19971003 Bhagavad-gītā 10.7

The following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on October 3, 1997. The class begins with a reading from the Bhagavad-Gītā, Chapter 10, verse 7.

etāṁ vibhūtiṁ yogaṁ ca
mama yo vetti tattvataḥ
so ’vikalpena yogena
yujyate nātra saṁśayaḥ

Translation: One who is factually convinced of this opulence and mystic power of Mine engages in unalloyed devotional service; of this there is no doubt.

Purport: The highest summit of spiritual perfection is knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Unless one is firmly convinced of the different opulences of the Supreme Lord, he cannot engage in devotional service. Generally people know that God is great, but they do not know in detail how God is great. Here are the details. If one knows factually how God is great, then naturally he becomes a surrendered soul and engages himself in the devotional service of the Lord. When one factually knows the opulences of the Supreme, there is no alternative but to surrender to Him. This factual knowledge can be known from the descriptions in  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā and similar literatures.

In the administration of this universe there are many demigods distributed throughout the planetary system, and the chief of them are Brahmā, Lord Śiva and the four great Kumāras and the other patriarchs. There are many forefathers of the population of the universe, and all of them are born of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is the original forefather of all forefathers.

These are some of the opulences of the Supreme Lord. When one is firmly convinced of them, he accepts Kṛṣṇa with great faith and without any doubt, and he engages in devotional service. All this particular knowledge is required in order to increase one’s interest in the loving devotional service of the Lord. One should not neglect to understand fully how great Kṛṣṇa is, for by knowing the greatness of Kṛṣṇa one will be able to be fixed in sincere devotional service.

Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta Swami translation and purport.

Jayapatākā Swami: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Here we have opposite circumstance that we have see in everyday situations in the modern world even ordinary person becomes great. Prabhupāda explained since he went and published several times in the newspaper in the media that they become well known and considered to be important people but if they actually know in reality about the that there is nothing around significant and hears the opposite circumstances. People don’t understand really about God. Therefore they speculate so many wrong things. Kṛṣṇa is saying that one who actually knows of the opulences and the mystic power of the Lord convinced about it then they naturally want to engage in unalloyed devotional service. This is no doubt. So what is keeping people from surrendering to Kṛṣṇa and they don’t actually know or they know but they are not fully convinced. May be some people from India who know Kṛṣṇa is great but not fully convinced. They know many things but they are not clear. So in this purport Prabhupāda explains that how one should know about Kṛṣṇa’s relationship and with the devas. Sometimes people say that the so many devas to worship doesn’t matter which one you worship its all the same. But that’s the what Bhagavad-gītā said according to how one worships that how one gets. Lord Caitanya also said siddhānta that regards to the understanding of the conclusions of the scripture devotee should never be lazy or negligent. There are some signs is that say that studying all this information is someone named but if one doesn't have the basic foundation of that then it will be very difficult to apply it subsequently So Lord Caitanya said that devotees should be convinced about the Kṛṣṇa conscious philosophy. They should be convinced about Kṛṣṇa and his opulence. Did I tell you about the, This is a special month. This is called a month in Māgha or Mādhava and this month is specially recommended to in India to offer flowers to Kṛṣṇa and to take early morning bath. And to do other services. So sometimes when we're preaching it's good to know one of the good months. Of course, for the devotees who are practicing every day it's not so important because they're getting the benefit every day. Say somebody is not doing devotional service something on that in a month of māgha they do little service I get multiple benefit then it may become an impetus for them to do it. In the year there's the three months that are special Dāmodara month is special, most beautiful Lord, that month some restriction we follow. And in a diet plus in that month. We do our chanting jai! Hari ki Jai!

In the month of Vaiśākha this Nṛsiṁha Caturdaśī and we do the candana-yātrā so that month is specially auspicious to dance before the lord. To give charity in the name of the lord things like that and to worship the lord a lot of different worship. And this month is the other very important month mentioned in the Vedas. So once I wrote in the letter to Prabhupāda and asked him that what should we do? we do for this month. First I asked about Dāmodara month and then Prabhupāda said that this is the largest offering special offer to attract the new customers. You're a regular customer. Use the example that, say there's a store they has his regular customers want but to sell their inventory they want some new customer. So they offer some discount. So the new customer come to take advantage of a discount of fifty percent off for some. This is a good opportunity. So there are some people they normally they don't like to get up early in the morning and go to maṅgala-ārati, take a morning bath. But the devotees are doing everyday. But People I'm doing. So even if you take a hot water bath early in the morning is six times more valuable than a normal bath and other this month. And if you take a cold bath in the morning is twelve times more. And if you take a bath in a pond. In India taking bath in the ponds is so cold in this season then it is hundred times more. And if it is confluence or bay or some great river. And this is so two great rivers is four hundred times the Ganges is thousand. And if it is this month it is hundred thousand or like that. So the devotees are doing everyday Our purpose is to please the lord. But that can be impetus. I think last time I told about a king in the month of Mādhava that offered a flower. Somebody said yes. somebody saying yes but we don’t know who said yes.

It was the tyrant last thing he did in this life was to offer a flower. Yeah.The very normally a king's duty is to protect the citizens and to. Such a means to protect this king was not a highest man he was impious. He was misusing his position instead of protecting his subjects he was exploring them he was misusing the treasure, the funds of the government. Supposed to be used for the upliftment of the development of the country and security in running the  government that he would steal money. So in the Vedic time the king is not a dictator and the king is an institution. And he has certain social responsibilities. This king was not following who's who is more like a dictator. Although he was a legitimate king but he didn’t act like one. So he would use his money in sinful activities. So then the people in that country were very unhappy and a group of citizens became revolutionaries and warriors they're trying to overthrow the king. The king was really well protected with his army. So it's very hard to do so. Well one day the king went without protection to the city had a girlfriend and even when the screen to find also. He didn't tell anybody and he went to see her in a garden house. And that she had and met and they we're together for some time. They were sitting in them discussing and one flower from chamba tree fell. That is a light flower like  fancy pancy. You know caṁpā tree? Caṁpā? It is a tropical flower is a very very high scent. Very strong aroma. very beautiful fragrance. And is very light if you make your garland there will only last a few hours usually. Maybe here they last longer than in the tropics. After some hours if you put in the morning then lunch it’s a big time to change. Not like coronation that lasts for a long time but it's a very high scented flower. So it is one of the favorite flowers of Kṛṣṇa caṁpā flower one of the gopīs offers to Kṛṣṇa is caṁpā flower. And what else the places we visited novel da Prica Mattel[1]  . That was caṁpā lotus say it is a quiet Well established Vedic heavenly plant flower. Says that the plant does flower was falling from the tree. The king said “udai pushpa Nārāyaṇāya namo” oh! flower flying in the air I offer you to Lord Nārāyaṇa. Casually you know just like maybe he was being humorous and in Bengali there is a saying udai khoi govindāya namo there was a humorous story that one Gopal was carrying a basket of puffed rice and a big gust of wind came and blew all the puffed  rice in the air then he said that all the puffed rice flying in the air I offer to you Govinda. Puffed rice are gone he can’t use them anymore. Once they hit the ground you can’t also offer them to Kṛṣṇa even. Plus who's going to pick up every puffed rice blowing in the wind. So this is already is out of his hands and was when all these spoil before it hits the ground. At least they can offer to Govinda. So Prabhupāda used to say sometimes Somebody says that government wants to take their land away or they're going bankrupt then most of them give to Kṛṣṇa. (everyone laughs) So long they can enjoy till they want and if it's going to be locked they give to Kṛṣṇa.

This is a normal mentality of the pious materialist. It is not very Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So that the king something like that anyway we was making a joke or maybe with whatever but somehow he came from his mouth oh! flower flying in the sky I offer you to Nārāyaṇa just at the moment he didn't know but somehow maybe the lady was a double agent or something but Somehow the revolutionist found and he was inside. They surrounded the house. At the time he said Nārāyaṇāya namo baaaaaauhhhh… they broke the door and opened it and they shot with the arrow. So they're rejoicing that king is dead the tyrant is dead. Live the king. Because then they would put a new king and meanwhile the Yamadūtas as soon as they came and said we have to take his soul and subtle body out to hell because he was a sinful person so they have a special program long enough for him. Special hot and cold running water. Burning hot and cold so there is a nice  program so that make you remember but when they arrive at the body of the king to take out the soul they found the Viṣṇudūtas is already  arrived. They said no. he belongs to us. He is a sinner. Why you're taking him. You are supposed to take religious people. This person he was cheating the citizens he was he was lying in the court. He will give false judgment for bribes they have a whole list all. He belongs to us he is a great sinner as well you know. But the last thing he said before he died was the Nārāyaṇa. And he offered the lord his favorite flower in this month of Māgha. Jai Giridhāri ki Jai! So he is coming with us. And they took him up to took the soul to Vaikuṇṭha. Paid his obeisances to the he came before Nārāyaṇa. Nārāyaṇa was with his open arms to welcome him. My dear devotee, no I’m not a good devotee I committed so many offenses. No you are my dear devotee because you chanted my name at the last time before you died.  well  really? But that was not planned. (everyone laughs). You offered me my favorite flower caṁpā in the month of Māgha anyone who offers me the caṁpā flower in this month of Māgha come to me. So then the soul of the sinful king realized that the lord is so merciful. And he would be very foolish not to take a shelter and he decided to take up unalloyed devotional service.

This is a rare case of course Lord Nārāyaṇa picked him up and embraced him. Even we offer a little service to Kṛṣṇa he's very grateful. sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt, even a small devotional service can save one from the greatest danger. So this is a very special month so. Only last a few more almost at the end of the month. And this is a best example how even a little service done at the right time in the right place can bring multiple results. For the devotees are there The Lord is there always taking advantage of a sometime for the mere people. People who are not doing devotional service this special occasion can be a impetus to do. Etāṁ vibhūtiṁ yogaṁ ca mama yo vetti tattvataḥ vibhutim means opulence and yoga means mystic power So everyone already knows that the devotees and mystic power they want to render pure devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. Must be something everybody likes. They know that actually whatever the aspect of  wonderful thing in the world this is just a part of Kṛṣṇa's opulence. I heard from Prabhu,  he was president of Denver now he's the president Los Angeles temple. He told me he was so in the airport where some devotees are distributing our ebooks. And he saw one man come and grabbed the book from one of the lady book distributers throwing it down. And he said, "You people are all cheaters. This is all cheating I don't believe any of this all more all are bogus." We went over and said, "So why are you here. Your name is on a lady like this is not the proper thing to do now what do you mean is all cheaters or why you are saying?  This is a service of holy books since your thing then doing. No false things. Then he grabbed out and  pull out and pulled out something from his pocket this is real. This is real. And it was a bliss bar. One of these prasādam bliss bar.  In those days they were manufacturing. In a farm called new varshana somewhere in near Denver. And he had purchases at the health food store. And he said this is you can eat it, tastes good, so natural ingredient this is real. Other stuff you describe real. You think this is a very good product thing you know what this is right this is really good. This is reality. So then said well you know Macy's. Yeah move our soon are something like that. This is we make these this is our company. We will believe then with your donations we get for this book and it is natural products and trying let people live a more natural way of life. Then this person was in a big crisis his he had really criticize him out he was attached to his bliss bar. Then he said well. If you make bliss this is good and you must be good.

So like this something that people they don't know. And they come to some kind of speculative understanding with them if they know a little bit even a little bit about. Then they changed their opinion. Kṛṣṇa consciousness  movement will face sometime obstacle some different envious people. And they can play on the minds of innocent people because they don't know So once people know personally some contact with since you are devotees they get a different opinion. So it's very important that people should know about Kṛṣṇa they should know about Kṛṣṇa’s devotees use and should take advantage of ours. The valuable human form of life we went to South Africa December they had a very big festival. Again there are hundreds of thousands of people coming and Nelson Mandela's send a message with the minister for parliamentary. Doctor Moosa moosa mesa it was interesting because he spoke and he was he's a Muslim by birth and religion but he praised the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement and he said how the president of South Africa please with this program and how the devotees were having all kinds of races of people coming together and he wrote phrases point that South Africa is known as the rainbow nation. Because of some of the mix of races there like rainbow different colors different races.

And he was saying the how the ātmā and soul speaking very Kṛṣṇa consciously it was quite surprising. How much exposure they have and there was some mayors from different also they also spoke very great praise of Śrīla Prabhupāda. And then he said one thing he was standing and watching the prasādam distribution for about 20 minutes and he said I never saw some organizations feeding so many people like that. In the queue there are people from all different races. It was in South Africa it was something unheard of them in on the same queue they have white people, black people, Indians so on. But they're queuing up for prasādam transcendental. So one thing he said was very interesting he said that in a new constitution used to please the constitutional development government minister. He said in a new constitution we mentioned that all the citizens of South Africa whatever their religion their religion we consider the South African religion. So they constitutionally recognized Hare Kṛṣṇa, this also South African religion and said before there was only one state religion but now this is not the case all the bona fide religions are accepted. We accept Hare Kṛṣṇa. And then he also mentioned that in the constitution there are many languages. Mention now like English and Africans and Zulu. He said also the Indian languages are considered to be south African language because Indians are living here. Like Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Tamil and so he said we consider that this is the organization so I wanted to symbolize in the new South Africa of ratio, tolerance and integration. And then the number third 3 men in their government of the ANC African National Congress. He came and he's the chairman of the ANC. He told everybody that they should all chant. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa and then all around five ghousand ten thousand people he get them all chanting there, that number 3 person shouting out Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Hare Rāma Hare Rāma then he didn’t say Rāma Rāma then I said  Rāma Rāma Rāma Rāma. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Nobody minded. Even one word they get right. It was amazing that how nice they spoke and Prabhupāda’s philosophy a little bit. So making actually some impact people. We can give out more and more Prabhupāda's books, published we get the knowledge in different mediums to people have sometime by discussing with people on the small groups are one by one or sometimes big lectures and people in the Senate Christmas the origin of everything.

Everything's going home Kṛṣṇa. And how Kṛṣṇa, His mystic opulence and he can do everything at the same time he may transcendental. People know this then maybe come convinced to do the service to Kṛṣṇa. When the 5 Muslim priest came across Lord Caitanya unconscious they were going to arrest  his attendance. Then Lord Caitanya preached them from the Koran and convinced them. About Kṛṣṇa consciousness about the opulence of the lord then they change their attitude and desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. And they took initiation from one to 10 minutes seeing Kṛṣṇa and Allah are non different. So giving people Knowledge actual knowledge about Kṛṣṇa once they are convinced convincing is not only the book knowledge but also the chanting and practicing then it has the effect very quickly. The worlds of science Congress there was one a student came up to me science student in the intermission and said I don't believe in all these things. I don't believe. I am a science student I believe in science not all this religion. I saw and said Well as a young scientist women should do an experiment. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa first for some weeks or months to may be maximum 2 months he chanted and you tell me if it works. You will personally the laboratory you chant and see if there's an effect I’ll give money back guarantee. The next day when I reached the World Congress the young student came up coming up to me and said Swamiji Swamiji It works. Hari Bol! Hari Bol! I chanted last night and I feel so happy it works. I am going to continue chanting my whole life. So here was a presence one day before is that I don't believe in anything Science. Then the next day he chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa because he tried. Somehow or everybody just try chanting try. To understand the philosophy then they can quickly have the desire for devotional service. Somehow this is the rahasyam. The Best kept secret. So I need to somehow seeing that Prabhupāda's   message gets out.

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

Question: Can a demon be attracted to a prasādam?

Answer:  Can a demon be attracted to a prasādam? Why not? Demon can appear by prasādam. What is a person that demon for. Presence of demon because of sin and by taking prasāda you can burn out sin.  He's a demon because sins. And I taking place and you can bring out soon. One devotee Prabhupāda's disciple he used to distribute books in New York City. And he says there's one street is from Brazil so there's one street where there's all Brazilian people.  He was distributing there one shop. There was a big gate keeper. Very big a African run but Afro American and but he was a big muscular person and for some reason he was very much against the devotees. If he you saw the book distribution he ran and grabbed the book thrown anything. "Break up the distribution these people are cheaters don’t get the book." So the book distributor is upto the shop and he was it can watching run beyond and then he was so much of the demon that hampering the distribution. Then before that Christmas the book was distributing some cookies to people on the side and he saw that and he was thinking over there is over here. He saw that and he just went on. He went and said merry Christmas please take some cookies.

Then he went on to the other side. He tried the cookie and he came running to the saṅkīrtana no no no what. Do you have any more? That is very good really good and  they had every day just like giving some prasādam within a short time he became very favorable then he would go up to people buy their books very good. So he became a demon to very favorable person. Story number one rockers that  was living in the Banares as brāhmaṇa he was serving in the nicest committed many sins. And then as a result. When he died because he was living in the holy place he didn't go to hell but he had to suffer many horrible bursts of 3 times he was born as a vulture, born as a pig, born as a tiger like that many animal births and then finally he got the great elevated birth as rakshasa. Man eating Cannibal demon. So one day this one apsarā used to go bathing every year in the month of Margh as he came out from the Ganges clothes are all wet. She  is like flying in the sky. And  some of the water from her clothes felon his head and immediately he became very peaceful. So yes the lady why isn't that who are you and so long story but anyway so finally the lady apsara he told please help me and he told his story how he got sinful birth because of his offenses. And this is important because when we're living in a temple Prabhupāda said that we can also get sinful reaction if we are not really careful or very neglectful so one has to be very careful when living in a spiritual community. So she was requested by the rakshasa please help him. She had a wet cloth from bathing in the Ganges and she took the cloth and squeezed the water on his head. chanting the holy names and then from then he got all his sinful reactions of burn away and he became a fortune celestial type of personality and it is a signified form just because of the Ganges water. So the demons can be changed also.

Hare Kṛṣṇa.