20220825 ISKCON Narasaraopet Arrival Address

The following is an arrival address given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on August 25th, 2022 in Narasaraopet, 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!

Jayapatākā Swami: Bāgunnāra!

So we came from Vijayawada to Guntur.

In Guntur we are supposed to see the farm in Konduveedu.

But it became dark, and it is raining so we thought it might be late to go to Narasaraopet.

So we decided to come here anyway. 

I mentioned before both Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Caitanya have visited this place.

So this places is very blessed and we are very happy to see so many enthusiastic devotees.  I was here for the Deity installation.

But now I have seen you have made various improvements.

How many devotees are chanting 16 rounds?

How many are chanting something – one or two… Very nice to see so much chanting of the holy names.

The devas and ṛṣis, they prayed to be in Kali-yuga where they can chant the holy names of Kṛṣṇa.

We practice the nine-step practice of bhakti-yoga.

First step is ādau śraddhā.

To hear teaching of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from the pure devotees.

If we accept what Lord Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā then we are blessed.

If we don’t accept what Kṛṣṇa says, then we fail.

So we see that devotees in Narasaraopet are very faithful in their belief.

And the reason we made the temple here so that you can have sādhu-saṅga, you can associate with the devotees.

And when you are convinced then you can take initiation and get free of all the anarthas, free of all the prohibited items and thus you become very fixed in devotional service.

And you get a taste for Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

You see in material life there is some happiness and there is lot of distress.

So we want people to also to develop the spiritual taste, spiritual bliss.

And when one gets attached to serving Kṛṣṇa then we get bhava which is ecstasy in serving Kṛṣṇa.

How many of you want to have ecstasy in serving Kṛṣṇa?

Very nice! It is a gradual process, it may take many years to awaken your spiritual ecstasy.

But that is why you go step-by-step and you see Kṛṣṇa and you get kṛṣṇa-prema.

Lord Caitanya gave His blessings here in Narasaraopet.

So therefore, people here can easily get kṛṣṇa-prema by chanting the holy names and serving Kṛṣṇa.

So, I am very happy to see all of you.

How many presently are initiated here?

How many are under shelter?

Shelter means 16 rounds, for at least 6 months and following the four regulative principles.

How many aspire to being initiated and sheltered in the future.

At least if you chant one round you can be considered an aspirant.

So how many want to take shelter? So that means 16 rounds and four regulative principles for six months.

And then if you fulfill all the requirements, you can take initiation in minimum another six months.

Hearing that how many want to take shelter?

? How many want to take aspiring, chanting at least 1 to 15 rounds, and aspiring to take shelter and initiation in the future?

To take aspiring one has to be at least 8 years old, take shelter at least 11 years old.

So how many want aspiring? ?