Planet ISKCON

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 11 October 2011, Melbourne, Australia, Home Program)

Damodarastakam, Verse 2

(Seeing the whipping stick in His mother’s hand) He is crying and rubbing His eyes again and again with His two lotus hands. His eyes are filled with fear, and the necklace of pearls around His neck, which is marked with three lines like a conch shell, is shaking because of His quick breathing due to crying. To this Supreme Lord, Sri Damodara, whose belly is bound not with ropes but with His mother’s pure love, I offer my humble obeisances.

Now we can see how the Supreme Lord is just completely reciprocating with his devotee. For Yasoda, he becomes a child. He is the Supreme Lord, the all-powerful Supreme but for Yasoda, he becomes like a child and he acts like a child. And she cares for him like a child, she is teaching him like a child. But then of course, when she saw him like that, in fear, what could she do? She could not do anything. She could not punish him, that was not possible.

It is like that because Yasoda’s only interest is Krsna’s happiness and nothing but that. She is simply thinking, “I have to make sure that he does not become spoilt.” She is thinking, “I am giving him the best at home. Special cows that are fed special grass are producing special milk and from this special milk, the best yogurt and the best sweets are made. Still, this lusty boy goes to other people’s houses to steal! Incredible! Everyone is saying: ‘O Nanda, your son is so wonderful.’ But actually, he is a problem child, stealing everywhere!”

So in this way, we see how much this Damodar-lila is very wonderful. How the Supreme Lord can act like this – the same one who is the controller of the universe is now acting like a child. That is extraordinary! Who can imagine that? So this Damodar-lila is quite extraordinary and for one month we are meditating on this whole mood of Krsna. We see that the whole meditation of the month is how to capture Krsna.

Yasoda is capturing Krsna – how can WE capture Krsna? So that is the aim of every devotee – how to capture Krsna. Not how to capture money, not how to capture power, not how to capture stability in one’s post or how to capture a beautiful lady or a handsome husband, no, no, no, none of these things! We are only interested in Krsna and all other things should be put aside, that is the idea.

When we go to Vrindavan, we may not be pure devotees but in Vrindavan, we must be pure, in Vrindavan you cannot do any nonsense. Vrindavan is not for that. If one commits nonsense in Vrindavan then the reactions are much stronger than anywhere else. So in Vrindavan, one must be pure. Therefore it is said that if one is not able to be pure, then one should stay three days only because three days everyone can manage. For three days: no tea, no smoking, nothing! It is possible – it is difficult but can be done. Even three days brahmacari, alright! Then back to maya but one who is more serious in spiritual life, he can stay three months. One who is very serious can stay thirty years, so the whole life. Vrindavan is like that. This month is also for that, it is a month to just be serious and why can we not do that? The Muslims are doing Ramadan quite seriously – that is the one thing they really do. Whatever else they may do but they do Ramadan, they do their fast, they are serious about their dharma. So they get blessings for that actually. So we cannot be so weak that we say, “One month, oh how can I do one month!?” No, no – if they can do, we can also do.

Come and join us to celebrate Lord Jagannatha’s Chariot Festival, see the spectacle unfold as a gigantic colourfully decorated chariot carrying Lord Jagnnatha is hand- pulled up Queen Street. The Festival is followed by Kirtan , Dance , Drama and a sumptuous Feast at Mission Bay Beach.