19840918-Srimad-Bhagavatam.10.12.25-28-Lecture-New-Orleans-Literal-Version

The following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapataka Swami on September 18th, 1984 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The class begins with a reading from the Srimad-Bhagvatam, 10th Canto, Chapter 12, Verse 25-28

Jayapataka Swami:

itthaṁ

Devotees: itthaṁ

Jayapataka Swami: mitho

Devotees: mitho

Jayapataka Swami:’tathyam

Devotees: ’tathyam

Jayapataka Swami:Ataj

Devotees: ataj

Jayapataka Swami: jṣa

Devotees: jṣa

Jayapataka Swami: bhāṣitaṁ

Devotees: bhāṣitaṁ

Jayapataka Swami: śrutvā

Devotees: śrutvā

Jayapataka Swami: vicintyety

Devotees: vicintyety

Jayapataka Swami: amṛṣā

Devotees: amṛṣā

Jayapataka Swami: mṛṣāyate

Devotees: mṛṣāyate

Jayapataka Swami: rakṣo

Devotees: rakṣo

Jayapataka Swami: viditvākhila

Devotees: viditvākhila

Jayapataka Swami: bhūta

Devotees: bhūta

Jayapataka Swami: hṛt

Devotees: hṛt

Jayapataka Swami: sthitaḥ

Devotees: sthitaḥ

Jayapataka Swami: svānāṁ

Devotees: svānāṁ

Jayapataka Swami: niroddhuṁ

Devotees: niroddhuṁ

Jayapataka Swami: bhagavān

Devotees: bhagavān

Jayapataka Swami: mano

Devotees: mano

Jayapataka Swami: dadhe

Devotees: dadhe

Jayapataka Swami: itthaṁ mitho ’tathyam ataj-jṣa-bhāṣitaṁ

Devotees: itthaṁ mitho ’tathyam ataj-jṣa-bhāṣitaṁ

Jayapataka Swami: śrutvā vicintyety amṛṣā mṛṣāyate

Devotees: śrutvā vicintyety amṛṣā mṛṣāyate

Jayapataka Swami: rakṣo viditvākhila-bhūta-hṛt-sthitaḥ

Devotees: rakṣo viditvākhila-bhūta-hṛt-sthitaḥ

Jayapataka Swami: svānāṁ niroddhuṁ bhagavān mano dadhe

Devotees: svānāṁ niroddhuṁ bhagavān mano dadhe

Jayapataka Swami:

Translation by His Divine Grace Srila Abhaya Carana Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is situated as antaryāmī, the Supersoul, in the core of everyone’s heart, heard the boys talking among themselves about the artificial python. Unknown to them, it was actually Aghāsura, a demon who had appeared as a python. Kṛṣṇa, knowing this, wanted to forbid His associates to enter the demon’s mouth.

Translation with repetition:

The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Devotees: The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Jayapataka Swami: Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Devotees: Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Jayapataka Swami: who is situated

Devotees: who is situated

Jayapataka Swami: as antaryāmī

Devotees: as antaryāmī

Jayapataka Swami: the Supersoul

Devotees: the Supersoul

Jayapataka Swami: in the core of everyone’s heart

Devotees: in the core of everyone’s heart

Jayapataka Swami: heard the boys talking

Devotees: heard the boys talking

Jayapataka Swami: among themselves

Devotees: among themselves

Jayapataka Swami: about the artificial python

Devotees: about the artificial python

Jayapataka Swami: Unknown to them

Devotees: Unknown to them

Jayapataka Swami: it was actually Aghāsura

Devotees: it was actually Aghāsura

Jayapataka Swami: a demon

Devotees: a demon

Jayapataka Swami: who had appeared

Devotees: who had appeared

Jayapataka Swami: as a python

Devotees: as a python

Jayapataka Swami: Kṛṣṇa, knowing this

Devotees: Kṛṣṇa, knowing this

Jayapataka Swami: wanted to forbid His associates

Devotees: wanted to forbid His associates

Jayapataka Swami: to enter the demon’s mouth

Devotees: to enter the demon’s mouth

Jayapataka Swami:

No purport, text 26:

tāvat praviṣṭās tv asurodarāntaraṁ

paraṁ na gīrṇāḥ śiśavaḥ sa-vatsāḥ

pratīkṣamāṇena bakāri-veśanaṁ

hata-sva-kānta-smaraṇena rakṣasā

Translation:

In the meantime, while Kṛṣṇa was considering how to stop them, all the cowherd boys entered the mouth of the demon. The demon, however, did not swallow them, for he was thinking of his own relatives who had been killed by Kṛṣṇa and was just waiting for Kṛṣṇa to enter his mouth.

Translation with repetition:

In the meantime

Devotees: In the meantime

Jayapataka Swami: while Kṛṣṇa

Devotees: while Kṛṣṇa

Jayapataka Swami: was considering

Devotees: was considering

Jayapataka Swami: how to stop them

Devotees: how to stop them

Jayapataka Swami: all the cowherd boys

Devotees: all the cowherd boys

Jayapataka Swami: entered the mouth of the demon

Devotees: entered the mouth of the demon

Jayapataka Swami: The demon

Devotees: The demon

Jayapataka Swami: however, did not swallow them

Devotees: however, did not swallow them

Jayapataka Swami: for he was thinking

Devotees: for he was thinking

Jayapataka Swami: of his own relatives

Devotees: of his own relatives

Jayapataka Swami: who had been killed by Kṛṣṇa

Devotees: who had been killed by Kṛṣṇa

Jayapataka Swami: and was just waiting for Kṛṣṇa

Devotees: and was just waiting for Kṛṣṇa

Jayapataka Swami: to enter his mouth.

Devotees: to enter his mouth.

No Purport. Text 27:

tān vīkṣya kṛṣṇaḥ sakalābhaya-prado

hy ananya-nāthān sva-karād avacyutān

dīnāṁś ca mṛtyor jaṭharāgni-ghāsān

ghṛṇārdito diṣṭa-kṛtena vismitaḥ

Translation:

Kṛṣṇa saw that all the cowherd boys, who did not know anyone but Him as their Lord, had now gone out of His hand and were helpless, having entered like straws into the fire of the abdomen of Aghāsura, who was death personified. It was intolerable for Kṛṣṇa to be separated from His friends the cowherd boys. Therefore, as if seeing that this had been arranged by His internal potency, Kṛṣṇa was momentarily struck with wonder and unsure of what to do.

Translation with repetition:

Kṛṣṇa saw

Devotees: Kṛṣṇa saw

Jayapataka Swami: that all the cowherd boys

Devotees: that all the cowherd boys

Jayapataka Swami: who did not know

Devotees: who did not know

Jayapataka Swami: anyone but Him

Devotees: anyone but Him

Jayapataka Swami: as their Lord

Devotees: as their Lord

Jayapataka Swami: had now gone out of His hand

Devotees: had now gone out of His hand

Jayapataka Swami: and were helpless

Devotees: and were helpless

Jayapataka Swami: having entered like straws into the fire

Devotees: having entered like straws into the fire

Jayapataka Swami: of the abdomen of Aghāsura

Devotees: of the abdomen of Aghāsura

Jayapataka Swami: who was death personified

Devotees: who was death personified

Jayapataka Swami: It was intolerable for Kṛṣṇa

Devotees: It was intolerable for Kṛṣṇa

Jayapataka Swami: to be separated from His friends

Devotees: to be separated from His friends

Jayapataka Swami: the cowherd boys

Devotees: the cowherd boys

Jayapataka Swami: Therefore

Devotees: Therefore

Jayapataka Swami: as if seeing this

Devotees: as if seeing this

Jayapataka Swami: Excuse me. As if seeing that this

Devotees: as if seeing that this

Jayapataka Swami: this had been arranged

Devotees: this had been arranged

Jayapataka Swami: by His internal potency

Devotees: by His internal potency

Jayapataka Swami: Kṛṣṇa was momentarily

Devotees: Kṛṣṇa was momentarily

Jayapataka Swami: struck with wonder

Devotees: struck with wonder

Jayapataka Swami: and unsure of what to do

Devotees: and unsure of what to do

Jayapataka Swami:

Text 28, no purport of 27.

kṛtyaṁ kim atrāsya khalasya jīvanaṁ

na vā amīṣāṁ ca satāṁ vihiṁsanam

dvayaṁ kathaṁ syād iti saṁvicintya

jṣātvāviśat tuṇḍam aśeṣa… ghariḥ

kṛtyaṁ kim atrāsya khalasya jīvanaṁ

na vā amīṣāṁ ca satāṁ vihiṁsanam

dvayaṁ kathaṁ syād iti saṁvicintya

jṣātvāviśat tuṇḍam aśeṣa-dṛg ghariḥ

Translation by His Divine Grace Srila Abhaya Charan Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ki,

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapataka Swami:

Now, what was to be done? How could both the killing of this demon and the saving of the devotees be performed simultaneously? Kṛṣṇa, being unlimitedly potent, decided to wait for an intelligent means by which He could simultaneously save the boys and kill the demon. Then He entered the mouth of Aghāsura.

Repetition:

Now, what was to be done?

Devotees: Now, what was to be done?

Jayapataka Swami: How could both the killing of the demon

Devotees: How could both the killing of the demon

Jayapataka Swami: and the saving of the devotees

Devotees: and the saving of the devotees

Jayapataka Swami: be performed simultaneously

Devotees: be performed simultaneously

Jayapataka Swami: Kṛṣṇa

Devotees: Kṛṣṇa

Jayapataka Swami: being unlimitedly potent

Devotees: being unlimitedly potent

Jayapataka Swami: decided to wait

Devotees: decided to wait

Jayapataka Swami: wait for an intelligent means

Devotees: wait for an intelligent means

Jayapataka Swami: by which He could simultaneously save the boys

Devotees: by which He could simultaneously save the boys

Jayapataka Swami: and kill the demon

Devotees: and kill the demon

Jayapataka Swami: Then He entered the mouth of Aghāsura.

Devotees: Then He entered the mouth of Aghāsura.

Jayapataka Swami:

Purport :

Kṛṣṇa is known as ananta-vīrya-sarvajṣa because everything is known to Him. Because He knows everything perfectly well, it was not difficult for Him to find a means by which He could save the boys and at the same time kill the demon. Thus He also decided to enter the demon’s mouth.

Thus ends the Purport and Translation to Text 25 to 28 of the Srimad-Bhagvatam by His Divine Grace Srila Abhaya Charan Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, in the matter of The Killing of the Demon Aghasura. So Krishna, is so wonderful, that in His transcendental pastimes, through the via media of His internal potency, so many wonderful pastimes are arranged that Krishna, He is able to play in those pastimes. He plays the part perfectly. He plays the part so perfectly that, He Himself, momentarily gets absorbed in the pastimes. He gets absorbed, therefore when the boys are in danger, for a moment He is also struck with wonder. But of course, Krishna, He has got unlimited potencies. So, He can immediately understand exactly what is to be done, but, for us it’s wonderful that Krishna, who is the all-powerful, omnipotent, omniscient, Supreme Personality of Godhead, that he allows himself to play such intimate pastimes with his friends, and allows His internal potency to arrange things so nicely, that He Himself is able to experience this very personal emotions.

So whatever the reason we have any emotion, whether wonder or fear, or whether astonishment or whether appreciation or laughter or love, you see… of course, Krishna is called as abhaya, or He is completely fearless. But, whenever feeling, in material life, it is degenerated. It’s mutated, it’s no longer pure. But in Krishna, those different emotions are completely pure. There are different expressions of His love for His devotees and in His personality they’re never degenerate. They are always suddha-sattva, or pure transcendental in the mode of goodness. But, this is just that the… this also disproves the impersonal point, where they say that the Absolute Truth is impersonal and somehow, almost like the modern scientists, they somehow, simply by some accident, by some coincidence, out of this impersonal nothingness, the material creation came. This is not at all possible, neither this is feasible, neither does anyone ever has an experience of anything coming from nothing. Something has never come from nothing, and never will come from nothing. Something is coming from something else.

So originally this whole material world is coming as a reflection or the shadow of the original spiritual world, and we have emotions in material life, because in the spiritual world emotions are there. But in this material life, emotions are cause of suffering for us. But in the spiritual world these emotions are cause of ecstasy. They are an expression of transcendental love and ecstasy. Just see how the wonderful. The devotees of Krishna, they are so fearless, that they fearlessly walk into the mouth of a serpent, even after considering that it’s a serpent. They are so fearless, “Oh, Krishna is there. What can anyone do to us?”. Because of being eternal associates of Krishna they are so confident of their relation with Krishna that they are completely fearless.

We shouldn’t, as I mentioned yesterday, imitate this and do something whimsical thinking that Krishna will protect us. But if we act always under the guidance of guru, sadhu and sastra, then we can be always confident that “Krishna will protect us.” So, this is wonderful that these cowherd boys that they… they were feeling fearless. When they were inside Aghasura, then Yoga-maya had created such a scenario for Krishna, that even Krishna was momentarily put into wonder, “How will I …” Of course, this is also His play, that He puts Himself in that very personal position… on His own free will, not that He’s forced into it, that He comes into Vrindavan just to have these types of pastimes. This is His playground. The difference is that in Spiritual world, there are no demons. Just a feeling that the demons are there. So, the devotees are sometimes apprehensive that the demon will come and disrupt our pastime with Krishna. But no demon can enter into the spiritual world.

So here in the material world, this is like a special country resort for Krishna. He comes down here, and He can play with real demons. Of course, they are not really demons. Because, they are also his part and parcels – jivatmas, who have somehow become rebellious to Him. So He is dovetailing them into His pastimes, and by this, they achieve liberation and they can return back to the spiritual world, you see. Just like those in the prison house, sometimes they volunteer to take some medical tests, experimentation, and if they do that, then they can get out pretty fast, but there’s some risk of course in material life. But there is no risk involved here. Anyway, somehow or the other these demons, even though they are fighting with Krishna, they get let out early, immediately, by being killed by Krishna. But the devotees, their whole situation is completely different. They are not at all inimical to Krishna.

The description of devotional service is

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ

jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam

ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-

śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā

ānukūlyena means, free, means very favorable. Favorably, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanaṁ one is following Krishna. The devotees, they are following Krishna. They follow the instructions of their spiritual master, they serve Krishna, that is considered to be favorable. But, Kamsa, he is also always talking about Krishna. But he is talking about Krishna unfavorably. It says here that when Krishna went into the mouth of the demon, the demons become, Kamsa and the others, became very happy. Because, they were wishing – “Oh! Let Krishna die! Now, Krishna is going to be killed!” They don’t know that Krishna can never die. God is not changing His body, like an ordinary demon or human. Rather He.., His eternal form is eternal. He can never be killed. But these demons they are thinking, “O, now Krishna will be killed! And Aghasura will be victorious! We have got rid of that splinter in our foot. Krishna, who is always an obstacle for our complete persecution of everyone. He is always standing in our way of our absolute demoniac power.”

So they want to get rid of Krishna. So, their thinking of Krishna, their meditating on Krishna,.. it is said that Kamsa, he was sometimes so absorbed in thinking about Krishna, he couldn’t sleep at night. Even more intensely than many devotees. In his waking, in his sleeping, he just sees Krishna everywhere. He was so obsessed in complete fear of Krishna. But his mood was, that he somehow or the other wanted to kill Krishna! And he was almost being haunted by the thought of Krishna. He was so afraid that Krishna was going to come and kill him. So, that type of devotional… that type of thought of Krishna, is not considered devotional service. Because, it is not favorable at all. But, because Kamsa was so thoroughly absorbed in Krishna, therefore when he died, when he was finally killed by Krishna, he achieved liberation. But, the example is given in Bhaktirasamrita Sindhu, that there was another king, who was also very offensive to Krishna, but he wasn’t fully offensive to Krishna. Not like Kamsa. He was part time offensive. Sometimes, he was engaged in sense gratification. Just his normal material activities. And sometimes, he was offending Krishna. So, as a result, he didn’t achieve liberation. He went to hell. He was…, he had to accept the reactions of his offensive activity and his bad karma. But Kamsa was so thoroughly absorbed in Krishna that practically, all he could do was think about Krishna. Because of his complete absorption, he could achieve liberation. His whole life he was thinking about Krishna killing him, so Krishna finally did do that. But gave him eternal life.

So, this is the 10th canto of Srimad Bhagvatam we’ve already read through the succeeding nine. Actually it’s recommended for the new devotees to read the first nine cantos and then read the 10th. Of course, today, there are many new devotees here. And they are hearing Srimad-Bhagvatam fairly for a short period of time, but they are listening to the 10th canto. The while other 9 cantos gradually build up one’s understanding of the supreme position of Krishna. Once, when realizes the complete absolute position of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. How He is creating the material world, how He is maintaining them, how He is destroying them, how He has acted with His different devotees, and in different incarnations, how He has expressed His unlimited potencies and powers. Then when you understand Him in His very Human like form of Krishna, where He plays as a little boy. Then you can understand that this is an expression of His unlimited potency. Since He can do anything, He can also play like a little boy with His friends. When His friends are in danger He can be angry that, “Why my friends are in danger?”. When He wants to, then He can tap on His unlimited resources and immediately understand what to do. And when He wants, He can just play as if He is a little boy, very simply, very intimately, very lovingly and affectionately with His friends. So, it’s understandable, when you see that in total instruction and total information about Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada, mentioned in his Vrndavane Bhajan, that unfortunately when the missionaries came to India and they heard bits and pieces about Krishna, they heard that He was a butter thief, they heard that He was stealing butter and feeding to the monkeys. They heard that He was dancing with the Gopis in rasa-lila. And He was in the battle field of Kurukshetra and so on. So they sometimes criticized, “What type of God are you worshiping? He is a thief!” So, Prabhupada was saying that they only say such foolish things because all the people in Vrndavana, those who are living in Vrindavan, those who are the great, so-called great devotees of Vrndavana, recently, the different Babajis and Goswamis and what not. Because they are not preaching the glories of Krishna, therefore these padres come, make offenses and go, and nobody understands what, nobody explains to them rather, what is the actual situation and position of Krishna. He’s not a thief. That anyway, any of everything belongs to Him, so what can He steal? We are thieves. But rather, Krishna is taking the butter from His mother’s warehouse to feed to the monkeys. These monkeys are great saints, who have taken birth as monkeys, just to get a little butter from the hand of God. This is His special mercy. But because they have such a poor fund of knowledge, and because nobody is explaining to them, you can’t blame them, if no one explains to them how will they get the correct information?

You hear that the God is unlimited, the omnipotent, then you say that “God has come down on this earth, they say how is it possible?” But how is it impossible? If God can do anything, then why can’t he come down? In fact, one devotee, in New York, has published different quotes from the bible, and there are surprising, in one of the prayers, I think Solomon, he was praying, that my Lord is for ever youthful. That His lotus feet, that He has feet, His toe nails are just like pearls. And the same description you’ll find in the Vedic literatures. But somehow, in the Saint Peters uh… What’s that – they call the Basilica or something? There they have the picture of God, with a big old beard. Because, if He is the oldest, then He must get old and wrinkled.

They don’t realize that God is oldest, but He doesn’t need a material body which has built in obsolescence. Everyone in this country would love to have the perpetual light bulbs, the cars which never breaks down. Except, of course for the manufacturers, as this is not good for their cash flow. But all the consumers would love to have something like that. So, similarly, everyone likes to have a body which will never grow old, which should always stay youthful. Because that’s what the eternal spiritual body is. It’s a body, it’s a form that never changes. It never grows old. It simply remains ever vital, ever youthful. It doesn’t require to go through these different transformations, which are existing here in this material world. So, we should understand this and very patiently, if somebody wants to hear about Krishna and if they are willing to listen, then we can explain. Cause, if they don’t want to really hear about Krishna, if we try to explain to them, they turn a deaf ear, or they immediately start firing off other questions. Before hearing yours, your replies. Then that is actually indicative that they are not actually inclined in knowing anything, they are simply trouble makers. So, what’s the use of wasting our time arguing. We are willing to discuss, to have an exchange, a communication, to try to convince one another, “What is the absolute Truth”? but if somebody is dogmatic, he only wants to speak, he doesn’t want to hear. We have no time to hear such people. Yes, we were willing to hear someone’s questions and willing to answer the questions. But not willing simply to extend our valuable breaths, when someone is not listening. Better as such is to talk to a tree, because the tree would actually benefit.

These pastimes actually are very nectarine, when you understand the powerful, absolute position of Krishna, then you realize how gentle and kind and personally He is dealing with His devotees. Then one can see that how merciful Krishna is, how wonderful it is to be a devotee of Krishna. Krishna is not an impersonal feeling person. But, He is very personal very compassionate, and very loving to His devotees, you see, much more than anyone could imagine. Rather He outdoes, all of His devotees except, there is a very strong competition between Radharani and Her associates. Where she, Krishna sometimes says that, she has defeated Him. So, when Radharani and Krishna combine together, when that completely all compassionate form of Krishna, His spiritual potency, Hladini Shakti, Radha, again combines with Krishna, that form is known as Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The all-powerful Krishna combines with His all-powerful power. It’s inconceivable. This combination.

So, Krishna is the friend of the fallen. he krishna karuna sindhu dina bandhu. Dina bandhu – The friend of the fallen, when the friend of the fallen, combines with the compassion of Radharani, then you get Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Therefore, we see that these demons, they were killed by Krishna and He gave them liberation. That’s very compassionate of Him. But, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was even more compassionate. Because, when Lord Caitanya, He didn’t kill the demon. He touched their heart with His transcendental mercy and with His weapon of Love, He was able to change their mentality, from a demoniac mentality to the one of pure lover of Krishna. In this way the same killing process is there of killing the demon, but Lord Caitanya killed the demon without making him change the body. Just the demoniac aspect, that was destroyed. But, instead, their pure love for Krishna was revealed. Therefore, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is known as the most compassionate.

Now, to appreciate the transcendental pastimes of the Lord, on the spiritual platform… actually when we hear these pastimes, our heart should be melting. But our heart is sometimes so hard that it doesn’t melt. Because, for someone may mentally may think, “Oh, this this is very nice.” But actually, it should touch us in the heart. But our heart becomes hard, due to several reasons. Sometimes due to being proud. Our performing a little austerity, we become hard hearted. Sometimes, due to attachment to sense gratification we become hard hearted. Sometimes, due to offenses, against the devotees of the Lord, we become hardhearted. So, we hear the Hare Krishna Mahamantra being chanted, when we hear the pastimes of the Lord, when actually our heart should be melting, we should be immediately experiencing full ecstasies, instead, something less dynamic or less world-shaking happens, you see.

That means, when somebody, hears the pastimes, or hears the holy name, hears the chanting of the Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s holy name, and tears don’t fill his eyes, his hairs don’t stand on end, then his heart must be as hard as a stone. So, of course, devotees find themselves in the hard hearted conditions sometimes. And this is a great worry because in this hard hearted condition, that means that they are more susceptible to Maya. And then our devotional service becomes more dry because somehow or another, the juice is not able to penetrate our hard heart. So, process of devotional service is actually to soften the heart. In the Nectar of Devotion, it is described that the heart can be described as gold or as butter …. as butter or cotton wool... different descriptions are given, or ghee. So as gold, The gold heart is someone is very grave, very learned, very sattvika – in the mode of goodness. But somehow, in their aloof position. In their, almost proud position, their very pure and grave position, their heart is also sometimes hard. Just like gold. It’s somewhat hard. It’s a metal. Not as hard as iron or rock. But hard. Pure but hard. So, therefore, such people, they have intellectual appreciation of Krishna. They have some faith in Krishna but somehow, they don’t always melt. They are not so enthusiastic in their service to Krishna. As someone whose heart is like ghee. Where there is... or like cotton. Where there is some lightest contact with Krishna’s glories, immediately their heart starts to flutter. It starts to become melted. And one becomes, just like a flow of the Ganges, it just starts to flow, his entire mentality and energy towards Krishna. So, actually process of devotional service, is to soften the heart towards Krishna, you see.

Why we practice sadhana? – regular practice of devotional service, chanting, reading, attending temple programs, hearing the…, or taking prasadam with the devotees? In Mayapur, Prabhupada, he was very emphatic, that everyone should take prasadam together with the devotees. Sometimes, devotees like to take their prasadam alone or separate, or in little units. But Srila Prabhupada, was saying that no, this is a purification. Just as Krishna would sit with His cowherd boys in a line – ‘sari sari’, and take prasadam. To take prasadam with the devotees, that is very pleasing to Krishna and that is purifying. It was astonishing to us. It seemed like a very insignificant thing. But Prabhupada was saying “No! It’s preferable if everyone takes prasadam together.” Or different devotees take prasadam in groups. Sometimes, he had special system called daoya system, where groups of devotees were taking, about twelve at a time, and hot chapattis and hot dal was taken right off the fire. Anyway, that’s another…

Then, of course Srila Prabhupada, he always impressed us the importance of coming together to hear the Srimad-Bhagvatam from the devotees. Because something is heard, it’s discussed, even some of the people present, if they are more advanced, they may bring some point at the end of class, or ask a question which is illuminating to the others. Plus, the energy, when something is discussed with many devotees, Krishna says that there are many places where He is not, but one place He is, is where His devotees have assembled together to discuss His glories, you see.

Just as, you see all during the day, people are gathering together in the coffee shops, in India we call it as tea stalls, or in the taverns, people gather together and they start to talk, but here, so the devotees, they gather together, bhagavata nitya sevaya, and they discuss the Bhagavata. They discuss the glories of Krishna. They discuss the Bhagavad-gita. This is very pleasing to Krishna. And this is very purifying. This allows, ones’ consciousness to be little more open and is little more effective in softening the heart.

Sometimes, devotees when they first come, sometimes even they may come and their heart may be very open, very receptive, very enthusiastic. And you see that they make very rapid advancement. But then, sometimes due to offending other devotees, due to little jealousies or something, which are little subtle Mayas. Just like Lord Caitanya, when He did Gundica marjana, first He swept out all the big leaves, and the big branches and stones and things that had fallen in the temple over the year. After cleaning it out, then He… everyone thought “Oh! This is very nice!”

He said, “No, now you bring in brooms, we are going to sweep out the dust, and the small little, little broken leaves, cracks and everything.” So, these big branches, these are like following the four regulative principles. Avoiding the grossest, you see, Mayas. Breaking regulative principles, being violent, things like that. But then the next thing, sweeping, these are a little subtler. Little subtler desires for sense gratification, desires for false prestige, desire for being respected by others, desire for having some position, somehow when these get frustrated, then also, one is put into illusion. One is feeling very frust… feeling very bad. Then after that was all swept out, then Lord Caitanya had them bring in buckets and buckets of water, and they completely washed down the whole Gundica temple. Then after washing down, everything looked completely spotless, and just sparkling. The Caitanya Caritamrta suggests that it was like Lord Caitanya’s heart, it was so pure, and still Lord Caitanya sat down with his little nail, with little twig or something, they were scraping out the cracks. So, like that, in the purport, Srila Prabhupada said that, we have to cleanse our heart layer after layer after layer after layer, until finally we come down to the absolute pure layer.

Sometime we may have a certain layer, instead, just like a coal, if you don’t continually fan it, ashes form. So, even though, beneath that there is fire, sometimes…. you see, a devotee is already on fire, but then they become little lax, or they become somehow implicated in some kind of subtle weeds or offenses, and then, somehow their devotional service slackens. And then, little ash forms over the Charcoal, so to speak. So Prabhupada said, we have to be continually fanning the fire. Even the association of devotees is such that one way or another it gets fanned. By association we are encouraged to, you see, come up to the proper standard. That’s…. one thing is that, when Narottam Thakur says that we should associate with devotees vaisnava seva chadiache … chadiache vaishnava seva, nistar payiache keba. That who has ever achieved deliverance who has given up the association and service of the devotees of the Lord?

In one purport in the Caitanya Charitamrta, Srila Prabhupada explains, the purport when Lord Caitanya met Rupa and Sanatana and embraced them and told them that they no longer should be known as Dabir Khasa and Sakir Mallika. But that they should be known as Rupa and Sanatana. In there He gave the blessing to them and He told the other devotees, you give your blessings to Rupa and Sanatana, so that they can be pure devotees, or they are pure devotees you give their blessings to them. Immediately, Rupa and Sanatana, they were humbled, they went and touched the feet of the other devotees. And the other devotees were congratulating them for getting the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So in the purport, Srila Prabhupada explains, this is the attitude of a Vaisnava. If he sees that another Vaisnava is getting the mercy of the Lord, He is not envious, He is not jealous. He is rather, congratulated. He’s rather happy, he’s overjoyed. “All glories to you! You have got the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.” They said that the non-Vaisnavas, or even in the garb of Vaisnavas, who is envious, when someone gets the mercy of Lord Caitanya, who is critical, unnecessarily, then such a person is not actually a Vaisnava. Because, a Vaisnava, means non-envious, non-jealous. So, when, Prabhupada said that when it says to associate with Vaishnavas, that means, those who are not envious or jealous. Those who are not bitter against their Godbrothers. But those who are having the quality of a Vaisnava, and if someone gives up the association of those who are envious, rather that is required. Because for a Madhyam adhikari devotee it says there are four recommended activities. We should surrender unto the Supreme personality of Godhead, we should befriend the devotees of Lord, we should be merciful and compassionate on the innocent and we should neglect the envious. So, Srila Prabhupada said, there are many envious and jealous persons in the garb of Vaishnavas, in this Krishna Conscious movement. And they should be completely neglected. Now when he says Krishna conscious movement he wasn’t only meaning the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. But, in the broad sense. Anyone who is proclaimed follower of Lord Caitanya. In the broad sense is a member of the Krishna Conscious movement. But, if they can appreciate that if Krishna Consciousness societies, spreading, Prabhupada, spreading this movement all over the world then we should neglect such people. It’s not that by neglecting them, that we are committing any offense. Rather, if they are envious of jealous, or if they have nothing good to say, and we neglect them. This is required.

How can anyone avoid, appreciating the wonderful activities of Srila Prabhupada. You see, if someone is so jealous that he can’t appreciate what Prabhupada has done, if such a person exists, then we should neglect that person. As a Madhyam Adhikari. Similarly, if someone is trying to follow Srila Prabhupada, and following Srila Prabhupada, and is preaching Krishna consciousness, if that person is successful, rather that should be appreciated. Should not be a source of uh… shouldn’t be received with any kind of envy. If it is alright, we don’t also have to even criticize such people. But, neither do we have to associate with such people like that. Because we want our heart to be softened. We want our heart to be filled with love for Krishna. If we get distracted, by statements of envious people, then our hearts will become disturbed. It will become hardened to Krishna. It will have opposite effect, and that means, hard heart is more attracted to sense gratification. Because sense gratification is very selfish, and it builds the heart as harder and harder. As the person becomes greedy or selfish, everyone knows, he becomes hard hearted, and as a person becomes more and more God conscious, his heart becomes more soft, more compassion, all the good qualities of God, become manifest in him. So, we have to keep our heart in a very receptive state so that Krishna can reside there, we can be completely Krishna conscious and that’s why we practice this sadhana. If for nothing else, even if our sadhana is not very good, good enough to get us back to Godhead on its own, but because Srila Prabhupada has… or our spiritual master in the disciplic success from Srila Prabhupada, has instructed us to do this practices of devotional service, we do, to get the mercy of guru. We perform these activities, just to get the mercy of the spiritual master.

When you see that devotees who are preaching in very difficult situation like, eastern Europe or Muslim countries, or sometime have to go all alone for a long time. You see, when they are very happy to come back and associate with the devotees. Sometimes, those who get the association of devotees, they take it for granted. They don’t realize that how valuable it is to associate with devotees if they are discussing about Krishna. Discussing how to expand our service, if they are actually, sincerely trying to serve the spiritual master, having association with them is so purifying, it’s so enlivening. If we want to go back to spiritual world, is very simple, if one loves, those whom Krishna loves. If you want to love Krishna, you should love the loved ones of Krishna. Just as Krishna has shown here in this Aghasura leela. How much He loves His devotees. He actually felt… He didn’t want to be… even Krishna doesn’t want to be separated from His cowherd devotees. Even Krishna didn’t want to be alone without His devotees. So, how wonderful are the devotees of the Lord! If even Krishna… of course they are the eternal associates of Lord Krishna. Nonetheless, we can see that how much Krishna loves the devotees. So, it’s recommended that if you want to see Krishna, first you have to see His devotees.

If you want to love Krishna, you love the loved ones of Krishna. If you love Krishna’s cows and His calves, His cowherd boys, if you love His holy dhama, His devotees then it is very easy to love Krishna. Because they are with Krishna. If you are with them then you are with Krishna. When we leave this world, if we think of a devotee of Krishna, if we think of the holy dhama of Krishna, of the pastimes of Krishna, or the form of Krishna, or the name of Krishna, then we return back to Krishna, because they are not different on the absolute platform. How can we think directly of Krishna until we are already on the liberated platform, you see? Then we have seen Krishna, rather, we are thinking of Krishna’s sambandhi, those things which are related to Krishna. Some may say, “I like to see you Krishna, but I don’t want to see those smelly cows. I want you without the cows.” Well, then you can’t go to Goloka Vrndavana. Plus, the cows are not smelly anyway. They are scented, they are beautiful. But when someone has some prejudice like that then you see, he won’t be able to go back to Krishna. On the other hand, if someone is very appreciative of all the loved ones to Krishna, then immediately he becomes very intimate with Krishna.

Why does He say that if anyone lives in the holy dhama, even for six months, or even for one month, or fifteen days, or even for three nights, that one can achieve liberation, one can achieve elevation to the spiritual world? So, if someone is a resident of the holy dhama, they become a confidential devotee of the Lord. If one simply remains in favorable devotional service long enough, identifying with the holy dhama, identifying with Krishna’s service, identifying with Krishna’s devotees, identifying… one becomes a dhama-vasi, a resident of the dhama. He is no longer citizen of the material world. He is a citizen of the spiritual world. He becomes a confidential devotee. If you live in America long enough, you become a citizen. You get that right. They think that, that association changes your mind enough that now you become a loyal American. If you live in the spiritual world long enough, even the extensions of the spiritual world, the temples, the communities, the holy dham in India, when you start to fully identify with Krishna, and Krishna’s devotees, and Krishna’s loved ones, when you think that “The temple is my home.” you think that “Holy dham is my land.” you think that “Krishna is my eternal master and His devotees are my only friends.” then where else are you going to go when you leave your body? You are going to go home. You are going back to Godhead. You are going to be with Krishna. There’s no doubt about it. This is a very easy process. But if you think that, you know, the New Orleans, what do you call that, the Pirates, or the Saints, are my friends, my heroes and the… you see, that this material world is my home, you may think, “God is my friend.” but, you know, some kind of distant... Then naturally, you may think, “My only friends are my family members.” Then it’s harder for one to go back to the Spiritual World. Because instead of thinking of Krishna, instead of identifying with Him, you’ll be identifying with this material world. One would be implicated in so many karmas.

So, one should see so many arrangements that Srila Prabhupada has given us to associate with our God brothers and with other Vaisnavas. If sometimes, of course, we not only have God brothers, we have God nieces and nephews, sons and daughters, uncles, aunties... it’s a whole spiritual family. This was also there in the time of Lord Caitanya’s pastime, just immediately after He disappeared. When you read the pastime of Narottam dasa Thakura. We know that his dear God brother, his equal associate was Srinivasacarya. Srinivasacarya was the disciple of Gopal Bhatta Goswami. Gopal Bhatta Goswami was the disciple of Lord Caitanya. And, similarly, Lokanatha, he was the disciple of Lord Caitanya, for all practical purposes, Bhugarbha. Lokanath was the master of Narottam. So, in that sense by level they were God brothers, cousin brothers, but one united family - equal. And the disciple of Srinivasacarya happened to be Ramacandra Kaviraja. So, Ramacandra Kaviraja was also a great preacher.

Somehow, although they were nephew… you can say in that sense, Srinivasa and Narottama were great friends, great Godbrothers, but somehow, Narottama would always respect Srinivasa. But Srinivasa treated Narottama just as an equal. But somehow, Ramachandra was helping Narottama and Narottama became so affectionate, so kind with Ramacandra, that actually he appreciated his association. So, even in his song we see Ramacandra sanga mage that “I always like the association of Ramacandra.” That actually in one sense, he was his Godnephew, he was junior devotee by external value, but still he had a very close relation with him, he appreciated his association. Obviously, Ramacandra Kaviraja was a very advanced Vaisnava, in spite of taking initiation later from Srinivasacarya. So in that way we can see that there was a… you see, the boundaries were not very rigid, there wasn’t any saffron walls, or any iron curtains or anything. But it was a very loving relationship, a very intimate relationship.

In fact, it was so nectar to read sometimes how, in this one book, that I am just studying now, it’s called Narottama vilasa. It’s important for finding out the history of Narottama Thakura. And the holy places that Prabhupada wanted me to preserve. One day, Biracandra, the son of Nityananda, without any information, he just suddenly came to the house of Srinivasacarya. So Srinivasacarya, was actually, initially a very fixed up Brahmacari. But, Narahari Thakura had ordered him, that he should get married. Because, there was some reason, but he wouldn’t say why, and he should get married, and as a married house holder, he should practice Krishna consciousness. So, Srinivasacarya was to spend about six months to seven months out preaching. And a four – five months at home. May be maximum six months. From all the preaching that he did, that’s just my estimation, and he later became the Guru of the King Viramvira Vikrama, the king of Visnupura, and as a Sannyasi, he could never be the Rajguru.

He had to be a grhastha to be a Raja-guru. A sannyasi can’t participate in the court. According to the ancient traditions. Anyway, according to those times, it was still practiced. So, anyway, he was there, Srinivasacarya, he had six children. Three boys and three girls. And with his saha dharminis, he was there and suddenly Biracandra came with his whole kirtan party. And they were overjoyed. Immediately they received him. They gave him elevated seat, they washed his lotus feet, then they brought their different relatives and devotees and he gave them his mercy and they fed him fantastic feast of prasadam. Just so happy that suddenly the Vaishnavas had come to their house. Suddenly without any warning or anything, just spontaneous. Then again, Bircandra went off towards Narottam’s place. I didn’t read that far yet, as to what happened when he met Narottama. It’s very simple pastime. Not a very philosophical work. It’s a historical treatise. But, just how the Vaishnavas were receiving each other, how they were associating. It’s so wonderful.

So, of course, I am always very hopeful that here in ISKCON, we will be able to preserve that original mood of Lord Caitanya’s movement. Where the Vaisnavas, they will come, they’ll always be very well received, very... feel very much a part of our family, and of course we hope that always, the non-envious Vaisnavas, the pure devotees, who are simply dedicated to spreading the holy name and glory around that they will always come and benedict us. We hope that we don’t have to encounter those persons who are in the dress of Vaishnavas but have got some bitterness in their heart and they want to criticize others, unconstructively. You don’t want to associate with those people, because we see that our previous acaryas like Raghunatha Dasa Goswami, whenever he heard any criticism of Vaisnava he ran away. He didn’t want to hear that.

So, we can understand that our life is very short. We want to, in this lifetime, become so thoroughly in love with Krishna, we want to be so thoroughly addicted to associating with Krishna’s devotees, to eating Krishna prasadam, to dancing in Krishna’s kirtan, to reading and hearing the classes about Krishna and to telling other people about Krishna, to serving and building projects for Krishna, and doing service for Krishna. We want to become so thoroughly absorbed in that transcendental association, that we thoroughly can identify with Krishna and be accepted by Krishna in His eternal circle of devotees. Especially, we want to be accepted by Srila Prabhupada as his eternal family member that we can continue to associate with him wherever he is, eternally, knowing that whenever we are with him, we can immediately feel his transcendental presence, the presence of Krishna and Vrindavana, Mayapura-dhama.

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya

prabhu-nityānanda

śrī-advaita gadādhara

śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa

kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare

hare rāma hare rāma

rāma rāma hare hare

Srimad Bhagvatam grantharaja ki,

Devotees: Jaya!

[break]

Jayapataka Swami: It doesn’t have to be a devotee that comes as a demon. It’s mentioned in the purport, just because Jaya and Vijaya came as demons to fight with Krishna, doesn’t mean that every time a devotee has to fall down from the spiritual world to become a demon to fight with Krishna. Krishna also delivers souls that were in the material world.

Yes?

Question: Where does it say…

[break]

Jayapataka Swami: It says that one shouldn’t preach to one who is faithless. In India, there are many life members who are complete Mayavadis. No matter, as much as you tell them about the personality of Godhead, they ..their brain has been thoroughly… it’s like a computer. It’s got a translator in it, or something, their brain, everything they see gets converted into impersonalism (laughter). So, talking to those people, after a while, becomes a point less effort. So Srila Prabhupada said that if a person is really, thoroughly polluted due to Mayavadism, that better is to engage them in some form of service. Either in buying a book or becoming a life member, or doing some service. In fact, I personally, one life member was a nice person, but he was so thoroughly polluted, even, when I read from the Bhagvad-gita, brahmano hi pratistaham, “I am the foundation of the impersonal Brahman.” He just like, he was stunned. Two days later I came to see him He said, “I called up my Mayavadi friend in the University and he told me no, it’s not that Brahman, it’s the four headed Brahma (laughter)

Said, “No in the context…” It’s just like this… (imitates computer processer sound) (laughter) But even… but we engaged him in service. Actually, he helped us in many ways to secure… he was very good server... he had a very good service attitude. He’d come and serve in many ways. Especially, he was a very influential person. So, he helped us with the government, with the municipality, with some other people who were envious against us, he would defend us. But when he saw Krishna, he didn’t see Krishna, he didn’t see Krishna the way we did. That was the only thing. He was uh… he was polluted by this impersonal idea. But even he, by associating, by chanting, eventually, he could see that his heart, was being changed. And in the end, he started to appreciate, because we had continually engaged him in service. So Prabhupada said that at least try to, if you can, if they are so much prejudiced against the personality of Godhead, either by materialism, or he specifically said impersonalism but, I would extend that even to someone who is very materialistic. If they could, be engaged in service, materialism is even less dangerous than a Mayavadi. Even by, just slipping them a little prasadam, or have them come during a festival and give out food to the poor or something. Whatever they relate with, if they do some service, that will start to purify their heart. Doing something practical. Sometime, the philosophical can only be received by those who have got some spiritual asset. So, the children, they can give some spiritual assets to their parents by giving them some prasadam, by engaging them in some service, by sometimes giving those books which are very indirect type of preaching. Very gradual.

If you try to push something on one, too fast, then they tend to become very defensive, especially in the West where people are... have a lot of value identity problems. And they want to protect their own... when they see the whole devotional situation, immediately, they will... even if they have to accept that this as a viable alternative, then it brings their whole… own values into question, then they are not mature enough, or don’t have enough understanding yet to know how… they are just seeing some external things without knowing what it all means. So, they tend to become afraid. Because in their heart, sometimes even they feel that there is something real here, but this is so far out, “If this is real, then where am I?”, right?

My little brother, he first came to visit me, when I was first living in Montreal. He stayed for a month or two. At the end, while taking… he said, “I have to immediately go back home”. I said, why, you were supposed to stay here for another month? He said that “The food is so good and now I am chanting and am starting to like it. But if I stay here any longer, then I won’t be able to uh... I won’t… I’ll be put in very great difficulty when I go back home. They won’t be able to provide vegetarian food.” He had a whole, cause... he was still completely in material identity. His reference was completely material. He was seeing that “If I get too much attracted to Krishna consciousness, then somehow it’s going to be very un… very incompatible for my material life.

Transcribtion Seva – Savyasachi Krishna Das 21-Jan-16

Tags: Aghasura, Srimad Bhagavatam 10 12 25-28, Recommended activities for Madhyam adhikari, Bible reference to Lord’s form,

Revised by Jagannatha dasa Brahmacari