difficulties, sometimes he met mruhari the hunter he want to shoot him, sometimes ___ want to steal his veena --- valmiki, obstacles sometimes of course ___ bhakthi, this going around and encouraging devotees is something that prabhupada did so well, I don’t know we are able to do it, or any kind of inspiration but at least try to follow in the footsteps, but Srila Prabhupada was so expert that it’s beyond comparison , we really need the mercy of Srila Prabhupada to be able to try to encourage, inspire devotees , and the ___ is a fact that Srila Prabhupada cared so much of the devotees , ___ Srila Prabhupada want first of all to care for them, he concerned that ___ good state only Srila Prabhupada , how he cared for the devotees, so many pastimes that Srila Prabhupada , I don’t know, Brahmananda told me that Nairobi , 1967 in 26 , 2^nd Avenue and , a person visiting the temple may be staying two days may he was drug habit , something he was coming asked for few questions, two days ____ they lose , become the news that he had committed suicide, killed himself, taken his life, when Srila Prabhupada heard that he was crying , Krsna has sent us the soul but we failed to be able when the opportunity we got, to give this person enough Krsna consciousness to avoid ____ how many time we heard has the bhakthi program leader you know, ____ he is in Maya… something like that , I never see the bhakti program leader cry, I ___ bhakthi program leader, actually Srila Prabhupada cried , he cared so much and bhakti program leader don’t take it us offence this time, in some places , right now we are not thinking of ___ Krsna has sent us the soul how can we give the soul as much as Krsna consciousness possible whatever time is here, so that go back to Krsna, in fact Srila Prabhupada not only cried but he prayed to Krsna, Krsna you had sent us this soul but save him, now we don’t know where the souls is gone, ___in the trees, in the forest, where has this soul gone, so where has he gone, please give your mercy that he can immediately take birth in a family of pure devotee and continue his devotional service, who knows, one of you , because normally when one commit suicide he has to remain as ghost for so many years , natural life, but Srila Prabhupada prayed to Krsna, and his prayer ___ person immediately take birth in the family of a devotee, so anyone who was born around 1968 or 1969 more or less could gone back to Godhead , I want to embrace not born on that time who knows what is Srila Prabhupada blessings, so much Srila Prabhupada cared about devotees, and here in Mayapur a news came and one temple president fallen into some may by bad associations, that connections, so that letter came and said well , so this person is in maya breaking principles now he is out of the temple, so this is good, he is in maya then Srila Prabhupada was dictating a letter I want to , he was crying , so this devotee has been serving sincerely for so many years and some have he fallen into some diseased condition,….. , he was praying and the tears are coming, at please go and fall at his feet and beg him three times at least come back , to the right standard, come back to Krsna Consciousness , we know, little services if any one offered to Srila Prabhupada he so much something ___ so useful , if we offer he would appreciate so much that is his service attitude so I give a few glimpse of brainstorming session how to improve the love and trust among devotees in ISKCON and co-operation between different levels of devotees and we got some good results, New York city , rath yatra two hundred devotees are doing brain storming very good result, we came out with forty different proposals, and how this could be achieved and one of the thing they said is leader should be more free ____ management, and more time to taking care of the devotees, and showing the devotee how much they are concerned about their spiritual welfare it seems that devotees in general has concerned about the fact ___ unanimous recommendation from the GBC Deputy ____ same this year Gaura Purnima GBC Meeting , this is the same _____ they said , that’s what Srila Prabhupada did all the time, when we went he was concerned about the devotees and he appreciates the devotees, __ can say Srila Prabhupada was a guru , we are not that, wasn’t initiating guru bhaktha , Srila Prabhupada on behalf of Krsna held responsible for anyone came to the Krsna Consciousness movement, interesting quote I mentioned that earlier this year here in Mayapur how Srila Prabhupada said that my , GBC should be, I am the diksha guru for my disciple and Sikhs guru for____ so what is it mean to be guru? This means first, sincere , giving him some nice seats, asking him some questions that is a form of what is really is the Guru care about the disciples ___ __ only care of diksha disciples, ??to be cared for all the devotees, if has the represent Srila Prabhupada , then Srila Prabhupada said GBC is globally __ second, but he said to do that, and they are doing, so that similarly in terms of devotees only be once diksha disciple but all disciples all the devotees, then one things is Krsna has sent all these nice devotees to our Krsna Consciousness movement, they are so wonderful , they are such wonderful devotees, he said, such a wonderful souls being sent and we have to Srila Prabhupada cared about them so much, he cared about every single person came to the Krsna Consciousness movement, then has a representative of Srila Prabhupada we should also care for their journey through Krsna Consciousness is very comfortable and successful. They can get Krishna without any disturbances, of curse ___ if we can able to give everybody disturbance free journey which is very unfortunate, this is , we can make excuses this is kali yuga and so many difficulties but this we can try and make peoples journey disturbance free as possible., so we see Narada Muni that’s what he is doing all the times , I think I really didn’t understand when I got the curse travelling part, but the real part is the caring for the devotee part, Narada Muni is not just going around preaching and all , but he is going around taking care of devotees, we goes to see the hunter with Parvatha Muni how he is doing, to encourage him of course Narada Muni knew how he was doing , it is not that Narada Muni has to go there to see how he is doing, because Narada Muni, ___ know past, present, and future, he knows everything , he ___ mystic power see, how Mruhari doing, ___ but the fact that Narada went there was so encouraging to Mruhari and his wife, there were so joy to receive their Guru , ___ everything, everyone knows the story the hunter has becoming initiated devotee became so ahimsa , non violent he won’t step on to ants not ,disturb ants, jumping to avoid stamping on ants, to receive his Guru , so Narada Muni went to encourage devotees, to give them spiritual inspiration and that’s what he is doing here he is going to see Prajetas , in ,, you can _)__ for the prajetas what a boost, to have the association of Narada Muni, this time I went to Calcutta Rath yatra such a __ program and I went back to Russia, , because we had a very big festival, about fifteen hundred devotees, just like a Mayapur big camp and so devotees also shares their realization with them, they liked very much , leaders of ISKCON, this is ___ pay more attention to it, some leaders decided to ___ try to encourage them,_____ , interesting, this verse is just come here, and I went to one place called ___ in Russia, in the middle ___ Mayapur, two times of Moscow, two types of India, __ and they say nobody goes to __ mostly never heard about so, ____ even the GBC doesn’t visit once in few years, people __ Guru, most places in Russia, this is __ they were very appreciative and the kind of reception or kind of spontaneous reciprocation , they went __ still have devotees and bhaktas , congregation members and everybody , very big reception and kirtan, eager to hear all the classes and everything , so there are very much enthusiastic of curse the other places like Mayapur and many people are passing may be people are not so ____ maybe we are not start association , but there we found tremendous eagerness , they don’t get so much association in fact , even in Airport hundred devotes all with gopi dots , __ you know, chanting, ___ television station there , __ the reception for them is a historical occasion, they had a press conference things like that, so there is big thing for them, __ GBS visit the city , it s a big thing, so , I tried to reciprocate with them try to fulfill whatever spiritual aspiration , pray for their well being , around the world __ I think the devotees , everyone has even I went to ____ plenty of people coming, they were very appreciative when I shared the realization with them, when I three days time, I was there for Mayapur meeting half the time I was there for Mayapur meeting we had meeting exhibition with the Sataputa prabhu for the scientific vedic planetarium in fact I am leaving from here to London , more time for Mayapur meetings from mayaur I spent so much time and the devotee , they told they are very initiative to three days they had eight classes in ___ sometime they had japa workshop , they my God brothers and God sisters also participated , happy to , they were concerned about the first thing for their japa , so very kind of them, they were so appreciative , I couldn’t do anything, wonderful devotees , so ___ place like that ___ Florida so many senior devotees they were sharing , and somebody trying to ___ spiritual life, taking little bit of trouble to discomfort for them there were appreciating what to speak of places like Russia , going for the someplace for a long time, very few and they were like ___ everybody was very much appreciative, so , it seems to be one of the duties that those who are representing Srila Prabhupada needs to focus on more and more and for the devotees they had two kinds of association which they try to take the opportunity that provides to get knowledge and to get the spiritual association , one doesn’t know how often they will get such association , ___ where one might be situated ____ so it’s a following in the footsteps of ___ also __ Srila Prabhupada cares about all the devotees, ___ spiritual movement, they need to simply focus as much as possible to going to devotees , everything we do is for the devotees well being, all the management , so that the devotee can perform successfully devotional service with the least disturbance possible , if we some kind of advises give not to go out , to get sikhsas from other places start performing some kind of ____ because , the leadership is concerned that the people take Sikhas from persons who are not sufficiently enough to in line with Srila Prabhupada teachings , they can introduce contradictory things, which simply cause disturbance , which has happened many times in the past , I am trying to promote this more and more everything we do basically will large percentage of this based upon the relieving devotees from disturbances of course we hear Mayapur we follow the __ human dependence and also cow dependence and all kinds of dependence , we should taken care, sometimes maya enters in makes us fail to do our duties , so everyone has to come to the shelter of Lord Krishna, Radhamadhav Radhamadhava wants us to see that we nicely protected, and cared for so that they can progress successfully in the devotional service, of course we can talk to the devotees to take up__ to progress , the Prajetas they took the opportunity to hear from Narada has come and immediately started to receive him and ask questions and before you ask question usually you give some appreciation to the Spiritual Master , so they are appreciating just like the sun coming , takes away the darkness and you are coming and taking our fear , so in this way, they are feeling very encouraged simply by his presence,

Sri sri Narada Muni ki jaya. (Devotee responses with Jaya)

Srimad Bhagavatam Grandraj ki jaya (Devotee responses with Jaya)

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya ((Devotee responses with Jaya)

Nitai Gaura Sita nath Premanande ((Devotee responses with Jaya)

Any questions: Comments/

Yes,

Devotee ask question:

Srila Guru Maharaj :Well, how did you have__ they are suppose to have programs to ___ really interested in Krsna Consciousness those who are __ remind me facing all difficulties ISKCON because of the __ devotional activity , they might ____ convenience and disturbance that so before we admit such people we should know, ___ whether they __ a program Srila Prabhupada didn’t told that you take fourth class people , fifth class people, everywhere the ___ begin at the time of ____, we consider fourth class someone who is hardworking , fifth class means he is very dirty and so on , other things, we wanted Brahmana, Kstriya, Vaishya and sudras , not fifth class, may somebody , some have got into the ISKCON whatever ___ he have, then certainly , __ come in Bhakta , ___ but still proper care , some have came to us, we try to hear from them before admission, half way, pre admission training program whatever I know some people had told us they had come, __ they should have been basic, crazy, etc should be willing to do the program I think there are slot of people with little crazy ___ may be little crazy , Srila Prabhupada says , little crazy very hard to be a devotee, we have to think differently with everybody else, that means like normal calculation he must be little crazy and the who would give up eating fish, eggs, and Gambling, drinking all these type of things, he must be crazy , ____ normal kind of modern kali yuga, rational, who will shave their head, when hair is so beautifully must be crazy , right , like that, so the logical, little bit of craziness is there, but somebody totally , you know, completely , Srila Prabhupada says you cannot deal with someone who are not set up his mental asylum or smashing things, doing totally sometimes devotees go completely violent and take their kartals and smash their heads , crazy things, mentally and deal with , I mean really without ___ totally more crazy, rather than some kind of protective jacket or something give them some sedative let them sleep , in Mayapur we have set up mental camp also but , in most temples, I know many of the temple they are not setup to dealing with the people who are mental cases and go crazy, in fact, harm the other devotee, then he has turn out to go to the mental hospital and similar facilities is there to cure those types of problems, because it s mental disease, it is a disease, and just like some we got hospitals for the body, we have hospital for the soul , hospital in future we may have something like , in the city, may be in ___, you can put up the ___ the managers __ mental, we have twenty thousand people you know, like to do, so that a kind of things comes to the mind, little bit, crazy, we have to work with them in confidence, little crazy, we have to train, we have to do their service, if they actually don’t want anything, , stay, anything for Krsna, Srila Prabhupada did say if you chant Hare Krishna, that’s ok, it’s not a small t thing it is a big thing then we can provide , chant hare Krsna, we have to chant hare Krsna, __ we have twenty hours, whatever , such a long period, but people other things, chant, and then they go and take ___ many people wanted to do that , survive, chant , so in Mayaur, Vrndavan we have anything to chant, Srila Prabhupada says it’s not a easy work to chant for many many hours , not so easy, sleep, chant with attentive, concentration then it’s alright, otherwise what is the use of ___ , value, so we hear, __wanted some seva, if somebody doing some seva, not able to do seva, __ throw them out, kind of resistance, serving, something, ___ some devotee, so much service, really got bhakthi , a big issue , social issue in Mayapur has also , come to ___ what can we do, in the future we ___ circumstances, ok Thankyou