20200409 Mahāprabhu Teaches Everyone Not to Aspire For Anything Other Than Bhakti (Part 2)

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Today we had a special darśana with the UK devotees. Last night we had with the Visakapatnam devotees and with Visakapatnam, there were few devotees from KKD, Kṛṣṇa Kathā Deśa, and one from the UK! Ha! Like that, mostly from Visakapatnam. Nitāi Sevinī, she gives daily classes in Telugu, and Sāmba dāsa also gives classes to the congregation. They seem to very much enthuse the congregation. So, when we had a class day before yesterday in Chennai, one person said that they are having class with 500 people! So that’s good.

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Chapter entitled as Mahāprabhu Teaches Everyone Not to Aspire for Anything Other Than Bhakti – Continued…

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.65

viṣaya-sukhete baḍa lokera santoṣa
citta bujhi' kahe veda, vedera ki doṣa

Translation: “People take great pleasure in material happiness, and the Vedas offer directions according to their mentality. What is the fault of the Vedas?

Jayapatākā Swami: “People are very desirous of material sense gratification. And that is their idea of satisfaction. So, understanding their mentality, the Vedas speaks, offers directions, according to that, so what is the fault of the Vedas?”

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.66

`dhana-putra pāi gaṅgā-snāna hari-nāme'
śuniyā calaye loka vedera kāraṇe

Translation: “The Vedas declare, `By taking bath in the Ganges and chanting the name of Hari, one will achieve wealth and children,' and people therefore engage in such activities.

Ordinary people think that by taking bath in the Ganges and chanting the name of Hari one can achieve worldly wealth and a large family. That is why they glorify the Vedas as helpful to their sense enjoyment. But by engaging in activities like taking bath in the Ganges and chanting the name of Hari their natural contamination is destroyed and an inclination for the Lord's service is awakened.

Jayapatākā Swami: Wealth, children, we will get by performing, bathing in the Ganges and chanting the holy names, chanting the name of Hari. So, hearing this, the people in general, they engage in such activities which are mentioned in the Vedas. So, the ordinary people, they are inspired to take bath in the Ganges and chant the name of Hari, so that they can achieve worldly wealth and a large, nice family. That is why they glorify the Ganges, and think it is good for their sense enjoyment. I was talking with a BBC newscaster in Māyāpur, he came in and saw what we were doing. I took him to the river Ganges, and I mentioned that, I forgot what the discussion was about, but I talked something about sense gratification. So, what is wrong with that he said? Ha! Ha! That is the goal of life, he said, gratify your senses! Ha! Ha! So, this is what the ordinary people think. Some Christian preachers say, pray to God, get a raise in your job, bigger salary! So, this what ordinary people are interested in. But Lord Caitanya was teaching that actually, real happiness is love of Kṛṣṇa, love of Godhead. By bathing in the Ganges and chanting the name of Hari, their contamination of material life is destroyed, and naturally their attraction to serve the Lord is awakened. That is the purpose of the Vedas. But many people do not understand that. Gurus and the advanced souls understand the purpose of the Vedas. That is why some of the Vedas say, do this and you will get some material benefit. So, the Ekādaṣīs like the Ekādaṣī I was born on, the Kāmadā Ekādaṣī, it talks about how wife could do a special Ekādaṣī fast to give the credit to the husband and he will be saved from the curse and they will go together to heaven. But the actual benefit is you can have your desire satisfied. So, if you desire pure devotional service - I went to some deva temple but I only asked for pure devotion to Kṛṣṇa, and the flower garland fell down from the deity!

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.67

ye-te-mate gaṅgā-snāna-hari-nāma kaile
dravyera prabhāve `bhakti' haibeka hele

Translation: “If one somehow or other takes bath in the Ganges and chants the name of Hari, then by the influence of those substances, one will easily achieve devotional service.

Jayapatākā Swami: Somehow or another if one takes a bath in the Ganges, and chants the holy name of Hari, by that influence, they can easily achieve devotional service for the Lord.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.68

ei veda-abhiprāya mūrkha nāhi bujhe
kṛṣṇa-bhakti chāḍiyā viṣaya-sukhe maje

Translation: “Foolish people do not understand this intention of the Vedas, so they give up devotional service to Kṛṣṇa and engage in sense gratification.

Those who cannot understand the intention of the Vedas certainly become intoxicated in this material world by disregarding the necessity of serving the Supreme Lord.

Jayapatākā Swami: This purpose of the Vedas, foolish people don’t understand. They give up kṛṣṇa-bhakti or Kṛṣṇa’s devotional service, and they engage in in sense happiness. So, in this way, they miss the real purpose of the Vedas, which is to somehow or another encourage the people to do devotional service to the Lord. So, we hope that our devotees would understand this secret intention of the Vedas, and then see the necessity of serving the Lord.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.69

bhāla-manda vicāriyā bujhaha gosāñi
kṛṣṇa-bhakti-vyatirikta āra vara nāi”

Translation: “O Gosāñi, try to understand what is good and what is bad. There is no benediction other than devotional service to Kṛṣṇa.”

Mahāprabhu instructed the dārī sannyāsī about what is good and what is bad, and by doing so He proved that no benediction other than service to Kṛṣṇa is able to offer complete perfection.

Jayapatākā Swami: “So, my dear Gosāñi, please try to understand, what is good, what is bad! There is no benediction other than the devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa.” So, these were the instructions of Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu to the dārī sannyāsī. What is good, what is bad, and by doing so, He proved that no benediction has any value, other than the service to Lord Kṛṣṇa. That service is able to offer one, complete perfection.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.70

sannyāsīra lakṣye śikṣā-guru bhagavān
`bhakti-yoga' kahe veda kariyā pramāṇa

Translation: While instructing the sannyāsī, the Supreme Lord and spiritual master of everyone taught devotional service through Vedic evidence.

Jayapatākā Swami: By instructing the dārī sannyāsī, the Lord took the position of śikṣā-guru, instructing spiritual master, and then by quoting the Vedas, He taught devotional service through Vedic evidence.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 19.71

paranindaka pāpamatira caitanyavākya-hṛdayaṅgame asāmarthya-hetu bhaktira anādara —

ye kahe caitanyacandra, sei satya haya
paraninde pāpī-jīva tāhā nāhi laya

Translation: Whatever Lord Caitanya speaks is the Absolute Truth. Sinful living entities who blaspheme others do not accept His words.

Not understanding Śrī Caitanyacandra's statements, which are the complete Absolute Truth, sinful people who blaspheme others perpetually remain sinful-minded and do not respect devotional service to Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: Whatever Caitanyacandra speaks, that is the Absolute Truth. But those who are sinful living entities, who blaspheme others, they cannot accept His words. So unfortunately, although what Lord Caitanya taught or teaches is the Absolute Truth, those who are addicted to blaspheming others who are very sinful minded, trying to enjoy the senses, they do not respect devotional service to Kṛṣṇa.

Thus ends the Chapter -
Mahāprabhu Teaches Everyone Not to Aspire For Anything Other Than Bhakti

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So, the dārī sannyāsī offered a benediction to Lord Caitanya, but it was all material things. Lord Caitanya taught him that other than devotional service, nothing is the real benediction! So those who are very much conditioned, they may not understand. So, in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are presenting the Absolute Truth, we are repeating what has been handed down from Lord Caitanya. But some people may not understand, thinking that the real goal of live is sense enjoyment, rather than controlling sense enjoyment and engaging in devotional service to the Lord. Just like Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s song, about the nāma-haṭṭa, nadīyā-godrume nityānanda mahājana patiyāche nām-haṭṭa jīvera kāraṇa. one verse is kṛṣṇera saṁsāra koro chāḍi' anācār. So, his point was be a householder, make Kṛṣṇa the centre of your household life, but give up the prohibited activities. So, we are very much encouraged that so many devotees in this lockdown period are using or preaching on the internet. They are giving classes, they are reading Śrīla Prabhupāda books, and they are having different programs – bhakti-vṛkṣa programs, nāma-haṭṭa programs, very interesting! So, we are very appreciative of these gṛhasthas who are engaging in devotional service.

Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Are there any questions?

Devotee submission: Hare Kṛṣṇa dear Mahārāja: PAMRO. I want to report to you Mahārāja about our activities. Since last Wednesday, April 1, we have been conducting online yajñas in the morning from 11 to 2 pm, we read līlās. We have finished reading Rāmāyaṇa. Now we are reading Kṛṣṇa enters Mathurā. In the evening from 6:30 to 8:00, there is kīrtana and Śrimad Bhāgavatam first canto. We plan to continue until the end of quarantine. Honestly, I don’t want to stop! We have only ladies and mothers with children in our group. If you Mahārāja, are inspired by our reports, then I can send them. I want you to be happy and preach even more! Although, you are already like a Tsunami. But after all, there is no limit to your power! Just like there is no limit to the power of Kṛṣṇa!  Lakṣmīpriyā devī dāsī, disciple of His Holiness Nirañjana Svāmī Mahārāja, Ekaterinburg.

Jayapatākā Swami: Spacebo! Thank you very much. I very much appreciate your service!

When can I give a class to the Russians? (Tomorrow he was told)

Question: Tamil channel: Kumāra Devan: Dear Guru Mahārāja, Am I able to satisfy you by doing go seva and completing my rounds?

Jayapatākā Swami: You should give your daily schedule. See how much time you have for go-seva, how much time for chanting. There should be no time for māyā! Ha!

Today there is cake cutting, HG Radhāramaṇa Sevaka dāsa said.

Jayapatākā Swami: Whose birthday?

HG Radhāramaṇa Sevaka dāsa said birthday of His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Guru Mahārāja!

Jayapatākā Swami: Ha! Ha!

Announcement for the virtual table was made.

Question: What should be the right mood to read the prayers from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, and what should we imbibe from that? Śrī Guru Sevanāndinī devī dāsī.

Jayapatākā Swami: The right mood should be submissive, receptive, open. We should imbibe the devotional service to the Lord.

I would like to thank the Māyāpur saṅkīrtana devotees, and the saṅkīrtana devotees all over my zone, all over the world. Here the Māyāpur Saṅkīrtana devotees are phoning up people and distributing books. So, every day we hear how many sets of Bhāgavatam, Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Bhagavad-gītās, and other books are distributed. So we are very grateful to them that they are doing this service. Also, that devotees are taking this opportunity to distribute Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books. We heard that the BBT in India has put some E books. So, we are trying to see how we can have that implemented.

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa dear Guru Mahārāja, thank you for opening the treasure house of the confidential pastimes of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.  You are pouring out causeless mercy by revealing the upmost treasure of bhakti-yoga very timely during COVID 19 virus lockdown period.  we are all fired up to distribute your teachings to new souls. We, JSSS UK disciples, have a humble request, to have weekly ZOOM sessions, as per your availability. Your spiritual daughter, Cūḍāmaṇi dāsī.

Jayapatākā Swami: I am very happy to see the UK devotees today. And surely we would like to see different devotees. And I can visit your homes by ZOOM! Ha!

Wow! Guru Mahārāja said, seeing the cake!