20201029 Zoom Question and Answer Session

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja! Please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. I have two questions. First question is what is the significance of breaking Ekādaśī-vrata on time? Is it an offence if I fail to do so? If it is so, what is my atonement? If at all we breakfast after the said time, is it equivalent to not fasting at all?

Jayapatākā Swami: Apparently one should break the fast, at the time which is called parāṇa. At that time, one should take grain. If one doesn’t do that then I think they have to do the Ekādaśī fast again, on the Trayodaśī.

Question: Can Mātājīs worship śālagrāma-śilā? Nakulānanda Gaurāṅga dāsa, Malaysia.

Jayapatākā Swami: Many are doing; I don’t know if any particular which śāstra prohibits it. If there is any śāstra prohibiting, please send me.

I want to thank all the devotees, for their generous contribution for prasāda distribution and sponsoring, and distributing different books. We heard that His Holiness Kadamba Kānana Swami has tested for COVID 19. We are praying for his quick recovery, and recovery of other devotees with him. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. If Kṛṣṇa so pleases, may His Holiness Kadamba Kānana Swami and other devotees recover.

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja. Please accept my respectful obeisances. How can we understand whether we have received the mercy of Lord Nityānanda, and how can we become qualified to receive the mercy of Lord Nityānanda? Raspriya Gopīkā devī dāsī.

Jayapatākā Swami: If you are able to practice devotional service, if you are able to taste spiritual bliss, if you are able to take shelter of the spiritual master and take initiation, then certainly you have received the mercy of Lord Nityānanda, since Lord Nityānanda gives His mercy to everyone. So Lord Caitanya said those who are offensive to devotees, who sin on the strength of chanting, they cannot receive the Lord’s mercy. Whether Lord Nityānanda follows the same standard, or He is a little more merciful, that remains to be analyzed. Mādhāi had hit Lord Nityānanda and offended many devotees. Still Lord Nityānanda gave him mercy. Although Lord Caitanya was willing to destroy him. Lord Nityānanda forgave people who offended Him. I cannot put any limit to Lord Nityānanda’s mercy, and the more one prays – āha prabhu nityānanda, premānanda-sukhī, kṛpā-kara-kaṇa karo, āmi baḍa dukhī. Lord Nityānanda, You are filled with ecstatic love, I am suffering, please have Your mercy on me. Nitāi Gaura Haribol!

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja, can we use mustard oil in the month of Dāmodara?

Jayapatākā Swami: I asked a paṇḍita. He said, that in the Dāmodara month, mustard oil should not be used. But as a medicine it can be used. Otherwise, he said not.

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja. What happens to devotees who follow the four regulative principles, believe in Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, but don’t chant 16 rounds? What happens to them? Thank you for your wonderful words. Kṛṣṇa and Samyak, London.

Jayapatākā Swami: My dear aspiring disciples Kṛṣṇa and Samyak. If people take initiation, they are guaranteed a place at Lord Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. But if people chant without taking initiation, then they also get some blessing. Some people get delivered, some may come back. So we pray that they can take birth in the family of devotees. Sometimes they want to take initiation, somehow, they pass away before. So they may get the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, by chanting the holy name. If someone has the possibility of getting initiation, but doesn’t want it, because of their false ego or something, then what will happen to them is not clear. But definitely they will be benefitted by chanting the holy name.

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja. Please accept my respectful obeisances. Many times, while doing devotional services, there are devotees who hurt us so much, so in that case how should we react? If we talk anything, it will become an offence. So how should we act in that situation Guru Mahārāja? – Rīteśvarī Rādhikā devī dāsī.

Jayapatākā Swami: I answered this question previously and I sent a video out. Sevapadmā devī dāsī asked the same question. Have you seen the video? I sent it out on the Jayapatākā Swami app. I assume that this hurt is due to harsh words or something. Maybe we caused hurt someone in this life or previous life. Similarly, now we are getting the reaction. So we should not be so much affected. Of course, if near and dear ones if they say something, it causes great pain. If unknown person says it does not affect us as much. In any case we should be much more humble and tolerant.

Question: When I do guru-pūjā, what should be the state of mind? What should the consciousness of those who are taking darśana during guru-pūjā be?

Your spiritual son,
Śyamavarṇa Kānāi dāsī,
Nrsingdi, Bangladesh.

Jayapatākā Swami: Whatever pūjā we do, we should have a devotional mood.

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja. Please accept my respectful obeisances. How to establish Lord Caitanya in our heart? What is the process?

Your spiritual son,
Vraja Kṛṣṇa dāsa,
Māyāpur.

Jayapatākā Swami: If you are always thinking of Lord Caitanya, naturally He will be in your heart. The process is called smaraṇam. Of course, that can be there through śravaṇam and kīrtanam, hearing and chanting. Otherwise remembering, keep Lord Caitanya in our heart. Thank you Vraja Kṛṣṇa dāsa.

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja! When Lord comes in the form of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam then what form His mother comes?

Your spiritual daughter,
Sucarita Jāhnavā devī dāsī

Jayapatākā Swami: I am trying to remember that the scripture is like the father. There is some statement, who is the mother. I cannot remember now.

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja! Please accept my respectful obeisances. Why do we call, Hare Kṛṣṇa or Haribol when someone addresses us Rādhe Rādhe? Who don’t we say Rādhe Rādhe? Especially those of us who are ISKCON devotees? Is Rādhārāṇī only for Vṛndāvana? That only the Vraja-vāsīs can call Her?

Your unqualified daughter,
Tulasī Līlāmayī devī dāsī.

Jayapatākā Swami: Vraja-vāsīs accept Rādhārāṇī as the Vṛndāvaneśvari. They chant, Rādhe Rādhe! We don’t like to chant Rādhe without Kṛṣṇa. So we say Hare Kṛṣṇa or Rādhā Kṛṣṇa or Rādhe Śyāma, like that because we know Rādhe wants to be with Kṛṣṇa.

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja! When I am hearing lectures, studying spiritual books, doing any kind of sevā, how do I feel that I am doing this for my Guru Mahārāja’s happiness?

Your spiritual daughter,
Jayaprādhā Gāndarvikā devī dāsī, Bangladesh.

Jayapatākā Swami: It is nice if you think that you are doing for the guru’s happiness. But I will be very happy when you do it and have a taste. Before that, you can do it to please me, but I will be more pleased when you do it and actually have a taste for it.

Question: Dearest Guru Mahārāja! Please accept my respectful obeisances. Do prayers made to guru through his picture, reach him? Is it a good practice to share the daily report and challenges to our guru, through his picture?

Your sheltered daughter,
Pūjā, Ahmedabad.

Jayapatākā Swami: Why not? It would be good if you write me once a month or something, a summary. But if you want to pray every day to guru and Kṛṣṇa, it is alright.

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja. Please accept my respectful obeisances. The chanting was very good for a couple of days after initiation, but now it is not going so great after that. Please help me gurudeva.

Your spiritual daughter,
Geeta.

Jayapatākā Swami: What is your spiritual name? The chanting should be always improving. But part of the anartha-nivṛtti is that sometimes our chanting is very good, sometimes it is very thin. It is called thin and thick. So, as you keep on chanting, gradually the whole chanting will become thick. Haribol!

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja. Please accept my respectful obeisances. How to deal with envy of a person cultivated by one’s self in Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Your insignificant daughter,
Satyabhāmā Sādhavi devī dāsī.

Jayapatākā Swami: Now it is like, you are acting like a doctor. What if the patient you are treating, shows some symptoms of disease, do you reject that patient? You should not, you should see how to treat the disease. We know that people in the material world, will have different symptoms of disease. So, envy is one of the reasons, why we are in this material world. So, we should see these symptoms as things that need to be treated. We don’t expect the doctor to say, “Oh! You are sick! I reject you! I only want healthy patients.” We don’t go to the doctor if we are healthy!!

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja. In the auspicious Kārtika month how should we serve Rādhārāṇī to please Her, as it is Her favorite month? What kind of mood should we have while doing the service?

Your insignificant servant,
Anubhav Paul.

Jayapatākā Swami: In this Kārtika month, we should offer a lamp to Lord Dāmodara, by singing the Dāmodarāṣṭakam, that will also please Rādhārāṇī.

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja. When we see that our non-devotee relatives are wasting their valuable human life, and not giving any attention to spiritual life, even if by requesting them to chant, by sharing the importance of chanting, they are not responding positively. Then we feel compassionate for them but we are not able to do anything. What can we do in this stage? Should we keep trying or avoid them?

Your spiritual daughter,
Vijayanti Lalitā devī dāsī.

Jayapatākā Swami: You can try using various tricks. If your relatives are offensive to Kṛṣṇa and the devotees, then avoid them if that may be required. If they are not offensive, then if they are not very responsive, then we can think of different tricks. Just like a wife may come up to the husband who is not very Kṛṣṇa conscious, and feign ignorance, I cannot understand this verse, can you please explain this to me. The husband thinks, I am macho! She is coming to me and asking me for help! (Feels very important). There may be some tricks.

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja! Please accept my humble obeisances. I see many devotees chant 64 rounds and more sometimes but they cannot overcome ego. My humble question, how to overcome it?

Your humble servant,
Abhirāma Nimāi dāsa.

Jayapatākā Swami: Of course, overcoming the false ego is a very important thing. I don’t know if one is chanting, but they are committing offences, how effective it will be to overcome false ego. We know that by helping others to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, that makes the chanting more purified. So, Śrīla Prabhupāda encouraged us to chant 16 rounds and then preach. So just chanting more rounds without preaching, is not necessarily so effective. Rather to help others advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, while chanting, is the best.