20240206 QA Session

Question: How can I be determined and faithful to the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava paramparā?

Jayapatākā Swami: You see in the Padma Purāṇa it says you have to receive your mantra from any of the four sampradāyas. Brahmā, Lakṣmī, Rudra and four Kumāras. So we come in the Brahma-sampradāya, in which Lord Brahman, Vyāsadeva, Nārada and Madhvācārya came. Mādhavendra Purī came and Īśvara Purī the disciple of Mādhavendra Purī came. So, the late Pejāvara Svāmī of Uḍupī accepted that Lord Caitanya is a part of their sampradāya.

Question: How do we get the mercy of Lord Nityānanda?

Jayapatākā Swami: Interesting question. Who wants the mercy of Lord Nityānanda? There are many ways, you can follow Lord Caitanya. You can also follow the spiritual master who is also the representative of Lord Nityānanda. By pleasing Gurudeva, we are also pleasing Lord Nityānanda.

Question: How can we accept that Lord Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa Himself and how do we develop love for Lord Caitanya like we have for Lord Kṛṣṇa?

Jayapatākā Swami: I am very happy that you have attachment for Lord Kṛṣṇa. You see Lord Caitanya, He is Kṛṣṇa Himself who has given out kṛṣṇa-bhakti freely. Have you read Caitanya-caritāmṛta? There are nice pastimes there, by reading these pastimes, one should be convinced who Lord Caitanya is.

Question: Lord Caitanya, why did He come secretly if he wanted to give out kṛṣṇa-prema freely to everyone openly?

Jayapatākā Swami: It is a very interesting question. Like I mentioned how Rukmiṇī Devī in Dvārakā, she told Kṛṣṇa, how You know everything. But she told Him there is one thing You don’t know. I know, Rādhārāṇī knows, but You don’t know. So He was amazed! How He was being told there is something He doesn’t know! So, He asked what is that? Then Rukmiṇī told Him, “You don’t know how much Your devotees love You. And in what way Your devotees love You!” Then Lord Kṛṣṇa He said three times, “I will come in the Kali-yuga as My devotee.” If He comes as His devotee, He has to do some disguise. If He comes as Bhagavān then people will respect Him as Bhagavān. So He came as His devotee to understand what the love of Rādhārāṇī, the love of Rukmiṇī, the love of the gopīs is for Him. And He also spread the Harināma saṅkīrtana. So, we should also participate in the nāma-saṅkīrtana. In this way, we can gradually awaken our devotion for Kṛṣṇa. And people who want to get married, should marry only a devotee. Because marrying a devotee they can be Kṛṣṇa conscious their whole life. So, it is very important. Also one other thing is that Kali-yuga, the Lord is called tri-yuga because He appears in Satya, Tretā and Dvāpara yugas in His avatāras. But in Kali-yuga He comes as a channa-avatāra, hidden avatāra.

Question: How can I fully surrender my whole life to Śrīla Prabhupāda, what is the best way?

Jayapatākā Swami: By reading Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books. By following his instructions. This is not too difficult. So getting the initiation from Śrīla Prabhupāda descendants, following the rules and regulations all your life.

Thank you all and today is Ekādaśī. And you get 100 times benefit by observing the Ekādaśī!