English
27 October 2019
Hare Krishna!
For those who don't know Hindi , they can read the transcription on the screen. The transcriber is doing his best to give you everything that I say, but still everything cannot be typed so fast. He is catching 70 - 80% of the talk. Sorry about that. For sure we are transcribing the whole Japa talk in English during the day. Sorry for the shortfalls but a more complete transcription and translation will be available during the day. Please bear with us.
Diwali is today or tomorrow? Many are posting their Diwali good wishes. So I am also extending my good wishes and blessings to you all on the occasion of Diwali. Diwali is today and tomorrow also. There are around 500 participants chanting with us on the occasion of Diwali. There should have been more, but today being Sunday many like to take some rest which is a sad state of affairs. You all who are listening to me don't do that. There is no holiday for the Hare Krishna devotees. Convey this message to all those who are not chanting with us. A holiday should be made into a holy day by chanting. By chanting early in the morning we make a so called holiday or resting day into an auspicious day. Many of you are offering your obeisances when you join the Japa conference, I read that. So I extend my blessings to all those on behalf of Prabhupad and Guru parampara and ultimately Krsna. Getting the mercy of the Lord is the ultimate fruit of offering obeisances.
There is a shower of mercy. There occurs kripa drishti-vristi. You also keep offering obeisances to all those Vaisnavas attending the conference, which is a good thing. Keep offering your obeisances.
One thought is that some of you are doing manasik Vraja-mandala Parikrama, which is a good thing, but offering obeisances should not be done at a mental level only. There should be sashtang pranam by male devotees and Mataji should offer panchang pranam. I will not define it, but in a strong pranam it is kayen manasa vachan. In sashtang pranam there is the use of the body, speech as we see the pranam mantra for some glorification through our speech. The mind is of course the essential factor. Mindless pranam in which obeisances are offered, not with emotions, feeling and bhav is not truly pranam. It's a small thing about pranam which I am explaining. Everything has its own way and method of doing and so it is for pranam also. There are not only the do’s but also the dont’s which we call viddhi
and nishedh. When we explain both of these then the process becomes complete. I will not say more on this. I did not want to speak on this, but some thoughts are generated and then I felt like speaking on it. We should be talking important things. Of course this is also important.
I am also more or less doing manasik Vraja-mandala Parikrama like you. Today the Parikrama is in Kamavan. Today is the day of the Exterior Parikrama of Kamavan. Every year on this day at seven o'clock in the morning I used to reach Surabhi- kunda. Every year I would do Katha over there. Ten, twenty, twenty-five times I have done Katha over there, but this year unfortunately the state of my body specially of the throat is not good. So I am not there. The state of mind is very good and the body is also improving, but some problem with the throat is still persistent so I could not go over there. During the day I may go to Kamavan, but at least right now I am not there. I can imagine where all the Parikrama devotees will be right now. I should have been there to address them, but I am not there. I am missing all that and so I am expressing my grief. I will share some of those things which I used to talk about while addressing them over here. Although I can't share it all, but I will try to share some of it.
On the bank of Surabhi-kunda there is a bhajan kutir of Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakur. I use to remind them of some of the things written by him in his book called Sri Caitanya Candramrta. One of the things in his book is:
vanchito ’smi vanchito ’smi vanchito ’smi na samsayah
visvam gaura-rase magnam sparso ’pi mama nabhavat [19]
Translation
Seeing the Lord’s most munificent descent as Sri Gauranga who is the bestower of the paramount gift of love divine, the devotee, feeling insatiable desire for the mercy of this Lord, considers himself to be drastically deceived — Deceived, deceived, no doubt, deceived am I! The whole universe became flooded with the love of Sri Gauranga, but alas, my fate was not to get even the slightest touch of it. (Sri-Prabodhanandapadanam) He has written in his book Sri Caitanya Candramrta, vañchito ’smi ‘I have been cheated.’ He was from a religious family, but not from the background of Gaudiya
Vaisnavism. When he came in contact with Caitanya Mahaprabhu and came across Gaudiya Vaisnavism and studied some nectarean principles of Krishna consciousness, he realized that whatever he was following before this was a cheat.
He was being cheated in what he was following. Why? visvam gaura-rase magnam “What are Gaudiya Vaisnavas doing? They are immersed and engrossed in Gaur rasa or Madhurya rasa, but I have not been touched by it at all. When all other
Gaudiya Vaisnavas were completely drenched in this nectar, not even a drop of that nectar of devotion ( Bhakti-rasamrta Sindhu) has reached me. sparso ’pi mama nabhavat When he was doing a comparative analysis of both the methods he
wrote,
vanchito ’smi vanchito ’smi vanchito ’smi na samsayah
“I have no doubt that I was being cheated. Yes, I was being cheated very badly”. If we also try to analyse our lives in a comparative sense and whatever religious practices we were following previously and what we are doing now in this
sankirtana movement, then you will also agree with Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakur. You will have to agree.
I used to remind the Parikrama devotees at Surabhi-kunda of one more saying of Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakur. This is also from Caitanya Candramrta.. That is
avatirne gaura-candre vistirne prema-sagare, yena majyanti majyanti te maha anartha sagare
It says Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared and what did He do? “avatirne gaura-candre vistirne prema-sagare”. He expanded the prema sagare. And it is “here”
now, there is sagara all around us, ocean all around us. But, then on the Island, there is the ocean, the sankirtana.
namo maha vadanyaya krsna prema pradayate
He distributed love of God to everyone. We should understand that this
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
This itself is love of Godhead. vistirne prema-sagare … He expanded the ocean of love. That means what had Caitanya Mahaprabhu done? Hare Krishna maha-mantra
Gaur karila prachar
anandam buddhi vardhanam
He expanded the ocean of love. You should all understand and realise that this ocean went on expanding and further expanding and now it has even reached you and me. It has even reached Manupriya Devi Dasi. It has reached to all of us doing Parikrama or even to those who are sitting at various places for away in Bangladesh or in Russia or Sweden, North India or South India. It has reached you and me.We will also have to agree that anandam buddhi vardhanam. avatirne gaur
candre visthirne prem sagare. So as the ocean of love went on expanding we have also been immersed into it. Sarvatma svapanam is also happening to us. We are all also tasting the nectar of Harinama. Even if we may have received only a drop of this nectar, but that becomes an ocean for us and we start swimming in it. We are so infinitesimally tiny even a drop will be like an ocean. Whatever serial Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakur had written is proved this way. avatirne gaur candre visthirne prem sagare. He expanded the ocean of love. Harinama is spreading all over the world. I always keep saying from nama to dhama. As devotees keep writing we are reaching Vrindavan. Also Radhanath Maharaja's
Katha is starting from today. Almost five to ten thousands devotees have already reached Vrindavan. Parikrama devotees have already reached Vrindavan-from nama to dhama. As we get Harinama and we start chanting it then we start remembering Krsna. Then we remember dhama. Dhama is non different from the Lord. While doing kirtana we reach Vrindavan. Lord has brought us to Vrindavan.
Going back home, back to Godhead happens after receiving the name. The fruit of chanting is to go back to Godhead, to enter into the eternal pastimes of the Lord and stay there eternally with Lord.
So Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakur had said ten majjanti majjanti maha anarth sagare.Those who will not dive into this ocean of love, into this Krishna consciousness, into this Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu, and into Vraja-mandala Parikrama, because braja mandal Parikrama is like immersing oneself for one month into Krishna consciousness will be cheated.
Dhama is an ocean of happiness.
itidrik sva-lilabhir ananda-kunde sva-ghosham nimajjantam akhyapayantam
tadiyeshita-jneshu bhaktair jitatvam punah prematas tam satavritti vande
We keep singing like that everyday. Iti - this kind of pastimes, as we sing in Damodarastakam. Lord performing such pastimes, like Damodara pastime, and also other pastimes, and then what happens? Anand kunde - The emotions and
happiness which is aroused out of such pastimes are so vast that it feels like big lakes. Dhama also becomes one big lake or Kunda. Vrndavan is also a big kunda, lake or ocean. Vrndavan is the ocean of the various pastimes of the Lord.
We come to Vrndavan and also take part in Vraja-mandala Parikrama and then we keep going from one to another and to another. This pastime was performed here so let's take a bath in this kunda. Now we have reached Kamavan and we are
doing the Exterior Parikrama. We are at Surabhi-kunda. Lord used to bring His cows here and they used to drink water here and then the Lord also used to drink water along with them. He used to watch them how they were drinking water. He
used to think, “She is not using any cup or glass. She is directly drinking from the lake.” Then looking at the cows the Lord used to bend down and drink the water of Surabhi-kunda like them. He never used any glass or cup. So this is also one kind of Lila. When we hear that it gives us happiness.
itidrik sva-lilabhir ananda-kunde sva-ghosham nimajjantam akhyapayantam
From one forest to another forest of Vraja is like going from one of happiness to another because everywhere so many pastimes have taken place. So listen to that and keep doing kirtana and then everywhere you will perceive full happiness. But those who don't take part in this, ten majjanti majjanti maha anarth sagare…..
Those who lose such an opportunity, where there is nama and dhama and also one has a rare human body, but still they don't try to reach dhama, or try to immerse themselves in this ocean of happiness, for them ten majjanti majjanti maha anarth sagare…. For them one more ocean is waiting. Maha-anarth sagare. You can say that there are two types of ocean or two types of universes. One is the spiritual world and the other is the material world. There are two potencies. One is the internal potency and another is the external potency. In between we are the marginal potency. For the soul there are two choices. On one side there is Vrndavan where there is Vraja-mandala Parikrama. There is the dhama of the Lord, pastimes of the Lord. Kirtana is there and also Krsna prasada. Everything is there.
But those who don't like to turn towards this, then they have the option of only the material world which is filled with all the anarthas. There are songs. There are kathas which are gram-kathas. There is also darsana of actors and actresses and their pastimes full of lust and anger, greed etc. Whole media is full of this. Unfortunately the whole world is engrossed in it. Those who will not turn to Krsna for them this world is filled with anartha sagar. There is also darsana of actors and actresses gossip. Whole world is taking a dip in that anartha sagar. Those who have joined ISKCON have reached Vrindavana and are doing Parikrama. Prabhodannada Saraswati must be surely happy seeing you here at his Bhajan Kutir. He would bless us, inspire us to progress in Parikrama as well as in our devotional life. Are all Parikrama devotees listening? Here you can see a lot of hills and valleys in Kamavan. The Lord used to come here and perform Gocaran lila. We have to remember that Nanda Bhavan is not far from here.
There are different pastimes of the Lord at different times. There is:
• Purwanha ( before noon. It starts at 8.00 am to 10.30 am) . At 8.30 am Lord starts his gocharan lila. Krsna's 9 lakh cows, his friends also and with all those cows He used to enter Kamavan. It is his nitya-lila. He used to play when the cows grazed. Actually with the pretext of grazing the cows his main objective was to play with His friends. Krsna never works He only plays. Whatever He does is just His play. All His lilas are his play. Lord has no work. He has no occupation. Whole world is busy working, but Lord only plays.
• Madhyanh which is around noon and the Lord reaches Radhakund at this time.
• Apparanha As you will move further you will take darsana of Phisalini Sila. The Lord used to slide on Phisalini Sila. You will also reach there. It's quite possible that among you some must be cowherd boys so play with the Lord on Phisalini Sila. Some may be His servants or His friends or parents or some may be His lovers.
nirodho 'syanusayanam
atmanah saha saktibhih
muktir hitvanyatha rupam
sva-rupena vyavasthitih
TRANSLATION
The merging of the living entity, along with his conditional living tendency, with the mystic lying down of the Maha-Visnu is called the winding up of the cosmic manifestation. Liberation is the permanent situation of the form of the
living entity after he gives up the changeable gross and subtle material bodies. (SB 2.10.6)
So you all must surely play on Phisalini Sila with the Lord. If I was there I also would slide on it. But I am not there, but you all are fortunate to be there so play with the Lord.
This way we enter the pastime of the Lord. We will remember Lord’s Lila and then sravan, smaran, mananam and then darsana of the Lila. I should feel can I take part in the Lord’s Lila. We become witness of that pastime and it arouses the desire in the mind, 'When will I play with the Lord? When will I be part of this Lila?’ It should arouse such thoughts in mind. It's very natural.
Then there is Vyomasura Gufa, on other side of the hill. Don't enter Vyomasura Gufa. Just see it from the outside. This is the experience of Parikrama that we touch the Lila place of the Lord, smell it, feel the presence of the Lord there. Manasik Parikrama is different. Your soul reaches there. There are lot of marks there in the stone of the Lord’s ornaments. There also you will take darsana of the lotus feet of Balarama. Vyom means sky . Vyomasura means a demon who flies in the sky. You can read from Vraja-mandala darsana. Also Radhanath Maharaja will be explaining this katha in the evening. It is also explained in Krishna book. You can read. The Lord was playing on Govardhan and Vyomasura came and started stealing the Lord's friends and taking them to Kamavana in his Gufa. Since then that cave is called Vyomasura Cave, thus he was doing a shuttle service taking boys from Govardhan to his cave. He was doing up-down. Then Krsna realised.
When we started playing there were lakhs of friends and now only few 10 - 20 are remaining. Where are the others? Then he located Vyomasur and his mischief of stealing his friends. The Lord started chasing him in sky and started fighting with him. Imagine Krsna is fighting with Vyomasura and His ornaments fell down and so the marks are on the stone. While fighting in sky at times due to some tiredness He would come down on Earth and swing back again in sky. This caused vibrations on Earth. The Earth would lose its balance so Balaram who was also playing around there and He would put His feet firmly on ground to fix the earth in it's position. That place there are footprints of Balaram. Yesterday you took darsana of Krsna's footprints in Charan pahadi. Today you will have darsana of Balaram’s footprints.
Krsna killed Vyomasura. All the demigods were happy. They showered flowers and played musical instruments. Apasaras danced to express their happiness for the victory of the Lord. Imagine all these Lilas are happening now also.
In Exterior Parikrama you will go to Bhojan sthali , the place where the Lord had Bhojan. It is also called Bhojan Thali. He ate with His friends. The dishes were kept on the stone as He did not bring any plates. They used leaves or petals of large flowers as their plates . This nitya lila happens daily. It will happen today also.
Today you are going to enter that lila as Lord did bhojan there. You will also have bhojan there. As the Lord was taking his meals there, that stone melted and the Lord made that His plate. There are marks of plates and katori there. You will have the opportunity to take prasada there. When you are hearing the pastimes, remembering it that means we are not far from the lila. You are physically, mentally, spiritually there which means almost you all have entered the lila of Lord. When you are having darsana of this Lila it's very fortunate being here by hearing about the pastimes. We become enriched. Parikrama is mostly about hearing Hari katha. If you are not hearing, if we don't do Sravan, Kirtana and smaran of pastimes of the Lord then what's the use of going to Parikrama? We do Parikrama for sravan . That's the main objective. In this forest this pastime happened. In that forest that lila thus talking and thinking about these pastimes, if we are remembering the Lord that means we are with the Lord and not away from Him. Remembrance is the fruit of sravana and kirtana. When you reach Bhajan sthali , also share such pastimes with each other. so "bhunkte bhojane chaiva” - have prasada there and display your priti laksanam. When the cowherd boys used to have lunch there they used to give it to Krsna and also their other friends. Gopas did not offer food to Lord in the temple.They never wandered searching for a temple to offer bhoga. There was no need of it as their Lord used to be right in front of them. Whatever food they brought from home they gave it directly to Krsna first. They fed Him and then they ate.
Understand what kind of friendship they had with Krsna. They were not only His friends but also of the other gopas. Take note of this. So those who are going on Parikrama with you they are all your friends. Lord is also there in the form of his Lila and kirtana. Nitai Gaur Sundar is also with you. Dhama is also the form of the Lord. But where are the friends? You are walking with friends. This is the group of friends walking together. If you try to develop friendship with only the Lord it will be incomplete. Try to become friend of His friends. This is very important. Cowherd boys were not only friends of Krsna but also of the other gopas. On Parikrama you should contemplate on how you can maintain friendship with all other devotees on Parikrama.
sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam
tat-paratvena nirmalam
hrsikena hrsikesa-
sevanam 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 lila 19.170)
Cast off the envy and jealousy among each other. sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam Forget all designations and love devotees.
dadati pratigrhnati
guhyam akhyati prcchati
bhunkte bhojayate caiva
sad-vidham priti-laksanam
Translation:
Offering gifts in charity, accepting charitable gifts, revealing one's mind in confidence, inquiring confidentially, accepting prasada and offering prasada are the six symptoms of love shared by one devotee and another. (NOI. Verse 4)
As Prabhupad has explained in Nectar of Instruction, display signs of your affection ( Priti laksanam ) with other devotees. It's easy to love the Lord but to love devotees is more important and that should not be just lip service, but practically. Do service to devotees. Young devotees can help old devotees. The management is serving very nicely, but still you also serve, your behaviour should be friendly. Friend in need is friend indeed. When we are in need that time we should see who helps us. When we're in trouble one who helps us is our real friend. In this area
where the Lord played with His friends, try to see how you also can be a friend with others. Become a friend of the Lord. Then only you can play with the Lord. Again I am stressing don't become a friend only of the Lord but also of his friends. Then only you can enter His Lila. We have to have some exchanges with the friends of the Lord so on Parikrama also we should have friendly relations with each other, with the devotees of the Lord.
I hope you heard the talk with patience. You have to move ahead. I held you back. That's the problem with me. If I speak it takes a long time.
Happy Diwali to all of you!
Move ahead in the Lilas of the Lord.
