20220713 Nāmahaṭṭa Initiation Address

The following is a Namhatta initiation class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on July 13th,2022 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, India.

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

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Today you have all assembled to take first initiation. And this is the process whereby we surrender to Lord Kṛṣṇa. You have to follow the four regulative principles and chant 16 rounds – who all of you have taken vows to do this? Okay, all of you.

One way, this taking of initiation means declare a war with māyā. We are not this body we are the eternal soul. And our nature is to serve Lord Kṛṣṇa. But most people in this material world think that they are this body. And they think that satisfying their senses is the goal of their lives. This way, if we only desire to satisfy our senses then we will have to take birth after birth. In the cycle of birth, death, disease, old age. Now, we have a body and if we have a body, we will have happiness and sorrow. But actually, this body does not want this bodily happiness but kṛṣṇa-prema. Like I said, the body will experience happiness and sorrow. And this happiness is lowly. And with this body we try to focus to love Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Those who are in gṛhastha life, they are also able to do devotional service. Lord Caitanya said gṛhe thāko vane thāko sadā hari bole ḍāko. This way, at home there is sometimes happiness and sometimes sorrow. That is why we sing in maṅgala-ārati every day, that this material world is like a wildfire. The spiritual master’s mercy is like the rain of the monsoon season, which douses the fire. Now, we desire that the gṛhasthas in their homes will read Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and they will chant and do kīrtana. They will keep either pictures or Deities at home, whatever they eat they will first offer as bhoga to the Lord and then eat that as prasāda. Then do the different services in the Nāmahaṭṭa.

Generally, the people of this world face great sorrow. But they don’t know what the real happiness is. And your special service would be to spread the teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa, in the Gītā, to all the ignorant people. And you should try to do this and perfect your lives. Lord Caitanya said that bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra, janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra (Cc. Ādi 9.41)

To get a human form of life in this land of Bhārata-varṣa, India is very rare. And this human life we can use in the service of the Lord. We have to try to do this. I am very happy that here there are men, women and all are chanting harināma. This way, whether you are in the village or in the town or city, you should try to spread the holy name and give kṛṣṇa-bhakti to all the people who are ignorant. When you take initiation, māyā will take your test. Ha! you will go back to Godhead, you will get leave from me? I will see! I will see! Then, there will be sorrow in your life and sometimes happiness. Your work is to always remember the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Now in this world, it is desired that you should see that husband and wife are on the right path of devotional service. And this way, brahma-saukhyam anantam – the happiness of the Brahman is unlimited. The happiness in the material world is limited. There could be material world happiness, but we should not be greedy for it, that is not good for us. We should be greedy to serve Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Anyway, the initiation ceremony will start. I would have attended in person, but I have some disease. That is why I am giving the initiation virtually. Now, you will tell me your name and request me please, gurudeva, give me first initiation. Husband and wife will come together. If one of them is getting initiated, the other one is either initiated or not, they can still come together. Because gṛhastha life means half and half. If both are here both will come. All women open your right ears, and I will chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and all of you will only hear it and not repeat along.

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare 
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare!

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare 
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare!