Websites from the ISKCON Universe
A Visit to Southern Russia (Album of photos)
Indradyumna Swami: The city of Sochi is situated in southern Russia. With its beaches, as well as nearby snow-capped mountains, it serves as a resort for the wealthy people of the country. ISKCON has had a successful temple there for a number of years. We spent 3 happy days with the devotees relishing the spring weather and the chanting of Lord Krsna’s holy names.
Podcast
Transcription
Question: Is blaming past karma for bad things just a way to avoid blaming God?
Answer:
Yes, bad things happen to us but if you are honest good things also happen to us. When we are successful, we did work hard for that success, but so many other things fall in place. It’s only because all those things also fall in place that we become successful. Success is not just because of our own efforts. There are other things beyond us which also contribute to success. What to speak of success? Even our very existence is dependent on something beyond us for our existence.
When we live, right now we are breathing, we are not even conscious that we are breathing. We don’t consciously breathe. Certainly, we don’t produce the oxygen that we need to breathe. It is already provided. When a child comes to the mother’s womb into the world, the mother does not do anything special to produce milk in her breasts. Milk comes over there. So, we will see that there is much good that is also arranged, which is essential for our existence.
Suppose after this program we will have prasad. When we have food, we digest the food and we enjoy the food. We get some energy after that. If you consider scientifically or medically speaking, digesting of food is a very complicated process. I was in MIT, America, Massachusetts. They took me to a lab over there. They were actually trying to develop an artificial digestive machine. It’s like we have pacemakers and we have other machines. They found that it’s extremely complicated. You don’t need a machine you need a factory. It’s such a complicated process. So now, who is doing that? We just eat the food and we get energy after that. The only time we think of our digestion is when it doesn’t work.
The point here is that if we are to blame God for our bad things, then actually there are good things happening also, in which we are not doing them. If we are just alive, then there is more right with us than wrong. So many people die before they come to the age which we are living right now. If we observe carefully, there is some benevolent arrangement in the world which facilitates our existence. There is a foundation of benevolence in the world. There’s a foundation of goodness and on that foundation of goodness, sometimes good, sometimes bad.
If that foundation of benevolence and goodness would not be there, then even existence would be impossible. Therefore, this foundation of benevolence that is there, this whole system of good and bad that is there, where does the system come from? Sometimes people say that okay, so many bad things happen to good people. Therefore, there is no God. How can God exist if so many bad things are happening? Well possible. That could be an argument. But you could turn that argument around and say, okay, why should bad things not happen to good people? What do you mean? You know, bad things shouldn’t happen to good people. But why not? If there is no higher ordering principle in the world, then anything can happen to anyone. The very assumption that good action should lead to good results and bad action should lead to bad results, where is that assumption coming from? What is the basis for that assumption? It is because there is some ordering principle that whenever there is disorder, we ask why is this disorder there?
So, blaming God might seem simplistic. Blaming God could be one option, but there is a foundation of benevolence and goodness that enables our existence itself. Only with that foundation can everything else follow. We basically have three options. When we look at the world around us, that everything happens by chance, there’s no cause-effect connection and anything happens to anyone. So bad things happen because life is like a lottery. Some people win the lottery. Some people lose the lottery. It’s a very helplessness inducing view. That is not the way we function on a daily basis. We don’t raise our children telling, actually your exam is a lottery. Whether you study or not, it doesn’t matter. Either you’ll get marks or you’ll not get marks. Nobody lives like that.
One possibility is that everything happens by chance. The second possibility is that everything happens simply by God’s arbitrary will. God decides to send bad things for some people’s life, God decides to send good things for some people’s life. Why would God be arbitrary or partial like this? If that were the case, then why would there be a foundation of goodness, which enables our existence, upon top of which there is arbitrary good or arbitrary bad. The idea that God is to be blamed for our misdeeds, for our distresses, recoils against the whole concept that there is a foundational good in the world, on which there is good and bad. And anyway, if that is the case, again, it’s a very helplessness inducing view.
If God is against me, what can I do? Isn’t it? Ultimately, we have to go on with our life. We have to look at a worldview that is most practically beneficial for us, that is the most constructive for us. So, either it is everything happens by chance or everything happens by God’s arbitrary will. The third option could be something else.
Suppose there’s a cricket match going on. The cricket match starts, and you see one team starting score is zero, the other team starting score is two hundred. What’s going on? This is not fair. Now you could have three explanations for this. Why is it like this? One is the scoreboard works by chance. It just automatically puts any numbers over there. This team was unlucky, this team was lucky. The second option is that the scorekeeper is biased. The scorekeeper put extra marks over there and put a zero over here. The third explanation could be that it is a multiple innings match and this team is carrying over from the previous innings. So, this two hundred is a lead from the previous innings.
Similarly, if there are differences in the way we get in life, the most reasonable explanation in a game, if everything were by chance, there is definitely an element of chance in a game, but it is not that everything is by chance. The score doesn’t come by chance over there. And if the scorekeeper is biased, why would he even have a match over there? Without a match only decide this team is winning, that team is lost. The most reasonable explanation is that it’s a multiple innings match. Most reasonable in the sense that it is the most empowering. The other two explanations are most disempowering. If everything is by chance or everything is by God’s arbitrary will then there’s nothing we can do about it.
If you understand that it is by our own past deeds, then that creates a sense of purpose and power within us. If I do good deeds now, I can create a brighter future for myself. I have written the whole book on this topic called “Demystifying Reincarnation”, where this whole reasoning and logic I have explained systematically. This is the broad answer. We could blame God, but actually blaming our past karma is not a replacement for blaming God. Rather, it is the most reasonable and the most empowering explanation for what we experience in our day to day lives.
End of transcription.
The #Giving TOVP 10 Day Worldwide Matching Fundraiser from May 7th (Akshaya Tritita) until May 17th (Nrsimha Caturdasi) is now underway. His Grace Jananivas prabhu speaks about the importance of the TOVP and participating in this 10 day window of opportunity to make a donation to the project.
The #Giving TOVP 10 Day Worldwide Matching Fundraiser will be an incredible, never before done online event to raise funds, large or small, from every devotee, whether they have already given to the TOVP or not. Ambarisa prabhu will match all donations capping at $125,000, thus doubling the income to the TOVP during this fundraising event to help complete the TOVP by 2022.
For more information, go to the TOVP #Giving TOVP Fundraiser page at the link below. You can also become a TOVP Ambassador by downloading the flyer from the website page and posting it on the internet, emailing it to your devotee friends and relatives, and posting at your local temple. We want the participation of every ISKCON devotee and congregation member worldwide. Please spread the word and share this information.
https://tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities/giving-tovp-fundraiser/
MISSION 22 MARATHON KI JAYA! THINK 22! TOVP NOW!
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The only benediction to ask from the Lord is:
“Please may i never give up service”
We don’t serve to ask for something else; the service itself is the best, better than anything else.
The article " Never give up service " was published on KKSBlog.
Famous UK TV’s actress and crew visit Mayapur.
Cruising with Jane McDonald-Series 5 - Episode 4
India - Part Two.
The voyage concludes with the second part of Jane’s journey across India, which sees her fully immersed in her cruise on the sacred Ganges river. After visiting the home of the Hare Krishna movement, she is invited to join the masses making the pilgrimage to the sacred city of Mayapur, where she takes in the spectacular shrines and ceremonies. After the cruise reaches its final stop, Jane continues on land to the famous `Pink City’ of Jaipur, and then onto the Agra.
Source: https://is.gd/cNlnCi
Iskcon Puri’s situation.
Prior to hitting Puri, cyclone Fani, since 2nd of May 2019, all the city got disconnected from electricity, water, telephone & internet connection till today. While Fani cyclone gradually made landfall, the whole city got dis-mantled along with Iskcon Bhakti kutir (Bhaktivinode Thakur’s Bhajan kutir), damaged it’s building, broke down doors & windows and filled the whole building with sand.
During this unexpected and frightening storm (by sand) the devotees were crying & praying to Lord Jagannath & Sri Sri Radha Giridhari, our predominated deity, for protection.
Only the Lord knows when everything will be in order again, although we are continuing all temple programs as much as possible.
Please, all of you extend your kind prayers and blessings for us.
Your Servant Gournitai Das.
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Durban, South Africa, 8 March 2019, Kendra Namahatta
In Navadvipa, before taking sannyasa, Lord Caitanya was known by two names, either Nimai or Visvambhara. Visvambhara was His former name, meaning the maintainer of the entire universe.
It is said in the Caitanya Caritamrta: He thought, “How can I be called Visvambhara, the maintainer of the whole universe, unless I give people entire happiness?” How can you say you are maintaining someone if you are only feeding them, if you are only providing them a roof over their head, if you are only providing them clothes? How can you say you are maintaining them?
One can only say they are maintaining someone when that person is completely happy. But that is not so simple. Who is completely happy?
The only way someone will be completely happy is when we give them love of God! Therefore Vishvambara is the one who gives love of God to all.
The article " Complete Happiness " was published on KKSBlog.
Former President of Croatia receives Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita during Harinama(Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The Vedic scriptures say: “Even if one distributes ten million cows in charity during an eclipse of the sun, lives at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuma for millions of years, or gives a mountain of gold in sacrifice to the brahmanas, he does not earn one hundredth part of the merit derived from chanting Hare Krishna.” (Sri-Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 3.79 Purport)
Srila Prabhupada: If you want to stay in Krsna Consciousness you will have to develop firm faith in Guru and Sastra. Therefore, you must study my books very scrutinizingly, follow the four regulative principles very strictly and chant 16 rounds daily avoiding the ten offenses. Don't take this movement as something cheap.
Initiation Ceremony by HH Giriraj Swami
Posted by ISKCON Durban on Saturday, May 4, 2019
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On Sri Gadadhara Pandita’s appearance day, Giriraj Swami officially connected seven disciples with Srila Prabhupada and the parampara: Anil Basdew became Ananda Krishna dasa, Clive Jugathpal became Krishna Kishore dasa, Leeann Govindsamy became Lila Manjari dasi, Mayawatee Sewjathan became Madhumati dasi, Pranesa Sewpershad became Pradhana Gopika dasi, Reena Sewpershad became Radhika Kishori dasi, and Sheena Basdew became Shobha Radha dasi. Please bless them and support them in their efforts in Krishna consciousness.
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The post Just as Bhishma chose the wrong side, so do we – how can we learn properly from such role models? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
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The post Think Choose Relish: 3-point essence of the first three verses of Srimad Bhagavatam appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
If you have any photos of Mother Mother Kulangana please kindly email them to me 
San Diego Ratha Yatra 2019 (Album of photos)
Ratha-yatra at Balboa Park on April 28, 2019, during the EarthFair.
Find the...
Remedies to Heal Emotional Pain A Spiritual Perspective (6 min. video) by Namita Purohit.
Highlights From The Sacred Sound Kirtan Retreat 2019 in Australia.
Syamala Gopa Kishori devi dasi: This year’s Sacred Sound Kirtan retreat was a great success and we are very grateful to the many kirtaneers, devotees and guests who made it possible. The annual event, which was held during the Easter weekend, drew a crowd of almost 1000 guests, all enthusiastic to share in the nectar of the holy names.
One of the highlights of the retreat was the uplifting kirtanas led by some of ISKCON’s most prominent kirtaneers, including Indradyumna Swami, Bhakti Bhringa Govinda Swami (BB Govinda), Bada Haridas prabhu, Sri Prahlad dasa, Bali and Dhanya Rico and Akincana dasa, among others. These kirtanas had the devotees dancing and chanting with great devotion. Another great memory of the retreat was the illuminating seminars given by BB Govinda Swami on the Brhad Bhagavatamrta.
The retreat hosted a fantastic market, which offered delicious prasadam as well as gifts handcrafted by talented members of the New Govardhana community. In addition, the Krishna Kids area was a welcome treat for children and their parents, who were able to immerse themselves in kirtanas while their little ones engaged in crafts and activities.
Devotees felt spiritually surcharged by this year’s retreat and are eagerly awaiting the 2020 Sacred Sound Kirtan event.
KRISHNA VILLAGE UPDATE: NEW DEVELOPMENTS ON THE WAY! (Located in Eungella, a town in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia)
On the occassion of appearance day of Sri Gadadhara Pandit, abhisheka took place, with bhog offering, pushpanjali and Arti. In Navadvipa, Sri Gaura -Gadadhara is worshipped at Champahatti. These were the deities worshipped by Sri Dwija Vaninatha, nephew of Sri Gadadhara Pandita. Sri Bhakti Vinod Thakura’s worshippable deities were Sri Gaura -Gadadhara at Godrumadvipa. During […]
The post Sri Gadadhara Pandit Appearance day celebrations! appeared first on Mayapur.com.
A pure devotee is magnanimous and an inspiration to one and all. It is only by great fortune, that one gets to associate with him. In Fact even a moment’s association with a pure devotee of the Lord is all purifying and it is only by his causeless mercy that one becomes eligible to engage in the service of the Supreme Lord.
By Ambika devi dasi As many are aware, New Govardhana’s Vaishnava Care Committee (VCC) has formed to assist seriously ill devotees and those in need of palliative care within our community. On 20 February, the VCC officially registered as a non-profit incorporated association. The VCC has also applied to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission (ACNC) for charity status, which, if approved, will allow tax deductions for contributors. The VCC requires this status because it plans to construct a palliative care residence on New Govardhana. Continue reading "Caring For Krishna’s Devotees: The VCC Gets Official!
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By Chandan Yatra Das Sri Tota Gopinatha is exquisitely beautiful self-manifested Deity of Lord Sri Krishna. Sri Tota Gopinatha is also a most unique Deity because He is the only Krishna Deity in the world “sitting down” and playing His flute. Sri Tota Gopinatha has such a charismatic bewitching quality that draws one to His darshana over and over again. Srila Vrindavana Thakura extols His power: “Even an extreme atheist will be changed upon seeing the Deity of Gopinatha.” Continue reading "Sri Sri Tota Gopinatha Temple And Sri Gadadhara Pandita
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The most auspicious day for giving, Akshaya Tritiya is here! And the #Giving TOVP 10 Day Worldwide Matching Fundraiser is starting.
Please be a generous TOVP Giver and your gift will be matched by TOVP Chairman, Ambarisa prabhu. Simply go to the website address below and select your donation, large or small. Even if you have already given, give again. And if you have already made a pledge to the TOVP you can use this opportunity to make a payment and your donation will be doubled.
https://tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities/giving-tovp-fundraiser/
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The post May 7, Akshaya Tritiya – The Auspicious Launch of the #Giving TOVP 10 Day Worldwide Matching Fundraiser May 7-17 appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.
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The post When a mother will keep mud away from a child, why does Krishna make lust so easily available in this world? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
[Talk at St Louis, USA]
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The post What goes around comes around – Ravana & Maya-Sita appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
[Talk at St Louis, USA]
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The post Ravana -Ten Heads, Zero Brains – Keeping our desires in control appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
There is as always an interesting thought when listening to class when the discussion on Sri Krishna fulfilling all desire, I wonder if this is really the case as many of my deep desires have never been fulfilled including the one that would mean doing more seva.
Desire is an interesting thing as I’m sure each and every one of us have desires, some fleeting and some like me deeply held, but as time passes the realisation is that many won’t be fulfilled and in some ways this is a good thing.
It’s also of note that in some ways full fulfilment of desire cannot be there, my Karma comes into play, wealth, length of life, health act. all come into play and although chanting Hare Krishna diminishes the effects of Karma the reality is that whilst in this body I cannot avoid it’s effects. However how I manage it well that I do have some control of.
Popular Sri Krishna fulfills all desires may in fact not be good for me as overwhelmingly the desire to enjoy all that material nature has to offer is primary, due to being in this material body. And could be a hindrance in my making progress in Krishna consciousness are add to the illusion that I am the cause of my success, I desire it happens.
Unfulfilled desires although in some instances is disappointing and even if a deep desire painful (especially when the realisation due to time it won’t and you see others achieve this); in the long term looking back it has been a good thing. Indeed it’s the difficulty of living in the material world and the frustrations caused by unfulfilled desires accumulated in my seeking the reason why; and eventually to my good fortune of meeting the devotees, reading Srila Prabhupada’s books and then the opportunity to serve both the devotees but also Sri Krishna.
Indeed celebrating the fact that we actually have desires and understanding the beauty of some being fulfilled whilst others aren’t is a very healthy thing; as reflecting on why if Sri Krishna fulfills all desire and mine aren’t means either I’m doing something wrong or Sri Krishna has turned his back on me.
Desires come, desires go; love of Sri Krishna and sincerity in service should be our ultimate goal and desire and for this I’m sure Sri Krishna will fulfil this desire. But by his great mercy many of my desires are thankfully ignored.
But I’m as always interested to hear others thought and realisations
Hare Krishna
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami shares his inner journey through daily poems, writings and paintings. A candid place for genuine spiritual seekers to connect 
Young kirtaniya in action (3 min. video)
Srila Prabhupada: If one hears a person say even once the word “Krishna” that person should be accepted as the best man out of the common group. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, 15, 106)
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Today is the most auspicious occasion of Sri Gadadhara Pandita’s appearance day. As many of you know, Lord Chaitanya is Krishna Himself in the role of a devotee. He is Krishna, but with the complexion and mood of Srimati Radharani. There are different purposes for the Lord’s advent. The internal reason for Lord Chaitanya’s appearance was that He wanted to experience the glory of Srimati Radharani’s love for Him, the wonderful qualities in Him that She alone relishes through Her love, and the happiness She feels when She experiences the sweetness of His love for Her—which only She can experience. The external reason (not that it was any less significant) was to propagate the yuga-dharma, the recommended method for God realization in each particular age (yuga).
To assist the Lord in His pastimes, four principal associates descended with Him—Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, Srivasa Thakura, and Gadadhara Pandita. Together with Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, they comprise the Pancha-tattva. In Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Adi 1.14) the author offers his respects to all five together:
panca-tattvatmakam krsnam
bhakta-rupa-svarupakam
bhaktavataram bhaktakhyam
namami bhakta-saktikam
“I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Krsna, who is nondifferent from His features as a devotee, devotional incarnation, devotional manifestation, pure devotee, and devotional energy.”
Krishna appeared in the form of a devotee (bhakta-rupa), as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu; as the expansion of a devotee (sva-rupakam), as Nityananda Prabhu; as an incarnation of a devotee (bhakta-avataram), as Advaita Prabhu; as a devotee (bhakta), as Srivasa Thakura; and as the devotional energy that inspires a devotee (bhakta-saktikam), as Gadadhara Pandita. Together they all came to propagate harinama-sankirtana as the yuga-dharma for the present age.
We are now in Kali-yuga, the worst age. But although Kali-yuga is the worst, it affords us the best opportunity to realize God, through the chanting of the holy names. At the end of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Sukadeva Gosvami says, kaler dosa-nidhe rajann: this Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults. An ocean—you cannot measure the length or breadth of an ocean. Asti hy eko mahan gunah: but within Kali-yuga there is one great opportunity. What is that? Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet: by chanting the holy names of Krishna, one becomes liberated from material association and attains the supreme goal of life.
Sanga—association. Sangat sanjayate kamah. Desire comes from association. Generally, people in the material world are associated with the three modes of material nature: sattva-guna, rajo-guna, and tamo-guna. Because of their association with the three modes, they develop material bodies made of the three modes, and mentalities influenced by the three modes. And it is very difficult to overcome the influence of maya, which consists of these three modes.
daivi hy esa guna-mayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te
In the Bhagavad-gita (7.14) Lord Krishna says that this material nature, which consists of the three modes, is very difficult to overcome but that one who surrenders unto Him can easily overcome it and become free from the influence of these modes.
Lord Chaitanya and His associates in the Pancha-tattva came to taste love of Godhead and to distribute love of Godhead—to taste the holy names of Krishna and to distribute the holy names of Krishna. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta describes that the storehouse of love of Godhead had remained sealed but that the members of the Pancha-tattva broke open the seal, plundered the storehouse, ate the contents, and became intoxicated with love of God. But they didn’t want to enjoy the contents by themselves. They also wanted to share the contents with others. And that was their life—tasting ecstatic love of Godhead and distributing it.
The main method by which they distributed love of Godhead was through the chanting of the holy names of God, in particular the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The members of the Pancha-tattva would become so intoxicated chanting and dancing that they didn’t know whether it was day or night. They didn’t know where they were. Once, Nityananda Prabhu led a party of devotees from Puri, and they were chanting and dancing all the way. They were trying to make their way back to Bengal but were so intoxicated with love of God that they didn’t know which way they were going. They would start in one direction, and days later they would realize that they didn’t know in which direction they had gone. Then they would ask someone to set them in the right direction. Again, days would pass in chanting and dancing. They wouldn’t even eat or sleep. And after some time they would realize that again they didn’t know where they were. This was the high level of their kirtan in ecstatic love of God.
So, that is what they were tasting, and that is what they wanted to distribute. And reciprocally, that is what they wanted us to accept: the great gift of the holy name, the great treasure of love of God. Golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama-sankirtana: the great treasure of love of God has descended from Goloka Vrindavan, the spiritual world, as the congregational chanting of the holy name. The holy name is not a material sound vibration. Krishna’s name is Krishna Himself. It is completely spiritual.
nama cintamanih krsnas
caitanya-rasa-vigrahah
purnah suddho nitya-mukto
’bhinnatvan nama-naminoh
Nama cintamanih krsnas: the holy name of Krishna is a transcendental touchstone that bestows all spiritual benedictions. Caitanya-rasa-vigrahah: it is the form of all transcendental mellows. It is complete (purnah), pure (suddha), and eternally liberated (nitya-muktah) from the influence of maya, the modes of material nature. ’Bhinnatvan nama-naminoh: the holy name of Krishna is in all respects the same as Krishna Himself.
When we chant Hare Krishna, we are, in principle, associating with Krishna. Srila Prabhupada has explained that in the material world the name of a thing and the thing itself are different. So if you are thirsty and you chant “water, water, water, water,” just chanting “water, water” will not quench your thirst because the word water and the substance water are different. But in the spiritual world, the absolute world, the name of the thing and the thing itself are the same. So when you chant “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna,” Krishna is personally present, dancing on your tongue. And great devotees who realized Krishna through the process of chanting wanted to do nothing but chant. Srila Rupa Gosvami prayed, “With one tongue and two ears what can I chant, what can I relish? If I had millions of tongues and billions of ears then I could begin to chant.” That is the stage of relishing the holy name, when one is able to chant purely.
We, unfortunately, have no such attraction. In the second verse of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Siksastaka we find the word durdaivam, which means “misfortune.” We are unfortunate. Of course, we are also fortunate, because we have come in touch with Srila Prabhupada, who served the Pancha-tattva by executing their mission, traveling all over the world and distributing the holy name of Krishna. We are fortunate, but at the same time we are unfortunate because we do not experience ecstatic love when we chant—because we commit offenses. The great value of the holy name can be realized only when we chant without offense.
But here too, the Pancha-tattva help us, because they do not consider offenses. They are so liberal and magnanimous that they do not take any offense. Thus, if one chants the holy names of the Pancha-tattva with enthusiasm, with complete absorption, one will feel ecstatic, and when one feels ecstatic one can chant the holy names of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra without offense.
But we have to work. We have to practice. As Srila Prabhupada said, “Chanting is easy, but the determination to chant is not so easy.” We have to be determined to chant with attention, without offense. And if we can chant without offense, we will obtain the great treasure of love of God. Chanting is so important, as Lord Chaitanya instructed.
tara madhye sarva-srestha nama-sankirtana
niraparadhe nama laile paya prema-dhana
“Of the nine processes of devotional service, the most important is to always chant the holy name of the Lord. If one does so, avoiding the ten kinds of offenses, one very easily obtains the most valuable love of Godhead.” (Cc Antya 4.71)
There are ten offenses mentioned in the Padma Purana. Srila Jiva Gosvami has discussed them in detail in his Bhakti-sandarbha, and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has also discussed them, in Sri Harinama-cintamani. In Srila Prabhupada’s books we find lists and explanations of the ten offenses in different places. The list in The Nectar of Devotion is often read in temples as part of the morning program after mangala-arati, as devotees prepare to chant their rounds, for just reading or reciting the list, hearing it and praying, will help us to avoid the offenses. The last offense in this list is “to not have complete faith in the chanting of the holy names and to maintain material attachments, even after understanding so many instructions on this matter.” And then devotees often add, “It is also an offense to be inattentive while chanting.” Actually, at the end of the Sanskrit for the eighth offense we find the words api pramada. Pramada means “inattention.” In the Hari-nama-cintamani, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has taken pramada as a separate item, as the ninth offense—inattentive chanting. He states that by attentive chanting one can destroy all other offenses and that inattentive chanting allows the other offenses to grow and flourish.
So we have to make a concentrated effort to overcome this offense (pramada) and chant and hear with attention. As the Bhagavad-gita (6.26) says,
yato yato niscalati
manas cancalam asthiram
tatas tato niyamyaitad
atmany eva vasam nayet
“From wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the self.” So, that is our work.
And when we observe the activities of the mind while we are chanting and really consider what is happening—“Why is my mind always wandering? What is it thinking about?” (There is a whole list of things we think about, which we can’t even begin to discuss.)—if we consider, “What is going on? Why am I having all these other thoughts when I should be hearing the holy name?” we will find (at least in my experience) that it basically comes down to thinking we are the doers, the controllers, the proprietors, the enjoyers. Actually, the holy name is Krishna, and He is the controller, He is the proprietor, and He is the enjoyer. So let us surrender to Him. Let us surrender to the holy name, surrender to Krishna in the form of transcendental sound, and let Him take over.
When we are chanting our sixteen rounds, those two hours—or however long it takes—are our time with Krishna. At least in those two hours we should have no other thought but to be with Krishna, to associate with Krishna. Srila Prabhupada has explained that the chanting is a prayer to Radha and Krishna. The name Krishna refers, of course, to Krishna, and Hare is a way of addressing Radha. Thus Hare Krishna means “O Radha, O Krishna.” When we call people’s names, we want to get their attention, and when we get their attention they may respond, “Yes, what do you want? What can I do for you?” So when we get Radha and Krishna’s attention by chanting Their holy names, Hare Krishna, what are we going to ask? A pure devotee will ask for only one thing, and that is service. “I want to serve You. Please engage me in Your service.” That is our prayer when we chant.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has written much about the Siksastaka and the holy name, and in Sri Bhajana-rahasya he has explained that the eight prayers of the Siksastaka correspond with the eight pairs of names in the maha-mantra. So when we are chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—the verses of the Siksastaka are included. And if we are really concentrating, we can focus on each pair of names and know that the corresponding prayer of the Siksataka is included. We should not be racing through our rounds, just to finish them—“Oh, God, okay, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna . . . Okay, one down, fifteen to go.” Not racing through. This is our time with Krishna. In one sense, it is the most important time of the day—our time with Krishna. And we should give ourselves to Krishna. Of course, we do serve Him throughout the day—in principle, twenty-four hours—but this is our special time to associate with Him directly, with hari–nama directly.
Our godbrother Gopala Bhatta Prabhu owns a large business and has many responsibilities and projects, but he told me that when he chants his rounds he takes off his eyeglasses and his wristwatch. This is his time with Krishna, and he will not think about anything else. Of course, he is very organized. He makes long lists of what he has to do, so when he is chanting he doesn’t have to worry about remembering or forgetting things. That is a common fault, a common form of inattention—while we are chanting, within our minds we are making our to-do lists. We have to hear. And if what we have to do is important enough, we will remember it later. But we have to let go of all other thoughts when we chant, and just hear. Sometimes it may be that in that purifying process of chanting, Krishna is trying to tell us something, trying to remind us of something. And it really builds up. Even though we try, we just can’t let it go. Then it might be better to make a note of it, and then our mind might settle down. Otherwise, in principle, whatever it is, just let it go and hear—tac chrnu—hear the holy name of Krishna.
This is the great mission of the Pancha-tattva, to propagate pure chanting of the holy name, and through it, ecstatic love of Godhead.
Gadadhara Pandita appeared one year after Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And in their childhood the two were inseparable. They were so attached to each other. Together, they attended Gangadasa Pandita’s tola, school, and as classmates they enjoyed many pastimes with each other. In His childhood, Lord Chaitanya was called Nimai, because He was born under a nima tree. So, Nimai and Gadadhara would go to Ganganagara and attend class together. They would walk home together. They would study together. They would take bath in the Ganga together. They were inseparable. They could not bear to be separated from each other for even a moment.
Later, when Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa and went to reside in Jagannatha Puri, Gadadhara Pandita followed Him. Most of Mahaprabhu’s other associates in Navadvipa remained in Bengal; they came to Puri only once in a year, for the four months of the rainy season, to attend the Ratha-yatra and to see Mahaprabhu. But Gadadhara Pandita couldn’t bear to be separated from the Lord, and the Lord couldn’t bear to be separated from him. So he was permitted to stay with Mahaprabhu in Puri, and there they engaged in pastimes. Gadadhara Pandita accepted ksetra-sannyasa: he took a vow to never spend a night outside the dhama, Jagannatha Puri. And he engaged in the service of the Deity called Tota-gopinatha. The first time Chaitanya Mahaprabhu left Puri to travel to Vrindavan, Gadadhara Pandita followed Him—even at the cost of his ksetra-sannyasa and his service to Gopinatha. And when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu finally compelled him to return to Puri, Gadadhara fainted. He could not bear the separation. And for Mahaprabhu too, the separation was difficult. But Mahaprabhu tolerated it because He wanted to keep Gadadhara’s vow and service intact. Gadadhara Pandita and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had many intimate, loving pastimes together in Puri, which are described in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would come regularly to relish Gadadhara Pandita’s reading of Srimad-Bhagavatam. And it is said that in the end Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu entered the Tota-gopinatha temple and never came out, that He entered into the Deity of Gopinatha to return to His eternal pastimes.
After Mahaprabhu left, Gadadhara Pandita felt such intense separation that his body—although he was only forty-eight years old—began to age very quickly. In time, he was unable to stretch out his arms even to offer a garland to the Deity. So, as we hear, the Deity, to facilitate Gadadhara’s loving service, sat down (one can still visit Tota-gopinatha and see the sitting Deity), and soon Gadadhara himself entered into the Deity to join Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in His eternal pastimes.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta states that Gadadhara Pandita was an incarnation of the pleasure potency of Sri Krishna. And Sri Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika confirms that Srimati Radharani appeared in gaura-lila as Gadadhara Pandita. When the Lord descends, He doesn’t come alone; He comes with His eternal associates. Thus, when Lord Krishna came as Sri Krishna Chaitanya, in the role of a devotee, His eternal associates accompanied Him, as devotees, to assist Him in His pastimes. And the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika, written by Kavi-karnapura, also an associate of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, explains what roles the associates of Krishna in krsna-lila played in gaura-lila. Sri Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (147–149) states, “Srimati Radharani, who is the personification of pure love for Krsna and who is the queen of Vrndavana, appeared as Sri Gadadhara Pandita, who was very dear to Lord Chaitanya. Srila Svarupa Damodara Gosvami has also confirmed that the goddess of fortune, who appeared in Vrndavana and was very dear to Lord Krsna, appeared as Sri Gadadhara Pandita, who was filled with love for Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.”
Gadadhara Pandita is an incarnation of Srimati Radharani, the internal potency of Lord Krishna. But because Lord Chaitanya is Krishna acting in the mood of Srimati Radharani, Gadadhara Pandita, although Radharani, did not act in the mood of Radharani—because there can be only one Radharani. He understood, “This is Krishna’s time, His opportunity to relish the loving ecstasy of Srimati Radharani, so I will keep my mood of Radha in the background and just support Him in His experience of radha-bhava.” It is also said that if Gadadhara Pandita had manifested the nature or feature of Srimati Radharani, then Krishna, who was trying to absorb Himself in the mood of Radharani, would have become attracted to the Radha outside of Him and wouldn’t have been able to maintain His inner mood as Radha. So Gadadhara Pandita, to facilitate Lord Chaitanya in His pastimes, played the perfect role to complement and support the Lord—that of a perfect brahman: very gentle, very submissive, very scholarly, very sober.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Antya 7.166, 163–164) concludes,
panditera saujanya, brahmanyata-guna
drdha prema-mudra loke karila khyapana
“Gadadhara Pandita is celebrated all over the world for his gentle behavior, his brahminical attributes, and his steady love for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.”
panditera bhava-mudra kahana na yaya
‘gadadhara-prana-natha’ nama haila yaya
“No one can describe the characteristics and ecstatic love of Gadadhara Pandita. Therefore another name for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Gadadhara-prananatha, ‘the life and soul of Gadadhara Pandita.’
pandite prabhura prasada kahana na yaya
‘gadaira gauranga’ bali’ yanre loke gaya
“No one can say how merciful the Lord is to Gadadhara Pandita, but people know the Lord as Gadaira Gauranga, ‘the Lord Gauranga of Gadadhara Pandita.’ ”
On this auspicious occasion we can pray to Gadadhara Pandita, a most intimate associate of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and a member of the Pancha-tattva, to be merciful to us and help us to taste and distribute the nectar of the holy name, the nectar of Krishna consciousness, as humble servants of his devoted servants.
Thank you very much. Hare Krishna.
Sri Gadadhara Pandita ki jaya!
Sri Sri Pancha-tattva ki jaya!
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Sri Gadadhara Pandita’s appearance day, April 17, 2007, Dallas]
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