20230312 Safari Evening Address

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

Jayapatākā Swami: I have come to Asansol many times, virtually. I had come once physically during Ratha-yātrā. Now, I am very happy to be here for a short time. Durgapur is called Steel City, what is Asansol called? Coal City. Steel means iron and Steal means to rob, both are pronounced the same in English. Kṛṣṇa is a butter thief and Hari is another name of His, as He steals the hearts of His devotees. I told Durgapur could also be called Hari Bhakti City, beside Steel City. What can we call Asansol? Coal is not very attractive but when it is cut and processed, it can be transformed into diamond. My feeling is that the devotees here are like diamonds!

Anyway, we should all follow the path of devotion because we commit a mistake and think that we are the body. But Lord Caitanya has taught us that we are eternal living entities and are the eternal servants of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Generally, because the human beings are committing the mistake, Lord Nitāi Gaura descended in Kali-yuga to deliver the fallen souls. Those who are foolish think they are the body. The lowborn, the sinful, the distressed, to deliver all these people, Nitāi Gaura came. Our His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda went to the West and delivered everyone. Now you want to stay as coal or become diamond? Haribol! This way, everyone has a right to chant the holy names. Even those who are lowborn, they also have equal right to chant Harināma. Nitāi Gaura are so merciful that They do not differentiate and came to deliver one and all.

parama karuṇa, pahuṅ dui jana,
nitāi-gauracandra
saba avatāra-, sāra-śiromaṇi,
kevala ānanda-kāṇḍa

Haribol! Haribol! Haribol! This is required that the devotees should take responsibility. I observed here that many devotees are taking up responsibilities and serving. Responsibility, responsibility, responsibility! Everyone in Lord Caitanya’s movement has to take responsibility to serve.

harer nāma harer nāma
harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva
nāsty eva gatir anyathā
 [Cc. Ādi 17.21]

In Kali-yuga the only way is to do Harināma. If we do Harināma then all the dirt accumulated in our hearts will be cleansed. I hear that here the devotees are taking up many responsibilities and serving. This way if you serve, Kṛṣṇa will never forget you. Those who serve this way, their lifes will be perfected.

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra
janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
(Cc. Ādi 9.41)

This is Bhārata-varṣa alright. On all four directions around Navadvīpa is the Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi. Now, Asansol falls within this Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi.

gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi,     yebā jāne cintāmaṇi,
tā'ra haya vrajabhūme vāsa

On my way here was Raniganj. I don’t know the history of this Raniganj. But Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi is non-different from Vraja dhāma. Vrajarāṇī means Rādhe! Rādhe! This way you will chant the names of Lord Kṛṣṇa and serve Him, then definitely you will go back to Kṛṣṇa. Ordinarily, our coming back to the material world never ends. That is why we take birth after birth after birth. But we have happiness one side and distress on the other side. If we have a material body, we will have happiness some time and distress some time too. We also have old age, sickness, then death. And take birth again. Lord Caitanya taught us that stay wherever you are – gṛhe thāko vane thāko sadā haribole ḍāko. But just chant the names of Kṛṣṇa. No use of living your life like animals. In our life there is a great need to chant the names of Kṛṣṇa, to do devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. To read the scriptures on Kṛṣṇa. His Holiness Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami very nicely giving the opportunity to everyone to take the books.

I came here and saw every one of you is a human being! No dogs, cats, or other animals come here. There is dharma or religion only for human beings. For the animals, they are eating, sleeping, mating and defending only. Many human beings are like that. But only human beings are able to understand religion or spirituality. If human beings do not try to understand religion or spirituality, then what is the difference between them and the animals? Actually, Lord Caitanya said, He taught that how by serving Lord Kṛṣṇa, by chanting Lord Kṛṣṇa’s holy name, we can be blissfully happy!

I will not talk too much. If I do, then it will get too late.