20221126 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.2.13

The following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on November 26th, 2022 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, India. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.2.13.

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: So, in this śloka from the 2nd Canto instructions are being given, how we should see the Lord. Start from the lotus feet of the Lord and gradually going higher, higher and finally His lotus face. So this shows how the devotee approaches the Lord very humbly. Apart from this Śrīla Prabhupāda is teaching us how we understand the Lord. We have to understand our consciousness has to be purified. Those who are voidists or those who are impersonalists, they will not be able to understand the Lord. They will have to gradually see the Lord, through such forms as virāṭ-rūpa, etc. This deity worship, how it is beneficial for us, that has been explained here. Now, Śrīla Prabhupāda had mentioned in various places that for a gṛhastha, householder devotee, it is a necessity that he performs Deity worship, performs arcana. Just like yesterday we saw the saṅkīrtana parties leave Māyāpur, the brahmacārīs travel for several months, away. While they are travelling, they do not be seeing the Deity worship in the temple. Of course, each van has Deities. This way, Śrīla Prabhupāda specifically said that for the gṛhastha devotees the process of Deity worship is especially necessary. Of course, in Māyāpur we have Deities, everybody can attend every day, the morning and evening programs. And of course, the gṛhasthas may have Deities also in their homes. Here Śrīla Prabhupāda explained how worshiping the Deities is a very important aspect. Of course, in our temples, both the brahmacārīs as well as the gṛhasthas do the Deity worship. In the Western countries, ladies also do Deity worship. Here, Śrīla Prabhupāda mentioned how this, for the impersonalists and voidists is not recommended.

I told this story a few times when I was in Chennai, we had a drama by the children. And the drama was with Yamadūtas and Yamarāja. The Yamadūtas were complaining that the gṛhasthas of ISKCON do Deity worship, they eat kṛṣṇa-prasāda. They read Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. They chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma. If everyone performed like this, we will not have any work, pretty soon we will be out of job! What will we do? What will we do then? Seeing this I was very happy.

Yesterday Revatī Ramaṇa dāsa told me a true story from Tirupati. One person had gone to the temple and asked if they had Bhagavad-gītā As It Is? And they said, “Yes, it is there.” “Can I buy the person asked?”They said, “Yes!” The devotee gave and he bought the book. The person holding the Bhagavad-gītā was crying. The devotee asked him why he was crying. Then he told the history, “I died. I was taken by the Yamadūtas to Yamarāja. And Yamarāja said, “This is the wrong guy, take him back.” Then my body was ready in procession, to be taken to the crematorium.”

Haribol! Bolo Haribol! Haribol! Bolo Hari! Haribol! Bolo Hari! Rāma nāma satya hai! Rāma nāma satya hai!

“Then the Yamadūtas got me back into my body.” And one Yamadūta said that, “Nearby to you there is an ISKCON temple and if you get a Bhagavad-gītā As It Is from there, we will never approach or come to you.” Haribol! Then he sat up and all the people got frightened – a dead body came to life! ? Is this a ghost! “Noooo…. Ahh…” He said, “No, no, it is alright, I am not a ghost!” Then they brought him down and he ran to the ISKCON temple! And he bought the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. He had it in his hand and he was remembering the Yamadūtas and hell, he started crying. His Holiness Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami is encouraging us in the Bhagavad-gītā Marathon. Now the Yamadūtas are also distributing books! What would Mahārāja like to say? Bhakti Bhāgavata Vijaya Swami: It is a nice story to encourage us to distribute more books! I think every distributor can use this mantra, this story, then every year the people will be enthused to buy Bhagavad-gītā. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Jayapatākā Swami: I just heard this yesterday and I could not resist, I already told it twice! Revatī Ramaṇa dāsa said this was a true story and it happened in his temple. Anyway, we see that saṅkīrtana devotees have gone on book distribution. But the devotees who are here in the temple in Māyāpur, we should all participate in the book distribution. What does Vraja Vilāsa dāsa have to say?

Vraja Vilāsa dāsa: Thank you Mahārāja! If the dead man is coming and running to an ISKCON temple to get Bhagavad-gītā, then the man who is alive doesn’t distribute books, he is walking dead! So there are only two things that please Śrīla Prabhupāda – one is building the Temple of Vedic Planetarium, TOVP and the second is book distribution! So it is our birthright to do these two things for the pleasure of Śrīla Prabhupāda! Thank you Mahārāja!

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we want to see the Lord. But to do that Śrīla Prabhupāda said, we should act so that the Lord sees us. Śrīla Prabhupāda said, to read his books and to distribute his books. Now, we have our Māyāpur Institute. That facilities studying the books, and getting the degrees. I made a proposal that even the illiterate devotees using the modern facilities, they can hear the Bhagavad-gītā. That way they will hear to the books and then they will give oral answers and in this way will pass and get the degrees. There is no excuse! Everybody can assimilate the knowledge.

Now it is written here that many devotees are listening, and watching Māyāpur TV. I don’t think that this is part of the śloka! Anyway, in the morning class, I chose Saturday because in the Western countries it is a holiday. So in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, China, all of these places. Malaysia – nighttime is very late for them, they will not hear the class. Also, since the class is in both English and Bengal, the Bangladeshis are also listening. And apart from that the Māyāpur devotees are also taking part. But during the pandemic we learnt that through the internet, many people can listen. I learnt that on Sunday they have talk shows and thousands of people watch. And there is a new studio has been created by Māyāpur TV. Yesterday I inaugurated that studio. So, here in Māyāpur there are plenty of facilities to do preaching. The locals are here, others are here and even if we don’t move from here, we can preach. And those who are engaged in Deity worship, doing arcana, they are also doing a lot of preaching. Many cable TV groups, they want to see the ārati in Māyāpur. They are also paying something for Māyāpur TV to give them the ārati. I also heard that the elephant procession is conducted during the sandhya-ārati time and therefore many people do not get to see the elephant procession fully because they want to attend the sandhya-ārati as well. So I suggested that they show the elephant procession later. Oh yes! they said. I am just taking the time to mention these things because everybody here can also engage themselves in different kinds of preaching. So our ārati, the classes everything gets broadcast. Sometimes our co-directors should hear what class they are giving in the evening. And then also, like in the morning we have an English class sometimes in the Pañca-tattva extension. Friday, I think, usually a Vaiṣṇavī gives the class. We could also have English class in the evening. Both men and ladies can give class upstairs and here the men can give class. We want to give out the message of Kṛṣṇa all around. Now the rule is that we always remember Kṛṣṇa and never forget Kṛṣṇa. So, we know that Yamarāja, he sometimes would take the form of a young boy because people would like to hear the philosophy from children. Like that people like to hear class from ladies. So normally ladies don’t know much philosophy. But our devotees know the philosophy, I hope! So we are seeing that Kamalāpati dāsa he is giving a daily class and he is distributing books. Also, His Holiness Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Mahārāja, he gives class and distributes books. So in the day-time you can talk to the Māyāpur TV and you can record your class and they can show it at any time. And you can also distribute books.

In this way we want to flood the world with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. People are thinking that they are body. They are mad after sense gratification. But they are not happy, not satisfied. If they can satisfy Kṛṣṇa’s senses, then they can be happy. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (Cc. Madhya 19.170). So real bhakti is serving the Lord of the senses with our senses. Anyway, are there any questions or comments?

Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami: Hare Kṛṣṇa! Thank you, Guru Mahārāja. We are very grateful to you, it was a nice class, not only nice but nectarean class! I am many times hearing the Yamadūtas drama from you and getting so much encouragement from you to distribute books and serve Śrīla Prabhupāda. Today I have another drama also we have received. So I think I would share this class to all our saṅkīrtana armies, they will also be encouraged also.

Jayapatākā Swami: It is not a drama, it is a real story!

Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami: Also, our online groups, we will share with them. One thing this year Guru Mahārāja, the Marathon is very challenging, because the book prices have increased so much. Almost double! Kamalāpati Prabhu was reminding me that if Guru Mahārāja could give some tips and blessings, to distribute and serve Śrīla Prabhupāda. Please Guru Mahārāja.

Jayapatākā Swami: Gradually the paper cost is increasing. Since everybody has a mobile phone, somehow downloading books on their mobile phones should be instituted. Of course, people are also making more money. I think that the people buy books because of the enthusiasm of the book distributors. And, like that, we want to encourage the people to buy the books. Maybe we will have to get some rich people to subsidize the books. I heard that Delhi, that some of the national companies they get them to buy Bhagavad-gītās for their employees/workers. What they do, is that the company buys the books at a higher price, and the employees buy the books at that price and get that deducted from their salaries. Anyway, this way we have to exercise our intelligence and continue the distribution. Now, the prices of the books were expensive in Bangladesh but still they were distributing books. I don’t know, now the books will be really costly! Anyway, as they say in English, where there is a will, there is a way.

Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami: Thank you Guru Mahārāja. We will try our best, and are seeking your blessings, so that we will distribute more books and serve Śrīla Prabhupāda. And I want to say that in our Saṅkīrtana department, headed by His Grace Gaura Dhāma Prabhu created the facility that our local devotees can take part in this Marathon, they can collect the books from the saṅkīrtana department. They can distribute and then pay to the Saṅkīrtana department.

Jayapatākā Swami: One thing yesterday seeing the way that Braja Vilāsa dāsa was seeing off the saṅkīrtana buses and Hṛdaya Caitanya dāsa and all the leaders were participating, So, Śrī Vallabha dāsa and other leaders in the Middle East, decided to sponsor one bus! We need devotees to be on the buses!

Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami: Śrī Vallabha Prabhu and Bhīma Prabhu from Dubai, they want to sponsor a nice bus, not this bus!

Jayapatākā Swami: A nice bus!

Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami: And Braja Vilāsa Prabhu also have the idea that why the devotees are taking so much austerity, they are not sitting, no sleeping place, they are going, I want to make a bus where the devotees can peacefully sleep and nicely distribute books.

Jayapatākā Swami: If we don’t have enough brahmacārīs to go out then maybe we need to have a gṛhastha bus! Last question.

Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami: Another for your information for Gītā distribution we have every year on Christmas day Gītā-melā. From 23rd December to 1st January, we will have a huge crowd, we are requesting all the devotees to come and participate – we have a Bhagavad-gītā diorama, we have slide shows, for presenting Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Gītā to the gathering. I have one other question, can I ask?

Many online devotes have a question on arcana. Can mātājīs worship śālagrāma-śilā in their homes? Is it recommended in the śāstras?

Jayapatākā Swami: If they have second initiation. (His Holiness Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami: I did not ask them if they are initiated or not) I mean I know in the West some of the second initiated ladies they worship śālagrāma-śilā. I don’t know what does the śāstra say in this regard. What does Lord Caitanya say? In some ślokas they say, vaiśyas, śudras and ladies they cannot do this, they cannot do that. But in the Bhagavad-gītā verse 9th chapter 32nd verse Lord Kṛṣṇa said ladies, vaiśyas, śudras, if shelter of Me, they can approach the Supreme distribution. The Māyāpur Academy is teaching, Deity worship. Okay, I will let you all take prasāda.