20221203 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.2.20

The following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on December 3rd,2022 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, India. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.2.20.

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, today is the day of advent of Bhagavad-gītā, Bhagavad-gītā jayantī. On this tithi 5,000 years ago Śrī Kṛṣṇa, in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra spoke the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā was most appropriate 5,000 years ago and it is still appropriate today. The subject matter, truth that is given there is eternal. In the 6th chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā, the yoga process is given. Today’s class reading from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is on the yoga system. But Arjuna had said, that it is not possible for me to perform this aṣṭāṅga-yoga. Then Lord Kṛṣṇa said, alright, you are already practicing bhakti-yoga, that is the best yoga.

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā
śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
(Bg. 6.47) 

I think that bhakti-yoga if you practice it, it is the best process. So, this way, you have all assembled her to practice bhakti-yoga or devotional service. Now those who perform devotional service or bhakti-yoga Lord Kṛṣṇa says that they will return back to Godhead, back to His own abode. Yesterday I participated in a marriage ceremony. I was there for 5-6 minutes and spoke, something. My impression is that Bhagavad-gītā says that wherever we are situated, whatever devotional service practice we are, we should follow that nicely. So brahmacārīs, sannyāsīs (one of the sannyāsī names is tridaṇḍi-bhikṣu), we are allowed to beg. I saw when I was studying for the Bhakti-vaibhava, in the hellish planets there are certain hells, they are especially for gṛhasthas who do not follow their dharma. So brahmacārīs, sannyāsīs, they have special rules. But it is not that gṛhasthas do not have any rules and regulations,they are also bound by many, many rules and regulations. If a gṛhastha does not follow the rules and regulations except in some emergency, then there is a hell called Kṛmibhojana, and there is a sarovara, 8 lakh mile long lake and there are stout worms are there and one worm eats another worm, and there they have to be put there he remains in this hellish lake for as many years as there are yojanas in the width of the lake, if they do not follow the gṛhastha rules properly. This way, there are various hells. So if a person eats food and does not share with his family with the elders, children, ladies then there is a particular hellish planet for such gṛhasthas. So like that gṛhastha is supposed to feed the atithis, guests. But if the host looks at the guest with stern eyes, with scorching eyes as if the guest should die, then as a result there is a special hell for such people. There are a kind of birds is there, which are very ferocious in nature, they will swoop down and pluck out his eyes. So being a gṛhastha, there is a big responsibility. But if they read the Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, do harināma, etc. and follows then they do not have to see such hells. Naturally the devotees want to distribute prasāda. This way, we understand that those who are not devotees, they are in great danger. So you can help them by giving them Bhagavad-gītā, by having them participate in saṅkīrtana-yajña. Lord Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā that if you give up all dharmas and just surrender to Him, He will protect you from all sinful reactions.

sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ
(Bg. 18.66)

So, Śrīla Prabhupāda said that is the ultimate teaching of the Bhagavad-gītā. But He also said later in the 18th chapter that one who helps by preaching this Bhagavad-gītā to the people are the most dear to Him. This way, here ISKCON devotees, Nāmahaṭṭa devotees, saṅkīrtana devotees, Bhakti-vṛkṣa devotees are helping distribute Bhagavad-gītā and doing the activity most dear to the Lord.

Every Bhagavad-gītā chapter has a particular glory. In the first chapter there is a story there was a bullock, he was overloaded, by his master, not given water. So he fainted and foam came from his mouth. Seeing this situation, one woman gave half of the result of her piety, her good activities to the bullock. Then the bullock died and in the next birth took birth as a brāhmaṇa. So he somehow knew that this lady gave him half of her good karma. So, he went to her house and knocked on her door. She answered the door and saw this 9-year-old boy standing and she said, “Yes?” The child said “You don’t recognize me, but I am that bullock for whom you gave half of the results your good karma. So I wanted to talk with you”. “Please come in, please come in”, she said. He said, “Normally people don’t give their good karma away, why did you give your good karma to me? What were you thinking? You have so much good karma, where do you get them from?” The lady said, “that every day I read the first chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā. So, with that I have lot of good karma.” So reading Bhagavad-gītā gives good karma and also gives kṛṣṇa-bhakti. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti is invaluable. Through the Bhagavad-gītā we can get kṛṣṇa-bhakti, it cannot be got ordinarily. By reading the Bhagavad-gītā, and avoiding doing any forbidden things, one can get pure bhakti.

So today is the day Bhagavad-gītā was spoken. Therefore, we specially worship the Bhagavad-gītā today. Actually, Bhagavad-gītā is not different from Kṛṣṇa because it was spoken by Kṛṣṇa. This way, if we read Bhagavad-gītā every day - yesterday I gave Bhakti-śāstrī degrees to so many devotees who had nicely studied the Bhagavad-gītā. I am very grateful that in this way Bhagavad-gītā is being taught. Śrīla Prabhupāda’s, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, commentary is a direct instruction, and I hope that everyone will read and get a copy of the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Śrīla Prabhupāda in his lectures, he would frequently quote Bhagavad-gītā. So we hope that we will have many paṇḍitas on Bhagavad-gītā. Any questions?

Question: Generally, Gītā-jayantī takes place on Ekādaśī day, but this year we see that it is on Daśamī, is there any reason? I would like to know.

Jayapatākā Swami: I was thinking that normally on Ekādaśī we have Śrīla Prabhupāda lecture. This year, the Gītā-jayantī, maybe it was on Daśamī, so that I could give a lecture! But I also don’t know the particular answer why. We know that the Gītā was spoken on Ekādaśī. I don’t know, the astrologers, astronomers can say why it happened today. Maybe because today is Ekādaśī and tomorrow is Mahā-dvādaśī, may be that is why.

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Gurumahārāja! Tomorrow we are celebrating Bhakti-śāstrī certificates’ giving ceremony for Japanese devotees. Please give your blessings for the devotees in Japan.

Last time you said you want to facilitate those who cannot read, they can also do Bhakti-śāstrī. My question is, there is one devotee who cannot hear or speak. He is also your disciple. But he can read. If that is pleasing to you, can he be facilitated to do Bhakti-śāstrī? He is willing to take the Bhakti-śāstrī. But the śloka test how to do that? If you can suggest?

Jayapatākā Swami: Sure. This ultimately up to the Board of Examination. But I would think if he can write some ślokas down that would be alright. But also you can ask the Board of Examination what to do in his case.

So His Holiness Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami asked me to finish early because some of the people who have bought or sponsored and have to receive Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Vraja Vilāsa dāsa: Thank you so very much for the wonderful class. I am asking this que for all those devotees who are assembled here and who forgot to bring the Bhagavad-gītā and have the Bhagavad-gītā. I have a question on behalf of them. My question is how auspicious is it today to get the new Bhagavad-gītā from saṅkīrtana department and read here? Our His Holiness Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Mahārāja and Gaura Dhāma Prabhu are here ready to give the Bhagavad-gītās. I wanted to hear from you, your opinion.

Jayapatākā Swami: Bhagavad-gītā, to receive the Bhagavad-gītā on the Gītā-jayantī day is very, very auspicious.

We also want to thank Lakṣmī Govinda for the Gītā Study Course and spreading the Gītā-jñāna around. Śrīla Prabhupāda also wrote the Bhagavad-gītā in Bengali poetry as Gītār-gān. While you are reading the āhutis here, someone can be singing the Gītār-gān in the temple. Just as in Hindi they sing the Rāmacarita-manas, in Bengali they can sing the Gītār-gān. Haribol!