20130407 Talk

The following is a talk given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on April 7, 2013 in Gauhati, Assam, India.

Jayapatākā Swami: This body was born in the USA but I have become an Indian citizen. Now I am speaking to you as an Indian citizen with the Indians as well. I offer my obeisances to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, the Founder-Ācārya of International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim

yat-kṛpāṁ tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam

paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī-caitanya-īśvaram

hariḥ oṁ tat sat

I would like to first offer my respect to His Excellency Shri Janakivallabh Patnaik, the Governor of Assam, to Their Holinesses Dhīra Dāmodara Swami and Bhakti Nityānanda Swami, to our MLA Captain, Rabindra Bordlai, to Mārīci dāsa and other members present here. I am very honored that ISKCON has organized this program to celebrate the universal brotherhood. As Mārīci dāsa mentioned, this is a holy place and so it is very opportune to mention that this city of Prāgjyotiṣpur is mentioned in the Purāṇas. So regarding celebrating universal brotherhood, our Founder-Ācāryamentioned that if you want universal brotherhood, you should accept a universal father. That there is only one Supreme Personality of Godhead. As His Holiness Dhīra Dāmodara Swami mentioned, He may be called by different names in different countries, whether Jehovah or Allah or Jagannātha or Kṛṣṇa, He is the same Lord and He is our well-wisher. There is a verse of Bhagavad-gītā (5.29) –

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

That if we understand this one Supreme Lord that He is the one who accepts all offerings of penance, prayer, yajñas and He is the well-wisher of everyone. So our devotees are very eager to see these, those who are visiting here on the safari, they would like to see the spiritual places of Assam. Well, apart from that they are very happy to be here to present whatever they can for this great reunion.

In this world there are the three modes of material nature. Sattva, rajas and tamas. So tamo-guṇa, they are happy when they see others suffer. And rajo-guṇa, mode of passion, they are happy when they profit. And sattva-guṇa, they are happy when others are happy. And the Supreme Lord is pure goodness. So in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we are told that the great saints, they were para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. They were sad to see others sad. Para-sukha-sukhī, they are happy to see others happy. So this night is to make all of you happy

So the Lord, He comes down as various avatāras, like in a drama performance He comes and performs. 5000 years ago, He came down as Lord Kṛṣṇa. He is the original Personality of Godhead. He also came in Tretā-yuga as Lord Rāma. In every yuga, He comes. “Sambhavāmi yuge yuge”. And He has unlimited forms like Varāhadeva, Nṛsiṁhadeva, Matsya avatāra, unlimited. So He wants you all to be happy.

500 years ago, He came as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He took the role of a devotee and He was simply working for the transcendental bliss of everybody. Simply by saying His name one would feel love of Kṛṣṇa. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 5th Canto, Ṛṣabhadeva told brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam, that spiritual happiness is unlimited. So, many people think that religion is a means to get material happiness. But we want to establish universal peace, universal brotherhood and unlimited happiness. One brāhmaṇa, he was angry that Lord Caitanya was chanting the names aloud. He said, I curse You to never have any material happiness. Lord Caitanya, He danced in ecstasy! Haribol! Because He did not want material happiness, He wanted unlimited spiritual happiness.

One day He went to see Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. He said, Śrīvāsa, can I ask you a question? Śrīvāsa was a senior devotee or senior transcendentalist. People say that I have a disease, Lord Caitanya said. I want to confirm, do I have a disease or not? What are Your symptoms, Śrīvāsa asked. He said, whenever I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, tears come from My eyes, My hairs stand on end, My voice gets choked up, sometimes I get stunned and I fall unconscious. Like this I have so many symptoms, I cannot control, I laugh, I dance and I don’t care what people think! So, do I have a disease? Śrīvāsa said, yes, You have a disease. I also want that disease! You have the disease of love of Kṛṣṇa! And Brahmā, Śiva, they also want that disease. So that was the special message of Lord Caitanya that we should try to give people – spiritual, unlimited happiness. Today we have people from all over the world and show universal brotherhood, they want to make all of happy. And they are very honored that His Excellency the Governor is present here. So I won’t speak more because I want to hear His Excellency! I hope you all have a very nice night tonight!