20211030 Q&A Session

Vrajagopī devī dāsī: Bengali: As per scriptures, we have different kinds of children as per our previous karma. But if a person who has taken initiation from you, stops chanting, how do we bring the person back into the fold of Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Please give us some guidelines.

Jayapatākā Swami: We have to see if he is at least chanting 16 rounds to get initiated for one year. If he stops chanting and if stops following regulative principles, in my JPS disciples care they requested the devotee to chant again. And the devotee was agreeable. So just by asking, many people will start. That is why other disciples can help the guru, just to encourage the devotee to practice and follow.

Question: We know from the śāstra that if a son becomes a devotee from a family, then he can deliver his parents and ancestors, but if one does not have a son or has a daughter, or no children, can daughters do the same for the parents? If they become devotee, or what if no child?

Jayapatākā Swami: A good son is called a suputra and good daughter is called suputrī. So they can deliver the parents from hellish conditions. Now, it is a long story, but in a village near to Māyāpur, Lord Caitanya told His secretary that he had to take gṛhastha āśrama. In Agradvīpa, this was the order given to Govinda Ghoṣa. But the wife died, the son died, so Govinda Ghoṣa he was very depressed. He said, “I wasn’t qualified to be a brahmacārī, but as a gṛhastha I am a failure, I don’t have a son now, I don’t have a wife.” The Deity said, “I am your son!” But he said, “You are not that kind of son, You will not do śrāddha for me.” The Deity said that, “I will do śrāddha for you, but you properly offer Me bhoga.” So he called all the village heads, and the Deity dictated and said that, “On the disappearance day of Govinda Ghoṣa I will go to his samādhi and do the śrāddha.” And the Deity is taken… I had gone there, I was there and I saw the Deity did the śrāddha for His devotee. So, we should try to serve Kṛṣṇa and He is always willing to help us. So, we try to have boys or girls who are devotees.

Question: One of your disciples’ had left completely the devotional path, and now that person has returned. What is the duty of such a person?

Jayapatākā Swami: I think he should restart to chant and follow the four regulative principles. There is no higher prāyaścita, atonement than performing devotional service.