20201015 Zoom Session with Dum Dum Devotees

The following is a Zoom Session with His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on October 15th,2020 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, India. The Zoom Session with held with the Devotees from the Dum Dum area of Kolkata.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-gurun dina tāriṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

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

Jayapatākā Swami: I am very happy that I could meet you in North Kolkata, Dum Dum, Madhyam-grāma. Now Lord Caitanya had a special instruction. That we should day and night chant the names of Kṛṣṇa at our home. And there is no need for anyone to become sannyāsīs like Lord Caitanya or me. Whether they are brahmacārīs or gṛhasthas, all can do Harināma. So there is no inconvenience for people to chant the Harināma in their homes. And in their homes, if they have Rādhā Kṛṣṇa, Nitāi-Gaura, or Jagannātha, Baladeva, Subhadrā Deities, then this way they can do devotional service in their homes. Offer bhoga, eat prasāda. This is the special facility for human beings. So by this service to Kṛṣṇa, one can go back at the end of life to Godhead. Now presently because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are falling sick. Some after falling sick get well and some die. Śrīla Prabhupāda said to be in this material world we have to face a lot of adversities. So this is the incentive for us to go to Godhead? That is why we get problems now and then. Because we are breaking the laws of God, that is why there are these divine interferences. Pandemic, famines, earthquakes, various distresses by nature. If someone ate vegetarian, then that would be a solution. But people eat nonveg and therefore have to go through various distresses. This pandemic has come from the animals. We kill the animals that is why we are having this disease. Once a disease like this enters our human life devotee or non-devotee we all have to face it. In this human form of life if we chant the name of the Lord and do devotional service, study the scriptures, this is all for us. I am very grateful that many devotees have joined this zoom visit. Your temple was closed for nearly six months but for the past few weeks it has opened. But it is not as usual as even now the disease is still there. Everyone should wear the mask and go to the temple. And sanitize their hands. I hope that in this Puruṣottama month you have observed it well. This Puruṣottama month, adhika-māsā, is especially for kṛṣṇa-bhakti. That is why Kṛṣṇa has given His own name to the month, Puruṣottama. The blessings we get, the results we get specially in this month for devotional service. Lord Jagannātha, Baladeva, Subhadrā Mahārāṇī love mālpua! Tomorrow you can offer 33 mālpuas to the Lord. And then donate. This way you can end the Puruṣottama month. Vālmīki Muni had said that we should do the breaking of the fast on the Caturdaśī. But, in this month Caturdaśī got merged. So there is no specific Caturdaśī in this month. Today at sunrise was Trayodaśī, tomorrow at sunrise will begin Amāvasya. No Caturdaśī. Sometimes Ekādaśī is observed the following day on Mahā-Dvādaśī. His Holiness Bhānu Swami Mahārāja said that the next day to break the fast on Amāvasya is not a problem. This way, there will be two weeks of Aśvinī month and then Kārtika month will start. In the month of Kārtika, there will be offering of lamp to Lord Jagannātha, Baladeva and Subhadrā. Generally, people do not think of God. They have other thoughts. They only think of God when they are in trouble and to protect from that or when they are in some economic need. But bhakti-yoga is that all the time, day and night, think of God. There should be no thought other than of God. The five Pāṇḍavas all the time thought of Lord Kṛṣṇa. The Lord is impartial to all. But His pure devotees depend on Lord Kṛṣṇa. He therefore protects them always. The impersonalists think that the Lord is formless. He has not personality. Because they consider Him formless the Lord does not have personal relation with them. If we think of God, do kīrtana, serve the Lord, that is what one should always do. This is our special process. If you take the name of the Lord, you will be happy.

Hare Kṛṣṇa!