20220612 Address To ISKCON Hosur Devotees on the Occasion of Deity Installation

The following is a talk given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on June 12th, 2022 in Hosur, India. The talk was given at the deity installation ceremony.

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Haribol! 

Jayapatākā Swami: Based on the request from Nitāi Gaura and Śrīla Prabhupāda, The temple president wanted to go to Māyāpur. But since he knew many south Indian languages and this is a wealthy part with many cultures, I requested him to stay here. So now we see a nice temple has come up here. I think we all thank Śrīnivasa Śyāma dāsa for his efforts here. So here we see there are many sannyāsīs and leaders from different parts of South India. I mentioned why yesterday. Because Hosur yātrā is very important as there are many Vaiṣṇavas here! So, I requested you yesterday, I am going to request again today. Kṛṣṇa is Bhakti-vatsala, He likes to satisfy His devotees. So we want all of you to pray to Rādhā Kṛṣṇa, Jagannātha, Baladeva, Subhadrā Sudarśana cakra, to be here and be happy, and you want to serve Them.

Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda went around the world telling people that they are not the body. The body is born, stays some time, produces some by products, gets old and then dies. But we are the ātmā, the spirit soul in the body. People are beautiful because of the presence of the ātmā. Once the ātmā leaves the body, it starts to decompose. The body is burnt or buried. But the ātmā is part of Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa is unlimited, and we are infinitesimal. The father of Vyāsadeva, Parāśara Muni, he studied. He said that Brahmā and the jīvas have 50 qualities but it in small quantities. Lord Śiva has 55. He is greater than a jīva. So, Viṣṇu has 60 qualities. He is an expansion of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa has 64 qualities. So Parāśara Muni understood that Kṛṣṇa was the complete Godhead, complete Bhagavān, the source of everyone. We are in this material world because of our own desire. But Kṛṣṇa wants us to go back to the spiritual world where we belong. Sometimes He comes Himself or sends different avatāras, He sends gurus or ācāryas. And He is requesting us to do bhakti-yoga. And bhakti-yoga is not difficult. But we have to be sincere. And that is not easy for everyone. But if we are sincere, it is not so difficult. Chanting the holy names and worshiping the Lord. There are nine practices of bhakti-yoga. The gṛhasthas and vairāgīs can achieve success through bhakti-yoga. By hearing, chanting, and remembering the Lord. Hearing, offering service and worshiping the Deities. Today we are doing Deity worship. Three more practices are there. Thinking oneself a servant of the Lord, considering the Lord as our friend. Ambarīṣa Mahārāja he did ātmā-nivedanam, all nine. However, the avyaktavādīs, Māyāvādīs, impersonalists think that Kṛṣṇa if He has a form, He must be a material person. They don’t know that Kṛṣṇa has unlimited potency, unlimited power! We have limited power. But Kṛṣṇa has unlimited. Unlimited! Haribol!

So Śrīla Prabhupāda he brought this science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness all around the world. He revealed how by serving Kṛṣṇa, pleasing Kṛṣṇa, we get unlimited happiness. Men, women, children, old people, everyone, they can all serve Kṛṣṇa. And then we know about Kṛṣṇa, we know Bhagavad-Gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we can go back to Kṛṣṇaloka, Vaikuṇṭha. So we want you all to take the mercy and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. How many of you are chanting? Thank you! Nandri! Danyavādalu! So, I am very happy to see everybody chanting. So get ready to invite the Lord here. Invite His energies. Here we have done, the priests have arranged all the yajñaśālā. They have done their duty very carefully, all the adhivāsa, abhiṣekam. But they may go to their places after this. But you will be here! You have to satisfy the Deities, dance, chant, serve the Deities! The Deities will eat! You have to bring bhoga, rice, dal, etc. for the Deities. You all are wearing clothes, the Deities also need clothes! He won’t wear your shirt tie! He needs clothes like a king! There are many services for the seamstresses, to sow the dresses. Who here knows how to sow? So many services like this. I was with Śrīla Prabhupāda, he went to one place, they were all working during the week. He said on Sunday, you bring what you eat in your house, the bhoga, help cook for the Deities in the temple and take prasāda together. Anyway, this Deity comes so you can serve. The material world riches, house, everything you cannot take with you. But every service you do for Kṛṣṇa, it goes to your eternal credit. He never forgets. Oh, this person has brought my apples, or something.

Once there was a story in the Purāṇa about a man, he was a brāhmaṇa who had no money, no kids. So his wife recommended that he go in the neighboring village and see a sage who was visiting. He asked him why don’t I have any children or money? He said you were a miser in your last life you had money and you buried the money and did not tell the family where it was. Your wife and children were starving. Then for that reason you have no children and no money now. Then he said how do I have a good wife and I am born as a brāhmaṇa? The Muni, he revealed his mind and said, you served the Vaiṣṇavas for 3 days, in one of the holy months. Hello! A little sevā is not forgotten by the Lord.