Planet ISKCON

I share the remaining quotes from the books, lectures, conversations, and letters of Srila Prabhupada, that I read in Bhakti Vikasa Swami’s soon-to-be-published book on the mood and mission of Srila Prabhupada. I share a beautiful selection from Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya by Bhaktivinoda Thakura, where he tells about the relationship of Lord Shiva and Parvati with Lord Caitanya. I share quotes from Miracle on Second Avenue by Mukunda Goswami and from Golden Avatar, a soon-to-be-published biography of Lord Caitanya, by Yogesvara Prabhu. I share notes on a Sunday feast lecture in Alachua by Nitya Kishori Devi Dasi.

Thanks to Ananga Mohan Prabhu for driving me to Alachua and chanting with me on the campus. Thanks to Citralekha Devi Dasi of Amsterdam for telling me about the TONEOF cell phone tripod, which I ordered from Amazon, and which enabled me to take two of the videos in this journal.

Itinerary

January 6–April 11: Tallahassee harinamas and FSU college outreach
– March 9–16: Krishna House Gainesville harinamas and UF college outreach
– March 15: Daytona Beach Ratha-yatra
April 12: St. Augustine Ratha-yatra
April 13: Gainesville harinama
April 14–15: USF harinamas in Tampa
April 16–20: Washington, D.C., harinamas with Sankarsana Prabhu
April 21–22: NYC Harinam
April 23: Flight to Brussels
April 24: Layover in Oslo
April 25: Kadamba Kanana Swami Vyasa-puja at Radhadesh
April 26: King’s Day in Amsterdam
April 27: Liege harinama
April 28–May 1: Paris harinamas
May 2: Sarcelles market harinama
May 3–4: Holland Kirtan Mela and Sacinandana Swami seminar
May 5 and 6: harinama in Amsterdam, Antwerp, or Brussels
May 7: Flight from Brussels to New York City
May 8–June 15: NYC Harinam
mid June–mid August: Paris
– June 22: Paris Ratha-yatra
– July 4: Amsterdam harinama
– July 5: Amsterdam Ratha-yatra

Chanting Hare Krishna in Tallahassee

On Friday I hoped to make a kirtan video with a student who played guitar with me for an hour the previous week. He did not show up, and I figured he probably decided he did not want to appear in a Hare Krishna devotee’s video the more he thought about it. I forget that people are concerned about things like that because I wasn’t concerned about things like that. Ananga Mohan Prabhu brought the drum to play, so I decided to make a video of the two of us. Citralekha Devi Dasi of Amsterdam turned me on to a very nice tripod for just $20 which is very durable and compact, so I tried it out for the first time while making this video of our kirtan at Landis Green (https://youtu.be/1rQz-TH89DU):

One young man played the shakers for quite some time.

He ended up taking “On Chanting Hare Krishna.”

Friday was two weeks from Valentine’s Day, and the rose a student gave me then continued to bloom.

Seeing Ananga Mohan Prabhu’s alternative drum beat raised the question in my mind:

Can you play a mrdanga like a djembe? (https://youtu.be/g1Gp8pCvwZw):

Kali-yuga has reached the point that students fund raising for their clubs collect money from donors attracted to throw pies in their faces. It used to be just the guys that did this, but now the women are getting into it. One man paid for the club members to throw the pies at each other. The first club used pies of shaving cream, and the second used pies of whipped cream. I did not want to take a break from my harinama, so I chant in the background (https://youtu.be/vCRLowb8I_g):Hare Krishna at a home program in Tallahassee

Jagi Kirtan Prabhu chants Hare Krishna during Gaura Arati at the ISKCON Alachua Sunday feast program (https://youtu.be/gA1kgA_FUDM):

Insights

Srila Prabhupada:

From Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.3.21, purport:

“Krishna appears in this world for two purposes, paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam: to protect the innocent, religious devotees of the Lord and to annihilate all the uneducated, uncultured asuras, who unnecessarily bark like dogs and fight among themselves for political power. It is said, kali-kale nama-rupe krishna avatara. The Hare Krishna movement is also an incarnation of Krishna in the form of the holy name (nama-rupe). Every one of us who is actually afraid of the asuric rulers and politicians must welcome this incarnation of Krishna: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Then we will surely be protected from the harassment of asuric rulers. At the present moment these rulers are so powerful that by hook or by crook they capture the highest posts in government and harass countless numbers of people on the plea of national security or some emergency. Then again, one asura defeats another asura, but the public continues to suffer. Therefore the entire world is in a precarious condition, and the only hope is this Hare Krishna movement. Lord Nrsimhadeva appeared when Prahlada was excessively harassed by his asuric father. Because of such asuric fathers—that is, the ruling politicians—it is very difficult to press forward the Hare Krishna movement, but because Krishna has now appeared in His holy name through this movement, we can hope that these asuric fathers will be annihilated and the kingdom of God established all over the world. The entire world is now full of many asuras in the guise of politicians, gurus, sadhus, yogis and incarnations, and they are misleading the general public away from Krishna consciousness, which can offer true benefit to human society.”

From Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya 9.72 text and purport:

“At Paksi-tirtha, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited the temple of Lord Shiva. . . . There is a temple of Lord Shiva there, and the deity is known as Vedagirisvara. Two birds come there daily to receive food from the temple priest, and it is claimed that they have been coming since time immemorial.”

From a morning walk in Mayapur on March 9, 1974:

“Not one should think, ‘Oh, I have become so much great devotee, I can violate all the rules and . . .’ No, you cannot. If there is need of violating rules and regulation, you must take permission.”

From an arrival address in Los Angeles on February 9, 1975:

“It is very difficult for this country or this part of the world to follow the four principles of regulative life: no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating and no intoxication. Even Lord Zetland, when he was given this formula for becoming advanced in spiritual consciousness, he flatly replied, ‘It is impossible for us.’ Yes. But impossible thing can be made possible by the grace of Krishna. That is possible—Krishna is all-powerful—provided we are serious and sincere. That is the main business. We must be very serious and sincere. Then Krishna will give you intelligence.”

Bhaktivinoda Thakura:

[One year on Shiva Ratri, the Indian congregation wanted to do a program at our temple in Tallahassee. As we have Gaura-Nitai deities, I thought it would be good for them to know the relationship between Lord Shiva and Lord Caitanya so I read to them this amazingly ecstatic selection.]

“One time during Satya-yuga, Lord Shiva began madly dancing, while chanting the name of Gauranga. Parvati asked him, ‘Please tell me who is Gauranga. By seeing your astonishing dance and hearing the name of Gauranga, my heart is melting. All that I have heard in the way of mantra and tantra till now only leads to more entanglement for the living entities. Dear husband, please tell me something of this Gauranga. By worshipping Him will I receive actual life?’ 

“Hearing Parvati’s words, Shiva meditated on Gauranga and said, ‘Unto you, who are the primordial energy, one portion of Sri Radha, I will tell the crest-jewel of all truths. Accepting the spiritual emotions of Sri Radha, Krishna will descend in this Kali yuga at Mayapur in the womb of Saci. Lord Gauranga, intoxicated with pastimes of kirtana, will distribute the jewel of prema to everyone without discrimination. Whoever does not drown in that flood of prema is most unfortunate. O Devi, just by remembering the Lord’s promise that He will come, I pass my life drowning in love of God. Being unable to control myself, I have given up my own city of Kasi. Within Mayapur, on the bank of the Ganges, I will live in a hut and worship Gauranga.’

“Hearing Shiva’s words, beautiful Parvati quickly went to Simantadvipa. As she constantly meditated on the form of Gauranga and chanted His name, she became immersed in prema. After some time, Gauracandra appeared with His associates to bestow mercy on Parvati. His complexion was like molten gold. He had long arms, wavy hair, and beautiful limbs. He was wearing a long dhoti folded thrice, and from His neck swung a garland of flowers, which was very attractive to behold. In a voice choked with love, Gaura Raya said, ‘O Parvati, why have you come here?’

“Parvati fell at the lotus feet of the master of the universe and with an agitated mind explained her sorrow: ‘O Prabhu Jagannatha, life of the universe, though You are merciful to all, You have deceived me. O deliverer of the fallen, You have appointed me to bind up all the living entities in the material world who are averse to You. I have come into the material world to do this work, and have thus been cheated of Your unlimited prema. People say that wherever Krishna is, there is no Maya. I am therefore forced to always remain outside Your spiritual realm, in the material world. So how will I ever see Your pastimes? If You do not offer a way, I am without hope.’

“Saying this, Parvati put Gauranga’s foot dust on her simanta (part in the hair) in great distress. From that, the name of Simantadvipa came. Ignorant people call the place Simuliya.

“Gauracandra was pleased, and He said to Parvati, ‘O supreme goddess, listen carefully to My words. You are My energy, you are not separate or different from Me. My one energy has two forms. Within the spiritual kingdom, My original energy has one form as Sri Radha, but for carrying out activities in the material world She has expanded Herself as you. Without you, My lila could not be accomplished, for in the form of Yogamaya, you are necessary in My pastimes. In Vraja, you are eternally present as Paurnamasi, and in Navadvipa you are present as Praudha Maya along with Ksetrapala Shiva, guardian of the dhama.’

“Saying this, Gauranga disappeared, and Parvati became overwhelmed with love. Parvati stays in one form as the goddess of Simantadvipa, and in another form as Praudha Maya in Mayapur.”

Mukunda Goswami:

From Miracle on Second Avenue:

[When the San Francisco devotees came to Montreal, on the way to opening a London center, in praising them Srila Prabhupada referred to them as missionaries.]

“‘It’s funny that he called us missionaries,’ I said to Shyamasundar as we walked back down the stairs. ‘I never really thought of us in that way.’

“‘I know what you mean,’ he said. ‘It’s not like being a missionary in the traditional sense of the word. It’s more like a magic carpet ride!’”

Yogesvara Prabhu:

From Golden Avatar, his biography on Lord Caitanya presently in production:

[Describing the sannyasa initiation of Lord Caitanya:] “It was an event none wished to see but all were irresistibly drawn to witness.”

[Describing Sacidevi’s deliberation on Nimai taking sannyasa:] “She could never stand between him and his mission. He might forgive her if she ordered him to stay, but she would never forgive herself. How could she deny him the freedom he needed to realize his grand plans? He had ambitions of bringing change not only to India but to the entire world. She could never dissuade him from that, nor would she try.”

“The king’s [Prataparudra’s] insistence on meeting Chaitanya was striking, given how overwhelmed he was by military pressures. In recent months, no less than three adversaries had attacked his Gajapati Empire, and by the time Chaitanya arrived in Puri in 1510, a valuable portion of territory had been lost to neighboring kingdoms. Practically from his installation as emperor in 1497, Prataparudra was preoccupied defending his lands, particularly from attacks in the north by Bengal sultan Hussain Shah. Yet the king never neglected his daily routine. He woke two hours before sunrise, rode twenty miles on horseback, returned and bathed, then attended ritual services for Jagannath in the main temple before breakfast.”

Nitya Kishori Devi Dasi:

From a class on Shiva Ratri in Alachua:

Before drinking the ocean of poison, Lord Shiva took permission from his wife. This shows the Vedic culture. Husband and wife do things together, and they take permission from each other.

Now we have big football stadiums. Formerly they had big sacrificial arenas.

In the churning of the milk ocean, first the poison was produced. Similarly in our chanting of Krishna in the beginning so many not so nice things come up before we attain the nectar of the holy name.

Comments by me:

In connection with the churning of the ocean pastime, Lord Shiva spoke this famous verse before drinking the poison:

“It is said that great personalities almost always accept voluntary suffering because of the suffering of people in general. This is considered the highest method of worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is present in everyone’s heart.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.7.44)

In Harihara ksetra, there is a deity that is half Vishnu and half Shiva. If you die there, Lord Shiva chants the name of Lord Vishnu in your ear, and you attain perfection.

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Some theists consider that God has no form, but the Vedic knowledge reveals that although God has no material form like we have, He does have a spiritual form, and in fact, he appears in many, many incarnations in a variety of spiritual forms. This verse by Lord Brahma, who assists the Supreme Lord in the creation of the universe, tells that the Supreme Lord is so reciprocal of His devotees’ affection that He appears to each in the form that that particular devotee likes the best just to give pleasure to His devotee, and therefore I found it inspiring.

tvam bhakti-yoga-paribhavita-hrt-saroja

“O my Lord, Your devotees can see You through the ears by the process of bona fide hearing, and thus their hearts become cleansed, and You take Your seat there. You are so merciful to Your devotees that You manifest Yourself in the particular eternal form of transcendence in which they always think of You.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.11)