20220327 Question and Answer Session

The following is a Q&A Session by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 27th March, 2022 in Atlanta, US.

Jayapatākā Swami: […] He fought the Kurukṣetra battle for Kṛṣṇa. For some people, they may be vaiśyas and they want to do their service for Kṛṣṇa. But Śrīla Prabhupāda mentioned that if a vaiśya does some service in order to please Kṛṣṇa, then that somehow, using that service in the nine practices of devotional service – śravaṇam, kīrtanam, vandanam, etc. so then that way they can fulfill their desire, at the same time be Kṛṣṇa conscious. So, if you do that then there will not be an obstacle. But if you don’t do that and if you just want some material thing, then that could be an obstacle and you have to take birth again.

Vedavit Kṛṣṇa dāsa [Laguna Beach, California, USA]: Please accept my respecful obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. How do we get complete faith that Kṛṣṇa is the only protector and maintainer as part of śaraṇāgati. Working for a healthcare organization 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week being a gṛhastha?

Jayapatākā Swami: You see someone may take shelter of one of Kṛṣṇa’s expansions and may think, “Oh, this is very nice!” But the thing is that we want to take shelter at the same time, develop our relationship with Kṛṣṇa. So he may give us some options to take shelter of Lord Śiva or others but as a result we may take birth again and again. Because these devas they cannot give mukti. So Kṛṣṇa, He gives the ideal protection and also, He brings one back home back to Godhead. If you read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam then you will have many different pastimes and can see how the Lord protects His devotees. He is known as Bhakta-vatsala, how He protected Prahlāda Mahārāja, how He protected different devotees. So by reading the pastimes one should naturally develop faith.

Question: In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10th Canto, first chapter Śrīla Veda Vyāsa he mentions that when Bhūmi and Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā went to the Śvetadvīpa and Brahmā sat in meditation and the message was revealed to him by Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu in his heart that Kṛṣṇa will appear. But in the book of Garga-saṁhitā, more details are mentioned that the demigods actually went to Goloka and met Lord Kṛṣṇa face to face where he described how He is going to come with Rādhārāṇī and the devatās will take birth and participate in kṛṣṇa-līlā. So is this contradictory ?

Jayapatākā Swami: You see we take the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as the authority. But as you said there may be other scriptures, giving some other details. But we usually concentrate on the books that Śrīla Prabhupāda translated because we see that this is less likely to create confusion. And your question that whether this is another kalpa, hard to say! Kṛṣṇa comes every kalpa of Brahmā, 27 Kali-yugas, 27 Dvāpara-yugas. But normally the system is that the devas go to Śvetadvīpa and Lord Brahmā meditates and Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu reveals. If there was some other pastime directly in Goloka Vṛndāvana, whether this kalpa or another kalpa, it is hard to say. But anyway, He said He would come with Rādhārāṇī, if I heard it correctly, and that happened. But usually, the devas except the very special confidential devas, they don’t go to Goloka and they go to the Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu at the Śvetadvīpa where Lord Brahmā meditates. When they go to Goloka dhāma I don’t know.

Question: What is real compassion? What pleases you the most?

Jayapatākā Swami: What is real compassion? You know, the mercy given out which actually regenerates the relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that is really the highest compassion. Because we read how different Purāṇas, someone does some particular sacrifice (isn’t tomorrow Ekādaśī?) Pāpamocani Ekādaśī. So by observing Ekādaśī, by doing some penance, one may get freed of all the sinful reactions. So, if someone they worship some devas, they go to svarga but for a devotee svarga is like a ghoḍa-dīm – horse’s egg. Horse doesn’t produce egg!! So a kind of an ākāśa-puṣpa, a flower in the sky that one is in the heavenly planet for some years and then one comes down. So that is not kind of permanent benediction. So the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam tells us about the permanent relationship with Kṛṣṇa. And that allows us to have an eternal life.

And what pleases me the most? I am most pleased when devotees develop pure love for Kṛṣṇa. Haribol!

Alright!