20200219 The Lord awards Prema, Pure Love of Kṛṣṇa, to Śuklāmbara Brahmacārī

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim

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

paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

hariḥ oṁ tat sat

Guru Mahārāja got invited to a drama going to be performed on February 21^st morning, “Marriage of Sītā” by youth girls.

Guru Mahārāja asked: I would like to attend. Do they chant something?

nadīyā-godrume nityānanda mahājana patiyāche nām-haṭṭa jīvera kāraṇa
(śraddhāvān jan he, śraddhāvān jan he)
prabhura ājñāy, bhāi, māgi ei bhikṣā bolo `kṛṣṇa,’ bhajo kṛṣṇa, koro kṛṣṇa-śikṣā

(yadi) prabhupāda na haita tabe ki haita

Anyway, thank you for your invitation. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

The Lord awards Prema, Pure Love of Kṛṣṇa, to Śuklāmbara Brahmacārī.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Sūtra-khaṇḍa 1.99

śuklāmbara brahmacārī prema pāila tabe
kahiba sakala kathā śuna sarvabhāve

Translation: Then Śuklāmbara Brahmacārī obtained Prema. I will narrate all these incidents. Please hear everything with attention.

Jayapatākā Swami: When Śuklāmbara Brahmacārī obtained pure love of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Prema, I will tell all the incidents, please hear very attentively.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 1.160

śuklāmbara brahmacārī-baḍai Pavitra
tīrthapūta-kalevara – madhuracaritra

Jayapatākā Swami: Śuklāmbara Brahmacārī was very pure. His body was purified by many pilgrimages. His nature was gentle and sweet.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 1.161

prabhu-āge kahe kathā—nāhi kare bhaya
prema-lobhe kahe kathā—yata mane laya

Jayapatākā Swami: Śuklāmbara Brahmacārī was very pure. He had visited many holy places, therefore his body was like a tīrtha sthāna, it was purified by many pilgrimages. His nature was very kind and gentle, very sweet!

Jayapatākā Swami: He spoke openly before Lord Gaurāṅga. He was not afraid to speak. He was very greedy to achieve pure love of Kṛṣṇa. He spoke whatever was in his heart.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 1.162

śuna śuna ahe ahe prabhu gaura bhagavān
etadine haila mora prasanna-nayāna

Jayapatākā Swami: All listen, All listen, Lord Gaura, who is the Supreme Lord, Bhagavān, please hear, please hear, after so many days, my eyes have become pleased.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 2.3.6

bhagavan mathurāṁ dvārāvatīṁ gatvāti-duḥkhitam
māṁ jṣātvā dehi me prema-bhaktiṁ taṁ prāha sa prabhuḥ

Translation: “O all-opulent Lord, You know that although I have visited Mathurā and Dvāravatī, I remain very unhappy. Therefore please award prema-bhakti unto me.” Prabhu replied to him:

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 6.8

śuklāmbaro dvija-ravaḥ subhago’tha kaścid
ūce prabhuṁ prakaṭitātiśaya-prakāśam
dvārāvatīṁ ca mathurāṁ ca sadaiva gatvā
māṁ duḥkhinaṁ kṣaṇam avekṣya dayasva nātha

Translation: The best of brāhmaṇas, fortunate Śuklāmbara, then spoke to the Lord, who clearly manifested brightness. “O Lord! I always go to Dvārakā and Mathurā. Seeing that I am suffering, be merciful to me.”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 1.63

nānā-tīrtha-pariyaṭana kariyāchi āmi
aneka yantraṇā duḥkha–kichui nā jāni

Jayapatākā Swami: I have travelled to many places but still I am unhappy. I am receiving great pain. I don’t understand anything. I don’t know anything.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 1.164

madhupurī dvārāvatī kailum pariyaṭana
duḥkhita haṣāchi āmi—deha premadhana

Jayapatākā Swami: I travelled to Mathurā and Dvārakā but still I am unhappy. Please give me the treasure of pure, ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa!

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 1.150

śuklāmbaraḥ: (sa-dainyam) deva, taptāni bhūrīṇi tapāṁsi
nātha bahūni tīrthāni ca sevitāni tathāpi
ceto na hi me prasannaṁ kṛpā-kaṭākṣaṁ kuru me prasīda

Translation: Śuklāmbara: (with humility) Lord, I have performed many severe austerities and visited many holy places. Still my heart is not satisfied. Please be kind. Please give me Your glance of mercy.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 1.165

e bola śuniṣā prabhu kahila Uttara
mora eka bola tumi śuna śuklāmbara

Jayapatākā Swami: Hearing these words, the Lord replied. Listen to My one word, My dear Śuklāmbara.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 2.3.7

jambukāḥ kiṁ na gacchanti tatra kiṁ tena me bhavet
tac chrutvaivāpatad bhūmau tam uvāca janārdanaḥ

Translation: “Jackals also travel to those places, do they not? Then for Me what is the value of your journeying?” Hearing this, Śuklāmbara fell to the ground and Janārdana (Lord Caitanya) said to him:

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 6.9

kiṁ tatra santi na śṛgāla-cayās tataḥ kiṁ
teṣāṁ bhavet kim atha te na punaḥ śṛgālāḥ
ity uktavaty atha vibhau dvija-puṅgavo’yam
uccaiḥ papāta bhuvi daṇḍavad utsukātmā

Translation: The Lord Said, “Are there not jackals there? What is the use of the holy places to them? Are the jackals there not called as jackals.” Hearing this, the brāhmaṇa then eagerly fell on the ground.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 1.166

se vane kataka āche śṛgāla-kukkara
āmāra ki haila tāthe—kahila ṭhākura

Jayapatākā Swami: There are many jackals and dogs in the forest. What does that matter to Me, said the Lord.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 1.167

hṛdaye yāvata kṛṣṇa udaya nā kare
tāvata tīrthera anugraha nāhi tāre

Jayapatākā Swami: As long as Kṛṣṇa does not arise in the heart, one cannot attain the mercy of the holy places.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 1.168

kṛṣṇaprema vinu dharma keho kichu nahe
paḍhiyā dekhaha ihā śāstre saba kahe

Jayapatākā Swami: Without pure love for Lord Kṛṣṇa, no religion is useful. There are is no other religion but pure love of the Lord. Read and see the scriptures, they all say the same thing.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 1.169

tathahi

mīnaḥ snānaparaḥ phaṇī pavanabhuṅa
meṣo’pi parṇāśanaḥ
śaśvad bhrāmyati cakrigaurapi
bako dhyāne sadā tiṣṭhati
garte tiṣṭhati mūṣiko’pi gahane siṃhaḥ sadā barttate
teṣāṃ phalamasti hanta tapasā sadbhāvasiddhim vinā

Translation:“Fish intently bathe. Snakes eat air. Sheep eat grass. The ox circling the grinding wheel always walks. Cranes are rapt in meditation. Mice live in holes. Lions live in the forest. Therefore, all the practice of austerities is present of these animals. Without the purity of heart, how can attain the result of all these austerities.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 1.170

nārada-pañcarātre, prathamaikarātre (2.6)—

ārādhito yadi haristapasā tataḥ kim
nārādhito yadi haristapadā tataḥ kim
antarbabahiryadi haristapasā tataḥ kim
nāstarbabahiryadi haristapasā tataḥ kim

Translation: “If one is worshiping Śrī Kṛṣṇa properly, what is the use of severe penances? And if one is not properly worshiping Śrī Kṛṣṇa, what is the use of severe penances? If Śrī Kṛṣṇa is realized within and without everything that exists, what is the use of severe penances? And if Śrī Kṛṣṇa is not seen within and without everything, then what is the use of severe penances?”

Jayapatākā Swami: Hearing these words of Lord Caitanya, the brāhmaṇa fell to the ground. Distraught, he cried and his distress increased.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 1.172

anugata-ārtti prabhu sahibāre nāre
karuṇa aruṇa bhela gaura-kalevare

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Gaurāṅga could not tolerate His devotee’s distress. Due to compassion, His form became reddened like the rising sun.

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 1.151

(iti paṭhitvā niḥsādhvasaṁ sādhva-saṅkocena tat-pāda-padmayoḥ śiro nidadhāti)
śrīvāsa: (ālokya janāntikam) gadādhara, paśya paśya.

Translation: (Having prayed thus, without fear or shame he placed his head on Lord’s feet.)

Śrīvāsa: (Looking, he says to Gadādhara) Gadādhara! Look! Look!

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 1.152

kaṭhiṇatara-tapasyojjṛmbha-dambha-pralambhād asani-sani-kaṭhoraṁ cittam asya dvijasya
sapadi bhagavad-aṅghri-sparśanād eva bhūtvā drutam iva nayanābhyāṁ romabhiś cojjihīte

Translation: This brāhmaṇa’s heart was made hard as a thunderbolt due to the pride of austerities. Now, the touch of the Lord’s feet has made his heart suddenly melt, making tears flow from his eyes and the hairs of his body stand erect in ecstasy.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 2.3.8

bhavatv adyaiva te premā tadā tat kṣaṇam eva hi
ruroda caraṇe viṣṇor nipatya prema-vihvalaḥ

Translation:"So be it! May you attain prema this very day!" The brahmacārī instantly became overwhelmed by the influence of ecstatic love of God and again fell weeping at the feet of Viṣṇu.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 6.10

bhūyaś ca bhūri-karuṇo nijagāda vipraṁ
dīnānukampita-hṛdayo hṛdayaika-vettā
adyaiva te’tra bhavitā prabhupāda-padme
sa-prema-bhaktir iti gaura-sudhā-mayūkhaḥ

Translation: Gauracandra, whose heart is profusely merciful and is compassionate to the miserable and who is the only knower of the heart, said to the brāhmaṇa, “Today you will have prema for the lotus feet of the Lord.”

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 1.173

prema dila prema dila, ḍāke ārttanāde
śuklāmbara vipra pāila prema-parasāde

Jayapatākā Swami: I give you love, I give you love, the Lord called out in a voice choked with emotion. Śuklāmbara viprā got that day, the mercy of pure love of Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Carita Mahā Kāvya 6.11

sadyo’tha tasya caraṇeṣu nipatya bhūyaḥ
svidyan-manāḥ pulaka-saṣcaya-pūritāṅgaḥ
uccaiḥ-svareṇa bahulāśru-bharair vibhinno
vāg-gadgadena ca ruroda mahānubhāvaḥ

Translation: Then the great minded devotee, immediately fell at his feet and again with melted heart, hairs standing on end all over his body, with tears and choked voice, cried loudly.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 1.174

tatkāle pāila prema-kampakalevara
pulakita bhela aṅga-nayanete jala

Jayapatākā Swami: At that time, Śuklāmbara Brahmacārī attained love of Kṛṣṇa and his body was trembling. His hairs were standing on end on his body and tears streaming from his eyes.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa 1.175

hariṣe karaye guṇa-nāma saṅkīrtana
dekhiyā sakala loka ati hṛṣṭamana

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way, Śuklāmbara Brahmacārī sang the saṅkīrtana of the Lord’s qualities and holy names. When all the people saw this, everyone became gladdened in their heart.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 2.3.9

tatas te hṛṣṭa-manasas tena sārdhaṁ mudānvitāḥ
jaguḥ kṛṣṇasya gītāni nāmāni ca muhur muhuḥ

Translation: Then, in the company with Gaura Hari, the bhaktas sang songs made of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s names, and as they repeated them again and again their hearts filled with exultation.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Śuklāmbara Brahmacārī had performed many austerities and visited many holy places of pilgrimage. But he did not get love of Kṛṣṇa. And that way he was proud of his austerities. Lord Caitanya humbled him by saying, are there not jackals and dogs in the holy places? What does the Lord care about that? Unless one has pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness, just because you do pilgrimage, doesn’t help. Because Śuklāmbara Brahmacārī was proud of his austerities, so that pride was actually an obstacle. So he fell down on the ground and was crying in grief at not having love of Kṛṣṇa. And seeing his intense desire for love of Kṛṣṇa, Lord Caitanya gave him the mercy and he was thus in a moment, be able to cry for Kṛṣṇa, hairs on his body stood up and he was overwhelmed in ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa. So, we should not be proud of our sādhana bhakti. It is simply by the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa that we can get love of Kṛṣṇa. Haribol!

So any questions? Any Chinese online?

Question: Dear Gurudeva, it is written in one book that if devotees are authority for services, if they are not happy taking shelter of holy name does not work and taking shelter of Śrīla Prabhupāda goes void. How far is this true? - Your servant, Nitāicandra Nimāi dāsa.

Jayapatākā Swami: What book? Show the book! I don’t understand the question. Either give a question on my class or if it is from some other book, show me the book.

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja, please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to your divine grace. (Guru Mahārāja said: I accept. Who is offering obeisances? Anādi Jagannātha dāsa. Ok) As ISKCON grows 50 years old and more, and devotees get old age, should we have separate old age homes? I have heard from other senior god brother that you said that senior people should not stay together. They should stay with devotees of other ages to keep their enthusiasm high. Can you please enlighten us? - Your servant, Anādi Jagannātha dāsa.

Jayapatākā Swami: I don’t remember saying anything on this. But, as Śrīla Prabhupāda said that for government servants and others we could have a vānaprastha or old age home. And the GBC wants that there be some facility for the retired devotees to come to the dhāma and stay. But, as far as I see, for the devotees in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no retirement. We should go on preaching, go on disseminating Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śrīla Prabhupāda went to the west at the age of 69 and he was there from 70 to – he was 82. For 12 years he preached. So he didn’t stop disseminating Kṛṣṇa consciousness even in his old age. So the point is that, therefore, is why should we stop. But if one wants to stop and one wants to study or render some simple devotional service at least in the holy dhāma, some additional benefit may be received.

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja, please accept my respectful obeisances unto your divine, merciful, lotus feet. If a devotee feels someone hates her, in that case what should be our prayer? How to face that situation? - Your unqualified daughter, Saumya Lalītā devī dāsī.

Jayapatākā Swami: We don’t want to offend anyone. And somehow if someone thinks that we have offended them, they might have some negative feeling for us. But we should try to be friendly with everyone, and so you can talk to that person. If there is anything that you have done that that person is offended by, otherwise you can pray, you don’t want to offend anyone and try to serve Kṛṣṇa and guru, as sincerely as you can.

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa dear Guru Mahārāja! Please accept my humble obeisances. As devotees, we are supposed to be humble and tolerant. How do we ensure that we are not taken advantage of others, example at work also, what is the best way of developing the quality of selflessness. - Your servant and daughter, Śyāma Vallabhā Gopī devī dāsī.

Jayapatākā Swami: Is Śyāma Vallabhā still here? I thought she saw me last night. (This question was already answered earlier by Guru Mahārāja.)

Question: Please accept my respectful obeisances, Guru Mahārāja. Lord Nityānanda told Mādhāi just because you hit Me, I will not give you love of Godhead? How to get this humble mentality? How to control the mind when it suggests that you have to speak up when you are hurt? How to not get hurt at the outset and see from other’s viewpoint? - Your insignificant servant, Lalitāṅgī Rādhā devī dāsī.

Jayapatākā Swami: These how to two questions are difficult to answer! Because everything we do is supposed to make us more Kṛṣṇa conscious. So how to how to? How to be humble, how to be tolerant? How to not, how to question. How to get to be humble? How to control the mind? How to not hurt? So how to? As soon as someone asks how to? What is devotional service for? To develop our natural Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So, if someone was trying to please guru and Kṛṣṇa. Now someone else may not be pleased. So, we don’t want to offend anyone. Are they feeling offended in any way? And then we can talk to them if they are feeling offended. Otherwise, we don’t really care what others think. We don’t want to offend anyone, but we want to please guru and Kṛṣṇa. So, if you have the right attitude, if you want to do the things properly, then naturally you will achieve all these ‘how to’.

Question: RD Thembla: Hare Kṛṣṇa Jayapatākā Swami! Please accept my respectful obeisances. If husband has sufficient lakṣmī but does not use in Kṛṣṇa’s service proportionately and wife uses his money in Kṛṣṇa’s service without telling him, then is it considered stealing on wife’s part?

Jayapatākā Swami: How is it stealing? If you take someone’s property it is stealing. But it is Kṛṣṇa’s property and you are using it for Kṛṣṇa! So how is it stealing? Your husband is stealing! He is taking Kṛṣṇa’s wealth and he is not using it for Kṛṣṇa! Anyway, your husband will get some ajñāta-sukṛtī if you use his money for Kṛṣṇa. But if you can convince him to willingly use it, then he will get more benefit! Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Question: Haridhvani devī dāsī: Dear Guru Mahārāja, Please accept my respectful obeisances. Sometimes because of our lack of surrender, we may be hesitant to beg for the full mercy of the Lord as Śuklāmbara Brahmacārī did, fearing some heavy purification. How to overcome this?

Jayapatākā Swami: Why are you fearing heavy purification? Love of Kṛṣṇa is ecstatic! It is most blissful happiness! Why are you afraid of being happy?! If you are afraid that you will lose something but actually, Lord Caitanya is giving you something much more valuable in exchange. So you don’t need to be fearful about this.

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja. Please accept my respectful obeisances at your lotus feet. Please excuse me for not asking a question related to the class. Do devotees who are murdered, (Guru Mahārāja exclaimed: AHHHH!) if somehow at the time of death they remember Kṛṣṇa, go back to Godhead? Also, how to understand that devotees face such unfortunate situations? - Your servant, Singdamayī Sūdevī devī dāsī.

Jayapatākā Swami: If they remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of death, why will they not go back to Kṛṣṇa? Even if they don’t remember, if they have been doing devotional service, Kṛṣṇa says that His devotee will not perish. Therefore, the devotee may be brought by Kṛṣṇa, back to the spiritual world.

So in the last Ekādaśī, not today, the previous one, there was a king who was very sinful and so there were revolutionaries who wanted to kill him. So he went to meet his girlfriend, he snug away, he didn’t take any army with him, because he didn’t want his queen to know. So one campā flower fell from a Goloka-campā tree and he said, udāi puṣpa nārāyaṇāya nāmaḥ, that “falling flower, I offer you to Nārāyaṇa”. Just then the revolutionaries enter into that place and killed him. So, the last thing he said, was nārāyaṇāya nāmaḥ. So, the Viṣṇudutās came to take him and the Yamadutās came. The Yamadutās said, he is a bad king, he took bribes, he gave false judgements and had illicit sex and so many things. So, they wanted to take him to hell. But the Viṣṇudutās said the last thing he said was Nārāyaṇa! So he goes with us! and then when he went to the spiritual world, Nārāyaṇa embraced him and said, oh My devotee! He said, I am not a devotee! But then he saw how merciful Nārāyaṇa was and he surrendered! Where will we get such mercy? Where will we get such mercy? HARIBOL! HARIBOL!

Question: Guru Mahārāja! Please accept my respectful obeisances. How will I get forgiven of my previous and present anarthas, unwanted habits?

Jayapatākā Swami: How can I be forgiven for present and previous unwanted habits – anārthās? Naturally by practicing devotional service, you achieve anartha-nivṛtti and then you can come to the stage of niṣṭhā. So, practice devotional service and you will get rid of your present and past anarthas.

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Thank you very much!

(Some shelter request, Pratimā from Nepal)

So Bhaktin Pratimā, are you requesting for shelter? And if so, are you chanting 16 rounds at the present time? If not, then I could give you aspiration. If you are chanting 16 rounds for six months or more, I can give you shelter.

Haripriya Gaṅgā! Who is that? Haripriya Gaṅgā! Bhaktin Zow Zing Yu! Caitya-guru devī dāsī! Līlāgopī! Haribol! Bhaktin Gow Yu! Navīna Viśākhā! Olivia! Hare Kṛṣṇa! Yes, I see you! (Chinese devotees online) How are you? Do you hear me? You have my blessings! Sucitrā devī dāsī! Sucitrā, do you hear me? Haribol Sucitrā! Cāru Madhavī, Haribol! Śyāma Acyuta dāsa! Iphone dāsī! Ha! Ha! Varṣāṇā-līlā, Jamunā-priyā, Mādhavī-priyā!

Thank you!