2 October 2020

Beware of pretending Gods

Hare Krsna! Vrindavan Dhāma ki jai! Devotees from 772 locations are chanting with us.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

Śrī Krsna Caitanya Mahāprabhu arrived in Vrindavan. Many people realized that this Gaurasundara is none other than their own Shyamsundara. Mahāprabhu performed ecstatic kīrtana and danced in the Keshav-dev temple in Mathura. Many Mathura-vasis reached there. Mahāprabhu was overflowing with emotions while having darsans of Keshav-dev. It was clearly observed in His kīrtana and dance over there.. ‘Lord has come to Vrindavan again!’ This had become talk of the town. Śrī Krsna Caitanya Mahāprabhu performed the Vraja-mandala Parikrama. You should read these pastimes of Caitanya Mahāprabhu in Vrindavan in the 18th chapter of CC Madhya-lila.

aradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavanam
ramya kacid-upasana vrajavadhu-vargena ya kalpita
srimad-bhagavatam pramanam-amalam prema pumartho mahan
sri caitanya mahaprabhur-matam-idam tatradaro nah parah

Translation
It is the conclusive opinion of Lord Chaitanya that the most worshipable form of the Lord is that of Sri Krishna, the son of Nanda Maharaja. Vrindavan-dhäma is the topmost worshipable abode. The highest and most pleasing type of worship of Krishna is done by the Vraja gopis. Srimad-bhagavatam is the spotless authority on everything. And krsna-prema is the fifth and highest goal of life. (Caitanya-matta-manjusa commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam by Sri Viswanath Chakravarti Thakur)

Lord Caitanya has come to Vrindavan to have darsana of Krsna, the son of king of Braja and to remember the pastimes of Krsna. He is Krsna, but has come as a devotee. He doesn’t want to reveal Himself, but it is not possible for Him to hide Himself. Can the sun ever be hidden? It is not possible. Similarly, it was impossible to hide the godhood of Mahāprabhu. Everywhere the news was spreading that the Lord has come to Vrindavan. People were not able to clearly understand that Mahāprabhu is the Lord Himself. After Mahāprabhu had performed the Braja-Mandal Parikrama, He planned to stay in Mathura. But due to so much gathering of people there, He went to Akrura Ghāta on the banks of Yamuna on the suggestion of the Sanodiya Brāhmana. Akrura Ghāta is in between Mathura and Vrindavan. Śrī Krsna Caitanya Mahāprabhu started living there. Balabhadra Bhattacarya, assistant of Mahāprabhu, who had gone with Mahāprabhu from Jagannatha Puri, also stayed with Him.

One day, many people came to Akrura Ghāta early in the morning and said, “The Lord has come to Vrindavan and He is giving darsana at Kaliya Ghāta.” When Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard this news that the Lord dances on the Kaliya snake at night and the gem on the hood of the snake shines, which was false news, He said to Himself, ‘Yes, the Lord has come, He is also giving darsana.’ But while saying this, He was thinking “I am the Lord who has come and many people are coming to see Me.” This news of Krsna giving darsana at Kaliya Ghāta was spreading everyday. When this news was heard by Balabhadra Bhattacarya, he went to ask Mahāprabhu whether he could go and have darsana. When Mahāprabhu heard this, he literally slapped Balabhadra Bhattacarya. Caitanya Mahāprabhu then said, “Which Lord do you desire to see?” Mahāprabhu must be thinking, “When you are already seeing the Lord, whose Lordship has been approved by the Scriptures and Ācāryas, then which other Lord do you desire to see?”

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam
imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
sa kāleneha mahatā
yogo naṣṭaḥ paran-tapa

Translation
This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost. (BG. 4.2)

Śrīla Prabhupāda asserted that Sādhu, Śastra and Ācārya are the authorities to confirm the Lordship.

yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto ‘pi dhyayan stuvams tasya yashas tri-sandhyam vande guroh shri-charanaravindam

Translation
By the mercy of the spiritual master one receives the benediction of Krishna. Without the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement. Therefore, I should always remember and praise the spiritual master. At least three times a day I should offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master. (8th verse, Sri Gurvastakam)

Then Mahāprabhu asked Balabhadra Bhattacarya to wait for one more day. Next morning, again the news came, saying that there is no Kaliya and no Krsna at the Kaliya Ghāta. It was then revealed that it was a fisherman who was standing on his boat. In the dark, people misunderstood the boat to be Kaliya and the fisherman to be Krsna. The fisherman had lit a lamp to attract the fish and this was perceived as the gem on the hood of Kaliya. Now this news was the true news. Balabhadra Bhattacarya understood and realized. Then Mahāprabhu asked the people, “Have you seen God?” People started replying, “You are the Lord! You are the Lord!” This is because He was a sannayasi. This was not their ultimate realization. This was the second misconception. Such is propagated among Advaita-vādīs and Mayavādīs. They say that the sannyasis are ‘Jangam Narayan’, meaning a living Narayan. Although, they also say that the Lord is light, all pervading and has no form. This is seen in Varanasi or Haridwar. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu did not approve this as He has appeared as a devotee. He was performing all His pastimes as a devotee.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

srī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya

Translation
Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is none other than the combined form of Śrī Śrī Radha and Krsna. (Caitanya Bhāgavata)

Gradually, all the Braja-vāsīs understood that Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Lord Himself. This was because He was a Sannayasi. That is why, Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to stay away from them so that He could play His pastimes as a devotee. But when He went to Bahulavan (Bahula is the name of a cow), He was surrounded by thousands of cows. They started exhibiting parental love for Mahāprabhu, just like they love their calves. They started licking the divine body of Gauranga Mahāprabhu. Mahāprabhu also started loving the cows. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to continue with the parikrama, all the cows started following Him like a magnet.

Yah ākarśati sa krsna

Translation
The one who attracts all is Krsna.

Gauranga Mahāprabhu attracted the mind of all the cows. Thus, as Gauranga Mahāprabhu proceeded, cows started following Him. All the Braja-vāsīs accepted Mahāprabhu as Krsna. Well, just like the news that Krsna had appeared at Kaliya Ghāta was false, any such news that you may come across saying that the Lord has appeared as a sannayasi are also false.

Ahaṁ Brahmāsmi

Translation
I am (part of) Brahman. (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10)

People say that they are God and could make anyone God. Śrīla Prabhupāda asserted, “I am not God, you are not God, we are all eternal servants of God.” Any normal person of this world performs some miracle and people start following him and bowing unto him. It is very prominent in India. But we should not get distracted or diverted. Śrīla Prabhupāda said, “Many times people are mistaken in the dark. They may see some object like a tree trunk and think of it as a ghost and be afraid that it would harm them.” In this way, there are many misunderstandings. It can be there in recognising the Lord as well. Be careful.

siddhānta baliyā citte nā kara alasa
ihā ha-ite kṛṣṇe lāge sudṛḍha mānasa

Translation
A sincere student should not neglect the discussion of such conclusions, considering them controversial, for such discussions strengthen the mind. Thus one’s mind becomes attached to Śrī Kṛṣṇa. (CC Ādi 2.117)

The scriptures clarify the things. Thus, we should not be lazy in knowing and preaching. Śrīla Prabhupāda helps us understand them by his translations and purports.

namas te gaura-vani-sri-murtaye dina-tarine
rupanuga-viruddhapasiddhanta-dhvanta-harine

Translation
I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, who are the personified teachings of Lord Caitanya. You are the deliverer of the fallen souls. You do not tolerate any statement which is against the teachings of devotional service enunciated by Srila Rupa Gosvami. (Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Pranati)

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura opposed all the false knowledge very firmly. He was also known as the Simha Guru, the Lion Guru. Just like one roar of a lion is enough to stop all the howls of the jackals. Similarly, his talks were powerful enough to disprove all the Mayavādi talks.

janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so ’rjuna

Translation
One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna. (BG. 4.9)

The Lord says, when you try to know Me, know Me fully, understand in detail the appearance, activities, forms, names, qualities, abode, etc. evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ, evaṁ means like this, yah means anyone who, vetti means knows and tattvataḥ means in reality. The Lord says, “One who understands Me in reality, does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode.” Such remembrance will take us back home back to godhead from where we do not need to return to this material world which is filled with sorrows. To achieve this realization, it is very important to sincerely read Śrīla Prabhupāda books.

Question and Answer session

Question 1: In this time of CoronaVirus, many people are dying in hospitals. How can they remember the Lord in their last moments so that they can go back to home back to godhead?

Gurudev Uvaca
yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ
tyajaty ante kalevaram
taṁ tam evaiti kaunteya
sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ

Translation
Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kuntī, that state he will attain without fail. (B.G.8.6)

The Lord says, we should remember the Lord at the time of death. Along with this, it is said in Iśopaniśad that the Lord will remember Me at the time of death as I have done Sankīrtana yajna for the Lord or we don’t know if he is remembering the Lord or not in his hard time.

dukh me sumiran sab kare
sukh me kare na koi
jo sukh me sumiran kare
toh dukh kaahe ko hoy

Translation
We all think of the Lord when troubled, never when at peace, but if we held our faith during peace, there would be no trouble.

People must be remembering the Lord during this hard time. But if not, then we should pray to the Lord to remember us.

vāyuranilamamṛtamathedaṃ bhasmāntaṃ śarīram |
oṃ | krato smara kṛtaṃ smara krato smara kṛtaṃ smara ||

Translation
(Let my) Prana melt into the all-pervading Air, the eternal Sutratman; and let this body he burnt by fire to ashes; Om. O mind, remember, remember my deeds; O mind, remember, remember my deeds. (Verse 17 Ishavasya Upanishad)

“O Lord! Please remember everything that I did for you.” Then the Lord will remember us.

nehābhikrama-nāśo ’sti
pratyavāyo na vidyate
sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya
trāyate mahato bhayāt

Translation
In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear. (B.G. 2.40)

Even a little advancement on the spiritual path is certainly going to be rewarded.

It is not that only a living entity loves God, but God also loves every living entity. If God doesn’t want us to get back to Godhead, then we can never attain Him or go back to Godhead. But here, the Lord wants us to remember Him and attain Him. Krsna misses us more than we miss Him. If we take one step towards the Lord, then the Lord takes a thousand steps towards us. If the Lord wants us to remember Him at the time of death and to go back to godhead, then this will happen. As the Bible says, “Thy will be done.” And if he is half way Back to Godhead or a little closer, then it will be carried forward to the next birth and will proceed further to Back to Godhead.

Question 2: Everything happens by the will of the Lord. Whatever bad things we see in the news, it is so heartbreaking. Can the Lord come and save us? Or is it the karma of the victim? Can we encourage the government to add the Bhagavad-Gītā as a course so that these crimes would be curtailed?

Gurudev Uvaca
kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann
asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ
kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya
mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet

Translation
My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom. (ŚB 12.3.51)

Śukadeva Goswami said that when Kaliyuga was only 30 years old, “Kaliyuga will be the mine of faults.” Whatever is happening right now, is just the beginning. There is more to come. Śukadeva Goswami has vividly described the coming situations in Kaliyuga in the 12th chapter. You will be astounded by reading that. This is just the glimpse of that. Among the faults of this Kaliyuga, there is still one good quality about this age and that is Hare Krishna Kīrtana.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

yadā yadā hi dharmasya
glānir bhavati bhārata
abhyutthānam adharmasya
tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham

Translation
Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion – at that time I descend Myself. (B.G.4.7)

The Lord says,”Whenever there is a decline in religious practice, I descend Myself. Then one may ask, the Lord needs to come in these situations? He has already come in the form of His names.

kali-kāle nāma-rūpe kṛṣṇa-avatāra
nāma haite haya sarva-jagat-nistāra

Translation
In this Age of Kali, the holy name of the Lord, the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, is the incarnation of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Simply by chanting the holy name, one associates with the Lord directly. Anyone who does this is certainly delivered. (CC Ādi 17.22)

Government or Doctors can do nothing with this. Only Hare Krsna devotees can do something or Rama, Narasimha, Viśnu or Allah devotees, who do not believe in the form of the Lord whereas they do believe in the 99 names of the Lord. Hence, the Lord advents Himself in the form of His names. That is why we also celebrated World Holy Name Festival with the theme ‘Let’s make the world fortunate.’ The Lord reached many people in the form of His name. 1.25 lakh people were benefitted. The mercy of the names of the Lord and Coronavirus, both are doing their job simultaneously. Sādhus are showering their mercy, but if the government had joined, it would have been good. Śrīla Prabhupāda said, “He did all the preaching single handedly.”

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya janma yāra
janma sārthaka kari’ kara para-upakāra

Translation
One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India [Bhārata-varṣa] should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people. (CC Ādi 9.41)

If all the Indians would join, then there would be so much propagation of the holy name. We can also appeal to others. The Central Government of India has officially involved ISKCON as one part in a particular department which is newly formed.

Hare Krsna!