Planet ISKCON

Today is Guru-purnima. Srila Prabhupada has explained that the system of honoring the spiritual master is current in all sections of Vedic followers. In the Mayavadi (impersonalist) sects, disciples offer respect to the spiritual master once in a year, on Guru-purnima. And in the Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya, disciples also offer homage annually—on the appearance day of the spiritual master, an occasion called Vyasa-puja because the spiritual master, through disciplic succession, presents the same knowledge as Vedavyasa, the empowered incarnation of Krsna who compiled the Vedic literatures. We shall take this opportunity to discuss the principle of guru—and glorify the acarya-sampradaya.

 Guru is a deep subject. We sing, vande ’ham sri-gurohsri-yuta-pada-kamalam sri-gurun vaisnavams ca, offering respects to the individual spiritual master, to the predecessor acaryas, and to all Vaisnavas.

As Srila Prabhupada explains, “The offering of respect to the spiritual master means offering respect to all the previous acaryas. Gurun means plural number. All the acaryas, they are not different from one another, because they are coming in the disciplic succession from the original spiritual master and they have no different views.” Thus we offer respects to the predecessors.

Similarly, we offer respects to the followers. Srila Prabhupada explains further, “Spiritual master means they must have many followers, who are all Vaisnavas. They are called prabhus, and the spiritual master is called Prabhupada, because at his lotus feet there are many prabhus. Pada means ‘lotus foot.’ All these Vaisnavas are prabhus. So they are also offered respectful obeisances—not the spiritual master alone, but along with his associates. And these associates, his disciples, are all Vaisnavas. Therefore they should also be offered respectful obeisances.” (SP comment on Mangalacarana, January 8, 1969)

For us in ISKCON, Srila Prabhupada is the main guru; he is the founder-acarya. But he also has his associates—Srila Gour Govinda Swami, Srila Tamal Krishna Goswami, Srila Sridhar Swami, Srila Bhakti Tirtha Swami, Srila Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami—to name some prominent ones who have departed. And of course, Prabhupada is being served by so many others today, and we can serve and learn from all of them.

“One who teaches can be treated as spiritual master. . . . So if we take instruction from them, all senior godbrothers may be treated as guru. There is no harm. Actually, you have only one spiritual master, who initiates you, just as you have only one father. But every Vaisnava should be treated as prabhu, master, higher than me, and in this sense, if I learn from him, he may be regarded as guru.” (SP letter dated November 20, 1971)

The original guru is Krsna. He speaks the knowledge of Bhagavad-gita and enunciates the principles of religion. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam: the principles of dharma—bhagavata-dharma, prema-dharma—are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Dharma means “the laws of God,” or “the orders of God.” We cannot manufacture it; dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam: the principles of religion are enacted by the Lord Himself. We cannot make religious principles any more than we can make our own laws. Srila Prabhupada gave the example that you can’t just get together with some friends and pass your own laws. Law means that it must be enacted by the government, by the parliament or legislature. Similarly, dharma is enacted by God.

dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam
na vai vidur rsayo napi devah
na siddha-mukhya asura manusyah
kuto nu vidyadhara-caranadayah

“Real religious principles are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully situated in the mode of goodness, even the great rsis who occupy the topmost planets cannot ascertain the real religious principles, nor can the demigods or the leaders of Siddhaloka, to say nothing of the asuras, ordinary human beings, Vidyadharas, and Caranas.” (SB 6.3.19)

The conclusion of the Bhagavad-gita is sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja—to give up all varieties of dharma and just surrender to Krsna. And to understand the confidential truths about religious principles and the knowledge of the Bhagavad-gita, we need the help of mahajanas, authorities in Krsna consciousness—gurus.

svayambhur naradah sambhuh
kumarah kapilo manuh
prahlado janako bhismo
balir vaiyasakir vayam

 dvadasaite vijanimo
dharmam bhagavatam bhatah
guhyam visuddham durbodham
yam jnatvamrtam asnute

“Lord Brahma, Bhagavan Narada, Lord Siva, the four Kumaras, Lord Kapila [the son of Devahuti], Svayambhuva Manu, Prahlada Maharaja, Janaka Maharaja, Grandfather Bhisma, Bali Maharaja, Sukadeva Gosvami, and I myself [Yamaraja] know the real religious principle. My dear servants, this transcendental religious principle, which is known as bhagavata-dharma, or surrender unto the Supreme Lord and love for Him, is uncontaminated by the material modes of nature. It is very confidential and difficult for ordinary human beings to understand, but if by chance one fortunately understands it, he is immediately liberated, and thus he returns home, back to Godhead.” (SB 6.3.20–21)

This confidential knowledge is given by God in scriptures and passed down through disciplic succession (evam parampara-praptam) to great souls who in turn impart the knowledge to their followers. And of all scriptures, Srimad-Bhagavatam is considered the most important, the ripened fruit of the tree of Vedic knowledge.

nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam
suka-mukhad amrta-drava-samyutam
pibata bhagavatam rasam alayam
muhur aho rasika bhuvi bhavukah

“O expert and thoughtful men, relish Srimad-Bhagavatam, the mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literatures. It emanated from the lips of Sri Sukadeva Gosvami. Therefore this fruit has become even more tasteful, although its nectarean juice was already relishable for all, including liberated souls.” (SB 1.1.3)

This nectarean fruit is passed down to us through disciplic succession. In commenting on this verse, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura gives the example of a mango tree. To get a ripe mango from the top of a tree, several boys climb onto different branches. The boy at the top plucks the fruit and hands it to the boy on the next branch down, that boy hands it to the one on the next branch, and so on, until finally it reaches the boy on the ground—in the same perfect condition as it was when at the top of the tree. It hasn’t been bruised or broken but has been delivered intact, just as it was.

At the top of the tree is Krsna, and He passes the knowledge down to Brahma. Brahma passes it to Narada, and Narada passes it to Vyasa. (Today is also called Vyasa Purnima because Vyasadeva, who compiled the Vedic literature, appeared on this date.) Vyasa passes it to Madhvacarya, and so on—Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Six Gosvamis, and further down, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and Srila Prabhupada. And now the followers of Srila Prabhupada are presenting the same knowledge. They follow and present the same teachings—that is their qualification.

About Vedavyasa, Srila Prabhupada wrote: “Vyasadeva was a real person accepted by all authorities, and anyone can judge how wonderful he was to have compiled the Vedic literatures. He is therefore known as Mahamuni. Muni means ‘thoughtful’ or ‘great thinker’ or ‘great poet,’ and maha means still greater. There is no comparison of Vyasadeva with any other writer or thinker or philosopher. Nobody can estimate the scholarly importance of Srila Vyasadeva. He composed many millions of Sanskrit verses, and we try to receive just a fragment of the knowledge in them by our tiny efforts. Srila Vyasadeva therefore summarized the whole Vedic knowledge in Srimad-Bhagavatam, which is known as the ripened fruit of the desire tree of Vedic knowledge. The ripened fruit is received hand to hand through disciplic succession, and anyone who does this work in disciplic succession from Srila Vyasadeva is considered a representative of Vyasadeva, and as such the bona fide spiritual master’s appearance day is worshiped as Vyasa-puja.” (Srila Prabhupada letter dated August 25, 1970)

In addition to being Vyasa-purnima, the appearance day of Vedavyasa, today is also the disappearance day of Srila Sanatana Gosvami, the seniormost of the Six Gosvamis of Vrndavana. His book Brhad-Bhagavatamrta was the first major work of the Six Gosvamis. Sanatana Gosvami also comes in the disciplic succession from Lord Krsna to Brahma, but he is especially significant because he is a direct follower of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is Krsna Himself. Because Lord Caitanya is Krsna, He is capable of beginning His own disciplic succession, but because He was acting as a devotee, He chose to take initiation in the disciplic succession from Krsna and Brahma. Still, He is God, and the process by which He imparted knowledge to His immediate followers—Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami—is comparable to the way Lord Krsna imparted knowledge to Brahma. Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, in his Caitanya-caritamrta, writes of Sanatana’s younger brother Rupa:

vrndavaniyam rasa-keli-vartam
kalena luptam nija-saktim utkah
sancarya rupe vyatanot punah sa
prabhur vidhau prag iva loka-srstim

“Before the creation of this cosmic manifestation, the Lord enlightened the heart of Lord Brahma with the details of the creation and manifested the Vedic knowledge. In exactly the same way, the Lord, being anxious to revive the Vrndavana pastimes of Lord Krsna, impregnated the heart of Rupa Gosvami with spiritual potency. By this potency, Srila Rupa Gosvami could revive the activities of Krsna in Vrndavana, activities almost lost to memory. In this way, He spread Krsna consciousness throughout the world.” (Cc Madhya 19.1) Lord Caitanya also empowered him to write books on bhakti-yoga, and the same could be said about Sanatana Gosvami.

We are followers of the Six Gosvamis—followers of their followers. Srila Narottama dasa Thakura prays,

ei chaya gosai yara-mui tara dasa
tan’-sabara pada-renu mora panca-grasa

“I am the servant of that person who is a servant of the Six Gosvamis. The dust of their holy feet is my five kinds of foodstuffs.”

And:

tandera carana sevi-bhakta-sane vasa
janame janame hoy ei abhilasa

“This is my desire, that birth after birth I may live with those devotees who serve the lotus feet of the Six Gosvamis.”

A few weeks ago we were fortunate to receive four visitors from Dallas, disciples of Tamal Krishna Goswami—Dharma dasa and his wife Urjesvari, her sister Saibya, and Padma dasi. At the same time, Mayapur dasa, Sridhar Swami’s personal servant for many years, was also with us. So we thought it a good occasion to glorify these two stalwart servants of Srila Prabhupada, these two powerful preachers, Tamal Krishna Goswami and Sridhar Swami. And it was very enlivening and purifying. All of the devotees spoke so beautifully—each and every one—and one could really feel Tamal Krishna Goswami’s and Sridhar Swami’s presence and really feel united with Srila Prabhupada and his associates. His Holiness Niranjana Swami also spoke very beautifully and led kirtana.

Although all of Srila Prabhupada’s direct disciples are godbrothers and godsisters in that we were all initiated by His Divine Grace, still, among Srila Prabhupada’s followers there are some who were—and are—really leading the movement and showing the way for others to follow. Certainly His Holiness Tamal Krishna Goswami was a great pioneer, as were His Holiness Sridhar Swami and the others I mentioned. And even now devotees are following Srila Prabhupada and leading us and showing us the way. We also are trying to make our little contributions, but still, there are some who are ahead of us, showing the way and making it easier for us to follow.

At the same time, it is also very personal and individual—through whom Krsna speaks to whom. It is not that everyone has to follow only one particular person. Krsna can manifest Himself—and Srila Prabhupada can manifest himself—through different servants, different Vaisnavas, and we should be open to that flow of mercy however and through whomever it comes. It is not rigid or fixed. That mercy can come in different ways, and we should be open to it. That is really the principle of guru: Krsna’s instructions come to us through some servant of Krsna, some representative of Krsna—and it is not limited to only one. Krsna can speak to us through many mouths, through many personalities, and we should be open to that guidance. We should take His instructions on our head and follow them. That is how Krsna guides the conditioned souls back home, back to Godhead. He can engage any number of His servants to help us; God knows we need all the help we can get. So we shouldn’t be sectarian. We shouldn’t cut ourselves off from any flow of mercy that may come to us by the arrangement of the Lord, or of Srila Prabhupada, or of any of our spiritual masters.

I think of the example of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, because he had so many gurus. Of course, he was a direct associate of Lord Caitanya Himself, but even then, he was helped by so many well-wishers and guides. First, he was initiated by Yadunandana Acarya, Raghunatha’s family’s spiritual master. Yadunandana Acarya himself was a great Vaisnava, an initiated disciple of Advaita Acarya and an intimate student of Vasudeva Datta. And Balarama Acarya, a dear associate of Haridasa Thakura, was Raghunatha’s family’s priest. Raghunatha learned from him too. Balarama Acarya and Yadunandana Acarya were friends, and both used to host Haridasa Thakura at their homes. For some time, Balarama Acarya provided Haridasa with a thatched hut and prasada, and at that time, while still a student, Raghunatha visited Haridasa Thakura daily, and it is said that because of the mercy Haridasa showed him then, Raghunatha later attained the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Once, Balarama Acarya invited Haridasa Thakura to speak in the assembly of Raghunatha’s family, the Majumadaras, and thus Raghunatha heard from him again, about the glories of the holy name.

Eventually, Raghunatha dasa met Nityananda Prabhu at Panihati and got His benediction to become free from all obstacles and attain shelter at the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Soon, Raghunatha escaped from home, traveled by foot to Puri, and attained the merciful shelter of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu—by the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu. Then[,] Caitanya Mahaprabhu entrusted Raghunatha dasa to Svarupa Damodara Gosvami: “I entrust Raghunatha to you. Please accept him as your son or servant.” Raghunatha was still very young, only about twenty-two. The Lord took Raghunatha’s hand and personally placed him in the hands of Svarupa Damodara Gosvami. And so Raghunatha became Svarupa Damodara’s assistant. Svarupa Damodara was Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s secretary, and Raghunatha dasa in effect became assistant secretary.

After Caitanya Mahaprabhu left this world, followed by Svarupa Damodara and almost all of His other intimate associates, Raghunatha dasa felt bereft: “I am all alone. There is no reason to live. How can I live without my prabhus, without my masters?”

Raghunatha dasa felt so much separation that he decided to go to Vrndavana to see the lotus feet of Rupa and Sanatana and then give up his life by jumping from Govardhana Hill. But the two brothers would not allow him to die. They prevailed upon him to stay with them and speak about Mahaprabhu’s later pastimes. “You should not give up your life,” they told him. “You were with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Puri and were witness to so many of His intimate pastimes. You should stay with us and tell us about your experiences with Him.” And they accepted him as their third brother.

Especially Sanatana Gosvami gave him shelter and took care of him. At first, when Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was doing bhajana at Radha-kunda, he didn’t have any residence. And while doing his bhajana, he was pretty much oblivious to everything else. When he chanted, he would go into trance. Still, he chanted at least one lakh names every day. But it could happen that he would go into deep trance and Krsna’s pastimes would play in his mind. Like that, he was chanting Krsna’s name and remembering Krsna’s pastimes one day, and the hot sun was beating down on his head. Srimati Radharani Herself came and held a cloth over his head, but he didn’t know it, because he was in deep meditation. But Sanatana Gosvami understood, and he personally built a bhajana-kutira for Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. He took care of Raghunatha dasa in every respect.

In his book Vilapa-kusumanjali, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami begins by offering respects to his gurus, including Sanatana Gosvami:

vairagya-yug-bhakti-rasam prayatnair
apayayan mam anabhipsum andham
krpambudhir yah para-duhkha-duhkhi
sanatanas tam prabhum asrayami

“I was unwilling to drink the nectar of devotional service possessed of renunciation, but Sanatana Gosvami, out of his causeless mercy, made me drink it, even though I was otherwise unable to do so. Therefore he is an ocean of mercy. He is very compassionate to fallen souls like me, and thus it is my duty to offer my respectful obeisances unto his lotus feet.” (Vilapa-kusumanjali 6)

In this verse, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami describes Sanatana Gosvami with a phrase that Srila Prabhupada often quoted (for all compassionate Vaisnavas): para-duhkha-duhkhi—“he felt sorrow in the sorrow of others.” Raghunatha dasa says, vairagya-yug-bhakti-rasam prayatnair—he gave me the nectar of devotional service enriched with renunciation; anabhipsum andham—but I was unwilling (anabhipsum) to drink it, because I was blind (andham) to my spiritual well-being; so apayayan mam—he forced me to drink it. Sanatana Gosvami is an ocean of mercy (krpambudhi), and therefore I offer my respectful obeisances to him. I take shelter of him, my master (prabhum asrayami).

Srila Prabhupada paraphrased this verse in composing a verse to honor his sannyasa-guru, Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja. He used almost the same words. The idea is that it is very hard to become free from the shackles of family life. Of course, one can be a pure devotee in the grhastha-asrama—that is another thing—but to preach, sannyasa may be advised.

As Srila Prabhupada describes it, he was having recurring dreams that his guru maharaja was calling him to follow him and preach. And he would wake up horrified: “How can I take sannyasa and become a mendicant? How can I leave my wife and children? What will happen then?” Eventually Prabhupada accepted vanaprastha. He went to Jhansi and began the League of Devotees there. But there was some politics. The wife of the governor wanted the property that Srila Prabhupada had been using for the League. She made all efforts to get it for some ladies’ program, and because she was so influential, Prabhupada decided not to fight against her. So he left and went to Mathura, where he stayed in the matha of his godbrother Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja. And Kesava Maharaja insisted, “You must take sannyasa.” To fully take up the order of the spiritual master and preach, one must accept the renounced order of life. And so Prabhupada did—he took sannyasa.

Then, in 1968—in the early days of the Krsna consciousness movement in the West—in Seattle, Srila Prabhupada got news that His Holiness Kesava Maharaja had passed away. So he held a meeting with his disciples there and spoke about the history, how his guru maharaja and his godbrother had “forced” him to take sannyasa: “My godbrother insisted. Not he insisted—practically my spiritual master insisted through him, that ‘You accept.’ He wanted me to become a preacher, so he forced me through this godbrother: ‘You accept.’ So, unwillingly I accepted.”

Srila Prabhupada saw that his guru maharaja was working through his godbrother, speaking through his godbrother—another Vaisnava—and he composed this verse, very similar to the one Raghunatha dasa composed for Sanatana Gosvami—but for Kesava Maharaja. Apayayan mam anabhipsum andham. “I was unwilling to take the medicine of bhakti with detachment because I was blind. I could not see my future, that spiritual life is the brightest future. So the Vaisnavas, the spiritual master, they force: ‘You must drink.’” Sri-kesava-bhakti-prajnana-nama krpambudhir yas tam aham prapadye: “Sri Bhaktiprajnana Kesava is an ocean of mercy, and I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.”

So, Sanatana Gosvami was a great shelter to Vaisnavas in Vrndavana. He was not only intelligent—all the Gosvamis were very intelligent—he was also very shrewd, very clever; he understood politics and diplomacy. It is said that Rupa Gosvami was very simple but that Sanatana Gosvami was very astute; he could understand people’s motives and intentions. So he was able to protect devotees in the most practical ways, because he had that type of intelligence. And he protected Raghunatha dasa Gosvami on every level.

Then, on the day of Guru-purnima, because Sanatana Gosvami was the seniormost of the Gosvamis and the siksa-guru of almost everyone in Vrndavana, the Vaisnavas went to Govardhana to offer him respects. Upon their arrival at his bhajana-kutira at Manasi-ganga, they saw that he was in trance. He didn’t move at all. So they waited. They didn’t want to disturb him.

Eventually they understood that he had left his body, and they all were overwhelmed with separation. They took him on parikrama of Govardhana Hill, as he had faithfully done parikrama of Govardhana Hill every day. But they weren’t sure where to place his body. Jiva Gosvami, who was the leader after Sanatana, decided that they should bring him back to Vrndavana, close to the temple of the Deity of Madana-mohana, who was so dear to him. So, that took place on Guru-purnima.

We can see how the devotees helped each other. Everyone helped everyone. In Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, we find that the Vaisnavas were always helping each other. And we should learn from their example. We should develop that mood. Of course, help can come in different ways. Sometimes it comes in terms of instruction, and sometimes it comes in practical ways, like Sanatana Gosvami’s building Raghunatha dasa Gosvami’s bhajana-kutira. These exalted devotees were always serving each other—serving Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and serving each other. And that should be our mood: to serve each other, actually help each other—and to learn from each other.

In the Eleventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, we learn how an avadhuta brahmana took lessons from others, from twenty-four siksa-gurus: the material elements, natural phenomena, plants, animals—even from a prostitute. By his intelligence, he learned from all of them, and he accepted them all as his gurus. For example, he learned from the mountain that a saintly person should devote all his efforts to the service of others and make their welfare the sole reason for his existence (as we learn from Govardhana Hill). From the python he learned that one should give up material endeavor and accept what comes of its own accord—one should remain peaceful and steady, indifferent to material gain but always alert to self-realization. Even from Pingala, a prostitute, he learned. Because she had no other source of income, she was very anxious for customers. One night she was waiting and waiting and still no customer came. Finally, at the end of the night, she felt disgusted with her situation and thus became detached. From Pingala he learned detachment—and attachment for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whom she accepted as her ultimate shelter and object of love.

So we can learn from anyone and anything. If we are sincerely trying to serve Krsna and to understand how best to serve Him, the Lord in the heart will give us the intelligence how to learn from others—even from trees and grass. Caitanya Mahaprabhu glorified the trees and grass, for from them we learn how to be tolerant and humble. So we can learn from anyone and everyone, and everything.

We can learn even from demons—and we are surrounded by them. Big business people, with their advertising and other strategies, are so clever. We should be that shrewd, that clever, for Krsna. Materialistic leaders figure out how to trap people in their nets and pull them in and keep them. We can learn from such powerful materialists how to attract people and keep them, for Krsna—how to be organized and intelligent, for Krsna. If we are in the proper mood, anything can remind us of devotional service and be used for Krsna’s benefit. Anyone can be a siksa-guru for us if we are absorbed in the mood of serving Krsna, fixed in Krsna consciousness.

But in particular, and especially on occasions like today, we are enjoined to offer respectful obeisances unto our diksa- and siksa-gurus in the disciplic succession, from Krsna to Brahma to Narada to Vyasa, from Caitanya Mahaprabhu to Sanatana Gosvami, from Srila Prabhupada to his followers, which include all of you.

Hare Krsna.

[A Talk by Giriraj Swami on Guru-purnima, July 29, 2007, in Dallas]

Question: How does purification work for devotees – purification of anarthas? I always hear devotees say, “this is for your purification,” but how does it work?

śṛṇvatām svakathā krishna,
punya śravana kīrtana,
hṛdyāntaḥ stho hyabhadrānī
vidhunoti suhṛt satām

This verse from Bhāgavatam (1.2.17) is the answer to your question, and there is no better answer.

Abhadra meanns impurity. hṛdi-antaḥ-stha means “in the heart.” So, the topic of the verse is about how to get rid of (“vidhunoti“) impurities in the heart – “anarthas.” The method is to hear (“śṛṇvata“) Krishna-kathā and Krishna-kīrtan.

Krishna-kathā doesn’t mean chatting about this or that das or dasi, prabhu or mātājī, or GBC or ABC rule or motion, or any other stuff somehow suppesedly remotely connected to Krishna in some way. Krishna-kathā means directly hearing Krishna-līlā, and then glorifying that same Krishna in kīrtan. If we do not hear Krishna līlā we cannot do nāma-kīrtan or nāma-japa and thus we cannot become purified.

If we do not hear Krishna līlā we cannot do nāma-kīrtan or nāma-japa and thus we cannot become purified.

Q: Example will help me to understand. I get angry easily. How will Krishna-kathā purify this? How will it purify lust or envy? 

If you try to stop your anger, lust, etc you will fail. “daivi-hy eṣa guṇa mayī, mama-māyā-durātyayā.” Our nature is our nature – prakṛti – and that is impossible to overcome. Don’t try to stop your anger, lust, or whatever. Just try to develop attraction to hearing Krishna-līlā in more and more detail. Then, automatically, you will be more able to do śuddha-nāma-japa and śuddha-nāma-kīrtan. And then – by association with śuddha-nāma – all impurity will fall away just like an empty house falls to ruin, or a forgotten book is never read. By developing taste for Krishna, we simply FORGET about anger and lust. “param dṛṣṭvā nivartante.” We don’t “overcome” our impurities – we forget about them, and they disappear gradually as a result of our neglect.

Today we will travel with Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra in procession, and we will chant the holy names of the Lord and dance for His pleasure. So we shall read from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, Chapter Thirteen: “The Ecstatic Dancing of the Lord at Ratha-yatra.”

TEXT 1

sa jiyat krsna-caitanyah
sri-rathagre nanarta yah
yenasij jagatam citram
jagannatho ‘pi vismitah

TRANSLATION

May the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna Caitanya, who danced in front of the car of Sri Jagannatha, be all glorified! By seeing His dancing, not only was the whole universe held in wonder, but Lord Jagannatha Himself became very much astonished.

TEXT 2

jaya jaya sri-krsna-caitanya nityananda
jayadvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vrnda

TRANSLATION

All glories to Sri Krsna Caitanya and Prabhu Nityananda! All glories to Advaitacandra! And all glories to the devotees of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu!

TEXT 3

jaya srota-gana, suna, kari’ eka mana
ratha-yatraya nrtya prabhura parama mohana

TRANSLATION

All glories to the listeners of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta! Please hear the description of the dancing of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu at the Ratha-yatra festival. His dancing is very enchanting. Please hear of it with great attention.

TEXT 23

panca-dasa dina isvara maha-laksmi lana
tanra sange krida kaila nibhrte vasiya

TRANSLATION

For fifteen days the Lord [Jagannatha] had remained in a secluded place with the supreme goddess of fortune and had performed His pastimes with her.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

The fifteen-day period of anavasara is also called nibhrta, in honor of the solitary place where the supreme goddess of fortune lives. After living there a fortnight, Lord Jagannatha took permission from the goddess of fortune to leave.

TEXT 24

tanhara sammati lana bhakte sukha dite
rathe cadi’ bahira haila vihara karate

TRANSLATION

Having taken permission from the goddess of fortune, the Lord came out to ride on the Ratha car and perform His pastimes for the pleasure of the devotees.

PURPORT

In this connection, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura comments that as an ideal husband, Lord Jagannatha remained fifteen days in a secluded place with His wife, the supreme goddess of fortune. Nonetheless, the Lord wanted to come out of seclusion to give happiness to His devotees. The Lord enjoys Himself in two ways, known as svakiya and parakiya. The Lord’s conjugal love in the svakiya-rasa relates to the regulative principles observed in Dvaraka, where the Lord has many married queens. But in Vrndavana the conjugal love of the Lord is not with His married wives but with His girlfriends, the gopis. Conjugal love with thegopis is called parakiya-rasa. Lord Jagannatha leaves the secluded place where He enjoys the company of the supreme goddess of fortune in svakiya-rasa, and He goes to Vrndavana, where He enjoys the parakiya-rasa. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura therefore reminds us that the Lord’s pleasure in parakiya-rasa is superior to His pleasure in svakiya-rasa.

In the material world, parakiya-rasa, or loving affairs with unmarried girlfriends, is the most degraded relationship, but in the spiritual world this type of loving affair is considered the supreme enjoyment. In the material world everything is but a reflection of the spiritual world, and that reflection is perverted. We cannot understand the affairs of the spiritual world on the basis of our experience in the material world. The Lord’s pastimes with the gopis are therefore misunderstood by mundane scholars and word-wranglers. The parakiya-rasa of the spiritual world should not be discussed except by one who is very advanced in pure devotional service. The parakiya-rasa in the spiritual world and that in the material world are not comparable. The former is like gold, and the latter is like iron. Because the difference of the two is so great, they cannot actually be compared. However, just as a knowledgeable person can easily distinguish gold from iron, one who has the proper realization can easily distinguish the transcendental activities of the spiritual world from material activities.

COMMENT by Giriraj Swami

Fifteen days before the Ratha-yatra festival in Puri, Lord Jagannatha is brought from inside His temple onto a rooftop of the complex and is bathed, in public view, in the ceremony called Snana-yatra. After the bathing ceremony the Lord retires to a secluded place in an area inside the temple reserved for the supreme goddess of fortune. For fifteen days she serves Him with great love and devotion, and after that period, called anavasara, the Lord wants to come out of seclusion to give pleasure to His devotees, and with the permission of the goddess of fortune He goes out in the procession called Ratha-yatra.

The temple of Lord Jagannatha in Nilacala is compared to Dvaraka, where Lord Krsna lives with His married queens, and the temple at Sundaracala, called the Gundica temple, after King Indradyumna’s wife, is taken to represent Vrndavana. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His internal mood is Srimati Radharani when She feels separation from Krsna after He leaves Vrndavana for Mathura and Dvaraka. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mood during the Ratha-yatra is that of Srimati Radharani wanting to take Krsna back to Vrndavana. In krsna-lila, after Krsna had gone to Dvaraka and resided there for some years, a solar eclipse took place. And as recommended in the Vedas, many people went to Kuruksetra to take bath. Eclipses are considered inauspicious, and to counteract the inauspiciousness people submerge themselves in sacred bodies of water and chant the holy names of the Lord. When Krsna was informed of the eclipse He decided, “We shall go to Kuruksetra to observe it”–because Kuruksetra is a holy place (kuru-ksetre dharma-ksetre). And when the news spread that Lord Krsna was going to Kuruksetra, devotees from all over the world decided that they would go too–not so much to observe the rituals for the eclipse but to see Lord Krsna. So devotees, jnanis, yogis, saints, sages, and kings from all over India went to Kuruksetra. And the residents of Vrndavana decided that they would go too. So Nanda Maharaja, Mother Yasoda, the elders of Vrndavana, the cowherd boys, the young gopis–they also went. It was an emotional exchange when Krsna met with His mother and father from Vrndavana after such a long separation, and He became so choked up that He could hardly speak. Yet within His heart, He was most eager to meet the young gopis, and eventually He excused Himself to approach them. But when they met, Srimati Radharani and the other gopis could not feel the same pleasure that they experienced with Him in Vrndavana, because there was no Yamuna River, no Vrndavana forest, no Govardhana Hill. And instead of the humming of bees and chirping of birds, there were the sounds of horses and elephants and chariots rattling. And instead of Krsna being dressed in His yellow dhoti (pitambara), with a peacock feather in His hair and flute in His hand, He was dressed as a royal prince, accompanied by great warriors and surrounded by all opulence. So even though He was the same Krsna and She was the same Radha, They could not enjoy the same happiness, and thus Srimati Radharani wanted to bring Krsna back to Vrndavana so They could relish the same ecstasy They had enjoyed in Their youth.

The Ratha-yatra festival as observed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His followers is the emotional exchange between Srimati Radharani and Lord Krsna in which Radharani wants to bring Krsna back to Vrndavana. This is the internal mood of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. As Sri Caitanya-caritamrta explains, Sriman Mahaprabhu appeared for two reasons. Internally, He wanted to experience Srimati Radharani’s love for Krsna–the glory of Her love, the wonderful qualities in Him that She alone relishes through Her love, and the happiness that She feels in His love. Ultimately, He wanted to broadcast the glories of Srimati Radharani’s love for Him and try to repay His debt to Her. And externally, He wanted to propagate the yuga-dharma for Kali-yuga–hari-nama-sankirtana.

We shouldn’t think that one purpose of the Lord is higher than the other. On the absolute plane, they are equal. Because Krsna is absolute, there is no difference between His inside and outside. In conditioned souls there is a difference between the soul within and the body without, but in Krsna, who is absolute spirit (sac-cid-ananda-vigraha), there is no difference between His inside and outside. Similarly, on the absolute platform there is no difference in value between the internal and external reasons for the Lord’s descent.

Lord Jagannatha, as Krsna, wants to reciprocate Srimati Radharani’s love for Him, and He wants to give mercy to all of His devotees and indeed to all living entities. And both take place during the Ratha-yatra. Generally devotees go to the temple to see the Lord, but people in Kali-yuga are so fallen that they have no time to go to the church or temple–or no inclination. So the Lord comes out of the temple to give mercy to the devotees and fallen souls.

The Lord comes out in two forms: one is the Deity, Lord Jagannatha, and the other is the holy name, the hari-nama-sankirtana. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta states that the holy name of Krsna, the Deity of Krsna, and the original form of Krsna are all the same. There is no difference between them.

‘nama’, ‘vigraha’, ‘svarupa’–tina eka-rupa
tine ‘bheda’ nahi,–tina ‘cid-ananda-rupa’

“The Lord’s holy name, His form, and His personality are all one and the same. There is no difference between them. Since all of them are absolute, they are all transcendentally blissful.” (Cc Madhya 17.131) In the Ratha-yatra, the Lord gives His association to the devotees and even to ordinary conditioned souls as the Deity–Lord Jagannatha–and as the holy name, the Hare Krsna maha-mantra–both of which are the Lord Himself. The Lord also gives His association in the form of His chariot and the ropes that pull the chariot, because on the absolute platform the Lord’s paraphernalia and the Lord are the same.

The king of Orissa at the time of Mahaprabhu was Maharaja Prataparudra. He was a great devotee, and many of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s associates wanted to arrange for Lord Caitanya to meet him, but because Caitanya Mahaprabhu was playing the part of a sannyasi in a very strict society, He refused to meet the king. He heard the glories of the king, but He said, “Still, the king has one fault: he is a king.” The very name king suggests material opulence and sense gratification. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as a sannyasi in that culture, did not want to be associated with a king. He did not want His reputation to be tarnished. Even then, the devotees appealed to the Lord to be merciful to the king, because they knew how attached he was to Lord Caitanya; he was ready to give up his kingdom and live as a mendicant if he did not get Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy. Within the court of the king were many of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s intimate associates. Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya was the chief priest or spiritual advisor of King Prataparudra, and Ramananda Raya was the king’s governor in South India. The king was so kind and generous that he relieved Ramananda Raya of his service as governor and allowed him to come to Jagannatha Puri to serve Caitanya Mahaprabhu. These devotees informed Caitanya Mahaprabhu of the king’s good qualities and strong desire to obtain His mercy. Still, although His heart was softened, Caitanya remained adamant.

Finally, Nityananda Prabhu made a proposal. He suggested that Caitanya Mahaprabhu send a piece of His worn cloth to the king, which would give the king hope that Mahaprabhu would indeed show him mercy. And when the king received the cloth, he began to worship it exactly as if it were Lord Caitanya Himself. On the absolute platform, the Lord and the Lord’s paraphernalia are the same. They are equally worshipable. In fact, the worship of the Lord’s paraphernalia and associates may be even more favorable than the worship of the Lord directly. Lord Siva told Parvati,

aradhananam sarvesam
visnor aradhanam param
tasmat parataram devi
tadiyanam samarcanam

“O Devi, of all types of worship, the worship of Lord Visnu is best, and better than the worship of Lord Visnu is the worship of anything belonging to Visnu.” (Padma Purana) Thus the king, with great bliss, received the cloth and worshiped it as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself.

On the absolute platform, the Ratha-yatra car and the ropes of the car, as the Lord’s paraphernalia, are worshipable, and if people touch the car or the ropes, they benefit as if they were touching the lotus feet of the Deity–the Lord Himself. So, the Lord is extremely munificent in distributing His mercy during Ratha-yatra. And when He smiles and casts His glance upon His devotees and all other souls as He passes in the procession, they receive His most sublime mercy and love.

The Ratha-yatra is a very jubilant festival, because the Lord is coming out to give His darsana, His audience, to His devotees–to give His mercy. And as Srila Prabhupada said, it is a very feeling festival. Srimati Radharani, meeting Krsna in Kuruksetra after such a long separation and then not finding the same happiness, is tugging Him back to Vrndavana.

When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu observed the Ratha-yatra festival, He would sometimes recite a verse from mundane poetry, and no one could understand the reason; no one could understand the inner meaning. In the verse the beloved says to her lover, “I am the same person as when we met in our youth, and you are also the same person, but where is the tree beside the river where in moonlit nights we enjoyed together? I want to go back there.” Again and again, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would recite the same verse:

yah kaumara-harah sa eva hi varas ta eva caitra-ksapas
te conmilita-malati-surabhayah praudhah kadambanilah
sa caivasmi tathapi tatra surata-vyapara-lila-vidhau
reva-rodhasi vetasi-taru-tale cetah samutkanthate

“That very personality who stole away my heart during my youth is now again my master. These are the same moonlit nights of the month of Caitra. The same fragrance of malati flowers is there, and the same sweet breezes are blowing from the kadamba forest. In our intimate relationship, I am also the same lover, yet still my mind is not happy here. I am eager to go back to that place on the bank of the Reva under the Vetasi tree. That is my desire.” (Padyavali 386, quoted as Cc Madhya 13.121)

Apart from Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, practically no one could understand the meaning of that verse. But one year Srila Rupa Gosvami happened to be present at the Ratha-yatra, and he heard the Lord singing the verse. After the procession he returned to his quarters and on a palm leaf wrote his own verse explaining the original verse, stuck the leaf in the thatched roof of his hut, and went to bathe in the sea. In the meantime, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to his hut to meet him. Three great personalities–Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, and Haridasa Thakura–were not allowed to enter the Jagannatha temple. Haridasa Thakura was born in a Muslim family, and Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami had served in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah and had intimate association with Muslims. Thus they were all considered to be fallen–unqualified. So, Caitanya Mahaprabhu would go to visit them daily, and on this occasion He happened to notice the palm leaf stuck in the thatch. He took the leaf and read Rupa Gosvami’s verse–a very beautiful verse in which he describes Srimati Radharani’s feelings on meeting Krsna at Kuruksetra, echoing the poetic verse that Mahaprabhu had recited. Here, Radharani says to Her friend, “He is the same Krsna, and I am the same Radha, but without Vrndavana We cannot experience the same happiness. How I wish to take Him back with Me to Vrndavana.”

priyah so ‘yam krsnah saha-cari kuru-ksetra-militas
tathaham sa radha tad idam ubhayoh sangama-sukham
tathapy antah-khelan-madhura-murali-pancama-juse
mano me kalindi-pulina-vipinaya sprhayati

“My dear friend, now I have met My very old and dear friend Krsna on this field of Kuruksetra. I am the same Radharani, and now We are meeting together. It is very pleasant, but still I would like to go to the bank of the Yamuna beneath the trees of the forest there. I wish to hear the vibration of His sweet flute playing the fifth note within that forest of Vrndavana.” (Padyavali 387, quoted as Cc Madhya 1.76)

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was astonished: “How could Rupa Gosvami know My intention?” Later, Caitanya Mahaprabhu showed the verse to Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, His personal secretary and most intimate associate in Puri. Svarupa
Damodara understood the purport of that apparently mundane verse, but no one else did, and he kept it confidential. So, Lord Caitanya asked him, “How could Rupa Gosvami know My heart?” And Svarupa Damodara Gosvami replied, “He must have received Your special mercy. Otherwise, no one can know Your heart.”

Srila Prabhupada remarks that he received a similar blessing from his guru maharaja. One year he wrote a beautiful essay for his guru maharaja’s Vyasa-puja ceremony, which he read at the Bombay Gaudiya Matha, along with a poem he composed in appreciation of his guru maharaja. One verse in particular pleased his guru maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

Absolute is sentient
Thou hast proved
Impersonal calamity
Thou hast moved

That verse went to the essence of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s realization of his preaching mission. And just as Lord Caitanya showed Rupa Gosvami’s verse to Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura would show Prabhupada’s verse to his confidential devotees: “How could he have understood my intentions?”

Thus, by the mercy of Srila Rupa Gosvami, the confidential, internal mood of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu at the Ratha-yatra was revealed, and this confidential information was compiled and elaborated upon by Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami in his Caitanya-caritamrta. Kaviraja Gosvami did not personally witness Mahaprabhu’s pastimes, but he resided in Vrndavana and heard about them later. After Caitanya Mahaprabhu and most of His close associates disappeared, Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was heartbroken and considered, “What is the use of living without Mahaprabhu and His associates in Puri?” So he decided to go to Vrndavana to commit Vaisnava suicide, to jump from Govardhana Hill. But before doing so, he wanted to offer respects at the lotus feet of Rupa and Sanatana.

When he met them, they appealed to him, “Don’t do this. Better you stay with us.” They accepted him as their younger brother, as their third brother. “Because you were with Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Jagannatha Puri, you know all about the Lord’s later pastimes. You should narrate them to us.” He agreed, and every day he would discourse for three hours about Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes in Puri–and one devotee in the audience was Kaviraja Gosvami. Also, both Svarupa Damodara Gosvami and Raghunatha dasa Gosvami took notes when they were with Mahaprabhu. (In a similar way, Srila Prabhupada’s personal attendants also took notes, and thus we have Hari Sauri’s Transcendental Diary, TKG’s Diary, and other such works.) So, Svarupa Damodara Gosvami and Raghunatha dasa Gosvami took notes, and Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami got their notebooks. And based on what he had heard from Raghunatha dasa Gosvami and learned from the notebooks and other authoritative sources of information, he compiled Sri Caitanya-caritamrta and disclosed these most confidential facts about Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s internal mood at Ratha-yatra.

Externally during the Ratha-yatra, there was tremendous hari-nama-sankirtana. We shall read about that now, to just get some idea of it and perhaps to gain some inspiration in our own performance of hari-nama-sankirtana.

TEXT 25

suksma sveta-balu pathe pulinera sama
dui dike tota, saba–yena vrndavana

TRANSLATION

The fine, white sand spread all over the path resembled the bank of the Yamuna, and the small gardens on both sides looked just like those in Vrndavana.

TEXT 26

rathe cadi’ jagannatha karila gamana
dui-parsve dekh’ cale anandita-mana

TRANSLATION

As Lord Jagannatha rode in His car and saw the beauty on both sides, His mind was filled with pleasure.

TEXT 27

The pullers of the car were known as gaudas, and they pulled with great pleasure. However, the car sometimes went very fast and sometimes very slow.

COMMENT

In the first Ratha-yatra in ISKCON, celebrated in San Francisco with a flatbed truck as the chariot, the truck developed some difficulty and stalled going up a hill, and the devotees didn’t know if they’d get it to work again. At the time, Srila Prabhupada was ill, recuperating at Stinson Beach, outside San Francisco, and was unable to attend the Ratha-yatra. But the next day, when the devotees came to visit and report to him about the Ratha-yatra, they told him about the crisis with the truck stalling. And Srila Prabhupada remarked, “This is Lord Jagannatha’s pastime. The same thing happened when Lord Caitanya attended the Ratha-yatra in Puri. And now that Ratha-yatra has come to the West, this pastime of Lord Jagannatha’s has come too.”

TEXTS 28-30

Sometimes the car would stand still and not move, even though it was pulled very vigorously. The chariot therefore moved by the will of the Lord, not by the strength of any ordinary person.

As the car stood still, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gathered all His devotees and, with His own hand, decorated them with flower garlands and sandalwood pulp.

Paramananda Puri and Brahmananda Bharati were both personally given garlands and sandalwood pulp from the very hands of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This increased their transcendental pleasure.

COMMENT

They were considered senior to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and He worshiped and served them on the same level as He served His spiritual master.

TEXTS 31-34

Similarly, when Advaita Acarya and Nityananda Prabhu felt the touch of the transcendental hand of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, They were very pleased.

The Lord also gave garlands and sandalwood pulp to the performers of sankirtana. The two chief performers were Svarupa Damodara and Srivasa Thakura.

There were altogether four parties of kirtana performers, comprising twenty-four chanters. In each party there were also two mrdanga players, making an additional eight persons.

When the four parties were formed, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, after some consideration, divided the chanters.

COMMENT

Caitanya Mahaprabhu was also an expert organizer.

TEXTS 35-37

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ordered Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Acarya, Haridasa Thakura, and Vakresvara Pandita to dance in each of the four respective parties.

Svarupa Damodara was chosen as the leader of the first party and was given five assistants to respond to his chanting.

The five who responded to the singing of Svarupa Damodara were Damodara Pandita, Narayana, Govinda Datta, Raghava Pandita, and Sri Govindananda.

TEXT 38

advaitere nrtya karibare ajna dila
srivasa-pradhana ara sampradaya kaila

TRANSLATION

Advaita Acarya Prabhu was ordered to dance in the first group. The Lord then formed another group with Srivasa Thakura as the chief man.

PURPORT

In the first group, Damodara Svarupa was appointed chief singer, and the responding singers were Damodara Pandita, Narayana, Govinda Datta, Raghava Pandita, and Govindananda. Sri Advaita Acarya was appointed as a dancer. The next group was formed, and the chief singer was Srivasa Thakura.

TEXTS 39-54

The five singers who responded to the singing of Srivasa Thakura were Gangadasa, Haridasa, Sriman, Subhananda, and Sri Rama Pandita. Sri Nityananda Prabhu was appointed as a dancer.

Another group was formed consisting of Vasudeva, Gopinatha, and Murari. All these were responsive singers, and Mukunda was the chief singer.

Another two persons, Srikanta and Vallabha Sena, joined as responsive singers. In this group, the senior Haridasa [Haridasa Thakura] was the dancer.

The Lord formed another group, appointing Govinda Ghosa as leader. In this group the younger Haridasa, Visnudasa, and Raghava were the responding singers.

Two brothers named Madhava Ghosa and Vasudeva Ghosa also joined this group as responsive singers. Vakresvara Pandita was the dancer.

There was a sankirtana party from the village known as Kulina-grama, and Ramananda and Satyaraja were appointed the dancers in this group.

There was another party that came from Santipura and was formed by Advaita Acarya. Acyutananda was the dancer, and the rest of the men were singers.

Another party was formed by the people of Khanda. These people were singing in a different place. In that group, Narahari Prabhu and Raghunandana were dancing.

Four parties chanted and danced in front of Lord Jagannatha, and on either side was another party. Yet another was at the rear.

There were altogether seven parties of sankirtana, and in each party two men were beating drums. Thus fourteen drums were being played at once. The sound was tumultuous, and all the devotees became mad.

All the Vaisnavas came together like an assembly of clouds. As the devoteeschanted the holy names in great ecstasy, tears fell from their eyes like rain.

When the sankirtana resounded, it filled the three worlds. Indeed, no one could hear any sounds or musical instruments other than the sankirtana.

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu wandered through all seven groups chanting the holy name, “Hari, Hari!” Raising His arms, He shouted, “All glories to Lord Jagannatha!”

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu then exhibited another mystic power by performing pastimes simultaneously in all seven groups.

Everyone said, “Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is present in my group. Indeed, He does not go anywhere else. He is bestowing His mercy upon us.”

Actually, no one could see the inconceivable potency of the Lord. Only the most confidential devotees, those in pure, unalloyed devotional service, could understand.

COMMENT

Sri Krsna, during the rasa dance, also expanded Himself, to be by the side of each gopi. He dealt with each gopiin such an affectionate and personal way that each thought, “Krsna is with me. Krsna cannot leave me. Krsna favors me.”

TEXTS 55-59

Lord Jagannatha was very much pleased by the sankirtana, and He brought His car to a standstill just to see the performance.

King Prataparudra was also astonished to see the sankirtana. He became inactive and was converted to ecstatic love of Krsna.

When the king informed Kasi Misra of the glories of the Lord, Kasi Misra replied, “O king, your fortune has no limit!”

The king and Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya were both aware of the Lord’s activities, but no one else could see the tricks of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Only a person who has received the mercy of the Lord can understand. Without the Lord’s mercy, even the demigods, headed by Lord Brahma, cannot understand.
TEXT 60

rajara tuccha seva dekhi’ prabhura tusta mana
sei ta’ prasade paila ‘rahasya-darsana’

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had been very satisfied to see the king accept the menial task of sweeping the street, and for this humility the king received the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He could therefore observe the mystery of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s activities.

PURPORT

The mystery of the Lord’s activities is described by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Lord Jagannatha was astonished to see the transcendental dancing and chanting of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and He stopped His car just to see the dancing. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu then danced in such a mystical way that He pleased Lord Jagannatha. The seer and the dancer were one andthe same Supreme Person, but the Lord, being one and many at the same time, was exhibiting the variegatedness of His pastimes. This is the meaning behind His mysterious exhibition. By the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the king could understand how the two of Them were enjoying each other’s activities. Another mysterious exhibition was Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s simultaneous presence in seven groups. By the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the king could understand that also.

COMMENT

The king was eager to have Lord Caitanya’s darsana, but because he was a king Caitanya Mahaprabhu refused to meet him. But when the king offered menial service to Lord Jagannatha, sweeping the road in front of Him, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s heart softened, and He gave the king such specialmercy that he was able to perceive the mysterious activities of the Lord in Ratha-yatra. Now, we might take it lightly that the king swept the road in front of the Deity, but it was no small thing then. In fact, the king was criticized by other royalty: “What kind of a king is this? He is sweeping
the street.” But the king didn’t care about mundane reputation. He sincerely rendered menial service to the Lord. And because of his humble service, Lord Caitanya, who is not different from Lord Jagannatha, gave him some special mercy to actually be able to observe the mystery of the Lord’s activities.

TEXT 61

saksate na deya dekha, parokse ta’ daya
ke bujhite pare caitanya-candrera maya

TRANSLATION

Although the king had been refused an interview, he was indirectly bestowed causeless mercy. Who can understand the internal potency of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu?

PURPORT

As Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was playing the part of a world teacher, He did not agree to see the king, because a king is a mundane person interested in money and women. Indeed, the very word “king” suggests one who is always surrounded by money and women. As a sannyasi, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was afraid of both money and women. The very word “king” is repugnant to one who is in the renounced order of life. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu refused to see the king, but indirectly, by the Lord’s causeless mercy, the king was able to understand the Lord’s mysterious activities. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s activities were exhibited sometimes to reveal Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and sometimes to show Him as a devotee. Both kinds of activities are mysterious and appreciated only by pure devotees.

COMMENT

There are many mysteries here. Vasudeva Ghosa, a great poet and singer among Mahaprabhu’s associates (mentioned in Text 43), has written, jei gaura sei krsna sei jagannath: “He who is Gaura is He who is Krsna is He who is Jagannatha.” Lord Caitanya is Krsna, Lord Jagannatha is Krsna, and Krsna is Krsna, but They assume different forms and different moods to reciprocate in loving pastimes–even with each other. And King Prataparudra, by the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, could see and understand all this. He could also see that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu expanded Himself into multiple forms and was moving amidst the seven kirtanaparties. Not everyone could see that. So that was also the Lord’s special mercy upon him. But the greatest mercy, which the king had long desired, was bestowed upon him later, when Lord Caitanya went to rest in a garden nearby. There Caitanya Mahaprabhu finally gave him personal audience (darsana). He embraced the king, and together they cried in ecstatic love.

When at Balagandi the chariots halted for some time to allow devotees to offer food (bhoga) to Lord Jagannatha, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His followers, exhausted from their dancing, went to relax in a nearby garden. At that time, the king, shedding his royal dress, assumed the garb of a Vaisnava. He entered the garden and began to massage Mahaprabhu’s legs very expertly–and to recite for Him the Gopi-gita, the thirty-first chapter of the Tenth Canto, “The Gopis’ Songs in Separation from Krsna,” which served to enhance Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mood at the Ratha-yatra. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was already ecstatic, but when He heard the king recite the Gopi-gita, He became delighted beyond limit and repeatedly said, “Go on reciting. Go on reciting.” And when King Prataparudra came to recite the verse beginning tava kathamrtam, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, as if He didn’t know who the king was, rose in ecstatic love and embraced him. And, taking a phrase from the verse, He exclaimed, “You are the most munificent! You are the most munificent!”

tava kathamrtam tapta-jivanam
kavibhir iditam kalmasapaham
sravana-mangalam srimad-atatam
bhuvi grnanti ye bhurida janah

“My Lord, the nectar of Your words and the descriptions of Your activities are the life and soul of those who are always aggrieved in this material world. These narrations are transmitted by exalted personalities, and they eradicate all sinful reactions. Whoever hears these narrations attains all good fortune. These narrations are broadcast all over the world and are filled with spiritual power. Those who spread the message of Godhead are certainly the most munificent welfare workers.” (SB 10.31.9, quoted as Cc Madhya 14.13)

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had been moved by the king’s humble, expert service, and He gave him His mercy–His personal audience–while at the same time preserving the integrity of the sannyasa-dharma practiced at the time.

Such is the mercy of guru and Krsna. One can see Caitanya Mahaprabhu as guru and Lord Jagannatha as Krsna, and as Srila Prabhupada said, by the combined mercy of guru and Krsna one can become completely successful in devotional
service. Because of the king’s humble, menial service to Lord Jagannatha, Lord Caitanya also became pleased with him, and by the combined mercy of guru and Krsna the king’s devotional service became successful. Thus we can see how by humble service one can please the spiritual master and the Lord, and how by their mercy one can attain success in Krsna consciousness.

In devotional service there is no distinction between higher and lower, because all service is absolute. On the absolute platform there is no difference between cleaning the toilet of the devotees and cleaning the paraphernalia of the Deity. And if someone renders service in a humble mood (trnad api sunicena), feeling himself lowly and fallen, the Lord will be especially inclined to give him mercy. As it is said, “Those who exalt themselves are humbled, and those who humble themselves are exalted.” This is a great lesson to be learned from the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Jagannatha at the Ratha-yatra.

To conclude this chapter of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami quotes a verse from Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Caitanyastaka (7):

ratharudhasyarad adhipadavi nilacala-pater
adabhra-premormi-sphurita-natanollasa-vivasah
sa-harsam gayadbhih parivrta-tanur vaisnava-janaih
sa caitanyah kim me punar api drsor yasyati padam

“Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced down the main road in great ecstasy before Lord Jagannatha, the master of Nilacala, who was sitting on His car. Overwhelmed by the transcendental bliss of dancing and surrounded by Vaisnavas who sang the holy names, He manifested waves of ecstatic love of Godhead. When will Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu again be visible to my vision?” (Cc Madhya 13.207)

And he blesses his readers and listeners:

iha yei sune sei sri-caitanya paya
sudrdha visvasa-saha prema-bhakti haya

“Anyone who hears this description of the car festival will attain Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He will also attain the elevated state by which he will have firm conviction in devotional service and love of Godhead.” (Cc Madhya13.208)

Hare Krsna.

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Sri Jagannatha Ratha-yatra ki jaya!
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ki jaya!
Gaura-bhakta-vrnda ki jaya!
Nitai-gaura-premanande hari-haribol!

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Padayatra festival in Czech Republic (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The Hare Krishna mantra is specifically mentioned in many Upanisads, such as the Kali-santarana Upanishad, where it is said: “After searching through al the Vedic literature, one cannot find a method of religion more sublime for this age than the chanting of Hare Krishna.” (Sri-Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 3.40 Purport)
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BY HARRIENA BHARDWAJ

SEBERANG JAYA - Best wishes from the Prime Minister of India in regards to ‪ISKCON's 50th Anniversary. Jai Srila Prabhupada!

There were three days of unforgettable kirtans that lasted late into the night, hundreds of guests, participants and volunteers. BB Govinda Swami spoke about the importance of sharing the happiness that we experience, as “love should always be shared – such is its free nature. Love cannot be limited, we just need to become the instrument, through which love will flow further and further…”

For many, the horrors of the world, the war, injustice, crime and suffering through centuries, can only signal the supreme triumph of atheism. After all, who could believe in God in the face of such horrifying acts of violence and brutality?

High blood pressure (HBP) infects the veins of society. It is defined as high pressure in the arteries, which are vessels that carry blood throughout the body.

This film brings to light the layers of bridge construction and the month and the year when the Rama Setu was built.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, December 2010, Cape Town, South Africa, Morning Lecture)

The purpose of chanting is about taking shelter. Everyone needs shelter in this world; we know that very well. But where is our shelter other than at Krsna’s lotus feet? That is our situation, there is no other shelter! Everything else is illusory shelter. Real security and shelter is found in Krsna and that is the essence of spiritual life.

When we are new in spiritual life then we think we are advancing – we feel we are advancing, we feel things are changing, we feel our life is changing, we feel we are getting serious… but after we are involved for a longer period of time, we feel that we are not making any progress at all. Why is that!?

In the beginning, our progress is very measurable. It is about how many principles we are following – three, four, two? Or how many rounds we are chanting? It can be measured. But later, it is different because later, it is about the state of purity of the heart which is more difficult to measure.

Throughout the centuries, the culture of worship of Krsna has been existing in India. The worship of the Krsna was preserved within the culture. But what about the state of the heart? That is another matter. That you will not get from culture alone. Culture does contribute because within culture, respect and worship of Krsna is there and even the name of Krsna is there. But the state of one’s heart is what Krsna is asking for. At the end of Bhagavad-gita (18.66), Krsna says to surrender unto him, sarva-dharman parityajya, mam ekam saranam vraja.

This topic of surrender is very big. It is a very big challenge to rise to that occasion. To really say, ‘Now it’s only Krsna!’ Otherwise, the danger is there that we think of other ways to take shelter. Therefore the more we take shelter of the holy name, the less we need to take shelter in other things.

ISKCON yoga teachers will gather at the Simhachalam farm in Germany August 13^th to 17^th to develop an ISKCON-wide system for presenting Mantra Yoga through their professional yoga studios. Fifteen teachers will attend the “Strategic Planning Meeting,” including Jiva-Maya Dasi and Ranga Devi from the UK; Matsya Avatar Das from Italy; and Krishna Kripa Das, who teaches yoga and meditation to prison inmates in Spain.

It's a hot season in Vrindavan and almost every day a dust storm comes. Sometimes it turns into a thunderstorm with spectacular lightnings. Short rain brings the heat down some and gives a long-waited relief. A video by Vrindavan Experience.

'Draupadi - Born of Fire'' . Music/Vocals: Ananda Monet. Dancer: Vraja Sundari Keilman.

It's not an authentic South Indian meal if you haven't had it on a banana leaf. There is something very endearing and amazing about eating on banana leaves. But do you know the science behind it? 'Put Chutney' brings to us this hilarious video about banana leaves and the right way to eat in one!

Progress and Happy Cows
We are happy to report progress in establishing ISCOWP in Florida. The two barns are built, the entire perimeter of the property has been fenced and the mobile home in which Lakshmi is living is in place. The entire contents of Lakshmi’s house in West Virginia have been moved to the barn in Florida until the ISCOWP center is built. This barn will eventually be used for canning and preserving, workshop and equipment storage. We are very thankful to the crews in WV ( Mukunda, Giri, Vraja Dham and Bhakta John and his friends) and FL (Jatayu, Radha Kund dd, Tulasi, Sankirtan, Jay Nitai, Braja Mandala and Bhakta Nathan) for making it possible to load and unload Lakshmi’s house quickly. We can start moving the cows now that the perimeter fencing is completed and there is an experienced staff member in station full time. This will take some time as we can only move a few at a time. The first group will be four of the calves rescued last year. This group will be moving this coming Monday. Our next e-newsletter should have photos of some of the cows at their new Florida home.
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Hare Krishna! Slavery to Banks: A Vedic Prophecy
Sri Nandanandana dasa: As related in the Bhagavata Purana, at the start of Kali-yuga, King Pariksit declared that the seeds of evil will manifest in four things: intoxication, gambling, illicit sex, and the killing of innocent creatures, especially for meat-eating. These were the activities in which the personality of Kali could reside. Not only are these the bad habits of Kali-yuga, but engaging in the above-mentioned activities propel us into numerous additional negative activities, all of which force us to give in to such undesirable emotions as greed, anger, jealousy, fault-finding, treachery, hatred, and so on. All of these pave the way for untold pain, suffering, misery and further wicked actions and intrigue. We can plainly see the damage these activities are presently doing. For example, liquor and drugs and other forms of intoxication no doubt ruin the lives of innumerable people. It causes poor health, depression, the waste of needed money, and even suicides and death, either by accidental overdoses or from other things such as territorial gang wars and so on.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=2798

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Hare Krishna! The origins of some of Srila Prabhupada’s sayings
Kesava Krsna dasa: I am sure many of us have encountered someone who may have doubted the efficacy of their duty, or were unsure of the completion of a task, to which we, with an air of authority say “Impossible is a word found in a fool’s dictionary.” This saying amongst others form parts of devotee speak as we mimic Srila Prabhupada’s words. It was discovered some years ago that the most common word used by devotees is; so. So is so prevalent and almost infectious that we all know of a so and so prabhu who intersperses his spoken word with so’s. So what of the origin of the ‘impossible’ saying? Firstly, we have to be aware that not only was Srila Prabhupada a scholar, his general knowledge was exceptional too. Once when a group of disciples expressed amazement at his grasp of knowledge, he jokingly replied that he had a “PhD in trivia.”
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Polish Woodstock Festival Preaching In Full Swing (7 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Preparing prasadam for close to 150,000 people at Woodstock is no small endeavour. But it’s all worth it! The kids love our food. And today they loved our stage show too. Woodstock is in full swing!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/DMkpDg

HG Surabhi Prabhu at Srila Prabhupada Festival at ISKCON Los Angeles on 24th May 2015 (45 min video)
One of the last recorded videos of Surabhi Prabhu.
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Shouldn’t devotees avoid drinking cow milk from cruel factory farms?
We can understand that these poor animals have a life of great suffering as a result of karma, past sinful activities. Their greatest—and perhaps only—solace is to make an offering to Krishna. If they’re not able to do that, how will they become released from the pangs of birth and death before going through many more hellish lifetimes? The cows whose milk is offered to the Lord are blessed. They will benefit from that offering. We certainly don’t sanction the way these cows are treated, but we don’t consider refusing to accept their milk a more humane or spiritually enlightened proposal. Imagine if inmates of a concentration camp were making some craft for selling in order to advance themselves. Would you refuse to buy those products because they were in a concentration camp? Wouldn’t it be better to help those people by making their lives worthwhile and allowing them to offer some small, valuable gift? That gift, for the cows, is their milk—offered to Krishna.
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Polish Woodstock Festival preaching preparations (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: With Woodstock starting tomorrow the festival grounds were alive with activity today. Ananta Vrindavan das took a walk around the field to shoot photographs of the people and the mood of Woodstock 2015.
See them here: https://goo.gl/fHpXoh

The Gita uses the metaphor of the wind for the first time in its second chapter (02.67): Just as a wind can sweep away a boat on water, so too can even one of the roaming senses on which the mind focuses sweep away the intelligence. Gita 02.55-72 is a response to Arjuna’s question in 2.54 about the characteristics of the enlightened. In his answer Krishna states that one of their essential characteristics is their sense-control. While describing this characteristic of the seers, he as a bonus also gives some guidelines about how we seekers can control our senses – which is the point that this metaphor makes by illustrating the converse: how the senses can take control of us and lead us astray.

The specific points of comparison, though, require some thought to figure out. Just as the boat is swept away, so, it might be inferred, are we swept away. However, the verse compares the boat not to us, but to our intelligence. This is a subtle but significant difference, a difference that underscores the critical role of our intelligence. In our confrontation with sensual temptation, our intelligence is our last line of defense, as has been hinted at four verses earlier (02.63): while describing the sequence of how we fall for sense objects, the Gita mentions that the second-last thing to fall is the intelligence – once our intelligence falls, we too fall. So, given that our and our intelligence’s fate are usually tied together, at least with respect to the challenge of controlling the senses, the Gita (02.67) comparison of the boat with our intelligence can be extended to included our intelligence and us. That is, just as a boat is swept away, our intelligence and we are swept away.

What the Gita compares the wind to is not explicit in the verse. But it can be inferred from the context. The wind is compared to the material desire that is generated when the mind focuses on any of the roaming senses. The implicitness of the object of comparison points to the process for protecting ourselves. We may not be able to control the wind that starts flowing in a water body, but we can control desire from blowing forcefully, like a wind, in our consciousness. How? By carefully refusing to focus on the roaming senses. We can best prevent our senses from roaming by keeping ourselves absorbed in constructive activity, or we can at least be alert enough to avoid focusing when any of the senses perceives an alluring sense object. Just as the wind can come from any direction on a water body, so too can the wind of desire, which we could call alliteratively the gust of lust, come from any of the senses into our consciousness.

Extending the analogy, just as a boat in a water body is always vulnerable to storms so too are we always vulnerable while in material existence, which is also often compared to a water body, an ocean. In fact, that comparison is so common that it has spawned a metaphorical compound word bhavasagar, usually translated as “the ocean of material existence.” As long as we are in the ocean of material existence, we are always vulnerable to being swept away by the gust of lust.

But this metaphor while making us aware of our danger also conveys the power we have: we can prevent the gust of lust from being generated if we avoid contemplating on the sense objects. And the most effective preventive method is focusing on the most positive object for contemplation: Krishna, the all-attractive, all-loving Supreme Person, the source of all pleasure. Fixing our consciousness on Krishna  is a theme that the Gita has pointed to earlier (02.61) and will repeat frequently throughout.

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