20220730 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.18.34

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
hariḥ oṁ tat sat

Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.18.34

brāhmaṇaiḥ kṣatra-bandhur hi
gṛha-pālo nirūpitaḥ
sa kathaṁ tad-gṛhe dvāḥ-sthaḥ
sabhāṇḍaṁ bhoktum arhati

Translation: The descendants of the kingly orders are definitely designated as watchdogs, and they must keep themselves at the door. On what grounds can dogs enter the house and claim to dine with the master on the same plate?

Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda: The inexperienced brāhmaṇa boy certainly knew that the King asked for water from his father and the father did not respond. He tried to explain away his father’s inhospitality in an impertinent manner befitting an uncultured boy. He was not at all sorry for the King’s not being well received. On the contrary, he justified the wrong act in a way characteristic of the brāhmaṇas of Kali-yuga. He compared the King to a watchdog, and so it was wrong for the King to enter the home of a brāhmaṇa and ask for water from the same pot. The dog is certainly reared by its master, but that does not mean that the dog shall claim to dine and drink from the same pot. This mentality of false prestige is the cause of downfall of the perfect social order, and we can see that in the beginning it was started by the inexperienced son of a brāhmaṇa. As the dog is never allowed to enter within the room and hearth, although it is reared by the master, similarly, according to Śṛṅgi, the King had no right to enter the house of Śamīka Ṛṣi. According to the boy’s opinion, the King was on the wrong side and not his father, and thus he justified his silent father.

* * *

Jayapatākā Swami: We see that Parīkṣit’s grandfather Arjuna is put into māyā. That was the cause of the Bhagavad-gītā to be spoken. Now, Parīkṣit Mahārāja, being a king, a kṣatriya, being afflicted by thirst he has come to this place. The point was he is not like a normal person who gets affected by thirst or hunger. But he acted in this way by Kṛṣṇa’s will, to bring Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And how Kali-yuga has started and the brāhmaṇas started to become fallen. Although Śṛṅgi was a child, but from him the whole Kali-yuga degradation started. He was very proud and uncultured. It is not reasonable to curse a king for such a mistake. I mean, it is a bad joke but not punishable like that. We should see that Parīkṣit Mahārāja he sacrificed his life so that the Bhāgavatam could be revealed. So how much seriously the devotees should read the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam? Śrīla Prabhupāda was worried that if his devotees did not know the Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy, then they could be deviated from the path. So he was insisting that devotees should read the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. He was saying that the devotees who were second initiated, people were criticizing that they were not qualified. So he said in many letters that to get second initiation one should get the Bhakti-śāstrī, and to get sannyāsa one should get Bhakti-vaibhava. And he wrote also that if someone gets the Bhakti-vedānta degree then they could also be a guru. So, he wanted tens and thousands of lakhs of gurus, of ācāryas. I am putting as much pressure as I can but I don’t see many people taking this very seriously. Māyā is taking us away from the right path and our protection is that we have spiritual knowledge.

Śrīla Prabhupāda in Māyāpur I saw, he would get up at midnight and write the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Every night he would translate and he would call me and I would see him translating. If he thought something he would not hesitate to call me. His secretary would come up and say Śrīla Prabhupāda wants to see you. And sometimes he would come at 1.30 or 2 in the morning to call me and I would wash my face and feet and run downstairs. Śrīla Prabhupāda, he would tell me what was on his mind. So, I saw he was doing such a sacrifice writing all these books all night! And there was a big Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam book in front of him which would contain the comments of great ācāryas and he would refer to them and translate. Someone said Śrīla Prabhupāda did not know Sanskrit but that book was completely in Sanskrit. So the grand disciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda could think that, oh, I did not have an opportunity to have the association of Śrīla Prabhupāda but you all can read his books and get his association. Śrīla Prabhupāda was saying how his books would be the law book of ISKCON for the next ten thousand years.

I was going over the Caitanya Book first chapter to edit. There the līlās were explained. How Kṛṣṇa in Dvārakā He went to the palace of Rukmiṇī and Rukmiṇī was bathing His lotus feet and She held His lotus feet on her chest. And she was crying. Kṛṣṇa said, “Why are you crying when I just came?” And He started to speculate, “Are you crying because somebody did not follow your instruction?” Then He gave some speculations. Rukmiṇī Devī said, “You know what Mahādeva is doing in Kailāsa, You know what Brahmadeva is doing in Satya-loka. You know everything, since You are the Supreme Godhead, no one is over You. But it seems You don’t know what the devotees feel for You. Rādhārāṇī, She know, I know, but You don’t know.” And nobody told ever to Kṛṣṇa that there was something He did not know. And so, He said, “What is that? I never heard this before!” So again Rukmiṇī said, “What the devotee feels for You, what love we have for You, You don’t know!” And there are many more details.

At some point Nārada Muni, he went to see Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī, they were in Dvārakā. So during that discussion Kṛṣṇa said three time, “I will appear in Kali-yuga, I will appear in Kali-yuga, I will appear in Kali-yuga, as a devotee.” So that pastime, Nārada Muni saw how Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa had combined and He was going to establish the saṅkīrtana movement. In different Purāṇas it was mentioned that He would appear as the son of Mother Śacī and all other things. In the Mahābhārata, in Sahasranāma of Viṣṇu it is mentioned how the Lord comes as a gṛhastha and after that He takes sannyāsa.

So we are living in Māyāpur dhāma which is blessed by the dust of the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He travelled around India spreading the saṅkīrtana movement. And He told I will preach all over South Asia. I will send My senāpati-bhakta to preach to the rest of the world. So, Nārada Muni was called by Jagannātha Deva in Jagannātha Purī. And Nārada Muni was in great anxiety, what will happen to the people in Kali-yuga? Then He saw people, they did not chant the Lord’s name, they were very attracted to their wives. Then Lord Jagannātha said that the Lord will come in golden color and He is non-different from me. Then when Nārada Muni saw the beautiful form of Lord Caitanya, he was ecstatic. And his tears came forth shooting forth like torrents of rain. Sometimes he would fall forward, he would fall backward, he was overwhelmed. So Lord Kṛṣṇa, His message was, surrender to Him and He will give you all protection. But Lord Caitanya, He did not make these conditions. Even if you are attached to the material life, just chant the holy names. And through chanting the holy name in the future you will become indifferent to your attachments. This way, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the most munificent of all incarnations. Śrīla Prabhupāda was saying that there is no limit to Lord Caitanya’s mercy! People don’t know, how great, how merciful Lord Caitanya is!

In Mumbai, we have beautiful Nitāi Gaura, Rādhā Rāsabihārī and Rāma Sītā Lakṣmaṇa Hanumān. Sometimes they invite me give class and I saw big crowds of people in front of Rādhā Rāsabihārī and Sītā Rāma Lakṣmaṇa Hanumān. But there would be nobody in front of Nitāi Gaura. I would tell them that by Nitāi Gaura’s mercy we have Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. And by Their mercy we have devotion for Rādhā Rāsabihāri and Sītā Rāma.

In this way in many places where they do not know the glories of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That is why the TOVP is so important to have. This way, the people will come to know how important is Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We are very fortunate to live in the holy dhāma of Navadvīpa. And we should take advantage to read and study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīla Prabhupāda, he translated that into English. Śrīla Bhakti Cāru Swami he translated it from English to Bengali. Some of the other books were translated by Subhāga Swami. So we should read the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Lord Caitanya recommended we read Gītā and Bhāgavatam. He did not write any book, He just left us the Śikṣāṣṭaka, eight verses.

So we can prepare ourselves, in one month from now we have Bhadra Pūrṇimā and we can try to distribute whole sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I heard Bhadra Pūrṇimā is on the 10^th of September. This is the Bhadra Pūrṇimā campaign - Save Earth Now, give Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. They are having a Zoom conference. So like that, Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu He wants to send the whole universe back to Godhead. And even if the whole universe is sent back, it will be filled up by Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Somehow devotees should take the mercy of Lord Caitanya and go back home back to Godhead. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu bestowed such mercy that we can go back to Godhead and also get love of Godhead. Haribol! Special sale! Indians like sales! But there is no sale like this! Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to bestow mercy on everyone!

So here Parīkṣit Mahārāja sacrificed his life for Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we can at least read the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And there is such nectar in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I was talking about this drama which I saw in Chennai, everywhere I went. Children were acting, where two were Yamadūtas and were speaking to Yamarāja. They said, these Kṛṣṇa conscious householders they are having deities and worshiping them in their house, they are chanting the holy names, in the house they have Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam sets, and they eat kṛṣṇa-prasāda. We cannot take them to hell, we cannot touch them! If everyone becomes like this, we will be out of our jobs! Anyway, here in Māyāpur we would like to see that the Yamadūtas they do not have to come here at all! Let them all come to chant!

Anyway, we hope we can spread Lord Caitanya’s message, His holy name around. When He was taking the huge kīrtana part to the Chand Kazi, the atheists who were there, they were standing on the side of the road and they saw Lord Caitanya raise His hands and chant, and they also raised their hands, chanted and first made fun of Him but later they joined the kīrtana. Lord Indra and Vāyudeva came down from the heavenly planets. When they saw Lord Caitanya chanting and dancing, they were amazed that how an avatāra is chanting His own names! Seeing [audio break] Indra Deva, Vāyudeva fell unconscious and when they gained consciousness they took human forms and joined the kīrtana.

Question: How to get ecstasy while chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra?

Jayapatākā Swami: Keep chanting! By Lord Caitanya’s mercy it will happen. And when you get free of the sinful reactions, you get to feel the spiritual ecstasy. Gaurāṅga!

Question: Subāhu Śacīsuta dāsa, Subhadrā VOICE, Chittagong: We have read in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that we have two births – one is our material birth and other is when we take first initiation from Guru Mahārāja. Do we also have a new birth after brāhmaṇa-dīkṣā and sannyāsa also?

Jayapatākā Swami: Brāhmaṇa-dīkṣā is one birth. Sannyāsa is like a social death. Now, materially it is death and spiritually awakened.

Question: Komal Verma: When we visit Vṛndāvana we want to have darśana of Rādhā Śyāmasundara. Is it because of Vṛndāvana mood?

Jayapatākā Swami: You should see Nitāi Gaura, Kṛṣṇa Balarāma and Radhe Śyāma.

Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami: Thank you for your class Guru Mahārāja. It was very nectarean. I think this is not a class, this is an instruction to all the disciples. I am requesting Guru Mahārāja that wherever you are please do not miss giving the Saturday class. We are eagerly waiting for long time and grateful that you started the Saturday class. One point you were discussing today, Dvārakā-līlā and the Chennai drama we have heard many times from your lotus mouth. It is a very encouraging drama and we want to hear it again and again. So Guru Mahārāja today whatever you have said to distribute Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam sets, I read Śrīla Prabhupāda’s purport in 1^st canto, every Indian leader they have to broadcast the message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The Indians are neglecting that is why so much quarrel and disturbance throughout the world. Śrīla Prabhupāda said I want that every respectable person should have a full set of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Caitanya-caritāmṛta in his home. So Guru Mahārāja we are praying and seeking your blessings. On 1^st August we are starting the Bhadra Pūrṇimā festival. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam distribution marathon. And we are requesting the devotees who are watching the program, to assist in this campaign. Last year Māyāpur Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam distribution was first place all over the world. It was the mercy of Guru Mahārāja and all the devotees who supported. Guru Mahārāja, can you give some instructions, blessing to us how to move forward to distribute more Bhāgavatam sets and how to please Śrīla Prabhupāda and you?

Jayapatākā Swami: What we did last year, try to distribute double this year!

Question: How can we easily get the mercy of Lord Caitanya?

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya He is anxiety how the fallen conditioned souls will be delivered. He wants to give kṛṣṇa-prema but why don’t we want it? If we chant, do devotional service, read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, certainly we will get the mercy of Lord Caitanya. So, don’t worry, Lord Caitanya He really wants you! He is worried about you. You try to call out to Lord Caitanya and tell Him that you would like to engage in devotional service. Don’t wait, do it! There is a famous advertisement – Just Do It! Haribol! Gaurāṅga!

Thank you. We will visit temples now. Jaya Rādhā Mādhava! I did not come down because I did not get my Covid test results, I don’t want to spread Covid to others.