20230218 Evening Pandal Address

The following is a Hare Krishna Festival Pandal Address given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on february 18th, 2023 in Kalinagar Midnapore,India.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Jayapatākā Swami: Today is the day after Vijaya Ekādaśī, Dvādaśī tithi. Today there will be an initiation ceremony, and other ceremonies are going on as well. Because in the Padma Purāṇa there is description of the four types of sampradāyas mentioned. The sampradāyas come from Kṛṣṇa and we need to take initiation from one of these. These are the Śrī-sampradāya, Rudra-sampradāya, Four Kumāra-sampradāya and Brahma-sampradāya. We belong to the Brahma-sampradāya. Lord Caitanya, He took initiation from Īśvara Purī Mahārāja. Īśvara Purī Mahārāja was the main disciple of Śrīla Mādhavendra Purī. Mādhavendra Purīpāda’s samādhi is in Remuṇā. How far is Remuṇā from here? So, this way, if we do not take initiation from one of these sampradāyas, then they will be in a fruitless situation. So we have to take initiation from one of the four sampradāyas and accept the dīkṣā-mantra. In the Brahma-sampradāya come Nārada Muni, Vyāsadeva and Madhvācārya. After Madhvācārya come Mādhavendra Purī, Īśvara Purī and then Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This way, the sampradāya is very specially required and significant. Many people come who are not from any of the recognized sampradāyas.

Now Lord Caitanya has given us the teaching that whatever we do, we do for the pleasure of the Lord. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, in London, in his Vyāsa-pūjā address in 1976 he said that his gurudeva had sent some sannyāsīs to London for preaching. But in London, they did not achieve any significant success. Śrīla Prabhupāda sent three gṛhastha couples who were successful in London. Śrīla Prabhupāda said that all his gṛhastha followers, he hoped that they would become paramahaṁsas. Paramahaṁsa means whatever they do, they will do for the pleasure of Kṛṣṇa. Now, he also said that his gurudeva was the son of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was a resident of Purī and he was the first administrator of Jagannātha Purī temple. He said, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and his wife, the two prayed to Lord Jagannātha that they have a son who would be a light of Lord Viṣṇu, a pure devotee of Lord Viṣṇu. That way, we see, Śrīla Prabhupāda said that we need such pure devotees in the world now. So the gṛhastha couples should do garbhādāna-saṁskāra, pray to the Lord, to get pure devotees as their children, this is very much required.

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma
sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma
[CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126]

To make that possible, we need many children, many ācārya children required. Only the gṛhastha devotees can do this. If you pray to the Lord, and perform the garbhādāna-saṁskāra, then only will you be able to get pure devotee children. In the Sat-kriyā-sāra-dīpikā, Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, he has written about this. In that there is mention of the garbhādāna-saṁskāra. This way, Śrīla Prabhupāda said that if the men and women mix and do not do the garbhādāna-saṁskāra, then it is like the mixing of animals. If they pray to the Lord and do the garbhādāna-saṁskāra for Kṛṣṇa’s pure devotee, healthy, long lived, good children, this is very much required. Now, that way husband and wife should try to do pure devotion and have pure devotees as children.

Now there is a way of doing everything. But there is no guarantee but if they try it is possible. Advaita Ācārya had six children. Three of them were pure devotees and three were not pure devotees. There is no guarantee but if you try, something is possible. This way, yesterday I was telling how the Yamadūtas had acted. We want that those who are taking initiation in the path of kṛṣṇa-bhakti, they will chant, eat kṛṣṇa-prasāda, study the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and along with the whole family chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. If they have Deities or pictures that would be good. And they will think and contemplate how they would make their relatives, their friends Kṛṣṇa conscious, how to preach to them. And how the Nāmahaṭṭa can be expanded, how the Gītā cakra can be expanded. This way, you will try to please Lord Kṛṣṇa. Gaurāṅga! This way, actually, what pleasure is there in the service of Kṛṣṇa!

Many devotees came from Bengal to Śrī Kṣetra and they went near the Jagannātha Purī temple to take darśana of Lord Caitanya. When Lord Caitanya heard that devotees from Bengal are coming, He came forward and there were about 50 devotees with Him and there were about 100 devotees from Bengal. Their wives were behind them. From far they saw Lord Caitanya and offered their obeisances. The devotees of Purī saw the devotees from Bengal also offered obeisances as well. The devotees seeing each other were crying in ecstasy. Haribol! They were ecstatic and their mouths were dry, and speech was shaking. This way, there was so much bliss there! So this way Lord Caitanya saw His devotees and the devotees along with Lord Caitanya were Advaita Ācārya, Śrīvāsa, etc.met with Śivānanda Sena and the devotees. Then then came closer and embraced and paid obeisances. The ladies were far in the distance as Lord Caitanya was a sannyāsī. They were crying standing away. Gaurāṅga! We cannot describe the bliss we experience in kṛṣṇa-bhakti! Now the Lord has descended from Goloka Vṛndāvana to give association to all of us.

golokera prema-dhana hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana

The Lord has come to give everyone love of Godhead. Those who are not devotees cannot understand what unlimited bliss is there in this. They are all devoid of this bliss. We want that we should help these people. There is no comparison to this help we give them. Haribol! Haribol! I hope that those who have taken their vows today will chant, and follow the regulations. This human life is a life of sacrifice. When Lord Brahmā had come, he did not know where his inspiration was coming from. He heard two words – ‘ta’ ‘pa’ from the sky. ‘ta’ ‘pa’, tapa. So he understood that he had been asked to do sacrifice and he started meditating. He meditated on this and the Lord from within his heart imparted all knowledge to him. In different yugas there are different sacrifices which have been prescribed. In the Satya-yuga, it is meditation. In Tretā-yuga, it is home sacrifice. In Dvāpara-yuga is temple worship. And in Kali-yuga, kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt (ŚB 12.3.52). Hari-kīrtana is the sacrifice. This doing Harināma is our sacrifice. And eat kṛṣṇa-prasāda is a sacrifice. Performing garbhādāna-saṁskāra, to have Kṛṣṇa consciousness children is a sacrifice. But this is nothing very difficult. Locana dāsa says that kṛṣṇa-bhakti is only kevala ānanda-kanda – it is only pure bliss.

Some said I had gone to Digha for vacation and enjoyed. There we had a festival, sang, danced and had a great vacation. This is our spiritual sacrifice. Haribol! Chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, doing kīrtana, dancing, hearing the histories of the Lord, observing festivals. We hear that there will be thousands and thousands of mahā-prasāda distributed. This way getting kṛṣṇa-prasāda is a sacrifice! Can anyone not do such a sacrifice? Now, for Indians it is very convenient. In London, one person asked Śrīla Prabhupāda can you make me a brāhmaṇa? Yes, if you chant the names of Kṛṣṇa, avoid illicit sex, avoid intoxication, avoid gambling, avoid eating non-veg food, then it is possible. What did he reply? This is not possible, this is my life, that person said. But our youth whether in India or abroad, they are following the regulations and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, they are so happy. I hope that all of you will take this opportunity. The scriptures say that intelligent people will become followers of Lord Caitanya. Haribol! Haribol! Those who do not have Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in their homes and Nāmahaṭṭas or they don’t have Caitanya-caritāmṛta, you can get them from His Holiness Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Mahārāja. Haribol!

We are not this body, we are part and parcel of the Lord, we are the marginal potency of the Lord. The body dies but the soul does not. We are all souls. But we have forgotten this. That is why we are leading lives like animals. But if we realize that we are eternal souls then we can be really happy. This is the first teaching of the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ [Bg. 18.66] You just surrender to Me, I will protect you, Lord Kṛṣṇa says. And this way you can read the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīla Prabhupāda went to the West and preached the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And there he translated the Caitanya-caritāmṛta in two months. Śrīla Prabhupāda said that the Caitanya-caritāmṛta was his gurudeva’s very dear scripture and everyone should read this. That is why His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami translated it into the Bengali language to reach it to everyone in Bengal. Now Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta – those who do not have these at home, please do take it. In the glorification of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the scriptures it is said that in the homes where there is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, all the demigods come and offer obeisances.