20200805 Zoom Peaching Program Inaugural Address on Janmāṣṭamī

Lecture Code: 20200805

Occasion: JANAMASTAMI INAUGURAL ADDRESS

Date :05 August 2020

Place: Sridham Mayapur

Transcribed By: Jayaraseswari DD

Transcribed on :06 August 2020

1^st Level Proofer: Bhavatarini Radhika DD

1^st Level Proofed on: 07 August 2020

Editorial Changes (non voice): Usha

Date: 25-Jan-2020

 Status: Completed

Source:

https://youtu.be/kixQ_PNEkCk

Title:

20200805 His Holiness Jayapataka Swami Maharaj, Janamastami Inaugural Address to ISKCON Chennai, Via Zoom, Sri Mayapur Dham, India.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ

paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim

yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande

paramānanda-mādhavam

Śrī Caitanya Īśvaram

hariḥ oṁ tat sat

I am very honored to be in Chennai for talking on the appearance of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and also the Vyāsa Pūjā of His Divine Grace A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. It happened the day after Śrī Kṛṣṇa Janamastami.

This Janmāṣṭamī is a very special vrata. One can be transferred to the spiritual world, just by observing this Janamastami. This is also called as Jayantī, as the Rohiṇī constellation appears with the moon. There are many glories of Janamastami mentioned in different purāṇas. How not following Janamastami is very bad. By following, one can get all kinds of special mercy.

So Śrīla Prabhupāda, instructed us to fast until midnight. Then by his mercy, we take anukalpaprasadam. No grain, pulse or cereal.  And then we breakfast with one grain of rice in the morning, and then we fast till noon, for Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Vyāsa pūjā. So, it says that this Janamastami is especially powerful if it falls on a Monday or Wednesday. This year it falls on a Wednesday. That means, it is very, very powerful. I was told that Madhvācārya mentioned that observing Janamastami is more valuable than many Ekādaśī. I didn’t see the quote but I heard like, it was a huge number, a million or something.

There was a king called Citrasena. He was actually very sinful. He liked to kill animals. He was a meat-eater and fallen person. He went into the forest with his army to hunt a tiger. He told the soldiers, don’t kill the tiger, leave him for me. Then he went deep into the forest looking for the tiger. He became very hungry and thirsty. Then he saw some ladies by a lake. He asked them for something to eat or drink. They said, no, today is the Janmāṣṭamī, we should not take anything. So, he followed their advice and he fasted for the whole night. He took a lotus flower and offered it to Kṛṣṇa. Then an airplane came down from Vaikunta and at the end of the vrata, took him back to Vaikunta. How much benefit there is by observing Janamastami, we cannot begin to calculate. Apparently, Yamadeva, if someone observes Janamastami, he takes him off his file!

 Anyway, Śrīla Prabhupāda, he said, that he was appearing on the day of Janamastami, but out of respect to Kṛṣṇa, he came the day after! So, his father was worshipping Rādhā Govinda and maybe Balarāma Revatī. Any sādhu came to Śrīla Prabhupāda’s house, he would say, please bless my son that he may be favored by Rādhārāṇī. I am very happy to visit many house in Chennai. To see how the husband and wife are cooperating to worship Kṛṣṇa. So, I am sure that you will all be very diligently offering special observance to the Kṛṣṇa Janamastami. Sometimes we try to finish reading the whole Kṛṣṇa Book on Janamastami day. Different devotees would take turns. You can also do this on Zoom. But especially on Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī, we should do everything to remember Kṛṣṇa, and never to forget Him.

Actually, in this world, we do so many things which are prohibited. That is why today in the world, we are having this corona virus pandemic. Because we have broken some laws of nature, laws of God. So, if we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and observe Janamastami, we can please Kṛṣṇa. Actually, everybody should perform. That will have a very big effect. The thing that we want – you see this world is not a very good place for a gentleman or a gentle lady. So, by observing Janamastami, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, we can be transferred back to the spiritual world. Just by observing Janamastami, one can achieve the desired result.

So, I had the great good fortune to have the association of His Divine Grace A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. First, I met his devotees, Jayānanda prabhu and others. Then I went and I saw Śrīla Prabhupāda. He was very merciful. Because I just shaved up and joined the ratha yatra in San Francisco. When I showed up in Montreal, Canada, Śrīla Prabhupāda was surprised. He said, who is this?

And Garga Muni was there. He said, this is Bhakta Jay. Then Śrīla Prabhupāda said, have him come for lunch tomorrow. So, like that he engaged me in his devotional service.

 There are many types of yoga, but bhakti yoga is considered the topmost. So, we want all the devotees to practice bhakti yoga. Grihethako bone thakosada Hari bole ḍāko. Lord Gaurāṅga advised, whether you are in the household life or whether you are in the renounced life, stay where you are and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So Śrīla Prabhupāda asked me what I wanted to do. I told him I wanted to go to India. He said, I will send you later, stay with me, I will train you up first.

 So, Śrīla Prabhupāda was very kind to me, he trained me up. And he gave us the process of bhakti yoga. Observing Śrīla Prabhupāda, was something amazing for me. One time, in his room in Montreal, he saw a cockroach. You may think that in America or Canada there are no such things! But they have also! Ha! So, he lifted it up from the back and opened the window and said, I am giving you the whole world, enjoy! Then he threw the cockroach out of the window. Then he closed the window. So, he gave the whole world to the cockroach! That is what we think, we think we are the lords of the whole world! But actually, the Lord is the Lord of the whole world. He is the Jagannātha. He is the Viswanata and so we want to take shelter at His lotus feet. In other ages, there was the process of meditation, of homa yajña, of temple worship. But in Kali yuga we are not so qualified to do these different processes.

So, the Lord out of His mercy, He came Himself as His holy name! So, by chanting the holy name of the Lord, we are directly associating with the Lord. And thus, we get the unlimited mercy of the Lord.

By observing Janmāṣṭamī, that is also not different from Kṛṣṇa. Since, Kṛṣṇa is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavān, by observing His day of appearance, that is the most sacred thing you can do. That is why especially we are requesting everyone to be fully conscious of Janamastami and observe it. This year, since it falls on a Wednesday, it is very auspicious.

 So, then Śrīla Prabhupāda, he came to India. Apparently, he was instructed by the deities in Los Angeles and the deities there told him that he should also preach in India. He received the instruction from Śrīla Bhaktisiddanta Saraswati Ṭhākura to preach in the West. But he got instructions from Rukmiṇī Dwarakanath that he should also preach in India. So, he sent me to India, and he came and stayed for some time. So, like this, we are observing the special presence of His Divine Grace.

On the Rādhāṣṭamī day, which is just like three weeks away, he gave me sannyāsa initiation, 50 years ago. Now this is my 50th anniversary of sannyāsa on Rādhāṣṭamī. Śrīla Prabhupāda told me that I should serve Kṛṣṇa with my mind, my words and my body. So, I am seeing many devotees, whether in gṛhastha asram, or brahmacārīs, they are also serving the Lord with mind, body and words. I am very grateful that so many devotees are engaged in devotional service.

So, I would like to give some time for questions, if you have? If you lift up your hand on the Zoom.

 Devotee: Hare Kṛṣṇa guru maharaj: If someone is having illness and cannot observe nirjala on Janamastami, is it ok to take anukalpa prasādam?

 His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: We take anukalpa in the night. But if they are sick, they want, they can take water, fruits, like that, whatever anukalpa, depending on how sick they are. They should pray to the Lord to forgive them that they are sick and therefore they are taking some anukalpa or water.

 Devotee: Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave mercy to Rāmānanda Rai who was a governor and rich, but He did not give His mercy easily to king Pratāparudra so easily. What is the reason?

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Rāmānanda Rai was a governor. And so therefore, a person who was a king, there were some restrictions of a sannyāsī meeting a king. So, He wanted to show the example that as a sannyāsī, He should not associate with the materialist. But the devotees said, that actually he is a devotee. And He saw that the king would sweep the road before Lord Jagannātha.

So, the king in a plain vaiṣṇava dhotī and chaddar, wearing tilaka, no royal dress, he came to see Lord Caitanya when He was resting during the ratha yatra. No one could recognize him, because they were used to seeing him in royal dress. So, he asked everyone’s permission and he started to massage the lotus legs and feet of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And he was singing the verses from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, from the Gopī Geeta.

So, then Lord Caitanya sat up and said, I don’t know who you are, but you have given Me priceless jewels of verses. So, I will embrace you, I am very happy with your gift. Then He embraced king Pratāparudra and then He laid down. So indirectly, He also gave mercy to king Pratāparudra, while maintaining His standard as a sannyāsī that He should not associate with materialists. Normally, kings are materialists, Rāmānanda Rai, he was an employee of the king. But he was not a king.

 Devotee: Janamastami celebration in residence on 11th or 12th by Charulata Kishore.

 His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Here in Māyāpur, it is on the 12th. What day is it there in Tamil Nāḍu?

 His Grace RangaKṛṣṇa das (the host): Guru maharaj we celebrate both days, 12th is for vaiṣṇavas and 11th is for smārtas.

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: We should celebrate on 12th. 11th maybe some people can visit the temple, whoever is following the smartamatth. Also, that day is a holiday in some states. Is that day a holiday in Tamil Nāḍu, 11th?

Yes.

 Devotee: Sadānanda Gopal das: Hare Kṛṣṇa guru maharaj, PAMRO. Please swing our Jhulan!

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Thank you! What are your deities’ names? Rādhā Kṛṣṇa. Send me a letter with the close-up pictures of your deities.

 Devotee: Why are devotees not able to participate directly in the Janmāṣṭamī utsava in the temple due to COVID -19 and we are not able to perform services in the temple.

Why is this year 2020 having so many problems for all including devotees due to this corona virus pandemic?

What is the reason for this worldwide problem?

Is there any scriptural answer?

 His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: You see once the human society receives some daivaklesha, everyone is affected. If there is a cyclone or a earthquake, or tidal wave, or some pestilence, everyone is affected. And although devotees maybe are not doing the same sinful acts, they may still be affected.

Śrīla Prabhupāda was saying, if we kill someone, we do one by one. But if Viṣṇu does it, He does it wholesale.

In the Bible, it was said, there was once a plague that was coming, and the advice was, stay indoors, let the plague pass, and then go out.  The bad karma is going to punish the people, so you should stay indoors. I found that interesting because that is like a lockdown. Because so far there is no cure and no vaccine for this COVID-19. Although many people get it, most people recover. The doctors told me that I should not get it. Since, I have had a liver and kidney transplant and old aged, so if I get it, it is very dangerous. So, like that I am in a kind of self-quarantine.

But I hope that all of you are safe and practice the guidelines which are given like social distancing, wear masks, wash hands. Ask everyone to chant the holy names. We are very happy that the Rāma Janma Bhūmi temple foundation has been laid. At least they chanted the name of Rāma many times! I must have heard many, many times. So, we want everyone to chant the name of Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Rāma. If one does not want to chant these names, chant any bona fide names given in the scriptures. This is the sacrifice for the Kali yuga. We should pray to the Lord that if we commit offences, please forgive us. But I also heard many devotees that this corona pandemic has proved to be a kind of blessing in disguise. I told devotees that in South India, how many thousands of people were attending the Chennai program, online.

So Mangalore got inspired and they started doing such programs. They are not as organized as Chennai, they said. But they were inspired. MY CHENNAI! They have 11,000 people joined. And they gave a program in seven different languages. So, you are doing great work! NANRI! NANRI!

Thank you very much!

 His Grace RangaKṛṣṇa prabhu: Gurudev, it is just by your mercy. When you came on the 6th of April, after your Vyāsa pūjā, you wanted the Chennai devotees should propagate Kṛṣṇa consciousness nicely. Whatever all the devotees are doing in Chennai is by your mercy, by your inspiration. And definitely we will do much more by your mercy.

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: I pray every day to Lord Prahlāda Nṛsiṁhadeva, Pañca -tattva, that all the disciples may be very enthusiastic and successful in preaching, may be ghostianandis.

 Devotee: Gurudev, we hear your Caitanya Līlā class and you are so enthusiastic and absorbed. How we can imbibe the same mood, gurudev? DeepapriyaVrajeswaridevidasi and Devapalaka Nitāi das.

 His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Well, it is a gradual process. And somehow this staying in Māyāpur, serving SrilaPrabhupada, the pastimes of Lord Caitanya are very blissful for me.

Devotee (Rādhikā Ravishankar): Daṇḍavat prāṇam gurudev. During your Kerala devotees’ association, you had asked us for puttu and kadalai curry. My mother has lovingly prepared this for you. Please accept this and let us know how do we serve you?

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: What is your name?

Rādhikā Ravishankar. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Where is the puttu?

Wow!  Nanni!

Thank you!

 Devotee: You said that it is more auspicious of Janamastami falls on Monday or Wednesday, why is it so?

 His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: I don’t know, I heard it from the Hari Bhakti Vilās. Some purāṇas it is mentioned. Should ask Jaya Rādhā Kṛṣṇa das, who read it out.

Devotee: Hare Kṛṣṇa guru maharaj: There are two days on which Janamastami falls in some places in India. If someone follows the other day, not the Vaiṣṇava day, will they get the same benefit? Anuttamā Gandarvika devī dāsī.

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami:  Cannot say they will get the same benefit. Since in the purāṇas it says if the astami is with the saptamī, this and that, it is not the same, as astami is with Rohiṇī. One has to see astronomically. Certainly, Kṛṣṇa is a Person, and as far as they are observing Kṛṣṇa Janamastami, I think Kṛṣṇa will give them mercy.

 There are five people with hands up.

 Devotee (Jīvana Gaura Hari das): (Guru maharaj: My Tamil translator) PAMRO. In the pastime that happened at the house of Nandana Ācārya, Lord Advaita claimed that He Himself and Haridāsa Ṭhākura were deprived of the mercy, whereas Lord Caitanya was distributing love of Godhead to others. But we see that the night pastimes occurred at the house of Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura.

So why did Advaita Ācārya mention that Haridas Ṭhākura was also deprived of Lord Caitanya’s mercy?

 His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: The relationship between Advaita Goswami and Lord Caitanya is very confidential. And how much we can understand, how much is debatable. Certainly, it has some significance. But that was not the subject matter of the program tonight. So, sometimes Lord Caitanya would give His mercy and AdvaitaAcarya would say that Lord Caitanya was not giving much mercy. Sometimes He would joke with Nityānanda Prabhu and the relationship between Them is very inconceivable. They are all Viṣṇu tattvas. Advaita is the avatar of Mahavisnu. Nityānanda is Balarāma, and Lord Caitanya is Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. So, very difficult to understand what goes on between Them. I have to read the pastime, see if I can get any realization.

 Devotee (Sumitra Kṛṣṇa prabhu): (Guru maharaj: Our Chennai Temple President) Chennai devotees are very happy that you are constantly giving us good association. I was just realizing that Devakī and Vāsudeva were locked down by Kaṁsa for more than eight years. And we have been locked down for four months. So, our lockdown compared to Devakī and Vāsudeva is nothing. By thinking of that, our suffering are nothing compared to Devakī and Vāsudeva.

 His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: When Devakī, after Kṛṣṇa in the wrestling match, He killed Kaṁsa, Devakī and Vāsudeva first were offering their obeisance’s. Then Kṛṣṇa sprinkled some līlā dust on them. And then they said, oh, my dear son, took Him on the lap! And Vāsudeva embraced Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa. So, they were so happy. At that time, He was asked when were You born and when to observe the Kṛṣṇa Janamastami? Then He said, that I appeared on the dark astami of Śravaṇa month and you can observe it that time. Everybody was observing it in Mathurā.

Haribol!

 My blessings to everybody!

Krsner matir astu!

His Grace Raṅga Kṛṣṇa das: Guru maharaj, our deepest gratitude. We know you have had a long day with various meetings, Caitanya līlā, etc.