20230925 Saffron Awarding Ceremony - Addressing Brahmacārīs

Following is the Saffron Awarding Ceremony Address given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on September 25, 2023 in Śrī Māyāpur Dhāmā, India.

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

hari haraye namaḥ kṛṣṇa yādavāya namaḥ
gopāla govinda rāma śrī-madhusūdana

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: Kṛṣṇa said, He created four varṇas and four āśramas created. Brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vanacārī and sannyāsī. So, first we have the āśrama of brahmacārī. So, as a brahmacārī one learns austerity. There the sannyāsīs are to be served. And the older brahmacārīs are worthy of respect. So, in Māyāpur, the new devotees, go through a new devotee training program. And after training stage they are given an opportunity, whether he wants to be a gṛhastha or a brahmacārī. There are 19 devotees here who are seeking my blessings to stay in brahmacārī āśrama. Some will stay for a long time, and some will become gṛhasthas, but everyone wishes to be a brahmacārī all their life. Now, there is opportunity for them to do devotional service to the Lord, book distribution and various other sacrifices. The most important thing is to do devotional service. They will be given the saffron cloth and then there will be other programs.