20220326 Evening Kṛṣṇa-kathā

Jayapatākā Swami: Lots of devotees here! Maybe some Bengali devotees are there too! Also we have devotees from South America. So I will speak in English and I hope that it will be understandable since half my face is paralyzed. So someone will help to repeat me.

We were reading in the 5^th canto, 5^th chapter of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam how Ṛṣabhadeva was speaking to His hundred sons. And He told them that human life is meant for taking austerities. That even in the animal life there is suffering. But the human beings take austerities and that is their suffering. But in Pānihāṭi dhāma Śrīla Prabhupāda was singing the song by Locana dāsa Ṭhākura where he sang:

parama karuṇa, pahū dui-jana,
nitāi-gauracandra
saba avatāra, sāra śiromaṇi,
kevala ānanda-kanda

So Ṛṣabhadeva was in the Satya-yuga and at that time people did lot of austerities and Ṛṣabhadeva’s parents, they did fire yajñas and sacrifices to get Kṛṣṇa-avatāra as their son. But here we are in Kali-yuga where Lord Caitanya, He gave us the process kevala ānanda-kanda simply blissful!

Someone said, “He went on vacation.”

“I danced, I sang, I feasted,” he said.

“Oh you had a great time!”

Well, that is our process of self – realization – chanting, dancing, feasting! Of course, we avoid the four regulative principles - illicit sex, gambling, meat eating, fish egg and intoxication. So these things are very common in Kali-yuga. And Lord Caitanya was asked what is the problem in Kali-yuga and He said we should avoid bad association. There are two types of bad association - the women hunters and the non-devotees. Sometime in Dubai, one lady asked that it seems that many times the scriptures are speaking against ladies. So I was explaining that that was for women hunters. And ladies who get married, and have children, and that the men would take responsibility for maintaining the family. And Śrīla Prabhupāda said that the ladies, the wife she assists the husband to be Kṛṣṇa conscious.

So I saw in Chennai we have about 120 Bhakti-vṛkṣa groups. And some children put on a skit. One girl played Yamarāja. She put on a mustache and one boy and girl played the part of the Yamadūtas. And the Yamadūtas were complaining, “Oh, in every house they have Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there, they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. They have Deities of Jagannāthadeva and various Deities. We cannot take them to hell! So what are we going to do? No job for us! We should get a new job!” So, like that it was a nice drama. But I was so happy. That we want all our men and ladies to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, serve Kṛṣṇa, worship Kṛṣṇa, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Sing our bhajanas and so on. Here we see many ladies and men they are doing Deity worship and we want this to carry on. So the Yamadūtas will not have a job! Of course, there are many non-devotees and we feel sad for them. Para-duḥkha-dukhī. We hope that they will become devotees, so you can try to encourage others to be devotees, to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, to worship Kṛṣṇa in the house and make every house a temple. In this way, purify the whole world.

Lord Caitanya, every avatāra has a particular mood. Narasiṁhadeva is a bit angry. When Prahlāda Mahārāja was being tortured. Varāhadeva, He came to save the earth. Which had fallen from its orbit. People were worried when the earth was destroyed. Of course, they think this is the only world. But in every planet there is life. But it may not be the same way that we know it. So, every avatāra has a particular mood. And Lord Caitanya’s mood is mercy! He wants to give out mercy to everyone. So we should take advantage of the mercy He is offering and in this way our life can become perfect very easily.

So, I was in Māyāpur for about two years. I had to go see a doctor in Chennai. I am an Indian citizen, so my green card is going to expire in two days. So I came here! I thought I should fly directly from JFK to Atlanta straight but Mahā Varāha dāsa convinced me that there are lots of devotees coming from different parts like Canada, Houston, Philadelphia, etc. so I should spend a little time here. So many devotes are here, so it was certainly a good idea. Madhupati Prabhu, he gave me the invitation here. Of course, I had an invitation from Haṁsarūpa Prabhu. I will try to fulfill that sometime later. So it is a long flight from Dubai to NY (New York) and usually jet lag would never catch up with me, I used to be a few steps ahead. Since I have been in one place for two years because of the pandemic, I am not used to the jet lag.

So I have been translating the Caitanya-līlā. I combine 9 or 10 books to give the aspects of Caitanya-līlā like the Kṛṣṇa Book, I am doing the Caitanya Book. We were reading how Lord Caitanya is coming back from Vṛndāvana, on His way to Jagannātha Purī. Some of the pastimes are really amazing! Like, when the Chand Kazi broke the mṛdaṅgas and Lord Caitanya, He told the devotees that we will do a civil disobedience, and He had four different groups. One was led by Advaita Gosāñi, one by Haridāsa Ṭhākura, one by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura and He was in the group along with Lord Nityānanda and Gadādhara Paṇḍita on each side. It was so amazing that millions of people came out. Just like Kṛṣṇa had the Kurukṣetra war, Lord Caitanya did similar līlā getting all the devotees, all the people to come out and chant. That chanting was loud that it covered the whole universe and even reached Vaikuṇṭha. So Lord Indra and Vayudeva they came down. They saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead dancing in ecstasy, they fainted, they were shocked. When they gained consciousness, they assumed human form and joined into the kīrtana! Haribol! And the four different groups were going all over Navadvīpa town. And gathering all the people, from the heavenly planets the apsaras were showering different flowers and even some of the atheists were watching. When they say Lord Caitanya chanting, they were completely out of it, and were chanting Haribol and started dancing. Some started rolling on the ground. So amazing kīrtana! It was going on for a night of Brahmā. It just kept on going. So then, the Chand Kazi he heard the kīrtana, he said, “What is that? Is that a Hindu wedding or something? Tell the soldiers to tell them to keep quiet.” The soldiers they got there and saw hundreds and thousands and millions of people, they took out the turbans and started chanting Haribol! Because they did not want to be caught. And of course, after that the discussion, that is in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. So, you know that.

Just like this, different pastimes. And then Lord Caitanya He was chanting in Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura’s house before this happened. And when this happened when He came out everybody was so happy to see Lord Caitanya that they were overwhelmed to see His blissful chanting. So, when He went to Jagannātha Purī after taking sannyāsa and He would chant around the temple. And then He said that He wanted to go to South India to find His brother. And then He was so ecstatic when he would see someone on the road, he would embrace him and they would become filled with love for Kṛṣṇa. So anyway, we have here and in Mumbai and different temples, they have Nitāi Gaura, Gaura Nitāi. But more people gather around Rādhā Śyāmasundara and different other Deities, but you need the mercy of Gaura Nitāi, then we get the mercy of Rādhe Śyāma, Kṛṣṇa Balarāma, of Jagannātha Baladeva Subhadrā, whoever it is.

So this human life we are not meant to be in this mundane world. The purpose of human life is to go back to Godhead. We see Russia is attacking Ukraine. They are destroying everything. And being in this material world there is danger at every step but if we remember Lord Caitanya then everything becomes very easy. And if we forget Lord Caitanya, even the easy things become very difficult. So we hope that everybody will take the mercy of Lord Caitanya, Lord Nityānanda and then we get the mercy of Rādhe Śyāma Jagannātha Baladeva Subhadrā Sudarśana cakra. Hare Kṛṣṇa! Gaurāṅga!

Are there are any questions? Someone told me what you wanted? He said I just wanted to see you. You see a sādhu by ears. So what is your question?

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. My question is related to inspiration. First time I had your darśana was about 20 years ago in Gītā Nagarī and it was so attractive to see your vapu. You were wearing an orange turban and you had a lot of garlands. There was a kīrtana festival. But Mahārāja, it is more inspiring to see you now. Because of your dedication, and in spite of all odds you are still carrying on Mahārāja. And that is something phenomenal and I was only hoping you could give some instructions that how we could develop even a small little portion of that, that no matter what comes in our lives, up and down, to remain steadfast in our sādhana, in our association, in our services to Śrīla Prabhupāda. If you could please share that Mahārāja.

Jayapatākā Swami: I just remember how Śrīla Prabhupāda went through so many difficulties to give us Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I feel very grateful and as long as I have breath, I would like to serve Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Question: What is the best mood to approach Śrīla Prabhupāda books and how do we study for transformation and not do just a part of routine sādhana?

Jayapatākā Swami: Thank you for the nice question. You see, in the Padma Purāṇa and different Purāṇas, the glories of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam are given. You see the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is all about devotional service. As various avatāras, devotees, and by reading, studying, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam one develops a very intimate relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and so it is very important that we study. In fact, we see that in the beginning of our movement, Śrīla Prabhupāda he said that if his disciples - men and women - would read the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam completely and at that time, to read the Teachings of Lord Caitanya, with that prerequisite, and they would get the Bhaktivedānta degree. And with that prerequisite they can be considered to give initiation. So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is very, very purifying and of course purifying, is difficult to put in words. As there is no difference between the name of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa, similarly, the book description of Kṛṣṇa is non-different from Kṛṣṇa. So by having that literary incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, so we should take that very seriously and in that way we can have a relationship with Kṛṣṇa.

Question: Please accept my apologies if this is coming as a controversial question. I feel like this question will only be answered by you. Now-a-days in the corporate world we see that ex Google, ex Facebook, such companies and we also see that people who are claiming themselves as ex ISKCON devotees and spreading lot of hatred and negative comments. How do we understand this? Please share some knowledge on this.

Jayapatākā Swami: Of course, in the third verse of Lord Caitanya’s Śikṣāṣṭaka, Lord Caitanya says we should be more tolerant than a tree and we should more humble than a blade of grass. We should offer all respect to others and not expect any respect for ourselves. People are spreading hate messages, they are very unfortunate and by criticizing any Vaiṣṇava, it is very detrimental for their spiritual life. Lord Caitanya said even if one criticizes Jagāi and Mādhāi after they had surrendered, then that person he will not be delivered. And we see that how Lord Nityānanda He was hit on his head by a wine bottle, and this caused Him to bleed. He said that just because you made Me to bleed, does that mean I will not give you love for Kṛṣṇa? So we should answer hate with love.

Question: How to stay Kṛṣṇa conscious when my husband does not support me in devotional service and does not allow me to chant my rounds. Please bless me and my husband Guru Mahārāja, so that he can become a devotee.

Jayapatākā Swami: You know, the varnāśrama system that the husband should be Kṛṣṇa conscious to guide the wife. However, in this Age of Kali sometimes the wife is Kṛṣṇa conscious than the husband. Śrīla Prabhupāda said in Los Angeles to one lady that if you are able to bring your husband to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you could be his guru. Even though that it is not the normal varnāśrama system, but you earn it. So of course, you know ladies can use their feminine cunningness to see how to engage your husband in Kṛṣṇa’s service. I know one wife, she went to her husband and say, “Hubby, I cannot understand this Bhagavad-gītā. You are my husband can you explain to me?” This way, he has to read the Bhagavad-gītā and gets purified. So, normally if the woman thinks of the man at death, the woman takes birth as a man. And the man thinks of the woman at death and takes birth as a woman. But if a woman thinks of Kṛṣṇa at the time of death, then Nārāyaṇa (atasyati) - she will go back to Godhead.

Alright!