20231216 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.2.3

The following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on December 16th,2023 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, India. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.2.3.

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: Vidura was asking Uddhava, what did Lord Kṛṣṇa say? So, as soon as he was asked about Lord Kṛṣṇa, he was merged in spiritual remembrance. So, there is beautiful purport here that mentions that in spiritual life there is no retirement, actually the mood of service increases as one gets older. Śrīla Prabhupāda arrived in the USA when he was 70 years old. In the material world that’s the age when one retires. but Prabhupāda at that age, he delivered the whole world. When Prabhupāda was present there weren’t so many devotees, people, in the temple. But Śrīla Prabhupāda had mentioned that it is simply a matter of time, that only time is separating. So how much we should be grateful for giving us this mercy! We were reading last night, how Lord Caitanya came down to this planet earth with His smiling and merciful glance. How Lord Caitanya’s special mood is mercy. Balarāma, He would always serve Kṛṣṇa in this particular mood.

In the kṛṣṇa-līlā, 10th canto, it says how the brother of Rukmiṇī challenged Balarāma to a gambling match. First, two throws Rukmī won, then 100,000 gold coins were given from the side of Balarāma. But then Rukmī, although he lost, he was saying I won, I won. Then Rukmī wagered 10 million gold coins; we could use that for the TOVP! But Balarāma won. But Rukmī said, “I won! I won!” And, then an ākāśa-vāṇī (voice from the air) said, “Balarāma won.” Rukmī didn’t pay attention to that. And then he insulted Lord Balarāma in many ways, he said, “Balarāma is not a kṣatriya but He is a cowherd man etc.” Then Balarāma took the club and beat over the head of Rukmī, and Rukmī was spot dead. One king was laughing at Balarāma earlier, Balarāma said, “You are showing the teeth aha ha ha…” then he ran away from Balarāma. But Balarāma caught up with him and smashed all his teeth. Kṛṣṇa couldn’t show His happiness as that wouldn’t be appreciated by Rukmiṇī and He couldn’t show His sadness because it wouldn’t be appreciated by Balarāma. That is kṛṣṇa-līlā.

Balarāma in gaura-līlā, He came as Nitāi. When He had met with Jagāi and Mādhāi, Mādhāi hit Balarāma with a wine bottle over the head causing Him to bleed. In kṛṣṇa-līlā, they didn’t hit Balarāma, they just spoke against Him. In gaura-līlā, Nitāi was caused to bleed. And Nitāi said, “Just because you caused Me to bleed, that doesn’t mean that I will not give you the love of Godhead.” So, we are very fortunate that we are born when Lord Caitanya’s pastimes are still going by Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mercy. Lord Caitanya is so merciful, so Balarāma He takes up that and amplifies it. So in this way we see that there is a tradition which mentions that Lord Nitāi is known to be more merciful.

Usually, people get Kṛṣṇa’s mercy when they perform yajña, tapa and various kinds of austerities. In this connection, Śrīla Prabhupāda spoke at the Ardha Kumbha-melā, he mentioned those who came to bhakti-yoga or devotional service they have actually crossed over all of these different austerities of yajña and tapa etc. One elderly senior devotee raised a question during the question answer session. He said I look at my life. I have not done anything pious in my life, how did I receive devotional service? Prabhupāda answered, “I made your good fortune for you!”

This is the special pastime of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He would take the sinful people, He would take the homeless people and give the love of Kṛṣṇa.

The verse we were reading last night, He gave all the pious activities of yajña, dāna, tapa, sādhana etc. Without any sign of these, Lord Caitanya would give His mercy:

Gaurāṅga!!! Gaurāṅga!!! Gaurāṅga!!! Previously, when you surrender, then you get mercy. Lord Caitanya’s mercy was first He gives you love of God, and then you surrender. It’s like you get the goods first, pay later. Śrīla Prabhupāda was a special distributor or agent. He was giving us Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mercy. Even people who have not been doing yoga, meditation, chanting, austerity, renunciation, regulative principle, study of the Vedic scripture, good behavior, nothing, they were given the mercy of Lord Caitanya. In this way, Śrīla Prabhupāda distributed the mercy.

Here in the purport, Śrīla Prabhupāda mentioned how Uddhava was already an old man. We heard from Śrīla Prabhupāda that when Kṛṣṇa spoke the Bhagavad-gītā, He was 125 years old. He doesn’t grow old because He doesn’t have a material body. Uddhava grew old, but he didn’t lose his service attitude. In this way in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one should have the enthusiasm to go on with the services. Therefore, Udhhava is a great devotee of the Lord. Scriptures say when Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu comes to this world then the situation gets completely transformed. Even if our minds are not steady, the minds become steady by the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mercy. Even if our hearts are hard like a stone, they will be melted by the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrīla Prabhupāda at that advanced age, in front of Śrī Jagannātha Ratha Yātrā, had danced for miles and miles. People seeing Śrīla Prabhupāda, their hearts changed. So, sometimes we see during kīrtana, devotees jump high and dance in a circle, they do all these things.

In New Pānihāṭi dhāma, Atlanta, Georgia USA, so many times we remember Śrīla Prabhupāda would be present, someone heard that someone was jumping so high in the air that it looked like he would hit the ceiling. Śrīla Prabhupāda said that you are very blessed, that here Gaura-Nitāi are present! Śrīla Prabhupāda once said how Nārada Muni went to the New York temple and he was watching how the mlechhas, the Yavanas were chanting and dancing. This was the mercy of Lord Gaurāṅga and the mercy of Śrīla Prabhupāda. This happened when Śrīla Prabhupāda was old. Śrīla Prabhupāda would tell us, I don’t know how long I will be in this world, you all take up the responsibility. So in the same mood, I am also saying I don’t know how long I will be present in this world. You should take up the responsibility and keep on spreading the Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So just like Uddhava kept his remembrance of Kṛṣṇa, similarly all of you should remember how Śrīla Prabhupāda handed down his mercy to (the process of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness) you through this paramparā. Actually, what we have been given is a priceless thing and we have been given it very easily, don’t take it very cheaply. You have gotten the greatest treasure, guard it very carefully. Don’t think that just because you are old, you can retire from devotional service. Service attitude towards Kṛṣṇa is spiritual and Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that it never becomes less.

In Delhi, one old man had pledged that he would distribute 5000 Bhagavad-gītās during the marathon. He would stand in front of the car and tell them I won’t let you go unless you take a book. That’s a unique method, whatever is your method you should think, here you got Mahārāja you can get some ideas. And we want to distribute a lot of books this year. In these last two weeks of December, we usually get a lot of people who come to Māyāpur. We would like them to take away Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with them. And the central government has sent an invitation for us to stay during the opening of the Rāma Mandir, and there are some plans on how everybody can take Gītā. So Lord Caitanya has given us this mercy and I hope that all of you have taken this mercy and rejoice.

Gaurāṅga!!! Nityānanda!!! Advaita!!! Pañca-tattva kī jaya!

Śrīla Prabhupāda kī jaya!!! Srila Guru Mahārāja Ki Jay!