20200806 Zoom Session with Atlanta Devotees on Kṛṣṇa-līlā

Lecture Code: 20200806

Occasion: Address to ISKCON NEW PANIHATI DHAM

Date: 06 August 2020

Place: Sridham Mayapur

 

Transcribed By: Ramya Shubhangada devi dasi

Edited By:  Jayaraseshwari dasi

 

1^st Level Proofer: Bhavatarini Radhika DD

1^st Level Proofed on: 20 August 2020

 

Editorial Changes (non voice): Usha

Date: 25-Jan-2020

 

 Status: Completed

 

 

Source:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2380006315637856

Title:

 

20200806 His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Maharaj, ISKCON New Panihati Dham, Atlanta, Usa, Via Zoom.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim

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

paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

hariḥ oṁ tat sat

 

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: So, who is monitoring this program/meeting?

Gopathi prabhu: It is Adi Gadadhar Prabhu Guru Maharaj.

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Should I give the class first?

Adi Gadadhar Prabhu: May I give a short introduction please in less than 1 minute?

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Go ahead.

Adi Gadadhar Prabhu: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Thank you very much param pūjya Śrīla Jayapatākā Swami Maharaj for giving us your divine association today.

My name is Adi gadadhar das from ISKCON Atlanta. On behalf of entire New Panihati Dham congregation your congregation, we offer our gratitude to you for giving us your enlightening association today. For the benefit of all the assembled devotees and for my purification in next few seconds I would like to give a brief introduction because all the devotees are very eagerly waiting to hear from you Guru Maharaj.

Dear Devotees Śrīla Jayapatākā Swami Maharaj does not need any introduction. He is the general in the army of Śrīla Prabhupāda. Śrīla Jayapatākā Swami Maharaj everything about him is extraordinarily divine. Śrīla Jayapatākā Swami Maharaj made his appearance as Gordon John in the year 1949. He appeared in this world on the auspicious thithi of Ekādaśī and he was very brilliant as a student, he made it into Ivy League, he was at Brown university when he met devotees. And as soon as he met Śrīla Prabhupāda, he read the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, he decided to give up all his academic pursuits, he decided to give up his family.

Guru Maharaj joined Śrīla Prabhupāda in 1968, he was initiated and very soon in 1970 on the auspicious thithi of Śrī Radhashtami Śrīla Prabhupāda gave him Sannyāsa Initiation and Śrīla Jayapatākā Swami maharaj has rendered such invaluable service to this entire planet, he has developed Bhakti Vṛkṣas, he has developed the entire Māyāpur Project and he has travelled all over the world dozens of times preaching the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness and making so many devotees all over the world. Śrīla Guru Maharaj is immensely loved by the entire devotee community all over the world. Maharaj is a linguist, he is very fluent in Bengali of course English, Spanish and several other languages he gives classes in these languages and he travels even with all his health challenges, he continues to travel, continues to Initiate, continues to write books and continues to inspire devotees all over the world.

So Śrīla Prabhupāda has once remarked to the father of Śrīnāthjī Prabhu in Bombay that our Śrīla Jayapatākā Swami Maharaj is an eternal associate of Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu and Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu has sent him down to this planet to further His own mission, to further the mission of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.

So, we are very very blessed to have Śrīla Jayapatākā Swami Maharaj with us.  And I request Śrīla Jayapatākā Swami Maharaj to please go ahead and enlighten us with his words and Maharaj can take some questions and answer. Thank you very much Maharaj on behalf of ISKCON Atlanta, I welcome you and Thank you!

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Thank you Adi Gadadhar, so we were just reading today how Lord Chaitanya went to the house of Adi Gadadhar, the original Gadadhar and he told Gadadhar that he was intending to take sannyas. He will shave his head and take sannyas and travel to find Kṛṣṇa and Gadadhar said you mean just by shaving your head you will get Kṛṣṇa?

You can’t get Kṛṣṇa by being a householder?

So, he said you have a mother who’s already a widow, she lost her older son, you are her life and soul. How would she survive this - like that - I was thinking that this pastime of Lord Chaitanya taking Sannyas leaving Navadvīpa like Kṛṣṇa leaving Vrindavan for Mathurā?

Like all the Gopīs, all the Vrajavāsīs were pleading to Kṛṣṇa, don’t leave but Kṛṣṇa He decided to go so nothing could dissuade Him. So, we see that New Panihati, the old Panihati has pastimes of Nitāi Gaur, here we have Gaura Nitāi and we have Rādhā Madan Mohan and that Madan Mohan is also in Panihati, we also have Jagannath, Baladev, Subhadrā.

So Kṛṣṇa when He went to Mathurā, He was met by Kaṁsa’s wrestlers then He and Balarām defeated those wrestlers. Then He gave Kaṁsa liberation and dragged his dead body around to show that he was indeed dead Other brothers of Kaṁsa came to attack Kṛṣṇa but Kṛṣṇa didn’t want to kill any of the mamas, His uncles.

So Balarām defeated the rest. Then He went to see His mother Devakī and Vasudev, they were offering Him respectful obeisance’s but He didn’t want that, He wanted just to be appreciated as a son. He sprinkled some special līlā dust or Prema rasa over them and then, Devakī said oh my dear Son and hugged Him, put Him on her lap and Vasudev hugged Balarām and Kṛṣṇa my dears Sons.

So, like this Kṛṣṇa likes when His friends or parents love Him, for what He is, not for His position, they love Him as a person. He may be the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is the lifter of the Govardhana Hill, He is the liberator of Kaṁsa but He likes to be loved as a person. So His cowherd friends and His parents and the Gopīs, they loved Him as He was Kṛṣṇa, not because of His position, but because of His personality, His qualities, He was so beautiful, He was so strong, He was so humorous, in every respect He was an ideal person, He could also protect His devotees. When forest fire started when the devotees were put in danger, He told them close your eyes and He breathed in all the fire and saved them.

So, like this when the Kāliya serpent came into the Yamunā and anyone else who entered the waters of Yamunā they were immediately killed by the poison, but Kṛṣṇa, He swam over to Kāliya in the Yamunā so Kāliya first of all grabbed Him around his coils, then after sometime Kṛṣṇa came loose and climbed onto his heads, and then He began to dance. In each step He was stamping on the head of Kāliya with tremendous weight. He can change His weight anytime, so He made His weight heavy and when He was kicking Kāliya’s head, Kāliya was spitting out poison and blood therefore, he got purified so then finally Kāliya surrendered. The wives of Kāliya, the nāga patnīs, they prayed to Kṛṣṇa to have mercy on their husband who was evil, but by His mercy he could be purified. So, like this Kṛṣṇa when purified the Kāliya serpent, He told them to leave the Yamunā river. He said that Garuḍa won’t disturb you because My footprints are on your head. So, like this Kṛṣṇa was having such amazing pastimes in Vṛndāvan.

I went to a place called Prema sarovar nearby to Barṣāṇā, and there it was said that Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā were swinging on the Jhula. Then a bumble bee started to disturb Rādhārāṇī so then Kṛṣṇa told Madhumangal please drive away the bumblebee. Madhumangal chased the bumble bee away. Then he said Madhusudhan had left. Now Madhusudhan literally could also mean the eater of the honey that could be the bee, but also Madhusudhan is the name of Kṛṣṇa.

Rādhārāṇī understood that Kṛṣṇa had left and then feeling separation from Kṛṣṇa She started crying. But Kṛṣṇa was still there, He was saying I am here, I am here and He was seeing how much love Rādhārāṇī was having for Him. Just by hearing He had left She started crying. Then Kṛṣṇa seeing Her love started to cry. The crying of Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His supreme energy filled up a lake that is Prema sarovar. So, it says that one who takes that water on their head they get Prema, they get love for Kṛṣṇa.

So Kṛṣṇa appeared in Mathurā in the prison house of Kaṁsa as the son of Devakī and Vāsudeva. Then He told Vāsudeva should take Him and put Him with Yashoda, and that Yashoda have a baby girl take her back. So, the girl was Pārvatī, Bhadra.

So, Devakī told Kaṁsa it’s a girl after all, a girl is not going to kill you and she will marry your son and Kaṁsa he took the baby and was going to smash her head on the wall. But the baby flew out and took her form of Pārvatī, Durgā and told him, that person who is going to kill you is somewhere else. Then He offered respect to Durgā and then she left. So, like this Devakī and Vāsudeva were put under extreme miserable conditions by Devakī’s brother Kaṁsa who was the chief demon. So, he asked Pūtanā to kill Kṛṣṇa, Pūtanā who was a witch could change her form so she took a beautiful lady form walking through the backdoor of Nanda and Yashoda’s house, and then she walked there, as if she belonged there. She came and said oh I want to feed your baby and, on her breast, she had put poison. And then she took Kṛṣṇa from the lap of Yashoda then she thought this is a beautiful baby, if I had one, I like would like one like this, too bad I have to kill him. So, because she desired to have Kṛṣṇa like a son, she was elevated to the spiritual world as the mother of Kṛṣṇa. But because she wanted to kill Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa reciprocated and killed her, when she put her breast in Kṛṣṇa’s mouth, Kṛṣṇa not only sucked her milk but sucked out her life air and she said no, no, leave me! leave me! leave me child! leave me! and then He sucked out her life air and she fell dead. She became a huge demon and Kṛṣṇa was playing on her chest crawling around as if nothing had happened. Yashoda and other elderly gopīs they started chanting Nārāyaṇa prayers so like this, there is never a dull moment with Kṛṣṇa. All the time some amazing things were happening.

 Deena bandhu was telling one day in the Ratha Yatra in Chennai, the yatra there starts in front of the Shiva temple. So, he was telling this pastime of Lord Shiva dressed as a yogi came to the house of Yashoda and begged for some prasādam but Yashoda said you will scare my dear Lāla, my baby Kṛṣṇa so she chased him away, but then many inauspicious things were happening so then someone advised her, maybe you offended that sādhu and therefore in auspicious things are happening. So, then she called back the sādhu and gave him some chapatis. He said I will stay here and keep away all the demons, I just want two things, I want when you bathe Kṛṣṇa you give Me some of the water ha! Ha! And some of the remnants of His food.

So, then Lord Śiva he stayed in the forest near by Nandagram and everyday He would come and take the bath water of Kṛṣṇa. So, when Deena bandu prabhu was telling us this pastime in front of the Shiva temple ha! ha! it was very interesting! Actually, all the devas like Śiva and Brahmā they all worship Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa was going to appear in the world, He addressed all the devas, Mahādeva, Brahmā, Indra everyone. I am coming, descending to relieve the burden of the earth, you all should take birth in the Vrshni and Yadu dynasty to help Me, and He told Durgā send your partial incarnation Jāmbavatī, Kṛṣṇa’s wife and Lord Śiva told her to do that, as there is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and Him, like this all the devas came as the members of the Yadu and Vrshni dynasty and helped Kṛṣṇa in the Kurukṣetra war to relieve the burden of the earth. So, like this, Kṛṣṇa appeared for multiple purposes.

He appeared in Vrindavan to show His childhood pastimes and then He went to Mathurā and freed His parents from Kaṁsa. Then He went to Dwaraka and took all His devotees to Dwaraka.

So Dwaraka is called sweet, and Mathurā is called more sweet, and Vṛndāvan is called most sweet. So, like this, actually Kṛṣṇa He would only give out love to those who surrendered to Him, but Lord Caitanya is so merciful, He is Kṛṣṇa Who gives out love freely, without considering who is deserving who is not, without considering who is qualified who is not, He gives to everyone. He came down to deliver the fallen so He saw that the students were offending Him so He decided to take sannyāsa. 500 years ago, at least people would offer sannyāsīs respect. Today it is not so much.

So, Lord Caitanya in His pastimes, He was sometime in the mood of Kṛṣṇa, sometimes of different avatars like Varahadev, like Nrishingadeva, sometimes He was in the mood of Balarām. In the drama He played the part of different shaktis, as Lakṣmī, as Rādhā, as Gopī, as Adhya Shakti, so He was playing different roles. Lord Nityānanda played Paurṇamāsī, a grandmother, and when they played a particular part they actually manifested a body like that.

So Kṛṣṇa was played by Advaita, and He appeared exactly like Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī was played by Lord Chaitanya, and He looked exactly like Rādhārāṇī. When They were playing this part, even mother Sachi said who is that? ha! She couldn’t recognize her own son.

When she saw Śrīvāsa was playing the part of Nārada Muni, she asked “Is that Śrīvas here?”

And Mālinī his wife said yes, and then mother Sachi fainted, it is too much! So, this drama was so ecstatic, playing Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. That in the middle of the drama Nityānanda Prabhu fainted in ecstasy, and the audience they also became wild in ecstasy! Someone was crying - everyone was crying, someone was hugging others, someone was touching the lotus feet, the married ladies were touching the lotus feet of Mother Sachi. You must have seen various dramas but you will never see the audience go wild like this, rolling on the ground, crying! So somehow Lord Caitanya and His drama showed so much of Kṛṣṇa’s qualities, that everybody fell in love with Kṛṣṇa!

So, this Janamastami is a special day, and in all the Purāṇas its mentioned that by observing this Janamastami we can get special mercy.

One very simple King called Citrasena, he got lost in a forest he saw a tiger. Then he came across a lake, there were some chandalis there and they told him it’s the astami, you should be fasting and they gave him a lotus flower. Then he offered the lotus flower to Kṛṣṇa and he observed the fast. And broke the fast the next day. An airplane came from Vaikunta and brought him back to Godhead. We may not have immediate airplane, but certainly by observing Janamastami, you will get special mercy of Kṛṣṇa.

So Śrīla Prabhupāda advised us that we should fast on Janamastami, and after midnight we could take anukalpa, non-grain prasad, like we take on Ekādaśī. And then the next day is his Vyāsa pūjā we break our fast after the sunrise, after the astami is over, then we take one grain or something of Jagannath rice. Then we observe the Vyāsa pūjā, then we will have feast after noon. So, like that we observe the Janamastami as this is a very special occasion.

I hope that you all be very blessed to observe Janamashtami. Somehow the Janamastami here is on 12th I don’t know what date you have in Atlanta. Adi Gadadhar?

Adi Gadadhar Prabhu: Maharaj it’s on 11th Tuesday.

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: So, it says that when Janamastami appears on a Monday or Wednesday, it has more even more, more specialty. So, because you are having Janamastami on Tuesday, we invite you, you can also tune in and observe it in Māyāpur on Wednesday. ha ha! Haribol!

So anyway, any day Janamastami is special, Monday Wednesday it’s more special. Anyway, so you said that there were some questions, people can raise their hand or type in the question in the chat box or tell you.

Question by Shobhini Rādhā Devī Dāsī: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Maharaj

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Thank you for the darshan.

Question continued by Shobhini Rādhā mātājī: Maharaj, I am speaking to you from Phoenix Arizona in US, with this pandemic – we used to do big celebration for Janamastami inviting lot of students from University and celebrate until midnight. So, this year we are very heart broken that we cannot do it, so we need your blessings and mercy to continue to celebrate Janamashtami, and any guidance you can give us how to celebrate this special day Guru Maharaj?

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Since there is the corona virus pandemic, actually in India also we decided to do the Janamastami virtually, and they are expecting thousands of the devotees to watch the Abhishek of the Deities, and some of the things we do on Janamastami like, in the temple, we try to finish reading the whole Kṛṣṇa book. You can arrange that people from their homes read Kṛṣṇa book out loud on the zoom or Facebook, whatever and therefore people can listen, and you can have different programs going on at the same time, at different venues, different websites, Facebook pages or Zoom accounts. So, brainstorm how to do a very wonderful festival virtually. Thank you, next question.

Question by Urjeshwari Rādhikā Mātājī: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Maharaj, please accept my respectful obeisance’s, thank you so much for your wonderful divine association.

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Where are you from?

Urjeshwari Mātājī: Atlanta

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Very good.

Urjeshwari Mātājī: Guru Maharaj we are reading Kṛṣṇa book but when we hear Kṛṣṇa Kathā and when we read about Kṛṣṇa from Kṛṣṇa book or Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, when we do that what mood should we have so that we can enjoy the nectar more?

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Someone asked me a similar question today, that we hear that the material happiness is insignificant compared to the spiritual bliss. But we are not realizing that therefore we are being attracted by the material enjoyment. What should we do?

Your question is that how to enjoy reading about Kṛṣṇa?

This is a gradual process by chanting, by reading, gradually your heart becomes purified. Then you feel spiritual bliss or ecstasy when you hear about Kṛṣṇa. If you don’t feel that, then you should think yourself very unfortunate. And should start to cry for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa I am so fallen I am reading Your pastime and I am not overwhelmed in spiritual love, then you can cry for Kṛṣṇa.

Actually, all the devotees when we hear about Kṛṣṇa, we should feel so much of spontaneous love, but some of us are very neophyte, very fallen so we don’t feel that so we keep listening. Gradually our heart gets purified and also, we can, like Śrīla Prabhupāda said that if we are not feeling, then we should cry that we are not feeling, if you are not crying that you are not feeling then you should cry that you are not crying. If you are not crying that you are not crying, then you should cry that you are not crying that you are not crying. If you are not crying if you are not crying if you are crying, then you should cry that you are not crying, that you are not crying, that you are not crying! Otherwise, you should have so much intense desire to appreciate Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental qualities, and naturally you will feel unlimited spiritual bliss. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Urjeshwari Mātājī: Thank you so much Guru Maharaj please bless me so that I should cry for love of Kṛṣṇa.

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Haribol.

Adi Gadadhar Prabhu: Hare Kṛṣṇa Śrīla Jayapatākā Swami Maharaj, Urjeshwari Rādhikā Mātājī here in Atlanta along with her entire family she is doing very wonderful service at the temple, she is running the Sāndīpani school at the temple and she is inspiring many children.

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Wow! Thank you!

Question: Radhabhava mātājī. Hare Kṛṣṇa Maharaj, Daṇḍavat Prāṇam. Please accept my humble obeisance’s. Thank you for the wonderful lecture. I am from Atlanta Georgia, New Panihati Dham. Maharaj my question to you was, you described drama where all  Panchatattva enacting and mother Śacī passed out because she had ecstatic symptoms and then you said that the drama was performed so beautifully that everybody fell in love with Kṛṣṇa. So, I have a question that can we also enact dramas as devotional practice as a method of preaching to attract people towards Kṛṣṇa Consciousness?

Is that something which we can do at New Panihati Dham is that something you would recommend?

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Why not?

Śrīla Prabhupāda said that he acted in a drama also, I think he played the part of Advaita Ācārya. I think definitely you can do dramas and try to attract people, please take my blessings Krishner matir astu.

Radhabhaav Mātājī: Okay Maharaj, thank you very much.

Adi Gadadhar Prabhu: Thank you very much Guru Maharaj for your very wonderful answer and we will try to implement this at New Panihati Dham for your pleasure.

Question by Añjana Gopikā Mātājī: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Maharaj, please accept my respectful obeisance’s at your lotus feet. Guru Maharaj, my question is on Janamastami we do the fasting and we are supposed to please you, and sometimes we are not aware of that. How we can develop that attitude while fasting that we are actually doing for pleasure of you and Kṛṣṇa?

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Actually, we want to please Kṛṣṇa and by observing fast on Janamastami we get special mercy from Kṛṣṇa. And actually, it says if you eat on Janamastami, you will end up at Yamarāja’s place. So, whether out of fear or love, somehow you should observe. And when we do a little austerity for Kṛṣṇa, He reciprocates and He never forgets.

Now we asked Śrīla Prabhupāda, Kṛṣṇa makes us fast till midnight, Rādhārāṇī is only midday why is that? He said Rādhārāṇī is more merciful Ha! Anyway, because we are Kṛṣṇa’s devotees we especially observe Kṛṣṇa’s appearance day and on Janamastami we fast till midnight because He appeared at midnight. Gaur Pūrṇimā we fast till moon rise since He appeared in the evening so these are the two Kṛṣṇa avatāras, so we observe that. And there are a lot of glories I read that Madhvācārya said on Janamastami it is like millions of Ekādaśīs! I wanted to see that quote, but they didn’t show me yet. Do you have it? I hope that all of the devotees observe the Kṛṣṇa Janamastami so that you can go back to Godhead in this lifetime. Don’t make your guru come back again. It’s the easy way to go back to Godhead, just observing Janamastami.

Adi Gadadhar Prabhu: Hare Kṛṣṇa Maharaj a devotee typed the question I will read it out now. Guru Maharaj, I want to know whether we should look at the demons in Kṛṣṇa līlā like Pūtanā, Kaṁsa, Tṛṇāvarta should we look at these demons as demons or should we look at them as blessed special souls who played a part in Kṛṣṇa’s līlā?

How should we look at these demons?

Hare Kṛṣṇa.

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: You see, any way one thinks about Kṛṣṇa, they get blessed. So even if they think of Kṛṣṇa negatively they get blessed. Since Kaṁsa was always thinking about Kṛṣṇa and Balarām, even one day his two wives came, one was white and one black dressed. So, then he said, oh no Kṛṣṇa Balarām have come, oh no help me, Guards! They said this is your wife ha! ha!  He was always thinking about Kṛṣṇa, it is true that they are blessed. But they thought negatively about Kṛṣṇa. Since they thought about Kṛṣṇa, that’s their blessing, but still, they are demons. Anyway, it shows that Kṛṣṇa is all good. If you are a demon if you think about Kṛṣṇa, if you are a devotee you think about Kṛṣṇa, you are blessed. But usually, the demons they get the merging into the impersonal brahman, and devotees they get to join the eternal pastimes of the Lord. That way Pūtanā was a bit special, she got to join Kṛṣṇa’s pastime.

There are 5 hands up, we have to be very quick because at 10’o clock I have to go to bed.

Question typed by Rohiṇī Mātājī: Why did Vasudev and Devakī have to go through so much pain like being in the jail?

Seeing their six children killed in front of them? Why Kṛṣṇa appeared in a Jail?

Did Vasudev and Devakī have to suffer because of Kaṁsa or was it Kṛṣṇa’s plan?

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Why Kṛṣṇa does something, who are we to intervene, why Kṛṣṇa does this why Kṛṣṇa does that?

He has many reasons, to achieve Kṛṣṇa as a son, not an easy thing, do you think it’s that cheap?

They had a blessing that they would have Kṛṣṇa as their son in different avatāras three times. Those 6 children that were killed by Kaṁsa, because they drank milk from Devakī, which Kṛṣṇa also drank, therefore later Kṛṣṇa delivered them. They were very offensive previously, and so therefore they were suffering. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa by His mercy, He delivered them. So, I think if you ask Vasudev and Devakī whether they would rather trade having Kṛṣṇa as their son, to them being in the jail?

Now these questions, we see that devotee like the Pāṇḍavas and their wife was disgraced, they were for 14 years in exile, how Lord Rāma was banished to the forest for 14 years, these līlās of Kṛṣṇa and His avatāras are having various moods rasas. In this way, the devotees have opportunity to show their love for Kṛṣṇa. And you see Yashoda, she lamented that Kṛṣṇa in the forest there so many rocks, thorns, may be His soft feet will hurt. But if you ask Yashoda, why do you have Kṛṣṇa as your son?

You know it’s like- because they love Kṛṣṇa, BECAUSE THEY LOVE KṚṢṆA ha! Anyway, what can I say.

Adi Gadadhar Prabhu: Maharaj if it’s okay with you since it’s already very late, I will coordinate with Mahā Varāha prabhu and as your schedule permits one more class with you please then you can take all the questions because it’s getting very late for you because we have four more questions so that we can do it next time is that okay with you? Or you want to do it now?

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: 9:48 I can’t go beyond 9:50, 10 minutes.

Question by Haridas: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Maharaj, please accept my respectful obeisance’s.

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Accepted.

Question by Haridas continued: Kṛṣṇa says to Vrajavāsīs while leaving to Mathurā that He would come back. He goes and He even sends Uddhava to tell the Vrajavāsīs that Kṛṣṇa would come back but He doesn’t come back. How do we understand this?

Ramyā Shubhangada devī dāsī.

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: You see in Goloka Vṛndāvan, Kṛṣṇa goes to Mathurā and come back every two weeks. In this līlā Rādhārāṇī cursed Sridham and therefore Sridham cursed Rādhārāṇī and told her that she will be deprived of association of Kṛṣṇa for 100 years. But she cursed Sridham that he will be a demon for kalpas, and he cursed her that for 100 years. Anyway, Kṛṣṇa says He never leaves Vrindavan, He will still be there, but invisible. So, the mood of the Vrajavāsīs in separation of Kṛṣṇa is something that is very special, and somehow in the mood of separation the ecstasy is higher. In Rādhārāṇī’s ecstasy of separation, she was sometimes thinking like a mad woman, sometimes She would faint. When She fainted then Kṛṣṇa fainted.

When Kṛṣṇa faints the whole universe stop, Balarām has to wake Kṛṣṇa up, and then the universe starts again. So, the pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are inconceivable, so we shouldn’t be so disturbed. Although the Vrajavāsīs were feeling so much lamentation in the absence of Kṛṣṇa. In the absence of Kṛṣṇa, they would see Kṛṣṇa before them, they had the vision that Kṛṣṇa is there.

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: 6 minutes.

Adi Gadadhar Prabhu: Trilokini Sakhi mātājī is asking a very nice question, follow up question to what Haridas asked. She is asking - Guru Maharaj, please accept my humble obeisance’s. Does Parakīya Bhaav exist in Goloka Vṛndāvan Dham also?

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Yes. In Vṛndāvan Parakīya ras, in Dwaraka svakīya ras.

Question: Deelip Prabhu: Hare Kṛṣṇa Maharaj, daṇḍavat prāṇam. All Glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda! Please accept flowers.

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Haribol, Thank you for the flowers.

Question continued by Deelip Prabhu: Maharaj, you mentioned that taking bath in Prema sarovar and getting Kṛṣṇa prema and as we heard that in Rādhā Kunda also if we take bath then we will get Kṛṣṇa Prema. I am not getting that. My speculative mind I am thinking that may be sincerity and faith is lacking, that’s why I am not getting Kṛṣṇa Prema. How to develop sincerity and faith?

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Of course, it says that, if you bathe in the Rādhā Kunda you should only do that as an obeisance. Quick in out, put the water on your head first and the idea is that you get the mood of Rādhārāṇī. Many people don’t bathe in the Rādhā Kunda because they are afraid of committing some offense. Actually, by the mercy of Lord Caitanya, we can get the love of Kṛṣṇa very easily and just by Their mercy it is possible. As we said, this is a gradual process and it may take some time to manifest due to our various offenses. We should try to avoid offense and If we read, some pastimes give the phala shruti, that we will develop Govinda bhakti, or we will develop love of Kṛṣṇa. So, if we are not developing, then it must mean that we must have committed some offense, and we pray that in the future we become evolved.

So, I do hope you will achieve your Kṛṣṇa Prema. Obviously, there are different steps. It’s summarized in three steps vidhi marg, bhava bhakti and prema bhakti. Or you can expand it as the 8 steps shraddha, satsaṅga, bhajana kriyā, ānarta nivṛtti, nishta, ruchi, āsakti, bhava and then prema. I don’t know which level you are at now. We take the medicine, and go up step by step. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

I am very thankful for all the devotees, especially New Panihati Dham. Please take my blessings. Krishner matir astu.

Mahā Varāha Das is there I see him Ha Ha! Anyway, its after 10 I have to take rest now.

Thank you very much!