20221120 Addressing Māyāpur Saṅkīrtana Devotees

The following is a meeting with the sankirtan devotees by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on November 20th,2022 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, India.

Jayapatākā Swami: We are now addressing the Māyāpur Saṅkīrtana devotees. Then at 8.25 pm we have a program with Vaiśeṣika Prabhu for the Marathon, then we will have the Caitanya class. So I will now speak in Bengali.

Now our Māyāpur Saṅkīrtana devotees will tour and for a month or two they will do the saṅkīrtana marathon. We are very grateful to them for this, for doing this yajña of book distribution – this is called Bṛhad-mṛdaṅga. This way we see that in Māyāpur many devotees come and see the Deities. Now, our saṅkīrtana devotees are going out and promoting the wonderful temple that is coming up here. That way, people are hearing, and coming to visit Māyāpur. If they read Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books, they can make their lives successful. This way, they can practice bhakti-yoga. They can hear about the books from the saṅkīrtana devotees and some can connect with the Nāmahaṭṭa. This way they serve the temple. So they are very grateful to us. So they are propagating to the people to read the Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and Caitanya-caritāmṛta and distribute them and we are grateful to them for this. In Māyāpur, we wish that all will serve in book distribution. This way, the saṅkīrtana devotees go out to distribute books. Those who live in Māyāpur, they try to distribute books to the visitors who come here. And also, they can go to Navadvīpa, Krishna Nagar, etc. and distribute books. This way, to fulfill the desire of Śrīla Prabhupāda, they go to distribute books. I used to go earlier but now I cannot go. But they can buy books from us and in that way we distribute books. I think that we should see that the Vidhāna-sabhā members get a copy of the Bhagavad-gītā. Members of the Lok-sabhā and Rājya-sabhā also get a copy of the Bhagavad-gītā. We are the soul and we are in this body. Śrīla Prabhupāda gave a lecture in Haridaspur. He said that, “If your grandfather dies, then you cry, oh, grandfather has gone!” “Grandfather has gone!”, they say. But, his body is there. Same eyes, hands, feet, etc. then who has gone? Actually, we are the soul and when the soul leaves the body the body dies. The real person we cannot recognize. The real person is the soul. Jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya-kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’ (Cc. Madhya 20.108). This way, we see the outside body but cannot see the soul inside. So if the Lord comes in front of us,we cannot see the soul in us, how can we see the Lord? Now, the soul is in the body, that is why the body is live. If the soul leaves the body, the body dies. This way, ordinarily people are like animals, they only take care of the body. The dog does not understand he is not a dog, he is the soul. But the human being has this knowledge and can understand. I am this soul, I am not the body. This is the primary knowledge of the Bhagavad-gītā, but the general people cannot even understand this. This way, reading the Bhagavad-gītā, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is needed. If we read, then they can slowly understand. So going out and distributing books is very useful. Hare Kṛṣṇa! Any questions?

The Marathon is called “Live to Give”. We will distribute Kṛṣṇa’s teachings. Live to Give. If we live we want to distribute the teachings of the Lord. If we distribute the teachings of the Lord, then our lives will be perfected. Bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra (Cc. Ādi 9.41). Haribol!

Anyone has any questions?

Question: When we go on book distribution, if someone argues with us then should we argue or leave the place?

Jayapatākā Swami: Now, if they disrespect or offend the Lord then we should move away. But if they just argue, then we can talk respectfully with them. If you want to check it out, why don’t you come with us on book distribution for a week, do Harināma, and see how you feel, we can tell them. Śrīla Prabhupāda got everyone to chant the names of Kṛṣṇa. I was in Louisiana in Baton Rouge, in a university. There was a Free Speech Lane there where one could speak anything. There I was preaching and there were some Christian who came and said, we don’t believe this, what are you talking? I asked them a question which they could not answer. Why are some people born lame? The Lord gives opportunity to all, but some are born blind, some lame, why? They said it is a mystery! So this way I asked them many such questions and they said they are all mysteries. In the Bhagavad-gītā there is teaching that we have to enjoy or suffer the result of our karma. We are eternal but we have to take birth again. That way, we are doing such karma that we are born blind or lame. When we gave these reasons, the Christians slipped away. The other people clapped their hands. This way, if they speak this way, we should counter question them with such questions that they have no answer to them. You have to see the situation. If there is some offence to the Lord then there is no need to talk, just walk away. You are all very experienced as you have been going out for long.

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Question: If we give someone who is working in a slaughterhouse can we give the Bhagavad-gītā?

Jayapatākā Swami: If they buy it then we can give, but do not give it free of cost.

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Question: What should be our intent in distributing books?

Jayapatākā Swami: In the 18th chapter, Kṛṣṇa said that those who do this distribution, they are very dear to Me. One intention is to serve the Lord. Another is to get the conditioned souls who have to take birth again and again, to liberate them from this cycle, and they go back to Godhead. And also, Ekādaśī in which the Lord has invested His mahā-śakti. The Lord is very happy to mahā-śakti what boon should I give you? She said that all the people should fast and do austerity to get liberated. This day was Ekādaśī, which was very special, and the Lord gave special blessing that day.

Any house where the Bhagavad-gītā is worshiped and studied, that house will be always auspicious. There will be nothing inauspicious happening in that house. The śrī-vaiṣṇava-sāra says this. Those who hear the Bhagavad-gītā daily and read, there will be no inauspiciousness for them. Especially if the Bhagavad-gītā is read on Ekādaśī. This way, so that all the people get a chance to read or hear the Bhagavad-gītā, we have to distribute the Bhagavad-gītā. If one person reads the Bhagavad-gītā every day then he gets the result of doing an aśvamedha-yajña. Bhagavad-gītā is like a cow. It is the summary of the Upaniṣads. Lord Kṛṣṇa is the protector of the cows. He loves the cow, and Arjuna is like a calf. This way, Arjuna drinks the milk and hears the Bhagavad-gītā and Lord Kṛṣṇa gives the milk.

Haribol!