20231026 Addressing ISKCON Seshadripuram Congregation

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’m very happy to see Nitāi Gaura, Jagannātha Baladeva Subhadrā, Śrī Rādhā Kṛṣṇa and Lakṣmī Narasiṁhadeva here. Mahā Varāha dāsa asked me whether I wanted to stay at this place or that place. In consultation with my doctors and my physiotherapist, we decided on one place. But I wanted to see these very beautiful Deities. Jagannātha Baladeva Subhadrā, Rādhā Kṛṣṇa, Lakṣmī Narasiṁha and other Deities, Nitāi Gaura. Gaurāṅgī Bengaluru-īśvara! It was already decided at 5.30 pm. But I did not expect to see so many devotees!

Kṛṣṇa, He leaves Vṛndāvana and goes to Nīlācala. During Ratha-yātrā, he returns back to Vṛndāvana every year. But He gives His smile, and He gives His ecstasy to all the devotees. Lord Caitanya, Lord Nityānanda, their reasons for coming is to spread the Harināma. So this is a special chance for us to chant: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare!

Every day, I take a snāna at 5.30 pm. Today before coming here, I took a bath, took my special medication, then came here, had darśana. Now I will have my dinner. I start my Dāmodara māsa from Ekādaśī. So, you can start this from Ekādaśī, Pūrṇimā or Pratipadā. I start from Ekādaśī because it is simple to remember. Actually, the Deities are very beautiful! I am very fortunate to be able to come and have darśana of Them. I have seen one picture where Kṛṣṇa was embracing all His cowherd friends. Kṛṣṇa is also known as Rasa-śekhara. He has all the rasas in him and He is hearing His childhood pastimes as Jagannātha, Baladeva, Subhadrā, He is smiling, He’s in ecstasy. Śrīla Prabhupāda was saying how the gṛhastha’s responsibility was very great – a gṛhastha is praying in his house, please help me that no one steals from me. Outside in the garden, there is a thief who is praying, “Oh God, Please let me steal from the house”. Very tough job! That is why we hear that the tiger wants to eat the deer. The deer is praying hard to be saved from the tiger. Of course, a pure devotee only asks Kṛṣṇa for service. Here, the deer hears the rabbit make some sounds like “shhhhhh shhhhh” and warns him that the tiger is coming and he runs away. Of course, we only chant one thing – Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare!

Kṛṣṇa told Arjuna that you please announce that My devotee will never perish. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare! It’s so nice to see so many devotees chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. The more sevā you do for Lord Jagannātha, the Deities, the more it is transcendental.

Now I think I should have my dinner prasāda. Haribol!