20201005 Zoom Session with Karnataka Nāmahaṭṭa

The following is a zoom session with His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on October 5^th 2020 in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur India. The zoom session was held with the Karnataka Nāmahaṭṭa Devotees.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

govardhanadharam vande
gopālam goparūpiṇam
gokulotsavam īśānam
govindam gopīkāpriyam

So when I speak it will be translated into Kannada? I am very happy to be here in Karnataka. We know that Lord Caitanya, He walked through Karnataka several times. He walked through Uḍupī. He walked in Humpy. He must have gone to many places in Karnataka. So the Karnataka-vāsīs are blessed by Lord Caitanya. He is Kṛṣṇa, Himself who came as His devotee. To teach by His example how to love Kṛṣṇa. He was giving out love of Kṛṣṇa freely. He didn’t consider who was qualified or who was unqualified, He gave the mercy to everyone.

We know that His saṅkīrtana movement was prohibited by the Chand Kazi. And He organized a massive civil disobedience for the right cause and that kīrtana that He organized there were four parties: one was led by Advaita; one was led by Haridāsa Ṭhākura; one was led by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. And in the fourth one, He was there with Lord Nityānanda and Gadādhara. And it is said that there were millions of people. And they were carrying a torch lite and oil to replenish the torch. But it also said that they were clapping hands and playing musical instruments. So how can they do that carrying a flaming torch and oil? The śāstras says that the people of Navadvīpa manifested four arms. They didn’t even realize that they had four hands, they were in such ecstasy.

The spiritual sound was penetrating the whole universe. And even it went beyond the Universe to Vaikuṇṭha-loka. And they were wondering how amazing that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is chanting on earth. And Indra and different devas, they came down to see. Seeing the Lord, the Supreme Viṣṇu chanting and crying in ecstasy, they fainted. When they regained their consciousness, they took human forms and joined in the kīrtana. And, then even the atheist, those who had criticized Lord Caitanya earliar. They also became overwhelmed with love of Kṛṣṇa. Some raised their arms, some rolled on the ground. They also started to chant the holy names. From the sky the Apsarās where raining down flowers. Just as Lord Kṛṣṇa had the Kurukṣetra war, Lord Caitanya had this universal kīrtana. Somehow, all the houses were decorated with mango leaves, banana trees and other auspicious items.

The people of Navadvīpa were deprived of seeing Lord Caitanya as He was doing kīrtana in Śrīvāsa’s garden. But now everyone could see Lord Caitanya. And they all joined in the kīrtana. The Chand Kazi, he thought… he heard the sound from a distance, he thought this must be a Hindu marriage or something. So he send his guards out to see what’s happening. When they saw the huge crowd of people! They became frightened. They tore off their turbans. They tried to hide their beards. And they raised their hands and started to imitate the devotees chanting. (laughter) Haribol! Haribol! Haribol! Gaurāṅga! Such was the kīrtana of Lord Caitanya.

So, anyway, He convinced the Chand Kazi, and Chand Kazi said, “You can perform Your kīrtana, no problem for me.” We hope that all these centers and Nāmahaṭṭas in Karnataka will also take up this mood of Lord Caitanya. We are very grateful that Sudhīra Caitanya dāsa has expanded this saṅkīrtana movement. We hope that Karnataka will become a center of Kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Just as in Uḍupī they worship Lord Kṛṣṇa. And we hope that everyone keeps Kṛṣṇa in their heart and spreads the message of Kṛṣṇa. When Lord Caitanya entered South India, He gave this similar order to every house:

yare dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa
āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra’ ei deśa
(Cc Madhya 7.128)

Everyone you meet, tell them the message of Lord Kṛṣṇa. On My order, be a spiritual master and deliver your people. So, Lord Caitanya, He spent six years in South India. He went to Andrapradesh; (now) Tamil Nadu; Kerala and Karnataka. So, we hope that Lord Caitanya’s mercy will be spread to all the people.

So this month of Puruṣottama is a very special month. This adhika-māsā which comes ones in 32 months. It’s not good for puṇya-karma. But it is very good for bhakti-yoga. And by practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the Puruṣottam month, one can go to Goloka Vṛndāvana. Especially one should offer a lamp every day to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. We have a website called www.purusottamamonth.com so there, there are some details are given. It says that all the other months put together do not equal 1/16^th of the blessings you can get of the Puruṣottama month. The śmārtas, don’t like the month. We have some short emotional videos that tell about the Puruṣottama month. I don’t know if you have seen that or if I could show any of those videos? Anyway, I am very happy to be visiting Karnataka on this auspicious month. Are there any questions that you have?

Devotee: …they didn’t have any access to that particular pastime of Caitanya Mahāprabhu doing this kīrtana or were Viṣṇu, Śaṅkara and all the Demigods… since demigods and an all, they are present in every form and Viṣṇu and also they could not see that or it was revealed to them only when Caitanya Mahāprabhu did this pastime outside when he did the nagara saṅkīrtana?

Jayapatākā Swami: So in Navadvīpa, they had a little information about Kṛṣṇa-bhakti. So Lord Caitanya had difficulty because no one could understand His ecstasy. Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita invited Him to chant in his house, in his courtyard. So, only the very advanced devotees, the bhakti-yogīs were allowed. But after some time, Lord Caitanya took his kīrtana outside. That I was explaining in the class tonight. It’s specifically described that the devas, they came down to watch the kīrtana. Since only a few devotees were allowed in Śrīvāsa’s courtyard. It doesn’t mention that any devas came. Of ours if they want, the devas, they can watch from the sky. But to join in the kīrtana, definitely they did that when Lord Caitanya was chanting outside. And it says that Advaita Ācārya is the avatāra of Mahā Viṣṇu and Sadā-Śiva. And also, that Haridāsa Ṭhākura was the incarnation of Lord Brahmā. Like that, different devas participated in the pastimes of Lord Gaurāṅga. Śrīvāsa was Nārada Muni. Murāri Gupta was Hanumān. So there were various very advanced devotees who were participating in the pastimes of Lord Caitanya. Also, Bṛhaspati and others, they also participated. So, some people came from the spiritual word, some came from the different heavenly planets. Haribol!