20130524 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Lecture on Narasiṁha Caturdaśī

The following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on May 24th, 2013 in Sri Dhama Mayapur, India. 

The morning Srimad Bhagavatam class was given on the occasion of Sri Narasimha Caturdasi and was given in the English Language.

Jai Narasimhadev ki Jai. Bhaktha Prahlada Mahārāja ki jai  

How Prahlada Maharaja learnt, Narada Muni trained wife of Hiranyakashipu. At that time Prahlada Maharaja was in the womb of his mother. So we can learn from this how in the final months of pregnancy, the embryo it can hear and the parents can read Bhagavatam and Bhagavadgita, so this way he can be born with bhakti-shastri or the natural knowledge. 

So each day of Brahma, there is a new creation it’s his daily activity to create the universe so that means that every day it is a blank for all people and therefore the coming of Narasimhadev is something unexpected that day. That’s why Hiranyakashipu can ask for the benediction that he won’t be killed by a man or animal. He didn’t think that there could be a half-man and half-animal. Every leela of Lord Kṛṣṇa is something unique. Even he has similar past times there are always some details which are different. So in the case of Hiranyakashipu in the Bhagavatham it mentions how he did tapasya to please Brahma but he came out of a pillar to show that he was everywhere. But in the Padmapurana it tells about a different day of Brahma and there Hiranyakashipu worshiped Lord Shiva and he got similar benediction and similar powers. But then, he requested Prahlada, okay, if you don’t accept me as God at least accept Lord Shiva. Prahlada, “Nothing doing only Vishnu, Vishnu is the Supreme, He is the source of power for Brahma, Shiva, you and everybody.” So there are different past times and each one has got some unique differences. 

Similarly, if we are part of the leela of Lord Caitanya, then we would have some particular part to play and the pastime may be slightly different but the personalities are the same, Lord Caitanya, Nityanada, Advaita, Gadadhara, Srivasa, Gaura bhakta Vrinda. So we would be in Gaura Bhaktha Vrinda and how much great opportunity we have now to serve Srila Prabhupada to be part of the extended past time of Lord Caitanya. But anyway, this Nrsimhadev in the previous past time, in one pastime Prahlada was attacked by all kinds of weapons, spears, swords, arrows, tridents, all kinds of weapons, as soon as the weapons would touch him they would turn into blue lotus so he was colored with blue lotuses, Haribol, so that was one pastime.

Another past time Hiranyakashipu constructed a super large auditorium, I mean 50 km by 100 kms and on one side he had a huge throne and people would be worship him Hiranyakashipu ki… [All devotees say Jai!! Guru Mahārāja looks around and says] Where am I? Where am I? And those who were inside that auditorium they would not feel the hunger, pain, all bliss will be there, material happiness and people would have plenty to eat, they would do Hiranyakashipu kirtan. Hiranyakashipu Hiranyakashipu I love you.[All laugh along with Guru Mahārāja] And then Hiranyakashipu he told Prahalad, alright I give you till sunset till 6’o’ clock and if your God doesn’t show up I will kill you myself. And at about 6’o’clock, Narasimhadev he came in surrounding city and he was walking over the street and people were looking what’s this? What’s this? They ran and hid. Narasimhadev then entered the auditorium and he took a big form and he was flying and he was visible by Hiranyakashipu. Hiranyakashipu said, “What’s this? Not a man and not an animal, anyway, no beasts are allowed here.” He sent out the air force, to go there and tell him to get down, get out and if he does not get out, shoot him down. Airforce went they told Nrsimhadev to get out and he laughed, [Guru Mahāraja laughed Ha Ha Ha    Ho Ho] usually we all laugh together.[All started laughing together] So then they started to shoot missiles at him, Narasimhadev’s whiskers on his face and his hair came out, as soon as it touched the planes, they were fried and came down as ashes. Then Hiranyakashipu started to send his ballistic missiles and Nrsimhadev would catch them and throw them down. They would burst on the ground. Like this all his air force and all his missiles were used up. Then finally Hiranyakashipu, he came out to fight Narasimhadev. And they were fighting in the air that was a whole spectacle, Hiranyakashipu rushed in, he tried to get Narasimhadev. But Narasimhadev simply pushed him out. Just at sunset Narasimhadev sat on the large throne of Hiranyakashipu and he picked up Hiranyakashipu was like a wiggling little bug and put him on his lap,[Guru Mahārāja showed the action of wiggling] Finished.

Hari Bol. Narasimhadev ki jai. Nara Harinam kirtan ki jai.

We know that in Vrindavan, Vrinda-devi (Tulasi) she is in-charge of the pastimes of Lord Krishna. When some demon would come, or some angry person, she controls, spices up the leelas. So Kṛṣṇa, he has nothing to gain, so he enjoys transcendental pastimes. And the highest blessing of life is to be part of those pastimes and have unlimited spiritual bliss, when Kṛṣṇa sees you happy he is happy and when you see He is happy you are happier. This is because we are part of Kṛṣṇa, we want that kind of relationship but it does not exist in this material world. But it exists between us and Lord Kṛṣṇa. So he comes as Nrsimhadev on this auspicious tithi. We are reading how one can get so much, so many benedictions from Lord Narasimhadev. 

In the Sanatana Goswami’s Haribhakta Vilasa there is a whole section dedicated to Narasimha Caturdasi. So this day on the end of the Vaishaka month, the Madhusudhan month has so many benedictions. It says in the Shastra’s that there was boy who was attached to a prostitute. And he went to the house of the prostitute regularly, one day he went and they had a fight, argument and whole day and whole night he was arguing and that day happened to be Narasimha Caturdasi so unware he observed total fast on Narasimha Caturdasi. And then he was awake the whole night, arguing. So somehow he fasted and he observed vigil and then in the next morning he broke his fast and had something to eat 25:08. So because of that he got extreme blessing and he was able to part of the Lord’s pastime. So what to speak of devotees who consciously try to engage in devotional service on this holy day. So we want to wish all of you all the success to be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and to achieve the goal of life. 

Hiranyakashipu, he taught a big lesson to all the residents of the celestial planets because they were helpless before him and they all had to surrender and pray for the help of Lord Vishnu. Sometimes these angels or devas, they forget that their powers come from the Supreme Lord and they get a wake-up call from some big demon like Hiranyakashipu or Ravana. We have to surrender to Vishnu. So on this day we remember how Kṛṣṇa promises that he will always protect his devotees. And how Prahlada who was a preacher, he was protected by Lord Kṛṣṇa. So we should also fearlessly propagate the message of Lord Caitanya and we can be reassured that Kṛṣṇa will protect us, He comes as Nrsimhadev and He protects his devotees. 

Hari Bol !!

Are there any questions?

Question from a devotee:  Hare Krishna Maharaja, so if somebody was fasting like Prahlada Maharaja previously like he was. So if somebody is breaking fast with water or somebody is eating prasadam so what result will be there for them?  What result he will get? Like Prahlada Maharaja was fasting totally day and night. If somebody cannot bodily or some circumstances.

You see ladies who are pregnant or nursing, they don’t have to fast, if someone has some medical condition where the doctor says they have to eat then they could eat something. Generally Prabhupada said if someone was cooking or something and he got dizzy, they could take fruit. So we are not fanatic. But in general if we can, try to fast. If you accidently eat, you should pray to Kṛṣṇa that it was a mistake and you should observe fast for the rest of the time. On Ekadasi if we break fast and I have personally heard Prabhupada say we should observe Trayodasi but some devotees heard Dvadasi, anyway you can make it up someday later. 

Time for Nrsimha Aarthi.

Hari Bol!