20250209 Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.13.46-48

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram
hariḥ oṁ tat sat

Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.13.46

maitreya uvāca
ity upasthīyamāno ’sau
munibhir brahma-vādibhiḥ
salile sva-khurākrānta
upādhattāvitāvanim

Translation: The sage Maitreya said: The Lord, being thus worshiped by all the great sages and transcendentalists, touched the earth with His hooves and placed it on the water.

Purport: The earth was placed on the water by His inconceivable potency. The Lord is all-powerful, and therefore He can sustain the huge planets either on the water or in the air, as He likes. The tiny human brain cannot conceive how these potencies of the Lord can act. Man can give some vague explanation of the laws by which such phenomena are made possible, but actually the tiny human brain is unable to conceive of the activities of the Lord, which are therefore called inconceivable. Yet the frog-philosophers still try to give some imaginary explanation.

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.13.47

sa itthaṁ bhagavān urvīṁ
viṣvaksenaḥ prajāpatiḥ
rasāyā līlayonnītām
apsu nyasya yayau hariḥ

Translation: In this manner the Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, the maintainer of all living entities, raised the earth from within the water, and having placed it afloat on the water, He returned to His own abode.

Purport: The Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, descends by His will to the material planets in His innumerable incarnations for particular purposes, and again He goes back to His own abode. When He descends He is called an avatāra because avatāra means “one who descends.” Neither the Lord Himself nor His specific devotees who come to this earth are ordinary living entities like us.

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.13.48

ya evam etāṁ hari-medhaso hareḥ
kathāṁ subhadrāṁ kathanīya-māyinaḥ
śṛṇvīta bhaktyā śravayeta vośatīṁ
janārdano ’syāśu hṛdi prasīdati

Translation: If one hears and describes in a devotional service attitude this auspicious narration of Lord Boar, which is worthy of description, the Lord, who is within the heart of everyone, is very pleased.

Purport: In His various incarnations, the Lord appears, acts and leaves behind Him a narrative history which is as transcendental as He Himself. Every one of us is fond of hearing some wonderful narration, but most stories are neither auspicious nor worth hearing because they are of the inferior quality of material nature. Every living entity is of superior quality, spirit soul, and nothing material can be auspicious for him. Intelligent persons should therefore hear personally and cause others to hear the descriptive narrations of the Lord’s activities, for that will destroy the pangs of material existence. Out of His causeless mercy only, the Lord comes to this earth and leaves behind His merciful activities so that the devotees may derive transcendental benefit.

* * *

Jayapatākā Swami: This is a very rare occasion that we are reading the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam section on Varāhadeva. And today is Varāha Dvādaśī! We read how Varāhadeva lifted up the earth and killed the demon Hiraṇyākṣa. How can the Lord lift the earth planet? This is inconceivable to the ordinary living beings. They think that this is imaginary. But this is a fact! So we benefit if we remember the inconceivable, wonderful activities of the Lord. The Lord can do anything He wants. Now, this is inconceivable to the ordinary people. But, for devotees this is nothing so great! The Lord always does amazing things! Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was listening to the Viṣṇu Sahasranāma, and when He came to Varāhadeva, He manifested the Varāhadeva rūpa. Four legs, hoofs, came out of His body. If anybody claims to be God, say, please show me your hoofs! We are not asking them to show their universal forms! Just the hoofs! So, Lord Caitanya, He did these amazing things. After all He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead! He came in the mood of a devotee but sometimes He showed that He was Bhagavān. Varahādeva, placed the earth planet on the surface of the water. He can put the earth on water, air, wherever He wants! Nothing is impossible for Him!

There was a devotee in Navadvīpa. The Devānanda Gauḍīya Maṭha named their maṭha after this devotee. It is said this devotee, he was a devotee of Lord Varāhadeva. Every day he worshiped Varāhadeva. One day he prayed that he wanted to see Varāhadeva. So Varāhadeva appeared to him. And he was very happy. Having darśana of Varāhadeva, he paid obeisances to Him and was extremely happy. So they have a Varāhadeva mūrti in that Gauḍīya Maṭha. Varāhadeva, He appeared out of the water in a blue color. Have you ever seen a pig in a blue color? A pig that could expand himself to lift up the earth? You see, one of the qualities of a devotee is to always think of Kṛṣṇa and His avatāras. Here we have tens of thousands of people coming every day! It says that people they go to holy places to associate with the devotees. Association of devotees is the second step on the path of achieving prema-bhakti. So the first step is faith, hearing. Second step is associating with devotees. And the third step is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and practicing devotional service. So devotees, tens of thousands of devotees come to Māyāpur. They should see devotees and they should associate with them! In the 9^th canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrīla Prabhupāda in one of the purports says when it comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness men, women, śūdras, whatever, they are all equal. Just a little, people when they come to Māyāpur, they can associate with devotees, they can buy a book and hear some kṛṣṇa-katha. Being a gṛhastha is also a big responsibility. The husband has to see the wife and family are Kṛṣṇa conscious. And the wife needs to see that the husband stays Kṛṣṇa conscious. And children are Kṛṣṇa conscious. It is a big responsibility. So Varāhadeva He is like the personified Vedas. Every part of His body is described as different Vedas, different activities. If we always think about Varāhadeva, about Lord Caitanya, Pañca-tattva, Rādhā Mādhava, the Lord is very happy! I see lot of devotees have mobile phones. I don’t know if they see Kṛṣṇa conscious shows! But somehow, we want to see that everybody advances in their Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We would like to see many devotees. everyone for that matter, develop kṛṣṇa-prema! Who would like kṛṣṇa-prema?

So, Śrīla Prabhupāda gave us the holy name. The name of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa the person are non-different. Sometimes we give initiation and sometimes afterwards initiation people don’t chant. First person I initiated in America, she did not do anything Kṛṣṇa conscious. I said that you vowed, you promised! She said, I make so many promises, I said I would meet someone at the bus at 5 but showed up at 6! So I made a promise, I broke it! Because we don’t have any culture! When we make a vow before the Deity, before the fire, before the guru, it is a very serious thing! Arjuna, he took a vow, if I don’t kill Jayadratha on this day, he would kill himself. He meant it! When he takes a vow, that is it! And the whole army on the other side took a formation that Arjuna had to defeat all the mahā-rathīs before Arjuna reached Jayadratha. And then Arjuna defeated all the mahā-rathīs but just then the sun set. Jayadratha, he came running out and he said, “Ha, ha, ha! I got Arjuna!” And Kṛṣṇa, He did something, moved the clouds aside or whatever, and the sun came out! Then Kṛṣṇa told Arjuna, program your arrow so that when you cut Jayadratha’s head it drops on his father’s lap. He did that and Jayadratha’s father had given a curse that whoever drops Jayadratha’s head on the ground will be killed. So, Jayadratha’s father had the head of Jayadratha on his lap, and ahhhhh! He threw the head, but he also died! So, taking a vow was life and death!

Anyway, we are very grateful to hear about the pastimes of Lord Varāhadeva. Śrīla Prabhupāda, he gave Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to us. So, Varāhadeva is actually Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa appeared as Varāhadeva and enacted these pastimes. Today is Varāha Dvādaśī and tomorrow is Nityānanda Trayodaśī! Like this, we remember the Lord on His different appearance days! Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī, Śrī Rādhāṣṭamī, Rāma-navamī. So give your association to the visitors, tell them about Kṛṣṇa and His different avatāras. Tell them about Śrīla Prabhupāda! Even our Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that most people retire at that age, but Śrīla Prabhupāda started preaching! He speaks in Hindi a lot. I could not understand everything. But he said, kone, kone, Śrīla Prabhupāda went to every nook and corner of the world.

Actually, our bodies belong to Kṛṣṇa. And like this, Varāhadeva comes down to the material world but He lives in Vaikuṇṭha. So, when we leave the body, Kṛṣṇa wants we return home to the spiritual world. Not if we leave the body, it is guaranteed 100% we will leave the body, it is when we leave the body.

Gaurāṅgī Gāndharvikā Devī Dāsī makes challenges. But this challenge, everybody has, to be Kṛṣṇa conscious before you die! And I was reading how Śrīla Prabhupāda, he wanted all of us to be kāruṇika. Kāruṇika – merciful. People have come here, they heard something about Māyāpur and they came. Of course, this is the spiritual world headquarters, and the devotees will come from all over the world! And from all over India. So, be kind to them! Help them out if they need any help. You are the hosts! They are the atithis. Some devotees were trying to offer some flowers to His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda. But he said I am very fallen, and I don’t deserve! And so, people offer me flowers all the time. Maybe I would be criticized if you offer me flowers. You can offer flowers to the sannyāsīs, Śrīla Prabhupāda disciples, everyone. Don’t make a big show to offer me flowers. If you give me flowers within your mind, that is enough.

Now we have different announcements.

We request the devotees to download the Zoom app on their mobile devices. On 20 February 2025, we will be observing Prabhupāda Connect Day with special, simultaneous translations in Bengali, Hindi, Russian and other languages. The set up will be arranged through the Zoom app. If any devotees needs help, a Help Desk will be available in the Pañca-tattva courtyard after this class, as well as any day between 6.45 am and 8 am in the Māyāpur Academy.

Today is the graduation day for Māyāpur Academy. Many people may not know what the Māyāpur Academy is. Māyāpur Academy holds special class, special interactive teaching for Deity Worship. This was started in one sense, by Śrīla Prabhupāda. He trained Jananivāsa Prabhu and told him to teach other pūjārīs. The Deity is the arcā-avatāra. And I asked different devotees around the world, the pūjārīs to tell me some miracles done by the Deities. I should have kept some record, it is amazing how many miracles happen! So we started a course, I sponsored some devotees to come from Latin America, South America, to do this course. So, it is a three or four-months’ course, I don’t remember. Devotees who attend Māyāpur Academy, on certain days, they can come and see how the pūjārīs would dress and worship the Deities. We are happy and encourage all the devotees who are doing pūjā to come and join Māyāpur Academy to get taught at least once in a lifetime! Māyāpur is Śrīla Prabhupāda’s place of worship. So, this is a good place to learn Deity Worship!

Narasiṁha Kavaca Prabhu may be would like to say a few words, he is our Deity Worship Minister.

Narasiṁha Kavaca Dāsa: I am very grateful for the support of the Māyāpur Management, and also very grateful for the support of Śrīla Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja. And of course, very grateful for the support and involvement of Śrīla Jananivāsa Prabhu and Śrīla Paṅkajāṅghrī Prabhu over the years. Without the support of these people, it would not have happened. So thank you!