20250105 Zoom Address to ISKCON Śrīrangam

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: We are glad that in Śrīraṅgam we have a branch. Śrīraṅgam is a holy place. The Deity of Śrīraṅgam is a wonderful Deity! Lord Caitanya, He stayed there for four months. And there is a lotus footprints down the road, of Lord Caitanya. And the temple of Lord Jagannātha, Baladeva, Subhadrā and Sudarśana cakra situated there. I am very grateful that you are all preaching. By preaching you get purified! And the tradition is that people would chant a minimum number of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantras. But Śrīla Prabhupāda, he opted and let the devotees to distribute books and preach and chant 16 rounds. So, in this way, we are very encouraged that devotees in Śrīraṅgam are preaching! If everyone can cooperate and work together, that will make Śrīla Prabhupāda very happy! That will make me very happy! If you make Śrīla Prabhupāda happy, I will be happy!!

So, we were given a special task in the kumbhābhiṣekam which happens once in 16 years in Śrīraṅgam. We were given section C which was right in the top. They were bathing the gopurams. I went with the Safari, and many devotees were given the passes. The design of the new ISKCON temple is very impressive. And I think if all the devotees would cooperate with Nanda-putra it would be very good. I was telling how we are practising vaidhī-bhakti. By practising vaidhī-bhakti, we gradually rise step by step. You have to avoid criticizing other devotees or gossiping or doing anything negative. Śrīla Prabhupāda said that it took him twenty years to reach the perfectional stage! So, it might take you a bit longer! But if you stay very committed, gradually you go up step by step. Practising bhajana-kriyā, then anartha-nivṛtti when you get rid of all the unwanted things in your heart, being very steadfast in your bhakti which is niṣṭhā. Up to here, you will get minor reciprocation. And then from niṣṭhā you have ruci. Ruci is a taste for bhakti! Then we start to like that very much! Then we have āsakti, attached to bhakti! Then rati. Preliminary love of Godhead. Then from there are eight levels of prema. So, you have to stay very firm, very regulated and not criticize and cooperate. And gradually you rise step by step. So, like this bhakti-yoga is most enjoyable! There are four bona fide sampradāyas – and we are in the Brahma-sampradāya. Śrīla Rāmānujācārya was preaching in the Śrī-sampradāya, Other two are one the four Kumāra-sampradāya and the Rudra-sampradāya. In each sampradāya same steps are there. But the special nature of our sampradāya is that we can reach Rādhā Kṛṣṇa. Śrī-sampradāya is dāsa-bhāva of Lord Nārāyaṇa. Rudra-sampradāya reaches the vātsalya-rasa. Like that different sampradāyas have different goals.