20210607 Question and Answer Session

The following is a Question and Answer Sessione given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on June 7th, 2021 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, India.

Question: Which is the place where Lord Gaurāṅga left on a boat?

Jayapatākā Swami: Northern Odisha.

Question: Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi was blessed by the Lord in his dream. Does the spiritual master also show such mercy on his disciple when required? How seriously should the disciple take the instruction received from the guru?

Jayapatākā Swami: It is very distantly related to the class. But anyway what was the question? How seriously should the disciple take the instruction received from the guru? In this regard, Śrīla Prabhupāda was quoting Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura that the disciple should take the order of the spiritual master as their life and soul. If you are not able to follow the instruction of your spiritual master, then you can ask him what to do in that case.

Question: How can we have the same love and devotion that Gadādhara Paṇḍita had for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu?

Jayapatākā Swami: I think that we should not think that we will ever have the same love that Gadādhara Paṇḍita had for Lord Caitanya. If we can have a drop of his love, that would be something to aspire for. And by following the footsteps of Śrīla Prabhupāda and other pure devotees, it is possible to achieve the shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya. It says by hearing these pastimes, one will get the shelter of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s lotus feet very soon.

Question: When the guru instructs the disciple and he leaves, the separation is unbearable, so with this unbearable separation, how can the disciple serve the guru?

Jayapatākā Swami: What else can they do? That is our connection with our spiritual master, to serve him and carry out his instructions, the vāṇī-sevā. It is definitely very difficult but there is nothing else we can do. We have to keep our connection with the spiritual master, by carrying out his instructions, his vāṇī, and this way we will be connected with our spiritual master.

Question: Why does Rādhārāṇī have to go through pangs of separation in every līlā? We know that Gadādhara Paṇḍita is Rādhārāṇī Herself.

Jayapatākā Swami: She is showing us that love in separation is actually greater, and that is something we can do. In fact, if we are not feeling separation from Kṛṣṇa, His devotees, then we are missing the real point. And by serving in separation, we can be constantly united with Kṛṣṇa and His devotees. Sometimes, in the association with the guru, one might be distracted to think about his body or eating, but in separation of the guru, that person may be very focused and so sometimes serving in separation is more effective. So we have this opportunity to feel great separation from guru and Kṛṣṇa. And Lord Caitanya taught that we should serve in separation.

Question: Gadādhara Paṇḍita has the mood of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. In which situation is he exhibiting that?

Jayapatākā Swami: In this pastime he exhibits that, that he gave up everything to serve the Lord. But Lord Caitanya did not allow him. So then the thought of being separated from Lord Caitanya caused him to faint. So that is also the mood of Rādhārāṇī.

Hare Kṛṣṇa!