20201128 Srimad-Bhagavatam Class 1.4.15-16

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
hariḥ oṁ tat sat

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: 1.4.15

sa kadācit sarasvatyā
upaspṛśya jalaṁ śuciḥ
vivikta eka āsīna
udite ravi-maṇḍale

Translation: Once upon a time he [Vyāsadeva], as the sun rose, took his morning ablution in the waters of the Sarasvatī and sat alone to concentrate.

Purport: The river Sarasvatī is flowing in the Badarikāśrama area of the Himālayas. So the place indicated here is Śamyāprāsa in Badarikāśrama, where Śrī Vyāsadeva is residing.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.4.16

parāvara-jñaḥ sa ṛṣiḥ
kālenāvyakta-raṁhasā
yuga-dharma-vyatikaraṁ
prāptaṁ bhuvi yuge yuge

Translation: The great sage Vyāsadeva saw anomalies in the duties of the millennium. This happens on the earth in different ages, due to the unseen force of time.

Purport: The great sages like Vyāsadeva are liberated souls, and therefore they can see clearly past and future. Thus he could see the future anomalies in the Kali age, and accordingly he made arrangement for the people in general so that they can execute a progressive life in this age, which is full of darkness. The people in general in this Age of Kali are too much interested in matter, which is temporary. Because of ignorance they are unable to evaluate the assets of life and be enlightened in spiritual knowledge.

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Jayapatākā Swami: So we see that Vyāsadeva took his ablution in the Sarasvatī river. We know the Prayāga or Allahabad, has the Triveṇī. That is where the Gaṅgā, Yamunā and Sarasvatī join. Now the Sarasvatī river is flowing beneath the surface. So here in Māyāpur dhāma, Sarasvatī is there. Yamunā, Sarasvatī, Gaṅgā are all here together. So I just thought that it was good to remind devotees that Sarasvatī is here also.

Vyāsadeva was sitting and contemplating for the welfare of the people in the future. He could foresee that the people of the Age of Kali will have different types of problems. Main difficulty is explained by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Śrīla Prabhupāda. Which is mentioned in the 16^th verse. People in the Age of Kali, they are too much absorbed in materialism. They don’t even think that, there is anything above the body. There are some others who think that, “I am this material body and I have a soul.” In Bengali we ask, “Tomār sarīr kemon ache? How is your body?” While in the West, they don’t say that, they say, “How are you?” They think that they are the body. In all languages – “Como estas?” in Spanish! But the idea, “How is your body?” that comes from the spiritual age. Because the soul is always good, but our body is sometimes sick and sometimes healthy.

So, we see that now, we have so many technological advancements. Like this, the Bhāgavatam class is being broadcast over the internet. And many have cameras, mobile phones, etc.  So we can utilize all these gadgets etc., in order to spread spiritual consciousness, to spread the holy names of the Lord. 

So the real purpose of Lord Caitanya is to elevate the consciousness of the human beings. And that was the special mercy of His Divine Grace Śrīla Prabhupāda. He went to the West; he saw these people in the mode of passion and ignorance. But he said, they are proud of it. So he understood that they were suffering. So people think that, they are really advanced. But actually, they don’t know what the actual situation of life is; that is why they are suffering more. So by giving them spiritual knowledge, they can become liberated and happy.

It doesn’t matter what part of the world, every part of the world the Kali-yuga influence is very strong. Whether in, Australia, Malaysia or China, in Africa, Latin America, North America, everywhere. Now Prabhupāda, he was thinking that, how to create a revolution in the way that people think. TOVP – the Temple of Vedic Planetarium, is supposed to create that spiritual awakening in people. And the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is supposed to do that all over the world. So we can use this modern technology to spread our message. Unfortunately, people use this modern technology for illicit things. They don’t know what is our real nature. This way, there is a song to wake up sleeping souls – jīva jāgo, jīva jāgo – “People, please wake up! please wake up!” So people are sleeping in this illusion. They think that they are the body, they don’t have this internal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. It is alright that we have our material families – mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters. But we should understand that, this is not the ultimate reality.

Just as Śrīvāsa’s son died during Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s kīrtana. Lord Caitanya said, “Bring your son here!” And he brought the dead body of his son. Lord Caitanya said, “Get up, get up! Why did you leave your mother and father and go away?” He asked, “Which parents? Every birth I have taken, I have mother and father.” Lord Caitanya said, “Śrīvāsa and Mālinī of course!” “Oh, they are very nice parents; they have gave me Your devotion. But whether I stay or go, everything is under Your control. I have no independence. If You want, I will leave, if You want, with your order I can stay back. You are the Absolute Lord, You are the controller of everything.” Like that, the son was speaking from the spiritual platform. And the son revealed that he was going back to Godhead. Then Lord Caitanya asked the mother, “What did she want?” Śrīvāsa and his wife were so spiritual that their son went back to Godhead, “It was alright!”

So, we should understand that we are not the body. We have a body; we have to take care of the body. But that is not the ultimate reality. That is why Kṛṣṇa spoke the Bhagavad-gītā. And here we can see that Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was spoken, to give people the actual idea, what life really is? And how wonderful is the Supreme Personality of Godhead!

In this Age of Kali, we are not qualified to do homa (yajña), Deity worship in the temple. So therefore, the Lord has come as His Holy Name. And if we chant the holy name, then we can achieve all success. So this human form of life is very rare. In this human life, we can actually realize who we are? And what is our relationship with Kṛṣṇa? And if we do the bhakti-yoga, then we can achieve success very easily.

In the Age of Kali, bhakti-yoga is the easiest path. And any of the other things would do, we do along with the chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Temple worship or fire yajña. So, we see that people chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, they dance, they feel great bliss. Prabhupāda, he used to worry, how the people would become Kṛṣṇa conscious? That way, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu inquired from Haridāsa Ṭhākura, “How will these meat eaters be delivered?” That time most of the meat eaters were Muslims. Haridāsa Ṭhākura said, when the pig attacks them, then they shout ‘Harām! Ha Rām! Ha Rām!’ Which, for them, means sacrilegious! But somehow, they are saying Ha Rām. O my dear Lord Rāma. Even though they are chanting in nāmābhāsa. The holy name of the Lord is so powerful that, whatever way one chants His name it will act. Prabhupāda was saying that Haridāsa Ṭhākura was telling Lord Caitanya that, “Don’t worry, don’t worry!” That should be the mood of the devotes to alleviate the anxiety of Lord Caitanya. Now during this pandemic time, people are more receptive to spiritual matters. So we should try to get everyone to chant the holy name, as a sacrifice. We are suffering because we are breaking the laws of nature and by chanting we will be delivered.

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Question: ISKCON Swamibagh, Dhaka, Submission and request in Bengali: Please accept my respectful obeisances. Please bless us that we are able to follow your instructions and serve you and the Lord and spread the holy names, throughout our lives. One child died in an accident, Gaurasundara dāsa, his parents are also your initiated disciples. And one disciple of yours Dvijendranātha, he left his body today. Please pray for these two souls.

Jayapatākā Swami: For the devotees who have left their bodies, I am praying. Dvijendranātha what? Parman. Initiated name is Vrajeśvara Caitanya dāsa. 11-year-old boy, Gaurasundara dāsa died in an accident. I pray for the devotees and also convey my blessings and best wishes for all the devotees, so that they remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇer matiruhu!

Question: What can I do so that you become most happy? Kindly tell me.

Jayapatākā Swami: Many people asked Śrīla Prabhupāda this question. And he would answer in different ways. But most common answer was, if the disciple develops love of Kṛṣṇa. We want the devotees to use their abilities to preach. One day in Kolkata temple, I was chanting 32 rounds and thought Śrīla Prabhupāda would be very happy! But Śrīla Prabhupāda said, that chant 16 rounds, and go outside and preach. If you stay here and chant all day, who will preach? So he wanted us to preach. Some devotees, in the month of Dāmodara or Bhīṣma-Pañcaka, chant 32 or 64 rounds. And they want permission to chant 300,000 times a day. But actually, Prabhupāda wanted us to preach. We are goṣṭhy-ānandīs. And we want to see the number of devotees expand.

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa dear Guru Mahārāja! Please accept my respectful obeisances. Just like you have mentioned that devotees should be like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, that we should try to decrease the worry of Lord Caitanya, can you please elaborate this Guru Mahārāja? – Saṅgītamayī Gopī devī dāsī.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya, He wanted all the people to go back home back to Godhead. He wanted that people become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That was the desire of Śrīla Prabhupāda. So, to alleviate that worry we should preach. Śrīla Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura said, “prāṅa ache jāra, sei hetu pracāra - those who have lives, they can only preach.” So to do all these things, if you can be in devotees’ association, it is very fine.

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja! Please accept my respectful obeisances. What is the difference between liberated soul and conditioned soul? (in Bengali)

Jayapatākā Swami: All the souls in the spiritual world are nitya-siddhas. And usually the people in the material world are conditioned souls. Some great souls in the material world are also liberated like Vyāsadeva and others, but they are very rare. So the eternally liberated souls, they come down from the spiritual world, to give special mercy to the conditioned souls. So the nitya-siddhas, they are under the protection of Kṛṣṇa. And the nitya-baddhas, they are subject to the karmas. So, we want to take shelter at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and be under His protection.

Question: In the Nectar of Instruction, Śrīla Prabhupāda said that devotional service is ahaitukī-apratihatā. Bhakti is not affected by any mundane cause or curtailed by any material interruption. My question is, how do sinful activities slow one’s progress in devotional life? – Rāmānanda Prema dāsa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, since the person quoted another verse which was not discussed today, I wanted to get that verse out. Normally, we don’t entertain the verses other than the ones we talk on.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.6

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati

Translation: The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.

The question was, what sinful life has to do with this? Obviously, the sinful activities are interruptions to our bhakti. And therefore, the pure bhakti is satisfying to the self, but if they are interrupted by sin, they will not be satisfying to the self. Therefore, the four pillars of irreligiosity are forbidden.

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Thank you very much! Thank you for attending the class.