20201113 Zoom Nāmahaṭṭa Initiation Address

The following is a Zoom Nāmahaṭṭa Initiation Address given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on November 13th, 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!

Today the devotees have assembled to take first initiation. And you heard just now how we should avoid the ten offences to the holy name. And you also heard how after initiation the process of bhakti-yoga is followed. I hope that all of you will serve the Lord in a pure way. Lord Caitanya said, bolo-kṛṣṇa, bhaja-kṛṣṇa, karo-kṛṣṇa-śīkṣā. We will chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and do devotional service. We will also imbibe the teachings of the Lord. Bhagavad-gītā was spoken from the lotus mouth of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is an Amala Purāṇa and it is all about the Lord and His pure devotees. Studying the Bhāgavatam is extremely useful for us. Those who are taking initiation, I hope you all have read the first canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And I hope that in the coming days you will read the complete Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Bhāgavatam is the scriptural incarnation of the Lord. Getting the association of the scriptural incarnation of the Lord is like getting the association of the Lord Himself. Now, many don’t realize but reading the Bhāgavatam is the best way of getting the association of the Lord. How will this study be possible, you have to see. Those who are not literate, your children may help read the Gītā and Bhāgavatam and you can hear it. In whatever way you have to know about the instructions of the Lord and His pastimes. In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma ca me divyam – if we understand that the birth and activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa are divine, then we will not take another birth in the material world. If we don’t read, how will we understand? To some extent, it is necessary that you read the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and listen to a class every day. Śrī Śrīmad Gaurāṅga Prema Mahārāja was giving very nicely a class to you on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Now this way you should hear the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. If you do service of Lord Kṛṣṇa properly then we can take advantage of the special mercy of the Lord. I hope that all those who have taken the vows today, all your lives you will observe them. And if this way you do service, Lord Kṛṣṇa will be happy. That way, Śrīla Prabhupāda will also be happy. I had gone visiting homes virtually by zoom earlier. In many places, homes, I saw beautiful Deities of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Nitāi-Gaura, Jagannātha Baladeva Subhadrā. In some homes there were Deities and in some pictures. In whatever way, they are worshiping the Lord.

Now you are hearing varṇāśrama – there are four āśramas – brahmacārī āśramas. gṛhastha āśramas. vānaprastha āśramas. and sannyāsa āśramas. All are āśramas. It is called gṛhastha āśrama. In that āśrama they have to serve the Lord along with family life. Lord Caitanya said, gṛhe thāko vane thāko sadā hari bole ḍāko. Now, those who are gṛhasthas, they will also chant the names of God and those who are brahmacārīs will also chant the names of God. Those in the sannyāsa-āśrama will also chant the names of God. In Kali-yuga, Śrīla Prabhupāda said that if the wife is cooperating and assisting the husband in devotional service then there is no need for the husband to leave home and take sannyāsa. This way the whole family should be educated and taught about serving Kṛṣṇa. There are three kinds of karma – sukarma, akarma, vikarma. In the mode of goodness that is sukarma. When we commit sin then that is called vikarma. But if we serve the Lord that is akarma, there is no material fruit, the result is spiritual. We go back to the Lord. That is why devotees want to do akarma. So it will be very useful if everyone worked that way. That you have all come here in the midst of the pandemic, I am very grateful. I am going to many places by zoom and there also we have initiations. You have come here to Māyāpur, please be careful and may the Lord shower His mercy on all of you.

Hare Kṛṣṇa!