20221018 Public Address

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

Jayapatākā Swami: Now is the month of Kārtika or Dāmodara? The devas were trying to offer their prayers to Lord Viṣṇu at the Milk Ocean. But in this month, He rests and they thought that if we chant the Holy Names, He should be happy. If we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, He will be happy! So they started chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare! The devas were chanting and dancing. So Viṣṇu woke up and He was very happy. He said, on this tithi, in this month, any devotional service done will get 100 times the benefit. Offering a lamp, they are like offering 100 lamps! So this is a month, we get special blessing. This was the month that the devas chanted to wake the Lord up. They did kīrtana. And the tithi was Ekādaśī. Ekādaśī this month is very special. 100 times 100 means 10,000 times benefit! Haribol! This temple wants all of you to get blessings. That is why they are organizing this Dāmodara month. Also, this was the month that Yaśodā tried to tie up Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa can never be tied up. But seeing His mother trying, He allowed her to tie Him. Brahmā never got this blessing! Lakṣmī never got it! Only Yaśodā Mayī got it! Haribol! This is an unforgettable month. So we are very thankful that you come to the temple and observe the Dāmodara month. Bahut kush! Very happy!

Anyway, I just wanted to speak a few words and welcome you to the temple. We are having our national meetings here. And tomorrow is the last day, we are also a guest here. Haribol! I live in Māyāpur dhāma, I hope you all come and visit us some time! I am supposed to be giving class in the second floor, in the Padma Hall. You can all come now.