8th March 2020
The Real Meaning of a Blessing
Hare Krishna.
We are preparing for Gaura Purnima which we are going to celebrate tomorrow. ISKCON Thane is celebrating Gaura Purnima Festival today as it is Sunday. Bhakti Caru Swami Maharaj is in Dubai. Every member of ISKCON is getting ready for Gaura Purnima. Parikrama has also ended and devotees are returning to their places and temples. Few are saying that we have taken our bodies to Greater Noida, but as we are getting to hear Gaura Katha we are feeling that we are in Mayapur. Devotees are saying that they like the Katha. You like Katha means you like Gauranga. Katha and Lila itself represent Gauranga. If you like the holy name then you like Gauranga. Loving is better than liking. May you all love Katha! Some devotees keep on writing in chat. Maharaja, please bless me!
Subalaxmi Mataji from Ahmedabad is asking a blessing on the occasion of her 28th Marriage Anniversary. I was thinking that if we are chanting with you and making you hear Katha of Gauranga Mahaprabhu then isn’t it a blessing. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is also asking for a blessing in Śikṣāṣṭaka.
na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
mama janmani janmanīśvare
bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
“O Almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor to enjoy beautiful women. Nor do I want any number of followers. What I want only is the causeless mercy of Your devotional service in my life, birth after birth.” [Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4]
Caitanya Mahaprabhu is teaching us that we don’t ask for the blessing of happiness, wealth in-home and comfort. All of these are Bhukti items. He says that I’m ready to take birth again. He just wants to remain the servant of the Lord.This is a blessing. Learn to ask for blessings. We are new in this field of religion and Caitanya Mahaprabhu is teaching us what kind of blessings we should ask for.
anarpita-charim chirat karunayavatirnah kalau
samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasam sva-bhakti-shriyam
harih purata-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandipitaha
sada hridaya-kandare sphuratu vah shacinandanaha
Translation:
“May that Lord, who is known as the son of Srimati Sacidevi, be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold. He has appeared in the age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant spiritual knowledge of the mellow taste of His service.” [Cc. Adi, 1.4.]
Krsna Das Kaviraj writes in his mangalacarana at the start of Caitanya-caritamrita that may you get darsana of Sacinandan where the soul lives in a cave of the heart. May all of us get blessed by the Lord!
All this is possible by the prayers of Srila Advaita Acarya. He asked the Lord to appear on earth and the Lord responded. On behalf of all Advaita Acarya called the Lord. His appearance is a grand blessing for the whole creation and He is manifesting His mercy by making this forest-like world an auspicious place.
ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaḿ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaḿ
Translation:
Glory to the sri-krsna-sankirtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death. [ Ceto Darpana Marjanam verse 1]
He is extinguishing a forest fire with the holy names. Go for real gold! Gauranga!
I am breaking the news from Amravati. Every dog has its day. Today is woman’s day. There is also father’s day, mother’s day and so on. Today ISKCON Amravati is celebrating Women’s Padayatra. We will get reports from them. Prasanta Mataji from Vrindavan is also about to reach Amravati to celebrate the Padayatra.
Hari Hari