20220717 Initiation Address

The following is an initiation address given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on July 17th,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 we have devotees from Jhārikhaṇḍa, Bankura, Murshidabad and Nadia districts for initiation. Śrīla Prabhupāda said that in the modes of ignorance and passion we feel lot of unhappiness. And in the mode of goodness we feel happy. But in the material world the happiness and distress is not very significant for spiritual progress. We have to be in the platform of śuddha-sattva. Śuddha-sattva is the nature to go to Vaikuṇṭha or Goloka Vṛndāvana. This way, we have to be ready to serve the Lord. This material world, be it the mode of ignorance, passion, or goodness, one has to take birth again. But in the mode of śuddha-sattva, we can go back to Godhead. We desire that all of you be Vaiṣṇavas. If you are Vaiṣṇavas then we can go there where we are nirguṇa. We desire that Kṛṣṇa should be pleased. If we can please Kṛṣṇa then our life will be successful. This sense-gratification is not what we desire for. We desire that Kṛṣṇa is happy. If Kṛṣṇa is satisfied, then our lives will be successful. So our goal is to satisfy Kṛṣṇa.

Now there are nine practices of bhakti and corresponding to them there are nine islands of Navadvīpa which are the limb of each of them.

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam
(ŚB 7.5.23)

Today you are all gathered here for performing ātmā-nivedanam, surrender. So today to surrender to the Lord, this initiation program is being held. I should be able to see all the devotees to be initiated. Generally, if a husband thinks of his wife at the time of death, then he takes a male body in his next life. Similarly, if the wife thinks of her husband at the time of death, she will take a male body in her next life. But if the husband and wife think of the Lord at the time of death, they will go back to Godhead. The duty of the wife is to assist the husband in being Kṛṣṇa conscious. And the husband should assist their wives in thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Now thinking of Kṛṣṇa and talking about Kṛṣṇa is a limb of devotional service. This way, if Kṛṣṇa is always in our remembrance, then our hearts get purified.

Lord Caitanya said:

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra
janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
(Cc. Ādi 9.41)

So this way remembering the Lord, serving the Lord, we will be successful in life. And this way you will then get the authority to preach to other people. Lord Caitanya came to Nadia district. In Birbhum district, Nityānanda Prabhu came, and many other associates came. Jhārikhaṇḍa, Lord Caitanya had gone to Vṛndāvana via Jhārikhaṇḍa.

gaura-maṇḍala-bhūmi yebā jāne cintāmaṇi
tāra haya vraja-bhūmi vāsa

That is why Navadvīpa-dhāma is actually non-different from Vṛndāvana-dhāma. Siddha Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, he left Vṛndāvana and came to Navadvīpa and he acquired the siddhi, realization. And his name came to be Siddha Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī. In this Navadvīpa dhāma one can become a siddha, realized. He manifested the aṣṭa-sāttvika-bhāva and got a spiritual, realized body. You should all chant the names of Kṛṣṇa. This program that is going on today is more than harināma. In harināma, they give only a chanting bead and harināma. For this initiation ceremony, first there were vows taken by the disciples, will be given a new spiritual name and there will be a fire sacrifice. And there are many parts of purification which are awarded today. That is why we call this first initiation. That is why you are getting a lot more than just harināma initiation. With the blessings of Lord Caitanya, you should try to spread the harināma-saṅkīrtana movement. Haribol!

Jaya Patītapāvana Śrīla Gurumaharāja Ki! Jaya!