20240107 Initiation Address

The following is an initiation address given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on January 7th, 2024 at Agartala,India.

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: We need to chant the names of the Lord without offence. And there is a special way to chant the names of the Lord. There is no difference between the Lord and His names. That is why we are bound by our promise to chant the holy names of the Lord every day. Today is Saphalā Ekādaśī. Today 700 devotees are performing the Pañca-krośa parikramā. This is the 13th parikramā being performed. Today they are making a special request. Like there are offering of flowers, offering fruits and other offerings. But you are all making a special offering, surrender – that is ātmā-nivedanam. You are all offering your souls to Lord Kṛṣṇa in His service. If every day we chant the name and do devotional service to the Lord, then the Lord will be very pleased. The Lord comes in different yugas. And to be with Him and serve Him is the special desire of the devotees. This is the special desire of the devotees. Serving the Lord and chanting His names, this is pleasing to the devotees and also pleasing to the Lord.

Śrīla Prabhupāda in London in a lecture told his gṛhastha disciples that they should do devotional service in such a way that they become paramahaṁsas. He said that his gurudeva was the son of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. You are all gṛhasthas, you should try to have devotees of Kṛṣṇa, ācāryas as your children. Śrīla Prabhupāda said that we need many ācāryas. Now, if we are able to serve Lord Kṛṣṇa, serve Lord Caitanya, that will be the perfection of our lives. We offer different prayers but if we can serve the Lord, that is the best. Some ask the Lord, give me this, give me that, but if we can just serve the Lord, that is the best of all. Actually, speaking the Lord does not need anything from us. But if we are able to do some service, that will be very good for us. Generally, girls and boys ask their father, can I serve you in some way? Even this gesture is rare in children. Now they generally tell the father, I will do this and I will do that, watch cinema, etc. give me money. But if we do some service to the Lord, our life will be successful. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, he wanted that all should get devotion to Lord Gaurāṅga, Lord Kṛṣṇa. For us to serve and love Lord Kṛṣṇa is best. Kṛṣṇa performed various pastimes in Vraja-dhāma. He had many pastimes of His appearance and others. When He appears, He appears like a human, but He is not human. He is the Absolute Truth and the cause of all causes. Now we have this opportunity to serve Him. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He gives blessings that if we follow Lord Caitanya, then we can become devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa. We don’t have to be a brāhmaṇa, etc. to be able to serve the Lord. But if we are focused we can serve Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Hare Kṛṣṇa!