20221021 Initiation Address

The following is an initiation talk given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on October 21st, 2022 at Iskcon Vrindavan, 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!

Jayapataka Swami: Shall I speak in Hindi?

Or in Bengali?

Or English?

I think I will speak in English a little and Rādhāramaṇa Sevaka dāsa will translate into Hindi.

On this sacred Ekādaśī day, in the sacred month of Kārtika Dāmodara, we are going to make a special nivedanam.

There are all kinds of nivedanam – dīpa-nivedanam, puṣpa-nivedanam.

And we do some donations.

Today we will do the highest of all nivedanam – ātma-nivedanam We are going to offer ourselves at the lotus feet of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Śyāmasundara.

It is not that we want you to be sannyāsīs or anything.

You can stay wherever you are. 

I was listening to a lecture by Śrīla Prabhupāda on his Vyāsa-pūjā in London.

And there he said that what his gṛhastha devotees did, his gurudeva had sent sannyāsī disciples, they could not do.

So then he requested that all the gṛhasthas should be paramahaṁsas.

Of course, usually we think that the brahmacārīs, sannyāsīs, they are fully engaged in devotional service.

But Śrīla Prabhupāda he wanted that his gṛhastha followers also be fully dedicated to devotional service.

So you see in ISKCON various gṛhastha devotees are also taking up great responsibilities.

Here Vrajavilāsa das is a gṛhastha but he is taking the responsibility of the biggest temple in the world, Temple of the Vedic Planetarium!

So, we want to serve Kṛṣṇa to completely satisfy Him.

Śrīla Prabhupāda was saying that we should take initiation to please Kṛṣṇa.

And it is not just a farce, it is a big responsibility.

And every day we want the devotees to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Avoid the four types of sinful activities and to engage in chanting, dancing, eating prasāda and doing devotional service.

And this is called yukta-vairagya.

That means whatever you are doing, do it for Kṛṣṇa.

And in that way, I was watching a drama by the children in Chennai.

And two were dressed up like Yamadūtas.

And one was playing Yamarāja.

She was a girl but she painted a mustache.

And the Yamadūtas said these gṛhasthas in the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, in ISKCON, they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa! They read Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

They eat Kṛṣṇa prasāda.

And many other things. So the Yamadūtas were complaining that if everyone is like this we will not have anyone to take to hell!

So who of you want to give mercy to the Yamadūtas?

They want someone to torture in Hell.

Nobody wants to help!

Who wants to please Kṛṣṇa and give the Yamadūtas a vacation?

So, it is very important to study the books that Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote.

Here we have Bhakti Pracāra Parivrājakācārya Swami who is studying Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books in the Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya.

You don’t have to be a sannyāsī to read the books.

Everyone can read the books – gṛhasthas, sannyāsīs, brahmacārīs everyone can read.

One family they went to Keturi-dhāma, the holy dhāma of Narottama dāsa.

There they heard how Lord Caitanya in ecstasy, He bathed in the Padmā river and left love for Kṛṣṇa for Narottama dāsa. 

As you heard Śrīla Prabhupāda would write his books every night, and he said that writing his books was his ecstasy!

If you want to get love of Kṛṣṇa, from Śrīla Prabhupāda, just read Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books, he has left his ecstasy there!

Haribol! So, bhakti-yoga is not very difficult.

But one must practice sincerely.

And then they can get the full bliss. 

So who is taking second initiation?

So you are also confirming your vows of the first initiation?

There are a few people who came at the end.

You just participate in the fire yajña and we will consider your case later.

Hare Kṛṣṇa! 

In other words, if you cover up your right ear, you don’t get the mantra! You have a choice! 

śrī kṛṣṇa caitanya prabhu nityānanda
śrī advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi gaura bhakta vṛnda!

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rama,Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare!