20210525 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.19

The following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on May 25th, 2021 in Sri Dhama Mayapur, India.

The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.19.

Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya!
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya!
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya!

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

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Reading from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.19.

na hy acyutaṁ prīṇayato
bahv-āyāso ’surātmajāḥ
ātmatvāt sarva-bhūtānāṁ
siddhatvād iha sarvataḥ

Translation: My dear sons of demons, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, is the original Supersoul, the father of all living entities. Consequently there are no impediments to pleasing Him or worshiping Him under any conditions, whether one be a child or an old man. The relationship between the living entities and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is always a fact, and therefore there is no difficulty in pleasing the Lord.

Purport: One may ask, “One is certainly very attached to family life, but if one gives up family life to be attached to the service of the Lord, one must undergo the same endeavor and trouble. Therefore, what is the benefit of taking the trouble to engage in the service of the Lord?” This is not a valid objection. The Lord asserts in Bhagavad-gītā (14.4):

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya
mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ
tāsāṁ brahma mahad yonir
ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

“It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.” The Supreme Lord, Nārāyaṇa, is the seed-giving father of all living entities because the living entities are parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord (mamaivāṁśo… jīva-bhūtaḥ). As there is no difficulty in establishing the intimate relationship between a father and son, there is no difficulty in reestablishing the natural, intimate relationship between Nārāyaṇa and the living entities. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt: if one performs even very slight devotional service, Nārāyaṇa is always ready to save one from the greatest danger. The definite example is Ajāmila. Ajāmila separated himself from the Supreme Personality of Godhead by performing many sinful activities and was condemned by Yamarāja to be very severely punished, but because at the time of death he chanted the name of Nārāyaṇa, although he was calling not for the Supreme Lord Nārāyaṇa but for his son named Nārāyaṇa, he was saved from the hands of Yamarāja. Therefore, pleasing Nārāyaṇa does not require as much endeavor as pleasing one’s family, community and nation. We have seen important political leaders killed for a slight discrepancy in their behavior. Therefore pleasing one’s society, family, community and nation is extremely difficult. Pleasing Nārāyaṇa, however, is not at all difficult; it is very easy.

One’s duty is to revive one’s relationship with Nārāyaṇa. A slight endeavor in this direction will make the attempt successful, whereas one will never be successful in pleasing his so-called family, society and nation, even if one endeavors to sacrifice his life. The simple endeavor involved in the devotional service of śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, hearing and chanting the holy name of the Lord, can make one successful in pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has therefore bestowed His blessings by saying, paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam: “All glories to Śrī Kṛṣṇa saṅkīrtana!” If one wants to derive the actual benefit from this human form, he must take to the chanting of the holy name of the Lord.

Jayapatākā Swami: So today is the auspicious appearance day of Lord Narasiṁhadeva, and there are many things to learn from this pastime. We were hearing His Holiness Bhakti Puruṣottama Mahārāja speaking. He has explained how he, Prahlāda Mahārāja, had always kept Nārāyaṇa, Kṛṣṇa in his heart. So, he was preaching to all the sons of the demons. And you could say that is one of the most difficult groups to preach to! But he convinced them to take up devotional service. Instead of following the sons of Śukrācārya, they were following Prahlāda Mahārāja. So in that way, we can see that it is not so difficult to please Lord Nārāyaṇa.

Śrīla Prabhupāda gave the example that it is very difficult to please one’s family, society and country. We see like, Gandhiji although he tried for the liberation of India, he could not satisfy everyone. He was killed! The President of the United States Abraham Lincoln, he freed all the slaves, but he did not satisfy everyone. And he was murdered! Like that, there are many examples. Śrīla Prabhupāda gave the example of Ajāmila. But Ajāmila was calling his son Nārāyaṇa. But somehow or another, he said the name of Nārāyaṇa at the time of death. As a result, he was delivered. Somehow or another, if we can be Kṛṣṇa conscious, then we can achieve the greatest success in life. So it is not difficult. Lord Caitanya gave us the process of chanting the holy name. If we chant the holy names, we can please Kṛṣṇa. So, this is what Prahlāda Mahārāja was teaching. And so in the same way, Lord Caitanya would hear Prahlāda Mahārāja’s pastimes again and again. Gadādhara Prabhu would read these pastimes. When Śrīnivāsa Ācārya came to Gadādhara and asked him to teach him the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but Gadādhara Prabhu showed him his Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam all the pages were wiped out with his tears of pure love. How will I teach you the Bhāgavatam, it is not legible! Śrīnivāsa Ācārya had to go to back to Navadvīpa to have a new copy of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Recently we were reading the pastime of Lord Caitanya taking prasāda at Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya’s house. And while Lord Caitanya was taking prasāda, the son-in-law of Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, Amogha, he criticized Lord Caitanya. So, as a result, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya cursed him. Then Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya ran and chased him with a stick. But Amogha was very fast, he escaped! So after that, Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and his wife, they were fasting, because they felt really bad! Then Lord Caitanya heard that Amogha had cholera and he was about to die. Then He quickly went to Amogha. He then placed His hand on the chest of Amogha. And He said, you have a brāhmaṇa’s heart, it is very pure! But you allowed the caṇḍāla of jealousy enter your heart. You keep this out of your heart. Chant the holy name! And you get up and chant! And by the mercy of Lord Caitanya was completely healthy! He jumped up and he started chanting! His hairs stood on end, his body was trembling. Tears came in his eyes. His voice choked up. He was experiencing all the ecstasies in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. When Lord Caitanya saw that, He was laughing! Lord Caitanya explained that because Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya and his wife are dear to Him, what to speak of his relatives, even his maidservant, maids, dog, everyone is dear to Him! So Amogha was begging for forgiveness. Like that, it is very easy to please the Lord!

We see that the demons, they were not pleased that Prahlāda was preaching. Like that when we preach the message of Lord Caitanya there may be envious people who do not appreciate. But Kṛṣṇa is pleased. Whether one is a lady, a śūdra, child, a master of the śūdra, whoever surrenders to Kṛṣṇa, they will be delivered. So Prahlāda Mahārāja was a true goṣṭhyānandī. We should try to follow in his footsteps.

We heard how in this recent kalpa Lord Narasiṁhadeva came out of the column. And we know that Jaya Vijaya, they were cursed by the Four Kumāras. And they took birth as Hiraṇyākṣa and Hiraṇyakaśipu. And they were the sons of Kaśyapa Muni and Diti. Kaśyapa Muni had many wives. And another wife was Aditi. And her child was Indra. So, Hiraṇyākṣa and Hiraṇyakaśipu were the half-brothers of Indra. So they are greater than human beings. But at least they were a higher type of human beings. Thus Diti, she approached her husband at a wrong time, and Kaśyapa Muni requested her, wait a little bit, because now is the time of twilight, this time Lord Śiva and the ghosts they are all present, it is not an auspicious time to have a child. For gṛhasthas it is not a sin, but if it is done at the wrong time then one may end up having a demon. So there should be a proper time, a proper process. But because Diti had asked forgiveness, she got the blessing that the grandson would be a great devotee.

So many things happened. And in Siṁhācalam in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, there Lord Caitanya visited the temple. At that time, Prahlāda talked to Narasiṁhadeva, my uncle Hiraṇyākṣa, he was killed by Varāhadeva. But I did not see Varāhadeva. Can I see Him? Your form as Varāhadeva? So Narasiṁhadeva, He manifested the Varāha Narasiṁha form. So that is in Vishakapatnam. Also, the ancient deities in Ahovilam, there are nine different Deities. Each one has a special pastime.

In the Padma Purāṇa, I also found that there was some Narasiṁha-līlā from a different kalpa. Which Bhakti Puruṣottama Swami was hinting that I should mention. So I will tell that story. You see, Hiraṇyakaśipu, he worshiped Śiva in this līlā. And he got a similar kind of blessing that he got from Lord Brahmā. This pastime where he will not die inside or outside, this particular condition was not there. So, Hiraṇyakaśipu told Prahlāda that at sunset I am going to kill you. If your God comes, let Him come! Ha! Ha! I WILL KILL YOU! I WILL KILL YOU! HA! HA! HA! Then in the late afternoon, see at that time, Hiraṇyakaśipu had built a great pandal. Some kind of structure. 50 km wide, 150 km long! I don’t know if it was a pandal or some kind of building. Anyone who entered that place, they did not have to suffer any kind of material problem. Narasiṁhadeva, He came into the city surrounding this structure, and people saw this half-lion half-man flying through the air! And entered into this structure! And He took a gigantic form, flying in the air! And Hiraṇyakaśipu, when he saw Him from a distance, he said, no animals or beasts are allowed here! No creatures! But Narasiṁhadeva did not care! Then Hiraṇyakaśipu sent his jets. But at that time, Narasiṁhadeva, His hair of His mane spread out on all sides! When those airplanes touched the end of His hair, chook chook! They were burnt to ashes! Like insects. They have these insect killers sometimes, when they see a fly they shoo, kill it! We get these Chinese tennis rackets! Like that all the airplanes were all toasted! Chook! Chook! Then Hiraṇyakaśipu sent his missiles. Just like recently we saw that Israel and Hamas – Palestine they were sending missiles back and forth. Then Hiraṇyakaśipu sent the missiles, they were caught by Narasiṁhadeva and He threw them down! So the airplanes, missiles, they did not work! Then Hiraṇyakaśipu flew down and came to fight with Narasiṁhadeva. So there was this fighting going on! Just at the sunset, Lord Narasiṁhadeva, He grabbed Hiraṇyakaśipu, and took him and sat on the huge throne of Hiraṇyakaśipu and tore him into pieces. This pastime ended the same but now he is seated on the throne. And all the demons they wanted to come but Lord Narasiṁhadeva He liberated all of them.

Anyway, these different pastimes of Lord Narasiṁhadeva are performed by the Lord Himself and Lord Narasiṁhadeva kindly appears in this way.

There is one Deity in the city between Bengaluru and Mysuru called Melkote. Here the Deity of Yoga Narasiṁha is there. Since Prahlāda Mahārāja came in the Satya-yuga, the process for God realization was meditation. So then Narasiṁhadeva taught Prahlāda how to meditate on Him. So this form of Narasiṁhadeva, Yoga Narasiṁhadeva, He is in the yoga posture, meditating. So we see how the Lord, He reciprocates with the love of His devotees. And we should learn from the Lord, how we should surrender to Him, He is our well-wisher, our friend.

The Vedas normally teach dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. But pure devotional service is beyond this. So, therefore the devotee, he doesn’t ask for artha, or kāma or mokṣa. He simply wants to serve the Lord. The four Kumāras when to Vaikuṇṭha, first they were angry with Jaya and Vijaya. Then they saw Lord Nārāyaṇa along with Lakṣmī and offered their obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Nārāyaṇa. By smelling the tulasī leaves placed on the lotus feet of Lord Nārāyaṇa they became ecstatic and became devotees.

So, Lord Caitanya is giving out this mercy to everyone. Previously, Prahlāda had this mercy. He preached to his fellow students. Now Lord Caitanya is giving this mercy to everyone. And Śrīla Prabhupāda, Abhayacaraṇāravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami, had brought this all over the world. So, we are very grateful to Śrīla Prabhupāda. We should learn from Prahlāda Mahārāja, to be a surrendered devotee. So on this sacred day of Narasiṁha Caturdaśī, we can pray for the mercy of Pañca-tattva. Lord Caitanya taught us how to serve the Lord in vipralamba. In Jagannātha Purī next to Guṇḍicā, there is a Narasiṁha temple. Known as Śānta Narasiṁha. Anyway, this Deity of Narasiṁha, He makes people peaceful. So hope all the devotees will be very dedicated today, every day.