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Japa Talk by H. H. Lokanath Swami Maharaj Date: 18-09-2025 The World Holy Name Festival These are World Holy Name Days, so talk is going to be naturally about the World Holy Name. The World Holy Name Festival is worldwide festival, international festival, so I'm going to use international language, English here. On this occasion. I'm also in Mongolia, so that's another reason for me to continue talking in English. I hope you don't mind. For you transcription is going on in Hindi, which you can read. All glories to the World Holy Name Festival! All glories to the Holy Name! All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu! Srila Prabhupada did become founder acharya, also, he arrived yesterday, 60 years ago, in America, and very soon after his arrival, he founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, but he did that on behalf of Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is the original founder, or founding father, and again, just not him, but Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda prabhu together. Glories of the Holy Name Srila Prabhupada, of course, did kirtan himself a lot, chanting on the beads, as you could see here, or chanting with the drum and dancing, that's how he started his mission in America, in Tompkins Square Park, and that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mission, which was established and further propagated by Srila Prabhupada has to be continued by his followers, that is, all of us here, Srila Prabhupada, well, throughout his purports, you will find Srila Prabhupada, chanting the glories of the Holy Name, Mahatmya, the greatness of the Holy Name, everywhere, in fact, there's a book which is full of compilations of Prabhupada's chanted glories of the Holy Name, or wherever, whenever Prabhupada said something very special about the Holy Name, written in the books, or said that during his morning walks, or other talks, or room conversations, all those Prabhupada saying, Prabhupada said this about the Holy Name, that about the Holy Name, all that has been compiled in a book called “Harinamamrta”, if I remember it correctly, it's quite a thick book, Harinamamrta, so I strongly recommend that to all the devotees present here and listening to me, that you should have a copy of that book, I'm sure it is available on the internet. Besides, many temples, after Mangala Aarti, they read one quote of Srila Prabhupada, one saying of Prabhupada about the Holy Name, every single day. Right now, today, I'm going to say a few, few items, or let's see, as many as I'm going to be remembering, or recalling items about the Holy Name, or in relationship with the Holy Name, or what Prabhupada said to me from time to time about the Holy Name, or his instructions to me, I'm going to be talking about me and Srila Prabhupada, in the context of, of course, his society, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Here I begin, I hope you are all hearing, so hoping everything is going well. During my childhood days, itself, in my home village, I was exposed to the chanting, singing bhajans, kirtans, this is how I was introduced to the Holy Name, and my liking, and some love, you would say that, I developed that from my very childhood. Then in 1971, as Prabhupada had organized Hare Krishna Festival in Mumbai, I was a college student, and as I attended that festival, what impressed me the most, what influenced me the most, or what became take away for me, was the chanting of the Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Of course, I took away, I took away some of Srila Prabhupada's books, and chanting beads also, and following the Hare Krishna Festival in Bombay, Mumbai, I immediately started privately, hidingly, chanting and dancing and imitating those Hare Krishna devotees on the stage, and I thought, just see, ‘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] Of course, I had an association of Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada was on the stage, and all these kirtans on the stage were happening in his presence, so I kind of, some sort of perfection I attained as I started chanting and dancing myself. Then, finally and formally, I was initiated in 1972 during Karthik in Vrindavan, and Srila Prabhupada gave me the gift of the Holy Name. “Chant, 16 rounds daily” was also the instruction, and I continued to follow that instruction. As topic has come up, I would say, this one instruction of chanting every day, chanting prescribed number of rounds, starting with 72 to this day, 18th September 2025. If there's anything that I have done every single day, especially during morning hours, is I have chanted my Hare Krishna rounds or the mantras. From time to time, Prabhupada used to check with me, “Are you completing your 16 rounds?” Yeah, this happened several times during that 5 - 6 years period. During the times, I had association of Srila Prabhupada in Mumbai and other places also. Are you chanting? Are you finishing your rounds? So, I was feeling how Prabhupada was feeling concerned and being very personal with me and encouraging me, reminding me. I was so much happy with Srila Prabhupada, this inquiry that he was making. Well, let me say that now. Then I also used to, well, I do ask different devotees, different disciples, how is their chanting? Are they finishing their rounds? So, also with that aim in mind, I started this Harinam Zoom temple several years ago, wherein devotees, disciples from wherever, all over the world, all over India, get together and then seeing his believing also, as I see them, then I was kind of making sure that they are chanting. This Prabhupada is from me. Then, that kind of prompted me to continue to make inquiries from disciples and then Zoom Harinam temple came into existence. Prabhupada, at least on one occasion, he said the tongue, tongue must vibrate during chanting. There is so much of this monastic job and chanting within the mind idea, the concept is around so, he would ask, while chanting, the tongue must vibrate. Of course, you know, spiritual masters, in this case Srila Prabhupada's instructions to one disciple are also generally applicable to other disciples or to the rest of the devotees. Here, I'm kind of sharing this instruction of Srila Prabhupada, tongue must vibrate and there, well, a lot of things. On one morning walk in Mumbai on Juhu Beach, I asked Prabhupada, why chanting 16 rounds? Why number 16? Why not another number, bigger or smaller? Why 16 rounds? Prabhupada was responding, saying, well, whatever, I'm not going to get into the details. These are all recorded also, morning walks recording. You could, I also, different thing that I'm going to say here now, when also included in my conversations with Srila Prabhupada book, you know, “In conversation with Srila Prabhupada” book. Prabhupada said, “who stops you? You are asking why 16 number, why 16? Prabhupada said, you could chant 16,000 rounds, who stops you?” This is how he responded. I did talk also or asked Prabhupada about doing lot of chanting. Would that be considered imitation of Namacharya Srila Haridas Thakur? But he said, chanting more, that kind of imitation is good. Then in 1976, I may be going back and forth, as I remember different things, I'm not going to say those. 76 Radhashtami festival time, Prabhupada was attending the festival and Prabhupada was on the stage and I was leading Kirtan, Hare Krishna Kirtan, of course but, I did chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna for good amount of time. Then I switched over to Gaur Nityananda Bol, Hari Bol, Hari Bol, Jaya Advaita Bol, Hari Bol, Hari Bol, some kind of chant which Gaudiya math devotees keep singing. You know, ISKCON devotees during Mayapur festival, we are picking up some of the chants and the tunes or chants you could say and different leaders, Kirtan leaders were singing them on and on and on, Hari Bol, Hari Bol. Prabhupada, as he was sitting on the Vyas asana, on the stage, said, ‘Stop it’. He just gave a signal to me. I was looking at Prabhupada,” Stop it” and I stopped. With that, this practice of this, you know, additional chants from Gaudiya math source, and Prabhupada was not recommending that we introduce them into ISKCON and we promote. As he stopped me, then gradually, it subsided this, Hari Bol, Hari Bol, Hari Bol, Hari Bol. Yes, Prabhupada rectified me from chanting and then others also picked up. Srila Prabhupada was not well. This is 77, 76, 77, but I think we are talking about 77. Prabhupada was in Mumbai and Prabhupada would be lying in bed and different devotees would take their turns to chant for Prabhupada. Prabhupada in the bed and used to sit on the floor with small, tiny Kartal and softly we would chant. One day, because I had been, well, I don't know how to give all the excuses or explanation. Middle of the chanting and I was falling asleep. I was tired and Prabhupada said, “now go take rest”. That was one time. Another time, during those same days in Mumbai, I was chanting for Prabhupada in his quarters and I kind of stopped my chanting, interrupted my chanting and I was asking Srila Prabhupada, “Srila Prabhupada, is there anything that we should be additionally doing that would cure you, that would improve your health? Please tell us. Whatever that is on your mind that maybe we are not doing it, tell us.” Prabhupada was listening to my, whatever I was saying, appealing to Prabhupada, expecting his response to, Prabhupada said, “Just chant Hare Krishna. Just continue to chant Hare Krishna.” I took that as Prabhupada considered chanting of Hare Krishna was a cure, maybe he did not care for other items, doctors or medicines or this or that. He said, just chant Hare Krishna. I kind of further realized the value of chanting of Hare Krishna that time. Well, he did say, yeah, just chant Hare Krishna and then Prabhupada paused and said something additional and he said, guru-mukha-padma-vakya, chittete koriya aikya ar na koriho mane asha shri-guru-charane rati, ei se uttama-gati je prasade pure sarva asha Translation: My only wish is to have my consciousness purified by the words emanating from his lotus mouth. Attachment to his lotus feet is the perfection that fulfils all desires. [Text 2, Sri Guru-Vandana] ar na koriho mane asha That's all that he said ar na koriho mane asha. You know what the meaning is and the way Prabhupada said that to me or in the context of that situation, the way Prabhupada said that to me has made a deep impression upon me and I always remember the utterances of Srila Prabhupada, ar na koriho mane asha. During the same days in Mumbai, as different devotees, disciples would take turns chanting for Prabhupada, singing for Prabhupada. One day, anyway, Prabhupada was not happy. I don't know why. I used to like the devotees singing, chanting, but Prabhupada was not happy and then he remembered me and said, it was going all over Hare Krishna land, Juhu, Mumbai and he was looking for me and I was surprised when I heard what Prabhupada had said and demanded that I go and sing for him. It kind of registered with me that maybe Prabhupada likes my chanting. Last Instruction In Vrindavan, of course, during final days, the month of November 1977, whenever I would go into Prabhupada's quarters, Tamal Krishna Maharaj, Srila Prabhupada's secretary and special assistant, “Prabhupada, Lokanath Swami is here, would you like him to chant, sing for you?” and I would get this assignment of singing for Prabhupada. I think it was the occasion of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur's Tirobhav tithi Mahotsav, Prabhupada's Guru Maharaj's disappearance day festival, we were celebrating in Mumbai and Prabhupada was of course present, he was present, presiding over them and when it was time for Manglacaran, recitation of Manglacaran before Pushpanjali, the whole Manglacaran is recited, so Prabhupada asked me to, “You recite the Manglacaran”, so I was standing next to Srila Prabhupada and of course all disciples, devotees were around and I ended up reciting Manglacaran that day. On the same occasion, so later on or towards the end, we were offering aarti to Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur and I was singing, leading kirtan and I started singing, saḿsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka- trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam Translation: The spiritual master is receiving benediction from the ocean of mercy. Just as a cloud pours water on a forest fire to extinguish it, so the spiritual master delivers the materially afflicted world by extinguishing the blazing fire of material existence. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master, who is an ocean of auspicious qualities. [Text 1, Sri Gurvastakam] I was singing the verse after verse after verse, there are only 8 of them, this is Sri Gurvastakam and kirtan was building up, drums were being beaten, played and everyone was in a high spirit, Prabhupada's presence, his Guru Maharaj's tirobhav tithi mahotsav celebration was happening, so kirtan was getting more and more ecstatic and excited, but then the middle of the Sri Gurvastakam and I understood, continue singing, so microphone was transferred, I was using, then it was given to Srila Prabhupada and the rest of the Sri Gurvastakam, Prabhupada sang, he completed and when he took over, kirtan really, as we say, became fired up and everyone was jumping up and down and Hari! Hari! so I remember, I started singing Guruvashtak and Prabhupada took over and completed that singing part. Origin of Bullock Cart Sankirtan Party Now, Srila Prabhupada, his mission was to propagate chanting of the holy name, spread the holy name, but it was mostly happening wherever we had ISKCON temples or in those towns, wherever we had ISKCON temples, yes, the devotees were chanting in the temple, devotees were doing nagar kirtans all over the town, but what about the rest of the world, what about other towns and especially villages around the world? How is the Holy Name going to reach them? Anyway, I will not give the whole long explanation, but in 76, Radhashtami festival time, which Prabhupada had attended, I mentioned that earlier, Hari Bol, Hari Bol, that was happening in Delhi, Radha Parthasarathi temple during Radhashtami Mahotsav. Prabhupada came up with this idea of the bullock cart sankirtan and he instructed me, “You start bullock cart sankirtan!” Well, no details now, so we started or we are going to start from Delhi, Prabhupada also went to Vrindavan and soon we followed him and then we prepared our bullock cart sankirtana party. Preparations were kind of completed and then we went to Srila Prabhupada to get his blessings and inaugurate our ‘Bullock Cart Sankirtana Party’. Our sole purpose of this ‘Bullock Cart Sankirtana Party’ was to spread the Holy Name. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was chanting, dancing in Navdip, Mayapur, but then we were thinking, oh, what about rest of the world, they may not come to Navdip and chant, I have to go, so Mahaprabhu takes sannyāsa and he travels everywhere, next six years, Madhya Leela of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Prabhupada had conceived this concept, he wanted Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's leela of spreading the holy name, we continued, so this time we are going to take Gaur Nityananda's deity forms with us and we were going to travel with them to lots of towns and villages. On that inaugural function day, inauguration of the bullock cart sankirtana, or padayatra sankirtana, the last thing that Prabhupada said to me after about one hour dialogue with Prabhupada and Prabhupada was expressing his vision and strategy how to conduct this, he said to me, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa Translation: “Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.” [CC Madhya 7.128] yāre dekha tāre kaha 'hare kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa This also stuck in my mind or head and heart also and I am not sure whether he ever said this to anyone else, but to me and it has gone and recorded, it is recorded, yāre dekha tāre kaha 'hare kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa. We started and we met Prabhupada again during Kumbh Mela of 77 in Prayagraj and Prabhupada, I was sitting with Prabhupada in his tent, just two of us and he wanted to hear the report of our ‘Bullock Cart Sankirtana Party’ from Vrindavan to Prayagraj and as I was describing and he was inquiring what about this, what about that and all the details I was providing, sharing with Prabhupada and Prabhupada was so pleased, so happy, I could read that pleasure or happiness on Prabhupada's face, the face is index of mind, so that pleasure on Prabhupada's face is yet another thing that as I remember that pleasing face of Srila Prabhupada for me to go on with this ‘Bullock Cart Sankirtan, Padayatra Sankirtana Parties’. Hari! Hari! As this one Bullock Cart Sankirtana Party’ was going on, kind of successfully, Prabhupada was happy of course and Prabhupada had written to one of his disciple Nityananda Prabhu in America who was in charge of I think New Talwan farm project, New Talwan and Prabhupada had written to him about our ‘Bullock Cart Sankirtana Party’ in India and how it is going on successfully and he said, we could have millions of such carts all over the world, so that way we kind of opened up, the whole world was opened and Prabhupada is known for his big thinking, he never thought nothing small, always he was known for big thinking in regards and in relationship with Bullock Cart Sankirtana or Padayatra Sankirtana, this was his vision, millions of carts all over the world, Hari! Hari! The Last Will Then back to Vrindavan again, where we were doing bullock cart sankirtana and then Prabhupada also had asked me to do BBT book distribution traveling program and then we were visiting Prabhupada, this is just one week before Prabhupada's departure, he is leaving this world and leaving us behind and then he expressed the desire of traveling with a bullock cart, ox cart to go join Govardhan festival during Kartik, Govardhan, we will go to Govardhan, an idea that there was a lot of discussion during those days about this, Prabhupada’s travel with a bullock cart to Govardhan and Prabhupada was thinking he could travel all over Braj also and eventually could travel to holy places all over India and like that. Of course that desire of Srila Prabhupada was not fulfilled, going with a bullock cart to Govardhan, but we consider personally or especially myself, I considered that was one of the wills of Srila Prabhupada, last will of Prabhupada, he wanted to travel the bullock cart. We travelled various states via Kanyakumari ending up in Mayapur, visiting all the places of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's pastimes on the way. That is what we did very successfully and then we thought we will stop there, but there was a huge success, a success story of these 18 months long chanting festival, bullock cart to Mayapur, so, we thought how could we stop now, how could we stop, we have to go on and when we were going on and I will just quickly say this, one of my god brother His Holiness Hridayananda Goswami, he asked me, “Oh Maharaj, how long you are planning to go on with this bullock cart sankirtana program?” and I said, “Till Prabhupada's centennial, from Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's 5th centennial to Srila Prabhupada's from 1986 to 1996, Prabhupada's 100th birth anniversary celebration centennial”. I thought, you know, he may be very much impressed and say, wow, for so many 10 more years you will go on. I thought he would respond like that, but no, I was surprised. He said, “only 10 years, why not for 10,000 years?” I thought Prabhupada was a guru and Gauranga, Srila Prabhupada and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu were talking through the mouth of HG Hridayananda Goswami Maharaj. Then we dropped this idea of only till 1996 or only for another 10 years and so 40 years have passed and we have not stopped the bullock cart traveling sankirtana parties or kirtan padayatra parties and in the meantime during 1996 we ended up organizing this bullock cart sankirtana, padayatra sankirtana in over 100 countries and I think I mentioned yesterday during 1996 we were planning World Holy Name Festival as one feature of the Prabhupada centennial celebration and we came up with this World Holy Name Day Festival and then it was conducted very successfully in 1996 and then idea of perpetuation, let's keep doing this all the time in futureo that is also going on till this day. It used to be one day earlier but now it is World Holy Name Week-long festival happening and the world is celebrating. Here, again I would like to encourage the whole world, the world of Hare Krishna, the world of ISKCON to participate in this World Holy Name Festival in various ways and do this with all your heart, with all your strength and let you all be happy, enjoying this festival, participating in this of course, that was the purpose of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Aswadan, relishing, Mahaprabhu wanted to relish the holy name and share the holy name, prasaran, propagation. Let these both things happen during this World Holy Name Festival, let's all relish and enjoy, at the same time, let's share our joy with the rest of the world with various features of this World Holy Name Festival. Gaur Prem Anande, All glories to Srila Prabhupada All glories to World Holy Name Festival! All glories to the Holy Name! All glories to Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu! Gaur Premanande Hari Hari bol!

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