Monthly Archives: March 2023

18 March 2023
Japa Talk by Lokanath Swami Maharaja

Ekadasi, a day to review our devotional life

‘sādhu-saṅga’, ‘sādhu-saṅga’ — sarva-śāstre kaya
lava-mātra sādhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya

Translation:
The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment’s association with a pure devotee, one can attain all success.(CC Madhya 22.54)

From sadhu sanga comes siddhi. Today is Papamochani Ekadasi. All glories to Papamochani Ekadasi.

I welcome you all. If we become free from sin then there will be all auspiciousness. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur says that on Ekadasi devotees should review their devotional life and take some sankalpa for the development of their devotional life.

ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ
prātikūlyasya varjanam
rakṣiṣyatīti viśvāso
goptṛtve varaṇaṁ tathā
ātma-nikṣepa-kārpaṇye
ṣaḍ-vidhā śaraṇāgatiḥ

Translation:
‘The six divisions of surrender are the acceptance of those things favorable to devotional service, the rejection of unfavourable things, the conviction that Kṛṣṇa will give protection, the acceptance of the Lord as one’s guardian or master, full self-surrender, and humility. (CC Madhya 22.100)

Once someone was sleeping while chanting. I made him aware that he should not be sleeping while chanting. He became alert and I am certain he would definitely have taken a vow never to sleep again while chanting. That is a sankalpa.

There are some devotees who join this zoom conference daily and others who join only on Ekadasi. Rishi Kumar Prabhu was mentioning that our bhakti is ghana – tarala – a sporadic endeavour. Sometimes there is very serious diligence in our devotion and other times negligence. It shouldn’t be so. I would like to know with a show of hands who of those who are present here today join only on Ekadasi?

People sometimes say that they go to temple very regularly. If we ask them, “How regularly?” They say, “From Janmastami to Janmastami.” That is also regular. But there are those who join daily with 2000 other devotees for this japa and japa talk. You can also take a sankalpa to join daily. This is also anukul for your devotional life. Some of you can also take such a sankalpa. After missing out on a sankalpa for 14 days, now you could take a vow to join every single day.

Today is Ekadasi and it was on Dvadasi that Kadamba Kanana Maharaja joined the Lord’s eternal pastimes. Since that day I have been thinking. So many devotees have left and now Kadamba Kanana Maharaja has also left and any of us could be next. We need to increase the intensity and frequency of our devotional life.

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā
mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ
tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena
yajeta puruṣaṁ param

Translation:
A person who has broader intelligence, whether he be full of all material desire, without any material desire, or desiring liberation, must by all means worship the supreme whole, the Personality of Godhead. (SB 2.3.10)

We should constantly intensify and make our devotional life strong – not only occasionally. It is like when someone dies, we become very serious in our devotion. But as we return home after the funeral, we go back to our normal way of life. That’s smasana-vairagya. The intensity should not depend on any occasion. It should be active every second, anukshana. Frequency should increase. My thoughts from last Ekadasi to this Ekadasi is that I will increase the intensity of my devotional life.

It’s Papamochani Ekadasi and may be some of you joined to get free from sin.

atha kena prayukto ’yaṁ
pāpaṁ carati pūruṣaḥ
anicchann api vārṣṇeya
balād iva niyojitaḥ

Translation:
Arjuna said: O descendant of Vṛṣṇi, by what is one impelled to sinful acts, even unwillingly, as if engaged by force? (BG 3.36)

This is Arjuna’s question. Some person or energy lets me commit sin. Who is he? These are Arjuna’s questions in the 3rd chapter of Bhagavad-gita. Remember, you will always get the answers to all your questions in Bhagavad-gita, Bhagavatam and Caitanya-caritamrita.

Then Krsna answers,

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

kāma eṣa krodha eṣa
rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ
mahāśano mahā-pāpmā
viddhy enam iha vairiṇam

Translation:
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world.

Krsna says, ‘O Arjuna, you are asking Me what is that which makes us commit sins. That’s kama.’

dhyāyato viṣayān puṁsaḥ
saṅgas teṣūpajāyate
saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ
kāmāt krodho ’bhijāyate

Translation:
While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.(BG 2.62)

From lust comes anger. One arises from the other. Kama-krodha – cause and effect. Kama is the cause and anger is the effect. Then anger is the cause and the effect is lobha. If you want to be free from sin, then get rid of lust which is the cause.

These are Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s words.

ātmendriya-prīti-vāñchā — tāre bali ‘kāma’
kṛṣṇendriya-prīti-icchā dhare ‘prema’ nāma

Translation: The desire to gratify one’s own senses is kāma [lust], but the desire to please the senses of Lord Kṛṣṇa is prema [love]. (CC Madhya 4.165)

It’s simple. We have to protect ourselves from lust which will disappear naturally when one loves and serves Krsna. If you want to be free from kama you need to love Krsna. We should take shelter of the Lord.

sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

Translation: Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear. (BG18.66)

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ
tat-paratvena nirmalam
hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-
sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate

Translation: ‘Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.’( CC Madhya 19.170)

The master of our senses is Krsna, not us. The Lord is the master. That is bhakti. When we serve Him, our senses are satisfied. That’s why we need to surrender unto the lotus feet of Krsna. We must take shelter of the holy name.

yada mukundo bhagavan
krsna tyaktva sva-padam gatau
tad dinat kalir ayatau
sarva-sadhana-badhaka

Translation:
As Sri Krsna left this earth and went to Vaikunta Loka, since that day, Kali which affected each and everything had already reached here.(Srimad Bhagavat Mahatmya 66)

There will be many difficulties in your devotional life due to Kali. We should take a firm decision to protect ourselves from him. We must take a vow to stay away from it all.

Some of you can share your sankalpas, how you are monitoring your devotional life, or share some events which have affected your devotional life from the previous Ekadasi to this one.