20230417 Question and Answer Session

The following is a Question & Answer Session given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on April 17th,2023 in Dallas, Texas, USA. 

Question: When we pray to Kṛṣṇa which form should we visualize? Also, like you said, the creation, maintenance, and annihilation, all happen by part and part of Kṛṣṇa, what is the form? What is His form? Whom should we visualize?

Jayapatākā Swami: You see Śrīla Prabhupāda was saying that we are Kṛṣṇa-bhaktas. So, on all the viṣṇu-tattvas days – Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī, Gaura Pūrṇimā, we fully fast, we do anukalpa, take Ekādaśī. But other forms of Viṣṇu, it is optional. So, every form of Lord Kṛṣṇa has got a particular mood. We generally, someone wants to pray for the health of guru or some loved one, we pray to Lord Narasiṁhadeva. When one wants special mercy to become Kṛṣṇa conscious we pray to Pañca-tattva, and if we want to have appreciation for the sweetness of Lord Kṛṣṇa then we pray to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa or Rādhā Kālacāndajī! So depending on what you want, you may go to that form of the Lord. Creation is done by Brahmā, maintenance is done by Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, destruction is done by Mahādeva. But they are all expansions in one way or other of Mahā-Viṣṇu, and then ultimately of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. From Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma come the catur-vyūha, Nārāyaṇa, then the second catur-vyūha, then comes Mahā-Viṣṇu. In every universe there is a Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, and in every heart, every atom there is Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. So if you pray to Kṛṣṇa, you pray to everybody. Some people pray to a particular form, they like some form. Some are Rāma-bhaktas, some are Varāha-bhaktas. But the original form is Kṛṣṇa and first expansion is Balarāma. So Lord Caitanya is Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa and Lord Nityānanda is Balarāma.

What is your name? Who is your guru?

Mannat Mātājī: Aspiring from you.

Jayapatākā Swami: You should say respectful obeisances. For everybody else it is humble obeisances and for guru it is respectful.

Mannat Mātājī: Please accept my respectful obeisances Guru Mahārāja.

Jayapatākā Swami: Accepted!

Question (Bengali): How will I be able to see Kṛṣṇa? And how can I advance in devotional service?

Jayapatākā Swami: She asked how can I see Kṛṣṇa? And what can I do to advance in my Kṛṣṇa consciousness? We should try that Kṛṣṇa can see us. And in that way, Kṛṣṇa will be very happy to reveal Himself to you. You serve in such a way that Kṛṣṇa will want to see you and this way you will advance in your devotional service. How you can advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is try to do the things which are pleasing to guru and Kṛṣṇa.

Question: How can we train ourselves to not offend devotees, and how can we be more conscious of this and make sure that we do not even offend them accidentally?

Jayapatākā Swami: We should rather try to see the good qualities in other devotees. Like, there are two insects, there are the flies and the bees. The flies are looking for infections or sores. And the bees are looking for the honey. Try to see the good qualities in devotees and you won’t have time to see any bad qualities.

Hare Kṛṣṇa!