20230114 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.4.3-4

The following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on January 14th, 2023 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, India. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.4.3-4.

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

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Jayapatākā Swami: Today you heard the translation and purport are quite big. So this is a very significant verse. How Parīkṣit Mahārāja, he fixed his mind on Kṛṣṇa. He gave up dharma, artha, kāma and fixed his mind on Kṛṣṇa. In the purport it is written that those who would like to understand spiritual matters are a thousand times better than karma-kāṇḍīs, and from thousands of those who want to know the Absolute Truth, one may be liberated, may actually understand. And from a thousands of those, one gets fixed on Kṛṣṇa. Lord Caitanya has changed all that. If we follow the process given by Lord Caitanya then one can understand Kṛṣṇa easily. This way, with the mercy of Lord Caitanya, realizing Kṛṣṇa has become easy. If one practices bhakti-yoga and chants Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, by the mercy of Lord Caitanya, they get Kṛṣṇa very easily. Haribol! Gaurāṅga! Nityānanda!

We were reading last night how Lord Nityānanda went back from Bengal to Nīlācala to see Lord Caitanya. And on the way, all His associates, they were chanting, dancing, roaring, shouting, “Haribol! Haribol! Gaurāṅga!” So, they were in complete ecstasy thinking that how soon they will meet Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They were chanting the nāma, guṇa, līlās, names, the qualities and pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! Gaurāṅga! And so the entire journey they went from Bengal to Nīlācala, they were in total ecstasy. And, when they reached Nīlācala, Lord Nityānanda Prabhu was in meditation. And then Lord Caitanya left His associates and He approached Lord Nityānanda alone. He circumambulated Lord Nityānanda again and again, singing His glories! Hearing the voice of Lord Caitanya, Lord Nityānanda opened His eyes. When He saw Lord Caitanya, He cried out “Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya!” And seeing Lord Caitanya, He fainted, fell unconscious.

So today is the appearance day of Locana dāsa Ṭhākura. Locana dāsa Ṭhākura appeared when Lord Caitanya was in Nīlācala. He wrote the Caitanya-maṅgala. And he wrote some songs. You can hear the parama karuṇa from some kīrtaniya as there are some kīrtaniyas in Māyāpur right? He said how Lord Caitanya was the sāra, the essence of all the avatāras. And the process that He has given is simply blissful. When we read the pastime how Lord Nityānanda went to meet Lord Caitanya, we can understand how much bliss there was! Now we have the opportunity living in the holy dhāma here, we have the opportunity to perform devotional service and to chant the holy names of the Lord and hear the same. Coming to live in Māyāpur means we want to advance in bhakti-yoga.

Śrīla Prabhupāda was giving a lecture in Los Angeles on this verse. He was explaining what results we will get out of our karma is predestined. One person may work very hard the whole day and somehow or other maintain his family. One person just by a phone call in one hour will earn one hundred thousand dollars. How much is the rate for this thing and that thing now, so he will buy something and make a 100-thousand dollars. Śrīla Prabhupāda said in Los Angeles that you have taken birth in America, you are much better off, much more privileged than other nations. So he was saying how the karma comes with the body. So, one body may have the karma to be rich and one, not. So trying so hard for material sense gratification doesn’t make sense. You will get a certain amount of material happiness. But what we should try for is to be Kṛṣṇa conscious. That doesn’t come automatic. We have to try for that. In this Māyāpur whatever devotional service you perform you get thousand times the benefit.

So Śrīla Prabhupāda was saying how there are a lot of ladies that have come to join our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So, we have to also give them shelter, and we have to give them some protection. The normal way the women are given protection is in youth by their father, in middle age by the husband and in old age by their son. So somehow, Śrīla Prabhupāda was saying, that they should be married. But there is a contradiction in ISKCON that we tell all the men to be brahmacārīs. And tell all the women to get married. So how will that happen? So, anyway, what is understandable is that if you get desired to get married or have an inclination, then marry a devotee.

Now Parīkṣit Mahārāja as a king, had a wife, children, all the facilities to enjoy. But when he was cursed that you have seven days to live, then he gave up all the fruitive activities. He fixed his mind on Kṛṣṇa. We see that in the different ages, different times, different ācāryas gave different processes from the Vedas. What was possible in Tretā-yuga was not possible in Dvāpara-yuga. What was possible in Dvāpara-yuga that is not possible in Kali-yuga. Lord Caitanya, He gave a process to always think of Kṛṣṇa. I was with Śrīla Prabhupāda when he gave a lecture in Chakda. Chakda is in Nadia district. Anyone here from Chakda? Anyone from Nadia? In Bengali they say, that those who live right under the lamp live in darkness. And it is said that those who live near the railway station, often miss the train! They think oh the train is near by, we have enough time. In this way, they miss the train. Śrīla Prabhupāda, he gave a lecture that in Chakda, many people commute to Kolkata. They go about an hour and a half in the train. Then when they arrive in Kolkata, they get to their work and take the bus, or tram or walk another one hour. They work for a couple of hours, then tea break! They take biscuit and tea. Then two hours of work. Lunch break! Wow! Half hour break! Then back to work for two hours. Then tea break! Five minutes for biscuit and tea. Two hours work. Then one hour back to the train station. Then one and a half hours in the train again. Then they go to their home. Then they have dinner. They see their kids, and they go to bed. They either sleep or they have sex and then sleep. Is this human life, he asked - āhāra, nidrā, maithuna, bhaya, this is animal life. Then what instruction did Śrīla Prabhupāda give them? He told them, when you are in the train chant Hare Kṛṣṇa! Do kīrtana. And to this day, there is one bogey on the train that goes to Kolkata and they do kīrtana. So, Lord Caitanya’s process was gṛhe thāko vane thāko sadā hari bole ḍāko. This way, to chant the holy names of the Lord morning, noon and evening. Read the books of Śrīla Prabhupāda. Engage in devotional service. So, those who live in Māyāpur, they have this opportunity. But everybody has this opportunity. Wherever you stay, you can serve Kṛṣṇa, you can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You can remember Lord Caitanya, His name, His qualities. The mercy of Lord Nityānanda! Nitāi! Nitāi! Nitāi! Gaurāṅga! Nitāi Gaura!

So, that is why Śrīla Prabhupāda, he was saying that we should regulate our sense activities. And we should try to include as much Kṛṣṇa consciousness as possible. Generally, the people do not think of Kṛṣṇa so much.  We hope that the devotees think of Kṛṣṇa. We want to help everyone become a devotee. Now in this material world there are many tests.

It is nice about this prayer by Mādhavendra Purī, how he said that he wanted to serve Kṛṣṇa, even if he was not able to. That was his only purpose. Whether we are able to perfectly serve Kṛṣṇa or not, but we should try. And Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord Caitanya, will definitely help us.

Now we see so many children in the community. That they are given protection and affection – that is very important. And that they are given help to develop their natural love for Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Caitanya. Some parents tell me that their children are very eager to attend different spiritual programs. I think that is why Acintya Caitanya dāsa is not here today! His son wanted to go to Vṛndāvana for some spiritual retreat. So we want all our children to be very enthusiastic to do spiritual things. That also depends on the parents. The parents should be very active in spiritual activities. So this is the secret of success.

Anyway, it is a very nice verse. We don’t know how long we have to live. Parīkṣit Mahārāja got to know that he had only seven days. And he sat on the bank of the Ganges, Yamunā and fixed his mind on Lord Kṛṣṇa and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So Lord Caitanya has given us a process which is simply nectar. And so, we hope that all the devotees here will take advantage. Hear the nectar of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Caitanya’s pastime. We have morning Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam class, evening class. And we can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa in the noon. This way, keeping Kṛṣṇa in the center, we can live our life. There is some song, whether one lives in the house or in the forest if he chants Hā Gaurāṅga! Hā Gaurāṅga! Such a person is my life and soul. Any questions?

Question: You many times talk about children in every class but when they are small, we can take care of them, chastise them and try to make them listen to us. But when they become youth what can we do as they do not listen.

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīla Prabhupāda was quoting Cāṇākya Paṇḍita, up to five years of age, given them freedom, give them whatever they want. Of course, within what is allowed. Normally, whatever the child does till 5, the parents get the karma. Then from 6 to 15, be strict. But somehow in all this time, you get them also to be attached to Kṛṣṇa. When they become 16 then treat them as a friend. You preach to them, talk to them, help them to understand. So we need to have different programs for different ages of children for Kṛṣṇa conscious activities. So the parents have to tell the youths about the facts of life. Like this, there are different situations but in all the situation, the parents will have a good influence if they have develop a nice relationship with their children.

Question: In the purport is given dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa. My question is that how devotees in Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be freed of these four?

Jayapatākā Swami: You see, Lord Caitanya explained that there is a fifth artha – dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa, prema. Religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, liberation and love of Godhead. So this way, we try to do devotional service and do our work, then whatever happens will happen. We don’t want to take another birth in conditioned life. If we take birth, it is for serving Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, there is no reason to be born in this material world. But whatever situation we are in, we have to work accordingly. If we are gṛhasthas, naturally we have to do some work to maintain our family. Here in Māyāpur, some people are establishing businesses to employ gṛhasthas. Brahmacārīs and some gṛhasthas both perform service in the temple.

There is one Nitāi Balarāma, he performs maṅgala-ārati every day, he suddenly fell unconscious and he could not do this service. We pray to Lord Narasiṁhadeva for his good health. Let all of us chant one Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra for him:

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma,Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare!