20210821 Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.10.27

The following is a morning class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on August 21st, 2021 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, India. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.10.28.

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

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya!

Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya!

Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya!

Jayapatākā Swami: So this verse tells how the ladies in Hastināpura were speaking about Lord Kṛṣṇa. And the previous verses say that the thoughts of the ladies were more pleasing to Kṛṣṇa than the hymns of the Vedas. And in this verse, specially it glorifies Dvārakā. We read how in Dvārakā, Candra and different Brahmās would come to see Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that if we live in these three dhāmas, like Dvārakā, Mathurā and Vṛndāvana, then one can go back home to Godhead. But we have evidence from the scriptures that if we live in Navadvīpa-dhāma, then this Navadvīpa-dhāma is completely non-different from Vṛndāvana. So Vṛndāvana-dhāma is Mādhurya-dhāma, in the mellow of sweetness. Navadvīpa dhāma is Audārya-dhāma – is in the mellow of magnanimity. And after that Purī and Dvārakā-dhāma, these are non-different. The Ratha-yātrā that takes place there is actually a journey from Dvārakā to Vṛndāvana.

We are reading how Lord Caitanya went to Kasi. He gives the example of a salesman. He said, I have come with a heavy load of goods to sell, pure love of Kṛṣṇa. If I have come to Kāśī and if I have to return empty handed, with My load, then what is the use? I am not able to find any customers here, here are voidists, everyone is impersonalist and Māyāvādī. So how will I be able to get rid of My load, sell My goods and become a little light. Even if I can sell at some discount. Lord Caitanya’s mood is so wonderful! So, Śrīla Prabhupāda brought His message all over the world. So he was the representative of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So somehow or another, he wants to sell, he wants to give the product of Lord Caitanya. Like Lord Caitanya was asking that how much could He do by Himself, everyone should help Me. So in this way, Lord Caitanya He wanted to distribute this love of Kṛṣṇa throughout the entire world. Śrīla Prabhupāda took that responsibility to help the Lord. But if people don’t take it, they are very unfortunate. So, we are trying in this time of the pandemic, people should chant the holy name. We don’t use the holy name for some material benefit. We always say, if the Lord so pleases. But if somebody takes shelter of the holy name of the Lord in order to come out of some difficulty, that maybe somewhat offensive. But it is better to chant the offensive chanting rather than not chanting at all. If one chants the holy name of the Lord with offences at the present, in the future he will chant offenselessly or purely. In Kāśī people said that Brahman, ātmā, Caitanya, māyā, but they did not say Kṛṣṇa’s name. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted that everybody chants the holy names. So He was chanting and all the common people joined Him. But the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs being impersonalists, they didn’t, they criticized Lord Caitanya.

Like this we have to somehow or another the people of the world to chant. In South America, I told that they can chant any name of the Lord, but it is better to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So one Christian nun, she started chanting “Jesu Christo, Jesu Christo, Christo Christo, Jesu Jesu.” And then she thought this is very similar to Hare Kṛṣṇa, why don’t I try Hare Kṛṣṇa? Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare! Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare! Then she realized that chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa maha-mantra is much more powerful. So after that she started chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra japa. And then she took initiation. She is still a Christian nun, but she chants Hare Kṛṣṇa and follows the regulative principles.

Anyway, we are living in the holy dhāma of Navadvīpa and it is non-different from Vrndavana. Wherever there is an ISKCON temple, a certain area around the temple is considered a type of mini dhāma. And Bhakti Tīrtha Swami, he showed that, when he left his body, in Gita Nagari. There there is a Deity of Rādhā Dāmodara, which Śrīla Prabhupāda established. So somehow or another, one should live in a holy place.

Now we are observing the Bhādra Pūrṇimā utsava. And we are trying to distribute 25,000 Bhāgavatam sets all over the world. Vaiśeṣika Prabhu has established this goal. So, we read in the Bhāgavatam-māhātmya that wherever the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is, that is the literary incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. And that all the devas, everyone comes to visit where the Bhāgavatam is kept. If somehow or other we are not able to reside in Navadvīpa or Vṛndāvana-dhāma, then we should at least keep one set of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in our homes. Because in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is no other instruction other than devotional service to the Lord. So, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, told Devananda Pandita, you are giving lectures on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but you are not describing the glories of devotional service.So this is an offence, this is meaningless. So you can make your house a dhāma by having a set of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. If you don’t have the finance, at least write a few verses of the Bhāgavatam. That is why in the Back to Godhead magazine, they put a few Bhāgavatam verses in the center. But the best thing is to have the whole set of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and read it regularly.

So we see how the ladies of Hastināpura climbed on the top of their palace and looking at the Lord and reciting their prayers. So somehow men and women, everyone should be focused on serving Lord Kṛṣṇa. I met one devotee, he told me that he wanted to take birth in svarga or in the USA! We see that everywhere in the universe is a place of suffering. Some people go to the heavenly planets for a long duration of life but there also there is death and old age. But then one has to return to this planet. America, we have seen that it is number 1 in COVID-19! So everywhere in this world, everywhere in the universe, there is suffering. I told Śrīla Prabhupāda one day, that I want to serve you, life after life. He said, why do you want me to come back here? So then, I changed what I said. I want to serve you, even life after life. I was thinking that all my disciples, men and women, they have to get back to the spiritual world. Now 50% are ladies, 50% are men in the world. In India, about 52% are ladies and 48% are men. So all my disciples, they should treat each other very nice, they should help me get them back to Godhead. Now, be it Bangladesh or India or anywhere else, the most important thing is that they all go back home back to Godhead. And I need help to try to encourage the godbrothers and godsisters, everyone, to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and keep with the process. Now the situation is such that it is seen that some, they are going on with their devotional service and some have left their devotional service. Those who have left devotional service, we should try so that they all come back. Those who are chanting, who are practicing, we should encourage them, we should enthuse them to practice and keep on. We got the great opportunity of Lord Caitanya’s mercy. And Śrīla Prabhupāda he brought Gaura Vani all over the world. So, in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa tells, if someone takes shelter of Him, they will go back to the holy dhāma. Be they women, vaiśyas or śūdras, whoever they may be doesn’t matter. So this special mercy that Śrīla Prabhupāda distributed all over the world, we should be very grateful and take this treasure. Read the Bhagavad-gītā and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I am very grateful to the devotees who are distributing the Bhāgavatam and the Bhagavad-gītā. This way, the human life becomes successful.

The ladies of Hastināpura, they are saying how fortunate the residents of Dvāraka are. They are able to make their lives completely successful by seeing the beautiful, smiling face of Lord Kṛṣṇa. So we should take this special mercy of Lord Caitanya. We remember how this world is a place of suffering. By engaging in devotional service, we can go back to our eternal abode. This was the special sacrifice made by Śrīla Prabhupāda. I saw how in Mayapur, he was rising up every night at midnight, and translating, writing his purports. He would rise at 12 am and would write until 4 am every day. After that he would do his japa and then go out. Now we have these books written by Śrīla Prabhupāda. We should study them very carefully.