20220627 Initiation Ceremony Address

The following is an initiation address given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on June 27th,2022 at Iskcon South Vṛndāvana, India.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya iśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Jayapatākā Swami: Today we have gathered together for the initiation ceremony. We want devotees to be connected to the guru-paramparā. Now there are four Vaiṣṇava paramparās. These are mentioned in the Padma Purāṇa. If someone gets the mantra outside of these four sampradāyas then the mantra would be niṣphala, not fruitful. So Kṛṣṇa is the original spiritual master. And He has taught Lord Brahmā, Lakṣmī Devī, the four Kumāras and Lord Śiva. So we are coming in the Brahma-sampradāya. Brahmā, Nārada Muni, then Vyāsadeva, Madhvācārya, down to Lord Caitanya. Then from Lord Caitanya down to A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. He is I think the 32nd guru in the paramparā. So, if we get the mantra in the guru-paramparā we get connected.

But we should also practice bhakti-yoga. There are nine practices of bhakti-yoga. Śravaṇam, kīrtanam, smaraṇam, vandanam, pāda-sevanam, arcanam, dāsyam, sakhyam, ātma-nivedanam. So you can follow one of these or all or any number. And by practicing bhakti-yoga you can attain Lord Kṛṣṇa. The Śaṅkarācārya sampradāya says that we need to be a sannyāsī to achieve liberation. But Lord Caitanya taught, whether you are a vairāgī or gṛhastha, if you practice devotional service you can achieve the Lord. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, one of the Mahājanas, he is a gṛhastha. And there are many gṛhasthas who achieved perfection through bhakti-yoga. The secret is to practice these nine processes of bhakti-yoga.

I saw a drama performed by children in Chennai. Two children were playing the part of Yamadūtas. One girl was playing the part of Yamarāja and painted the mustache. So the Yamadūtas were complaining, “The Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees, they have Deities, they chant the holy names of Hare Kṛṣṇa, they offer their food to Kṛṣṇa Deities, they read the Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam! How can we take them to hell? We cannot touch them. How? How? If everybody is like this, we will be out of our job!” Haribol! So I want you to put the Yamadūtas out of job! There are two types of householders – gṛhamedhīs and gṛhasthas. The gṛhamedhīs they think they are the body and they think sense gratification as the goal of their life. And gṛhasthas they serve the senses of Kṛṣṇa. Husband and wife cooperate together to serve Lord Kṛṣṇa. In this way, they can achieve the spiritual world. Haribol!

Now, one has to be very sincere and serious. You have here a nice temple, Nitāi-Gaura, Rādhā-Vṛndāvana Kṛṣṇa and Jagannātha, Baladeva, Subhadrā, Sudarśana cakra. I heard that you bathed Jagannātha so much that He got a cold! How can you do that? Any way, that is why I could not get darśana of Lord Jagannātha. He is sick!

Of course, Kṛṣṇa is doing different pastimes. We were going around the Guruvāyūrappan temple and in one corner they said here the Śaṅkarācārya was flying over and said, this is an ordinary place. He immediately fell down. And then he composed the Govindāṣṭakam.

Deity is non-different from the Lord. We call the deity, arca-avatāra. You are very fortunate here, to have the temple and the deities So it is very important that everybody takes up some service. Bring some offerings whenever you come to the temple. Fruits... bananas... any grains.. Lord Caitanya wanted us to develop our love for Kṛṣṇa.

Now, our love is spread over different things. sarvopādhi vinirmuktam tat paratvena nirmalam free from the upādhīs. hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa sevanam bhaktir ucyate In this world, we think I am Indian, I am Pakistani I am Chinese, I am American Sanātana Gosvāmī was a prime minister. He said people are calling me a paṇḍita because I am a brāhmaṇa. But actually I am a fool! Because I don't know even who I am. Could you tell me who I am ? Lord Caitanya said 'jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya dāsa' Our identiy is that we are the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is our actual identity. and then, if we can manifest that, then naturally our love will be concentrated on Kṛṣṇa.

But instead, Prabhupāda was saying how we spread out our identity. Instead of loving Kṛṣṇa, we love so many other things. We think I am a Malayali, Tamil, Bengali. I am a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra. Or I am a Christian, I am a Muslim. Lord Kṛṣṇa, in the Gītā, He said: 'sarva dharmān parityajya, mām ekam śaraṇam vraja' Give up all the different bodies, religions, duties Just surrender unto me, I will protect you from all sins.

So Kṛṣṇa has offered us this very easy method. But still many people do not follow. But then Lord Kṛṣṇa came again, as a devotee - Lord Caitanya He is known as Mahāprabhu, the great teacher. One who teaches love for Kṛṣṇa. So here you have the Vṛndāvana south. Vṛndāvana is famous for having love for Kṛṣṇa. In Vṛndāvana they may or may not know, that Kṛṣṇa is God. They do not love Kṛṣṇa because He is God. Nārāyaṇa and Vaikuṇṭha is like that. But in Vṛndāvana they love Kṛṣṇa, because He is Kṛṣṇa. They love Kṛṣṇa because of His wonderful nature. None know he is the creator of everything, the source of everything - 'anādir ādir govinda' In Vṛndāvana they love Him for what He is. New Vṛndāvana south is becoming a very big example to follow. I woke up this morning and there were peacocks.

Devotee: Elephant also.

Jayapatākā Swami: Elephant like in Mathurā.

Anyway, thing is that everybody should chant Hare Kṛṣṇa should listen & read the Bhāgavatam, Gītā, engage in devotional service, worship the deities, offer your prayers, obeisances, and remember Kṛṣṇa always. NEVER FORGET KṚṢṆA!! Be in transcendental bliss. and always think yourself as the servant of the Lord. think of the Lord as your friend, and surrender everything to Kṛṣṇa.

Ambarīśa Mahārāja was a gṛhastha and he surrendered everything to Kṛṣṇa. And actually he did no mistake. But Durvāsa Muni thought he did a mistake. He was a great vairāgi. He pulled out a hair and created a demon! The demon would kill Ambarīśa Mahārāja. Although he did no fault. Then Sudarśana cakra came and killed the demon. Then the Sudarśana cakra chased Durvāsa Muni. Durvāsa Muni went to Brahma, "Help me! Help me!! Help me!!!" "I can do nothing. This is the weapon of Viṣṇu." Then Durvāsa Muni went to Lord Śiva, "Help me! Help me!! Help me!!!" Nothing I can do. This is Viṣṇu's weapon. Then he went to Lord Viṣṇu. not an ordinary person. Nothing I can do, you offended my devotee. Go back and apologise to my devotee. And Durvāsa Muni went back and paid danḍavats, prostrate obeisances to Ambarīśa Mahārāja "Please forgive me, I did not understand who you are! I am waiting for you, please come and take your food." Hari Bol!

So being a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa promised, "na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati." My devotee will never perish. I will protect him. So please we hope that all the residents of Vṛndāvana south will take shelter of Lord Kṛṣṇa's potency.

Hari Bol!