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Kirtan Fest Houston 2025 marked the powerful return of one of the community’s most beloved celebrations. Organized by the youth of ISKCON of Houston, the festival brought together thousands of people for a weekend filled with sacred music, flowers, devotion, and community spirit. Over three days, more than 2,500 people attended the event, experiencing the
On the occasion of the Vyasa Puja Mahotsava of H.D.G. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Śrīla Prabhupāda, the newly formed Śrīla Prabhupāda Connection–Mayapur Team (website to be launched soon), in collaboration with the Bhaktivedanta National School (BVNS), Mayapur, organized a special competition for children on August 14, 2025.
On September 2nd, 1838 on a Sunday in the ancient village of Biranagara (Ulagrama) located in the district of Nadia, Thakura Bhaktivinoda took his birth in the family of Raja Krishnananda Datta, who was a great devotee of Lord Nityananda.
In Biranagara he received his elementary education at the primary school started by his grandmother. Later he attended an English school at Krishnanagar that had been established by the King of Nadia, but after studying there a while he had to discontinue his lessons and return to Ulagrama upon the unexpected death of his older brother due to cholera.
When Thakura Bhaktivinoda was eleven years old his father passed away.
Around his thirteenth year Bhaktivinoda, leaving his mother and sister at Ulagrama, went to Calcutta to live at his uncle’s house which was located in the Heduya district of central Calcutta.
In 1856, at the age of eighteen, Kedaranatha Bhaktivinoda began his first year of college in Calcutta. During this time, he wrote many articles and essays and had them published in various English and Bengali journals and he also gave many lectures in both English and Bengali. He studied many books written in English and also taught the art of fine speech to one well known orator who was a member of British Parliament
Thakura Bhaktivinoda’s grandfather, Rajavallabha Datta, who was a very prominent personality in Calcutta, was living as an ascetic in the countryside of Orissa. He could predict the future and knew that his days in this world were soon coming to a close.
Knowing this, he made a request to his beloved grandson to come to Orissa to be with him. At the beginning of 1859 when Bhaktivinoda was 21 years of age, his grandfather departed from this world. Bhaktivinoda was with him at this time and after receiving his grandfather’s last instructions he traveled to all the monasteries and temples in the state of Orissa.
In the year l86l, after having given up his work in the educational system, Thakura Bhaktivinoda accepted the post of a Deputy Magistrate under the government of Bengal.
Becoming attracted to the philosophy of Vaishnavism, Thakura Bhaktivinoda would read the Caitanya-caritamrta again and again and thus he became endowed with greater faith and respect for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In this way, he applied his mind very intently to the examination and study of Vaishnava philosophy. In one place in his autobiography the Thakura has written “From this time my respect and reverence for Sri Caitanyadeva was born.
Between the years 1874 and 1893 Thakura Bhaktivinoda wrote several books in Sanskrit such as Sri Krishna-samhita, Tattva-sutra, and Tattva-viveka which was sometimes known as Sac-cid-anandaubhuti. He also wrote many books in Bengali such as his Kalyana-kalpataru and besides those, in the year 1874 he composed his famous Sanskrit work Datta-kaustubham. Much of his time was spent in seclusion chanting the Holy Name of Krishna with great faith and love.
While stationed at Krishnanagara, Thakura Bhaktivinoda would go again and again to the present-day city of Navadvipa and search in various places for the birth site of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The year was 1887 and this discovery was a shining landmark in the history of Vaishnavism in India. Thakura Bhaktivinoda had brought to light the divine place of Caitanya’s birth and his discovery was confirmed by Jagannatha dasa Babaji, the then religious head of the Gaudiya Vaishnava community in Nadia.
In October of 1894, at the age of fifty-six, Thakura Bhaktivinoda, against the wishes of his family and the government authorities, retired from his post as Deputy Magistrate. He felt it was too much of an inconvenience on his work of preaching the Holy Name and the glories of Sridhama Mayapura. After his retirement, he came to stay at Surabhi Kunj in Godruma from where he engaged himself in preaching the divine philosophy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
At this time in 1896, in a pioneering spirit, he sent the teachings of Sri Caitanya beyond the tiny borders of India and to the West in the form of a small booklet he had written in Sanskrit called Sri Gauranga-lila-smarana-mangala-stotram. It had a Sanskrit commentary by a renowned pandita of Nadia, Srila Sitikantha Vacaspati, and for English knowing people the book contained an introduction in English called Caitanya Mahaprabhu, His Life and Precepts. This booklet found its way into the library of McGill College in Canada, the library of Royal Asiatic Society of London, and a few other highly respectable institutions.
At the beginning of the twentieth century Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura returned to Jagannatha Puri. When his son, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, was residing at Puri as a naisthika brahmacari [completely celibate brahmana] and was engaged in his bhajana at the Gandharvika Giridhari Math, one of the seven mathas near the samadhi tomb of Haridasa Thakura, Bhaktivinoda, for helping his son’s worship, had this monastery repaired and cleaned. When Srila
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati left Puri to reside at Sri Navadvipa Mayapura, Bhaktivinoda gave up all connection with the Gandharvika Giridhari Matha and constructed his own place of bhajana on the sea beach there. He called this place Bhakti Kuti.
In 1908, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura formally accepted the dress of a paramahamsa by taking sannyasa at the place in Jagannatha Puri known called Satasana. At this time, he was still writing some books and staying sometimes in Navadvipa and sometimes in Calcutta.
In the year 1910, for being constantly engaged in the service of the Divine Couple of Vraja Dhama [Sri Sri Radha-Krishna], the Thakura shut himself up, pretending to be afflicted with paralysis, and entered into a perfect state of samadhi. These days were very happy for him as he could thus shun the turmoil and bustle which are the concomitant parts of worldly existence.
On the day of the commencement of the sun’s southern course, June 23, 1914, corresponding to the disappearance of Sri Gadadhara Pandita, just before noon in Jagannatha Puri, the dearly beloved of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura, having satisfied himself that his mission bore at least some good to the world, at the age of 75, departed from this mundane plane for his eternal services to Radha and Krishna in the divine realm of Sri Vrindavana Dhama located far beyond the tiny vision of the conditioned souls of this world.
Thakura Bhaktivinoda’s samadhi ceremony was delayed till the sun began its northern course. At that time his last remains were placed at his home in Godruma in the midst of sankirtana of the Holy Name. It was a pleasant clear day and a grand Vaishnava festival was held with the greatest solemnity in which thousands took part and the Thakura’s divine presence amidst them was perceived by all.
jaya jaya sri-caitanya jaya nityananda
jayadvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vrnda
jaya jaya sri-caitanya jaya nityananda
jayadvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vrnda
jaya jaya sri-caitanya jaya nityananda
jayadvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vrnda
Today is the divine disappearance day of Namacharya Srila Haridasa Thakura. So we shall read from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, Chapter Eleven: “The Passing of Haridasa Thakura.”
INTRODUCTION
The summary of this chapter is given by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya as follows. In this chapter it is described how Brahma Haridasa Thakura gave up his body with the consent of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and how the Lord Himself personally performed the funeral ceremony and carried the body to the sea. He personally entombed the body, covered it with sand, and erected a platform on the site. After taking a bath in the sea, He personally begged prasada of Jagannatha from shopkeepers and distributed prasada to the assembled devotees.
TEXT 1
namami haridasam tam
caitanyam tam ca tat-prabhum
samsthitam api yan-murtim
svanke krtva nanarta yah
TRANSLATION
Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Haridasa Thakura and his master, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who danced with the body of Haridasa Thakura on His lap.
TEXT 2
jaya jaya sri-caitanya jaya dayamaya
jayadvaita-priya nityananda-priya jaya
TRANSLATION
All glories to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is very merciful and who is very dear to Advaita Acarya and Lord Nityananda!
TEXT 3
jaya srinivasesvara haridasa-natha
jaya gadadhara-priya svarupa-prana-natha
TRANSLATION
All glories to the master of Srinivasa Thakura! All glories to the master of Haridasa Thakura! All glories to the dear master of Gadadhara Pandita! All glories to the master of the life of Svarupa Damodara!
TEXT 4
jaya kasi-priya jagadananda-pranesvara
jaya rupa-sanatana-raghunathesvara
TRANSLATION
All glories to Lord Sri Caitanya, who is very dear to Kasi Misra! He is the Lord of the life of Jagadananda and the Lord of Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, and Raghunatha dasa Gosvami.
TEXT 16
eka-dina govinda maha-prasada lana
haridase dite gela anandita hana
TRANSLATION
One day Govinda, the personal servant of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, went in great jubilation to deliver the remnants of Lord Jagannatha’s food to Haridasa Thakura.
TEXTS 17–20
When Govinda came to Haridasa, he saw that Haridasa Thakura was lying on his back and chanting his rounds very slowly.
“Please rise and take your maha-prasada” Govinda said. Haridasa Thakura replied, “Today I shall observe fasting.
“I have not finished chanting my regular number of rounds. How, then, can I eat? But you have brought maha-prasada, and how can I neglect it?”
Saying this, Haridasa offered prayers to the maha-prasada, took a little portion, and ate it.
PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada
Maha-prasada is nondifferent from Krsna. Therefore, instead of eating maha-prasada, one should honor it. It is said here, karila vandana, “he offered prayers.” When taking maha-prasada, one should not consider the food ordinary preparations. Prasada means favor. One should consider maha-prasada a favor of Krsna. As stated by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, krsna bada dayamaya karibare jihva jaya svaprasada-anna dila bhai. Krsna is very kind. In this material world we are all very much attached to tasting various types of food.
Therefore, Krsna eats many nice varieties of food and offers the food back to the devotees, so that not only are one’s demands for various tastes satisfied, but by eating prasada one makes advancement in spiritual life. Therefore, we should never consider ordinary food on an equal level with maha-prasada.
COMMENT by Giriraj Swami
The honoring of maha-prasada is one of the important items of devotional service. Maha-prasada is food that has been offered with love and devotion to the Lord and accepted by the Lord. In the Antya-lila of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu feels great ecstasy honoring maha-prasada, and He raises the question amongst His confidential devotees about its nature, that although it appears to be made of the same ingredients as ordinary food such as rice, dal, vegetables, spices, it creates a completely different experience. He explains that the food that has been offered to Lord Jagannatha has been mixed with the nectar of the Lord’s lips. The same nectar that fills the transcendental flute of Krishna and for which the gopis are always hankering—that same nectar from the lips of Krishna permeates maha-prasada. And when we honor maha-prasada with purified senses, we can relish the nectar from Krishna’s lotus mouth.
Although maha-prasada is transcendental, one should honor it as spiritual. As far as possible, one should not lust after maha-prasada. And although it is transcendental, Srila Prabhupada has warned us to maintain a respectful attitude toward it and not accept it on the basis of taste. Sometimes even with Prabhupada’s remnants, maha maha-prasada, the servant would bring the plate out and the senior devotees who were waiting for it would examine it and say, “I want this. I want that. I don’t want that.” It wasn’t a good mentality, and when Prabhupada’s servant mentioned it to him, Prabhupada said, “After I finish honoring prasada, you should take the remnants and mush it all together and then distribute the maha-prasada so the devotees will not be selecting on the basis of their personal taste, but they will just be receiving maha-prasada.”
Once, in Bombay, there was a clash between two of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples. One was a cook—actually a very good one—and would cook for the Deities, and the other was a good manager and good businessman. So, they had some clash, and immediately afterwards each of them ran to Srila Prabhupada to give him a version of what happened and to complain about the other. In the end, Prabhupada commented that the problem was that they both were eating too much maha-prasada and that by eating too much rich food, they had become passionate and were fighting.
Sometimes, honoring prasada is part of preaching. That’s also a subtle point, because sometimes when we go to people’s homes to accept prasada, we are not completely sure about the consciousness that went into the cooking, or the principles of cleanliness and hygiene and the spiritual rules and regulations that are required to cook for Krishna and offer the food to Krishna. We are not sure. But in India in the early days, Srila Prabhupada said that if the family were Vaishnavas and they offered the food to their family Deity, we should take it as prasada.
When we first came to Bombay, we received so many invitations that Srila Prabhupada made a rule that we would not eat at anyone’s house unless they became a life member. So, during the first Bombay pandal, a big pandal program at Cross Maiden, a very distinguished, aristocratic, pious, cultured Hindu gentleman and philanthropist, K.J. Somaiya, came. Prabhupada would speak at about seven in the morning in Hindi and then in the evening in English. Sri K. J. Somaya would come to the morning lectures, and he invited Srila Prabhupada and the devotees to his home to take prasada. So, the devotees informed him of the rule, “You have to become a life member.” And he became a little annoyed. He didn’t think it was proper that we should place such a condition. But Srila Prabhupada was strict in his principle. In certain cases he was responsive to an extent, but he didn’t really care about a big person in the material world—he had his rules and principles, and he stuck to them.
Eventually Sri Somayaji relented and became a life member, and the devotees said that Srila Prabhupada would come to his home for prasada. Srila Prabhupada remarked, “We are making life members simply by eating.”
Another friend from Bombay, Sri Hari Krishna Das Agarwal, invited Srila Prabhupada and the devotees to the Vedanta Sammelan in Amritsar. The sammelan was held at a Mayavadi ashram, and there were Mayavadi slogans everywhere: aham brahmasmi, tattvamasi. After the morning program one day, with his disciples in his room, Srila Prabhupada said that the event organizers knew that he didn’t agree with them but invited him because they knew that if he came with his disciples, more people would attend their program. And that is what happened. The general public who came to the programs weren’t really that interested in hearing dry Mayavadis’ speak nonsense. They really came to see Srila Prabhupada and the devotees and to join in the kirtan. “These Mayavadis will go on speculating for many lifetimes and never come to any conclusion,” Prabhupada said. Just then, Malati dasi brought a plate of maha-prasada from Prabhupada’s small Radha-Krishna Deities. “They will go on speculating for many lifetimes,”—he popped a maha sweet in his mouth—“but we will realize God simply by eating.”
So, the devotees would do kirtan first, and thousands of people would stream into the grounds. And then, when the devotees’ kirtan and their talk was over, the people would leave and there would hardly be anyone left to hear the Mayavadis. The organizers thought to juggle the program and have the devotees perform kirtan later, but when the public figured out what was happening, they started to come late, after the Mayavadis had finished their dry, speculative, and imagined interpretations.
TEXT 21
ara dina mahaprabhu tanra thani aila
sustha hao, haridasa-bali’ tanre puchila
TRANSLATION
The next day, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Haridasa’s place and inquired from him, “Haridasa, are you well?”
TEXTS 22–23
Haridasa offered his obeisances to the Lord and replied, “My body is all right, but my mind and intelligence are not well.”
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu further inquired from Haridasa, “Can you ascertain what your disease is?”
Haridasa Thakura replied, “My disease is that I cannot complete my rounds.”
PURPORT
If one cannot complete the fixed number of rounds he is assigned, he should be considered to be in a diseased condition of spiritual life. Srila Haridasa Thakura is called namacarya. Of course, we cannot imitate Haridasa Thakura, but everyone must chant a prescribed number of rounds. In our Krsna consciousness movement we have fixed sixteen rounds as the minimum so that the Westerners will not feel burdened. These sixteen rounds must be chanted, and chanted loudly, so one can hear himself and others.
COMMENT
In Lord Chaitanya’s instructions to Sanatana Gosvami He quotes the basic principle of vaidhi-sadhana-bhakti, to always remember Krishna and never forget Him. He quotes from the Padma Purana that all other injunctions and prohibitions are servants of these two: to always remember Krishna and never forget Him.
smartavyah satatam visnur
vismartavyo na jatucit
sarve vidhi-nisedhah syur
etayor eva kinkarah
“Lord Visnu [Krsna is the origin of Visnu] should always be remembered and never forgotten at any time. All the rules and prohibitions mentioned in the sastras should be the servants of these two principles.”
In his purport Srila Prabhupada explains that although the members of the Krishna consciousness movement have many activities and these activities are not ordinary—they are also meant for remembering Krishna—still, unless we chant our prescribed number of sixteen rounds daily, we will be unable to always remember Krishna and never forget Him. And then he states, “Of all the regulative principles, the spiritual master’s order to chant at least sixteen rounds is most essential.”
“There are many regulative principles in the sastras and directions given by the spiritual master,” Prabhupada writes. “These regulative principles should act as servants of the basic principle—that is, one should always remember Krsna and never forget Him. This is possible when one chants the Hare Krsna mantra. Therefore one must strictly chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra twenty-four hours daily. One may have other duties to perform under the direction of the spiritual master, but he must first abide by the spiritual master’s order to chant a certain number of rounds. In our Krsna consciousness movement, we have recommended that the neophyte chant at least sixteen rounds. This chanting of sixteen rounds is absolutely necessary if one wants to remember Krsna and not forget Him. Of all the regulative principles, the spiritual master’s order to chant at least sixteen rounds is most essential.
“One may sell books or enlist life members or render some other service, but these duties are not ordinary duties. These duties serve as an impetus for remembering Krsna. When one goes with a sankirtana party or sells books, he naturally remembers that he is going to sell Krsna’s books. In this way, he is remembering Krsna. When one goes to enlist a life member, he talks about Krsna and thereby remembers Him. Smartavyah satatam visnur vismartavyo na jatucit. The conclusion is that one must act in such a way that he will always remember Krsna, and one must refrain from doing things that make him forget Krsna. These two principles form the basic background of Krsna consciousness.” (Cc Madhya 22.113)
“These sixteen rounds must be chanted, and chanted loudly,” Prabhupada emphasizes, “so that one can hear himself and others.” Generally, japa is taken as an individual practice, which it is, but it’s also a group activity. When we chant together, there is more strength in the effort, more encouragement. Everyone is gathered together for the same purpose, for the same intention, and sometimes it is good to have other people listen to our chanting to make sure that we are pronouncing each word properly. It is very important to articulate each word, each syllable, properly and to try to hear each word and each syllable. So, the association of devotees is very important, and it is a great boon to live in a temple community or near a temple where one can join the programs with other devotees and chant with them.
TEXT 24
prabhu kahe,—“vrddha ha-ila ‘sankhya’ alpa kara
siddha-deha tumi, sadhane agraha kene kara?
TRANSLATION
“Now that you have become old,” the Lord said, “you may reduce the number of rounds you chant daily. You are already liberated, and therefore you need not follow the regulative principles very strictly.
PURPORT
Unless one comes to the platform of spontaneous love of God, he must follow the regulative principles. Thakura Haridasa was the living example of how to follow the regulative principles. Similarly, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was also such a living example. In the Sad-gosvamy-astaka it is stated, sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih kalavasani-krtau. The Gosvamis, especially Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, strictly followed all the regulative principles. The first regulative principle is that one must chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra loudly enough so that he can hear himself, and one must vow to chant a fixed number of rounds. Not only was Raghunatha dasa Gosvami chanting a fixed number of rounds, but he had also taken a vow to bow down many times and offer obeisances to the Lord.
COMMENT
This strict adherence to the regulative principles of Haridasa Thakura and Raghunatha dasa Gosvami are exemplary. It is said that Raghunatha dasa Gosvami’s adherence to his vows were like lines on stone—they could not be erased, and it could not be removed.
We also have examples within our own movement. In one that comes to mind, His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami’s body was so racked with pain in the end that it was almost impossible for him to sleep. And if he did happen to fall asleep, just by remaining in one place, because he had hardly any flesh on his body, the pressure of his body on his skin and then the pain from the cancer which was already there would wake him up. He could hardly sleep at all.
So, one night at about one in the morning, Bhakti Tirtha Swami was chanting and Radhanath Swami, who was keeping him company, said to him, “Maharaja, why are you up at one in the morning, two in the morning, chanting?” Bhakti Tirtha Swami replied, “I haven’t completed my rounds.” And Radhanath Swami said, “But Maharaja, you can hardly sleep, your body is in so much pain. Krishna will understand if you don’t finish your rounds at this stage of your life.” And Bhakti Tirtha Swami replied, “Since the day of my initiation, I have always chanted at least sixteen rounds. I don’t want to stop now.” When Radhanath Swami later told the story, he looked at us, looked at the devotees, and said, “So what excuse can we have?”
TEXT 25
loka nistarite ei tomara ‘avatara’
namera mahima loke karila pracara
TRANSLATION
“Your role in this incarnation is to deliver the people in general. You have sufficiently preached the glories of the holy name in this world.”
PURPORT
Haridasa Thakura is known as namacarya because it is he who preached the glories of chanting hari-nama, the holy name of God. By using the words tomara avatara (“your incarnation”), Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu confirms that Haridasa Thakura is the incarnation of Lord Brahma. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that advanced devotees help the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His mission and that such devotees or personal associates incarnate by the will of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord incarnates by His own will, and, by His will, competent devotees also incarnate to help Him in His mission. Haridasa Thakura is thus the incarnation of Lord Brahma, and other devotees are likewise incarnations who help in the prosecution of the Lord’s mission.
COMMENT
We read in Srimad-Bhagavatam how Lord Brahma became illusioned. Krishna, his master, had appeared as a cowherd boy in Vraja and was playing just like an ordinary child. So Lord Brahma had some doubt: “My Master, Lord Vishnu, has come as a cowherd boy and is playing as an ordinary child? How is this possible?” So, he came—Lord Brahma descended from Brahmaloka (Satyaloka)—and stole away the cowherd boys and calves, and in the end he realized his mistake. He used his mystic power to test Krishna, but Krishna’s mystic power far exceeded Lord Brahma’s and Lord Brahma was defeated.
Afterwards Lord Brahma felt very contrite and repentant. Of course, he offered many nice prayers to Lord Krishna, but still he prayed for such an experience that he would never forget Krishna. And so, as a result of his heartfelt prayer, Lord Brahma appeared as Haridasa Thakura in Lord Chaitanya’s pastimes and had such experiences that he could never forget Krishna again.
So, that is a nice prayer. That is our goal: to always remember Krishna and never forget Him. And we can pray to be put in such a situation that we remember Krishna and have such experiences that we will never forget Krishna at any time.
TEXT 26
ebe alpa sankhya kari’ kara sankirtana”
haridasa kahe,—“suna mora satya nivedana
TRANSLATION
The Lord concluded, “Now, therefore, please reduce the fixed number of times you chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.”
Haridasa Thakura replied, “Kindly hear my real plea.
TEXTS 27–30
“I was born in an inferior family, and my body is most abominable. I always engage in low work. Therefore, I am the lowest, most condemned of men.
“I am unseeable and untouchable, but You have accepted me as Your servant. This means that You have delivered me from a hellish condition and raised me to the Vaikuntha platform.
“My dear Lord, You are the fully independent Personality of Godhead. You act by Your own free will. You cause the whole world to dance and act as You like.
“My dear Lord, by Your mercy You have made me dance in many ways. For example, I was offered the sraddha-patra, which should have been offered to first-class brahmanas. I ate from it even though I was born in a family of meat-eaters.
PURPORT
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, in his Anubhasya, quotes from the Visnu-smrti in reference to the sraddha-patra.
brahmanapasada hy ete kathitah pankti-dusakah
etan vivarjayed yatnat sraddha-karmani panditah
According to this verse, if one is born in a brahmana family but does not behave according to brahminical standards, he should not be offered the sraddha-patra, which is prasada offered to the forefathers. Advaita Acarya offered the sraddha-patra to Haridasa Thakura, not to a brahmana who had been born in a brahmana family. Although Haridasa Thakura was born in the family of meat-eaters, because he was an advanced devotee he was shown more respect than a first-class brahmana.
COMMENT
It is a fact that a Vaishnava, a transcendental Vaishnava, is higher than a brahman, but because people can misunderstand the position of a Vaishnava, although there is no need to do so, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura introduced the system of awarding the sacred thread and brahminical initiation to those born in nonbrahman families, so that people would understand that they are brahmans and afford them the proper respect. Srila Prabhupada continued the same practice.
Haridasa Thakura continued:
TEXTS 31–70
“I have had one desire for a very long time. I think that quite soon, my Lord, You will bring to a close Your pastimes within this material world.
“I wish that You not show me this closing chapter of Your pastimes. Before that time comes, kindly let my body fall down in Your presence.
“I wish to catch Your lotuslike feet upon my heart and see Your moonlike face.
“With my tongue I shall chant Your holy name, ‘Sri Krsna Caitanya!’ That is my desire. Kindly let me give up my body in this way.
“O most merciful Lord, if by Your mercy it is possible, kindly grant my desire.
“Let this lowborn body fall down before You. You can make possible this perfection of all my desires.”
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “My dear Haridasa, Krsna is so merciful that He must execute whatever you want.
“But whatever happiness is Mine is all due to your association. It is not fitting for you to go away and leave Me behind.”
Catching the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Haridasa Thakura said, “My Lord, do not create an illusion! Although I am so fallen, You must certainly show me this mercy!
“My Lord, there are many respectable personalities, millions of devotees, who are fit to sit on my head. They are all helpful in Your pastimes.
“My Lord, if an insignificant insect like me dies, what is the loss? If an ant dies, where is the loss to the material world?
“My Lord, You are always affectionate to Your devotees. I am just an imitation devotee, but nevertheless I wish that You fulfill my desire. That is my expectation.”
Because He had to perform His noon duties, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu got up to leave, but it was settled that the following day, after He saw Lord Jagannatha, He would return to visit Haridasa Thakura.
After embracing him, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu left to perform His noon duties and went to the sea to take His bath.
The next morning, after visiting the Jagannatha temple, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, accompanied by all His devotees, went hastily to see Haridasa Thakura.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the devotees came before Haridasa Thakura, who offered his respects to the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and all the Vaisnavas.
Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu inquired, “My dear Haridasa, what is the news?”Haridasa Thakura replied, “My Lord, whatever mercy You can bestow upon me.”
Upon hearing this, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu immediately began great congregational chanting in the courtyard. Vakresvara Pandita was the chief dancer.
Headed by Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, all the devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu surrounded Haridasa Thakura and began congregational chanting.
In front of all the great devotees like Ramananda Raya and Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu began to describe the holy attributes of Haridasa Thakura.
As He described the transcendental attributes of Haridasa Thakura, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu seemed to possess five mouths. The more He described, the more His great happiness increased.
After hearing of the transcendental qualities of Haridasa Thakura, all the devotees present were struck with wonder. They all offered their respectful obeisances to the lotus feet of Haridasa Thakura.
Haridasa Thakura made Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu sit down in front of him, and then he fixed his eyes, like two bumblebees, on the lotus face of the Lord.
He held the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu on his heart and then took the dust of the feet of all the devotees present and put it on his head.
He began to chant the holy name of Sri Krsna Caitanya again and again. As he drank the sweetness of the face of the Lord, tears constantly glided down from his eyes.
While chanting the holy name of Sri Krsna Caitanya, he gave up his air of life and left his body.
Seeing the wonderful death of Haridasa Thakura by his own will, which was just like a great mystic yogi’s, everyone remembered the passing away of Bhisma.
There was a tumultuous noise as they all chanted the holy names “Hari” and “Krsna.” Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became overwhelmed with ecstatic love.
The Lord raised the body of Haridasa Thakura and placed it on His lap. Then He began to dance in the courtyard in great ecstatic love.
Because of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s ecstatic love, all the devotees were helpless, and in ecstatic love they also began to dance and chant congregationally.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced for some time, and then Svarupa Damodara Gosvami informed Him of other rituals for the body of Thakura Haridasa.
The body of Haridasa Thakura was then raised onto a carrier that resembled an airship and taken to the sea, accompanied by congregational chanting.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced in front of the procession, and Vakresvara Pandita, along with the other devotees, chanted and danced behind Him.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu bathed the body of Haridasa Thakura in the sea and then declared, “From this day on, this sea has become a great pilgrimage site.”
Everyone drank the water that had touched the lotus feet of Haridasa Thakura, and then they smeared remnants of Lord Jagannatha’s sandalwood pulp over Haridasa Thakura’s body.
After a hole was dug in the sand, the body of Haridasa Thakura was placed into it. Remnants from Lord Jagannatha, such as His silken ropes, sandalwood pulp, food, and cloth, were placed on the body.
All around the body, the devotees performed congregational chanting, and Vakresvara Pandita danced in jubilation.
With His transcendental hands, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally covered the body of Haridasa Thakura with sand, chanting “Haribol! Haribol!”
The devotees covered the body of Haridasa Thakura with sand and then constructed a platform upon the site. The platform was protected all around by fencing.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced and chanted all around the platform, and as the holy name of Hari roared tumultuously, the whole universe became filled with the vibration.
COMMENT
There’s an elaborate description of the entire funeral ceremony. After placing Haridasa Thakura’s body in samadhi, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the other devotees took bath in the ocean and enjoyed sporting there.
Then they came out and went to the Jagannatha temple to the Simha-dvara, and the vibration of the holy names filled the city. Then Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu personally begged maha-prasada from the shopkeepers to feed the devotees. Lord Chaitanya made the devotees sit down in rows, and He personally served the prasada to them all.
Now I will read the benediction that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has offered to all of us.
TEXT 90
premavista hana prabhu karena vara-dana
suni’ bhakta-ganera judaya manas-kama
TRANSLATION
Overwhelmed with ecstatic love, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu offered a benediction to all the devotees, which all the devotees heard with great satisfaction.
TEXTS 91–93
“haridasera vijayotsava ye kaila darsana
ye ihan nrtya kaila, ye kaila kirtana
ye tanre valuka dite karila gamana
tara madhye mahotsave ye kaila bhojana
acire ha-ibe ta-sabara ‘krsna-prapti’
haridasa-darasane haya aiche ‘sakti’
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave this benediction: “Anyone who has seen the festival of Sri Haridasa Thakura’s passing away, anyone who has chanted and danced here, anyone who has offered sand on the body of Haridasa Thakura, and anyone who has joined the festivities to partake of the prasada will achieve the favor of Krsna very soon. There is such wonderful power in seeing Haridasa Thakura.
TEXTS 94–98
“Being merciful upon Me, Krsna gave Me the association of Haridasa Thakura. Being independent in His desires, He has now broken that association.
“When Haridasa Thakura wanted to leave this material world, it was not within My power to detain him.
“Simply by his will, Haridasa Thakura could give up his life and go away, exactly like Bhisma, who previously died simply by his own desire, as we have heard from sastra.
“Haridasa Thakura was the crown jewel on the head of this world; without him, this world is now bereft of its valuable jewel.”
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then told everyone, “Say ‘All glories to Haridasa Thakura!’ and chant the holy name of Hari.” Saying this, He personally began to dance.
COMMENT
The Bengali is: ‘jaya jaya haridasa’ bali’: say, “Jaya jaya Haridasa.”
Everyone began to chant “Jaya Jaya Haridasa! Jaya Jaya Haridasa! Jaya Jaya Haridasa! Jaya Jaya Haridasa!”
TEXTS 99–100
“All glories to Haridasa Thakura, who revealed the importance of chanting the holy name of the Lord!”
Thereafter, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu bade farewell to all the devotees, and He Himself, with mixed feelings of happiness and distress, took rest.
COMMENT
Srila Prabhupada said that when a Vaishnava departs, we feel both happiness and distress. We feel happy because we know the devotee is gone to serve Krishna, but we feel distress because we will miss the devotee’s association.
TEXT 101
ei ta’ kahilun haridasera vijaya
yahara sravane krsne drdha-bhakti haya
COMMENT
Now, here is your benediction.
TRANSLATION
Thus I have spoken about the victorious passing away of Haridasa Thakura. Anyone who hears this narration will certainly fix his mind firmly in devotional service to Krsna.
PURPORT
At Purusottama-ksetra, or Jagannatha Puri, there is a temple of Tota-gopinatha. If one goes from there to the sea, he can discover the tomb of Haridasa Thakura still existing. Every year on the date of Ananta-caturdasi (that’s this date today) there is a festival to commemorate the passing away of Haridasa Thakura. At the same place, Deities of Nityananda Prabhu, Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and Advaita Prabhu were established about one hundred years ago. A gentleman named Bhramaravara from Kendrapada, in the province of Orissa, contributed funds to establish these Deities in the temple. The management of the temple was under the Tota-gopinatha gosvamis.
This temple was later sold to someone else, and this party is now maintaining the seva-puja of the temple. Near this temple and the tomb of Haridasa Thakura, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura constructed a small house called the Bhakti-kuti. In the Bengali year 1329 (A.D. 1922), the Purusottama-matha, a branch of the Gaudiya Matha, was established there.
COMMENT
There is a very confidential story. I thought of it yesterday on Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s appearance day, but I did not relate it, but on this auspicious occasion I will. It has deep significance, but it is not an example that is meant for us at this stage.
After Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura worked so tirelessly to preach the message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, especially in Bengal and Orissa, and after he was so successful in spreading the nama-hatta, he found that some deviant groups that he had worked so hard to distinguish from the true line of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had again became prominent and people were going to them. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura became despondent. He was disappointed and didn’t know what to do.
So, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in a dream. This is also a little confidential because the report of it was published in Srila Bhaktivinoda’s journal, but those close to Srila Bhaktivinoda said that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu actually appeared before him—not just in a dream. But Bhaktivinoda Thakura, humbly not wanting to make it sound cheap, said that Sri Chaitanya had appeared to him in a dream and told him, “Do not feel discouraged. Go to Jagannatha Puri, Purusottama-ksetra, and establish a bhajana-kutira near the samadhi of Haridasa Thakura and chant the holy name day and night. The beneficial effects of your chanting there will be felt all over the world.”
So, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura obeyed the instruction and constructed Bhakti-kuti near the samadhi of Haridasa Thakura and chanted the holy name. According to the statement of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to Bhaktivinoda Thakura, we have benefitted from Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s chanting near the tomb of Haridasa Thakura.
PURPORT (concluded)
In the Bhakti-ratnakara it is stated:
srinivasa sighra samudrera kule gela
haridasa-thakurera samadhi dekhila
bhumite padiya kaila pranati vistara
bhagavata-gana sri-samadhi-sannidhane
srinivase sthira kaila sasneha-vacane
punah srinivasa sri-samadhi pranamiya
ye vilapa kaila, ta sunile drave hiya
“Srinivasa Thakura quickly ran to the seashore. When he saw the tomb of Haridasa Thakura, he immediately fell down offering prayers and almost fainted. The devotees present there pacified him with very sweet and affectionate words, and Srinivasa again offered his obeisances to the tomb. Hearing of the separation that Srinivasa expressed in his lamentation at the tomb of Haridasa Thakura makes one’s heart melt.”
TEXTS 102–107
From the incident of Haridasa Thakura’s passing away and the great care Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took in commemorating it, one can understand just how affectionate He is toward His devotees. Although He is the topmost of all sannyasis, He fully satisfied the desire of Haridasa Thakura.
When Haridasa Thakura was in the last stage of his life, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave him His company and allowed him to touch Him. Thereafter, He took the body of Thakura Haridasa on His lap and personally danced with it.
Out of His causeless mercy the Lord personally covered the body of Haridasa Thakura with sand and personally begged alms from the shopkeepers. Then He conducted a great festival to celebrate the passing away of Haridasa Thakura.
Haridasa Thakura was not only the topmost devotee of the Lord but also a great and learned scholar. It was his great fortune that he passed away before Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
The life and characteristics of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are exactly like an ocean of nectar, one drop of which can please the mind and ear.
Anyone who desires to cross over the ocean of nescience, please hear with great faith the life and characteristics of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
TEXT 108
Praying at the lotus feet of Sri Rupa and Sri Raghunatha, always desiring their mercy, I, Krsnadasa, narrate Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, following in their footsteps.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, Eleventh Chapter, describing the passing of Haridasa Thakura.
COMMENT
Namacharya Srila Haridasa Thakura ki jaya!
[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Haridasa Thakura’s disappearance day, September 1, 2009, New Dvaraka, Los Angeles]
Where I Went and What I Did
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s The Nectar of Devotion and Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, as well as quotes from one of his classes. I share notes on classes by Pancharatna, Hansarupa, Arcita, Rama Raya, Radhe Shyam, Mathuranath, and Narada Muni Prabhus.
Itinerary
August 26– September 9: NYC Harinam
September 10–11: Syracuse harinama and Wednesday program
September 12–October ??: serve Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami
– September 25–26: Philadelphia harinama?
– September 27: Philadelphia Ratha-yatra?
October ??–December 31: NYC Harinam
Chanting Hare Krishna in New York
Here I chant Hare Krishna at Columbus Circle, our Wednesday venue (https://youtube.com/shorts/wnoOYT0DI8A?feature=share):
Sevika Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Union Square (https://youtu.be/vwnLq5yg8go):
This young woman appeared attracted by the kirtan, so I offered her some shakers to play. She saw the devotees dancing, and she said that she did a traditional West African dance. She pulled the red skirt she used for that dance out of her bag and put it over her pants. She then amazed me by dancing with the devotees for an hour and a half and playing the shakers much of the time. Hrith sold her a Chant and Be Happy, and I gave her some maha-prasadam from Paris which I had in my bag. She said she had to work Sunday but would try to come to our Tuesday program.
Here Keshava Madhava Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Washington Square Park, and that woman plays shakers and dances (https://youtu.be/Xgy83z5Vxek):
Although I spend less time supporting Rama Raya Prabhu’s Yuga Dharma Ashram NYC Harinam, more people heard the holy name, more books were distributed, and more money was collected.
Here I chant Hare Krishna in Battery Park on Monday (https://youtube.com/shorts/jSsBlGcCBLo?feature=share):
Here I chant Hare Krishna in Union Square on Tuesday (https://youtube.com/shorts/N-MYhKGmy1o?feature=share):
Ashram life!
Insight
Srila Prabhupada:
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 1:
“Krishna is all-attractive, but pure devotional service attracts even Him. This means that pure devotional service is even transcendentally stronger than Krishna Himself, because it is Krishna’s internal potency.”
“To perform devotional service means to follow in the footsteps of Radharani, and devotees in Vrindavan put themselves under the care of Radharani in order to achieve perfection in their devotional service. In other words, devotional service is not an activity of the material world; it is directly under the control of Radharani.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila 15.106, purport:
“Any devotee who believes that the holy name of the Lord is identical with the Lord is a pure devotee, even though he may be in the neophyte stage. By his association, others may also become Vaishnavas.”
From a class on Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila 20.97–99, in New York on November 28, 1966:
“If somebody falsely calls me that ‘Your Majesty,’ so it is an insult. It is not honoring him. I am an ordinary man. If somebody calls me ‘Your Majesty’ so a man who has no qualification, if he is eulogized in that way, that is an insult. But we are so much fool that if somebody calls me ‘Your Majesty,’ I shall feel, ‘Oh, I am Majesty. Yes. I am His Majesty.’ That is our nature. If some false qualifications is awarded to me, I shall be very glad to accept it. I shall think, ‘Yes, I am so…’”
Pancharatna Prabhu:
Nowadays if a leader is found to have saintly qualities, that is unusual.
Even in the corporate world, it is known that the best leaders lead by example.
If the leader does not learn to the people he leads, his followers will also not listen to others.
Lord Caitanya’s preaching did focus on the leaders of the society. When he came to Puri, the first person he preached to was the guru of the king, Sarvobhauma Bhattacarya, a famous scholar. Then he preached to the Mayavadi sannyasis of Varanasi.
Sarvobhauma Bhattacarya left Navadvipa before Lord Caitanya appeared.
We had a conference in Delhi about using social media to promote higher values.
Raghunath was on a show with a famous social media person and practically the next day the views of his podcast increased ten times.
Srila Prabhupada communicated his values through his actions.
People ask how can I preach Krishna consciousness at your work place. The answer is by your behavior, by living the values of a devotee.
The qualities of a devotee will appear in our lives faster if we value them.
Srila Prabhupada would be lenient with rules and regulations for two reasons:
(1) for spreading the movement.
(2) for encouraging a devotee
ISKCON expanded because of inspiration from Srila Prabhupada. He saw the value in us that others could not see.
In 1960s the hippies were influenced by the rock stars but the original idealism
Though coming from a background of violence, Asoka applied Buddhist ideals in his life and transformed the kingdom according to them.
I see in India there are leaders who favor the tradition values of the Vedic culture and therefore there is hope.
Comment by me:
A certain America leader has an alarming number of the demoniac qualities that Krishna lists in Bhagavad-gita: “Pride, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness and ignorance—these qualities belong to those of demoniac nature, O son of Prtha.” (Bg. 16.4)
Arcita Prabhu:
From a class on Radhastami:
The answer to the question “Who is that girl with Krishna?” is “Radharani, Krishna’s eternal consort.”
Radharani has two main potencies:
1. She gives unlimited pleasure to Krishna.
2. She maintains the devotees and the realm of bhakti.
In the spiritual world there are no objects. Everything is a person.
In India some people try for wealth and attain it. They try to separate themselves from others by living in gated communities. Sometimes, however, they have to come out, and their Mercedes is stuck in the Mumbai traffic and can only move at 5 mph like anybody else. Thus they are frustrated and try to escape by moving to the west. But however we try to adjust things, we cannot find the happiness we are looking for in this material world.
The holy name is the sweetest of all sweet things, the most auspicious of auspicious thinks, and the most purifying of all purifying things. We want sweetness, auspiciousness, and purity, and we can find all these in the holy name.
Radharani’s mood is to bring souls to Krishna for His pleasure. We can please Her by adopting Her mood.
If the master is friendly the servants have to be friendly too. Because we are trying to be servant of Radharani so we have to try to be friendly.
We are not here to compete with each other but to use our God-given talents in His service.
Preaching is very easy. Whatever you like about Krishna consciousness you share with others. If you just like the food, invite people to Govinda’s or the Kadamba Cafe.
Hansarupa Prabhu:
In the early days, the devotees opened an temple in Santa Fe because it was a hub of the counterculture.
Sometimes we get into studying Vaishnavism academically and get involved in trying to taste honey from outside the bottle.
If you study the stages through which bhakti progresses, you can appreciate where you are at any moment.
In China they have a whole prison of Falun Gong followers. They do not prosecute us to the extent they do the Falun Gong movement because we are small.
To think that we have extra time and we need a hobby is maya because there are so many services that Srila Prabhupada wants us to do.
Even though there were many carpenters and people with other skills, everyone spent most of their time distributing books.
Occasionally during a Srimad-Bhagavatam class Srila Prabhupada would give a ego-crushing class pointing out all our faults.
We should aspire to become so purified that there is no austerity that we are unwilling to do for Krishna.
We are preparing for a test to come that we will either pass or fail.
Srila Prabhupada was asked how to make certain advancement. He replied: By following all the little rules and regulations.
We have a day please Radharani tomorrow.
You convert knowledge to wisdom through application.
We want to give the next generation pure devotional service.
“That was then and this is now” is a false premise that goes completely against Srila Prabhupada’s teachings.
I see people going to the gym to work out. What is this? There is plenty of physical labor in the temple, and they are going to the gym.
Srila Prabhupada would not let some situation of neglect get past him. He would see that it was corrected. We should follow that example.
Rama Raya Prabhu:
She is the via-medium for all living entities to serve Krishna.
Radharani is devotional service personified.
Srila Prabhupada at the time of his departure in 1977 expressed a special attraction for Radha-Londonisvara.
If you take shelter of Radharani all problems of life can be solved. Remember that if you get into trouble.
Srila Prabhupada wrote five days before landing in Boston, “I emphatically say to you, O brothers, you will obtain your good fortune from the Supreme Lord Krishna only when Śrimati Radharani becomes pleased with you.”
Gopal Krishna Goswami was the first Indian devotee initiated in ISKCON.
Srila Prabhupada explains that Radha and Krishna can only be understood by liberated souls, and thus we have to patiently wait until we attain liberation to understand Them.
Radhe Shyam Prabhu:
Mitra is a friend, bandhu is a blood relative, and suhrt is a heart-to-heart friend who is always a well-wisher.
Not only is Krishna calling the gopis with His flute, He is inviting everyone to come back to the spiritual world to enjoy pastimes with Him.
In the beginning, you may come to the temple for the Sunday feast. Then you may come every morning. Then you may come morning and evening. When you come and never leave, you are ready to go back to Godhead.
Srila Prabhupada kept his followers engaged in different services to keep them in devotional service to the Lord.
The mind and senses of the pure devotees are thrilled doing service for the Lord.
By giving you get more than by stocking.
Love and lust are diametrically opposite.
There is not a tinge of envy between the pure devotees in the spiritual world. Sometimes it looks like there is some envy between Satyabhauma and Rukmini, but the purpose of that is to give pleasure to Krishna.
Try to serve guru and Krishna without reservation, and your bliss will increase and material desires will decrease.
Radharani’s devotion is like an ocean, and ours is like a drop.
We lose our initial attraction for the devotees because of taking the relationship in a material way.
We should always be in the mood of facilitating the devotees. If you facilitate the service of ourselves.
Radhanath Swami says we should always ask the question, “How can I best serve?”
As soon as we see some relationship is becoming strained, increase your respect.
If we are having a difficulty appreciating a devotee, consider his personal qualities, his contribution to the mission, and how he has benefited our spiritual life.
From a brahmacari class:
Do sadhana from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. and service from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
If you are very service oriented you will be protected from maya.
When brahmacaris are given privacy, they get into trouble.
If a brahmacari keeps their life like an open book, he will be safe.
Krishna learned 64 arts in 64 days, and He practiced for the 64 nights.
Krishna adjusted His form to accommodate each of the 16,000 queens.
Srila Prabhupada says Krishna smiles dancing on the hoods of Kaliya.
Krishna takes a personal interest in His devotee’s problems.
We need emotional satisfying relationships with the other ashram brahmacaris.
Hear, absorb, and apply.
No one is so big that they cannot fall down.
Jayadvaita Swami said, “People greater than you and I have fallen down.”
Mathuranath Prabhu:
One acarya said that to praise the devotee is the most blissful activity in the universe.
If we got what we wanted always, we would forget Krishna much more.
The designs on the sidewalk outside the temple attract the attention of so many people walking by. When a glimmer of Vedic culture shines through it attracts attention.
Festivals are a way of giving our time to Krishna.
Comments by me:
When Lord Caitanya glorified Haridasa Thakura it was as if he had five mouths.
Ask about: One acarya said that to praise the devotee is the most blissful activity in the universe.
I have a sense that Krishna is maintaining me because I have gone to Europe every year since 2001, but I never had to endeavor to collect the money. In recent years, I have also gone to New York in the fall and Florida in the winter, but no one in particular pays for my tickets.
Narada Muni Prabhu:
It is most amazing that after Dhruva Maharaja got the audience of the Supreme Lord, he realized his material desires were completely useless.
-----
Ever wonder about the qualifications to attain enlightenment? This verse gives insight:
yasya deve para bhaktir
yatha deve tatha gurau
tasyaite kathita hy arthah
prakasante mahatmanah
“Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.” (Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.23)
Today we have gathered for the most auspicious celebration of the appearance day of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was one of the most prominent acharyas in the disciplic succession after Lord Chaitanya, and his contribution to Gaudiya Vaishnavism and to the world is so great that one devotee called him the Seventh Gosvami. Much of the present Krishna consciousness movement founded by Srila Prabhupada is being conducted under the guidance of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and today I will focus on some of the areas in which the International Society for Krishna Consciousness is continuing his work and mission.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was born in an aristocratic, devotional family, but throughout his life he was afflicted by various illnesses. So, we shouldn’t think that he had an easy life or that everything just came to him; the tremendous contribution he made was in the face of physically trying conditions. Of course, in a way, it did all come naturally, but he had to face many obstacles, even in terms of his physical health. In this year’s Vyasa-puja book His Grace Kalakantha dasa wrote an offering in which he listed different trials that Srila Prabhupada faced, and he suggested that Prabhupada actually suffered. It wasn’t just an appearance of difficulties; he actually suffered. But in spite of the difficulties, he continued. And that is a lesson for all of us. We shouldn’t expect that things will always come easily or go smoothly; and in spite of the difficulties and miseries, we should persevere in our efforts in Krishna consciousness.
Srila Bhaktivinoda was appointed to a government position—assistant magistrate—that was practically the highest position that any Indian held during the British rule. The British had the idea to inculcate in the Indians the idea that Indian culture was inferior to British or Western or Christian culture. In general, they kept the Indians down, but Srila Bhaktivinoda was so qualified and so popular that they were obliged to appoint him to a high position.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was a grihastha with ten children. But even with all his heavy responsibilities in his government service and as a family man, he still did so much direct service to the cause of Krishna consciousness. He utilized his time expertly. After coming home from work, he would have a light meal and take rest at about eight o’clock, and then he would get up at midnight and write books. He wrote over one hundred books and songs, and he made so many contributions. From this we can learn how we too can engage in direct service to the cause of Krishna consciousness, even with our many responsibilities of family and work, by efficiently and enthusiastically using our time—every moment possible—for devotional service.
As a magistrate, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was very efficient and would dispose of many cases in short order. Judges are also judged—by how many cases they dispose of and how many of their cases are appealed and how many of their cases are overturned. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura had the most outstanding record of any judge or magistrate. He disposed of so many cases so quickly and expertly that people were satisfied with his judgments, and so his decisions were not appealed or overturned.
One famous case involved a yogi who falsely claimed to be an incarnation of Vishnu, or Krishna. He would have an imitation rasa-lila every night, and people were sending their wives and daughters to dance with him. But some more intelligent or sober persons complained to the British government, and the administration, knowing Kedarnath Datta—as Bhaktivinoda Thakura was known—to be a religious man as well as the deputy magistrate, assigned the case to him.
In plain dress and accompanied by some police constables, Srila Bhaktivinoda went to the village where the yogi was engaging in his nefarious activities. “You are a great yogi,” he told the man. “Why are you in this remote rural area? Why don’t you go to Jagannatha Puri and see Lord Jagannatha and be happy?” When the yogi heard these words, his offensive mentality came out and he said, “Oh, Jagannatha? That is just wood. I myself am the Supreme Lord, Vishnu!”
From the yogi’s comment, Bhaktivinoda Thakura could conclude beyond any doubt that he was a pretender, and so Bhaktivinoda had him arrested and brought to trial. Srila Prabhupada remarked, not specifically in relation to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura but in a more general sense, that the government should oversee the activities of sadhus and people who take the position of guru—that the government should license them. Just like nowadays you can’t just call yourself a doctor and begin to practice medicine; you have to take a course of study and be licensed to practice. If you are going to entrust your body, your medical care, to a doctor, you want to go to a doctor who is licensed. And the body is not as important as the soul. So, Srila Prabhupada said that if people entrust their whole lives, their spiritual lives, to some spiritual teacher, the teacher should be tested according to certain standards, which are given in scripture. And if he doesn’t meet the qualifications, he should be declared disqualified.
Indian culture is so advanced and evolved that even the demons and rascals can be cultured and knowledgeable. And this yogi, Bishkishan, was creating a disturbance with his immoral, illicit activities, so Bhaktivinoda Thakura ordered his arrest.
In diplomatic behavior, one first tries reason and logic, good argument, and if that fails, one tries bribery. So, the yogi told Bhaktivinoda Thakura, “If you cooperate with me, I will give you great powers and you will become the king of India.” But that didn’t work, so Bhaktivinoda Thakura had him apprehended and taken to Puri.
The yogi then threatened Srila Bhaktivinoda and all the people associated with him: “If you do this, I will cause you all to become sick, and you will all die.” And the yogi actually did have powers, and Bhaktivinoda Thakura and his family members all became extremely ill. They had very high fevers, and it looked like they could die. Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s wife appealed to him, “Please let the yogi go. It is not worth the cost of our lives to bring the yogi to justice.” But Bhaktivinoda Thakura replied, “No, let us all die, but this rascal must be punished.”
Eventually the day of the trial came, and Bhaktivinoda Thakura understood that the yogi had conserved his mystic powers in his hair, which Srila Prabhupada said was not entirely uncommon. There is the biblical story of Samson and Delilah: Samson was very powerful, but when his hair was cut, he lost his power. Some of the modern yogis also have power in their hair. So, when the trial began, Bhaktivinoda Thakura ordered, “Bring a barber to cut his hair.” But no barber dared. The yogi did have mystic powers, and he made threats, and sparks actually came out of his hair, but Bhaktivinoda Thakura personally took the scissors and cut it, and he sentenced the yogi to six months in jail. There, the yogi wrote a note admitting that he had been an imposter, and he managed to get some poison and took his own life. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was so fearless, so courageous, so determined!
Although Bhaktivinoda Thakura was posted in Orissa and was also the superintendent of the Jagannatha temple, his heart hankered to be closer to the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He wanted to be posted in Nadia, but he was rendering such valuable service in the government that they didn’t want to let him go; they didn’t want to grant him a transfer. But his desire was so strong that even though he did have such a responsible and prestigious position and a big family to maintain, eventually he said, “If you don’t transfer me, I am going to give up government service and retire and just go.” So, they posted him in Krishna Nagar, which is near Navadvipa.
From there, Bhaktivinoda Thakura sought to ascertain the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Over time, the Ganges River had changed its course and the landscape, the terrain, had changed, so there was a question as to the birthplace’s location. Bhaktivinoda Thakura studied maps and consulted local people, and eventually he had a vision of a mound of earth out of which tulasis were growing. And when he went to the place that he believed was the birthplace, the local people confirmed that it was, as did his siksa-guru, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura built a bhajana-kutira in Godrumadvipa at Surabhi-kunja, where four hundred years earlier Lord Nityananda had established the nama-hatta. And he revived the nama-hatta and turned it into a powerful preaching movement in Bengal especially. It was also later revived by Srila Prabhupada and his followers, notably Sripada Jayapataka Swami Maharaja, who spread the nama-hatta in Bengal and Orissa and all over the world.
Srila Bhaktivinoda built a house near Surabhi-kunja, overlooking the Jalangi River. Devotees go there on parikrama when they go to Navadvipa. You can see his bedroom—his chair, his table, his bed. Next to it is another room, where his son Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura would sometimes stay. And there is the bhajana-kutira of his disciple, Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja. It is a very sacred place.
There’s a balcony there where Srila Bhaktivinoda would chant japa, and one day he was looking across the river from the balcony and had a vision of a wonderful temple and a whole community of devotees engaged in the service of Lord Chaitanya—a whole city. This temple, adbhuta mandira, was mentioned by Locana dasa Thakura in one of his books, that Lord Nityananda had predicted that there would be an astounding temple rising up in Mayapur, with a whole community of devotees engaged in the service of the Lord.
Srila Bhaktivinoda wanted to build a temple at the birthplace, and he personally took up a collection. He was such a prestigious person, but he went door-to-door, begging people to contribute whatever they could for the construction of the temple. And one of the main newspapers in Calcutta, the Amrita Bazar Patrika, appealed to the citizens that the noble Bhaktivinoda Thakura would be coming and everyone should contribute to the worthy cause. Srila Prabhupada knew Tarun Kanti Gosh and his father, Tushar Kanti Gosh, a prominent Bengali intellectual who published the paper. And Tushar’s father, Shishir Kumar Ghosh, called Bhaktivinoda Thakura the Seventh Gosvami.
Srila Bhaktivinoda was so humble that he went door-to-door, and he raised a collection and built the original temple of Lord Chaitanya at His birthplace in Mayapur. As for a whole community of devotees, Srila Bhaktivinoda’s son—and, in a way, disciple—Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, took up that project. He made a beginning, and you can see some cottages in Mayapur; a few of his disciples built cottages. He himself established the Gaudiya Matha there with brahmacharis and sannyasis.
This project also came through the disciplic succession to Srila Prabhupada, and he wanted to develop the Mayapur city. Certainly, more has been done to establish the city than ever before, and it is growing, taking shape. Srila Prabhupada also wanted to build a magnificent temple for Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, for the Pancha-tattva, in Mayapur.
One year, I was serving in the Calcutta temple and Srila Prabhupada arrived from London and was so enthusiastic about the Mayapur project, the big temple, that in London he had actually drawn a design for what the temple—the first building—would look like. When he arrived in Calcutta, he was so enthusiastic that he pulled out the blueprints and was showing everyone. He had worked on them with our godbrother Nara Narayan Prabhu. He was so enthusiastic, so excited, and that enthusiasm spread to us.
But then Srila Prabhupada did something very interesting and instructive. He called a meeting with the senior devotees, and right when everyone was at the peak of their enthusiasm for the project, he raised the question of the flooding in Mayapur, because quite frequently during the rainy season the Ganges floods and the area is submerged under water. He was saying that if we built the city there, built the temple there, they could be flooded, and the whole thing could be lost. He questioned whether we should even build the temple and try to establish the city there. Of course, he was Srila Prabhupada—he had so much authority—and on top of that, his logic and his intelligence were so powerful. So, he took that position, and he suggested that we consider alternative locations. He suggested Birnagar, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s birthplace and one of his residences, a very nice place in Bengal with a very nice atmosphere. So, we were swayed, convinced—but then he brought up Mayapur again, and in the end he concluded that we should go ahead and do it in Mayapur. Even though there was a risk, we should go ahead.
The whole exercise illustrated an important principle that Srila Prabhupada often mentioned, that in whatever we do we should be careful and cautious and use our intelligence. He defined intelligence as seeing the same thing from different angles of vision, different points of view. He didn’t want us to just blindly rush forward: “Now we are going to fulfill Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s prophecy; we are going to fulfill Nityananda Prabhu’s desire.” We are in the material world, and in the material world there are many dangers—padam padam, there is danger at every step—and Prabhupada wanted us to be cautious and careful and to see things from different angles of vision, not just rush ahead based on blind faith or enthusiasm.
Then, at the end of the discussion, Prabhupada said, “If you all build this temple for Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura will personally come and take you all back to Godhead.” Bhaktivinoda Thakura has that power. In fact, before we end, we will sing a song by him, Ohe! Vaisnava Thakura, in which he prays to the Vaishnava, “Krishna is yours, and you can give Him to me, for such is your power. So I am running behind you, crying out, ‘Krishna! Krishna!’ ” That is the truth: The Vaishnava possesses Krishna. Krishna comes under the control of the love of the pure devotee, and if the pure devotee is pleased with our service, he can deliver Krishna to us. That is really how we progress. Yes, we have to make our effort, but ultimately our success depends on the mercy of higher authorities. If we please them by our sincere efforts to serve and follow their instructions, if they are satisfied, they can deliver Krishna to us. So, we should submit ourselves at their lotus feet, roll in the dust of their lotus feet, and beg them for their mercy. We have no other hope. Our effort isn’t really what brings success. Our effort is there because we have to make our effort; it is our duty.
I read in His Holiness Radhanath Swami’s memoir, The Journey Home, that Maharaja was once spending the night with Ramesh Baba in Varsana when there was news that a man-eating leopard was on the prowl and that it had already massacred some cows and villagers. In those days, Varsana—the whole area of Vraja—was much less built up than it is now. Srila Prabhupada’s friend Bhagatji, who had a house near the Krishna-Balarama temple, said that when he moved to Vrindavan, in the 1930s or so, the forest was so thick that he could walk from Raman Reti to Govardhana Hill in the middle of the day and never see the light of the sun. That was just forty years before Prabhupada began the Krishna-Balarama temple.
So, Ramesh Baba was taking rest outside Mana-ghata, and with the leopard nearby, Radhanath Swami thought, “If he is going to stay there, I will stay there with him.” So, he lay down, and Ramesh Baba had a wooden stick by his side. When Radhanath Swami asked about it, Ramesh Baba said, “Yes, there is a leopard on the prowl.” Radhanath Swami asked, “What will that small stick do to protect us from a wild leopard?” “Nothing,” Ramesh Babaji replied. “Only the Lord can protect us. Our duty, however, is to show Krishna that we are doing our part.”
The same principle applies to all of our devotional practices. We have to show that we are making the effort, but without mercy we have no ability to move forward even one inch in devotional service. Of course, the more effort we put in, you could say, the more result we will get, because we are showing how sincere and eager we are. But it is really the mercy of the acharyas and the Supreme Personality of Godhead that enables us to move forward even one iota. Bhaktivinoda Thakura was in that mood. Every acharya is in that mood, because that’s how they get the mercy and strength to practice and preach Krishna consciousness. And that’s how we have this song, Ohe! Vaisnava Thakura.
Srila Prabhupada demonstrated this principle in a unique way in a very special context. When I was in Madras—the first devotee from ISKCON to go there to preach—I was meeting various prominent people, and many of them were interested, but one who took very keen interest was the chief justice of the high court, Justice Veeraswami. Toward the end of Prabhupada’s visit to Madras, after a successful five-day program, Justice Veeraswami arranged a pandal program for Srila Prabhupada and the devotees. And he invited all the other high court judges and high court advocates to attend.
In his talk Srila Prabhupada quoted the verse from Sad-gosvamy-astaka about the Six Gosvamis: tyaktva turnam asesa-mandala-pati-srenim sada tuccha-vat, that although they had been very highly placed people (mandala-pati) they had rejected it all as insignificant (tuccha-vat) and joined the mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Prabhupada was appealing to these leaders, these high court judges and advocates, that they too should give up their prestigious positions and join Lord Chaitanya’s mission.
After the program, the chief justice invited Srila Prabhupada and the devotees to his home for prasada, and there he presented Srila Prabhupada a beautiful, small silver statue of Krishna. Amongst all the adult devotees there was one child, Saraswati, the three-year-old daughter of Shyamsundar and Malati, and Srila Prabhupada engaged her in a very dramatic way. He held the little statue of Krishna in front of her and said, “Saraswati, who is this?” And Saraswati said, “It is Krishna.” Then he held the deity behind his back and said, “Saraswati, where is Krishna?” Saraswati started looking everywhere, and when she couldn’t find the deity, she became filled with anxiety: “Where is Krishna? Where is Krishna?”
Then Malati said, “Saraswati, who has Krishna?” And Saraswati’s eyes opened wide and her face lit up and she said, “Prabhupada has Krishna!” And then she looked at Prabhupada with such joy and expectation and ran up to him, and Prabhupada brought the deity of Krishna out from behind his back and gave it to her.
I thought, Wow! Prabhupada had illustrated such a profound truth. It was like Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura: “You have Krishna, and you have the power to deliver Him to us.” But to get Krishna from a Vaishnava, to get love of Krishna, we have to be eager like Saraswati. She was so eager to find Krishna and so anxious without Him: “Where is Krishna? Where is Krishna?” Prabhupada quoted that last verse of the Sad-gosvamy-astaka: he radhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-suno kutah, sri-govardhana-kalpa-padapa-tale kalindi-vanye kutah/ ghosantav iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair maha-vihvalau, vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau, that the Six Gosvamis were wandering all over Vrindavan, crying, “O Krishna, O Radharani, O Lalita—where are you? Are you at Govardhana Hill or are you at the banks of the Yamuna?” These were their moods in executing Krishna consciousness. When we have that eagerness and intense longing and desire in separation, Krishna, by the mercy of the devotee or devotees, will gradually manifest Himself to us. But we have to have that eagerness. And that eagerness arises when we become purified, and we become purified by making a concerted effort.
I had a dream a couple of years ago in which Srila Prabhupada told me, “You have to be mad for Krishna.” It was a nice dream. Shortly thereafter, Radhanath Swami came to stay with me and I mentioned the dream to him, and when I said that—“mad for Krishna”—he said, “Oh, that’s a very advanced stage.” So, that is not something to be taken lightly, but it should be our goal, and we approach that goal by making strenuous, unstinting effort, not holding anything back, not like, “So much for Krishna and so much for me,” but, “Everything for Krishna and nothing for me”—in that mood. Of course, we have to keep our body and soul together—that’s also one of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s instructions. But yes, our goal is kirtaniyah sada harih, to always chant the holy name of Krishna.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura raises a question: “What about maintaining our body, or our families’ bodies?” He says that taking care of the body, or taking measures necessary to maintain the body, which also includes working, earning money, and spending money, does not violate the principle of kirtaniyah sada harih, always chanting the holy name of Krishna, if we do it just enough to meet our requirements so that we can use all our other time for Krishna kirtan.
So, he was also very practical. So many instructions, so many wonderful books. Hari-nama-cintamani is a small book about chanting the holy name; Jaiva-dharma; Sri Caitanya-siksamrta is so full of valuable instructions.
In Jaiva-dharma Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura discusses kanistha, madhyama, and uttama devotees. Of course, all of our acharyas follow the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam; those books are the basic authorities. The Bhagavatam says in relation to the madhyama-bhagavata: prema-maitri-krpopeksa, yah karoti sa madhyamah, that he gives his love to Krishna, makes friendship with devotees, is merciful to the innocent, and neglects (upeksa) the envious. Almost everyone in the material world is envious of Krishna. Unless you are a pure devotee, you have some envy of Krishna. But there are people who are really envious. They don’t want to hear about Krishna, and if you are pursuing Krishna consciousness, they discourage you. They may try to put up obstacles; they might try to convince you—so many things, sometimes even our own family members.
So, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura discusses this neglect, avoiding the association, of nondevotees: asat-sanga-tyaga,—ei vaisnava-acara, ’stri-sangi’—eka asadhu, ‘krsnabhakta’ ara. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says asat. Sat is a word for “devotee,” so asat means “nondevotees.” Asat-sanga-tyaga: we should give up the association of nondevotees. And who are nondevotees? ’Stri-sangi’—eka asadhu. One is a person who is attached to sense gratification, especially to the opposite sex for sense gratification. And ’Stri-sangi’—eka asadhu, ‘krsnabhakta’ ara: the other is just an abhakta, someone who is not a devotee of Krishna. So, we are supposed to shun the association of nondevotees. But what do we do if we have family members who are nondevotees? What do we do if we are in a place with nondevotees, or work with them? Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura answers that avoiding the association of nondevotees does not mean that we cannot have normal human interaction with them as is expected in the workplace or in family; it means that we should not associate with them in relation to our spiritual advancement. We shouldn’t take their advice in relation to our spiritual progress.
In the Seventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Narada’s instructions on the ideal family life, Narada says the same thing, that if you are a devotee and a family member tells you that you should lead a different kind of life, outwardly you should say, “Yes, what you say is very good,” but inwardly you should continue in your own determination and keep your life simple.
So, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that we should not abandon family members who are not devotees. Of course, that would depend on one’s ashrama, but he says that we should not abandon them, but that for our spiritual advancement we should keep the association of only devotees.
In Hari-nama-cintamani Bhaktivinoda Thakura first discusses the holy name in general and then discusses the ten offenses. The first offense is sadhu-ninda: blaspheming devotees. Bhaktivinoda Thakura is very analytical and precise, and with each of the ten offenses he begins by defining the terms. So, sadhu-ninda. Ninda is easy. Ninda means “to criticize,” “to blaspheme,” “to find fault.” But sadhu—who is a sadhu? Bhaktivinoda Thakura discusses the different qualities of a sadhu mentioned by Krishna in the Eleventh Canto, and one is krsnaika-sarana: he has taken exclusive shelter of Krishna. Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami also lists twenty-six qualities of a devotee, based mainly on those mentioned in the Eleventh Canto, and out of the twenty-six qualities, one is krsnaika-sarana, taking exclusive shelter of Krishna, or the holy name of Krishna. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that if one has that primary qualification, he or she is considered a sadhu even if he or she does not have the other twenty-five qualities. And if one has the other twenty-five qualities but does not have the qualification of having taken exclusive shelter of Krishna, the other twenty-five qualities are of little value. So that—taking exclusive shelter of Krishna—is the real qualification for a sadhu, and if someone has that, he or she is a sadhu.
Then Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura discusses possible grounds for criticizing a sadhu. One may say, “Okay, this is a sadhu; this person has taken shelter of Krishna,” but criticize the person because he has taken a low birth or is of a lower caste or had previously engaged in sinful activities or still has vestiges of sinful activities even after coming to the association of devotees. One might think that one can criticize like that. But Bhaktivinoda Thakura says no, these are all sadhu-ninda. So, we have to be careful about this, because our spiritual advancement depends on the association of sadhus and our practical service to the mission depends on their cooperative effort. If we blaspheme, find fault, backbite, we will destroy our devotional service.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura then discusses people who could be considered sadhus but who actually are not sadhus, because we don’t want to mistake a sadhu for an asadhu. Sometimes people will say, “You are not a devotee. Devotees are humble. You are not humble, so you are not a devotee.” But Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that if you are surrendered to Krishna, even if you don’t have the other twenty-five qualifications, such as humility, you are still considered a sadhu. Sadhur eva sa mantavyah.
But we also don’t want to mistake an asadhu for a sadhu. Bhaktivinoda Thakura mentions three categories of asadhus who are often mistaken for sadhus. One is the Mayavadi. Although Mayavadis may dress as sadhus and be considered by others as sadhus, they are not actually sadhus. Another category is the atheist. And the third category is dharmadvaji. Dharma means “religion” and dvaja means “flag.” So dharmadvaji means a pretender, someone who is waving the flag of religion but is not really a devotee.
These are three categories of asadhus, nondevotees who are sometimes mistaken as sadhus. Srila Prabhupada regularly criticized people who were revered as spiritual leaders in India. He said, “Perhaps for the first time, I am the only one who is exposing them as fools and rascals”—very heavy statement. Many people became upset with him when he criticized India’s revered, popular, “religious” figures.
There was one man in Juhu who had attended the first Bombay pandal where Prabhupada had criticized Shankaracharya. He was very intelligent and austere and well read, and years later he told me, “I was attending that pandal program, and when Prabhupada criticized Shankaracharya, I thought, ‘Who does this man think he is? Shankaracharya is perhaps the greatest acharya in the history of India. Who does this person think he is to criticize him?’ ” So, he had negative thoughts about Srila Prabhupada, but later he got one of Srila Prabhupada’s books, either Teachings of Lord Caitanya or Caitanya-caritamrta, in which Prabhupada relates the history of Lord Shiva coming as Shankaracharya to bewilder the atheists by preaching Mayavada philosophy. The man read it and came to me and said, “After reading this book, I realized that everything that Prabhupada was saying was true.” And then he surrendered; he became a devotee.
Another incident involved Srila Prabhupada’s regular companion on his morning walks on Juhu Beach, Dr. C. P. Patel. One morning in particular Dr. Patel praised some famous, popular, Indian religious figure. When Srila Prabhupada said, “He is a rascal,” Dr. Patel got upset: “How can you say he is a rascal?” Prabhupada said, “I am not saying; Krishna is saying: na mam duskrtino mudhah, prapadyante naradhamah. It is a simple test. Is he surrendered to Krishna or not? If he is not surrendered to Krishna, he is a rascal, he is a fool, he is a demon. I am not saying; Krishna is saying.”
Dr. Patel got really upset; Prabhupada had picked on someone he cherished. So, he raised his voice, and Prabhupada raised his voice, and then he raised his voice more, and Prabhupada raised his voice more, and finally they were literally shouting at each other. It was scary, actually. Dr. Patel’s cronies tried to restrain him, saying, “Swamiji has a heart condition. Don’t upset him so.” They were physically . . . it was like in a boxing ring: the bell rings, signaling that the round is over, but the fighters are still pounding each other, and the referee and their trainers are trying to pull them apart. They wouldn’t stop. Then finally Dr. Patel’s people pulled him away.
After that, for the first time in years, Dr. Patel stopped coming on Srila Prabhupada’s walks. For years he had come to Prabhupada’s room and escorted him in his car or walked with him to the beach or at least met up with him at the beach. But after the argument, he didn’t come. Prabhupada also said, “All right, from now on no discussion. We will only read the Krsna book on morning walks.” So, we would read the Krsna book. And Dr. Patel was avoiding us.
Then one morning, Prabhupada was walking in one direction, toward the ocean, and Dr. Patel was walking in the opposite direction, away from the ocean. And the way Dr. Patel described it, something in his heart just made him change direction and walk straight to Srila Prabhupada. He bowed and touched Srila Prabhupada’s lotus feet and said, “Prabhupada, I am sorry, but we have been trained to respect all the accredited saints of India.” And Prabhupada replied, “Our business is to point out who is not a saint.” Acharyas have to do that, but it is not ninda. It can be, but it is not ninda if it is done to help people who could be misled by a demon or rascal, to keep them from falling into bad association thinking that they are getting the association of a saintly person.
But otherwise, ninda sunya. Rupa Gosvami says that one should take shelter of a Vaishnava whose heart is completely free from the propensity to criticize others. A pure devotee wants only to chant the holy name and hear about Krishna and preach the message of Krishna. He has no interest in criticizing others, even nondevotees, demons, but for the sake of preaching, for the sake of Krishna’s mission, Mahaprabhu’s mission, the previous acharyas’ mission, they do it to help others, to free them from false attachments so they can take to Krishna consciousness. Or even if they are in Krishna consciousness, to prevent them from unknowingly falling into bad association and being diverted. That’s the mercy of the acharya, the sadhu, the preacher, but otherwise they have no interest in criticizing anyone or anything. They are happy just to chant and hear about Krishna.
So, today is a most auspicious day. Our system is parampara. We approach our immediate spiritual master and serve him, and through him we serve the predecessor acharyas. But on special days like today, on appearance days and disappearance days, by the mercy of our spiritual master we can approach the previous acharyas directly, like when we offer them puspanjali. And we can beg them, “Please give me your mercy. Please give me some of what you have, which I want desperately, and even if I don’t have the desire, the desire is not very strong, please give me the desire and make my desire stronger.” Wherever we are on that path of desire, we can pray to get the desire, to increase the desire. Because it all depends on desire—everything depends on desire. Krishna fulfills all desires, and if what we really desire is Krishna and Krishna’s service, that is what He will fulfill.
The way we show our desire is by making the effort, by spending the time. If we spend the time chanting, trying to chant with attention, even if we aren’t even able to pay attention that well and our mind is still unsteady or distracted, if we just take the time to make the effort, Krishna will see, “Oh, this person is taking the time to try to develop his relationship with Me.” Or reading Srila Prabhupada’s books—even if we don’t understand exactly what we are reading, even if we can’t appreciate it or relate to it, if we just spend the time reading, trying to understand, hoping to come to appreciate, then Krishna, the previous acharyas, will say, “Oh, this person is spending the time.” It is association. Chanting means associating with Krishna; reading Srimad-Bhagavatam means associating with Krishna. “This person wants My association. He is taking the time to be with Me.” And Krishna will reciprocate.
We just have to show Krishna that we want to develop a relationship with Him. We are not qualified. By His mercy He will give us the qualification, but our part at first is just to show Him that we want to develop our relationship with Him by spending time with Him. To develop a relationship with someone, you have to spend time with the person. So, chanting with attention, reading Prabhupada’s books, worshipping the Deity, sraddhaya, with faith and veneration, not just mechanically, externally—spending time with Krishna. When Krishna sees that we want to spend time with Him, develop our relationship with Him, He will help us. We just have to spend the time and make the effort.
Srila Prabhupada was holding Krishna for Saraswati. He actually wanted to give Him to her, but he could do so properly only when she was sufficiently anxious, sufficiently eager, when her desire was strong enough that she would really appreciate it. Srila Prabhupada and our other acharyas have Krishna—they want to give Him to us, and they have the power to give Him to us—but they don’t want to cast pearls before swine. They want us to value what they have to give us, and when we understand what that most valuable treasure is and really want it, and when we take the time to develop our relationship with Krishna and they see that it, and nothing else, is really what we want, they will fulfill our desire—by their mercy. If that’s what we want, if Krishna and Krishna’s service is all we want, we will get it by their mercy.
Hare Krishna.
I’ve requested Mukunda Datta Prabhu to lead that song, Ohe! Vaisnava Thakura, in which Bhaktivinoda Thakura expresses the mood that we all want to develop; and, like offering a drop of Ganges water to the Ganges, we can offer that mood, in his words, to him so that he will give us a drop of faith in the holy name.
Ohe! Vaisnava Thakura
(from Saranagati)
ohe!
vaisnaba thakura, doyara sagara,
e dase koruna kori’
diya pada-chaya, sodho he amaya,
tomara carana dhori
O venerable Vaisnava, O ocean of mercy, be merciful unto your servant. Give me the shade of your lotus feet and purify me. I hold on to your lotus feet.
chaya bega domi’, chaya dosa sodhi’,
chaya guna deho’ dase
chaya sat-sanga, deho’ he amare,
boshechi sangera ase
Teach me to control my six urges; rectify my six faults, bestow upon me the six qualities, and offer unto me the six kinds of holy association.*
ekaki amara, nahi paya bala,
hari-nama-sankirtane
tumi krpa kori’, sraddha-bindu diya,
deho’ krsna-nama-dhane
I do not find the strength to carry on alone the sankirtana of the holy name of Hari. Please bless me by giving me just one drop of faith with which to obtain the great treasure of the holy name of Krishna.
krsna se tomara, krsna dite paro,
tomara sakati ache
ami to’ kangala, ‘krsna’ ‘krsna’ boli’,
dhai tava pache pache
Krishna is yours; you have the power to give Him to me. I am simply running behind you shouting, “Krishna! Krishna!”
*The six urges are those of speech, the mind, anger, the tongue, the belly, and the genitals. The six faults are overeating, overendeavoring for material objectives, talking unnecessarily of mundane affairs, being too attached to or too neglectful of scriptural rules and regulations, associating with worldly-minded persons, and desiring mundane achievements. The six good qualities are enthusiasm, confidence, and patience, and performing the regulated activities of devotional service, giving up the association of nondevotees, and following in the footsteps of the previous acharyas. The six methods of holy association are offering gifts in charity, accepting charitable gifts, revealing one’s mind in confidence, inquiring confidentially, accepting prasada from devotees, and offering prasada to devotees.
[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura ’s appearance day, September 1, 2009, New Dvaraka, Los Angeles]
When we say Krishna knows the future but does not intervene, that is one way to reconcile his omnipotence and omniscience. But then the question arises: does this mean our future is fixed—that Krishna won’t change it, and we also cannot change it? If so, then what is the point of trying to purify and improve ourselves?
This is one of those questions for which it is very difficult to have a single definitive answer. Almost every answer raises new questions, and those in turn invite further answers. So, while there may not be a conclusive explanation, I will share some ways in which I’ve tried to understand this issue.
Over time I’ve looked into our own tradition, studied other traditions, and spoken with many devotees. This problem is not unique to the Vedic tradition; it is a challenge faced by all theistic philosophers. God’s omniscience and omnipotence—two defining attributes—create logical paradoxes that have been debated for centuries. Christian theologians, for example, have developed elaborate treatments of these questions, whereas Vedic theologians have generally focused more on explaining the Vedic statements themselves rather than systematically addressing modern rational challenges.
In recent centuries, Hindu philosophy has had to face rational scrutiny more directly, especially with the rise of modernity and political attacks (e.g., regarding caste, mythology, or historicity). Much of the focus has been on defending tradition rather than systematically addressing deep logical-philosophical issues. That is changing gradually, but the rational aspect has often remained secondary.
With that background, I’ll share three possible ways of reconciling God’s omniscience and human free will.
A GPS has the entire map of a territory. Whichever turn I take, the GPS can show where I will end up. It knows all possible outcomes based on the choices I make. But it does not force me to take any particular turn.
In this sense, God’s omniscience can be understood similarly. Krishna knows the consequences of every choice we may make, but he does not dictate the choice itself. Our free will operates within the boundaries of the available “roads,” while some paths may simply be blocked by circumstance.
This view maintains that Krishna’s omniscience and our free will can coexist. His knowledge includes every possible consequence, but our choice remains genuinely ours.
Another way to look at it is through predictive algorithms, like those used in search engines. These do not just provide all options—they also make predictions based on our past behavior.
Similarly, Krishna, as Paramatma, knows not only the consequences of our actions but also our tendencies, history, and current consciousness. He is in the best possible position to “predict” our likely choices—far better than any human-made algorithm.
Still, just as predictive models are not 100% accurate (because human behavior can change), so too human free will retains unpredictability. Thus, Krishna’s omniscience includes knowledge of our tendencies and their likely direction, without negating the possibility of change.
A third approach is to recognize that Krishna’s attributes are not rigid or static but function in a hierarchy. For example, a nation may value both security and humanitarian concern. One attribute does not necessarily override the other in every case; priorities are arranged dynamically.
Similarly, Krishna’s omniscience and omnipotence are not his supreme attributes. His supreme quality is his loving reciprocation with his devotees—his desire to attract conditioned souls to the world of love. All other attributes serve that higher purpose.
If Krishna were bound by omniscience alone, his playful pastimes (līlās) would lose their spontaneity. If he were bound by omnipotence alone, Mother Yashoda would never have been able to bind him with ropes. Thus, his omniscience and omnipotence are expressed in harmony with, and subordinate to, his loving nature.
From this perspective, the real question is not “Does Krishna know our future in detail?” but “What is most important to Krishna?” The answer is: loving reciprocation.
Prabhupada often gave deceptively simple answers:
Such answers may sound humorous, but they reveal a deeper point: Krishna is not trapped by logical categories or by his own attributes. He freely uses his attributes for the higher purpose of love.
Therefore, whether or not Krishna knows the precise details of every future action, the higher principle is that he allows us the freedom to express our love. Our efforts to purify and improve ourselves are meaningful because Krishna values that freedom and reciprocation.
Earlier I sometimes stated more categorically that Krishna may not know every future choice we will make, to preserve space for free will. Over time, however, I have become cautious about such statements, since they appear to contradict a core divine attribute without explicit scriptural basis.
There are scriptural episodes (e.g., Lord Ram with Maricha and Sita) that suggest divine “not-knowing,” but these can also be understood through the workings of Yogamaya. Ultimately, the safest scripturally consistent answer is: Krishna knows the future, but he does not interfere with our choices.
Still, as a teacher, I feel the need not only to be scripturally faithful (prescriptive) but also experientially relatable (descriptive). Devotees today, especially in the modern rational world, struggle with reconciling God’s attributes with lived experience. That is why I find the “hierarchy of attributes” explanation especially helpful—it emphasizes that the purpose of existence is not logic but love.
The post If Krishna knows the future then how do we have free will to choose our future? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
We shall read from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Eight, Chapter Twenty-two: “Bali Maharaja Surrenders His Life.” We begin with the chapter summary:
“The summary of this twenty-second chapter is as follows. The Supreme Personality of Godhead was pleased by the behavior of Bali Maharaja. Thus the Lord placed him on the planet Sutala, and there, after bestowing benedictions upon him, the Lord agreed to become his doorman.
“Bali Maharaja was extremely truthful. Being unable to keep his promise, he was very much afraid, for he knew that one who has deviated from truthfulness is insignificant in the eyes of society. An exalted person can suffer the consequences of hellish life, but he is very much afraid of being defamed for deviation from the truth. Bali Maharaja agreed with great pleasure to accept the punishment awarded him by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In Bali Maharaja’s dynasty there were many asuras who because of their enmity toward Visnu had achieved a destination more exalted than that of many mystic yogis. Bali Maharaja specifically remembered the determination of Prahlada Maharaja in devotional service. Considering all these points, he decided to give his head in charity as the place for Visnu’s third step. Bali Maharaja also considered how great personalities give up their family relationships and material possessions to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Indeed, they sometimes even sacrifice their lives for the satisfaction of the Lord, just to become His personal servants. Accordingly, by following in the footsteps of previous acaryas and devotees, Bali Maharaja perceived himself successful.
“While Bali Maharaja, having been arrested by the ropes of Varuna, was offering prayers to the Lord, his grandfather Prahlada Maharaja appeared there and described how the Supreme Personality of Godhead had delivered Bali Maharaja by taking his possessions in a tricky way. While Prahlada Maharaja was present, Lord Brahma and Bali’s wife, Vindhyavali, described the supremacy of the Supreme Lord. Since Bali Maharaja had given everything to the Lord, they prayed for his release. The Lord then described how a nondevotee’s possession of wealth is a danger whereas a devotee’s opulence is a benediction from the Lord. Then, being pleased with Bali Maharaja, the Supreme Lord offered His disc to protect Bali Maharaja and promised to remain with him.”
COMMENT by Giriraj Swami
The Lord appears in various incarnations to favor the devotees. Although Bali Maharaja was born in a family of demons, he was a devotee, and Vamanadeva appeared to favor him as well as to favor the demigods, who were also devotees.
The Lord reciprocates with the particular mentality of each individual devotee. Bali Maharaja was inclined to give charity. In fact, he had achieved his opulence by the favor of the brahmans, to whom he had given so much. Therefore Lord Vishnu, in order to take service from Bali Maharaja, assumed the form of a brahman and begged some charity from him. And because Bali Maharaja was so inclined to give charity to brahmans, he agreed to give Vamanadeva whatever He asked. Vamana replied, “I would like three steps of land.” Bali Maharaja was surprised. He said, “I thought You were more intelligent. You could ask for a whole planet. Why do You ask only for three steps of land?” And Vamana answered, “If I cannot be satisfied by three steps of land, I will not be satisfied by even a whole planet.” Srila Prabhupada enunciated the same principle for devotees, especially for brahmacharis: “All you need is a little service, a little prasada, and a little place to lie down at night”—three steps of land. Vamanadeva Himself played the role of a brahmachari, so He set the example.
Now we come to the point at which Prahlada Maharaja appears in the arena where Bali Maharaja had been arrested and bound by the ropes of Varuna because of his failure to keep his promise. After Bali Maharaja agreed to give three steps of land, Vamanadeva expanded Himself into a gigantic form. With one step He covered the entire upper planetary system, and His toe actually pierced the coverings of the universe. Spiritual water from the causal ocean entered the universe through the hole made by His toe, and that spiritual water became the Ganges River. Then with His second step Vamanadeva covered the entire lower portion of the universe, and so with two steps He had covered the entire universe. Thus He concluded that Bali Maharaja would not be able to fulfill his promise and should therefore be arrested and punished. Now Bali Maharaja will find the most intelligent solution to the problem and tell the Lord, “You can place Your third step on my head, and thus I will fulfill my promise.”So, Prahlada Maharaja came and made a statement that is important for today’s verse:
TEXT 16
sri-prahrada uvaca
tvayaiva dattam padam aindram urjitam
hrtam tad evadya tathaiva sobhanam
manye mahan asya krto hy anugraho
vibhramsito yac chriya atma-mohanat
TRANSLATION
Prahlada Maharaja said: My Lord, it is Your Lordship who gave this Bali the very great opulence of the post of heavenly king, and now, today, it is You who have taken it all away. I think You have acted with equal beauty in both ways. Because his exalted position as king of heaven was putting him in the darkness of ignorance, You have done him a very merciful favor by taking away all his opulence.
PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada
As it is said, yasyaham anugrhnami harisye tad-dhanam sanaih (SB 10.88.8). It is by the mercy of the Lord that one gets all material opulence, but if such material opulence causes one to become puffed up and forget the process of self-realization, the Lord certainly takes all the opulence away. The Lord bestows mercy upon His devotee by helping him find out his constitutional position. For that purpose, the Lord is always ready to help the devotee in every way. But material opulence is sometimes dangerous because it diverts one’s attention to false prestige by giving one the impression that he is the owner and master of everything he surveys, although actually this is not the fact. To protect the devotee from such a misunderstanding, the Lord, showing special mercy, sometimes takes away his material possessions. Yasyaham anugrhnami harisye tad-dhanam sanaih.
COMMENT
Srila Prabhupada remarked that one astrologer in India had predicted that Prabhupada would become the wealthiest man in India, and in the beginning he was very successful in business—first as the manager of Dr. Bose’s chemical laboratory in Calcutta and later as the proprietor of his own business. But in time his business began to fail, and he came across the verse he quoted in the purport here (yasyaham anugrhnami), in which Lord Krishna says that the first installment of His special mercy upon a devotee is to take away the devotee’s opulence so that the devotee has no recourse other than surrendering unto Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And if the devotee tries to build up his opulence again, the Lord will take it away again—and again, until the devotee gives up the vain attempt to enjoy material opulence without the Lord.
Now, someone may hear about the Lord’s special mercy and become fearful: “I don’t want to lose my opulence. If I become a devotee and have to lose my opulence, I’d better not become a devotee.” But actually, the Lord does not always take away the devotee’s opulence; sometimes He gives the devotee more opulence, according to whatever is best for the particular devotee in his or her particular circumstance. So, we should have faith in the Lord, that He will do whatever is best for us.
In Bombay I have seen cases of devotees who have become extremely opulent by the grace of the Lord. One, Dr. Narendra Desai, who was later initiated as Sri Nathaji dasa, had a father who was a very shrewd businessman and a member of parliament but suddenly passed away and left Dr. Desai, who was still relatively young, with the responsibility of taking over the family’s businesses. I used to meet many of the more affluent people of Bombay, and I heard talk about Dr. Desai, that he was a good person but not as shrewd as his father had been and therefore less likely to do so well in business. But Dr. Desai increased the business many times over. He was very strict in his spiritual practices. He got up early every morning, had mangala-arati at home, and then chanted his rounds. He lived in a compound in a nice area of Bombay, with five buildings situated around a small park, with a driveway running in front of the buildings and encircling the park. In the morning, he would take a japa walk in the garden, and people would come up to him. Especially after he took initiation, people would approach him—people who hardly knew him—and say, “Oh, you have taken initiation. Why didn’t you consult me? I would have advised you differently.” But he opened new companies, and the new businesses flourished, and he became even more opulent.
So, sometimes, to encourage a devotee, Krishna will grant more opulence, but if the devotee becomes bewildered by the opulence, Krishna may take it away so that the devotee becomes free from false prestige and realizes his constitutional position as the eternal servant of Krishna. Whatever Krishna has to do for the benefit of the devotee, He will do. So, the Lord is like a parent. The father will do whatever is best for the child. Sometimes he will give bitter medicine to the child, and sometimes he will give sweet candies. Sometimes he will indulge the child, and sometimes he will discipline the child. But whatever he does is meant for the child’s benefit. So, the Supreme Lord is the Supreme Father, and whatever He does is for the devotee’s benefit. Whether He gives the devotee opulence or takes it away, He acts with equal care.
And the devotee accepts the Lord’s dealings equally, completely surrendered, with full faith that the Lord will do whatever is best for him. Thus Prithu Maharaja prayed:
tvan-mayayaddha jana isa khandito
yad anyad asasta rtatmano ’budhah
yatha cared bala-hitam pita svayam
tatha tvam evarhasi nah samihitum
“My Lord, due to Your illusory energy, all living beings in this material world have forgotten their real constitutional position, and out of ignorance they are always desirous of material happiness in the form of society, friendship, and love. Therefore, please do not ask me to take some material benefits from You, but as a father, not waiting for the son’s demand, does everything for the benefit of the son, please bestow upon me whatever You think best for me.” (SB 4.20.31)
Srila Prabhupada said that in his own case, in the beginning Krishna tested him by taking everything away—his business failed—and in the end Krishna tested him by giving him everything. And Srila Prabhupada, as Krishna’s representative and servant, actually did become the richest man in India—not just spiritually, but even materially. Of course, he did not think that anything was his own; he saw everything as Krishna’s. But he did have very nice places to stay, very nice servants, and very nice prasada according to his taste, and he was blessed with all opulence by the grace of the Lord.
Now we come to today’s verse:
TEXT 17
yaya hi vidvan api muhyate yatas
tat ko vicaste gatim atmano yatha
tasmai namas te jagad-isvaraya vai
narayanayakhila-loka-saksine
TRANSLATION
Material opulence is so bewildering that it makes even a learned, self-controlled man forget to search for the goal of self-realization. But the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, the Lord of the universe, can see everything by His will. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.
PURPORT
The words ko vicaste gatim atmano yatha indicate that when one is puffed up by the false prestige of possessing material opulence, he certainly neglects the goal of self-realization. This is the position of the modern world. Because of so-called scientific improvements in material opulence, people have entirely given up the path of self-realization. Practically no one is interested in God, one’s relationship with God, or how one should act. Modern men have altogether forgotten such questions because they are mad for material possessions. If this kind of civilization continues, the time will soon come when the Supreme Personality of Godhead will take away all the material opulences. Then people will come to their senses.
COMMENT
The same principle that operates in an individual’s life also operates in the evolution of a society’s collective life. Here Srila Prabhupada gives the warning that if modern civilization continues to be mad after material acquisition and neglectful of the real goal of life—to be reinstated in one’s constitutional position as the eternal servant of Krishna and go back home, back to Godhead—then, to show favor to the bewildered souls of the modern age, Krishna may take away their opulence.
Srila Prabhupada often related the story of the yogi and the mouse. Once, a mouse approached a yogi and said, “I am being harassed by a cat.” So, the yogi said, “Then what do you want?” The mouse replied, “I want to become a cat.” “All right,” said the yogi. “Now you become a cat!” And he fulfilled the mouse’s desire. After some time, the cat approached the yogi and said, “I’m being harassed by a dog.” The yogi said, “What do you want?” And the cat replied, “I want to become a dog.” “All right; so be it.” After some time, the dog approached the yogi and said, “I am afraid of a tiger.” “Do you want to become a tiger?” “Yes.” “So be it.” But as soon as the dog became a tiger, he started to look at the yogi as if he was going to pounce on him and devour him. And the yogi immediately said, punar musiko bhava—“Again you become a mouse.”
Srila Prabhupada explains that by the grace of the Lord, modern civilization has gotten bigger and bigger and bigger. But if in their opulence people think they can finish the Lord and enjoy their opulence without Him, then the Lord may say, punar musiko bhava—“Again you become a mouse. No more skyscrapers, no more superhighways, no more mega-computers. Go back to the fields. Go back to the jungles.” Then people may become sober. They may wake up from their dream. They may consider, “Boy, we’ve put all our efforts into material civilization, and look what happened.”
Srila Prabhupada thought that the means for taking away the opulence of the maddened materialistic civilization could be a world war or nuclear war. When I was in the Western European zone, the GBC for the zone showed the leaders there a movie about a town in England called Sheffield and what would happen there if an atomic bomb were dropped on it—what would happen to the people. It was quite a terrifying look into a possible future of the world. So, Srila Prabhupada has given the hint that if we remain maddened by material opulence and sense gratification, and forget God and the real purpose of life, then God may take away our material opulence to make us sober. And He may do it through devastation. But then again, if by our preaching and distributing books people can realize their actual identities and purpose of life, they may not need to suffer the consequences of atomic warfare to wake up.
One day in 1971, when Srila Prabhupada was staying in a house in Delhi, the father of the boy who was translating Prabhupada’s books from English into Hindi came there to visit him. The father was also sort of a devotee, but he had a bad habit—smoking. So, Srila Prabhupada asked the father, “Have you given up smoking?” And the father answered, “No. But isn’t there some special mercy? Can’t I get some special mercy so that I can give up smoking?” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “Special mercy? Yes, there is special mercy: yasyaham anugrhnami harisye tad-dhanam sanaih. The Lord can give special mercy, and when He gives that special mercy, the first thing He does is He takes away the devotee’s material opulence. And, as the verse continues, then the devotee becomes poverty-stricken, and when he becomes poverty-stricken all of his friends and relatives reject him. So he suffers doubly. He suffers because he has lost his opulence, and he suffers because his so-called friends and family rebuke him and neglect him. So, yes, there is special mercy.” Then Mr. Gupta said, “No, no. That’s all right. I don’t want any special mercy. I’ll make my own efforts.”
That is the basic choice. As long as we are faithful to Krishna, He won’t forsake us; He will give us the chance to come to Him voluntarily. But if He sees that there is an impediment that we are unable to overcome—such as material opulence—He will remove the impediment so that we can come to Him more easily. And if the Lord does choose to take away the obstacle of material opulence, the devotee accepts it. But if the devotee is strong enough to remember his position as the Lord’s eternal servant and use the material opulence to serve Krishna, then the Lord does not have to take it away. As Srila Prabhupada said, “In the beginning the Lord tested me by taking everything away, and in the end He tested me by giving me everything.” So, if Krishna feels we are ready, He can give us any amount of opulence to be used in Krishna’s service.
Sometimes Srila Prabhupada would say, “Krishna is the proprietor of the universe, and He can give you the whole world, but what would you do with it?” When we preach, opulence does come, but as we become more and more pure, Krishna will entrust us with more and more opulence, because He knows that we will use it in His service and won’t become bewildered. As Srila Prabhupada once wrote to me, “If we work sincerely without any material aspirations, Krishna will help in all respects.”
In any case, our mood should be like that of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, who prayed, manasa, deho, geho, jo kichu mor: “Whatever I have—my mind, my body, my words, my family, my household paraphernalia—it all belongs to You. In life or in death, in happiness or distress, in opulence or poverty, You are my Lord and I will serve You.”
manasa, deho, geho, jo kichu mor
arpilun tuwa pade, nanda-kisor!
“Mind, body, and family, whatever may be mine, I have surrendered at Your lotus feet, O youthful son of Nanda!”
sampade vipade, jivane-marane
day mama gela, tuwa o-pada barane
“In good fortune or bad, in life or death, all my difficulties have disappeared because I have chosen those lotus feet of Yours as my only shelter.” (Saranagati)
That should be our mood in devotional service.
Hare Krishna.
Are there any questions or comments?
Sankara Pandit dasa: Do we have to reach any particular stage to understand that the Lord is reciprocating with our mentality?
Giriraj Swami: I would say that a devotee can perceive the Lord’s reciprocation in any stage. I think of the different stages that begin with annamaya, appreciating the Lord’s mercy in the form of food. When we were traveling in India with Srila Prabhupada, one tourist from England joined us, and sometimes he would sit next to me during prasada. And he would say, “I am so degraded. I am so fallen. I am so bad. But still the Lord is giving me prasada. The Lord is very merciful.” He would remark, “Krishna is there. Krishna is there. Otherwise, how could I get nice prasada every day, even though I’m such a fallen soul?” He saw that the Lord was associating with him, or reciprocating with him, by giving him prasada. So, I think that any devotee in any stage can more or less appreciate the Lord’s kindness.
Higher levels of reciprocation will come as we advance—although in principle there is no difference. Krishna says, ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham: “As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly.” (Gita 4.11) But the higher stages come as one progresses. Then one may realize that he or she wants to serve the form of Lord Narayana, so the Lord will appear as Lord Narayana. Someone will want to serve the Lord in the form of Ramachandra, so He will appear to that devotee in the form of Ramachandra. Someone will want to serve the Lord in the form of Krishna, and the Lord will appear in His original form as Krishna. Then too, if one wants to serve Krishna in vatsalya-rasa, Krishna will appear as baby Krishna in kaumara age. If one wants to serve in sakhya-rasa, Krishna will appear in pauganda age, about five to ten. And if someone wants to serve in madhurya-rasa, Krishna will appear in His attractive feature as Kishora, in kaisora age— Kishora-Kishori. So, in the liberated stage when one actually begins to develop his or her eternal relationship with the Lord in the spiritual world, the Lord will reciprocate by manifesting Himself in the particular form in which the devotee wants to see Him and serve Him.
Candramauli Swami: [inaudible]
Giriraj Swami: Candramauli Swami says that the Lord will favor a devotee by giving him the association of advanced devotees and more and more opportunity for service. And yes, that is very true, very true.
Devakinandan dasa: [inaudible]
Giriraj Swami: Devakinandan Prabhu says that as the world is becoming more materialistic, we can expect that the situation will become more hellish. But at the same time, we are in the golden age of Lord Chaitanya. So, can we expect that the world will become better?
One thing I have heard that makes sense—and Srila Prabhupada was not making predictions based on some mystic power or astrological calculations; he was just explaining the law of action and reaction—is that if you are sinful you will suffer, and if you are pious you will enjoy. If the people continue to be sinful, they will suffer more, and, as he said, the ultimate loss is the loss of the body—death. Death is the ultimate calamity. One scenario that Srila Prabhupada mentioned is that if people do not become God conscious, there could be a nuclear devastation that would destroy much of the modern civilization and make people more sober. As Prabhupada says here, “The time will soon come when the Supreme Personality of Godhead will take away all the material opulence. Then people will come to their senses.” So, after people start to come to their senses, there will be more and more devotees. At present the number of devotees is insignificant compared with the number of demons. And the demons are much more powerful than the devotees. But after the devastation there will be many devotees, though there will still be many demons. So, the first war will be between the demons—one group of demons killing another group of demons. Then many devotees will come. And then the next war will be between the devotees and the demons, and the devotees will win. And then the world will become God conscious and happy.
Murari Chaitanya dasa: [inaudible]
Giriraj Swami: Murari Prabhu heard that Srila Prabhupada said that the day will come when we won’t have temples. We will just have the holy name. Well, the way you explained it, yes, it is true. We may not have temples, but we will always have the holy name. That’s more of a principle. As far as a prediction for the future, we do hear that at the end of Kali-yuga the world will be so bad that devotees will not be able to practice Krishna consciousness openly. Then they may have only the holy name. They won’t be able to have temples and deities. We saw during the communist era in Russia that in some places devotees were not allowed to practice Krishna consciousness freely. But even in jail, even in prison camps, even in psychiatric hospitals, they had the holy name.
Question: [inaudible]
Giriraj Swami: The point is that whatever happens, we will always have the holy name. Here the emphasis is on the importance of the holy name and the mercy of the holy name, not that Prabhupada was predicting that Krishna would take away our temples or any such thing.
Question: Can we determine whether someone is more Krishna conscious or less Krishna conscious by either the presence or the absence of material opulence?
Giriraj Swami: There is no absolute answer, because anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam: devotional service is beyond karma and jnana. So there is no material qualification or disqualification for devotional service. Some devotees are opulent by destiny or by the will of the Lord, and some are poor by destiny or by the will of the Lord. And all can be pure devotees. For example, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was born in a very opulent position, but gradually he gave up more and more and more, until finally he had nothing—by the grace of the Lord. But Pundarika Vidyanidhi continued to be materially opulent. Once, Mukunda took Gadadhara Pandit to meet Pundarika Vidyanidhi, and Vidyanidhi was sitting like a prince, dressed in fine garments, amidst luxurious furniture and opulent paraphernalia, being fanned with long peacock feathers by two servants. Gadadhara Pandit doubted him: “He is supposed to be a devotee and he is living in such luxury?” Mukunda detected the doubt in Gadadhara Pandit’s mind, so he sang a beautiful verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam. When Pundarika Vidyanidhi heard the verse, he was overwhelmed with transcendental ecstasy. Tears flowed from his eyes, and his body began to tremble and manifest all the symptoms of ecstatic love for Krishna. Then Gadadhara realized that Pundarika was an exalted devotee and that he (Gadadhara Pandit) had committed an offense by questioning how he could be an exalted devotee when he was enjoying an extravagant life. To atone for his offense, Gadadhara Pandit resolved, “I should accept him as my spiritual master. I should become his disciple and take instruction and initiation from him.”
So, we cannot say definitely that if someone is poor he is more advanced or that if someone is rich he is more advanced. There is also markata-vairagya, the renunciation of monkeys. Srila Prabhupada says that monkeys appear to live like advanced babajis: they have no clothes, they have no house, and they eat only fruits and berries from trees. Yet each monkey has two dozen girlfriends. That is markata-vairagya, the renunciation of monkeys. So, we cannot conclude that just because someone is living without opulence he is Krishna conscious, but neither can we conclude that just because someone has been graced with opulence he is Krishna conscious. He may have opulence by virtue of past pious activities, but right now he could have a hellish mentality—and still be enjoying material opulence because of his karma. But pure devotional service is beyond karma (jnana-karmady-anavrtam). Good karma or bad karma, it does not matter. In any case, one can still serve Krishna.
Candramauli Swami: [inaudible]
Giriraj Swami: Candramauli Swami says that we can judge by how their material position affects their devotional service. In other words, if one is attached to Krishna, he won’t be attached to maya—to the extent that he is attached to Krishna. So, when someone who is poor and attached to Krishna gets opulence, he won’t be disturbed. He will continue to serve Krishna. And if someone is opulent and attached to Krishna and then loses his opulence, he also won’t be disturbed. He will continue in his service to Krishna. So, the real factor is service to Krishna in any condition.
Devakinandan dasa: [inaudible]
Giriraj Swami: Devakinandan Prabhu says that Lord Chaitanya instructed that one should not dress luxuriously or eat opulent food but that sometimes we see that devotees do dress opulently and eat delicious food and still they advance in love of Godhead.
There are some verses:
vairagi bhai gramya-katha na sunibe kane
gramya-varta na kahibe yabe milibe ane
bhala na khaibe ara bhala na paribe
hrdayete radha-krsna sarvada sevibe
“My dear brother, you are in the renounced order of life and should not listen to talk about ordinary worldly things, nor should you talk about worldly things when you meet with others. Do not eat luxurious dishes or dress in fine garments, but always remain humble and serve Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha-Krsna in your heart of hearts.” (Prema-vivarta, Chapter Seven)
These instructions were given for one in the renounced order of life. But then too, we have the example of Srila Prabhupada. He was in the renounced order of life, but he was also the acharya, the “world preacher of bhakti cult.” He didn’t indulge in different types of new fashion, but he did accept nice clothes and nice quarters and nice prasada. Not excessive, but nice. Sometimes in America he rode in a Rolls Royce, and sometimes in India he rode in a rickshaw, but he was the same. And that is the point: whether he was riding in the rickshaw or riding in the Rolls Royce, he was the same. He was detached and fully absorbed in devotional service, in Krishna consciousness.
Candramauli Swami: [inaudible]
Giriraj Swami: That’s nice. Candramauli Swami says that in Boston he heard that Srila Prabhupada had said that for himself he would like to go back to the Radha-Damodara temple and live in the simplicity of Vrindavan, but that for him to do so would be sense gratification. Yes, Krishna wanted Srila Prabhupada to spread Krishna consciousness all over the whole world, and to do something opposed to what Krishna wants is sense gratification.
Devakinandan dasa: [inaudible]
Giriraj Swami: Devakinandan Prabhu says that George Harrison at one stage wanted to give up everything—his career—just to serve Krishna. But Srila Prabhupada wanted him to stay in his position and serve Krishna from his position. Yes, I also heard that Srila Prabhupada said, “You remain as a Beatle and you write songs about Krishna.”
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Sri Sri Kishora-Kishori ki jaya!
Nitai-gaura-premanande hari-haribol!
[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Vamana-dvadasi, August 15, 2000, Chicago]
Lord Vamanadeva appeared in this world from the womb of Aditi, the mother of the demigods. He appeared at midday on the shravan-dvadasi, the 12th day of the lunar month of Shravan when the moon was waxing.
The Supreme Lord appeared as the son of Kashyapa and Aditi in the form of a dwarf Brahmana (Vamana) to deliver Bali Maharaja, a great devotee born in the family of demons.
Lord Vamana history tells of an incident many years ago, during a period of conflict between the Devas and Danavas. When the Danavas came to power, under the leadership of Bali Maharaja, the Devas went into hiding. The Devas prayed to Lord Vishnu, the maintainer of the universe, to help them regain their rightful properties and administrative posts.
The Lord then appeared as a dwarf, the extraordinarily beautiful brahmana, Vamanadeva. In this disguise, the all-powerful Supreme Personality of Godhead approached Bali Maharaja, king of the Danavas.
The king was prepared to grant Him anything He asked for. On the pretence of begging, Vamanadeva asked Bali for a seemingly insignificant piece of property – three paces of land – to which Bali agreed, despite protests from his guru, Shukracharya.
Vamanadeva then assumed a gigantic form that covered the universe. With His first step, he reached to the lower planets, and with His second, He reached the upper limits of the universe. It appeared that Bali was unable to fulfil his promise, since he had promised Vamanadeva three steps, so he humbly asked the Lord to place His remaining step on his head.
So, if the scriptural knowledge coming through Manu is at the terrestrial level of knowledge, then the question arises—does Manu himself reside on the earth? My understanding of “terrestrial” is in that sense, because Prabhupada refers to Manu as the first human being. Now, does this human being, Manu, actually reside on the earth? From what I have seen in the Bhagavatam, I cannot give a categorical answer, but it does seem there is a clear link between Manu and subsequent generations who definitely lived on the earth. By logical inference, one could say Manu must also have resided on the earth.
However, the scriptures don’t always make this straightforward. For example, we are now under Vaivasvata Manu. The Bhagavatam focuses primarily on Swayambhuva Manu and Vaivasvata Manu, while the six Manus in between are mentioned only briefly in the Eighth Canto, without much detail about their descendants.
Even in Swayambhuva Manu’s time, the situation is not entirely clear. When Dhruva was ruling, his father Uttanapada was present, but was Manu himself still on earth at that time? Difficult to say. There are cases where higher beings intervene in earthly affairs during times of crisis. For instance, when Dhruva became furious with the Yakshas, Swayambhuva Manu appeared and pacified him. The text (4.11.6) explicitly states that when Swayambhuva Manu saw his grandsons killing many innocent Yakshas, he approached Dhruva with great sages to instruct him.
This indicates that Manu was alive then, but he doesn’t seem to have been living in Uttanapada’s household. Dhruva’s mother didn’t say, “Let’s go and consult your grandfather.” Instead, Manu appeared along with sages—suggesting he was present, but not as a resident of the earthly realm.
So, Manu seems to be alive at that time, but not permanently living on earth. When I speak of Manu as terrestrial, I mean that his lineage connects directly with earthly rulers. Not genetically, but genealogically—his descendants lived and ruled on earth. For instance, Ikshvaku, Manu’s son, became the forefather of Lord Ram. Thus, while Manu himself may reside on some higher or intermediate plane, his descendants are clearly terrestrial.
Now, is there an intermediate layer between celestial and terrestrial? Sometimes terms like “trans-terrestrial” are used to describe that category. Within the Hindu canon, the origin and structure of the universe are described differently in different texts—the Bhagavatam, Manu Smriti, and other Puranas each have variations. The yogic tradition, for example, often describes realms associated with mystic powers.
The seven planetary systems need not be seen as simply stacked floors of a building; there could be nuanced layers within them. Just as among the 8.4 million species, 400,000 are humanlike, so too within the heavenly levels, there may be multiple gradations. Even among the Devas, there is hierarchy—Indra being the most powerful among them (though Shiva and Devi are in distinct categories). Similarly, each Deva—such as Vivasvan, the sun-god—has their own domain. This suggests that there are many nuanced abodes within the broad heavenly sphere.
If scripture provides a basis for identifying a level between celestial and terrestrial—what we might call trans-terrestrial—that would neatly resolve this question. In the Bhakti tradition, however, the focus is not usually on categorizing the heavens in detail. When Svarga Loka is described, it is often either to show that even great opulence is temporary, or to illustrate how a devotee (like the Dwarakavasis, Yudhishthira, or Sudama) can receive even greater blessings than the gods.
Thus, I would conclude that Manu serves as a crucial link—close enough to the terrestrial to be called the first human being, yet not permanently dwelling on earth. His role seems to be that of a bridge between realms: not exactly celestial, not entirely terrestrial, but deeply connected with humanity through his genealogical line.
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If we consider Lord Shiva to be the highest Vaishnava, vaishnavānām yathā śambhuḥ, why don’t we celebrate festivals like Mahashivratri? And there are so many Acharyas whose appearance and disappearance are mentioned—almost over a hundred—in the Vaishnava calendar. Yet Lord Shiva is not included in that. First, let’s look at it from three different perspectives.
The Vaishnava calendar was largely adopted from the Gaudiya calendar. And the Gaudiya Math, which largely existed in Bengal, in many ways solidified its organizational structure by adopting many of the festivals that were locally celebrated in Bengal. That’s why we have Katyayani Puja included within the Vaishnava calendar. Now, who celebrates Katyayani Puja? It is mainly Vrindavan devotees who celebrate it, although it is there in the calendar. That is more of a legacy—an artifact from the past—rather than something dynamic today.
So there have been various calendar committees within our movement to see what modifications should be made in the calendar and what should be continued. The point is: the calendar should not be seen as scripture. It is basically a circumstantial record of what festivals were considered significant, and what is considered significant will evolve with time. There are many places in India where, in temples, Shivratri is celebrated, and that is part of the local calendar.
Second, with respect to why Lord Shiva’s festivals are not included: within the tradition there has been a historical change—possibly in response to circumstances—about how the devatas are approached. In the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, there is a very natural and respectful acceptance of the worship of the devatas, even by the main characters who were Vaishnavas. So, who worships which deity was not a big issue. In the Mahabharata, Vishnu’s ashram is mentioned, Shiva’s ashram is also mentioned.
Over the centuries, especially as the Vaishnava sampradayas became more solidified, Shankaracharya introduced the Panchopasana. This had valid historical reasons, as he was trying to unify followers of the Vedic path under one broad umbrella. But the result was that confusion began about the interrelationship between the devatas and the Supreme Lord—about who is supreme and how worship of one should relate to another. To counter this, the sampradayas began to draw sharper demarcations: “We should worship only this deity and not others.”
Some traditional sampradayas would never go to a Shiva temple at all; if they went, even by mistake, they would fast. This resembles (not exactly, but somewhat similar to) a Christian-style exclusivity: just as a wife would not go to another man’s house, devotees considered that they should only worship their Lord. Even today, some modern Vaishnava leaders may go for interfaith meetings in mosques or churches but will not go to a Shiva temple.
However, Mahaprabhu did not exemplify such rigid demarcation. When He went to Bhubaneswar, He visited the temple of Lord Shiva. So, within ISKCON too, we need to understand that while at one time sharp demarcation served a purpose, if carried too far it can appear extreme—though there was some justification for it in its context.
On the other side, every tradition has to live within a particular environment and connect with people in that environment. As our movement is now becoming more mainstream and is seen as one of the leading Hindu organizations, sometimes we may also celebrate Mahashivratri, but in a way that focuses on glorifying Lord Shiva as the topmost Vaishnava. Respect for local customs is important.
Mahaprabhu also showed this principle. For example, He did not support the idea that Haridas Thakur should be barred from entering the Jagannath temple, but He did not fight against the temple authorities either. He respected both Haridas Thakur and the temple tradition. Similarly, in different places our leaders may choose whether to celebrate certain festivals or not, depending on the local situation.
So, not everything in a living tradition is monolithic. Depending on the dynamics of particular places and decisions of local leaders, some festivals may be celebrated and some may not. As individuals too, we may have to balance our cultural background and family expectations with our institutional practices.
That is why it is important to remember the distinction between principles and details. The principle is eternal, but the details—such as which festivals are celebrated and how much emphasis is given—can be adjusted according to time, place, and circumstance.
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devi krishna-mayi prokta radhika para-devata
sarva-lakshmi-mayi sarva kantih sammohini para
“The transcendental goddess Srimati Radharani is the direct counterpart of Lord Sri Krishna. She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. She possesses all the attractiveness to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord.”
Srimati Radharani is the Supreme Goddess. She is most always seen with Lord Krishna. It is described that She is the Chief Associate and devotee of Lord Krishna, and topmost of all Goddesses.
Her name means the She is the most excellent worshiper of Lord Krishna. However, She is also an expansion of the Lord’s energy. Since She is also an extension of Krishna, She is the feminine aspect of God.
Thus, in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, God is both male and female. They are One, but Krishna expands into two, Himself and Radharani, for the sake of divine loving pastimes.
If They remained as One, then there is no relationship, there are no pastimes, and there can be no dynamic exchange of love. (Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila, 4.55-56)
This year I attended Radhastami at our Sri Sri Radha Madhava temple in Gianyar, Bali.
For the most auspicious celebration of Sri Radhastami, we read from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Two, Chapter Three: “Pure Devotional Service.”
TEXT 23
jivan chavo bhagavatanghri-renum
na jatu martyo ’bhilabheta yas tu
sri-visnu-padya manujas tulasyah
svasan chavo yas tu na veda gandham
TRANSLATION
The person who has not at any time received the dust of the feet of the Lord’s pure devotee upon his head is certainly a dead body. And the person who has never experienced the aroma of the tulasi leaves from the lotus feet of the Lord is also a dead body, although breathing.
PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada
According to Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, the breathing dead body is a ghost. When a man dies, he is called dead, but when he again appears in a subtle form not visible to our present vision and yet acts, such a dead body is called a ghost. Ghosts are always very bad elements, always creating a fearful situation for others. Similarly, the ghostlike nondevotees who have no respect for the pure devotees, nor for the Visnu Deity in the temples, create a fearful situation for the devotees at all times. The Lord never accepts any offerings by such impure ghosts. There is a common saying that one should first love the dog of the beloved before one shows any loving sentiments for the beloved. The stage of pure devotion is attained by sincerely serving a pure devotee of the Lord. The first condition of devotional service to the Lord is therefore to be a servant of a pure devotee, and this condition is fulfilled by the statement “reception of the dust of the lotus feet of a pure devotee who has also served another pure devotee.” That is the way of pure disciplic succession, or devotional parampara.
Maharaja Rahugana inquired from the great saint Jada Bharata as to how he had attained such a liberated stage of a paramahamsa, and in answer the great saint replied as follows (Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.12.12):
rahuganaitat tapasa na yati
na cejyaya nirvapanad grhad va
na cchandasa naiva jalagni-suryair
vina mahat-pada-rajo-’bhisekam
“O King Rahugana, the perfectional stage of devotional service, or the paramahamsa stage of life, cannot be attained unless one is blessed by the dust of the feet of great devotees. It is never attained by tapasya (austerity), the Vedic worshiping process, acceptance of the renounced order of life, the discharge of the duties of household life, the chanting of the Vedic hymns, or the performance of penances in the hot sun, within cold water, or before the blazing fire.”
In other words, Lord Sri Krsna is the property of His pure unconditional devotees, and as such only the devotees can deliver Krsna to another devotee; Krsna is never obtainable directly. Lord Chaitanya therefore designated Himself as gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah (Cc Madhya 13.80), or “the most obedient servant of the servants of the Lord, who maintains the gopi damsels at Vrndavana.” A pure devotee therefore never approaches the Lord directly, but tries to please the servant of the Lord’s servants, and thus the Lord becomes pleased, and only then can the devotee relish the taste of the tulasi leaves stuck to His lotus feet. In the Brahma-samhita it is said that the Lord is never to be found by becoming a great scholar of the Vedic literatures, but He is very easily approachable through His pure devotee. In Vrndavana all the pure devotees pray for the mercy of Srimati Radharani, the pleasure potency of Lord Krsna. Srimati Radharani is a tenderhearted feminine counterpart of the supreme whole, resembling the perfectional stage of the worldly feminine nature. Therefore, the mercy of Radharani is available very readily to the sincere devotees, and once She recommends such a devotee to Lord Krsna, the Lord at once accepts the devotee’s admittance into His association. The conclusion is, therefore, that one should be more serious about seeking the mercy of the devotee than that of the Lord directly, and by one’s doing so (by the good will of the devotee) the natural attraction for the service of the Lord will be revived.
COMMENT by Giriraj Swami
This verse and purport are so deep. Practically the whole philosophy of Krishna consciousness is contained in this purport, and one could discuss it for many hours and days.
The first point—the most basic point—is that the living entity is not the body. The living entity is the soul within the body. The living entity in the material body has material desires for sense gratification and more subtle material desires that express themselves in mental speculation. After leaving the body, some unfortunate living entities end up as ghosts, in subtle, ghostly bodies, but they still have gross desires.
How does someone become a ghost? A typical way is that a living entity full of material desires becomes so frustrated and disappointed (which everyone is, to some extent) that he commits suicide. The result is that he gets a ghost body, a subtle body without a gross body. Krishna, the Supersoul, fulfills all desires. The person who commits suicide wants to be free from his gross body, so Krishna fulfills his desire and gives him a ghost body, a subtle body. But the frustration and disappointment that gave rise to the impulse to commit suicide came from strong material desires, and he still has the material desires but not a gross body through which to fulfill them. So he is even more frustrated. And so, the ghost will try to inhabit, or possess, someone else’s gross body in order to fulfill its desires through that person’s senses. Thus, ghosts are disturbing elements. They create fearful situations.
Another way a person can get the body of a ghost is if he is very attached to a thing or place—to his house, for example—and at the time of death thinks of that object of attachment. Yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram / tam tam evaiti kaunteya sada tad-bhava-bhavitah: “Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.” (Gita 8.6) Whatever you think of at the time of death will determine your next body. Now, if you think of your house at the time of death, you can’t get the body of a house, because that is not one of the species of life, but you can take birth as a ghost in that house. Therefore, many houses, especially big, opulent ones—mansions and castles—are reputed to be haunted by ghosts.
How can one be freed from ghosts? The chanting of the holy name is the best remedy for practically any ill in the world, and it is the remedy for being troubled by ghosts. Sometimes devotees take advantage of this fact. A large estate will be haunted and so people won’t want to buy it, but the devotees will see, “Oh, here is a good opportunity. We can get a major property to use in Krishna’s service for only a small sum of money, and as for the ghosts, we’ll just do hari-nama–sankirtana and the ghosts will go away and we will have a nice place for Krishna.”
In the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu Srila Rupa Gosvami composed a beautiful verse in which he says that one who is haunted by material desires can never experience the sweet taste of devotional service.
bhukti-mukti-sprha yavat
pisaci hrdi vartate
tavad bhakti-sukhasyatra
katham abhyudayo bhavet
“The material desire to enjoy the material world and the desire to become liberated from material bondage are considered to be two witches, and they haunt one like ghosts. As long as these witches remain within the heart, how can one feel transcendental bliss? As long as these two witches remain in the heart, there is no possibility of enjoying the transcendental bliss of devotional service.” (Brs 1.2.22) Pisaci means “ghost” or “witch.” Material desires are like ghosts that fill our minds with ideas foreign to us. In our normal consciousness we think in a certain way, but when a ghost possesses our mind, we think in a completely different way.
As spirit souls, we are all originally Krishna conscious, by constitution eternal servants of Krishna (jivera ‘svarupa’ haya-krsnera ‘nitya-dasa’). So, to desire anything other than to be a servant of Krishna or a servant of a servant of Krishna is like being haunted by a ghost. We get desires, ideas, for sense gratification, and instead of accepting Krishna as the supreme enjoyer, which is His constitutional position, we want to take His place and enjoy independent of Him. Such desires, such ideas, are foreign to our true nature. So, being possessed by these desires is like being haunted by a ghost.
Everyone in the material world is in a fearful position, and everyone needs shelter. Once, someone asked Srila Prabhupada, “What do you personally feel when you chant?” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “I feel no fear.” Every conditioned soul is fearful. If we think about it, we are always afraid. We can’t even count all the things we are afraid of all the time. The Bhagavatam (11.2.37) says that fear arises from thinking of things as being separate from Krishna.
bhayam dvitiyabhinivesatah syad
isad apetasya viparyayo ’smrtih
tan-mayayato budha abhajet tam
bhaktyaikayesam guru-devatatma
“Fear arises when a living entity misidentifies himself as the material body because of absorption in the external, illusory energy of the Lord. When the living entity thus turns away from the Supreme Lord, he also forgets his own constitutional position as a servant of the Lord. This bewildering, fearful condition is effected by the potency for illusion, called maya. Therefore, an intelligent person should engage unflinchingly in the unalloyed devotional service of the Lord, under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, whom he should accept as his worshipable deity and as his very life and soul.” If we recognize that everything is related to Krishna and that Krishna is the supreme enjoyer, the supreme proprietor, and our best friend, we won’t be afraid; we’ll feel peaceful.
We need shelter, and we can get the shelter we need only from Krishna. But we cannot get Krishna’s shelter directly. We have no way to approach Him directly. Therefore all scriptures and bona fide acharyas recommend that to achieve the shelter of Krishna we should seek the shelter of a pure devotee who himself has achieved the shelter of another pure devotee who has achieved the shelter of another pure devotee—all the way back to Krishna. This is devotional parampara.
mahatmanas tu mam partha
daivim prakrtim asritah
bhajanty ananya-manaso
jnatva bhutadim avyayam
“Those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.” (Gita 9.13) The great souls are not under the material energy. They are under the divine energy, the spiritual energy. And they achieve the shelter of the spiritual energy by taking shelter of a pure devotee who is under the spiritual energy, who in turn has taken shelter of a pure devotee under the spiritual energy, and so on, back to Krishna.
Srila Prabhupada was once invited to speak at the home of the wealthiest family in India then, the Birlas. I presented Mrs. Birla a list of topics on which Srila Prabhupada could speak (though I knew he could speak on any topic), and she chose “How to be Successful.” The invitees would be people who were already very successful, but her choice suggested that they wanted to become more successful—that they were not satisfied as they were. Thus they would want to learn the secret of how to become more successful.
At the program, Srila Prabhupada gave an interesting definition of success, one that we had not anticipated. He explained that everyone in the material world is under the control of the material energy, personified as Durga, who rides on her lion carrier and exhibits many arms with many weapons. He said that Durga holds a trident (trisula), which represents the threefold miseries of material existence, and that she pierces the conditioned souls with these miseries. And opposed to the material energy is the spiritual energy, personified as Srimati Radharani. Srila Prabhupada said that success in life means to transfer oneself from the control of Durgadevi, the material energy, to the shelter of Radharani, the spiritual energy. Of course, Durgadevi herself is serving Lord Krishna, but her service is to punish us conditioned souls who are under her control. She is the warden of the prison house of material existence, and success for a prisoner is to be released from the prison—not to get better facility within the prison house. Success is to be freed.
Srila Prabhupada’s definition was so intelligent and subtle. He was saying that success doesn’t mean to move to a better grade of prison: a better house, a better office, a better car—a better material position. Success means to get out of prison, and that is achieved by surrendering to Krishna, as stated by Him in the Bhagavad-gita (7.14):
daivi hy esa guna-mayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te
“This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.”
We must take shelter of Krishna and move from the control of the material energy to the protection of the spiritual energy, Srimati Radharani. But we cannot do that directly. We do it by taking shelter of someone who has taken shelter of someone who has taken shelter of someone who has taken shelter of Srimati Radharani. That is parampara. We take shelter of Srila Prabhupada and of those working under his direction, just as he took shelter of his guru maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and served him, and as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura took shelter of his spiritual master, Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, and served him—like that, all the way back to Krishna.
It is a simple process, but it requires humility. And that can be a problem—a big, big problem. We don’t want to submit, to surrender. When Hiranyakasipu asked his five-year-old son, Prahlada, “What is the best thing you have learned in school?” he thought his son would say something agreeable. Sometimes we may also ask a child, “What is your favorite subject?” and we would be shocked and dismayed if the child said, “The best thing I learned is how to cheat people and get ahead by pushing others into the ground.” We would wonder, “Where did he learn that?” Hiranyakasipu was the type who thought that being selfish and learning how to defeat others was a good thing. So when Prahlada replied, “The best thing I have learned is service to God [sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam],” Hiranyakasipu was shocked: “Where did you learn that? Who has spoiled your consciousness?”
The powerful tyrant accused the boy’s teachers, “You have taught him this nonsense, bhakti, devotional service to Lord Vishnu. You have spoiled his intelligence.” “No, we haven’t,” they replied. “He hasn’t learned devotional service from us or from anyone else. He seems to be naturally Krishna conscious.”
Then Hiranyakasipu asked his son directly, and Prahlada replied with a verse similar to the one quoted by Srila Prabhupada in the purport. First he said,
matir na krsne paratah svato va
mitho ’bhipadyeta grha-vratanam
adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram
punah punas carvita-carvananam
“Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Krsna are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both.” (SB 7.5.30) Now, if one cannot become Krishna conscious by one’s own efforts, by the efforts of others, or by the combined efforts of oneself and others, how can one become Krishna conscious? It seems that all logical possibilities have been eliminated.
Then Prahlada said,
naisam matis tavad urukramanghrim
sprsaty anarthapagamo yad-arthah
mahiyasam pada-rajo-’bhisekam
niskincananam na vrnita yavat
“Unless they smear upon their bodies the dust of the lotus feet of a Vaisnava completely freed from material contamination, persons very much inclined toward materialistic life cannot be attached to the lotus feet of the Lord, who is glorified for His uncommon activities. Only by becoming Krsna conscious and taking shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord in this way can one be freed from material contamination.” (SB 7.5.32) One cannot become Krishna conscious unless one has been favored by the dust of the lotus feet of a pure devotee who has nothing to do with the material world. By taking shelter of the lotus feet of a pure devotee—by serving the instructions of a pure devotee—one becomes free from anarthas, unwanted, miserable conditions. The miseries of birth, death, disease, and old age are all unwanted. And by following the pure devotee’s instructions, one becomes free from all unwanted, material desires, which bind us to material existence. One becomes free from everything unfavorable to Krishna consciousness.
Srila Prabhupada explains that Prahlada was indirectly telling his father, “You need not worry about becoming Krishna conscious, because one can become Krishna conscious only if one bows down to the lotus feet of a pure devotee, but you are too proud, so you will never bow down to a pure devotee. So, my dear father, you need not worry about becoming Krishna conscious. It just won’t happen.”
We tend to like to identify with Prahlada and to see other people as Hiranyakasipus, but if we—I shouldn’t speak for all of us, but many of us—if we look inside ourselves, we will see that we also are not that humble. We also have a little rebellious spirit. We don’t want to submit or surrender. We also have something inside us that thinks, as some people actually say, “I’ll never surrender. I’ll never submit.” Or, “I can surrender to God but not to any human being. I can serve God but not some human being.” But that false spirit of independence will not help us.
Given that we have so many doubts and reservations and rebellious tendencies, what hope do we have? The good news is that in this age of Kali, Sri Krishna came in the mood of Srimati Radharani. And as we read in the purport, Srimati Radharani is the tenderhearted feminine counterpart of Krishna. In The Nectar of Devotion also, Srila Prabhupada says that Srimati Radharani represents the compassionate nature of Krishna. Because Krishna is the father, He might be a little strict (which is sometimes necessary and beneficial), but the mother may be more compassionate, more understanding, more encouraging. Therefore devotees approach Krishna through Sri Radha. “Because Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is very difficult to approach Him. But the devotees, taking advantage of His compassionate nature, which is represented by Radharani, always pray to Radharani for Krsna’s compassion.” (NOD Ch 22)
In addition to having other qualifications, Srimati Radharani is a maha-bhagavata. She sees that everyone is a better servant of Krishna than She. So if someone approaches Her with a desire to serve Krishna, She’ll very easily recommend the person to Krishna, and when Radharani recommends someone, Krishna is bound to accept, because ultimately Krishna wants to please Radharani. Transcendentally, Krishna comes under the control of Radharani. Thus in Radharani’s hometown of Varsana, the devotees have a saying: “Whatever Radha does, Krishna likes. Whatever Radha likes, Krishna does.” So, if Radharani wants Krishna to accept us, He will accept us.
Because today is a special day, Radhastami, we can approach Radharani directly—but even today it is through Her servants. Even when we are in the spiritual world, whenever that fortunate occasion arises, we will serve Radha and Krishna not directly, but under the guidance of Their servants. That is an eternal principle. There are different rasas, or relationships, that we can have with Krishna, but in whatever relationship we have, we will be under the eternal guidance of some eternal associates of Krishna. As Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says,
naham vipro na ca nara-patir napi vaisyo na sudro
naham varni na ca grha-patir no vanastho yatir va
kintu prodyan-nikhila-paramananda-purnamrtabdher
gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah
“I am not a brahmana, I am not a ksatriya, I am not a vaisya or a sudra. Nor am I a brahmacari, a householder, a vanaprastha, or a sannyasi. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna, the maintainer of the gopis. He is like an ocean of nectar, and He is the cause of universal transcendental bliss. He is always existing with brilliance.” (Cc Madhya 13.80)
That principle, being the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Krishna, the maintainer of the gopis, applies both in the conditioned state of sadhana-bhakti and in the liberated state of sadhya-bhakti, or prema-bhakti. It is an eternal principle. And we should welcome the opportunity to serve the servant of the servants. We shouldn’t think, “Oh, all right, in the stage of bondage I am in now, I guess I have to do it. It is the only way to get out.” Like, “Okay, I’m in prison now, so I have to do what the warden says, but once I’m out, that’s it. Then I’m free.” No. This is an eternal principle, and we should welcome it and relish it.
Srila Prabhupada paraphrased Srila Rupa Gosvami’s verse about being haunted by ghosts: “Anyone who has any desire or aspiration for satisfying his senses by becoming more and more important, either in the material sense or in the spiritual sense, cannot actually relish the really sweet taste of devotional service.” (NOD Ch 3) And in a class, Srila Prabhupada stated the same thing in a positive way: “The more you become the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Krishna, the sweeter and sweeter and sweeter and sweeter devotional service becomes.” It is glorious to be the servant of the servant of the servant.
We want to take shelter of one who is niskincana, who has no material possessions. Yes, in India there are sadhus, saintly persons, who hardly have material possessions. But as Srila Prabhupada explains, niskincana also means one who is free from false proprietorship. Here we are in a beautiful temple, and if I think, “This is my temple,” that is false proprietorship. But if I think, “This is Krishna’s temple, and I am just a humble servant of His servants,” that is also niskincana. A pure devotee’s only possession, so to speak, is his or her service to the lotus feet of the Lord. And the more lotus feet we have to serve—the lotus feet of the servant of the lotus feet of the servant of the lotus feet of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Krishna—the richer we are in bhakti, which is the life of the living entity.
Today’s verse is one of a series that all make the same point: If we are not engaged in pure devotional service, we are dead. In other words, pure devotional service is real life, and anyone engaged in anything other than devotional service is just a walking, breathing dead body.
Srila Prabhupada has given us this life. He has given us this opportunity. Sri Krishna Chaitanya is Krishna but in the mood of Radharani, and in Her kindhearted, tenderhearted, merciful, compassionate mood of love and care, He has given us the easiest and most practical process for success in the present age: the chanting of the holy names.
harer nama harer nama
harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha
“In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari [Krsna].” (Brhan-naradiya Purana 38.126) By chanting the holy names without offense, all the dirty things in the heart become cleansed (ceto-darpana-marjanam). Even if we have that little rebellious spirit—“Why should I surrender?”—by chanting, which is both easy and enjoyable, all these dirty things, these misconceptions and false identifications, are cleansed, and naturally we come to our real position as eternal servants of the servants of Krishna. So it is very easy. We just have to do it.
This is ultimately Srimati Radharani’s mercy. It is Her mercy that Srila Prabhupada came to America and gave us Krishna consciousness. In a poem he wrote on board the cargo ship he took to America, Srila Prabhupada wrote, krsna taba punya habe bhai, e-punya koribe jabe radharani khusi habe, dhruva ati boli toma tai: “O brothers, you will obtain your good fortune from the Supreme Lord Krsna only when Srimati Radharani becomes pleased with you.” First we must please Radharani. And how? By following the orders of the spiritual master, serving the mission of the spiritual master. We have everything—every opportunity. We have beautiful Deities; we have Srila Prabhupada, our founder-acharya; we have his instructions, his books, his translations of the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam; we have the holy name; we have the association of devotees—we have everything. We just have to take advantage, and that is why we are here.
Any questions or comments?
Child: How do you become the servant of the servant of the servant?
Giriraj Swami: She is a very intelligent young lady. Do you know what ISKCON is?
Child: Not really.
Giriraj Swami: ISKCON is the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a spiritual organization founded by Srila Prabhupada. The temple where we are now sitting is part of that organization. You could say that the more senior devotees here who are steady in devotional service, in following Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, are servants of Srila Prabhupada, that Srila Prabhupada is serving the instructions of his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, and that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta is serving the instructions of his spiritual master. And so{,} [[fine as is]] by following the instructions of one or more of the solid devotees of Srila Prabhupada here, you are automatically serving the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant, going through the line all the way back to Krishna.
Gentleman: How can one overcome the fear of losing one’s identity and uniqueness by surrendering oneself to a pure devotee?
Giriraj Swami: Every living entity has a unique spiritual identity, and the process of Krishna consciousness means to discover what one’s unique, specific, eternal identity is. So you don’t lose your identity; rather, you discover your actual unique identity.
Just imagine Krishna’s situation. There He is in the spiritual sky, Goloka Vrindavan, surrounded by wish-fulfilling cows and trees and gems, being served by unlimited numbers of beautiful, pure, loving devotees. And off somewhere in a cloud is a bunch of angry, morose, belligerent souls, each determined that “I’m not going to serve Him.” Why should Krishna bother with them? Why should He even care? He is enjoying an eternal, celestial party. Why should He bother about us?
One answer is that each one of us is a unique living entity. No two of us are exactly the same. And so, when we are liberated, our mood of service to Krishna will be unique. This means that as long as we remain in the material world, Krishna in the spiritual world will be deprived of the particular flavor of loving service that each of us is meant to offer Him. Each of us has a specific, unique contribution to make to Krishna’s pleasure that no one else can make in the exact same way.
Even in the stage of sadhana-bhakti, we always have our individual preferences, but as devotees we give the highest preference to Krishna’s pleasure. Parents often sacrifice doing what they would ordinarily like to do, for the sake of doing what their children would like them to do. The parents are still individuals, but they give priority to pleasing their children. And when their children are happy, they feel happy. One reason we try so hard to have nice programs for children is that when the children want to come to the temple, even if the parents are feeling a little lethargic, the children will prevail upon them: “Come on, Mommy. Come on, Daddy. I want to go to the temple. I want to see the Deities. I want to sing and dance in the kirtan and arati. I want to meet the other children. I want to eat prasada.” And the parents will come, not because they don’t have their individuality, but out of love. They get more happiness when they see their children happy than when they do things for their own satisfaction that would leave the children feeling neglected. So in devotional service you remain individual, but you give preference to Krishna. And as you become purified, you actually experience more pleasure in doing what Krishna likes than you would get out of doing what you would ordinarily like for your own sake.
So, do not hesitate. Serving a pure devotee, serving a servant of the servants of Radha and Krishna, is not a matter of force—being forced into a mold without any freedom or individuality. Rather, it is an opportunity for the conditioned soul to realize his or her fullest potential, fullest individuality, and fullest freedom, in divine, ecstatic love.
Thank you very much.
Hare Krishna.
[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Radhastami, \August 30, 2009, San Diego]
By the mercy of Śrī Guru and Gaurāṅga, I am delighted to present my debut book titled Purity & Self-Control in Sādhana-bhakti. Why This Book? In today’s fast-paced and distraction-filled world, many sincere practitioners of bhakti struggle to maintain purity and steadiness in their sādhana. Even the most devoted sādhakas may unknowingly fall into subtleSo, the general Hindu understanding is that Krishna is an avatar of Vishnu. This is also the understanding of the Madhva Sampradaya, with which we are connected. However, in our Gaudiya tradition, the understanding is that Krishna is the source of Vishnu. How, then, should this apparent contradiction be seen?
In the Vedic tradition, it is accepted that the ultimate reality reveals itself in many ways. Arjuna also acknowledges this in the Bhagavad-gita. After Krishna has spoken, Arjuna says: sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye—“I accept everything You say as true.” Yet at the same time Arjuna admits that even the devas cannot understand Krishna: na me viduḥ sura-gaṇāḥ—“the demigods do not know Me” (BG 10.2). And further: na hi te bhagavan vyaktiṁ vidur devā na dānavāḥ—“neither the gods nor the demons can understand Your personality” (BG 10.14). Ultimately, in 10.15 he declares: svayam evātmanātmānaṁ vettha tvaṁ puruṣottama—“You alone know Yourself, O Supreme Lord.”
Thus, the principle is that God is always greater than our conceptions of God. This is why it is important not to become arrogant or fanatical about our particular understanding. The reality of God will always be greater than our realization of Him.
Sometimes we may not even have realization—only conception. Our conceptions come from God, through revelation, but we try to grasp them with finite capacity. Now, the scriptures themselves are vast, and different traditions give prominence to different texts. This prioritization is called tāratamya—a hierarchy of authority. For example, in the Śrī Sampradaya the Vishnu Purāṇa is regarded as most important, whereas in our Gaudiya tradition the Bhāgavata Purāṇa is considered supreme.
Accordingly, depending on which revelation is considered central, the vision of the Absolute upheld in that scripture becomes ultimate within that tradition. The Bhāgavata Purāṇa itself states that Krishna is the source of all incarnations, and Gaudiya literature such as the Chaitanya-charitamrita explains this in detail.
Broadly, in the Vedic—and especially the Bhakti—tradition, devotees are encouraged to see the particular form of God they worship as the highest. Thus, Vishnu-bhaktas see Vishnu as supreme, while Rama-bhaktas see Rama as the source of all incarnations.
Sanatana Goswami’s Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛta beautifully illustrates this. There, the devotee Gopa-kumāra journeys through the spiritual realms—Vaikuntha, Ayodhya, Dwaraka. In each he is ecstatic, but still feels an inner discontent: “I don’t fully belong here; there must be something more.” Finally, he realizes that Goloka Vrindavan and Krishna are the ultimate destination. Yet significantly, Sanatana Goswami describes that Vaikunthavāsīs consider Vishnu the source of all, Ayodhyāvāsīs consider Rama the source—all without dismissing them as “in illusion.” Rather, their devotion reflects the subjectivity of relationship with the Absolute.
This is why humility is essential in spiritual discussions. Achintya-bhedābheda—the philosophy of inconceivable simultaneous oneness and difference—helps us reconcile these perspectives. Sometimes we emphasize bheda (difference), affirming our tradition’s distinct understanding—Krishna as supreme. Other times we emphasize abheda (oneness), respecting the devotion of those who worship Vishnu or Rama as supreme.
Lord Chaitanya Himself demonstrated this. On His South India tour, He met two great Rama-bhaktas. One became attracted to Krishna-bhakti. The other remained deeply devoted to Rama but troubled by the idea that Ravana had touched Sita. Out of compassion, Lord Chaitanya searched the scriptures and showed him a Matsya Purāṇa verse proving that Ravana had only touched a Maya-Sita. That devotee remained a Rama-bhakta, and Mahaprabhu fully honored his devotion.
Similarly, Rupa Goswami highlights Krishna’s unique four mādhurīs—qualities not found in other forms of God. This is our Gaudiya emphasis. But other traditions, based on their scriptures and analytical frames, may highlight other qualities and arrive at other conclusions.
Therefore, there need not be conflict.
To summarize:
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Where I Went and What I Did
The thirty-fourth week of 2025, I was traveling extensively. On Wednesday I took the Eurostar to London where I chanted Hare Krishna with Harinamananda and Nitai Prabhus. Thursday I gave Bhagavatam class at ISKCON London and took the train to Liverpool where I chanted Hare Krishna for 3 hours, joined by Barbara and Kazz to promote the Saturday Ratha-yatra. I spent that and the next night in the Manchester temple. On Friday, Christopher of France, now based in Manchester, came with me to Liverpool where we chanted Hare Krishna three and a half hours, joined by Katie for part of the time.
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, and The Nectar of Devotion, and one of his lectures as well. I share quotes from Sri Caitanya-bhagavata by Vrindavana Dasa Thakura and its commentary by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. I share notes on classes by Jayadvaita Swami in London, Bhagavat Dharma Prabhu in Paris, and Natabara Gauranga Prabhu in Paris.
Many thanks to Barbara of Liverpool and Krishna Katha Prabhu, formerly of Belfast, for their kind donations. Thanks to Tripada Prabhu, ISKCON London receptionist, for transferring British currency to my virtual bank account, so I can buy travel tickets online with it next year. Thanks to Parasuram Prabhu for the ride from Liverpool to Crawley and accommodation for the night between the two Ratha-yatras. Thanks to Jude of Liverpool for the photo of the police taking prasadam at Ratha-yatra.
Itinerary
August 26–December 31: NYC Harinam
– September 17–24: Syracuse harinamas
– September 25–26: Philadelphia harinamas
– September 27: Philadelphia Ratha-yatra
– September 28: Delaware Sunday Feast and harinama?
– September 29–October ??: Serve Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami in Upstate New York
Chanting Hare Krishna in London
Harinamananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in London, and Italian tourists chant and dance (https://youtu.be/fAhAJMlId5s):
Chanting Hare Krishna in Liverpool
On my first day of harinama to promote the Liverpool Ratha-yatra, I was assisted by Barbara and Kazz. I had hoped to chant with the Liverpool brahmacaris, but they were too entangle in the logistics of the festival. Thus I ended up doing harinama with their most enthusiastic congregational members who were all women.
Here Christopher chants Hare Krishna in Liverpool with Katie playing shakers in back, and a stag party and other passersby play shakers and dance (https://youtu.be/2kD-EpyHGlg):
Here is the end of his kirtan in portrait orientation (https://youtube.com/shorts/lKfXGb6wPIg?feature=share):
When I arrived in Liverpool the morning of the Ratha-yatra, I had seen some kind of demonstration outside the main train station. During the Ratha-yatra I met a women who was filming our kirtan. She told me she had been at the demonstration which I later learned was a notable anti-fascist (counter-) demonstration held to oppose a UKIP-organised “mass deportations” march at which eleven people were arrested. She was struck by contrast between the argumentative, angry mood of the demonstration and the happy, peaceful mood of our procession, and she said she was going to share videos of both to people and tell of her experience.
Subhadra chants Hare Krishna at Liverpool Ratha-yatra stage show (https://youtu.be/6ECTpokoncE):
I told a couple of the new people attending our devotional programs in Liverpool who had a great time chanting and dancing in the Ratha-yatra and its stage kirtans about the Birmingham 24-Hour Kirtan so they can increase their participation in kirtan next year, and they were very happy to learn of the event.
Chanting Hare Krishna in Crawley
I felt blessed to be able to lead the first kirtan on the stage before the Crawley Ratha-yatra and also the first kirtan in front of the cart itself. I have videos of subsequent kirtans.
Acyuta Charan Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Crawley Ratha-yatra (https://youtu.be/KwPeyrXJQio):
Now our NYC Harinam party chants at four different locations, but originally for the first years, we were always at Union Square, and it was great to be back.
Here Gokulendra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Union Square, and a passerby dances (https://youtu.be/HwJhaB4_Uuo):
Insight
Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.26, purport:
“The Lord is so kind that He is always prepared to help any living being attain spiritual enlightenment if he simply concentrates his mind to find out the source of his existence.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.29, purport:
“Any person authorized by either the Lord or His bona fide representative is already blessed, as is the work entrusted to him. Of course, the person entrusted with such a responsibility should always be aware of his incapability and must always look for the mercy of the Lord for the successful execution of his duty. One should not be puffed up because he is entrusted with certain executive work. Fortunate is he who is so entrusted, and if he is always fixed in the sense of being subordinate to the will of the Supreme, he is sure to come out successful in the discharge of his work. Arjuna was entrusted with the work of fighting on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra, and before he was so entrusted, the Lord had already arranged for his victory. But Arjuna was always conscious of his position as subordinate to the Lord, and thus he accepted Him as the supreme guide in his responsibility. Anyone who takes pride in doing responsible work but does not give credit to the Supreme Lord is certainly falsely proud and cannot execute anything nicely. Brahma and persons in the line of his disciplic succession who follow in his footsteps are always successful in the discharge of loving transcendental service to the Supreme Lord.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.32–33:
“Only when you attain that state of transcendental vision in which You see Me in all living entities as well as all over the universe, just as fire is situated in wood, will you be able to be free from all kinds of illusion. When you are free from the conception of gross and subtle bodies, and when your senses are free from all influences of the modes of material nature, you will realize your pure form in My association. At that time you will be situated in pure consciousness.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.33, purport:
“The Mayavada school shudders at the thought of a service attitude in the living entity, not knowing that in the transcendental world the service of the Lord is based on transcendental love. Transcendental loving service is never to be compared to the forced service of the material world.”
“In transcendental loving service, the servitor is as free as the Lord. The Lord is svarat, or fully independent, and in the spiritual atmosphere the servant is also fully independent, or svarat, because there is no forced service. There the transcendental loving service is due to spontaneous love. A reflected glimpse of such service is experienced in the service of the mother unto the son, the friend’s service unto the friend, or the wife's service unto the husband. These reflections of service by friends, parents or wives are not forced, but are due only to love. Here in this material world, however, the loving service is only a reflection. The real service, or service in svarupa, is present in the transcendental world, in association with the Lord. The very same service in transcendental love can be practiced in devotion here. Thus one can become from from material contamination and be situated in full independence in association with the Lord.”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Introduction:
“The author of Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Srila Rupa Gosvami, very humbly submits that he is just trying to spread Krishna consciousness all over the world, although he humbly thinks himself unfit for this work. That should be the attitude of all preachers of the Krishna consciousness movement, following in the footsteps of Srila Rupa Gosvami. We should never think of ourselves as great preachers, but should always consider that we are simply instrumental to the previous acaryas, and simply by following in their footsteps we may be able to do something for the benefit of suffering humanity.”
“in our mental activities we should always try to think of Krishna and try to plan how to please Him, following in the footsteps of the great acaryas and the personal spiritual master. There are activities of the body, activities of the mind and activities of speech. A Krishna conscious person engages his words in preaching the glories of the Lord. This is called kirtana. And by his mind a Krishna conscious person always thinks of the activities of the Lord—as He is speaking on the Battlefield of Kurukshetra or engaging in His various pastimes in Vrindavana with His devotees. In this way one can always think of the activities and pastimes of the Lord. This is the mental culture of Krishna consciousness.”
“From the date of initiation by the spiritual master, the connection between Krishna and a person cultivating Krishna consciousness is established. Without initiation by a bona fide spiritual master, the actual connection with Krishna consciousness is never performed.”
“Lord Caitanya states that it is a fortunate person who comes in contact with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Krishna. One who is serious about spiritual life is given by Krishna the intelligence to come in contact with a bona fide spiritual master, and then by the grace of the spiritual master one becomes advanced in Krishna consciousness. In this way the whole jurisdiction of Krishna consciousness is directly under the spiritual energy—Krishna and the spiritual master. This has nothing to do with the material world.”
“Actually, Krishna consciousness can be based simply on hearing, chanting, remembering, etc. Described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam are nine different processes, besides which everything done is unfavorable to Krishna consciousness. Thus, one should always be guarding against falldowns.”
“As long as one identifies himself as belonging to a certain family, a certain society or a certain person, he is said to be covered with designations. When one is fully aware that he does not belong to any family, society or country, but is eternally related to Krishna, he then realizes that his energy should be employed not in the interests of so-called family, society or country, but in the interests of Krishna. This is purity of purpose and the platform of pure devotional service in Krishna consciousness.”
From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 15.106, purport:
“Any devotee who believes that the holy name of the Lord is identical with the Lord is a pure devotee, even though he may be in the neophyte stage. By his association, others may also become Vaishnavas.”
From a class on The Nectar of Devotion in Vrindavan on November 13, 1972:
“We have to accept the principles laid down by the acaryas.”
“So we have no difficulty. Tandera carana-sevi-bhakta-sane vasa. That’s all. Let us follow the footprints of the acaryas, Gosvamis, and live together as sincere, serious devotees. Then our life is successful. It is not very difficult. . . . Simply we have to . . . become very serious and sincere. Then everything is all right.”
“So if our bhajana-kriya is proper and in the line, then anartha-nivrttih syat, then all the anarthas, unwanted things, bad habits, that will be immediately vanquished.”
“This society, Krishna consciousness society, is made just to create some devotees so that people, by the association of the devotees and following the footprints of the Gosvamis, they’ll be automatically elevated to the transcendental platform.”
“The India is made for doing good to others. India is not meant for exploiting others. That is not India’s mission. From the very beginning, from long, long distant place, people used to come here to learn spiritual advancement of life. It is said that Lord Jesus Christ also came here, and he lived here for twelve years. Similarly, many Chinese scholars and transcendentalists used to come.”
“That is the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that those who are intelligent person, intelligent Indians, they should take advantage of the gifts of the great sages and saintly persons, make their life successful and preach the cult all over the world. That is the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Our Krishna consciousness movement is meant for that purpose.”
“As a man’s mental disease is cured by the directions of a psychiatrist, so this sadhana-bhakti cures the conditioned soul of his madness under the spell of maya, material illusion.”
“The first principle is that every devotee must try to rise early in the morning. That is first business. This practice should be done first. No one should sleep more than six hours.”
“Sadhana-bhakti means we have to practice it. And it does not require much education. It does not depend on your riches, that you have to become a very rich man to follow the regulative principles, rise early in the morning.”
“Without practicing astanga-yoga, you simply practice the one simple thing, simply thinking of the lotus feet of Krishna always; then you become a first-class yogi.
“It is not our statement; it is Krishna’s statement.
yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gata antaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
[Bg 6.47]
[And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]”
“This Krishna consciousness movement is so nice that if we take it seriously, then immediately, on the first stage, we become a first-class yogi.”
“It is the duty of the spiritual master to engage his disciple’s talent in the service of the Lord so that constantly he can think of the Lord. This is spiritual master’s duty.”
“Some way or other, if you fix up your mind on the lotus feet of Krishna, that is perfection of yoga.”
“Regulative principle means authorized—as they are mentioned in the authorized scriptures and as it is confirmed by the spiritual master.”
“Who requires a spiritual master? One who is inquisitive of sad-dharma, not asad-dharma.”
“A man requires a spiritual master when he’s inquisitive to know about the transcendental subject matter.”
“Without bona fide spiritual master, you cannot go a step forward.”
“Just like Arjuna surrendered to Krishna. When he saw that ‘The questions which have arisen in my mind, it cannot be solved by ordinary person,’ therefore he selected. He told Him that ‘I can understand, without Your Lordship nobody can mitigate all the doubts in my mind.’”
“Arjuna accepted Krishna as Param Brahman; you accept Krishna as Param Brahman; then your study of Bhagavad-gita is perfect.”
“Krishna did not leave Bhagavad-gita to be understood by your commentation. Try to understand Bhagavad-gita as it is; you’ll be benefited.”
Comment by one devotee:
Srila Prabhupada always ends his lectures by saying, “Chant Hare Krishna.”
Vrindavana Dasa Thakura:
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.220:
“The words and activities of Vishnu and the Vaishnavas are incomprehensible. Only by their mercy can one understand them.”
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.230, commentary:
“Actual, pure, real knowledge manifests in the hearts of the living entities from the descriptions of the Vedas.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.233, commentary:
“The three separate manifestations—Sri Nityananda, Sri Advaita, and Sri Mahaprabhu—are the bridge for approaching the Absolute Truth. By following the conceptions preached by these three personalities, the living entities can easily cross the ocean of material existence.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.255, commentary:
“Prabhu Nityananda and Prabhu Advaita are the right and left hands of Gaurasundara. Therefore there is factually no possibility of any bad feelings or misunderstanding between Them. Both are intoxicated with love of God.”
Jayadvaita Swami:
From a class on Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi 11.56 at ISKCON London on August 24, 2025:
Our qualification is not who we have descended from biologically but who we are following spiritually.
It is not that the medical board will ask you if your father is a doctor. You have to have your own qualifications.
Everyone is looking for Krishna, but some are looking in very much the wrong place.
I am not qualified to tell you how you can keep your children in Krishna consciousness, but there are very qualified people like Urmila Dasi and Radhika Ramana’s mother who can help you.
Our principles we do not compromise: Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
It is said that those who marry the spirit of the age will become widows because the age will be finished.
Our duty is not to make Krishna consciousness popular but to present what we have heard from authorities.
Srila Prabhupada said our business is not to please the crowd but to please the Lord and the spiritual authorities.
It is the nature of household life that you have less time to do outreach. For eight or ten hours you have to do what your boss wants, and then you go home and you have to do what your other boss wants.
If you want to reach the masses, reach the person closest to you, and then the next one, and the next one.
Give the real thing, and everyone will love you.
From Srila Prabhupada’s Kirtana Standards, p. 34:
“Revatinandana Dasa relates an instructive incdent: One devotee had picked up a chant in India: he krishna, govinda, hari, murari/ he natha, narayana, vasudeva. When Prabhu pada heard it, he called us into his room and said, ‘This is not a Vedic mantra; this is a cinema song. An intelligent disciple just takes whatever his spiritual master provides for him, considering that to be sufficient. There are many names of God you can chant, but it’s best to take what comes in disciplic succession and what the spiritual master introduces.’54”
From Srila Prabhupada’s Kirtana Standards, p. 43:
“Havi Dasa relates: In 1975 in New York, Citsukhananda started a kirtana, and in the middle of the kirtana he started to sing, ‘Jaya Jaya Sri Caitanya Jaya Nityananda Jayadvaita Candra Jaya Gaura Bhakta Vrinda.’ And Prabhupada immediately stopped him and asked him to chant Hare Krsna. ‘Don’t chant this. Chant Hare Krsna.’69”
From Srila Prabhupada’s Kirtana Standards, p. 50:
“‘Responsive chanting is very nice; one good singer may lead, and the others may join in. That is the system in India. It is very good for two reasons especially: One, the chanter gets to rest, so he does not become tired, and two, you get to chant and hear, that is the process.’ SP quote, 84”
Bhagavat Dharma Prabhu:
From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.9.34:
King Saudasa spared the life of a raksasa, but he ended up killing a brahmana. Thus his mercy ended up getting him into trouble.
If I am a guru, I am also a servant. I try the best to help my dependents come closer to Krishna.
The Bhagavatam stresses that one should not play any kind of leadership role unless he can deliver his dependents from the cycle of birth and death.
If people are against our help, then we try to benefit them in a way that will not disturb them.
Natabara Gauranga Prabhu:
The maidservants of Dhruva Maharaja’s mother must have be highly elevated to understand that Dhruva had attained perfection from constant meditation on the Supreme Lord.
Our goal is to constantly remember Krishna.
We should think that although I cannot attain love of Krishna quickly, I can attain it.
Visvanath Cakravarti Thakura says we should have a strong conviction to attain Krishna in this life or the next.
-----
Once Puskara Prabhu, the Srila Prabhupada disciple and artist based in Alachua, taught me this verse about the power of the holy name, which explains why chanting the holy name is superior to other spiritual processes.
na niskrtair uditair brahma-vadibhis
“By following the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies or undergoing atonement, sinful men do not become as purified as by chanting once the holy name of Lord Hari. Although ritualistic atonement may free one from sinful reactions, it does not awaken devotional service, unlike the chanting of the Lord’s names, which reminds one of the Lord’s fame, qualities, attributes, pastimes and paraphernalia.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.11)
Reproduced from the book, The Wonderful Glories of Sridham Mayapur by H.H. Bhakti Purushottama Swami, chapter entitled The Glories and Pastimes of Srimati Radharani.
The Wonderful Glories of Sridhama Mayapura Sri Mayapur-dhama, however, was Srimati Radharani’s own creation, to lure Krsna away from another lover. In the Ananta-samhita, Siva explains to Par vati why Srimati Radharani created merciful Sri Mayapur-dhama.
Lord Siva told Parvati, “As a bee plays in a lotus, Krsna was enjoying with Viraja in the pleasant forest groves of Vrndavana. Moon-faced, doe-eyed Radhika heard this news from one sakhi and hastily ran to find Krsna. Seeing that Radha was coming, Krsna suddenly disappeared and Viraja became a river. When Srimati Radharani arrived there, She could not find them. Absorbed in thoughts of Krsna, Radha began to think of how to attract Him away from Viraja. She gathered her sakhis together between the Ganga and Yamuna Rivers.
“She created a beautiful place, decorated with creepers and trees and filled with male and female bumblebees. Deer and bucks were happy enjoying as they wandered about, and the whole area was filled with the fragrance of jasmine, mallika, and malati flowers. That transcendental abode was adorned with tulasi forests and decorated with various groves. On Radha’s order, the Ganga and Yamuna, with their pleasant water and banks, acted as a moat to protect the garden. Cupid himself, along with springtime, eternally resides there, and the birds constantly sing the auspicious name of Krsna.
“Radha, dressed in colorful cloth, then began to play a beautiful melody on a flute in order to attract Krsna. Attracted by that melody, Krsna appeared in that enchanting place. Radha, the attractor of Krsna’s mind, seeing that Krsna had come, held His hand and experienced ecstatic delight. Then Krsna, understanding Radha’s mood, spoke in a voice choked with love.
‘O lovely-faced Radha, You are My very life. There is no one more dear to Me than You. Therefore I will never leave You. Just for Me You have created this wonderful place. Staying with You, I will transform this place, filling it with new sakhis and groves. The devotees will glorify this place as New (nava) Vrndavana. As this place is like an island (dvipa), the wise will call it Navadvipa. By My order, all the holy places will reside here.
‘Because You have created this place for My pleasure, I will live here eternally. Those people who come here and worship us will eternally attain our eternal service in the mood of the sakhis. O dear Radha, like Vrndavana, this place is extremely pure. If anyone comes here just once, he will obtain the results of going to all sacred places. He will quickly attain devotional service, which satisfies us.’
“O Parvati,“ Lord Siva continued, “I have described to you the reason for the appearance of Navadvipa. When heard by mankind, this narration removes all sins and bestows devotional service. Whoever rises early in the morning and with devotion to Gaura recites or hears this story of Navadvipa’s creation will certainly attain Gauranga.”
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Dear Prabhus: Jaya Srila Prabhupada! Let me share with you a small report of our humble service to the Srila Prabhupada ISKCON Mission. Introducing Krishna to Academia in Mexico and the World By Hare Krishna Dasa After 27 years of distributing books on the streets and preaching Krishna consciousness through the media in the famous
By Jyotisvara dasa On 24th August 2025, the Institute for Science and Spirituality (ISS) Delhi hosted a landmark national conference titled “The Enigma of Perception (Pratyakṣa): Exploring the Science through the Lens of Indian Knowledge Systems” at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. The event brought together eminent scholars, philosophers, and scientists to explore perceptionWhen new people come to bhakti, even after sincerely trying in their academic life, they may face some failures. In such situations, should we simply give them a supportive shoulder, or should we reach out with philosophy? I don’t think these two are mutually exclusive. Reaching out doesn’t mean only preaching philosophy—it’s just one aspect of our response.
In general, our mood should be to serve others. One important resource at our disposal is philosophy, but it is not the only one.
We should try to help them in whatever way we can. At the same time, we should recognize our limits—we are not therapists, nor can we take the place of family members. What we can do is be friends. We can give emotional support, but we should also be careful. If someone becomes emotionally dependent on us, we may not be able to be there for them constantly.
If a person is suffering from clinical depression, we are not qualified to treat them. But if they are experiencing routine sadness—say, after a failure—we can certainly offer motivational and encouraging words. We can try to energize them again, and that definitely is part of our service.
So, in our service mood, philosophy is like the primary tool in our toolkit, but not the only one. Developing a relationship, offering emotional support, and even practical assistance may also be required. For example, if someone loses a job, and in our community we know devotees with companies or contacts, we can try to connect them for practical help. Service can take many forms.
At the same time, we need balance. If in the many forms of support we provide, spirituality is completely absent, then the relationship becomes only material. If someone expects only emotional or practical help and shows no spiritual interest, we may eventually need to draw a line.
We need to avoid both extremes:
Therefore, some level of spirituality needs to be present in the support we offer. It may not be the first or most prominent component, but it should be there. Similarly, from their side, there should be at least some spiritual spark. Gradually—say after a few meetings—they should begin to show some spiritual interest. Otherwise, how long can we keep helping without that foundation?
This balance is also seen in Krishna’s dealings. For example, when Arjuna’s son died during the Kurukshetra war, Arjuna was devastated and even lashed out at his brothers, asking whether their weapons were just ornaments since none of them could protect his son. Krishna did not immediately give philosophy to Arjuna. Instead, He encouraged him with compassion, reminding him that bad things happen to everyone. The difference between the wise and the unwise is in how they respond to misfortune. The unwise act in ways that make things worse, while the wise act in ways that make things better. Krishna urged Arjuna not to speak words that would deepen his brothers’ pain, since they were also grieving. Krishna took a very humane and personal approach in that moment.
But later, in the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna did speak philosophy, inspiring Arjuna to do his duty. So, depending on the situation, Krishna used different tools from His toolkit—sometimes emotional, sometimes practical, sometimes philosophical—all with the purpose of uplifting Arjuna’s consciousness.
Similarly, we also need to use multiple tools. But we must remember that the ultimate purpose of our service and support is to help others grow in Krishna consciousness.
The post For those facing academic failures, should we preach to them or offer them emotional support? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
So, nowadays everybody gets distracted by social media, AI, and it’s difficult. How do we help them to be focused? Can we make Krishna Consciousness as attractive as, say, social media is addictive? It’s an ongoing challenge for everyone. I think the question many parents ask, or many people ask, you know, why are people so addicted to their phones? The question you should be asking is the other way around.
When the phones are so addictive, why is everyone 24 hours not addicted to their phones? It’s like, when there are so many things going wrong in everyone’s life, it’s not that why are so many people depressed, why is everyone not depressed? That is the question we should be asking. So actually the fact that despite social media being so attractive, despite AI being so captivating, despite the internet being so addictive, still people are looking for human contact, people are looking for some spiritual wisdom. The degree might be more, the intensity might be less, but the fact that we are looking for it means that there is a part of us that knows that there has to be something more meaningful in life.
That part of us may be buried deep, that part of us might be weak right now, and that part of us may not manifest because we have neglected it for a long time, but it is there within all of us. And it is that part of us that needs to be activated. So if we were going to play the game of stimulation, we are never going to say stimulation or pure material attractiveness, we are never going to match the material world.
But the question is, what is really meaningful in life? So we have to focus on how Krishna Consciousness brings meaning into our life. And people may or may not agree that this is the source of ultimate meaning. That’s okay.
But at least the practical level, when we understand that there is a divine reality, we understand that there are practices by which we can connect with the divine reality and experience the higher reality beyond ourselves, that brings a certain level of security in our life, that brings a certain level of direction in our life, that brings a certain level of purpose in our life. So these are the intangible gifts of Krishna Consciousness, which no amount of technology can offer us. So we cannot compete with technology or material progress on the basis of material attraction.
So one of my university talks is titled as Matters that matter more than matter. So start with, are there some things that matter more than matter? So I think the entire Western world is testament to that. As compared to the second world or third world, there’s far more progress here.
Material things are a lot better. And yet there is a lot of depression, stress, anxiety, addiction. So matter is not all that matters.
So what matters more and how can that be addressed? That is the key question which we need to focus on in our presentation of Krishna Consciousness. So Krishna Consciousness is not an alternative at the same level. It is a higher level alternative.
And that’s why we have to shift from the question of pleasure to the question of need. If pleasure is all that we are looking for, there are many people who are wealthy enough or in many countries there is enough welfare support available that people can just watch Netflix for the rest of their lives. But people don’t do that.
Even if people do on Netflix binge, they get sad because we don’t just want pleasure in our life. We want meaning. Now, it’s quite often when people don’t find anything meaningful to do or when they try to do something meaningful, it doesn’t work out.
Then they may gravitate towards pleasure again. But we don’t just live for pleasure. Yes, we want pleasure, but we want meaning first.
And eventually we want meaningful pleasure in our life.
The post How to deal with social media addiction? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
I had never been to the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Kanhaiya temple in Penang, Malaysia, but I was in for an ecstatic and wonderful experience. The temple itself is quite big and at the back there is a function centre with theater and guest rooms and a prasadam hall at the bottom.
To the side of that there is a multi-story ashrama with guest and meeting rooms and other facilities. The complex is an area that is specifically designated for temples and churches.
I was there during the beautiful Jhulan Yatra swing festival of Radha and Krishna and for Lord Balarama’s appearance day celebration. Our whole party had a blissful stay and I look forward to the next visit.
So when we face demanding situations, we feel agitated, anxious, and even if we try to remember Krishna, we still feel that emotion at that particular time, although it goes away after some time. So how can we deal with it at that time? See, there’s a fundamental misconception about the relationship between Krishna Consciousness and emotions. That the mind is mechanical as much as the body is mechanical.
So if the temperature drops, will the body feel cold? It will. Now, philosophically, I understand I’m not the body. That’s true.
I’m not the body, but I live through the body and the body is feeling cold right now. So we may have to wear warm clothes at that particular time. If somebody’s hand is fractured, then they have to wait for that hand to recover before they can function normally.
So what applies to the body also applies to the mind. That whenever there is some very stressful or distressful situation, that’s like an attack on the mind. And the mind will be shaken by that.
So there are broadly two levels at which Krishna Consciousness works with respect to the mind. When we talk about the mind, there is a subjective element and there’s an objective element. So for example, if I say that I’m really angry with you.
Now there is a subjective element to my anger. Now whatever you have done, there is some objective action you may have done. Now that action may be wrong and he may also feel angry about it.
But his anger may be lesser, mine might be more. His might be even more. So the degree of the anger is subjective.
But the cause of the anger, if you’ve done something wrong, there is an objective cause also. So the problem in the mind is that quite often the subjective and the objective gets mixed up. So our spirituality is meant to help us minimize the subjective.
So that we can actually focus on the objective and address the objective. So for example, Krishna tells Arjuna in 2.14 that there is the temporary appearance of happiness and distress. Therefore tolerate it.
Now when he is asking Arjuna to tolerate, what is he asking him to tolerate? Is he saying that all the Kauravas did so many atrocities towards you and your family. They tried to disrobe Draupadi. Tolerate it now.
Why are you fighting a war? Is he saying that? No. He is telling that tolerate the fact that you have to fight against Bhishma and Arjuna. Although they are worshipable for you, they have chosen the wrong side and it’s painful for you to fight against them but tolerate it.
Because you are fighting for a just cause. The Mahabharata war was a war for justice. A dharmic war.
So there is in that context, there is a subjective feeling of pain which Krishna has to be tolerated. But there is an objective cause of the pain which has to be addressed. So to come back to your point that when something has gone wrong in life, there is an objective issue.
So the objective issue is going to affect us. Now subjectively we might be disproportionately affected by it. And as we keep practicing bhakti, that disproportionate subjective effect will decrease.
That means the same thing which agitated us a lot previously will now not agitate us that much. But to expect that we never get agitated at all is just dehumanizing and it’s unrealistic. Because the mind is just as real as the body is.
And so as a solution part what we can do is, we try to find out ways in which we can quickly direct our mind towards Krishna. We can do many things but if there are particular kirtans which we like, particular songs which we like, particular shlokas which we like, particular philosophical points which we find persuasive, keep them accessible to us. So that at that time we can quickly turn towards them and get a better handle on our mind.
But getting a better handle on our mind does not mean the mind will become completely calm. There are two different degrees I said. One is that disturbing things happen and the mind gets disturbed.
The second is the mind is disturbed but we are not disturbed. So the more we realize ourselves spiritually, what will happen is we will not be disturbed even when the mind is disturbed. But there are disturbing things that happen in the world and they may cause the mind to be disturbed.
But we won’t be disturbed in the sense that we won’t be completely shaken up, completely devastated or shattered by it. So that’s an incremental way in which we learn to better respond to life’s challenges.
The post How to ensure that our mind is not disturbed when disturbing things happen? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
So I’ll rephrase your question, three parts in it. First is that the soul, basically based on the third chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, essentially does nothing. The soul acts through the mind and intelligence in this world and we don’t say that.
Second is that when people say that the soul does this, soul does that, we feel agitated by that. The third is that basically all that is happening, the soul is doing is there’s a borrowed consciousness here and apart from that, what we never purify the soul per se, what we purify is the subtle body. So there’s a pure consciousness, there’s a borrowed consciousness, a reflected consciousness.
Okay, so there’s three parts to it. Let’s start with the third part. First is this, there’s definitely a clear difference between conditioned consciousness and pure consciousness.
In fact, in the Bhagavad Gita itself, Krishna categorically says that there is a, what is the word for it? He says chitta is a transformation of material nature in 13.6 and 7 where he says so what we have in the material world is, he’s saying that consciousness is a product of material nature. So what is he referring to? He’s referring to conditioned consciousness over here. So what are the components of this consciousness? We have our convictions, we have our diksha and dvesha, sukha and dukha, corresponding experience.
So all that is referring to our conditioned experience. So a human male will be attracted to a human female or a human male will be attracted to human food and if the soul goes into say a hog’s body, it will be attracted to a hog female and hog food. None of this has anything to do with the soul.
So that particular part that it is the conditioned consciousness that is presently active and what we purify is the subtle body where the conditionings are present and because of which the consciousness gets misdirected. Correct. I’ll just say when you’re drinking that water, one more sentence if you allow me.
I can say one sentence. We say we are a spiritual being having a human experience. Similarly, a rat has a spiritual experience with a rat’s experience.
A rat is a spiritual being with a rat’s experience. So everybody has a is a spiritual being with the experience depending upon the subtle body. Correct.
So to equate our, so as far as purification is concerned, we may use the word, so often the confusion comes because we may use the word pure soul or great soul. Exactly. Now there is fundamentally in our philosophy, an unarticulated switching or unclarified, unemphasized, unexplored switching between using the term soul literally and metaphorically.
So for example, we may often say put your heart and soul in service. That is clearly, it is not that you take the heart and your soul and put it, cannot do that. So it is metaphorical usage.
So there is quite extensive implicit usage of the soul in the metaphorical sense. So when Krishna says Mahatma or Punyatma, so Mahatma, the soul is Anu. The soul is very small.
So what is Mahatma? It is the consciousness of the soul is fixed on the supreme reality. And that is how, because the consciousness evolved to appreciate and be absorbed in supreme reality, the soul is considered to be great. But Atma there has different meaning, isn’t it? Atma has many meanings.
So when he says Mahatma, he is not meaning a soul there. He is meaning Mahatma. It has many meanings, the word Atma, isn’t it? No, but no other meaning will work over there.
So great mind, great body, great intelligence, it has many different meanings, but no other meaning works over there. Are you saying that person has a great mind? No, no, no. My point is that the point that Atma has different meanings does not apply over here.
So what applies over here is a metaphorical sense. In the literal sense, the Atma can refer to the mind, the body, and the soul. It can refer essentially to what in Sanskrit, the word Atma often refers to what we conceive of as ourself.
That’s why we have the word Dehatmabuddhi. So where you think of the Deha to be the Atma or Kamaatmanah Svargapara. In the second chapter, Krishna says Kama is their Atma.
They think of their desires to be their very self. They define themselves by their desires. So Atma has many different meanings, I fully agree with you on that part.
But the literal meanings of the Atma, see the Atma as a term can point to many literal things. But it can also point to something non-literal. So literally it can point to the body, mind, or soul.
Philosophically accurate, it is normally the soul, but it can also refer to the mind, body, sometimes it can refer to the intelligence also at times. But it also, it means what you think of your very essence to be. So in that case, it can be also non-literal.
So Mahatma refers basically to the Atma being Mahaan. The Atma being Mahaan in the sense that Atma’s consciousness is focused on the Mahaan, the great reality. So Punyatma again refers in this case, the consciousness of the pious or pure.
So in that sense, when we talk about Atma in the non-literal sense, it is referring to what we think of as our essence, or what is the defining characteristic of someone, what is the defining characteristic of the consciousness of a person. So there are many things which are referred to that way. So the word like pure soul, great soul, they are very much acceptable and widespread usages in the tradition.
And they may not be understood by those who are using it to be non-literal. But they are non-literal. And now, that’s the first part.
So now the second part is getting agitated. I think there’s a lot of philosophical imprecision in, I won’t say incorrectness, but imprecision. In now, of course, there could be a debate between what is imprecision and what is incorrectness between people.
So but like, what is the adjustment and what is the deviation? One person may call it just I’m just adjusting for the same purpose. It’s a detail I’m adjusting. Somebody says no, it’s a principle you’re changing.
So I think, let’s give the benefit of doubt to people and assume that it’s a philosophical imprecision. So over a period of time, I have found that in our institution, because of the impetus or even the emphasis, pressure for preaching for everyone, there is a corresponding de-emphasis on philosophical precision. And there’s a lot of intentional or unintentional emphasis on utilitarianism.
That means whatever works. Like we say, utility is the principle. Now, those four things, preaching is the essence of all that.
Prabhupada never put them together as himself four statements. They’re attributed to him, but it’s not that he has put them together. So utility is the principle.
Now, each of those can be derived from different aspects of our philosophy, no doubt. It was four quotas. So now utility is the principle could be derived from yukta vairagya.
But utilitarianism can almost become like a use and throw kind of thing that has to be very carefully avoided that connotation. So that’s why I have found that to expect philosophical precision in the general classes is a bit of a unrealistic expectation that will put us only for agitation. Now, which points are important for us? We may try to clarify them with our circle of devotees.
But in general, in the devotee community, trying to emphasize will only alienate us. Especially when I go to preach to the university students. When I talk about the soul, how I direct them is purify your intelligence, strengthen your intelligence.
Through that you conquer the mind, do all those things which are required, so that you’re able to realize who you are. Correct. So I emphasize the importance of intelligence very much.
Very much. Because buddhi yoga, I used in the second chapter, buddhi yoga, Krishna says. That is perfectly fine.
That is perfectly fine. See, I’m talking about two different things. I was talking about you getting agitated when people speak.
So I would say that that is something which I should take it away. It is just the nature of a preaching movement. So there is, I was reading in a Christian academic article, that there is always a distance between the Christian scholars and the Christian teachers.
Those who are pastors and the priests and then leave alone the masses. So it’s almost like a two level Christianity. Now the pastors may try to correct some of the conceptions of the masses.
But then the pastors themselves may have some conceptions that the scholars may not agree with. So there is that multiple understandings of the same passage that is inevitable in religious communities. And we have to choose our battles.
Some people may consider some things to be extremely important. And they may emphasize that and they may want to correct that. But for others, they might just come up with nitpicking.
So if suppose somebody becomes a community leader, somebody becomes a spiritual master, they may say you should not use Hari bol. You should use only Hare Krishna mantra. Just say Hare Krishna.
Never greet people by Hari bol. You may say that Hari bol is an instruction. You’re telling somebody to say Hari.
It is not a greeting. So everybody has their things which they emphasize. Now there are places in the Shaitan Charitaam also where the Hari bol is used.
You can get into whether that’s a precise argument or not. But my point is that for everybody else, it does seem that you’re making a small thing very big. So that’s how it is.
And now going back to the point about what does the soul actually do? Well, I’ll start from the complete non-theistic idea, a non-spiritual vision. We’ll come increasingly closer to our vision. And keep your thing always at 13, 13, 13.
Keep that in mind. So from a philosophical, rational perspective, there’s a prominent thinker who said that there is no concept in the history of religion that is more dead than the idea of the soul. Because he said, at least with the idea of God, you can have some rational discussion.
With the idea of soul, it is an utterly useless idea. Because those who say, he’s talking primarily about Hindus, Buddhists say that there’s no soul ultimately. So Hindus say that you are the soul and you are nothing but the soul.
And then they say that the soul does nothing. So basically, it’s completely, you cannot argue with them about the reality of the soul. Because if every activity attribute to the brain, yeah, but the soul doesn’t do anything.
So they made the soul a completely, what is the word for it? It is a concept which is so elusive, that you cannot pin it down to refute it. From a psychological perspective, there are whole books written about this, how you know, the idea you’re not the body or the soul is a psychologically toxic idea. That is what leads to people, a body denying spirituality, that leads to people betraying themselves, because who they are physically, who they are emotionally, they all betray, because I am none of this.
So people let themselves get suffocated. People let themselves get abused. Because all this is happening to the body.
And somebody says, no, I’m an introvert, I need my space. No, but you’re not. That’s just your conditioning, stupid.
So you are the soul. And all this is something you have to give up. The more you identify yourself as an introvert, the more you are giving it to your conditioning.
Now, all this is, of course, misunderstanding of the philosophy. But my point is that a rigid separation between the soul and the body can be psychologically damaging for the individual who understands it. And it can be a very easy tool for psychological manipulation by the authorities.
There was a very prominent leader in Europe, a very prominent leader. He would just verbally and physically abuse his disciples. He had been a bodybuilder before.
So he would, when he would get angry at a disciple, just pick a disciple and throw him across the room. And several of his disciples would get fractured and everything. So he would say that, I want to force you through a hole so tiny that nothing except the soul will go through it.
And being ready to go through that hole is a test of your surrender. So that rigid separation, now at a philosophical level, we can see what is the precise understanding. But what I’m talking about is that from a rational perspective, as well from a psychological perspective, this notion is fraught with danger.
So, for example, you know, I have had many Western women telling me that it is in ISKCON that I came to know that I’m not the body. And it is in ISKCON more than in mainstream, everywhere else in society, that I’m constantly reminded I am the body. You are a woman, so don’t do this.
You are told you are not the woman, but you are a woman, so you don’t do this. Go here, don’t go there. So there is a significant, what they perceive as a double standard.
Now it’s not a double standard. It is a process that, okay, you are not the body, you are the soul. But to realize the soul, you have to follow certain practices.
And those practices may differ based on the body. So, when any philosophical concept is emphasized very strongly, how it is used or abused depends on the teachers. So, in Radha Gopinath temple, there was a question that many young people are coming nowadays, and they sometimes want to take selfies with the Lord.
So should we tell them not to take it? Radha Maharaj said that, yes, it’s not right to turn your back to the Lord. But he said, if we can make a notice over there, but nobody should tell people. Because once you tell that this should be stopped, then there are many people who take pleasure in imposing rules on others.
We can’t control how people will tell it to others. And many people may go with a bad taste in their mouth, and they may never come back. So they coming to the temple is more important initially, then they’re turning the back to the Lord.
Now, somebody else may disagree about this, and that’s okay. But this is a matter of priority. So where philosophical truths can be, or at least somewhat debated or debatable philosophical truths are capable of being misused in particular ways, we have to be very careful about what we emphasize.
Now, having said that, the 13th chapter is… Before you go there, can I just say one sentence here? I find that the Vedantists, they bring about a better picture, not the impersonalism, say Vedantists. They don’t talk about the soul directly, they talk about pure consciousness. You are that pure consciousness.
And then they say the source of that pure consciousness is the soul. They don’t go straightaway talk about soul. They emphasize, and they give a very beautiful analogy for this.
They say, there is a subject-object relationship. When I see this, this is the object and this is the subject. The subject and object are not always the same.
There’s a difference between the subject and the object. So my eyes is the subject, this mobile phone is the object. Similarly, go one step backwards.
My mind is the subject, my eyes is the object. Because I can see what my eyes is seeing. Then go backwards.
You are able to see what your mind is seeing, who is seeing that. That is consciousness. Beautiful way of expressing.
So this is the way I took to the Curtin University students. Excellent. See, that was the next point I was going to go to.
That in the Govinda Bhashya commentary on Vedanta Sutra, Baldev Dev Goswami addresses the question that, does the soul change or the soul not change? Because the Bhagavad Gita, for example, the soul is achala. In the second chapter, achalo yam sanatana. But then later on, it also says, the soul in goodness goes upward.
The soul in passion stays here. The soul in minerals goes downwards. The soul goes to the spiritual world.
So does the soul move or not move? And we also talk about the blossoming of consciousness or flowering of consciousness, the various stages. But that abhikaryo yam sanatana. Abhikarya is, the soul never changes.
So what does it, what changes? So the idea is that he says that there is, he uses particulars, jnana rupa and jnana svarupa. But without getting into those terms, he says that the soul doesn’t change, but the soul’s consciousness changes. And if the soul’s consciousness can evolve, it can devolve.
The soul’s consciousness is constantly changing. The pure consciousness. The soul’s consciousness means.
Which consciousness? The pure consciousness? The soul’s consciousness means the beam of light of energy that comes from the soul, which leads to the soul perceiving various things. So now the point is, if the soul is here, from there the beam of light comes up and then the beam of light passes through the subtle body, subtle body it goes outwards. So this consciousness as is manifested to us.
So the technically some commentators in Sankhya differentiate between chitta and chitta. Now chitta is a very complicated concept and in yoga sutra, it is, there are different understandings of chitta. But let’s take it that chitta is the original consciousness.
That is always pure. That is, but that pure consciousness is utterly inaccessible for us. What is accessible is chitta.
And chitta is constantly changing. So we say that we have to elevate our consciousness, purify our consciousness. So yes, see the Buddhists focus only on consciousness and not, they don’t consider soul at all.
Anattavada they have. Now sometimes we, we talk about consciousness and soul, but we don’t adequately differentiate between the two. So now from a philosophical perspective, there are in our tradition, some teachers who say the soul, the soul never falls from the spiritual world.
And they try to explain it by saying that the soul is even now in the spiritual world. But the soul experientially is where the consciousness is. And the consciousness is entangled in the body in the material world.
In that sense, we are in the material world. Now, I wouldn’t go that far. But my point is that it is true that the soul is ultimately where what we experience is the reality for us, at least at present.
And even in chapter 2 from 2.30 to all the 2.30, there is no way in the verses that is mentioning about the word soul. So what is the point of that? No, I’m just trying to say the word soul has not been used there. It is, Atma has never been 2.30, 2.40 everywhere.
So it is the emphasis is on consciousness. Interesting. Okay.
Let us think about that. Soul never been mentioned there. Abhinashita tad viddino, what is 2.18? Antavante me deha, nitya uktaha sharirenaha.
Interesting. Deha is used, Atma is not used anywhere. It’s an interesting observation.
So yeah, so the point is that, but you can, I can take the devil’s advocate and say the word chetana is also not used anywhere over there. Chetana or anything equivalent to consciousness is also not used over there. So it just says the embodied, dehi.
What that dehi is, is left ambiguous. And I would say that the, that chapter is referring more to the soul than the chetana. Because it says it cannot be cut.
2.17 talks about consciousness. It is saying that which pervades the body. It doesn’t use the word chetana.
Yeah. Yeah. No, no.
If you’re going to precise terminology, precise semantics, then Atma is not used, chetana is also not used. So some of them, some of the verses like 2.17 definitely seems to refer to chetana, 2.22, 2.23, that to give up one body, go to another body, that is not burned, that is not, that can, that can very well refer much more to the soul than the consciousness. Although it can refer to the consciousness also, but that’s a different discussion.
So my point is that how much is the soul involved? See there is the experiential understanding and there is the ontological understanding or lewd understanding, lewd understanding and the conceptual understanding. So for us, we understand the soul primarily from the perspective of our experience. We, I’m talking about we as individuals.
So we certainly have to take responsibility for our actions. So I certainly don’t agree with the idea that we are not the doers at all and the modes are only the doers. The Gita, that well-known verse 3.27 does not say we are not the doers.
All that it says is one who thinks he’s the doer is an illusion. So the Gita at the end says that in the 18th chapter towards the conclusion, Krishna tells Arjuna, now do as you desire. And Krishna also says, Arjuna also says, the whole point of the Bhagavad Gita is to guide us about what we do.
And if we absolutize the idea that we are not the doer, the whole purpose of the Gita gets defeated. So in the 18th chapter, in the five factors of action, in 1816, Krishna says that, one who thinks I am the only doer. That person is an illusion.
So we are doers, but not the soul doers. So I would say that, to say that the soul does nothing, there is definitely an element of philosophical truth to it. But that truth can be taken a bit too far.
And we have to qualify it with the understanding that each one of us has to take responsibility for our actions. And whether we use our intelligence or whatever we use for our actions. So whatever we use, we use our intelligence.
But ultimately, the soul, whoever it is, it is we who are responsible for our actions. And we will have to bear the consequences of our actions. And we need to take responsibility.
There is a difference between taking responsibility and taking credit. So now, when we desire to execute the actions, we understand that we can’t do much in material nature. And we need the help of Krishna to be able to do it.
Krishna through the material nature helps us to execute the actions. So in that sense, non-doership, if that is understood, so that we don’t become proud or arrogant, then that understanding of non-doership is okay. But if that leads to passivity or lack of responsibility, then that is not helpful.
Thank you.
The post Is the soul ever impure or is it only the subtle body that is impure? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
I visited ISKCON Malaysia’s New Godruma Dhama Farm, located in the surroundings of Lanchang, Pahang, about two hours from Kuala Lumpur. This beautiful property is rooted in the principle of simple living and high thinking.
Under the guidance of Simheswara Dasa, both the Director of New Godruma Dham Farm and Co-Regional Secretary for ISKCON Malaysia, the 400-acre farm—established on the 30th Aug 2013, is dedicated to cow protection, ecological farming, and spiritual practice based on Srila Prabhupada’s teachings.
The purpose of this essay is to examine Kapiladeva’s gradation of bhakti-yoga: from devotion in the modes of ignorance, passion, and goodness, to the transcendental platform of pure devotion. By analyzing these levels and their philosophical and practical implications, we will see that although devotion may begin in a mixed state, its intrinsic nature graduallyWhere I Went and What I Did
The thirty-third week of 2025, I lived at ISKCON Paris in Sarcelles, eighteen minutes by train north of Paris itself. In Paris I chanted Hare Krishna for three hours each afternoon, usually from 3 to 6 p.m., except on Thursday, when we chanted from 12 to 2 p.m. and 6:30 to 8 p.m.
On Vyasa-puja, we chanted from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Sarcelles Market and 7:15 to 8:45 p.m. at Montmartre.
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam, and also a lecture and two letters of his. I share quotes from Sri Caitanya-bhagavata by Vrindavana Dasa Thakura and its commentary by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. I share notes on classes by Janananda Goswami, who spoke in Paris on Janmastami and Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa-puja Day.
Many thanks to an anonymous donor for his very generous donation. Thanks to Marat for his kind donation.
Itinerary
August 23: Liverpool Ratha-yatra
August 24: Crawley Ratha-yatra
August 25: Crawley harinama and flight to New York
August 26–December 31: NYC Harinam
– September 25–26: Philadelphia harinama
– September 27: Philadelphia Ratha-yatra
– September 28: Delaware Sunday Feast and harinama?
Chanting Hare Krishna in Paris
Marat chants Hare Krishna at Printemps Haussmann in Paris (https://youtu.be/bu2RKKO65gg):
Here Revatinandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna by the Indian shops in Paris on Janmastami (https://youtu.be/w2MNHUMX__0):
Marat chants Hare Krishna at Les Halles in Paris (https://youtu.be/Edz-JH2GsW8):
Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.34, purport:
“The happiness which the living beings are hankering for is not to be found within any corner of the innumerable universes and material planets. The eternal happiness which the living being wants is obtainable in the kingdom of God, but the forgetful living beings under the influence of the material modes have no information of the kingdom of God. The Lord, therefore, comes to propagate the message of the kingdom of God, either personally as an incarnation or through His bona fide representative as the good son of God. Such incarnations or sons of God are not making propaganda for going back to Godhead only within the human society. Their work is also going on in all types of societies, amongst demigods and those other than human beings.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.24, purport:
“Unless one is sufficiently protected by the Lord, he may fall down from his spiritual position; therefore one has to pray constantly to the Lord for protection and the blessing to carry out one’s duty. Lord Caitanya also entrusted His missionary work to His devotees and assured them of His protection against the onslaught of material influence. The path of spiritual life is stated in the Vedas to be like the edge of a sharpened razor. A little inattentiveness may at once create havoc and bloodshed, but one who is a completely surrendered soul, always seeking protection from the Lord in the discharge of his entrusted duties, has no fear of falling into material contamination.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.25, purport:
“The typical example of such a transcendental exchange between the predominator and the predominated is the Lord’s rasa-lila with the gopis. The gopis are predominated expansions of the internal potency, and therefore the Lord’s participation in the rasa-lila dance is never to be considered like the mundane relationship of man and woman. It is, rather, the highest perfectional stage of the exchange of feelings between the Lord and the living entities. The Lord gives the fallen souls the chance for this highest perfection of life.”
From a class on Bhagavad-gita 6.41–63 in New York in 1966:
“So there are chances of failure. There are chances of failure. Just like a great sage like Visvamitra Muni, he also failed, failed for the time being. But Krishna says that this failure is not, I mean to say, unsuccessful. As we have sometimes the proverb that ‘Failure is the pillar of success,’ especially in the spiritual life, this failure is not discouraging. This failure is not discouraging.
“So Krishna says that ‘Even one fails in completing his spiritual course, still, there is no loss on his part.’ Partha naiva iha. Iha means in this world. Na amutra. Amutra means next world. Vinasas tasya vidyate: ‘He will never vanquish.’ Vinasas tasya vidyate, na hi kalyana-krt: ‘Anyone who takes this auspicious line of spiritual culture,’ kascid durgatim tata gacchati, ‘he’ll never fall down.’ Yes.”
“The Lord is always prepared to give us facility. Simply He wants to see that we are sincere. That’s all.”
“So these things are sanctioned by Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita and all Vedic literature, that there is no harm even one is not able to fulfill his mission properly.”
“So in the pious family or in the rich family, there is chance of degradation. But one who takes his birth in a family of yogi, devotee, oh, he has got better chance for cultivating the same spiritual culture from which in his past life he had fallen. Therefore Krishna says, etad dhi durlabhataram: ‘This is very rare, that a man gets his birth, a parent, a yogi.’ This is very rare.”
“I may tell you that those who have taken this Society, Krishna consciousness, very seriously, they are not ordinary person. They must have had such culture in their previous life. Now they are again trying to revive that thing.”
“‘Now, in my past life I could not finish the job some way or other, but that doesn't matter. Now this life I shall not allow to miss this opportunity.’ That should be our determination as soon as we begin some spiritual culture.”
“So this is such a place. Lord Jesus Christ, his only fault was that he was preaching God’s message. He was crucified. You see? So these things are... This place is like that. Even if you are innocent, still, you'll be put into danger. Therefore this place should be avoided.”
“My Guru Maharaja used to say that ‘This place is not fit for any gentleman’s living.’”
From a letter to devotees written in Los Angeles on August 26, 1972:
“My Spiritual Master knew it that alone I could not do this great work. Therefore He has very kindly sent you all to help me in this task. I accept you therefore as representatives of my Guru Maharaja playing as my affectionate disciples.”
From a letter to Devananda on November 23, 1968:
“Simply our prayer should be, My dear Krishna, please remind me to always chant Your Holy Name, please do not put me into forgetfulness. You are sitting within me as Supersoul, so you can put me into forgetfulness or into remembering You. So please do not put me into forgetfulness. Please always remind me to chant, even You send me into the hell, it doesn't matter, just so long as I can always chant Hare Krishna.”
Vrindavana Dasa Thakura:
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.204:
[Advaita Acarya said to Lord Caitanya:] “Worshiping the demigods headed by Shiva while disregarding You is like watering the leaves of a tree after cutting its root.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.209–210:
[Lord Caitanya said:] “My wish-fulfilling holy names destroy one who blasphemes My servant. All living entities in the innumerable universes are My servants, so anyone
who blasphemes any living entity is ruined.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.212:
[Lord Caitanya said:] “If even a sannyasi blasphemes an innocent person, he goes to hell and all his religious principles are destroyed.”
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.113, purport:
“Sri Gaurasundara's preaching of devotional service is meant to deliver everyone in the world, but Mahaprabhu did not display any compassion for delivering the sinful Mayavadis who indulge in blaspheming Vaiṣnavas. Rather, He enacted the pastime of accepting the hospitality of a drunken debauchee. Yet He did not award the Mayavadi Vedantists who were envious of Vaiṣnavas the good fortune of attaining His darsana.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.207–208, purport:
“One who worships Lord Govinda but fails to worship His devotees should be understood to be not a devotee of the Lord but simply a victim of false pride.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.213, purport:
“To attribute faults when faults are not present is called ninda, or ‘blasphemy.’”
Janananda Goswami:
From a class on Janmastami at ISKCON on August 16, 2025:
Krishna descends to remove our materialist conceptions of seeing things without relationship with Krishna and to seeing ourselves as the enjoyer.
Krishna appears to attract people to spiritual enjoyment.
Subhaga Swami said Srila Prabhupada said that Bhagavad-gita 4.9 is the essence of Bhagavad-gita.
Srila Prabhupada said the Lord appeared as Nrsimha so the atheists would conclude there is no God.
From a lecture on Vyasa-puja:
Krishna arranged that His dear devotee, His senapati bhakta, appeared the day after His own appearance.
90% of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples never spoke a word with him.
Although in the 1970s we did not have personal computers and mobile phones, still we communicated much better.
Different devotees present Krishna consciousness differently so different people can assimilate it.
Love of God means simply to exist for the pleasure of Krishna.
The temple is facilitate the hearing of pure Krishna-katha in the association of devotees.
Some think that kirtan should not go on at night because the deities are asleep. That is nonsense. Srila Prabhupada wanted kirtan to always go on. It can be toned down at night as to not wake up the sleeping devotees.
Initiation is the beginning. It is the acceptance of the spiritual master as one’s life and soul.
It is Srila Prabhupada’s mercy and the mercy of the devotees that we are here today.
One of the best checks is “Would I do this if Srila Prabhupada was sitting next to me?”
The words of the spiritual master are the pride of the disciple.
Study the books. Don’t just put them on their shelves.
Srila Prabhupada said devotees should not just buy deities at the shop in India, and wotship them as they feel like. They should learn from the temple devotees the proper standard of worship.
Often Vyasa-puja offerings are written in the mood you are in the day you write the offering.
Srila Prabhupada explains the offerings go up the parampara to Krishna.
Srila Prabhupada Vyasa-puja Offerings
Janananda Goswami:
This is fiftieth anniversary of your coming to New Mayapur.
We have failed to maintain and expand your project there, but we are making progress in different areas.
There is a popular new outreach program a young devotee is doing in a nearby city.
We are completing the French Srimad-Bhagavatam which was never done.
You wrote in an offering to your own guru: The one who serves the message of the guru really worships him.
The word “obeisances” derives from the word “obey.”
You said once in Paris, “In all circumstances and in all trails do not give up.”
Chatelat means “fortified gate” so Chatelat-Les Halles, we are at the gates to hell, but by our Ratha-yatra and book distribution there we are making it to the gates to Vaikuntha.
You have given us the means of purification: Chant, dance, distribute books, and prasadam.
In the temple, some people may make an offering and some just come. It is the same on the street. Some people take a book. Others not.
Siksastakam Prabhu:
[Initiated in Amsterdam in 1976. Helped us get tax-free religious status in France.]
You have stressed concern for all of humanity.
You have shown us how to use whatever Krishna gives us in His service.
It is important for us to cooperate together to give society a real alternative.
Pranesvara Prabhu:
My life outside the temple is horrible not haribol.
I want to leave my two houses and my arguing wife behind and come to the temple and do harinama-sankirtana.
Outside the association of the devotees there is only falldown after falldown.
Once I was chaukidar for Srila Prabhupada, and I saw him through the curtains doing his translating at 2:00 a.m.
Because I served you then, I am here today.
Harivilasa knew I worked for a limousine company. We explained to the owner, who was Russian Orthodox and had pictures of Mary all over, that Prabhupada was great devotee of God. We asked how much it would cost to use a limousine for a week. He said, “For such a person, just pay for petrol and use our best limosine, the one we use for weddings.”
Nitai Gaursundara Prabhu:
I want to read an offering by Parvati Devi Dasi TKG, my godsister:
By your mercy, your have changed the course of this planet.
Without your mercy I would have no chance of a spiritual metamorphosis.
You are the pond where I can quench my thirst after wandering through desert regions.
You are the blade cutting off our material attachments.
Your house is so big that it covers the world.
Gaura Bhakta Prabhu:
Srila Prabhupada brought the spiritual world to Paris in 1973.
He liked the French because they like to eat, they are intellectual, and they are revolutionary.
He said Paris is the king’s city.
Wherever he went, he was like the sun, dissapating darkness.
When he came to Paris, he met impotent leaders. He spoke with knowledge and humility.
His guru realized that Srila Prabhupada could speak so nicely that he could attract people in the west.
He attracted children. He attracted respectable people. He was attractive because of his love of God.
I regularly hear his lectures, and I can understand he is from another world. I can see he only wants to deliver people.
Srila Prabhupada gave so much knowledge about Krishna, what He looks like, what He does.
Srila Prabhupada said that it is impossible to know Krishna completely, but whatever we know about Krishna will benefit us.
We are protected by Srila Prabhupada.
Srila Prabhupada said that chanting, following the rules, reading the books, and associating with devotees is sufficient to attain perfection.
Video of Prabhupada in Paris:
Dayamriga carved the Jagannatha deities in Paris.
Indradyumna Swami: “I wanted to get a personal instruction, and I asked Srila Prabhupada, and he leaned over and said, ‘Preach boldly and have faith in the holy names.’ He gave me a dhoti.”
Srila Prabhupada would listen to each people’s level of spiritual consciousness and speak accordingly. He would be firm with people, out of compassion, concerned about the effects of their philosophies on society.
Srila Prabhupada was the only religious leader who was official honored by the city of Paris. Otherwise it was only political leaders who were honored.
Chinese devotee:
Thank for coming west at age 69 to please your guru. Now people all over the world are able to get spiritual blessings.
Your mercy is higher than the sky and deeper than the ocean.
Dayal Nitai Prabhu:
Only by your service can I engage in the service of Krishna.
If feel indebted for life, I wish to distribute books.
I hope to share the message of Krishna which is an absolute necessity to save them from the disease of materialism.
I hope my service my reduces the tears of compassion in your eyes.
Jiva Prana Prabhu:
You awaken sleeping souls and make us dance.
You planted the seed of devotion in every corner of the world, especially in France.
You have given a generation of disciples who carry you in their hearts.
You have given us everything.
Please let me share these book deities.
Everywhere is blessed by invoking your presence.
Please help me to engage everything in Krishna’s service.
Put me in whatever position you like.
Allow me to keep the association and keep me engaged in your mission.
Revatinandana Prabhu:
You killed the demons of impersonalism and voidism.
You have taken the burden of delivering the world.
You have lifted us from material ocean to the spiritual ocean.
Like Vamana, you took the land that was misappropriated, but not from one king, rather from many kings.
Gopal Krishna Goswami Appearance Day Offerings
Rasa Parayana Prabhu:
He was an expert manager. He was always ten steps ahead of you. He was a great advocate of book publication and distribution. Of the two Delhi temples, Sant Nagar Main Road was top in book distribution in the large temples category and Punjabi Bagh was top in the medium temples.
He was very personal. He always had time for people not matter how busy he was.
One devotee stole money. Before kicking him out, they asked Gopal Krishna Goswami. Gopal Krishna Goswami asked the devotee why he stole the money, and he replied that the stipend he got was not enough to maintain his family. Gopal Krishna Goswami sent him to another center with an increased stipend.
He would deal with people not to banish them.
One dog had puppies in the Delhi temple compound, and Gopal Krishna Goswami said having the puppies all over the place was not good for keeping the cleanliness standard, so the leaders through them threw them out. When Gopal Krishna Goswami learnec they were thrown out, he protested and made the leaders go out and find them. He felt that any entity who has taken shelter of Krishna must be protected.
During the Srila Prabhupada disappearance festival in Vrindavan, he would make sure every Srila Prabhupada disciple was properly accommodated.
He was expert in dealing with devotees who could not get along.
He always thanked people for their service.
Adinath Govind Prabhu:
He was known as “trouble shooter.” He would go to places where there were problems so he could solve them.
He had concern for two temples, Kharghar and another.
Once he told a disciple, “I brought you hear to solve the problems not to complain.”
When a preacher did not take the opportunity to massage him because of an engagement, he said, “Message is more important than massage.”
He would hear from other acaryas in the line, but he would exactly repeat what Srila Prabhupada said.
His favorite pastime was Madhavendra Puri and Ksira-cora Gopinatha.
Once he went to Remuna. The temple was closed. But somehow the pujari had spontaneously saved out two pots of sweet rice that day, and they were then given to him. He told his disciples not to tell people about it, but now it is known widely.
He once said, “I don’t want to be the cause of anyone’s spiritual death.”
The devotees cooking breakfast were from Mauritius and had friends and relatives who were disciples of Gopal Krishna Goswami, and thus they cooked a breakfast feast in his honor.
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When we share Krishna consciousness, we have a guaranteed audience – those who performed acts of Krishna consciousness in their past lives, and therefore there will always be some people who are interested in what we are offering. Krishna explained this in Bhagavad-gita 6.43–44:
“On taking such a birth, he revives the divine consciousness of his previous life, and he again tries to make further progress in order to achieve complete success, O son of Kuru. By virtue of the divine consciousness of his previous life, he automatically becomes attracted to the yogic principles—even without seeking them. Such an inquisitive transcendentalist stands always above the ritualistic principles of the scriptures.”
August 2025 Purpose: To clarify ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry’s position regarding the use of wigs for deities and to establish the reasons for permitting only synthetic hair, not human or animal hair, for the deities in ISKCON temples. 1. Background Within ISKCON, the dressing and ornamentation of the deity is an important part of worship.Mayapur, 19 August 2025 – HariBol Foods, India’s foremost cruelty-free food brand recognized by the World Economic Forum, has announced a landmark partnership with ISKCON Mayapur, the global headquarters of ISKCON. Together, they will implement HariBol Food’s advanced AI- and IoT-enabled cow health monitoring ecosystem at ISKCON Mayapur’s go-shala, marking the beginning of a new era of transparency and spiritual engagement in cow care.
As part of this initiative, HariBol Foods will also provide a dedicated Mobile Healthcare Van to ISKCON Mayapur. This van will expand the scope of veterinary support for Mayapur’s cows – bringing preventive care, first aid, and emergency treatment directly where it is needed. The combined approach of on-ground mobile healthcare and digital IoT monitoring ensures comprehensive welfare for the cows, while creating a living model for ISKCON’s global go-shalas.
HariBol Foods has pioneered transparent systems where consumers can trace their food back to source – whether milk, ghee, oils, or grains. At Mayapur, this same transparency will now be applied directly to cow protection.
Each cow will be equipped with an IoT-enabled collar tracking vital health parameters, with data stored securely and made available to devotees through HariBol Food’s “Live Farms” platform. Devotees will be able to view real-time updates, historical health indices, and veterinary interventions – making go-seva globally participatory.
The addition of the mobile healthcare van complements this ecosystem by ensuring that veterinary teams are always equipped to deliver timely interventions in the field. This dual model ensures that ancient principles of Ahimsa (non-violence) are safeguarded through modern systems that combine accountability, compassion, and precision.
The initiative is designed to serve as a replicable model for ISKCON go-shalas worldwide. By combining digital transparency through IoT and direct intervention via mobile healthcare, ISKCON Mayapur and HariBol Foods are setting a new standard for cow care. Smaller temples and goshalas can adopt the system at different scales – mobile vans for outreach, IoT collars for monitoring, or both – ensuring accessibility across contexts.
Beyond immediate welfare, the platform also opens opportunities for research on Ahimsa dairy, sustainability practices, and policy-level advocacy for ethical animal husbandry. In the long term, this could connect ISKCON’s go-shalas in Vrindavan, Ujjain, New Vrindaban, and beyond into a single transparent ecosystem of cow protection.
“ISKCON founder HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada envisioned that our communities would care for cows with the same devotion as Deities. By combining ancient wisdom with technology, we are making that vision accessible to every devotee worldwide. With the mobile van and IoT monitoring, care is not only heartfelt but also measurable – protecting cows in body while uplifting devotees in spirit.”
“This collaboration with ISKCON Mayapur represents a milestone for us. By providing a mobile
healthcare van alongside IoT-driven monitoring, we are building a holistic model of cow care that is both spiritual and scientific. Our vision is to see this platform become the benchmark for ISKCON’s go-shalas worldwide, blending tradition, compassion, and innovation into one seamless system.”
ISKCON Mayapur, the world headquarters of ISKCON, is home to the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (TOVP) and one of the largest go-shalas dedicated to lifelong cow protection. It is a center of spiritual learning and practice, visited by millions of pilgrims annually.
HariBol Foods is a food innovation company inspired by ISKCON principles, dedicated to creating cruelty-free, sustainable food systems rooted in Ahimsa. Through its Live Farms technology, DNA-verified A2 milk, and traceable ecosystems for dairy and non-dairy products, HariBol Foods is reshaping how food and compassion converge in modern life.
Website – https://haribol.in/
Contact – yachneet.pushkarna@haribol.in | +91 85869 06577
Visit: www.tovp.org
Support: https://tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities
Email: tovpinfo@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/tovp.mayapur
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/tovpinfo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOVP2022
Telegram: https://t.me/TOVP_GRAM
WhatsApp: https://s.tovp.org/whatsappcommunity1
Instagram: https://s.tovp.org/tovpinstagram
App: https://s.tovp.org/app
News & Texts: https://s.tovp.org/newstexts
Store: https://tovp.org/tovp-gift-store/
I haven’t visited Kuala Lampur temple for many years. It has certainly changed since the last time because the old temple was completely pulled down and a new temple is now up in its place.
I was inspired to see the Their Lordships on the altars and see the magnificent temple room and all the other new facilities. I was invited to give the Sunday morning lecture, which was followed by kirtan and prasadam.
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