20210423 - 72nd Vyāsa-pūjā Address

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram
Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Jayapatākā Swami: So His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda gave me his causeless mercy and allowed me to stay in the holy dhāma of Navadvīpa, Mayapur which is the līlā-bhūmi, janma-bhūmi of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He then told me to become an Indian citizen and to live here and to develop the dhāma and do many other things. So, I am very thankful that he gave me so much service to do.

And that he has sent many devotees to help me. So just like you heard, he instructed me to distribute ten thousand big books and hundred thousand small books every month. So they calculated that we have dis 65,000 books, so we are still short of about sixty thousand mahā big books, and one million two hundred thousand small books. So it is not that I have to personally distribute those, but somehow they should be distributed, from my zone or from my disciples. So just like we have a disciple in Denver who distributed 1000 books. So they stayed in the coop up on behalf of Denver, that is alright, but then inform me, when you distribute so many books. So in that way we can see how many books I have inspired.

Similarly, in my zone many temples do not send their scores. So even if they distribute 10 books or 1 book they should send their scores. Similarly, we can see how many books I inspired. 100 thousand small books is about fifty thousand book points. 10 thousand mahā big books is about 20 thousand book points. So that means I should somehow distribute 70 thousand book points. So some people donate books to me. Some of the temples in my zone send up the scores. Like that I want to see how many books I inspire. But it is not necessary that I get book points. I just want the credit from Śrīla Prabhupāda. Śrīla Prabhupāda had given me instruction to make fifty thousand disciples. So more or less I did that. We did not put that in the things to achieve. But actually, initiating disciples is part of it. And taking care of the disciples is a bigger thing. As Śrīla Prabhupāda said that to make one devotee we have to give buckets of blood and then to keep the devotee also takes buckets of blood. So I need help to take care of all my disciples. And also the śikṣā disciples and aspiring disciples, and devotees that somehow want my help. So like that I need people to help me to help others.

Śrīla Prabhupāda instructed me 30 different things to do. Apart from what he tells every devotee to do. He established that we should develop the Gaura-maṇḍala-bhūmi and develop also the śrīpāṭs. All the associates of Lord Caitanya are nitya-siddhas. So having their places preserved and developed is also an important service. Now Śrīla Prabhupāda asked me to help to develop the birthplace of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. And he said many things. So, at sometime, he told me the point to build the TOVP. Not that I alone would do it, it is a worldwide effort, something that I have to involve and help with. Also, Śrīla Prabhupāda told me to see for the exhibits. Previously we had devotees like Bhakti Svārūpa Dāmodara Swami and Sadāpūta, they have left. I am not qualified like them. But something I have to do. So like that there are so many things.

Śrīla Prabhupāda asked that we unite the Sārasvata family, he also asked me to get permission for devotees to enter Jagannātha Purī. So recently I wrote to the Gajapati Mahārāja. He wrote back, okay, that you should contact the Śaṅkarācārya of Purī. He is the head of the paṇḍitas. And so I had discussions with the previous Śaṅkarācārya of Purī. Anyway, we will try. But there are things, which are like shooting the rhinoceros, impossible! But Śrīla Prabhupāda asked, I will try. And I am very grateful for all the help that the devotees are giving me.

In my Jayapatākā Swami App I put some of the orders of Śrīla Prabhupāda. And asked for devotees who want to volunteer. But I have to do more than 30 things that Śrīla Prabhupāda asked me to do, and I saw there are 16 or 17 in the App. Anyway, we want all the devotees - I am very pleased with Caitanya Candra Caraṇa dāsa with his distribution and has given a very nice report, how many preaching centers, Nāmahaṭṭas, how many house, how many books distributed. So many things. That is what we want to see how the movement of Śrīla Prabhupāda is being expanded by my grand disciple. I hope that GBC will allow many more new disciples to take up my responsibilities.

I am very happy with the Tribal Care initiative, and all the other programs. How Nāmahaṭṭas have expanded in Eastern India, over 4000 Nāmahaṭṭas. How the Middle East has tens of thousands of devotees. We want each devotee to become very serious, very mature and reach the perfectional state of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So that they can go directly back to the spiritual world.

I asked Śrīla Prabhupāda, “I want to serve you life after life!”

He said, “Why you want me to come back?”

“Alright, I want to serve you, even life after life!” If I am not qualified, then I will be able to serve you in my next life. Like that, we would like all the devotees committed to serving Lord Caitanya, Lord Nityānanda. Taste the bliss of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Should be able to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa very blissful. All the men and women, all the boys and girls can achieve perfection in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And this is very important.

People ask me how would I be pleased? They asked that to Śrīla Prabhupāda. He said I am very pleased when my disciples develop love for Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura said that if he can make one madhyma-adhikārī, then he feels his whole mission is a success. We know that Prahlāda Mahārāja was a goṣṭhy-ānandī. So if the devotee become a goṣṭhy-ānandī and they think how to help others make Kṛṣṇa conscious, that is the real perfection. They want to please Kṛṣṇa. The whole world is trying to please the senses. But the senses automatically get pleasure and distress. Just like we don’t ask for suffering, but it still comes. Like that even if we don’t ask for pleasure, it will come. But we should try to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is the real essence of live. So we have to hear the pastime of Lord Caitanya when you hear the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa then naturally we get attracted. And we want to serve the Lord. I hope that all the devotees develop this taste to serve the Lord. Hare Kṛṣṇa!