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Video – SB 1.8.26 The Enemy of Perfection 2020-11-08 Ljubljana

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In 2018, His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami took us to Narada-kunda, a place to reflect on Narada Muni, a pure Vaisnava, and the meaning of true bhakti. Check out Maharaja’s full kirtan and lecture below, along with a few photos, at Narada-kunda during Parikrama 2018.

Narada Muni desired to join the pastimes of Krsna as a gopi. He went to Kusuma-sarovara, took his bath there and transformed into Narada gopi. That, of course, was very convenient for him to enter the pastimes of the gopis. When Krsna saw Naradi, He began, “My Dear Narada, how nice it is that you are here to experience the pastimes of bhakti. I request that you write a book about the nature of bhakti that you are absorbing here!” So we can see that Krsna was not fooled by Narada Muni’s disguise and the book that is then written is the Narada-bhakti-sutra.

Narada Muni is, by his consciousness, a resident of Vaikuntha who worships Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is His representative. He is one of the mental sons of Lord Brahma who is pure and transcendental. His body is spiritual and therefore he is actually a resident of the spiritual world. As such, wherever he goes, he takes the spiritual world with him. He takes many personalities into that spiritual realm. Narada Muni acts as a spiritual master. He is the personification of the spiritual master because he is cent per cent transcendental. There is no question of any fault in Narada. Anything that Narada does is an act of mercy, even he makes politics, which he sometimes does.

Narada is basically teaching sambandha. There are three stages, sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana. In sambandha, we make a connection with Krsna and we look towards the goal. What is bhakti actually? It creates a focus, like a zoom lens. In abhidheya, we get information on the process of purification. In these verses, Narada is still defining bhakti and where it is to be found, therefore it is sambandha-jnana. An example of prayojana-jnana is when we speak about Narada being Naradi gopi and entering into the pastimes of Krsna and His gopi associates. Such Vraja bhakti or pure unadulterated love is found in five rasas as displayed by the residents of Vrndavana.

The article " eParikrama 2020 Day 11 – Narada-kunda " was published on KKSBlog.

For Vaishnavas, especially Rama Bhaktas, Diwali is a celebration of the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after killing the demon-king Ravana. Philosophically it symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. Diwali also falls on an even more important day for Krishna bhaktas, Govardhana puja, the day the Lord lifted Govardhana Hill to protect His devotees in Vraja from the torrential rains sent by King Indra. Both have a spiritual tie to the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Consider the far-reaching effects the TOVP will have on the history of the world by awakening millions of people to real spiritual knowledge and the mercy flow of Krishna prema from Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. It is the manifestation of the vision of Bhaktivinoda Thakur and Lord Nityananda’s prediction that, “from this unique mandir the eternal service of Lord Caitanya will spread.”

As an analogy, we can compare the TOVP to Govardhana Hill. Just as Krishna lifted Govardhana and held it up for seven days with the ‘help’ of the cowherd men and boys to protect them from Indra’s rains, in the same way Lord Caitanya is raising the TOVP with all our ‘help’ to protect humanity from the ignorance and illusion being poured down on the human race for the next ten thousand years.

So, let us continue to “Raise Lord Caitanya’s Temple by the Hands of Every Devotee” and bring forth the deepa (light) of knowledge for the next ten thousand years, as Srila Prabhupada said:

“I have given you instruction, it will never stop; it will go on. At least for ten thousand years it will go on.”

June 21, 1976

You can help today on this auspicious occasion and during the month of Damodar, the month of prayer and giving, by sponsoring one of five abhishekas for the Grand Installation Ceremony of the new Prabhupada murti in the TOVP in October, 2021, his 125th Appearance Anniversary Year. This will be our combined guru dakshina and welcome to the TOVP for our Founder/Acharya, and every ISKCON man, woman and child can participate in this historic celebration.

Sponsor an abhisheka today!.

We wish you a most auspicious and spiritually uplifting celebration, and a healthy and safe remainder of the year.

    When we talk about sankirtana, we are, of course, talking about the congregational chanting of the Lord’s holy names, specifically in the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. For many people, this is the first way they come in contact with the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, and with Lord Chaitanya’s sankirtana movement, by hearing the devotees chanting the holy names. But what is it about this process that makes it so effective, and so important in the way people are first exposed to it?
    To answer this, we find specific evidence in the works of Jiva Goswami who explains it a most insightful way.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SANKIRTANA IN KALI-YUGA

    First of all, we find information about the importance of sankirtana for this age of Kali-yuga. In his Sri Krishna-sandarbha, Anuccheda 82, Jiva Goswami explains: “Lord Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and His holy names, qualities, and pastimes are sublime and unequaled. That no other holy name of the Lord is equal to the name of Krishna is confirmed in the following verse from the Sri Krsnastottara-shata-nama-stotra, found in the Brahmanda Purana: ‘By chanting the holy name of Lord Krishna only once, one achieves the same purifying effect obtained by chanting other names of the Supreme Lord three thousand times.’”
    Then, continuing in his Sri Bhakti-sandarbha, we find important additional information which clarifies things even further. Starting at Anuccheda 270, he explains how and why kirtana is the recommended process for Kali-yuga:
    “This devotion to the Lord in the form of kirtana is unlimitedly merciful to devotees who are humble and devoid of the pride associated with wealth, prestigious birth, admirable qualifications and praiseworthy accomplishments. This is understood from the Vedas and the Puranas. As stated in the Brahma-vaivarta Purana:
    “‘Therefore in Kali-yuga, activities such as penance, yoga, study of the Vedas and sacrifices, cannot be properly performed, even by those who are highly competent.’
    “Therefore sankirtana, appearing amidst the people of Kali-yuga, who are naturally meek, easily confers upon them all the results derived from the practices prominent in other yugas and thus makes them perfect. For this reason, the Lord is especially pleased in Kali-yuga only by sankirtana, as stated in the Caturmasya-mahatmya of the Skanda Purana: ‘In this world, singing about Lord Hari is the best penance. In Kali-yuga especially, one should perform kirtana for the pleasure of Lord Vishnu.’
    “The same point is made by sage Sukadeva: ‘What is attained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Lord Vishnu, and in Treta-yuga by propitiating Him with elaborate sacrifices, and in Dvapara-yuga by worship of the deity, is attained in Kali-yuga by singing about Lord Hari’ (Bhagavatam 12.3.52)
    “Also, ‘Whatever one achieves in Satya-yuga by meditation, in Treta-yuga by the performance of sacrifices [rituals], and in Dvapara-yuga by worship of the deity, is attained in Kali-yuga by singing about Lord Keshava.’” (Vishnu Purana 6.2.17)
      Furthermore, the Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.36-37) says: “Those who are actually advanced in knowledge are able to appreciate the essential value of this age of Kali. Such enlightened persons worship Kali-yuga because in this fallen age, all perfection of life can easily be achieved by the performance of sankirtana. Indeed, there is no higher possible gain for embodied souls forced to wander throughout the material world than the Supreme Lord’s sankirtana movement, by which one can attain the supreme peace and free oneself from the cycle of repeated birth and death.”
    So, in many ways, the Lord is so merciful that since this is the worst age, the Lord has given us the easiest way to be delivered from this situation of the repeated cycles of birth and death. In whatever other method of spiritual development that is possible, in Kali-yuga a person can attain whatever is necessary by the process of sankirtana. It cannot get much easier than that.
    Jiva Goswami continues to elaborate on the above verse, “… supreme peace means that one attains the pinnacle of fixity in the Lord, which is unattainable even by meditation and other methods, and as a concomitant result, one’s material bondage is also destroyed. Thus, even the people of Satya-yuga, who were established in meditation, could not attain such fixity in the Lord.
    “In the Skanda Purana it is said: ‘In Kali-yuga great devotees always perform kirtana.’ In other yugas, the Lord, who bestows special grace only upon the meek, did not reveal the process, or the glory, of kirtana, which is the cause of such fixity in Him. According to the above statement from the Skanda Purana, the reason why the Lord did not promulgate kirtana in other yugas is because the people of those times had the ability to follow the processes recommended for their respective ages. Consequently, the people of those ages, who were fit for meditation and other practices, would not have considered the mere movement of the tongue and lips as much of a spiritual practice, and thus they would not have faith in kirtana.”
    This is the benefit of Kali-yuga. The processes that take years to develop in other ages can be quickly accomplished in a short life in Kali-yuga. For this reason, as related in the Bhagavatam (11.5.38), “The inhabitants of Satya-yuga and other ages eagerly desire to take birth in this age of Kali, since in this age there will be many devotees of the Supreme Lord.” This also indicates that there will be the process of sankirtana that will be popular amongst those devotees, which is all that makes the age of Kali-yuga attractive.
    Therefore, as it is said in the Skanda Purana, the Vaisakha-mahatmya of the Padma Purana, and the Vishnu-dharma, “At all times and in every place one should sing the names of the Lord, the wielder of the disc.” And in the Skanda Purana again, “the chanting of the holy names is not dependent upon any particular place, time, condition or purity of the heart. Rather, it is fully independent and awards the result desired by the aspirant.” And again in the Vishnu-dharma, “For one in whose heart Lord Govinda is situated, the age of Kali is Satya-yuga, and for one in whose heart Lord Achyuta is not present, the age of Satya is Kali-yuga.”

THE SUPERIORITY OF KIRTANA

    Going back to Jiva Goswami’s Sri Bhakti-sandarbha, Anuccheda 273, he explains how kirtana is the superior process for all. “In the Vishnu Purana it is said: ‘By fixing the mind on Krishna, one does not go to hell. Those who have fixed their hearts and minds on Krishna consider even the pleasure of heaven as an obstacle to meditation on Him. Then, even Satya-loka, the planet of Brahma, appears insignificant. It is no wonder then that the sins of those who sing the names of Lord Achyuta are destroyed, because the imperishable Lord, becoming situated in the hearts of those who are pure in mind, grants them liberation.’ (Vishnu Purana 6.8.55)
    “This verse of the Vishnu Purana shows by the kaimutya principle the superiority of kirtana over remembrance of Krishna, which continues even in the state of trance.
    “Therefore, it was said earlier: ‘O King, constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord after the ways of the great authorities is the doubtless and fearless way of success for all, including those who are free from all material desires, and also those who are desirous of all material enjoyment, as well as those who are self-satisfied by dint of transcendental knowledge.’ (Bhagavatam 2.1.11)
    “And in the Vaishnava chintamani, ‘The remembrance of Lord Vishnu, which destroys sin, is attained through tremendous effort. Therefore, singing is superior to remembrance because it is accomplished merely by moving the lips.’
    “The superiority of kirtana is shown elsewhere also: ‘O descendant of Bharata, the names of Lord Hari are always present on the tongue of one who has properly worshiped Lord Vasudeva for hundreds of previous lives.’
    “The preeminence of kirtana is also understood from the Namaparadha-bhanjana-stotra, already cited in Anuccheda 265, which states that the holy name delivers one even from offences to Lord Hari.
    “Thus, in all yugas, singing the Lord’s name has the same power. Nonetheless, in Kali-yuga, the Lord personally advocates the method of kirtana out of His grace, and for this reason kirtana has been specifically praised in scripture for the age of Kali. So, if one performs any other type of bhakti in Kali-yuga, it should be accompanied by kirtana, for it is said (Bhagavatam 11.5.32): ‘In the age of Kali-yuga, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Krishna. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krishna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions.”
    In Anuccheda 265, Jiva Goswami explains that “After the glorification of the Bhagavata Purana, Sri Suka begins the narration. From the very outset, although there are many limbs of devotion, he instructs the king that singing the Lord’s names is the chief of all methods for attaining perfection. Furthermore, he informs the king that such singing of the Lord’s names is also the supreme goal for all.
    “O King, constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord after the ways of the great authorities is the doubtless and fearless way of success for all, including those who are free from all material desires, and also those who are desirous of all material enjoyment, as well as those who are self-satisfied by dint of transcendental knowledge.” (Bhagavatam 2.1.11)
    [The great commentator on the Bhagavatam] “Sridhara Swami comments: ‘There is no method more beneficial than singing the Lord’s names, both for practitioners and for those who have already attained perfection. Sri Suka speaks this verse just to make this clear. For those desiring material enjoyment, singing the Lord’s names is the very means by which their desires can be fulfilled. For those who seek liberation, this alone is the means of salvation. And for those who seek knowledge of the Absolute, this also has been determined as the goal. By saying that this has already been concluded, it indicates that there is no need for further evidence in this regard.’
    Then Narada Muni describes his own experience after being instructed by the Lord, and just before leaving his material body to be transferred to a spiritual body, “Thus I began chanting the holy name and fame of the Lord by repeated recitation, ignoring all the formalities of the material world. Such chanting and remembering of the transcendental pastimes of the Lord are benedictory. So doing, I traveled all over the earth, fully satisfied, humble and unenvious.” (Bhagavatam 1.6.26)
    This is the power of the process of chanting and singing about the glories of the Lord, which is attained only after many lifetimes of spiritual pursuits, or by the rare blessing of a pure devotee. Nonetheless, it is also recommended to avoid the ten offenses to the holy name if a person wants to make rapid progress. 

SPEAKING ABOUT THE LORD IS REALITY

    Also, simply remembering Krishna is itself the epitome of yoga, as Lord Krishna says in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.13.14). Therefore, anything that helps us remember Krishna, whether singing, chanting, or reciting and reading about Him, puts us in touch with Him as the Supreme Reality.
    In this connection, in Anuccheda 269 of Sri Bhakti-sandarbha, Srila Jiva Goswami explains how speaking about the Lord is real, by quoting the verses from the Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.12.49-50): “Words that do not describe the transcendental Personality of Godhead but instead deal with temporary matters are simply false and useless. Only those words that manifest the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Lord are actually truthful, auspicious and pious. Those words describing the glories of the all-famous Personality of Godhead are attractive, relishable and ever fresh. Indeed, such words are a perpetual festival for the mind, and they dry up the ocean of misery.”
    “The word asatih here means false, and asatam, extracted from the compound asat-katha, refers to speech about people other than the Lord and His devotees. These adjectives describe speech that is unrelated to the Lord. On the other hand, that speech in which the fame of the glorious Lord is sung is alone real and endowed with the other virtues mentioned in these two verses. This refers specifically to recitations of the Lord’s pastimes. And why is this speech true and auspicious? In answer to this, Suta says that this speech causes the Lord’s qualities to be revealed in the heart of the speaker. This means that such discussions generate love for the Lord.”

HOW SANKIRTANA EFFECTS OTHERS
BY AROUSING LOVE

    Now we are starting to approach the unique view that I want to highlight in Jiva Goswami’s explanation of how and why sankirtana is so potent. It is because it invokes and inspires the love that all conditioned souls are continually looking for. No matter what a person does, it is done for expressing or seeking love. But that love outside the connection with the Supreme Person is only a reflection of the real love for which the soul is always seeking. And that real love, which is spiritual, is often first experienced to some degree by someone who hears the transcendental sound of the chanting of the holy names of the Lord.
    The sound of the holy names enters the ears, and then passes through the mind, which may interpret it as being attractive. But the vibration goes deeper through the intelligence until it reaches the soul, which then reverberates the sound because of the love that is invoked in the soul. It is that love, or even the reflection of it, that captures the soul. The soul wants to dive more deeply into this feeling and then focuses on the chanting and singing of the holy names. This is more than merely playing the mridunga drums in a traditional or attractive way, which may indeed attract some people. It is more than singing the traditional melodies. But it is the love for Lord Krishna which the kirtan leaders inject into the vibration of the holy names which inspires the listeners to want to become part of the kirtana. Even Srila Prabhupada once explained in a lecture (Bg. 7.1, in LA, Dec. 2, 1968) that in leading a kirtana, our first business is to please Krishna. Then we give the crowd Krishna, which will then please the participants.
    This reflects on the fact that if there is a universal language, it is music. Music can capture moods, attitudes, longings, and inspirations even when the language of the words are not fully understood. And when the language is the transcendental, spiritual vibrations of the Lord’s holy names, qualities and characteristics, a person can feel like they are coming home, or have even arrived at what they have been searching for over many lifetimes, which is the divine love in connection with Lord Krishna.
    This is also why it is important that the kirtana leaders use a melody which is easy to follow, in which people can easily join in and participate. That is the key–they become participants in this form of devotional service. For many, it may be the first act of devotional service to the Lord that they have ever performed. And if they can join in, then they get the added benefit of not merely listening, but in participating in the sankirtana. Otherwise, if the melody is complicated or difficult to follow, then the audience may simply stand or sit there and become mere observers, and cannot easily participate in singing along. Listening is also greatly beneficial, but participating in the kirtana is even better. Plus, the more people who join in the singing, the more powerful it becomes.
    It is like the explanation of the difference between the Vishnu Purana and the Bhagavata Purana. The Vishnu Purana often contains the same stories, even elaborations of details not found in the Bhagavatam. But it is said that the Vishnu Purana is described from the point of view as a reporter telling the stories. But the Bhagavata Purana is sweeter because it tells the stories from the view of a participant, someone who is actively involved in the events that are being described. So, it is much more intimate and endearing.
    As described by Jiva Goswami in Anuccheda 266, “When the beauty of Lord Krishna’s form is glorified, it creates an attraction for the speech of the poets who sing the glories of the Lord’s form.    
    “Therefore, the four Kumaras also prayed: ‘O Lord, we pray that You let us be born in any hellish condition of life, just as long as our hearts and minds are always engaged in the service of Your lotus feet, our words are made beautiful [by speaking of Your activities] just as tulasi leaves are beautified when offered unto Your lotus feet, and as long as our ears are always filled with the chanting of Your transcendental qualities.’” (Bhagavatam 3.15.49)
    In this way, the more love there is in the descriptions of the glories of the Lord, the more it attracts the listeners who then can feel that love. The extent of the feeling of love for the Lord is expressed in the verse from the Bhagavatam (11.2.40), “By chanting the holy name of the Supreme Lord, one comes to the stage of love of Godhead. Then the devotee is fixed in his vow as an eternal servant of the Lord, and he gradually becomes very much attached to a particular name and form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As his heart melts with ecstatic love, he laughs very loudly or cries or shouts. Sometimes he sings and dances like a madman, for he is indifferent to public opinion.”
    Furthermore, in Anuccheda 264, Jiva Goswami says that the effect of chanting or singing the Lord’s names also grants one direct experience of the Lord’s attributes. Through this process, it opens the channels for direct experience and realization.

SANKIRTANA INVOKES THE LORD’S ATTRACTION FOR THE DEVOTEES

    The other aspect of how sankirtana invokes love, is that singing and chanting about the Lord attracts the Lord Himself. As Jiva Goswami continues to explain in Anuccheda 269: “In the Skanda Purana it is said ’O King, Lord Hari goes wherever stories about Him and His devotees are sung, just as a cow follows her calf out of great affection.’
    “In the Vishnu-dharma and in the Skanda Purana the Lord says: ‘I never abandon a person who always narrates my stories, one who is intent on hearing them, or one whose mind is captivated by My stories.’ 
    “The verb anugiyate, meaning ‘is repeatedly sung,’ in the above verse from the Bhagavatam (12.12.50) implies that if one has a melodious voice, he or she should sing the pastimes of the Lord. This implies that singing the pastimes of the Lord is superior to simple hearing and recitation. The same is true about singing about the holy names, forms and qualities of the Lord.”
    In Anuccheda 262, we find “The chanting of the holy name of Lord Vishnu is the best process of atonement for a thief of gold or other valuables, for a drunkard, for one who betrays a friend or relative, for one who kills a brahmana, etc… Simply by chanting the holy name of Lord Vishnu, such sinful persons may attract the attention of the Supreme Lord, who therefore considers, ‘Because this person has chanted My holy name, My duty is to give him protection.’ (Bhagavatam 6.2.10)
    “Sridhara Swami comments: ‘This alone is the best form of atonement. The reason for this is that when a person chants God’s names, it attracts the attention of Lord Vishnu, who thinks, ‘This person belongs to Me, and as such, I should protect him.’
    “Therefore, because the Lord’s name is part of His constitutional nature, it naturally impels Him to become absorbed in love for His devotees, who chant His names. As such, hearing even a part of the Lord’s names induces love in the great devotees of the Lord.”
    In Anuccheda 268, Jiva Goswami uses the verse from the Bhagavatam (2.8.4) to explain that the Lord becomes so attracted to the devotee that He enters their heart. “Persons who hear [and recite the activities of the Lord as in] Srimad-Bhagavatam regularly and are always taking the matter very seriously will have the Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna manifested in their hearts within a short time.”
    “The adverbial phrase nati-dirghena kalena, qualifying the verb ‘enters,’ means that the Lord enters the devotee’s heart without delay. The verb vishate, meaning ‘He enters,’ means that the Lord directly appears in the devotee’s heart.”
    In this way, as the devotee becomes qualified for the Lord to enter his or her heart, so does the recitation or the singing of the holy names as in sankirtana become all the more potent and attractive. It is the love within the heart of the devotee that makes the sankirtana such a beautiful experience for those who hear it. The more love that is there, the more the Lord directly manifests within, and the more the listeners become enlivened by that spiritual vibration. 

THE LOVE FOR KRISHNA FOUND IN SANKIRTANA IS THE ETERNAL RESULT OF ALL SPIRITUAL PURSUITS

    In Jiva Goswami’s Sri Bhakti-sandarbha, Anuccheda 267 we find the verse from the Bhagavatam (1.5.22) that explains how all spiritual pursuits reach their zenith in bringing us to engage in reading, chanting and singing the holy names and characteristics of the Supreme Being: “Learned circles have positively concluded that the infallible purpose of the advancement of knowledge, namely austerities, study of the Vedas, sacrifice, chanting of hymns and charity, culminates in the transcendental descriptions of the Lord, who is defined in choice poetry.”
    “The word srutam means study of the Vedas; svishtam, sacrifices; suktam, recitation of mantras; buddham, scriptural knowledge; and dattam means gifts given in charity. When all of such acts are offered exclusively to the Lord, they bear eternal fruit. And what is that eternal fruit? Being able to engage in regular recitation of the virtues of the glorious Lord.
    “Even after attaining the supreme goal in the form of recitation of the Lord’s qualities out of love, one experiences ever-fresh delight in continuing to describe those qualities. It is for this reason that the adjective avichyuta has been used, which means that this result does not come to an end. Thus, the adjective avichyuta, ‘eternal [fruit]’ indicates that love for the Lord is the actual fruit of the recitation of His virtues.”

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Please accept our humble obeisances!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!

As Toronto will move into the Red – Control category of the Province’s colour-coded system for COVID-19 restrictions beginning Saturday (14th Nov), the temple will remain closed on Sunday 15th Nov.

As the health of the devotees is paramount, we had to make this difficult decision to keep the temple closed on the day of Govardhan puja.

ISKCON Scarborough

3500 McNicoll Avenue, Unit #3,

Scarborough, Ontario,

Canada, M1V4C7

Website: www.iskconscarborough.org

Email:

iskconscarborough@hotmail.com

scarboroughiskcon@gmail.com

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Today, Sri Rama-ekadasi, is a very special day. It is the first Ekadasi in the month of Kartik, or Damodara, and it has special significance as the day on which Srila Prabhupada completed his translation of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, the most important book on the life and precepts of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, which was originally published in seventeen volumes. Every devotee should read it. Actually, every devotee should read every book of Srila Prabhupada’s, from Sri Isopanisad, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, The Nectar of Devotion, and Srimad-Bhagavatam, to Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. Although Sri Caitanya-caritamrta covers a wide range of topics, it is a very advanced book of study, and we will read from the end of it.

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

“All glories to Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu! All glories to Lord Nityananda! All glories to Advaitacandra! And all glories to all the devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.”

On this date, Sri Rama-ekadasi, in 1974, we went up the stairs to Srila Prabhupada’s quarters in the F-block in the back of the Juhu property. It was usual for us to go every morning at six o’clock to accompany Srila Prabhupada for his walk on Juhu Beach. But this time we were surprised to find that the door was locked. In fact, both doors—to his quarters and to his staff’s quarters—were locked, and we could not understand why. We knocked on the doors, and eventually Srila Prabhupada’s secretary Harikesa Prabhu opened the staff’s door and told us that Srila Prabhupada had just completed his translation of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, that he had written the most beautiful glorification of his guru maharaja at the end, that he was in a very jubilant mood, and that he said we should celebrate by having a feast.

Now we shall read Srila Prabhupada’s “Concluding Words” to Sri Caitanya-caritamrta:

CONCLUDING WORDS

Today, Sunday, November 10, 1974—corresponding to the 10th of Kartika, Caitanya Era 488, the eleventh day of the dark fortnight, the Rama-ekadasi—we have now finished the English translation of Sri Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami’s Sri Caitanya-caritamrta in accordance with the authorized order of His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Gosvami Maharaja, my beloved eternal spiritual master, guide, and friend. Although according to material vision His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada passed away from this material world on the last day of December, 1936, I still consider His Divine Grace to be always present with me by his vani, his words. There are two ways of association—by vani and by vapuh. Vani means “words,” and vapuh means “physical presence.” Physical presence is sometimes appreciable and sometimes not, but vani continues to exist eternally. Therefore we must take advantage of the vani, not the physical presence. The Bhagavad-gita, for example, is the vani of Lord Krsna. Although Krsna was personally present five thousand years ago and is no longer physically present from the materialistic point of view, the Bhagavad-gita continues.

COMMENT by Giriraj Swami

Srila Prabhupada sets the theme for his Concluding Words in the very first sentence by saying that he had completed his translation of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta in accordance with the authorized order of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja—the order, the instruction, the words, the vani. Although Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura had passed away on the last day of December in 1936, Srila Prabhupada was still connected with him by serving his instructions. Almost forty years after his guru maharaja disappeared, Srila Prabhupada was pleased to offer him his translation of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. In other words, his relationship with his spiritual master was not diminished by the passage of time, because the association of vani continues eternally. In Srila Prabhupada’s dedication to his translation of Srimad-Bhagavatam, he wrote, “To my eternal spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja. He lives eternally by his divine instructions and the follower lives with him.”

We never need to feel bereft of the association of the spiritual master or the parampara, because their association is always available through their words (vani), and as Srila Prabhupada wrote, we must take advantage of the vani. For example, Srila Prabhupada’s vani is available in his books. So we have to take advantage of his books. If we don’t read his books, if we don’t study his books, if we don’t discuss his books, how will we have his association? And we want his association.

A householder devotee in England told me that he was concerned about his son—not only his son, but also many other members of the congregation—because his son was focused on only his immediate authority in Krishna consciousness, whom he accepted as his guru. The devotee was concerned that his son should also develop his relationship with Srila Prabhupada, understanding that everything in ISKCON, including Prabhupada’s disciples, was the result of Prabhupada’s mercy. He felt that his son should have a proper, tangible, substantial relationship with Srila Prabhupada.

So, the father prevailed upon the son to start listening to Srila Prabhupada’s tapes and reading Srila Prabhupada’s books—systematically. And that boy started to awaken his relationship with Srila Prabhupada in a very tangible way. He hadn’t understood it before. He hadn’t understood that he could have a real, substantial, tangible relationship with Srila Prabhupada even in Prabhupada’s physical separation by hearing his words, reading his books. And then Srila Prabhupada started to come in his dreams. The boy is very pure. In his teens he went to Vrindavan and joined the twenty-four–hour kirtan party and was ready to live the rest of his life in Vrindavan just chanting the holy name. In particular, he was a very good mridanga player. So, he had a dream in which the deity of Srila Prabhupada sitting on his vyasasana in Vrindavan came to life. Many devotees have had dreams in which the deity of Srila Prabhupada comes to life. And he had another dream in which Srila Prabhupada was standing at the entrance to the temple room at Bhaktivedanta Manor, observing all the youth, including him, doing kirtan. After the kirtan, Srila Prabhupada walked over to him and said, “It is very good that you are engaged in kirtan. However, if one does kirtan simply to attract the opposite sex, this kind of kirtan will take one to the darkest regions of hell.” The boy took the dream as real and took the instruction to heart. And of course, what Srila Prabhupada said is true.

This is just one example of how we can establish our relationship with Srila Prabhupada—or any of the previous acharyas—through vani, through hearing the words, through reading the books.

Srila Prabhupada would take rest at about ten o’clock at night and then wake up at about midnight and translate. While practically everyone else was sleeping, he was translating for us. He was translating so that we would have these books to study and apply. So it is our duty, it is our privilege—it is a blessing, but it is also our duty—to read the books. Otherwise, it means that Srila Prabhupada was wasting his time writing books for us and we don’t even care enough to reciprocate and make the effort to study them. And Srila Prabhupada said that we should not only distribute his books but also read them. He said of his devotees that sankirtana will keep them happy and reading his books will keep them. So, we shall continue.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

In this connection we may call to memory the time when I was fortunate enough to meet His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, sometime in the year 1922. Srila Prabhupada had come to Calcutta from Sridhama Mayapur to start the missionary activities of the Gaudiya Matha. He was sitting in a house at Ulta Danga when through the inducement of an intimate friend, the late Sriman Narendranath Mullik, I had the opportunity to meet His Divine Grace for the first time. I do not remember the actual date of the meeting, but at that time I was one of the managers of Dr. Bose’s laboratory in Calcutta. I was a newly married young man, addicted to Gandhi’s movement and dressed in khadi. Fortunately, even at our first meeting His Divine Grace advised me to preach the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in English in the Western countries. Because at that time I was a complete nationalist, a follower of Mahatma Gandhi’s, I submitted to His Divine Grace that unless our country were freed from foreign subjugation, no one would hear the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu seriously. Of course, we had some argument on this subject, but at last I was defeated and convinced that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s message is the only panacea for suffering humanity. I was also convinced that the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was then in the hands of a very expert devotee and that surely the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would spread all over the world. I could not, however, immediately take up his instructions to preach, but I took his words very seriously and was always thinking of how to execute his order, although I was quite unfit to do so.

COMMENT

Srila Prabhupada was the leader of his circle of friends, and thus when Narendranath Mullik met Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, he wanted our Srila Prabhupada also to meet him, to give his verdict about him. Srila Prabhupada also described how across from his home in Calcutta there was a large building with many rooms and many men living there. During the day they would go out and earn money, and then in the evening they would come back and cook and eat their dinner and go to sleep, and then the next morning they would again go out to earn money and come back in the evening. Among them there was one man who, before going out each morning, would put on the robes of a sadhu and go out and collect money and later come back, take off his robes, eat with the other karmis, go to sleep, get up in the morning, and go out again.

Many sadhus would come to Srila Prabhupada’s father’s home, and Prabhupada was not very satisfied with their dealings. So when his friend invited him to meet the sadhu, he was not very eager to go, because he thought, as there were so many bogus sadhus who were cheating innocent people, that this might be another one. So he didn’t want to go. But his friend insisted, and ultimately Srila Prabhupada relented and went and met his eternal spiritual master, His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

When Srila Prabhupada arrived, Srila Sarasvati Thakura was sitting on a raised platform (maybe on a cot that was set up as an asana), and everyone else was sitting down. There were some other seats, and Srila Prabhupada sat on one. And from the very first meeting, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura ordered him to preach the message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the English language throughout the world. Srila Prabhupada, as a nationalist, as a follower of Mahatma Gandhi, argued, “Who will listen to India’s message, to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s message, when India is still under foreign subjugation? Even uncivilized countries like Japan have political independence. First India should gain political independence, and then people will be ready to hear the message.” But Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura did not accept his argument. He said, “The message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is transcendental. It will act independent of factors such as political independence or dependence, and the world needs the knowledge now. We cannot wait for India’s independence. We must present the message now.” And Srila Prabhupada said that he was defeated in argument by his guru maharaja. He said that he had never before been defeated in any argument but that he had been defeated by his guru maharaja and was happy about it.

Srila Prabhupada was newly married and had a small child, and so he could not take up the order of his spiritual master immediately. But he kept the instruction in his heart and was always thinking about when he would be able to take it up. This is an important instruction for us—that if due to circumstances we are unable to take up an instruction from the spiritual master, we should always keep that instruction in our heart and think of how we can execute it, pray to be able to execute it, and wait for the opportune moment when we will be able to do so.

I had an interaction with Srila Prabhupada in which he enunciated the same principle. In 1971 in Gorakhpur we were staying as guests of Sri Hanuman Prasad Poddar and the Gita Press in what had been Mr. Poddar’s estate, Sri Krishna Niketan. A new issue of Back to Godhead magazine had arrived, and the issue had an article that I had written. Srila Prabhupada read the article and called for me. “I’ve read your article,” he told me. “It is very nice. You should write.” And he added, “You can travel with me, and I will personally instruct you how to write.”

Some days later, one of the senior devotees, Hamsaduta, wanted to begin his world sankirtana party, and he asked Srila Prabhupada if he could have me on his party. And Srila Prabhupada agreed. I was a little disappointed that I wasn’t going to travel with Prabhupada and get personal instructions on how to write, but I had faith that whatever he did was ultimately the best for all concerned. So I accepted the decision to go with Hamsaduta.

This was before computers; in India even typewriters were rare. If you needed a document typed, you had to go to the court and find someone outside the courtroom to type your document. The materials for writing were pen and paper. So, when I got the instruction from Srila Prabhupada to write, I went out and bought pens and lined paper. But travelling with Hamsaduta, I did not have much time. We had a very busy schedule, going to Agra and Aligarh. And then Hamsaduta Prabhu got a telegram from Srila Prabhupada saying, “We are planning a big pandal program in Bombay. Come with party immediately.”

So, we all packed up and came to Bombay. Shyamasundar Prabhu was the temple president. He had a meeting with everyone to divide up the duties, and he asked me to collect advertisements for the souvenir magazine to raise funds for the pandal program. I told him that Srila Prabhupada had instructed me to write as my main business. Shyamasundar Prabhu said, “You can write anytime, but this is a special occasion, a time when we can go into any man’s office in Bombay and ask him to give an advertisement for the souvenir. We need to get advertisements to raise funds for the pandal. So do this now, and you can take up your writing later.” I thought that what Shyamasundar Prabhu said made sense, and I also knew that Srila Prabhupada wanted us to cooperate with our authorities, so I agreed.

Then, some days later, Srila Prabhupada arrived, and, as usual, all the disciples entered his sitting room with him, and he glanced around the room, at each disciple, maybe exchanging some few words. When he came to me, he said, “So, Giriraj, how is your writing going?” I was completely flustered; I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to speak, but nothing clear was coming out. Srila Prabhupada said, “Okay, we’ll discuss later.” Then, after a while, he called for me. I was alone in the room with him, and he asked me, “So, what about your writing?” I was in anxiety, because I wasn’t sure if I had done the right thing. But I explained what Shyamasundar Prabhu had said and how it made sense to me and also how I knew that Srila Prabhupada wanted us to cooperate with our authorities, so I thought I should cooperate. “Did I do the right thing?” I asked. He replied, “One can suspend temporarily the order of the spiritual master, but one can never neglect it.” And then he gave his own example: “Like me—my guru maharaja also instructed me to write, but I’m so busy travelling in India, I hardly have time to write. You can suspend the order of the spiritual master, but you can never neglect it.”

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

I could not, however, immediately take up his instructions to preach, but I took his words very seriously and was always thinking of how to execute his order, although I was quite unfit to do so.

In this way I passed my life as a householder until 1950, when I retired from family life as a vanaprastha. With no companion, I loitered here and there until 1958, when I took sannyasa. Then I was completely ready to discharge the order of my spiritual master.

COMMENT

Srila Prabhupada describes how he would have dreams in which his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, would come to him and call him to follow him. Srila Prabhupada would wake up in anxiety because he would think, “Oh, Guru Maharaja is calling me to follow him. He wants me to preach. He wants me to leave my family.” And he was in a panic because he was thinking, “How can I leave my family? How can I live alone?” Then one of Srila Prabhupada’s godbrothers, another disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, His Holiness Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, encouraged him, “You should take sannyasa. You cannot really take up the order of Guru Maharaja to preach unless you take sannyasa.” When that godbrother passed away in 1968, Srila Prabhupada gave a nice talk about him, saying how that godbrother had forced him to take sannyasa. “Actually, he did not force me to take sannyasa,” he said. “My guru maharaja forced me to take sannyasa through my godbrother.” So, this is another instruction—that a sincere disciple can receive instructions from his spiritual master through others.

I had one exchange here in Juhu that suggested the same idea. Srila Prabhupada was staying upstairs in his new quarters, and he was very ill. He was not meeting anyone, he was hardly speaking or eating, and no one was allowed to see him. Tamal Krishna Goswami was Srila Prabhupada’s personal secretary, and he would sit in the front room.

One day, I went up to Prabhupada’s quarters to see Tamal Krishna. Mindful not to disturb Prabhupada, we met in the furthest outside room, where Tamal Krishna had his desk, and spoke in whispers—with two sets of closed doors between us and Prabhupada. Tamal greeted me with a warm embrace and then asked me to go to the bank to make a deposit.

“I am the temple president,” I thought. “I have so much important work to do that nobody else can do. Why me? Why do I have to go to the bank? Anyone can go to the bank and make a deposit.” So I told Tamal, “There are so many devotees who can make a bank deposit, but there are many things that only I can do, so better I do those things and let someone else make the deposit.” Perhaps on some deeper level, based on envy and false ego, I may have been considering, “Who are you to tell me to go to the bank?” Anyway, we were discussing back and forth, in hushed tones, so as not to disturb Prabhupada.

Suddenly Srila Prabhupada rang his bell, and Tamal Krishna and I raced around the outside hallway and entered Prabhupada’s room. Especially then, it was a rare treat to be summoned into his presence.

“Now you have to do so many things,” Prabhupada said to me straight away, chuckling. “Again, another burden. You have to do all these things. So, how is your preaching?”

I wasn’t sure exactly what Prabhupada meant, but he knew that I sometimes felt burdened by management and preferred to preach.

I gave him a report about our recent preaching successes, and he spoke about the mood of a Vaishnava and the mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. “If one does not present Bhagavad-gita as it is,” he asked, “then where is its authority?” And then, apparently to illustrate his point, he said, “If I say, ‘Giriraj, you go there, to the bank,’ and ‘No, no, I cannot do this; I can do only this,’ then where is my authority?” Then he laughed. “Just see.”

I didn’t think Prabhupada could possibly have heard my exchange with Tamal Krishna; we had been separated by a room and two closed doors. Krishna, I thought, must have inspired him from within. And further, he had pointed out a defect in my mentality, that I was seeing Tamal Krishna independent of him, thinking he was just my godbrother, and that I should have seen him as Prabhupada’s representative, that it was Prabhupada’s order coming to me through him.

I thought of Prabhupada’s opening words: “Now you have to do so many things. Again, another burden. You have to do all these things.” He had spoken with emphasis: “You have to do all these things.” And I understood that if I saw the service as coming from Prabhupada, I wouldn’t feel it a burden.

Later, when I described the incident to our godbrother Tejyas Prabhu, Tejyas opined that Srila Prabhupada had highly acute senses and could hear things that no one else could hear. We could be whispering, and no one else could hear it, but because of his highly attuned senses, he could have heard the discussion.

In any case, the point is not that Prabhupada knew that I was arguing with Tamal Krishna; his real instruction came in the statement “If I say, ‘Giriraj, you go there, to the bank,’ and ‘No, no, I cannot do this; I can do only this,’ then where is my authority?” Srila Prabhupada was asking me to go to the bank through Tamal Krishna Goswami. I was thinking, “We’re godbrothers. Yes, he is a little more senior, but we’re both godbrothers, and he can’t really tell me what to do. I am the temple president, and as temple president, I am my own authority.” But Srila Prabhupada was saying, “If the spiritual master asks you to go to the bank and you refuse, where is the surrender?” He wanted me to understand that he could be giving me orders or instructions through others, that the orders or instructions didn’t have to come through him directly, and he manifested that mood in relation to his godbrother Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja—“My guru maharaja forced me to take sannyasa through my godbrother.”

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

After he passed away, I started the fortnightly magazine Back to Godhead sometime in 1944 and tried to spread the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu through this magazine. After I took sannyasa, a well-wishing friend suggested that I write books instead of magazines. Magazines, he said, might be thrown away, but books remain perpetually.

COMMENT

Here’s another example: he took the advice of his friend very seriously because his friend’s advice was in support of his spiritual master’s instruction.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

Then I attempted to write Srimad-Bhagavatam. Before that, when I was a householder, I had written on Srimad Bhagavad-gita and had completed about eleven hundred pages, but somehow or other the manuscript was stolen. In any case, when I had published Srimad-Bhagavatam, First Canto, in three volumes in India, I thought of going to the USA. By the mercy of His Divine Grace, I was able to come to New York on September 17, 1965. Since then, I have translated many books, including Srimad-Bhagavatam, the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Teachings of Lord Caitanya (a summary), and many others.

In the meantime, I was induced to translate Sri Caitanya-caritamrta and publish it in an elaborate version. In his leisure time in later life, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura would simply read Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. It was his favorite book. He used to say that there would be a time when foreigners would learn the Bengali language to read the Caitanya-caritamrta. The work on this translation began about eighteen months ago. Now, by the grace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, it is finished. In this connection I have to thank my American disciples, especially Sriman Pradyumna dasa Adhikari, Sriman Nitai dasa Adhikari, Sriman Jayadvaita dasa Brahmacari and many other boys and girls who are sincerely helping me in writing, editing, and publishing all these literatures.

COMMENT

Srila Prabhupada translated seventeen volumes in eighteen months. That’s one volume a month. No one can do that. No ordinary human being can do that, and while it was happening, Srila Prabhupada was chiding us like anything for not bringing out the books. He had the manuscripts ready, but the books were not being published. So he told Ramesvara Prabhu, who was head of the BBT in Los Angeles, that he wanted all the volumes published in four months. Only maybe two or three had been published, so there were fourteen volumes left. Using material calculation, Ramesvara said, “It is impossible.” Srila Prabhupada replied, “Impossible is a word in a fool’s dictionary.” Then Ramesvara said, “Well, what if we can’t do it?” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “Disqualified.” In other words, “If you can’t do it, you are not qualified to be in charge of the BBT and we’ll have to find someone else.”

So, they surrendered to the order. It is said that when the spiritual master gives an instruction, the power to execute that instruction comes with it. And the devotees totally surrendered to the instruction. They reorganized the BBT and were working day and night, hardly eating or sleeping, and they did it.

Here in Juhu, too, Srila Prabhupada had the design for the temple, and he kept complaining that the work was going too slowly. I was bringing people from the construction line to meet him, and finally I brought Mr. G. L. Raheja, who was a big builder in the suburbs. Srila Prabhupada showed him the plans, the blueprints, and said, “I want this temple complex finished in six months. Do you think it can be done?” Mr. Raheja said, “Yes.” So Prabhupada said, “Okay.” Now, it is a long story, but ultimately it was built in two years and eight months, and during that time we felt that we were doing nothing. Prabhupada was constantly asking us, “Why is it going so slow? Why is it going so slow?” Now, when people hear that this huge temple was built in two years and eight months, they think, “That’s really fast. How could you build it so quickly?” But in Srila Prabhupada’s presence it was not fast—it was way too slow.

What I am saying is that Srila Prabhupada could do things that no human being could do, and he gave us instructions that were beyond our capacity. But if we surrendered to his instructions and tried our best, sincerely and with intelligence, we could do things that would be very difficult for ordinary people to do.

Now we come to the penultimate paragraph, and this is revolutionary, so please listen with rapt attention.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

I think that His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is always seeing my activities and guiding me within my heart by his words. As it is said in Srimad-Bhagavatam, tene brahma hrda ya adi-kavaye [SB 1.1.1]. Spiritual inspiration comes from within the heart, wherein the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His Paramatma feature, is always sitting with all His devotees and associates.

COMMENT

We all accept that Krishna is in the heart. It is a basic instruction in the Bhagavad-gita: sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto. But here Srila Prabhupada says that his translation of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta was guided by his spiritual master within the heart. Now, of course, Srila Prabhupada received the instruction to write in English from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and kept that instruction in his heart, but here Prabhupada seems to be saying more that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was actually sitting in his heart as one of the associates of the Supersoul and from within the heart could give active, dynamic guidance.

This subject is discussed in the Fourth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam in relation to the disappearance of the spiritual master. It is actually a metaphor—that a king and his wife entered the vanaprastha-ashrama and went into the forest, and the king died, leaving his widow alone. Figuratively, the king is the spiritual master and the widow is the disciple. After the king died, an old friend came to the widow—the old friend who came in the form of a brahman is considered to be the Supersoul, or a representative of the Supersoul.

So, there’s a lot of discussion how one can get guidance from the spiritual master after the disappearance of the spiritual master. The widow was ready to enter into fire—sati—and Srila Prabhupada explains that this means that the disciple should be ready to lay down his life for the mission of the spiritual master. When the disciple is ready to take up the order of the spiritual master or the mission of the spiritual master without any consideration of personal gain or loss, he is ready to lay down his life to execute the order of the spiritual master; he would rather die than fail to execute the order of the spiritual master. At that time the spiritual master appears to the disciple to give him instruction.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

It is to be admitted that whatever translation work I have done is through the inspiration of my spiritual master, because personally I am most insignificant and incompetent to do this materially impossible work.

COMMENT

There was another time when Srila Prabhupada was being interviewed by a newspaper reporter in America after having published so many books in such a short time. And he said that actually he hadn’t written the books; Krishna had. The newspaper reporter was a little confused about what that meant, and one of Prabhupada’s disciples explained that Prabhupada had meant that Krishna had given him the intelligence to write the books. But Srila Prabhupada said, “No. Krishna wrote directly.” And he would read his own books. Any ordinary author, when he writes a book, that’s the end of it; he doesn’t read the book he just wrote. And he’ll go on to the next book. But Srila Prabhupada would read his own books. What author reads his own books? Only if the subject is transcendental will an author read his own books.

Srutakirti Prabhu went into Srila Prabhupada’s room one day when Prabhupada was reading Krsna book. “These books are so wonderful,” Prabhupada said. “If you just read this book Krsna, you can become completely Krishna conscious.” Then he said, “Not even the whole book—if you read just one chapter, you can become completely Krishna conscious.” And then he said, “Not even one chapter—if you read one page, you can become completely Krishna conscious. Not even a page—if you read just one paragraph, you can become completely Krishna conscious. Not even a paragraph—if you read just one sentence, you can become completely Krishna conscious. Not even a full sentence—if you read just one word, you can become completely Krishna conscious.” Because these books are Krishna. They are written by Krishna or Krishna’s pure devotees, and they are Krishna. You are associating with Krishna. By associating with Krishna, you can become fully Krishna conscious, which is what we are meant to do.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

It is to be admitted that whatever translation work I have done is through the inspiration of my spiritual master, because personally I am most insignificant and incompetent to do this materially impossible work. I do not think myself a very learned scholar, but I have full faith in the service of my spiritual master, His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. If there is any credit to my activities of translating, it is all due to His Divine Grace.

COMMENT

Prabhupada is not taking any credit for himself. He is giving all credit to his spiritual master.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

Certainly if His Divine Grace were physically present at this time, it would have been a great occasion for jubilation, but even though he is not physically present, I am confident that he is very much pleased by this work of translation. He was very fond of seeing many books published to spread the Krsna consciousness movement. Therefore our society, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, has been formed to execute the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

COMMENT

So, we come back to the theme of the order of the spiritual master. Srila Prabhupada began by saying that he translated Sri Caitanya-caritamrta under the authorized instruction of his spiritual master. Now he is saying that he formed the International Society for Krishna Consciousness to execute the order of the spiritual master and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. What order? The order to print and distribute books. There are other orders, of course, but specifically Prabhupada is focusing on the order to print and distribute books.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

It is my wish that devotees of Lord Caitanya all over the world enjoy this translation . . .

COMMENT

The same thing: we shouldn’t just distribute the books; we should read them. We should relish them, we should enjoy them, we should make ourselves one with them.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

. . . and I am glad to express my gratitude to the learned men in the Western countries who are so pleased with my work that they are ordering in advance all my books that will be published in the future. On this occasion, therefore, I request my disciples who are determined to help me in this work . . .

COMMENT

We are all disciples—some siksa disciples, some diksa disciples.

CONCLUDING WORDS (concluded)

On this occasion, therefore, I request my disciples who are determined to help me in this work to continue their cooperation fully, so that philosophers, scholars, religionists, and people in general all over the world will benefit by reading our transcendental literatures, such as Srimad-Bhagavatam and Sri Caitanya-caritamrta.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to Sri Caitanya-caritamrta dated November 10^th, 1974, at the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Hare Krishna Land, Juhu, Bombay.

COMMENT

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta ki jaya!
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust ki jaya!
Hare Krishna Land ki jaya!
Gaura-bhakta-vrnda ki jaya!

So, it is very good that today is Ekadasi, because we don’t have to worry about prasada. We can follow Srila Prabhupada’s instruction, or Rupa Gosvami’s instruction, that on Ekadasi one should spend the day and night chanting and hearing the glories of the Lord. Still, I do not want to cause any disturbance, so I will limit the questions and answers according to my discretion.

Premanjana dasa: My question is that I—most of us—have never seen Srila Prabhupada, so how can we have a strong attachment to him? How can we love him? How can we serve him more and more, and how can we know more about him? We have his books, of course. But personal association makes a difference. There is a difference between my speaking with you and my reading your books.

Giriraj Swami: That’s true. So, your question is how to increase your attachment for Srila Prabhupada?

Premanjana dasa: Right now Srila Prabhupada’s disciples are present, but maybe after twenty or thirty years, there will be no one. So who will guide us who have never seen Srila Prabhupada?

Giriraj Swami: As you said, there are the books, and there are recorded talks and conversations, but there are also books about Srila Prabhupada, such as Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta. Everyone should read Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta. And Yadubara Prabhu has compiled a wonderful video series called Following Srila Prabhupada with all the live footage of Srila Prabhupada, with, where possible, live recorded sound, or, otherwise, memories from devotees who were there. Another disciple of Srila Prabhupada, Siddhanta dasa, has brought out the series Remembering Srila Prabhupada, in which disciples share memories of Srila Prabhupada. And, as you hinted, the direct disciples of Srila Prabhupada who have imbibed his mood and are following his instructions—by their association you can get a sense of Srila Prabhupada.

Still, there is a difference between books and physical presence. Srimad-Bhagavatam states, nasta-prayesv abhadresu nityam bhagavata-sevaya: by serving the book Bhagavata or the person bhagavata, one gets the same result. A disciple once asked Srila Prabhupada if one was better than the other, and Prabhupada replied that the person bhagavata was better, because the person bhagavata can catch you by the ear. The theme of the Concluding Words is that the book Bhagavata is better, because the books continue perpetually. So in that sense the book Bhagavata is better, but in another sense the person bhagavata is better.

Devotee (2): Maharaja, first of all it was a very nice krsna-katha. My question is: We know that we have to give importance to the instructions of the spiritual master or the orders of our authorities, which sometimes seem to be different, even contrary to each other. And we are always fearful if we try to follow the orders of our spiritual master that in fulfilling the orders of the authority we somehow fail to follow the orders of our spiritual master. Then what?

Giriraj Swami: This is a very intelligent question. Such a situation took place in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Svayambhuva Manu, the first manu in this period of time, had a son named Priyavrata. Narada Muni instructed Priyavrata that he should not marry but should dedicate himself fully to spiritual life. But Svayambhuva Manu wanted Priyavrata to marry and take charge of the kingdom, because Svayambhuva Manu himself wanted to retire to enter vanaprastha-ashrama, and he needed Priyavrata to manage the kingdom.

Now, both were authorities. Not only was Svayambhuva Manu Priyavrata’s father, but he is also one of the mahajanas, one of the twelve mahajanas—Svayambhu, Narada, Sambhu. Manu is one of the twelve. So, Priyavrata was in a dilemma because he received one instruction from one bona fide authority and a different instruction from another bona fide authority. What to do?

So, it was a very tense situation. Then Lord Brahma came personally. Lord Brahma is also a mahajana—Svayambhu, Narada, Sambhu, Kapila, Manu. And he was superior to both because he is the father of Manu and Narada. He told Priyavrata that he should marry because his father wanted to renounce his material responsibilities and dedicate himself to God. Priyavrata was in a dilemma.

Srila Prabhupada explains that the disciple must be intelligent enough to reconcile different instructions from bona fide authorities—from the spiritual master and the grand spiritual master—because Narada was Priyavrata’s spiritual master and Brahma was his grand spiritual master. So, what did Priyavrata do? Externally he got married and took charge of the kingdom, but internally he remained detached, like what we read and discussed earlier. Although he could not immediately execute the order to renounce material responsibilities, he always kept it in his heart and abided the time when he could take up the order. Then, when he was sufficiently old and there were others to take charge of the kingdom, he and his wife, who had faithfully assisted him, renounced their material responsibilities—though, in a way, it is all spiritual—and fully absorbed themselves in God. The Bhagavatam describes that at the end Priyavrata went back home, back to Godhead, and his wife also went back home, back to Godhead.

So, as Srila Prabhupada said, the disciple has to be intelligent enough to reconcile different bona fide instructions from different bona fide authorities and somehow fulfill the demands of all the instructions of all the authorities.

Devotee (3): Throughout your talk, you used the title Srila before “Prabhupada.” That honorific title is often omitted by speakers. This shows deeper love and reverence. Are others also supposed to use Srila before “Prabhupada”?

Giriraj Swami: I feel more comfortable using the honorific Srila. In the early days of the movement we used to call Prabhupada Swamiji, but then he commented that Swamiji was not a very good term. So we started to call him Prabhupada, and then the Srila got added. I’m used to that culture, and I feel it is more respectful, but I would hesitate to judge someone on the basis of whether or not he says “Srila.”

Devotee (4): Maharaja, you spoke about how Prabhupada emphasized surrender. In the Bhagavad-gita there is a verse that in surrendering one should not fear. So, can you explain that? Even Priyavrata was fearing, in his surrender. So, is there a role of fear in surrendering, or one should not fear at all?

Giriraj Swami: Krishna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: “Surrender unto Me.” Aham tvam sarva-papebhyo: “I will free you from all sinful reactions.” Ma sucah: “Do not fear.” So we should not fear that Krishna will not protect us if we surrender to Him. We should not fear that if we are following the orders of Krishna and perhaps neglecting some mundane duties, that we are doing the wrong thing or that we will suffer. But we should be afraid of deviating from Krishna’s instructions. In other words, we should be afraid of maya. That type of fear is healthy, but we should not be afraid that if we surrender to Krishna we will lose. We should not have that fear. But the surrender has to be genuine, with sincerity and intelligence. Surrender to Krishna doesn’t mean that we sit down and do nothing and wait for Krishna to put food in our mouth. Yes, we depend on Krishna for our necessities, but we do our duty—and depend on Krishna for the result. If we neglect our duty in the name of depending on Krishna, that is not actual surrender. We do our duty and depend on Krishna. Only when one is in the paramahamsa stage is he considered completely transcendental to one’s duties in varna and ashrama, and then he can just chant Hare Krishna and depend completely on Krishna. But preachers such as Srila Prabhupada, even if they are on the most advanced stage, when they take responsibility to preach, they act like madhyama-bhaktas to set the example for others.

Devotee (5): We want to follow the instructions of our spiritual master wholeheartedly, but seeing that in ISKCON there are many gurus who have many disciples and sometimes there is politics and partiality, how should we respond to such a situation?

Giriraj Swami: In The Nectar of Devotion Srila Prabhupada writes, Rupa Gosvami writes, that the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu will deal with principles but not details. Srila Prabhupada gave the example that to follow the orders of the spiritual master is a principle and that the fact that one spiritual master’s orders may differ from another spiritual master’s orders is a detail. In other words, one spiritual master may give an instruction, and another spiritual master may give a different instruction, but that’s a detail; the principle is that we should follow the order of the spiritual master.

Coming back to the example of Priyavrata, Srila Prabhupada is the founder-acharya and either the spiritual master or grand spiritual master of all the devotees in ISKCON, so we should follow Srila Prabhupada—but Srila Prabhupada also told us that we should follow his representatives. That’s also following Srila Prabhupada. For example, Srila Prabhupada told me to write and Shyamasundar Prabhu told me to collect, but Prabhupada also said to follow his representative. Shyamasundar was his representative—he was the temple president—so by following him, I was following Srila Prabhupada’s other instruction to follow his appointed representatives. So, somehow we have to reconcile these things.

As far as partiality, in principle the authorities should be impartial. They shouldn’t favor their disciples. But my question to you is, Why does it bother you? Bhakti Tirtha Swami was born in a black body, and he told Srila Prabhupada, “Srila Prabhupada, ISKCON is supposed to be a spiritual movement, but there’s prejudice against black devotees.” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “If you identify yourself as a black devotee and get disturbed by the prejudice against black devotees, you’re the same as they are.”

But to be given contradictory instructions by superior authorities is a difficult situation to be in. The best thing is for the superior authorities to discuss between themselves and together agree upon a conclusion for you. So one approach, if practical, would be for you to say, “Guru Maharaja, you are telling me one thing and the other authority is telling me something else—I am in an awkward situation.” Or you tell the other authority, “You are telling me something and my guru maharaja is telling me something else—I am in an awkward position. If the two of you could please discuss what you want me to do and when the two of you agree, let me know, I will be happy to do it.” That would be the best thing. Otherwise you are caught in between.

Thank you very much.

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta ki jaya!
Gaura-bhakta-vrnda ki jaya!
Nitai-gaura-premanande hari-haribol!

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Sri Rama-ekadasi, October 23, 2011, Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari Temple, Juhu, Mumbai]

On the eighth day of the waning phase of the damodara month the appearance day of Radha Kunda is celebrated by the residents. Bathing in Radha Kunda is especially benefical on this day. By this one gains the favor of Radha, by which one gains the favor of Krsna. Radha Kunda appeared at midnight.

People go to Radha Kunda and offer prasadam, garlands and pumkins (gords) into the water, then at midnight take bath in Radha Kunda and then bathe in Syama Kunda. Many people like to bathe at a ghat where Lord Nityananda’s sakti, Jahnava Mata used to bathe.

The holy place known as Mathura is spiritually superior to Vaikuntha, the transcendental world, because the Lord appeared there. Superior to Mathura puri is the transcendental forest of Vrndavana because of Krsna’s rasalila pastimes. And superior to the forest of Vrndavana is Goverdhana Hill, for it was raised by the divine hand of Sri Krsna and was the site of his various loving pastimes.

And, above all, the superexcellent Sri Radha Kunda stands supreme, for it is overflooded with the ambrosial nectarean prema of the Lord of gokula, Sri Krsna. Where, then, is that intelligent person who is unwilling to serve this divine Radha Kunda, which is situated at the foot of Goverdhana Hill?

After killing a bull-demon named Aristasura, Krishna approached Radharani to engage in loving affairs. However, She rebuked Him, stating He was impure because of committing the sin of killing a bull, the symbol of religion. She suggested that to counteract this sin He should bathe in all the sacred rivers.Krishna, being eager to engage in loving affairs with Srimati Radharani, immediately shoved His lotus foot into the ground, making a large hole, and called all the sacred rivers to enter into it.

They appeared before Him and formed Syama-kunda (the bathing place of Syama–one who is the color of a dark rain cloud).After bathing, Krishna stated that He had become pure by bathing in Syama-kunda, but that the gopis had become impure, having sided with a demon, even though he appeared in the form of a bull.

Radharani, along with some of Her gopi friends, broke their bangles and dug a hole with the broken pieces. But there was no water – so Krishna laughed. The gopis then formed a line to the Manasi Ganga and started to fill the hole with water that was passed from one gopi to another. At that time, all the sacred rivers again arrived in person and requested permission to enter into Radharani’s kunda, which they did after receiving Radharani’s blessing. 

Rosedale, Toronto

Doing A Loop

My cousin, Corry, her hubby, Eric, and our young Muslim friend, Victor, came together to talk spiritual. And it wasn’t a conversation devoid of opinions about the American election. Political opinions often tend to polarize people. It occupies many peoples’ lives. Spiritual conversations can do the same—occupy and polarize. At least our group succeeded in hitting common ground when talking stayed on the other-worldly thoughts.

I had shared my realizations with Gabriel of St. Mary’s. We dwelt on Chapter 2 of The Gita, which deals with the qualities of the soul. He picks up on spiritual thought very quickly. Very enthusiastic he is!

Then it was time for checking outdoor temperatures. Yes, it was very inviting. Very Krishna! We managed to follow a loop I’ve now done, on and off, for 30 years. I’m not sure what other pedestrians are doing. It is very individualized when it comes to chalking out a trail for an hour or so of walking.

Studies have been done on raccoons about their prowling in the night. The researchers have concluded that they do their nocturnal hunt while following some pattern. It is a repeated route, moving within a two block radius of their tree home.

The one hour loop went great. No conversations though, but chanting on my beads was in progress. The job was done.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Yorkville, Toronto

Full

Ramsden Park was full of life and teaming with energy. It was as Sunday should be, spent as down-time.  The basket-ball court was the most congested with so many participants, all young men, bouncing the ball and shooting the hoop, sometimes missing. Baseball interest seems to be waning these days. The diamond was quiet. And tennis courts? Also full with people cued up in the sidelines.

Then I saw a group of men and women had set up a game of croquet. I thought it was an old man’s sport, but here I could see that maybe it’s of interest to a younger set. In the centre of the park you have youngsters at the monkey bars and other playground equipment while at the west end a fenced dog area drew yet another crowd.

As an observer I participated while also becoming a sun bather. No, I didn’t strip down to the waist, I’m too old. Besides, I never had a physique that would attract anyone, even in pre-monk years. I was a skinny something-or-other. Sitting on a park bench I was soaking in the sun before it does its dip to mark the night.

With orange to gold yellows as trees around one cyclist said, “You blend right in to the environment.” referring to my monk’s attire.

The only thing missing in the whole park, being busy like a bee-hive of activity, was the simple spiritual touch. At least for a short while I fit the bill. I was on the bench chanting the mantra.

May the Source be with you!

3 km 

Toronto, Ontario

Lift

Much like yesterday, while I walked and turned corners, making my way in diverse directions, I came upon these two cyclists repeatedly.  Both they and I had the same thing in mind—don’t venture in a straight line but snake about. It was like a game of Snakes and Ladders, but we were avoiding the ladders.  Each time we bumped into each other it came as a surprise.

“Hey, there you are again!” type of thing.

It was an evening smile that repeated itself again and again.  I counted five times.  It seems that random wanderings can be synchronized.  I like these bright moments in the day or at night.

In the morning, at around 5:10am, those of us at the ashram were captured by a moment that always gives us a lift. It occurs during the time of tulasi puja, the honouring of the holy basil plant.  We sing/chant, circle around the plant, praising this sacred green one, and then end up in a period of dance.  It then becomes free-style at said time.  The few of us that are there (5 or 6) delight in our own little jig.  It is a moment where a smile comes to everyone’s face.  The moves are individual, unique and fun.  It is uplifting and makes our day.

For today I had my lift in the morning and capped off the day with another lift.  We sometimes use the phrase “feeling elevated.” Well, it is a bit like that.

May the Source be with you!

3 km

The Annex, Toronto

Friday Evening

We spent six hours at the Brickworks, not the Brick, the Brickworks.  It is a little piece of heaven on earth and we chose it as a location to film another scene from our drama, “Rolling the Dice.”

Stephen, Balaram, Michaela and I were out there working tediously, but with love, just to pull the story together and have it ready for the “MANtra Retreat.”  The main focus of this story is extracted from The Mahabharat and is about greed.

Regardless, we toiled hard in what we, as a group, are not used to.  We’ve done stuff on the stage.  Well, this is a new frontier—filming—and it’s Covid-19 that is forcing it.

We went on with filming a compelling exchange between Vidura and the blind king, Dhritarastra, and those familiar with the story know what I’m talking about.  We completed the final act and did it all on empty stomachs.

While heading back to our homes, with Stephen as the driver, to make a stopover at the ashram to fill our bellies, we could hear a band playing at Yonge and Bloor.  They were good.  Motorists, which we were, and pedestrians alike enjoyed the Friday night fun.  It’s Friday night, there has to be some spark.

That is what it became for me.  Then, after a read from the Chaitanya Charitamrita and our usual Staircase Kirtan, I relaxed and headed out to the Annex for a japa walk.

One fellow on a bicycle saw me and asked, “Are you the same one?”

“Yeah, that was me. You saw me at Bloor and now I’m here (Avenue Road).” I yelled out.

May the Source be with you!

6km

Toronto, Ontario

Through the Arched Window

Through the arched window

I see a couple crossing

The road of intensity

No pleasant walk night here

Through that lofty window

Men are thinning the tree

I don’t know why

I wish I did though

Through this broad window

I can view four homes

Sheltering good families

Our neighbours and friends

Through the part-frosted window

I admire binds in flight

Not destined for the south

They wish to stay here

Through that wood-framed window

I am blocked from the air

I hear leaves are rustling

And people in a chatter

Through this divided window

I see its symmetry

A clear design of balance

A bravo and jay-ho

May the Source be with you!

0 km

Christie Pits, Toronto

All Are Moving

The weather was favourable for moving through. Temperatures were the best. The sunshine darted out from the west. Breezes were like a yogi’s exhalation—easy and consistent. I was inclined to go east-west and not to miss this fun.

Others were out. I met Mrs. Sharma. Also another Sharma, a Mister. No relation to each other. “Sharma” is the “Smith” equivalent of India. I also got greeted by, let’s say, Miss New-Age.

“Are you doing kirtanat Christie Pits?” she asked.

“Not now, but later, at 7, on the temple’s outdoor staircase. You’re always welcome.”

“I’ll make it some time.” she reassured.

You see, every time I go out I’m in a position to invite. We are supposed to be a giving community. That’s how we were trained by our guru, Prabhupada. To give Krishna, in some form, is our mandate.

I saw cyclists moving, automobiles and pedestrians. I thought, where is everyone going, really? Towards a casket or an ash-filled urn? In one form of analysis it appears we are all moving, only to be stopped; we are living to die.

It can’t be so grim.Let us think beyond the external. Let motivation behind mobilization be of the spirit.

With somewhat of a warming in our midst we through to go back to the staircase and the kirtanat 7pm. We did serenade the night. Our hearts softened. I wish all the Sharmas and Smiths were with us.

May the Source be with you!

6 km

In 2016 and 2018, His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami took us to Varsana, the village of Srimati Radharani. It is here that various deities such as Lord Brahma and Lord Visnu have manifested themselves in the form of hills, as they carry the Lord and His devotees on their heads. Check out Maharaja’s full kirtans and lectures below, along with a few photos, at Varsana during Parikrama 2016 and Parikrama 2018.

There is Goloka Vrndavana, Bhumi Vrndavana and a third Vrndavana – the internal Vrndavana. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says more mana Vrndavana. We approach the holy dhama and we come to all kinds of exalted places where Krsna performed His pastimes, but to what extent can we understand the pastimes of Krsna? When we speak about Radha and Krsna, we can understand that They did everything with great intensity and completely from the heart. Nothing was ever mechanical for the residents of the spiritual world; everything was focused on Krsna. They were totally oblivious to anything else but Krsna. Everyone was totally absorbed in thoughts of Krsna.

In Varsana, many pastimes took place. Sometimes the relationship between Radha and Krsna was parakiya-rasa, the forbidden relationship, where every moment was a stolen moment. I made this point about the difference between parakiya and svakiya many times. Svakiya implies that one is married and have ‘tied a knot’ or ‘put a ring on the finger’. When that ring is on, something changes. There is an element of being obliged in a marriage relationship. Where in parakiya, there are no obligations whatsoever. Forget it! The beloved may leave at any minute, therefore one really has to conquer Krsna again and again. In Dvarka, Krsna was married and there was no such thing as a divorce, therefore Krsna was obliged. In Vrndavana however, Krsna showed His real features, especially how He had to always be conquered. That is parakiya-rasa. Again and again, we have to conquer Krsna. We have to impress Him at each moment. We can never say, “Now, I am done!” Surrender is not once off, but all the time and that is pure devotional service. Surrender is needed at every moment and that is the spirit of Vrndavana.

Therefore, we are here with Srila Prabhupada, chanting Hare Krsna! To perform devotional service means to follow in the footsteps of Radharani, and devotees in Vrndavana put themselves under the care of Radharani in order to achieve perfection in their devotional service. We have fleeting moments of meditation and then the material world comes in. So we really need the mercy of Srimati Radharani and that mercy comes through Srila Prabhupada. We can meditate in so many ways but through Prabhupada, we can meditate with real quality.

The full kirtan and lecture at Varsana from Parikrama 2016 can be found using the following link: https://www.kksblog.com/2016/12/vrindavan-braj-parikrama-2016-recordings/

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Today is the appearance day of Sri Virabhadra Gosvami, who is described in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi 11.8–12, as follows:

“After Nityananda Prabhu, the greatest branch is Virabhadra Gosani, who also has innumerable branches and subbranches. It is not possible to describe them all.

“Although Virabhadra Gosani was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He presented Himself as a great devotee. And although the Supreme Godhead is transcendental to all Vedic injunctions, He strictly followed the Vedic rituals.

“He is the main pillar in the hall of devotional service erected by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He knew within Himself that He acted as the Supreme Lord Visnu, but externally He was prideless.

“It is by the glorious mercy of Sri Virabhadra Gosani that people all over the world now have the chance to chant the names of Caitanya and Nityananda.

“I therefore take shelter of the lotus feet of Virabhadra Gosani, so that by His mercy my great desire to write Sri Caitanya-caritamrta will be properly guided.”

And in his purport to text 8, Srila Prabhupada writes, “Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura writes in his Anubhasya, ‘Virabhadra Gosani was the direct son of Srila Nityananda Prabhu and a disciple of Jahnava-devi. His real mother was Vasudha. In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (67) He is mentioned as an incarnation of Ksirodakasayi Visnu Therefore Virabhadra Gosani is nondifferent from Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. . . .’ ”

May Sri Virabhadra Gosvami bless us all.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

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In 2017 and 2018, His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami took us to Sanket, the meeting place for Srimati Radharani and Krsna. Check out Maharaja’s full kirtans and lectures below, along with a few photos, at Sanket during Parikrama 2017 and Parikrama 2018.

Sanket is the place where Radha and Krsna meet. They reside at Varsana and Nandagrama but Sanket is in the middle at the half-way point, and this is where They meet. Sanket is representative of where Krsna meets His devotee half-way. So like Radharani, we can think about how we can actually attract Krsna. What can we do to personally attract Him? Krsna hides bhakti as it cannot be attained so easily. It is explained in the Nectar of Devotion that bhakti is su-durlabhah (rarely attained), yet it is bhakti that we are after, nothing else. It is this pure devotional service which is sri-krsna-akarsani, able to attract Krsna – that is our objective. Everyone has their own capacity. Some people talk, some people are quiet; some speak three words per day and others never stop. We must engage everyone naturally, according to their capacities, but remember that it is not only about our propensities. If we want to attract Krsna, we must use all our propensities, abilities and talents in His service but then also do the needful.

Here in Sanket, Krsna comes to meet His devotee mid-way. Srimati Radharani is the top-most, pure, unalloyed devotee, but Krsna is so kind that He could also come meet us! So let us make a plan to attract Krsna. Although, I do not want to attract Krsna just for myself, but I want to attract Him for others as well. We must also try to awaken others’ feelings about Krsna.

The article " eParikrama 2020 Day 9 – Sanket " was published on KKSBlog.

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University of Toronto

Sitting, Meeting, Walking

From the 10th canto of the book, Bhagavatam, I lead this morning’s discussion on how Shiva’s benediction to a follower, Vrka, had somewhat backfired on him. The good thing is that Shiva sought help from Vishnu. Vishnu is always there to assist.

Following the class was a meeting with Yasoda Priya, hailing from the Ukraine, to talk about the make-up we require for the filming of “Rolling the Dice.” Then I conducted two interviews with devotees, pioneers of our movement, for the book, “Krishna in the Maple Leaf.” These interviews are best done over the phone instead of through email correspondence.

Nayan and his sister, Neha, students from Kerala, India, then interviewed me for their Seneca College assignment. The theme of the assignment is the impact of religion and culture in the world.

In the evening I read from the book Chaitanya Charitamrita, about the renowned Chaitanya, to our two senior monks, Dharmaprana and Dakshina. That is always nice.

Now, after all that sitting, it was time to stretch the legs. I made my way to the U of T campus where there are walkways, alleys and green spaces. You can get lost. I was hoping for that. It was dark but the night was lit by lampposts. Whichever way you go there is always a major-traffic road that will lead you to somewhere familiar.

I stopped at a bench to chant the gayatri mantra. The seat was cold. I removed myself, ASAP, for fear that my buttocks will seize up. It does happen, from the cold.

May the Source be with you!

3 km

Toronto, Ontario

Pray that Elections Go Well

I’ve been doing stretching exercises before resting. It’s helping the legs and the other body parts. I would like to encourage all readers to do their bodies a favour. Exercise. Because we are independent, to some degree, we make choices. Let us be wise and make the right ones.

I would like to share an excerpt from the Gita which addresses the topic of our independence. Bhagavad-Gita 15.7 purport:

“As fragmental parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, [we], the living entities also have fragmental portions of His qualities, of which independence is one. Every living entity, as an individual soul, has his personal individuality and a minute form of independence. By misuse of that independence one becomes a conditioned soul, and by proper use of independence he is always liberated. In either case, he is qualitatively eternal, as the Supreme Lord is. In his liberated state he is freed from this material condition, and he is under the engagement of transcendental service unto the Lord….”

A cool purport.

I was blessed today to read this message. I was also blessed to deliver four classes, one via Zoom to a group in Vancouver. The others were to our group of monks in Toronto and to Cameron from Hamilton as well as Gabriel from St. Mary’s.

Let us all pray for America. Elections are tomorrow. The results of that election will impact us all.

May the Source be with you!

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Of course, while giving in charity is a most admirable act of good will, we understand from the Bhagavad Gita that there are different types of charity according to the three modes of material nature. The best charity, however, is to the Vaishnavas and the service of Lord Vishnu because it is transcendental and carries far more spiritual and eternal benefits than mundane charity which is limited and temporary.

This year we would like to request devotees from all over the world to use this one day of giving to sponsor an abhisheka for the installation of the new Prabhupada murti in the TOVP in October, 2021. There are five kinds of abhishekas according to the means and desire of the giver. We at the TOVP consider this sponsorship service to be our combined way of expressing a worldwide welcome and greeting to Srila Prabhupada, and a guru dakshina offering to him as a thank you for his causeless mercy and the gift of Krishna consciousness to all of us.

To sponsor an abhisheka go to the Prabhupada Installation Page. However, if you live in the U.S. we encourage you to participate in this fundraiser exclusively through our Facebook Page, TOVP Foundation, as Facebook will match all donations to their approved nonprofits. Click here to go to the TOVP Foundation Facebook Page and follow the instructions there.

As always, we are extremely grateful to all our donors and supporters who have made this project possible, and with your continued help we will open Sri Sri Radha Madhava’s, Sri Pancha Tattva’s and Lord Nrsimhadeva’s new home in 2023.

Hare Krishna!
 

In 2018, His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami took us to Ter Kadamba, which is famous for Srila Rupa Gosvami’s bhajana-kutir. It is also here where Krsna would climb onto a Kadamba tree and call out the names of the leaders of the various herds of cows. Check out Maharaja’s full kirtan and lecture below, along with a few photos, at Ter Kadamba during Parikrama 2018.

In one sense, Ter Kadamba is the most important place for us because it is where Rupa Gosvami resided for quite some time. Ter Kadamba is very famous for Srila Rupa Gosvami’s bhajana-kutir. It is commonly stated that he wrote his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu here. Srila Rupa Gosvami describes the characteristics of pure devotional service, beginning with klesa-agni (immediate relief from all kinds of material distress). It is only in devotional service that all suffering is destroyed. This is important. I do not know about you, but I certainly do not want to be in this material world that is full of suffering: suffering from our mind and bodies, and also other living entities. Sometimes my voice is hoarse and today my legs are giving me trouble. Sometimes our family causes us suffering, at other times our neighbours (laughter). Upon our arrival here in Ter Kadamba, we were welcomed by a big black snake. Suffering from natural circumstances is also there. But all these types of suffering are destroyed by pure devotional service and everything becomes auspicious. What material happiness could we ever want? Material happiness means nothing for a Krsna conscious person, as it is the material energy that asks to serve the pure devotees. So stay steady in your practice and simply serve Krsna, then your satisfaction will automatically come! As Srila Prabhupada said, “Do not bother for material happiness!”

Atha-agnani guru-padasrayas (taking shelter of the lotus feet of our spiritual master) is the first of Rupa Gosvami’s principles and the most important one. Everything rests on that. Whatever else we do in devotional service, this principle is always with us. It is the first because it is the foundation of everything we do. We should invest in that relationship because when we do that, we will break through to the other side – the side of Krsna. Today, we try to come to the platform of pure devotional service by trying to hear and by becoming a completely dedicated servant of our spiritual master and always thinking of his satisfaction. We can pray to Rupa Gosvami, who is our original spiritual master, for that blessing. We remember that Krsna is our best friend and that we should do something to attract Him. Let us serve our spiritual master to the fullest extent and then we will surely attract Krsna. The spiritual master is dear to Krsna, therefore Krsna becomes inclined to whoever serves him.

The article " eParikrama 2020 Day 8 – Ter Kadamba " was published on KKSBlog.

Kartik is very auspicious for spiritual advancement. Another name for Kartik is Urja-vrata. Urja means power. The supreme power, the original power, is Srimati Radharani. So Urja-vrata, or Kartik-vrata, is for Srimati Radharani. Many important pastimes took place in the month of Kartik. On the full-moon night, Sri Krishna played upon His flute and enjoyed the rasa-lila, which is considered the best of His pastimes. Also during Kartik, Krishna saw that the residents of Vrindavan were preparing to worship Indradeva, and He convinced them not to worship Indra but to use the same paraphernalia to worship Govardhana Hill, the brahmans, and the cows. When Indra saw that his worship had been stopped, he became furious and wanted to take revenge against Krishna and the Vraja-vasis. So he sent torrential rains and hail. And to give protection to the residents of Vrindavan, Krishna lifted Govardhana Hill and kept it on the little finger of His left hand for seven days. Thus Indra’s pride was shattered, and he came to beg forgiveness from Lord Krishna.

In the month of Kartik also, our beloved founder-acharya, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, left this world and entered the eternal pastimes of Krishna.

One other event that took place during Kartik was Lord Krishna’s killing of the demon Arista, who had assumed the form of a bull. Thereafter, Lord Krishna manifested Syama-kunda and Radha-kunda. Because today is celebrated as the appearance day of Radha-kunda, we shall read a relevant verse from The Nectar of Instruction, an authorized English presentation by Srila Prabhupada of Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Sri Upadesamrta.

The Nectar of Instruction, Text Ten:

karmibhyah parito hareh priyataya vyaktim yayur jnaninas
   tebhyo jnana-vimukta-bhakti-paramah premaika-nisthas tatah
tebhyas tah pasu-pala-pankaja-drsas tabhyo ’pi sa radhika
   prestha tadvad iyam tadiya-sarasi tam nasrayet kah krti

 karmibhyah—than all fruitive workers; paritah—in all respects; hareh—by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; priyataya—because of being favored; vyaktim yayur—it is said in the sastra; jnaninah—those advanced in knowledge; tebhyah—superior to them; jnana vimukta—liberated by knowledge; bhakti-paramah—those engaged in devotional service; prema-eka-nisthah—those who have attained pure love of God; tatah—superior to them; tebhyah—better than them; tah—they; pasu-pala-pankaja–drsah—the gopis who are always dependent on Krsna, the cowherd boy; tabhyah—above all of them; api—certainly; sa—She; radhika—Srimati Radharani; prestha—very dear; tadvat—similarly; iyam—this; tadiya-sarasi—Her lake, Sri Radha-kunda; tam—Radha-kunda; na—not; asrayet—would take shelter of; kah—who; krti—most fortunate.

TRANSLATION

In the sastra it is said that of all types of fruitive workers, he who is advanced in knowledge of the higher values of life is favored by the Supreme Lord Hari. Out of many such people who are advanced in knowledge [jnanis], one who is practically liberated by virtue of his knowledge may take to devotional service. He is superior to the others. However, one who has actually attained prema, pure love of Krsna, is superior to him. The gopis are exalted above all the advanced devotees because they are always totally dependent upon Sri Krsna, the transcendental cowherd boy. Among the gopis, Srimati Radharani is the most dear to Krsna. Her kunda [lake] is as profoundly dear to Lord Krsna as this most beloved of the gopis. Who, then, will not reside at Radha-kunda and, in a spiritual body surcharged with ecstatic devotional feelings [aprakrta-bhava], render loving service to the divine couple Sri Sri Radha-Govinda, who perform Their astakaliya-lila, Their eternal eight-fold daily pastimes. Indeed, those who execute devotional service on the banks of Radha-kunda are the most fortunate people in the universe.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

At the present moment almost everyone is engaged in some kind of fruitive activity. Those who are desirous of gaining material profits by working are called karmis, or fruitive workers. All living entities within this material world have come under the spell of maya. This is described in the Visnu Purana (6.7.61):

visnu-saktih para prokta
   ksetrajnakhya tatha para
avidya-karma-samjnanya
   trtiya saktir isyate

 Sages have divided the energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead into three categories—namely, the spiritual energy, marginal energy, and material energy. The material energy is considered to be the third-class energy (trtiya saktih). Those living beings within the jurisdiction of the material energy sometimes engage themselves like dogs and hogs in working very hard simply for sense gratification. However, in this life, or, after executing pious activities, in the next life, some karmis become strongly attracted to performing various kinds of sacrifices mentioned in the Vedas. Thus on the strength of their pious merit, they are elevated to heavenly planets. Actually those who perform sacrifices strictly according to Vedic injunctions are elevated to the moon and planets above the moon. As mentioned in Bhagavad-gita (9.21), ksine punye martya-lokam visanti: After exhausting the results of their so-called pious activities, they again return to the earth, which is called martya-loka, the place of death. Although such persons may be elevated to the heavenly planets by their pious activities and although they may enjoy life there for many thousands of years, they nonetheless must return to this planet when the results of their pious activities are exhausted.

COMMENT by Giriraj Swami

The lowest category mentioned here is the karmi. The principle of the karmi is to work to get money for sense gratification. Ninety-nine percent of the people in the world are karmis, and they fall into two categories: those who are regulated according to Vedic principles and those who are not regulated. Those who are not regulated are like animals, cats and dogs and hogs. They simply want to eat, drink, and enjoy. They engage in all sorts of sinful activities, and as a result they are pushed down into hellish conditions. Those in the other category, the regulated, follow the Vedic injunctions in order to enjoy a higher standard of material happiness. By performance of pious activities, such as Vedic sacrifices, such persons can be elevated to the heavenly planets, where they enjoy the results of their pious deeds. But after their pious credits are exhausted, they again fall down to earth.

One time on a morning walk in the middle of New York City, Srila Prabhupada pointed to some blades of grass growing up between the cracks of the concrete pavement. “What is this?” he asked. “It’s grass, Srila Prabhupada,” a devotee replied. “Yes, I know it is grass,” Prabhupada said. “But how did it come up here between the cracks?” Nobody could answer. Then Srila Prabhupada explained that after the fruitive workers exhaust their pious credits on the higher planets, they fall down to earth. And how do the spirit souls get here from the higher planets? They come in the rain. The rain falls on the earth, between the cracks of the sidewalk, and the living entities who were enjoying life in the heavenly planets take birth as blades of grass or sprouts of grain on earth. This is because their pious credits have been exhausted.

From the point of view of one in Krishna consciousness, that happiness of sense gratification is not real happiness. But even if someone is on a lower level and thinks that material enjoyment is happiness, still he cannot enjoy for long. As soon as his pious credits are finished, he will have to suffer. Therefore, intelligent persons do not try to enjoy the material world.

PURPORT (continued)

This is the position of all karmis, including those who act piously and those who act impiously. On this planet we find many businessmen, politicians, and others who are simply interested in material happiness. They attempt to earn money by all means, not considering whether such means are pious or impious. Such people are called karmis, or gross materialists. Among the karmis are some vikarmis, people who act without the guidance of Vedic knowledge. Those who act on the basis of Vedic knowledge perform sacrifices for the satisfaction of Lord Visnu and to receive benedictions from Him. In this way they are elevated to higher planetary systems. Such karmis are superior to the vikarmis, for they are faithful to the directions of the Vedas and are certainly dear to Krsna. In Bhagavad-gita (4.11), Krsna says: ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham. “In whatever way one surrenders unto Me, I reward him accordingly.”

COMMENT

In shastra, Lord Krishna states that “the injunctions of the Vedas are My orders, and one who goes against the injunctions of the Vedas goes against Me.” So, one who follows the Vedic injunctions follows the orders of Krishna, and he tends to be dearer to Krishna than one who goes against them.

PURPORT (continued)

Krsna is so kind that He fulfills the desires of the karmis and jnanis, what to speak of the bhaktas. Although the karmis are sometimes elevated to higher planetary systems, as long as they remain attached to fruitive activities they must accept new material bodies after death.

COMMENT

In the Bhagavad-gita (8.16) Lord Krishna says, a-brahma-bhuvanal lokah punar avartino ’rjuna: from the highest planet in the material world, Brahmaloka, down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. So even if one is elevated to a heavenly planet, he still has to die and take birth again. As stated in the Gita (2.27), “For one who has taken birth, death is certain. And for one who has died, birth is certain.” He remains caught in the repetition of birth and death.

PURPORT (continued)

If one acts piously, he can attain a new body among the demigods in the higher planetary systems, or he may attain some other position in which he can enjoy a higher standard of material happiness. On the other hand, those who are engaged in impious activities are degraded and take birth as animals, trees, and plants. Thus those fruitive actors who do not care for the Vedic directions (vikarmis) are not appreciated by learned saintly persons. . . .

One should therefore be eager to understand the science of the soul (atma-tattva). Unless one comes to the platform of atma-tattva, by which one understands that the soul and not the body is oneself, one remains on the platform of ignorance. Out of thousands and even millions of ignorant people who are wasting their time simply gratifying their senses, one may come to the platform of knowledge and understand higher values of life. Such a person is called a jnani.

COMMENT

Higher than the karmis are the jnanis. The karmis are bound to remain in the material world to enjoy and suffer the fruits of their work. They may enjoy for a while, but mainly they suffer. The jnanis are more intelligent because they see that fruitive work brings one to suffer, but they don’t know about devotional service. They know only material activity, and that material activity brings material misery. So, to become free from material misery, they resolve to refrain from all activity. But the soul by nature is active. The soul cannot remain inactive for long. So the jnani too must engage in activity, and having no knowledge of spiritual activity, he will again engage in material activity, and thus he will fall down. Therefore Srimad-Bhagavatam says that although jnanis imagine that they are liberated, actually they are not, because they neglect the service of the lotus feet of the Lord.

ye ’nye ’ravindaksa vimukta-maninas
   tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayah
aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah
   patanty adho ’nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah

“O lotus-eyed Lord, although nondevotees who accept severe austerities and penances to achieve the highest position may think themselves liberated, their intelligence is impure. They fall down from their position of imagined superiority because they have no regard for Your lotus feet.” (SB 10.2.32)

Because they neglect the Lord’s service, they fall down. Such impersonalists, after renouncing material activities, become restless. They want some activity. And because they are unaware of the spiritual activities of bhakti-yoga, devotional service, they fall into material activities and become karmis again. There are many examples of impersonal jnanis and yogis who go to the Himalayas to become one with Brahman, declaring, brahma satya jagan mithya: Brahman is truth, and the world is false. They leave the world to engage in impersonal meditation, but they cannot maintain it; they fall down. So they come back to the world they have declared is false, back to the cities, and engage in material welfare activities such as opening schools and hospitals, and sometimes they fall so low that they become involved in politics. So, patyanti adah: they fall down.

The impersonal philosophers don’t have real knowledge. If someone actually has knowledge, he surrenders to Krishna and engages in devotional service.

bahunam janmanam ante
   jnanavan mam prapadyante
vasudevah sarvam iti
   sa mahatma sudurlabhah

 “After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” (Gita 7.19) After being a jnani for many lifetimes, when the jnani actually becomes wise, he surrenders to Krishna and becomes a bhakta, a rare great soul.

The bhakta is superior to the karmi and the jnani. The bhakta begins with the process of sadhana-bhakti, but even the sadhaka is considered higher than the best of the karmis and jnanis. And when the sadhaka becomes more advanced, he attains krsna-prema. Among the devotees, he who has prema is the best. And among the devotees who have prema, the active servants are better than those who have neutral appreciation; the friends are higher than the servants; the fathers and mothers are higher than the friends; and the lovers, or the young gopis, are the best of all. And among the gopis, Srimati Radharani is the best—She is the best of all.

PURPORT (continued)

Of all these devotees, the gopis are recognized as superior because they do not know anything other than satisfying Krsna. Nor do the gopis expect any return from Krsna.

COMMENT

The gopis are the best because they have no personal desire for enjoyment. They want only Krishna’s happiness. Srila Prabhupada told the story of the time Krishna declared that He had a headache and that only the dust of the feet of His devotee could cure Him. He sent His messenger to so many devotees, but they all said, “If the dust of our feet goes on the Lord’s head, we will commit a great offense and have to go to hell.” So they all refused. The messenger became discouraged. He went back to Lord Krishna, and the Lord said, “You should go to the gopis of Vrindavan and ask them.” So he went, and immediately all the gopis gathered around him and inquired, “How is Krishna?” The messenger replied, “Krishna is not well. He has a headache.” The gopis immediately became disturbed. “Krishna has a headache! What can we do? What can we do?” The messenger said, “The only thing that will cure Krishna’s headache is the dust of the feet of His devotee.” “Oh, then take as much dust as you like, take it all!” “But if the dust from your feet goes on Krishna’s head, you will be committing a great offense and could go to hell,” the messenger said. And the gopis replied, “As long as Krishna’s headache is cured, we don’t care if we go to hell.”

This is the standard of the gopis’ love. They have no desire for personal happiness. They want only Krishna’s happiness, and if their unhappiness gives Krishna happiness, they consider their unhappiness to be the greatest happiness. We cannot experience such feelings in the material world. Only someone who has come to the stage of bhava- or prema-bhakti can know what such selfless love is, to some extent. “Of all these devotees, the gopis are recognized as superior because they do not know anything other than satisfying Krishna.”

Srila Prabhupada often gave the example that Krishna would go into the pasturing grounds and the gopis would be at home, crying. Why were they crying? Because they were thinking that the paths of Vrindavan were filled with so many thorns and stones and that if the soft lotus feet of Krishna were pricked by some pebble or thorn, He would feel pain. And thinking of Krishna’s pain, they would cry.

 “Nor do the gopis expect any return from Krishna.” Srila Prabhupada used to say that when Krishna returned from the pasturing grounds in the afternoon, the gopis would not approach Him and say, “Krishna, You have been working all day. What have You brought for me? Let me look into Your pocket and see if You brought something for me.” They were not like that.

PURPORT (continued)

Nor do the gopis expect any return from Krsna. Indeed, sometimes Krsna puts them into extreme suffering by separating Himself from them. Nonetheless, they cannot forget Krsna.

COMMENT

In the material world we may think that we love someone, but after some time we may forget. Somebody will die, and we will cry for some days, but gradually we may forget. But the gopis never forget Krishna.

PURPORT (continued)

When Krsna left Vrndavana for Mathura, the gopis became most dejected and spent the rest of their lives simply crying in separation from Krsna. This means that in one sense they were never actually separated from Krsna. There is no difference between thinking of Krsna and associating with Him.

COMMENT

Krishna is absolute. Therefore Krishna’s name, Krishna’s form, Krishna’s qualities, and Krishna’s pastimes are all the same as Krishna. So when one remembers Krishna’s name, form, qualities, or pastimes, one is in Krishna’s association. In the extreme mood of separation from Krishna, the gopis actually experience Krishna’s presence. And they feel great ecstasy. The bodies of the gopis are ananda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhavitabis (Bs 5.37). They’re made of ananda cinmaya-rasa, or mahabhava. Their constitution is ananda-maya, full of bliss. It cannot be anything but bliss. And not only bliss, but the highest ecstasy of mahabhava. Their feeling of separation appears externally to be misery, but actually it is not misery—it is ecstasy. Srila Sanatana Gosvami gives the example for extreme separation, that ice acts like fire. For example, dry ice is so cold that if you touch it you get burned. It’s cold, but it produces the opposite effect—burning. So the mood of the gopis’ separation is so extreme and intense that in separation they experience meeting Krishna, and they experience ecstasy in Krishna’s association.

PURPORT (continued)

There is no difference between thinking of Krsna and associating with Him. Rather, vipralambha-seva, thinking of Krsna in separation, as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu did, is far better than serving Krsna directly.

COMMENT

We should try to develop Krishna consciousness in the mood of separation. We are not liberated now, not in Krishna’s pastimes now. And if we imagine that we are meeting Krishna and serving Krishna and not factually realizing it, we can become sahajiyas. Srila Prabhupada didn’t want us to become sahajiyas. He wanted us to worship in the mood of separation, like Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the Six Gosvamis.

PURPORT (concluded)

Thus of all the devotees who have developed unalloyed devotional love for Krsna, the gopis are most exalted, and out of all these exalted gopis, Srimati Radharani is the highest. No one can excel the devotional service of Srimati Radharani. Indeed, even Krsna cannot understand the attitude of Srimati Radharani; therefore He took Her position and appeared as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, just to understand Her transcendental feelings.

In this way Srila Rupa Gosvami gradually concludes that Srimati Radharani is the most exalted devotee of Krsna and that Her kunda is the most exalted place. . . .

yatha radha priya visnos
   tasyah kundam priyam tatha
sarva-gopisu saivaika
   visnor atyanta-vallabha

 “Just as Srimati Radharani is dear to the Supreme Lord Krsna, so Her bathing place is equally dear to Krsna. Among all the gopis, She alone stands supreme as the Lord’s most beloved.”

Therefore everyone interested in Krsna consciousness should ultimately take shelter of Radha-kunda and execute devotional service there throughout one’s life. This is the conclusion of Rupa Gosvami in the tenth verse of Upadesamrta.

COMMENT

We’re not really qualified to discuss Radha-kunda, but because today is Radha-kunda’s appearance day, we may say something about the appearance of Sri Radha-kunda, which we can respect and appreciate from a distance—not too close.

As I mentioned earlier, Krishna killed the bull demon, the aristasura, and after killing him He approached the gopis for pastimes, but they refused. “You have killed a bull,” they said. “So You are contaminated. We do not want to associate with You.” Krishna asked, “What do I have to do to become purified from the sin?” The gopis replied, “You must take bath in all the sacred rivers in all the sacred places in all the three worlds.” Then Krishna thought, “Better I call all the holy places here.” He pushed His heel in the ground, and immediately all the personified holy places came before Him and started offering prayers and obeisances. Srimati Radharani said, “I don’t see any holy places.” Then Lord Krishna told the holy places to identify themselves. So, the holy places personified began to say, “I am Yamuna, I am Ganga, I am Sarasvati, I am Sindhu, I am Prayag, I am Puskhara,” and so on. Then, on Krishna’s indication, they became liquid and flowed into the kunda created by the impression of Krishna’s foot, and they filled up the kunda with water. Thus Krishna-kunda, or Syama-kunda, came into existence. Krishna took His bath and then announced to the gopis, “Now I am completely pure. I have taken bath in all the sacred places in all the three worlds. But you are not pure. You are contaminated, because although Aristasura was in the form of a bull, still he was a demon. You took the side of a demon, so you are contaminated. So you also have to take bath and become purified. Take bath in My kunda, and you will be free.”

Srimati Radharani said, “No, no. Your kunda is contaminated by the terrible sin of killing the bull. I am not going to take bath in Your kunda. I am going to make My own kunda.”

Aristasura’s hooves had made a shallow ditch just west of Sri Krishna’s pond. So, the gopis began digging up lumps of soft mud with their hands, and very quickly they manifested a beautiful kunda. Srimati Radharani had said from the beginning, “I will make My kunda more beautiful than Krishna’s.” Now Krishna said, “Well, Your kunda is very beautiful, but it has one defect: it has no water in it. So why don’t You take some water from My kunda?” “No, no, no, no. Your water is contaminated by Your sin. We will bring our own water.”

There are thousands and millions of gopis. On Srimati Radharani’s indication, they made a long chain from Manasi-ganga to Radha-kunda, filled pots with water, and passed the pots from one gopi to the next to the next, all the way from Manasi-ganga to Radha-kunda. But Lord Krishna, seeing the labor of the gopis, was not happy, because He cannot bear to see even one drop of perspiration on the face of Srimati Radharani. So He appealed to Her, “Please take water from My kunda.” But She refused—“No!” Then Lord Krishna called the representative of all the holy places, who began to offer prayers to Srimati Radharani: “Even Krishna likes to serve Your lotus feet, and He rejoices and feels most fortunate simply by satisfying the tips of the toes of Your lotus feet. So we also want to serve Your lotus feet. If You fulfill our desire, our lives will be successful.”

Srimati Radharani was pleased and, glancing at Krishna from the corners of Her eyes, She smiled and replied, “Please come.” So the holy waters in Syama-kunda broke through its boundary walls and quickly filled Radha-kunda. Then Sri Radha and the gopis took bath, and in the end Krishna was so pleased that He told Her, “Your kunda will become even more famous than Mine. I will always come here to bathe and enjoy My water pastimes. Your kunda is as dear to Me as You are.” Srimati Radharani was pleased, and She said to Lord Krishna, “I will also come and take bath in Your pond, even if You kill hundreds and thousands of Aristasuras. Anyone who has devotion for Your lake and bathes or resides there will become very dear to Me.” Both Sri Radha and Krishna became so pleased after the formation of Syama-kunda and Radha-kunda that They inaugurated a great festival of rasa dance.

I’ll mention just one more point from the verse. The Sanskrit in the verse concludes, prestha tadvad iyam tadiya-sarasi tam nasrayet kah krti: “What fortunate person will not take shelter of Radha-kunda?” This is what the Sanskrit says. But what does Srila Prabhupada say? “Who, then, will not reside at Radha-kunda and, in a spiritual body surcharged with ecstatic devotional feelings, render service to the divine couple who perform Their eternal eight-fold daily pastimes?” In other words, this is what it really means to take shelter of Radha-kunda—not to go there and live like a monkey.

Once, a disciple told Srila Prabhupada that he wanted to go and stay in Radha-kunda, and Srila Prabhupada replied that there were already enough monkeys at Radha-kunda; they didn’t need another.

Taking shelter of Radha-kunda doesn’t mean going there and living like a monkey, thinking of the demands of the body. Monkeys appear to be very renounced because they don’t wear clothes, they eat only fruits and berries, and they live in the jungle in trees. But Srila Prabhupada said that each monkey has two dozen girlfriends. So they actually are not renounced. Now, if someone goes to Radha-kunda without being able to take shelter of the holy name as described by Srila Prabhupada in the translation, he may become just like a monkey—outwardly appearing renounced but internally full of desires for sense gratification. So we go step by step. Srila Rupa Gosvami describes the exalted position of Srimati Radharani and Radha-kunda and asks, “What fortunate person will not take shelter of Radha-kunda?” But here we are at the end of Rupa Gosvami’s instructions. There are so many instructions earlier in the book, and to take shelter of Radha-kunda properly, we have to follow all the other instructions, from text one to text nine—not jump like monkeys to texts nine, ten, and eleven.

What is the first instruction? Vaco vegam manasah krodha-vegam/ jihva-vegam udaropastha-vegam—we have to control the urges. First is the urge to speak. We speak so much nonsense. Whenever we get the chance we discuss politics, we discuss boy-girl affairs, or still worse, we criticize devotees. So, vaco vegam, and then manasa krodha-vegam: we have to control the mind. Anyway, I need not elaborate. We all can assess our present positions. And we should proceed step by step from the first verse up to the last ones, nine, ten, and eleven.

Still, by the mercy of Srimati Radharani, Srila Rupa Gosvami, and Srila Prabhupada, we have had the opportunity to remember Sri Radha-kunda and discuss the conclusions of Srila Rupa Gosvami given here in Sri Upadesamrta, so kindly explained by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.

Hare Krishna!

[A talk by Giriraj Swami Radha-kunda’s appearance day, November 7, 1993, Bombay]

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With another national lockdown on the way this Thursday, 'Food for All' has opened a new Mega Kitchen in Watford, UK! With capacity to feed up to 9,000 people per day, the new Jagannath Kitchen has been funded thanks to a very generous grant of £35,000 from the 'Rock 'n' Roll Community' :-) Food for All is a registered UK charity, run by the Hare Krishnas to feed homeless, lonely, isolated people (in fact, anyone who needs anything to it!) For more details, visit https://www.facebook.com/FoodForAllHQ/

In 2018, His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami took us to Talavana, where Lord Balarama killed the demon Dhenukasura. We come here in prayer to Lord Balarama as He prepares the heart and gives spiritual strength. Check out Maharaja’s full kirtan and lecture below, along with a few photos, at Talavana during Parikrama 2018.

Lord Balarama is very much on our mind today. He carries a plough, used to prepare the ground for planting. Balarama is the one who prepares the heart. Krsna is the instructor, the speaker of the Bhagavad-gita, and Balarama plants the transcendental knowledge within our hearts. “Bala” means strength so Balarama is the giver of spiritual strength. He has that strength because He is serving Krsna in unlimited ways: as His personal paraphernalia, His bed, shoes and the instruments we use in kirtan. Even the kartals should never be put on the ground because it is Balarama. He is also the basic energy of the spiritual world or the sandhini-sakti, the existence potency. Everything is resting on Balarama.

This is Talavana, which means it is Balarama’s place. We remember, that one day the cowherd boys had been out in the forest the whole day and were getting hungry. There was nothing much to eat on the way, just a little pasta (just as we ate this morning) (laughter), and it was not sufficient because it digested quickly. They had just walked past this Talavana forest when they saw these tala fruits in the palm trees which smelled so sweet. All the cowherd boys said, “Oh, we are starving! We really need some glucose to get the blood sugar going”, or whatever the equivalent was in those days (laughter). So when Krsna went to get those fruits, Dhenukasura was there, along with his ass-like associates who were not overly intelligent. These were not ordinary asses. They were man-eating asses. They even had fangs. Rather heavy dudes! (laughter) Balarama took the lead in shaking one of the tala trees and many of the fruits fell. The cowherd boys grabbed some and ate them to satisfy their immediate hunger but then Dhenukasura heard the noise. He came storming at Balarama and kicked Him. Balarama caught his hind legs and started swinging him around threw him into a tala tree. I think you all know the domino game, where one piece falls causing many pieces to fall over. When one tree went down, it would knock over the next tree, and then the next, until the whole forest went down. This was not good for the cowherd boys’ fruit but suddenly they were not hungry anymore. Krsna joined in and many of Dhenukasura’s associates came. Krsna and Balarama made a sport of throwing the asses into all the trees and it was a lot of fun!

The Caitanya-siksamrta, a famous book by Bhaktivinoda Thakura, describes all the demons that were killed in the pastimes of Krsna and Balarama, and the anarthas they represent. He states that we have to overcome the demons killed by Balarama ourselves. There are demons within us; some we have to conquer and others Krsna takes away by the process of devotional service. We have to make a conscious effort to overcome these demoniac qualities in ourselves represented by the demons that Balarama killed. Asses tend to load themselves unnecessarily with great burden. So Dhenakasura was burdening himself with so many possessions of this world that he claimed as his. As a result, he was attached to guarding and looking after them. He unduly burdened himself, beyond what was needed for his survival and sustenance. In other words, he fell prey to atyahara, an over-endeavour for material facilities. This tendency can be strongly seen in his character.

We can always remember how Balarama fixed Dhenukasura, who had no chance. One kick was all Dhenukasura could offer and that did not do anything. When he tried again, Balarama picked him up, swung him around, threw him and he was already dead before he flew into that tree. All this material strength has no meaning. All this material power, acquisitions and positions have no meaning before the Supreme Lord, especially when they are used against Him. So we come here to find spiritual strength. We are here to get more resolve. We pray to Balarama knowing that we need His support. We need strength, and we get it from mercy, because we do not have strength on our own. Balarama is the one who is fully absorbed in serving Krsna. If we assist Balarama by helping with what is dear to Him – devotional service to Krsna – then we pray to Him for mercy and He will give us strength. Srila Prabhupada gave us Sri Sri Krsna Balarama in Vrndavana because we need spiritual strength so very much, because the Dhenukasura syndrome is strong within us. So let us pray to Balarama and look for opportunities for service. That is our central meditation here in Talavana.

The article " eParikrama 2020 Day 7 – Talavana " was published on KKSBlog.

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What if there was one simple solution for all your problems? Something so easy that even a child could do it? Something which costs nothing, is available to everyone and ultimately ends all suffering? Well, before you decide to follow the standard dictum that if it sounds too good to be true then it most […]

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What if there was one simple solution for all your problems? Something so easy that even a child could do it? Something which costs nothing, is available to everyone and ultimately ends all suffering?

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 16, No. 20
By Krishna Kripa Das
(October 2020, part two)
New York City
(Sent from Brooklyn on November 7, 2020)

Where I Went and What I Did

I continued living in Radha-Govinda temple in Brooklyn, assisting Rama Raya Prabhu in his NYC Harinam daily harinama party and making sweets for the afternoon offering of Radha-Govinda. Having missed too many Ratha-yatras this year, I decided to attend the Queens Ratha-yatra organized by Sunanda Prabhu, a disciple of Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu, who has a non-ISKCON Krishna Balaram temple in Richmond Hill in Queens. Jagaddhatri Devi Devi of ISKCON NYC organized a harinama on Halloween evening to share the holy name with people celebrating at Washington Square Park, which I also attended. I also would sometimes speak at the The Science of Self-Realization class which was Wednesdays at 26 Second Avenue, but is now on Zoom. 

I share excerpts from Srila Prabhupada’s books, especially Sri Caitanya-caritamrita and The Nectar of Devotion. I also share excerpts from the Eleventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, largely from “Uddhava Gita,” Krishna’s conversation with Uddhava in which He reveals knowledge more confidential than in Bhagavad-gita. I share notes on classes by Candrasekhara Swami, Hansarupa Prabhu, Nikunjabihari Prabhu, Narada Rishi Prabhu, Rama Raya Prabhu, Shobha-mayi Devi Dasi, Ter Kadamba Prabhu, Hari Vilasa Prabhu, Jaya Jagannatha Prabhu, and Divyangi-devi Dasi speaking at ISKCON NYC. Also I share an interesting comment by Jagat Purusa Prabhu.

Thanks to Sasha Prabhu for his generous donations. Thanks to Lalita Manjari Devi Dasi for her kind donation. Thanks to Kaliya Krishna Prabhu for all his videos of NYC Harinam.

Itinerary

September 12–January 2021: NYC Harinam
December 5: Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami Vyasa-puja
December 24: Albany, Christmas Eve with relatives
January–April 2021: Tallahassee

Chanting Hare Krishna in New York City

As I described the Bhagavad-gita to a young Muslim man at the NYC Harinam book table, he told me that on the subway he was just listening to a lecture advocating acquiring spiritual knowledge, and coming out of the station he saw our sign for “Books on Spiritual Knowledge,” and now I was showing him Bhagavad-gita. As I talked, he pointed out things in common with his Islamic tradition. When I showed him the table of contents in Science of Self-Realization, he noticed the article entitled “The Human Form of Life is Meant for God Realization,” enthusiastically agreeing with it. I said that is a common theme in all these books. Seeing he was serious, I told him we had a special deal: four books (Bhagavad-gita, Science of Self-Realization, Nectar of Instruction, and Sri Isopanisad) for just $10, and he immediately gave me $10. I gave him my personal business card, inviting him to contact me with questions or for more books, and I said, “Spiritually inquisitive people are very rare.”
He said, “I am realizing that more and more.”
I think I am realizing that more and more too!

The NYC Harinam party continued to chant at Washington Square Park, Union Square Park, Columbus Circle, and on rainy days, at Radha Govinda Mandir. I share these video clips in chronological order.

Here Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Radha Govinda Mandir in New York City on a rainy day (https://youtu.be/rZPm5P7m4Bg):

Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park and youths play shakers and dance (https://youtu.be/0w8oRVGJsmA):

Braja Sakhi Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park, Godruma Prana Prabhu plays trumpet and Lee plays flute (https://youtu.be/3waUz4r2rvk):

Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Washington Square Park, and six females play shakers and dance (https://youtu.be/iE9eyZUXssE):

Later that day, Kaliya Krishna Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna at Columbus Circle, and a couple, who often attended the ISKCON temple in Pacific Beach during the ten years they lived in San Diego, danced, along with Richard, one of our regulars (https://youtu.be/K0A03W5iU_c):

Once while Jaya Jagannatha Prabhu was chanting Hare Krishna at Columbus Circle, dozens of birds alighted on the electric wires attached to a couple of the traffic lights to listen to his kirtana.

Both rows of birds could be clearly seen from behind our book table.

Jaya Jagannatha Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Washington Square Park, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/Tc474lSMZ1g):

Jaya Jagannatha Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park, and passersby dance (https://youtu.be/T03BYzkvUyE):

I chanted a lively Hare Krishna tune during a “Dance for Democracy” rally at Washington Square Park, and Kaliya Krishna Prabhu took this video (https://youtu.be/D54ASqYSVW0):

We thought that the “Dance for Democracy” people should have decided to situate themselves on another side of the fountain where no group was performing, but they chose to stay right in front of us, despite my suggestion that they might relocate. What can be done? It is a free country!

Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park, and girls play shakers and Rama Raya Prabhu gives them garlands (https://youtu.be/ARXvowRP91s):

Here Minna chants Hare Krishna at Tompkins Square Park near the Hare Krishna tree (https://youtu.be/9z1fNNJfams):

Hari Vilasa Prabhu plays accordion and chants Hare Krishna on Halloween at Washington Square Park, and black guys take pleasure in dancing and doing gymnastics, including our very own Chaitanya Thomas (https://youtu.be/3QPPntXAphE):

Queens Ratha-yatra

Many public events, including most Ratha-yatras, were canceled since last March because of COVID-19. Sunanda Prabhu of Queens was determined to continue with his. The authorities would only give him from 9 to 11 a.m. on a Saturday morning. The route is along a major road, known appropriately as Liberty Avenue, from 120th Street to 111th Street, and then just a couple of blocks along 111th Street to his Krishna Balarama temple, around the corner.

Sunanda Prabhu’s temple is not an official ISKCON temple, so I asked his guru, Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu, what he thought about me attending the Ratha-yatra, and he said, “I am inclined to think this is a free country . . .” He also said he was glad Sunanda Prabhu was doing the Ratha-yatra and that he hoped it would be successful. I decided to go because dancing for Lord Jagannatha at Ratha-yatra is one of my favorite devotional activities. Once at Rajpur, near Mayapur, I gave 100 Rs. to Lord Jagannatha and prayed to go to as many Ratha-yatras as possible. I was able to go to at least ten Ratha-yatras that year. This year the only other Ratha-yatra I attended was at Gasparilla in Tampa on the last Saturday in January, before the COVID-19 pandemic became serious. I decided to go to the Queens Ratha-yatra wearing a mask and doing my best to stand six feet away from other people, as far as possible.

The Ratha-yatra cart came up from North Carolina as did the devotee who steered it.

Here Priya chants Hare Krishna at the before the Queens Ratha-yatra proceeded (https://youtu.be/OMKn9ROGFTg)::

Funny Photo

What do you do if someone comes to Govinda’s after the manager locked the cash box?

You lock their cash in the refrigerator with the extra desserts!

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 18.118–119:

[The residents of Vrindavan said to Lord Caitanya:] “By Your bodily features we can see that You are none other than the son of Nanda Maharaja, although the golden luster of Your body has covered Your original complexion. As the aroma of deer musk cannot be concealed by wrapping it in a cloth, Your characteristics as the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be concealed by any means. Indeed, Your characteristics are uncommon and beyond the imagination of an ordinary living being.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 18.120–124:

[The residents of Vrindavan continued:] “Simply by seeing You, the entire universe becomes mad with ecstatic love for Krishna. If they see You just once, even women, children, old men, meat-eaters and members of the lowest caste immediately chant the holy name of Krishna, dance like madmen and become spiritual masters capable of delivering the whole world. Apart from seeing You, whoever listens to Your holy name is made mad with ecstatic love for Krishna and is able to deliver the three worlds. Simply by hearing Your holy name, dog-eaters become holy saints. Your uncommon potencies cannot be described in words.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 18.219–221:

“Whoever got to see Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would feel himself overwhelmed with ecstatic love and would begin to chant the Hare Krishna mantra. Whoever met Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became a Vaishnava, and whoever met that Vaishnava also became a Vaishnava. In this way, all the towns and villages became Vaishnava, one after the other. Just as the Lord inundated South India on His tour there, He also inundated the western part of the country with love of Godhead.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 18.228:

“The pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are an ocean of nectar. Even a drop of this ocean can inundate the whole world with transcendental bliss.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 19.54:

“We offer our respectful obeisances unto that merciful Supreme Personality of Godhead who has converted all three worlds, which were maddened by ignorance, and saved them from their diseased condition by making them mad with the nectar from the treasure-house of love of God. Let us take full shelter of that Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna Caitanya, whose activities are wonderful.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 19.69, purport:

“Generally brahmanas are puffed up with false prestige because they belong to the aristocracy and perform many Vedic sacrifices. In South India especially, this fastidious position is most prominent. At any rate, this was the case five hundred years ago. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu actually started a revolution against this brahminical system by inaugurating the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra. By this chanting, one can be delivered regardless of caste, creed, color or social position. Whoever chants the Hare Krishna maha-mantra is immediately purified due to the transcendental position of devotional service.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 19.143 [Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.87.30]:

“‘O Lord, although the living entities who have accepted material bodies are spiritual and unlimited in number, if they were all-pervading there would be no question of their being under Your control. If they are accepted, however, as particles of the eternally existing spiritual entity — as part of You, who are the supreme spirit whole — we must conclude that they are always under Your control. If the living entities are simply satisfied with being identical with You as spiritual particles, then they will be happy being controllers of so many things. The conclusion that the living entities and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are one and the same is a faulty conclusion. It is not a fact.’”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 19.146, purport:

“Literature or knowledge that seeks the Supreme Being can be accepted as a bona fide religious system, but there are many different types of religious systems according to the place, the disciples and the people’s capacity to understand.

“The highest type of religious system is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.6) thus: sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje. The highest form of religion is that by which one becomes fully conscious of the existence of God, including His form, name, qualities, pastimes, abode and all-pervasive features. When everything is completely known, that is the perfection of Vedic knowledge.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 19.147, purport:

“The jñani wants to extinguish the distinction between knowledge, the knower and the aim of knowledge. This philosophy is called monism, or oneness, and is characterized by spiritual silence.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 19.149, purport:

“A krishna-bhakta knows that his friend and protector in all respects is Krishna, who is able to do anything for His devotee.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 19.165:

“‘As long as there is not the slightest fragrance of pure love of Krishna, which is the perfect medicinal herb for controlling Lord Krishna within the heart, the opulences of the material perfections known as the siddhis [yogic powers], the brahminical perfections [satya (truthfulness), sama (peacefulness), titiksa (tolerance) and so on], the trance of the yogis and the monistic bliss of Brahman all seem wonderful for men.’”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 19.176:

“‘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.’”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 19.214, purport:

“In this position, one is freed from all material enjoyment. When one is not agitated or disturbed, he can immediately realize his relationship with Krishna. A santa-rasa devotee is therefore always fixed in realization.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 19.236:

“When one thinks of Krishna constantly, love for Him manifests within the heart. Even though one may be ignorant, one can reach the far shore of the ocean of transcendental love by Lord Krishna’s mercy.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 20.106:

“‘Those who are eager to awaken their spiritual consciousness and who thus have unflinching, undeviated intelligence certainly attain the desired goal of life very soon.’”

From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 24:

“Any person who is reliable in all circumstances is called dependable. In this connection Rupa Gosvami says that even the demons were relying upon the dependability of Krishna because they were confident that Krishna would never attack them without due cause. Therefore, with faith and confidence, they used to live with their doors wide open. And the demigods, although afraid of the demons, were confident of the protection of Krishna. Therefore, even in the midst of danger they were engaged in sportive activities. Persons who had never undergone the reformatory ritualistic ceremonies of the Vedas were confident that Krishna would accept only faith and devotion, and so they were engaged in Krishna consciousness and were freed from all anxieties. In other words, all kinds of men, from the demigods down to the uncultured, can rely on the causeless mercy of the Supreme Lord.”

From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 25:

“When a devotee is never tired of executing devotional service and is always engaged in Krishna conscious activities, constantly relishing the transcendental mellows in relationship with Krishna, he is called perfect. This perfectional stage can be achieved in two ways: one may achieve this stage of perfection by gradual progress in devotional service, or one may become perfect by the causeless mercy of Krishna, even though he has not executed all the details of devotional service.”

“A person who is freed from the false egotism of material existence, or an advanced mystic, is eligible to enter into the kingdom of God, known as Vaikuntha. Such a mystic becomes so joyful by constant execution of the regulative principles of devotional service that he thereby achieves the special favor of the Supreme Lord.”

“Anyone who becomes exhilarated by hearing of the pastimes of Lord Krishna when He was present on this earth with His associates is to be understood as nitya-siddha, eternally perfect.”

“To be attracted by the qualities of Krishna means to be attracted by Krishna Himself, because there is no real distinction between Krishna and His qualities. Krishna’s name is also Krishna. Krishna’s fame is also Krishna. Krishna’s entourage is also Krishna. Krishna and everything related with Krishna which gives stimulation to love of Krishna are all Krishna, but for our understanding these items may be considered separately.”

From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 30:

“It is stated in the Tenth Canto, Thirty-third Chapter, verse 11, of Srimad-Bhagavatam, ‘Upon seeing that Krishna’s arm was placed on her shoulder, one of the gopis engaged in the rasa dance became so ecstatically happy that she kissed Krishna on His cheek.’ This is an instance of feeling happiness because of achieving a desired goal.”

“The gopis were advised by their superiors to bolt the doors at night, but they were so carefree that they did not carry out this order very rigidly. Sometimes, by thinking of Krishna, they became so confident of being out of all danger that they would lie down at night in the courtyards of their houses.”

“There is an authoritative statement in the Garuda Purana about mystic yogis who are under the direct shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead: ‘In all three stages of their consciousness—namely wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep—the devotees are absorbed in thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, in their complete absorption in thought of Krishna, they do not sleep.’”

From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 32:

“It is said that a great devotee brahmana would sometimes address the Supreme Personality of Godhead as master and sometimes joke with the Lord, using different kinds of familiar words. Sometimes he would protect the Lord with a filial affection, sometimes he would cry out to the Lord, addressing the Lord as his beloved, and sometimes he would meditate on the Lord as the Supersoul. This means that the brahmana expressed his ecstatic loving symptoms in different ways at different times. But in each instance, because of ecstatic love, the brahmana merged himself in the ocean of happiness and became situated in pure love.”

From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 35:

“The devotees and self-realized persons who are engaged in preaching the glories of the Lord always maintain an ecstatic love for the Lord within their hearts. Thus they are benefited by the rays of the ecstatic moon, and they are called saintly persons.”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.4.21, purport:

“The Lord is revealed not by one’s speculative power or by one’s verbal jugglery over the Absolute Truth; rather, He reveals Himself to a devotee when He is fully satisfied by the devotee’s service attitude.”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.4.22, purport:

“In the conditioned state, the living being is subject to forgetting everything after a change of body, known as death. This potent knowledge is again inspired by the Lord from within the heart of every living being, and it is known as the awakening of knowledge, for it is comparable to awakening from sleep or unconsciousness. This awakening of knowledge is under the full control of the Lord, and therefore we find in the practical world different grades of knowledge in different persons. This awakening of knowledge is neither an automatic nor a material interaction. The supply source is the Lord Himself (dhiyam patih), for even Brahma is also subject to this regulation of the supreme creator.”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.4.25, purport:

“There is no use in theories. Knowledge must be factual. There are many things that are complicated, and one cannot understand them unless they are explained by one who knows. The Vedic knowledge is also very difficult to know and must be learned by the above-mentioned system [through a succession of spiritual masters beginning with the Lord Himself]; otherwise it is not at all understood.”

The humble servants of Srila Prabhupada:

[The verses themselves in Canto 11, Chapter 29 below are spoken by Krishna Himself, unless otherwise stated. The purports are written by the commentators.]

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.19–20:

“Indeed, I consider this process — using one’s mind, words and bodily functions for realizing Me within all living beings — to be the best possible method of spiritual enlightenment. My dear Uddhava, because I have personally established it, this process of devotional service unto Me is transcendental and free from any material motivation. Certainly a devotee never suffers even the slightest loss by adopting this process.”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.21:

“O Uddhava, greatest of saints, in a dangerous situation an ordinary person cries, becomes fearful and laments, although such useless emotions do not change the situation. But activities offered to Me without personal motivation, even if they are externally useless, amount to the actual process of religion.”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.26:

“One who liberally disseminates this knowledge among My devotees is the bestower of the Absolute Truth, and to him I give My very own self.”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.38:

[Uddhava said to Krishna:] “In return for my insignificant surrender, You have mercifully bestowed upon me, Your servant, the torchlight of transcendental knowledge. Therefore, what devotee of Yours who has any gratitude could ever give up Your lotus feet and take shelter of another master?”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.5, purport:

“As stated in the Narayaniya of the Moksa-dharma, in Sri Mahabharata:

ya vai sadhana-sampatti
purusartha-catustayetaya
vina tad apnoti
naro narayanasrayaḥ

‘Whatever among the four goals of human life can be achieved by various spiritual practices is automatically achieved without such endeavors by the person who has taken shelter of Lord Narayana, the refuge of all persons.’”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.10:

“One should take shelter of holy places where My saintly devotees reside, and one should be guided by the exemplary activities of My devotees, who appear among the demigods, demons and human beings.”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.11:

“Either alone or in public gatherings, with singing, dancing and other exhibitions of royal opulence, one should arrange to celebrate those holy days, ceremonies and festivals set aside specially for My worship.”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.13–14:

“O brilliant Uddhava, one who thus views all living entities with the idea that I am present within each of them, and who by taking shelter of this divine knowledge offers due respect to everyone, is considered actually wise. Such a man sees equally the brahmana and the outcaste, the thief and the charitable promoter of brahminical culture, the sun and the tiny sparks of fire, the gentle and the cruel.

“Purport: Therefore, although externally perceiving and dealing with the varieties of material situations, a wise man is more impressed by and concerned with the overwhelming unity of all existence, which is based on the presence of the Supreme Lord within everything.”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.15:

“For him who constantly meditates upon My presence within all persons, the bad tendencies of rivalry, envy and abusiveness, along with false ego, are very quickly destroyed.”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.31.12:

“Lord Krishna brought the son of His guru back from the planet of the lord of death in the boy’s selfsame body, and as the ultimate giver of protection He saved you also when you were burned by the brahmastra of Asvatthama. He conquered in battle even Lord Shiva, who deals death to the agents of death, and He sent the hunter Jara directly to Vaikuntha in his human body. How could such a personality be unable to protect His own Self?”

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.31.13:

“Although Lord Krishna, being the possessor of infinite powers, is the only cause of the creation, maintenance and destruction of innumerable living beings, He simply did not desire to keep His body in this world any longer. Thus He revealed the destination of those fixed in the self and demonstrated that this mortal world is of no intrinsic value.”

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami:

From Prabhupada Meditations, Volume 3:

“Lord Krishna is not alone; He is always with His devotees. Similarly, Prabhupada’s followers are part of his eternal entourage. Too much criticism of his followers is a type of criticism against Prabhupada.”

“When we combine respect for Prabhupada with respect for his disciples, then we have the perfect union. One way to do this is to recall Prabhupada in his pastimes with his disciples. Lord Caitanya’s pastimes are not only about Himself, but are about His disciples and relationships among them.”

“Similarly we can remember how Tamala Krishna Goswami was willing to face fire for Prabhupada. We may recall how Prabhupada was pleased with the friendly service of Srutakirti. Prabhupada praised Pradyumna dasa: ‘I call him Panditji because he is actually pandita. He has worked hard to produce this Caitanya-caritamrita, and his wife also.’ Prabhupada gave tremendous encouragement to those devotees who distributed his books; he assured them that it was the best service. Therefore we may think of these devotees and how they tried to please Prabhupada. That forms a natural part of our Prabhupada meditation.”

From My Purpose at Isola di Albarella:

“SP [Srila Prabhupada] didn’t feel like a ship without a rudder even though BSS [his guru] was not in the world and even though the Gaudiya Math [his guru’s institution] broke up. So, follow his example.

“Work in your way to contribute to his movement. Don’t give up.

“And yes, you’ll feel separation.”

Candrasekhara Swami:

Namabhasa, the shadow of the holy name, is so powerful that it can give liberation and fulfillment of any material desires, but the one thing it cannot give is prema, love of Krishna.

In Harinama-cintamani three kinds of namabhasa are described:
Hrdaya-durbalyam (weakness of heart)
Asat-trishna (thirst for things other than Krishna)
Aparadha (offense)
Of these aparadha is the worst.

The power of the holy name can never be reduced, but our mentality can keep us from benefiting fully by chanting it.

If one chants while maintaining a Mayavada conception, he will make very little progress.

It is better we can chant with feeling. We will progress more rapidly.

Devotees can, by being lackadaisical about chanting, gradually chant less and less. If they notice that and try to rectify their chanting, they can again move in a positive direction.

Even if you only attempt to pay attention, though often falling short, you will find that you will feel that you have done something.

It is hard to believe that such a simple thing as the holy name can correct all problems.

It is also hard to repeatedly pay attention to the holy name.

Seeing all the challenges Haridasa Thakura faced without difficulty, we can see when properly chanted how powerful the holy name is.

Scientists always try to explain everything without recourse to anything beyond matter, but they always run into problems.

Scientists can never go so deep in their investigations that they reach the Supreme Lord because they are averse to coming to that conclusion. They are like people who dig in one place until they reach something significant, and then stop and start digging in another place.

In the Vedic literature, the universe is described as having seven shells of different substances, each ten times wider than the one beneath it. If it were a fruit, it would be very frustrating to deal with because so much of it is just shell.

Physical chemistry is very straightforward, and scientists have known about it for quite some time. The organic chemistry that goes on in cells is a completely different story, and the physical chemistry cannot fully explain it. Organic chemistry is just plain crazy. If you study what kinds of voodoo and shenanigans are going on, even at the cellular level, it becomes completely apparent that organic chemistry cannot be explained in terms of simple physical chemistry. In life, chemicals are dancing around in all kind of extremely unlikely ways. The proof is that as soon as life ends, regular chemistry takes over and the body disintegrates. There are unseen energies doing their magic all over the place. [He later shared some videos showing how complicated is the chemistry of living systems, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-uuk4Pr2i8 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO-W8mvBa78.]

Ignorance is to not investigate at all or to not care to understand. Passion is to investigate but never ultimately connect everything to the Supreme.

That is a defect of science, that it does not connect everything to the Supreme Lord.

None of us knows how we digest food. There is no mental adjustment we can do to make it work better. Similarly we do not know how we see and hear. These are facilities given to us by the Supreme Lord, and without Him we could do nothing.

The endeavor for knowledge is good until we encounter Vedic knowledge presented as it is. If we do not accept this explanation and continue speculating, then that endeavor will mislead us.

Our situation in this world is like a deep sea diver swimming in this ocean of matter. Because we are not in our element, how much can we enjoy? How much can a deep sea diver enjoy, being restricted in so many ways?

Hansarupa Prabhu:

Srila Prabhupada once defined reciprocation as responsive cooperation.

In the last days of his manifest presence in Vrindavan, Srila Prabhupada heard a devotee chanting in the temple, who was thought by his disciples to be a good kirtana leader, and he said, “Who is that Raksasa [demon]?” Srila Prabhupada could see and hear the ego of the person.

It is not by seniority but sincerity of service that Krishna is pleased.

Laksmi, who was supremely chaste, did not want to approach Lord Nrsimha because she was doubtful if He was really her husband.

One may come to the Krishna consciousness movement for release from material distress, but ultimately we must come to the platform of selflessness.

How is it I am so peaceful by just washing the pots or washing the floor? That peace I was looking for in so many other activities, I find in these simple devotional engagements!

Srila Prabhupada created these temples to make devotees.

Without compassion there is no advancement in spiritual life. One must feel compassion for people who are suffering due to lack of spiritual knowledge.

You may find yourself the leader of a big community in the future if you are willing to serve the Lord in that way.

Yasodanandana Prabhu made Gujarat prominent in terms of opening temples and making devotees and more.

Jagat Purusa Prabhu:

From a conversation:

I did theater professionally before I met the Hare Krishnas. When I first saw a drama performed by the devotees, it was the most amateurish production I had ever seen, but it was also the most moving production I had ever seen!

Narada Rishi Prabhu:

Divisions of man are not given by man but by God in terms of qualities and work.

Different races of ksatriyas [administrators and warriors] gave up their ksatriya qualities and became addicted to sinful acts.

India was so wealthy there is one temple in Gujarat that was looted seventeen times by the Muslims.

Krishna made many conditions for the people who left Him to regain His abode, but Lord Caitanya made no conditions.

Lord Caitanya did not have to chant and dance in the street, but He did it to teach by His example.

It is said: “Kirata, Huna, Andhra, Pulinda, Pulkasa, Abhira, Sumbha, Yavana, members of the Khasa races and even others addicted to sinful acts can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord, due to His being the supreme power. I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.” We can see the reality of this verse in that there are gurus at present from all kinds of races who are practicing and preaching Krishna consciousness all over the world.

Nikunjabihari Prabhu:

When reading the Bhagavatam, it is good to look up the verses which Srila Prabhupada refers to in the purport.

There is no reason to lament for wherever you are, in the temple or in the subway, for you can always perform activities of devotional service to Krishna.

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura indicates this material world is not a place to remain in for any length of time.

It is good to read the end of Srila Prabhupada’s purports twice because he puts important realizations there.

Do not expect the spiritual master to give instructions that are always pleasing to your senses for he is always trying to get you to control your senses.

Only by hearing can we learn to differentiate between religion and irreligion.

The senses will leave you one by one. Your eyes go. Your ears go.

We are so addicted to sense gratification only a solidly Krishna consciousness person can say no.

Rama Raya Prabhu:

A lot of people were loners before they came to Krishna consciousness. They weren’t in the “in crowd.” That is good for them because they can be free to develop their eternal relationship with Krishna and attain ultimate happiness.

Those in the rasa of neutrality lose interest in the impersonal feature of the Lord because they see the personality who is behind it.

Because of their envy of the personality of God, at best the Mayavadis can merge into the body of God.

Yamuna and her friend Dinatarini were living together and practicing Krishna consciousness in Eugene, Oregon. Devotees complained to Srila Prabhupada that they were not living in a temple. Srila Prabhupada indicated that good spiritual association can be two or two hundred, and thus he supported the lifestyle of these two dedicated disciples.

Tamal Krishna Goswami asked Srila Prabhupada how to settle disagreements after he left. Srila Prabhupada said to work for the correction of things, but do not leave under any circumstances.

Q (by me): How do we deal with those who left to join other Gaudiya movements?
A: Cordially. With mutual respect. Talk about things we have in common, like appreciation of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Keep at a distance. Those who left should be respectful of the faith of those who stayed.

Srila Prabhupada was reticent as far as advanced topics go. Where did he get that from? His Guru Maharaja.

Does it make sense that Srila Prabhupada, who was empowered by the spiritual energy of the Lord, Srimati Radharani, to spread Krishna bhakti all over the world, cannot give one entrance into the most elevated realizations of Krishna consciousness?

Shobha-mayi Devi Dasi:

Arjuna depended on Krishna. Duryodhana depended on his big army. Who won? Arjuna.

When you fully surrender to Krishna, Krishna takes care of you.

Only do what you absolutely need to do to take care of your body, and then just serve Krishna.

In Bhagavad-gita 10.9, Krishna mentions, “They [My devotees] derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me.” Therefore Srila Prabhupada wanted us to have these Srimad-Bhagavatam classes.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura mentions in Bhakti-rahasyam six items to follow to attain offenseless chanting:
1. controlling the mind
2. pure life style
3. use words carefully; do not criticize
4. steadiness in the number of rounds and time of chanting
5. not getting disturbed if quality chanting is not possible
6. remembering the deity of the mantra and the meaning of the mantra, and adopting the path of saranagati (surrender)

Ter Kadamba Prabhu:

Knowledge comes through mercy.

I have been doing university programs for years, and the students know there are certain things that you just cannot ask because the theories do not cover them.

Scientists know that the consciousness of the person measuring data has an effect what is being measured. If you ask “Doesn’t that indicate consciousness is not a product of matter but rather matter is a product of consciousness?”, you will find that question is not acceptable.

The Danish word for science means creation of knowledge, but true knowledge is not created.

If you surrender to Krishna, you do not have to give up anything, but you have to see that Krishna is in the center.

In debating with people I try to destroy their illusion that sense perception gives accurate knowledge. Then their other ideas lack support.

The Vedic descriptions of the universe are to help us understand facts about it like a picture of an atom helps describe details about an atom, but you never see an actual atom looking like that.

When I first read Bhagavad-gita I had a sense that it had a superhuman origin because what human being could come up with the ideas it contains?

Hari Vilasa Prabhu:

Faithless people think bhakti-yoga is too simple to provide any substantial benefit.

Historically you have a war followed by struggle for survival, then economic development, and when things are stable, people have time to endeavor spiritually.

The hard sciences deal with quantities and the soft sciences with qualities.

In karma-kanda, you have many rules to follow that guarantee a certain kind of perfection, and in other traditions you also encounter different codes of laws the following of which guarantees a certain goal.

If your consciousness attains a certain level of spiritual development, it can attract Krishna’s attention.

It is important that we appreciate the value of devotional opportunities when we attain them.

By the mercy of Lord Caitanya, one can get some attraction for Krishna and thus have some motivation to perform devotional service.

Devotional service is described to be individual, voluntary, and spontaneous.

In your relationships with the devotees, you will see how much genuine devotion you have and how much you are just following some rules.

If you want to become more serious, make a vow to do some additional devotional service regularly.

Srila Prabhupada introduced a quantifying element in devotional service by making his disciples vow to chant sixteen rounds and follow four regulative principles. Before him it was not so defined.

Devotees who take specific vows are sincere about not wasting time.

Sometimes in leadership positions we can actly nicely as Krishna’s representives, but at other times we may act as if we are independent leaders. In those cases, Krishna will have to remind us of our actual position.

To maintain the proper consciousness is easy. It is simply a matter of regularly hearing and chanting about Krishna. Then you are reminded of Krishna’s position.

G. H. Hardy, a famous mathematician, studied the case of a Indian boy who was a genius in mathematics. The boy did puja to Mother Sarasvati every day, and he would endeavor figure things out, and then he would have a dream of Mother Sarasvati, and the next day he would receive the answer to his problem.

King Prithu saw himself as just doing his duties as king for the purpose of pleasing the Lord who had appointed him to that position. He advised the citizens to act nicely in their varnasrama duties so he would achieve a good destination after death.

All the social movements, although appearing different, are dealing with the same issue – an imbalance of power.

We need to create enlightened hierarchies where both the leaders and followers are aware of the supreme control of the Lord.

Jaya Jagannatha Prabhu:

The mangalacarana is to remove obstacles in being a medium for the revealed transcendental knowledge.

After Brahma studied the Vedas three times, he finally concluded rati or bhava to Krishna is the goal.

If you cannot perceive the happiness of your own soul, you will be forced to look for happiness in the material world.

Sukadeva Goswami was lured away from his absorption in brahmananda because the taste of descriptions of Krishna in Srimad-Bhagavatam was more attractive.

According to Caitanya Bhagavata, when Pundarika Vidyanidhi heard the verse, “Alas, how shall I take shelter of one more merciful than He who granted the position of mother to a she-demon [Putana] although she was unfaithful and she prepared deadly poison to be sucked from her breast?” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.2.23), he went into ecstasy for six hours.

Jiva Goswami defines envy as the tendency to devalue or to not recognize the value of others. Because everyone is a jiva, everyone has inherent value, and one must recognize that.

There is no difference between transcendental sound and that which it describes, and when one’s heart is pure, one can perceive the transcendental reality simply by hearing the transcendental sound.

We have to go to a teacher in the disciplic succession to understand the actual meaning of the text.

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura explains there are two meanings of the sastra, the dictionary meaning and that which realized persons explain.

Divyangi-devi Dasi:

The three modes of material nature exist only in the material world. There is no need for them in the spiritual. In the spiritual world there is no creation or destruction, only eternal maintenance by the Lord.

If we encounter difficulty, we consult senior devotees and do whatever they say, even if it is difficult.

If we act according to Krishna’s direction, He is responsible for the result.

We can chose do services with enthusiasm, patience, and determination, as opposed to doing them just because someone told us to do them, and we will get a better result.

In Russia, students are forced to study all the subjects, but the result is that they develop a taste for study. Sadhana bhakti is like that. We develop a taste for the devotional engagements in due course.

Comment by Rama Raya Prabhu: Sincerity and determination are qualities Krishna likes to see in His devotees. Obstacles Srila Prabhupada encountered just made him more determined. An ordinary person with amazing success like Srila Prabhupada had in his old age would become excessively proud, but Srila Prabhupada became humble, considering it Krishna’s doing.

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I like the following Bhagavad-gita verse because everyone is looking for an easy way to achieve success, and here Krishna is telling how He can be easily obtained – by constant remembrance of Him. You may say that it is hard to always remember Krishna, but it is something easy to practice. We can think of Krishna’s name, His form, His instructions, His pastimes, or His pure devotees, whichever appeals to us. In a Bhagavad-gita purport Srila Prabhupada says one can attain perfection simply by thinking of Krishna being present in the heart of everyone we meet. How auspicious is the remembrance of Krishna! “With sword in hand, intelligent men cut through the binding knots of reactionary work [karma] by remembering the Personality of Godhead. Therefore, who will not pay attention to His message?” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.15) “The highest perfection of human life, achieved either by complete knowledge of matter and spirit, by practice of mystic powers, or by perfect discharge of occupational duty, is to remember the Personality of Godhead at the end of life.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.1.6)

ananya-cetah satatam

“For one who always remembers Me without deviation, I am easy to obtain, O son of Pritha, because of his constant engagement in devotional service.” (Bhagavad-gita 8.14)