20200921 Zoom Session with ISKCON Sesadripuram Bangalore Temple

The following is a Zoom Session with ISKCON Sesadripuram Bangalore Temple devotees by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on September 21st, 2020 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, India.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Jayapatākā Swami: Now we are in the sacred Puruṣottama month.

This month was declared by Lord Kṛṣṇa to have all His powers.

Whatever we can achieve from Kṛṣṇa,

we can achieve through this month of Puruṣottama.

We should offer a flower, a dīpa, to the Deities of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa,

chant the mantra: 

govardhana dharam vande 
gopālam gopa-rūpinam 
gokulotsava īśānam 
govindam gopikā-priyam 

We should also observe the other aspects of the Puruṣottama month

like avoiding lies,

taking kṛṣṇa-prasāda,

taking vegetarian food as prasāda

and not using mustard oil,

not sleeping on other’s bed.

Like that in Māyāpur we are offering 16 upacāra-pūjā to Rādhā Kṛṣṇa Deities.

Since you have Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in the Seshadripuram temple,

you can also offer the 16 upacāras to Them

on behalf of all the devotees.

So, in this way, we observe the Puruṣottama month.

And the first week is also the World Holy Name festival.

So this is a great opportunity to get as many people as possible to chant one Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra

dedicated to world peace and love.

Like that, if each person asks five other people to chant,

this way you can make hundreds and thousands and millions of people fortunate.

So, I am very thankful for the ‘Kīrtana Ministry’ in making this possible.

We know that this pandemic comes from the animals.

And that even vegetarians, they get sick.

Maybe more vegetarians are recuperating,

I don’t know the statistics.

We know that we have broken the laws of nature and that is why we are suffering.

If people can be vegetarian in this Puruṣottama month that will be very auspicious.

One of my secretaries called up one of his village brothers

who was a nonveg and never chanted and not a devotee.

He told him the glories of this Puruṣottama month,

requested him to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and offer a ghee lamp to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa

and be a vegetarian.

He said he will chant everyday Hare Kṛṣṇa,

offer a lamp

and try to be vegetarian.

But I don’t know

because people may laugh at me, he said.

They know I am a nonveg,

but if I become a vegetarian; I don’t know what they will say!

Now this is India.

Some people are very committed to this non-veg food.

So it is a great opportunity for us to encourage people to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa

and be fortunate

even if they can do only for a day or two,

that will lead to their eternal benefit.

If they can do through the whole month

that will be very wonderful! 

Anyway, our real purpose in life is to serve Kṛṣṇa.

The Prime Minister came up to Lord Caitanya and said, people say I am a paṇḍita but I don’t know.

Who am I? Or what is my eternal duty?

Lord Caitanya said you are jīva

and the quality of the jīva is as such

jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya—kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’: (Cc Madhya 20.108).

That the jīva is an eternal servitor of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Somehow or another, we are trying to enjoy independent of the Lord,

therefore we are suffering.

If we try to serve the Lord that will be actually, the cause of our bliss.

We are like fish out of water,

our nature is to serve Kṛṣṇa

and if we don’t do that

we will feel like fish out of water.

So please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, be fortunate, be happy.

Make others happy

and others fortunate! 

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare!

Haribol!