20211226 Nārāyaṇa Māsā Message to Disciples

20211226 NĀRĀYAṆA MĀSĀ MESSAGE TO DISCIPLES BY HIS HOLINESS JAYAPATĀKĀ SWAMI MAHĀRĀJA, ŚRĪDHĀMA, MĀYĀPUR, INDIA

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
hariḥ oṁ tat sat

Jayapatākā Swami:

My dear disciples, (initiated, sheltered, aspiring, śikṣā)

This time, this is the second month after Keśava, this is the Nārāyaṇa month. This month is a very special month, especially at the beginning of the month was the disappearance day of His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda. I am sorry that I am a bit late in sending out this message. At the end of this mail, I have posted my special bhajana for the disappearance day. Śrīla Prabhupāda said that on the disappearance day of the spiritual master, we should remember the spiritual masters and the guru-paramparā. So, I composed one song in Bengali in which I tried to do that.

We heard how Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he identified different śikṣā-gurus for different disciples. That some disciple came up and he would say, “Oh, this disciple is from such and such person.” So, in that way, the devotee who made one a devotee, who was guiding one, he got recognized by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. So Śrīla Prabhupāda said he was the dīkṣā and śikṣā-guru for his disciples. I am trying to also take that responsibility of dīkṣā and śikṣā. But one may have many śikṣā-gurus. Many people that help one in their spiritual progress. So, it’s natural that we feel grateful to them.

We saw that Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he had a counselor system, upadeśaka, mahā-upadeśaka and mahā-mahā-upadeśaka. So, his qualification for being mahā-mahā-upadeśaka was very great. I was amazed to hear his test. Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted us to read his books and go through some basic tests. Bhagavad-gītā, Nectar of Devotion, Īśopaniṣad and Nectar of Instruction. These books are read to get the Bhakti-śāstrī. First six cantos of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, is Bhakti-vaibhava. Second six cantos of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the Bhakti-vedānta degree. And then reading the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, etc. is for Bhakti Sārvabhauma degree. So, I would like all my disciples to read all the books, to obtain the tests and excel in their knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

I know that most devotees, they are doing very well in their spiritual life. But some devotees are having difficulties. So, we would hope that the devotees take up the chanting very seriously. Because the chanting is the special yuga-dharma and by chanting, it not only purifies our mind, but it helps us to attain pure devotion and pure attraction, affection for Kṛṣṇa. So, we hope that everyone chants regularly and in this way advances in their Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Some devotees told me how they are facing problems with some of the regulative principles. That’s a very rare thing, but some people are struggling with that and so we would hope that if you know anyone like that, try to help them and we are declaring a war against māyā. That māyā wants us to break the regulative principles, to forget Kṛṣṇa. But we want to always remember Kṛṣṇa and never forget Him. We want to follow all the regulative principles and in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8^th canto, in the Gajendra mokṣa pastime, Gajendra and the crocodile were fighting in the water for a long time. So, Gajendra was very strong, but he was a land animal, and he was in the water. The crocodile is a water animal, and he was getting stronger, and Gajendra was getting weaker. So, in the purport, Śrīla Prabhupāda said that we have to fight against māyā. But we need to be in a strong position, for that purpose, we should be in our natural position. It may be different for different people. The crocodile’s natural position was in the water, elephant was on land. Like that, some people may be stronger as a brahmacārī, vānaprastha, sannyāsa, and someone maybe stronger as a gṛhastha. So, in the Kali-yuga, basically gṛhastha āśrama is recommended for most people. So Śrīla Prabhupāda said in the purport that if one fails to follow, there is no big credit to be a so-called renounced order, no big credit, if they fail to follow, better they be a gṛhastha. Anyway, that would depend on each person. But we should always be determined to fight against māyā, for that we should mentally, sensually strong.

So anyway, I am very happy for this opportunity to be communicating with you. We have the Jayapatākā Swami E-Care system, where we are trying to keep track of all the disciples and help them in their spiritual life. I am very grateful for the help that the JSSS, Jayapatākā Swami Śiṣya Samūha is giving, and I see that many devotees attend my classes. So, in various ways we are trying to help the devotees and keep them in touch. If you need any help or having any questions, you can send to Jayapatākā Swami E-Care. If that is an ordinary question, then may send you an answer which I have sent previously. But something unique, they may send it to me. So, I hope that all of you will take up Kṛṣṇa consciousness very blissfully and in this way, you can be Kṛṣṇa conscious and go back home, back to Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Your well-wisher always,

Jayapatākā Swami