20200116 Evening Darśana

mukham karoti vacalam pangum langayate girim
yat kripa tam aham vande sri gurum dina tarinam
paramananda madhavam sri caitanya isvaram

What is the use if he doubles his money? He cannot take it with him. So Srila Prabhupada was saying how people, they don’t know what they do with their lifetime. So that is why audio break to the people last night, we should try to help our friends, our neighbors, our relatives, our work colleagues, our fellow students to utilize the human form of life in a proper way. Sometimes, that is one thing. 

The other thing I want to say tonight was that in the pastimes of Lord Caitanya, all the gopis and queens of Dwaraka who came for the pastimes of Lord Caitanya, they took mainly male forms. Radharani came as Gadadhara, Lailta came as Swarup Damodar, Visaka came as Ramananda Rai, Satyabhama came as Jagadananda Pandit. So we don’t see here so many wives, vaisnavis in the pastimes of Lord Caitanya. However, Lord Caitanya most of His followers, were grihasthas. Only a few were brahmacaris or sannyasis. So when Lord Caitanya, He was invited by Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya to go for a meal, so his wife, Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya’s wife cooked the meal, helped her husband serve the meal. So in this way, the vaisnavis are also playing a very important part in the pastimes of Lord Caitanya. But they may not be named always – sometimes they are – Sita Thakurani offered Advaita Gosain an arati plate – He said why? In case, He sees the Lord, He have to worship Him. So Sita Thakurani, Saci mata, audio break the wife of Nityananda, they are mentioned. But others are not mentioned. But the vaisnavis had an important role. When a party came from Bengal to Jagannath Puri, then they heard the kirtan from a distance and hearing them audio break came Lord Jagannath, and Lord Caitanya and His associates playing kirtan. Lord Jagannath was going to Narendra Sarovar. So it is said that the men, they rushed forward and paid their obeisances to Lord Caitanya. And Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda, They picked up the devotees and embraced them. But it also says the vaisnavis, the wives of the associates, they, since Lord Caitanya was a sannyasi, they couldn’t touch Him. So they stayed some distance away but they looked with great devotion. And mentally they touched the lotus of feet and tears of love poured down their eyes! They were equally in that way, showed their love for Lord Caitanya and all the devotees. So they recognized that the vaisnavis were very special. So I just wanted to mention this because the vaisnavis don’t understand, how great is their heritage! The vaisnavas and vaisnavis both, are very, very, important! 

So, I just went on a nine-week tour, I went to the UK, to audio break USA, Atlanta, Florida and South America to Peru, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Colombia. Then I went back to North America, and then from there I came back here, to Mumbai. So I am very happy to be here and very wonderful to see how you celebrate the Makar Sankaranti. It is true that usually I am usually in Chennai, where they observe the Pongal, but this time I was here. So today, they took my weight in Bhagavad -gitas! I told them that let people contribute Bhagavad-gita and do tulabaram. But they said no, there will be too much rush. I said, so what, let everyone participate. They will weigh you and then later distribute the Bhagavad-gitas. So, I don’t know how many Gitas there were and how many were distributed, or how you pay for them. Since it is late I will take some questions and answers. I will give you the answers, and I will take the questions! Yes! (Akarshak das prabhu told guru maharaj that 240 Bhagavad-gitas were weighed against guru maharaj’s weight in the tulabaram.)

Question: Hare Krsna guru maharaj. PAMRO. Guru maharaj, thank you for the wonderful class. I had a question that generally you spoke about the vaisnavas and vaisnavis. So generally should we take up a service that we are good in or, should we take up a service which is given to us, which we do as a matter of duty? So what is kind of service we should take?

Guru maharaj: Yes! Next question! If you think you can do another service better, then tell your authority that I would like to do this service. But whatever is required, you want to do that. If they don’t require the service you would like to do, then you can do the service they ask you to do. I was asked by Srila Prabhupada, to stay in India, in Mayapur and develop the Dham. I liked it, I liked the Indian people, I liked the Dham, Mayapur. So I was feeling guilty. I felt we should do for the guru, even a thing we don’t like to do. He said, you are lucky the guru is asking you to do something you like to do! But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. Whether you like it or not, you should do it. So, that is why I suggest that it depends. Say they need a particular service, they need, and you would like to do prasadam distribution. But they have plenty of people to do prasadam distribution. But they need someone to cook. So you are a good cook but you like to distribute prasadam more than cooking. But you will do what they ask to do because they have to manage things and see what is needed at that time. But you can tell them, if possible I would like to do this thing. But what they say, that is the final word. Any other question? (Same devotee said: Could I ask another question guru maharaj? Guru maharaj said: So many?! Maybe representing all of you!) 

Question: So, I do this transcription service. Generally, when we do some service and we satisfy the authority – the temple authority or the authority has given us that particular service, if we satisfy them, it is not possible for you to know what service each of us are doing. But when we serve our authority and satisfy them, does it mean that you are automatically satisfied with us guru maharaj?

Guru maharaj: Why not?! Why do you think that the authorities don’t tell me, what devotee is doing what service? (Devotee said: It is a very menial service guru maharaj. It may not warrant telling, it may be a very menial service guru maharaj!)  I ask my assistants who are helping. Sometimes they tell me. So thank you for your service! Audio break 

Question: If the man is applying for brahminical, should the wife also apply and get the second initiation together?

Guru maharaj: If she qualifies, it is ideal if they take together. Audio break for brahminical are usually more. I require they have Bhakti Shastri and read up to the 5th Canto Srimad Bhagavatam and read Bhagavad-gita two or three times. And many other things. But those are not required for the first initiation. They have to read Bhagavad-gita, they have to read 1st Canto Srimad Bhagavatam, they have to read Srila Prabhupada’s biography, certain books. But if husband and wife have the same guru and take together, it is nice. When I give initiation, I always say that husband or the wife depending on who is being initiated, even if they are not receiving initiation, they should come up at the same time. Because, audio break the husband and wife become one. Each one is a half. So therefore, it is not complete unless both of them come. But the wife is known as the ardhaangini, the better half. Sometimes, husband may delay, sometimes wife, if they qualify, then it is the ideal thing that they both take together. Okay? Any other question?

Question: Hare Krsna guru maharaj, Dandavat pranam. How do we understand whether we are progressing in devotional service or not?

Guru maharaj: There are different steps of devotional service. Adau shraddha, satsanga, bhajana kriya, anarta nivritti, nishtha, ruci, aasakti, and bhava and then Prema. So usually one can audio break step you are on and then after one year you can see if you have progressed or stay at the same level. For instance, saying that you have made many anartas, unwanted habits, but by the end of the year you are fairly fixed and the unwanted habits are reduced a lot. Then that means you have reached the stage of nista, and hence have overcome the anarta nivritti stage. So you can tell by looking back, how you have progressed. Any other question?

Question: Hare Krsna guru maharaj. PAMRO. What is the message for future next generation of Iskcon? 

Guru maharaj: What is the message for the next generation? Please take responsibility and most of you are offering very sincere service to guru and Krsna. This way, the movement will expand and audio break. Last question.

Question: How do we get that vision to see Krsna in every action, in practicality, in every step of our life, being a grihastha we are involved in so many things? 

Guru maharaj: How can we see Krsna in our life, as grihasthas? Whether grihastha or bana vasi, yu can see Krsna at all times, if you have the proper vision. If you are a grihastha, you have your wife, your children, your husband, you have in laws. So there are many things, you have finance, education. You can think of Krsna, in all these emergencies that how I can be Krsna conscious in all these entanglements? Uttara, the wife of Abhimanyu carried Pariksit maharaj in her womb. She was a widow. Her husband was killed in the battle of Kuruksetra. But then , Asvattama sent a Brahmastra to kill her child. And she approached Krsna, that Krsna, let me die but let my embryo, let my child be saved. This is a true motherly love. But Krsna entered in her womb and neutralized the Brahmastra, and Pariksit maharaj saw Krsna when he was in the womb. So his whole life, like he had the name Pariksit because he was giving pariksa. He was testing, are you Krsna I saw? Are you? Are you? So everyone he would look and ask if he was the person who came in his womb audio break and saved me from the Brahmastra of Asvattama. So, Uttara was a grihastini. She was pregnant, she had the last emperor of the dynasty of Yudhisthira maharaj. But she took shelter of Krsna. So we can take shelter in the same way. We want to serve Krsna and then we take His shelter in any situation. Grihasthas may have more situations, you have trouble to think of Krsna. You don’t have problems in your life? We sing samsara dava nala lida loka tranaya karunaya ghana ghanatvam – the material world is like a forest fire. You see the bush fire in Australia, some crores of animals were killed, crores! So when there is a forest fire, there is fire, here there, everywhere, fire, fire! So we are in the material world, and at every step there is danger, and it is like a forest fire. And that by the mercy of guru, by the mercy of Krsna, we can get over this danger. So, you should think of Krsna every time. If you are not, then you are asking for more danger! And maya will force you to think of Krsna or surrender to her – one way or the other. You want Krsna, and Krsna seva? Or you want maya and entanglement? What should be done? 

Haribol! Thank you very much!