19810124 Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s appearance

(Disclaimer: The following is a machine-generated transcript and may contain errors or inaccuracies. It will be reviewed and verified against the original audio soon.)

The following is a lecture on Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s appearance given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on January 24, 1981 – in Bangalore, India.

For Lord Chaitanya Mahāprabhu’s appearance, we would like to organize in Karnataka committees throughout the whole south and statewide committee in Bangalore for Karnataka to make suitable arrangements to commemorate the 500 year appearance anniversary of Chaitanya Mahatu. This will include establishing a pada, pitas or lotus feet temples in the places that Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited in the south. As well as organizing various type of meetings, various type of discussions, seminars, festivals, professions and literature as well as the Namasanthi or Namah program that in every town and village there should be that chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Actually Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he came at a time india when most of India was controlled by the Mughal rule. There were only some parts that were still under the rule of the Vedic kingdom. Like Orissa was under Pratapurudra.

But the whole Bengal Bihar and that area was practically under the king of the Nawab Hussein Shah and Akbar others they were in Delhi side. So in this way it was a very difficult time. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s preaching was so universal that even the Nawab of Hussein Shah he passed a decree, an edict that no one should interfere with Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s preaching. Now this is quite unusual to find that the Muhammadan ruler would give such an edict to protect a preacher of Kṛṣṇa. But this was the potency of Caitanya Mahapuru. The Chaitanya Mahabharata was able even he made the Nama Acharya was also a Haridas Thakur born in a Mohammedan family. Some of his followers were of course the topmost of the Brahmanas, while others were taken from various communities including Dr. Community, Kshatriya community, Vaishya community, Sukhya community.

All type of communities were embraced in Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s movement and they were all purified and made into pure vaishnavas having 12 qualities, the 12 qualities, 13 qualities, I.e. The 12 qualities of the Brahmanas plus the quality of pure Vaishnavism. So actually Caitanya Mahprabhu by his chanting he was able to transcend all of the castes difficulties, all of the different type of divisions of Kali Yuga. But his common platform was nothing less than pure devotion for Kṛṣṇa. Pure devotion for Kṛṣṇa is simultaneously very easy to obtain in this Kali Yuga and simultaneously it is the most rare and precious object. How this paradox is that also is described by Sukhadeva Goswami to Maharaj Parikshit when he said, this Kali Yuga is actually an ocean of defects.

So many problems, so many obstacles, so many inebriates and faults that one can go on and on describing all the difficulties, all the divisions, all the impurities. He said, what is the use? Just take it as an ocean of fault. There’s no end to the difficulties you’re going to encounter in this Kali Yuga. But it has one great quality, Astri Mahata Mahan Guna, which is an incomparable facility. What is that? Kritanareva Kṛṣṇasya. That in this Kali Yuga it is very easy to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Lam, Hare Lama Hare. And if one chants Hare Kṛṣṇa, he gets Mukta Sangha. He gets not only liberation from the material contamination, material rebirth, but Parang Bhajat. He goes to the highest perfection of life, pure love for Kṛṣṇa Prayujana back to the Parampadam, the supreme object of life.

Actually, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is accepted by the Madhvas and Udupi that yes, he’s in the line of Madhva Charya. But his philosophy is somewhat encompassing Madhva, yet something different. That is because has come to unite all of the Vaishnavas. He has taken the two prime things from Ramanuja Sampradāya, two from Madhva, two from Nimbarka and two from Vishnu Swami. In the Padma Purāṇa it describes there are four bona fide Sampradayas in the Kali Yuga, which alone will give the pure spiritual Tattva, I.e. Śrī Brahma Kumāra and Rudra Sampradayas. Anyone who does not take the instruction from these four Sampradayats, those instructions or mantras are going to be useless. So Ramanuja is in the Sampradāya Madhya Crya is in the Brahma Sampradayan as well as Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nimbakha is in the Kumāra Sampradāya.

And Vishnu Swami, who is worshipped very much in Gujarat as Balabhacharya, his disciple is very popular there. He’s the disciple of Gudra or Lord Shiva. So there are many Sampradayas today, but only these four have been recognized in the Purāṇas in the Vedas. And we should take shelter of the actual pure Vaishnava. So Lord Caitanya Mahabhu has come to unite all of these four Sampradayas. Actually also it was predicted in the Padma Purāṇa that amongst those four Sampradāya someone will appear in Purī and he will by his Prabhav, by his influence, the message of rather this pure Hari Seva or pure Vaishnavism will be spread all over the world. In that regard, our Param Gurudev Bhakti Śrīdhanda Shoshi Thakur appeared in Jagannath Purī and he was also garlanded by the Jagannath Dev and from by his order.

Rla Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda went all over the world. When anyone asked Śrīla Prabhupāda what is his secret, he said, I am trying to simply follow my spiritual master in this way. The line has come down since Kṛṣṇa and it has been predicted even in the Padma Purāṇa that Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda would go all over the world and spread pure Vaishnavism everywhere on the direction of someone who was born in Jagannath Purī Also, 100 years ago, Bhaktivi Nandhakur predicted the same thing. 500 years ago, Caitanya Mahāprabhu predicted that Prativity Aceh Jatonagar Vi gram Sarvatra Prachar Bhagavi. So we can understand that we have come at a very fortunate time in history. The time when in this Kali Yuga the prediction for the deliverance of the humanity has been fulfilled. At least the fulfillment has already begun.

Those who at this juncture, at this crossroads, take part in the glorious activity of expanding this preaching movement of Caitanya Mah Prabhu, they will be eternally glorified. Kṛṣṇa says in the Gītā that there’s no one more dear than he who spreads the message of this Gītā to my devotees. So this Kṛṣṇa Conscious movement is doing nothing but preaching the message of Bhagavad Gītā and Śrīmad Bhāgavatam all over the world. Just returning from Bangkok about four days ago, there also the Ishopanishad and Upodesh Amita have just been published in Thai language and they have been very well accepted by the Thai people. Although they are Buddhists by birth, they’re also very attracted to the teachings of Caitanya Mahprabhu and they’re very interested in studying the lessons of Kṛṣṇa there in Thailand. So actually, Śrīla Prabhupāda has revealed to us that the essence is preaching.

Preaching is the essence that when we get transcendental inside by the mercy of Guru and Kṛṣṇa, then the best thing to do is to give it to others, even if it means that we are not able to express very much. But we find that by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa we get some peace, we get some spiritual enlightenment, then we can at least ask others, please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa. Hare Ram, Hare Ram Ram Ram. In this way, if one gets one person to chant and that person is going on chanting, then think how many times dividends are coming. And then if that person gets another person to chant and he another, in this way, one is getting multiple reward from Kṛṣṇa for helping so many people chant.

One cannot imagine that just by getting one person to read a book, to begin chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and to start getting others to chant how many times he is benefiting all those who have preached to him and how much he is benefiting all those to whom he is preaching. So this is a very confidential service. To request other people to take up spiritual life is a very confidential service. There are other services just like this material world has Jama Duttas who are going and punishing people for their sinful activity have very many. These are not so confidential services, although they are also no doubt good devotees. So the service however, of requesting people to take up the practice of Kṛṣṇa Bhakti, that is a very confidential and dear purpose, dear service.

Actually in this Kali Yuga, because there’s so many defects, it’s not practical to properly perform one’s karma or even the process of Gna or the process of mystic yoga, it’s very difficult. So in that way it’s very hard to elevate oneself in the ordinary sense. If you want to do our sacrifice, then by performing that sacrifice you want to get some result. But where is the proper ingredients? Where is the proper Brāhmaṇa? Where is the proper situation to perform a fire sacrifice? Or if you want to meditate, where is that type of peace of mind to sit and meditate? Look in the Himalaya mountain. Even if you go to meditate there now, Royal Nepal airline is taking out twice a day tours for the tourists so they can see the mountains close view.

So even in the Himalayas you have to hear the airplanes going overhead. But even if one digs himself a hole and goes in the ground, still the mind is so agītāted. Who can just give everything up and do that? Therefore, sannyas is also that type of karma. Sannyas has also been forgiven, forbidden in this Kali Yuga. So actually it’s very difficult to practice ordinary religiosity in this Kali Yuga. But the one thing which has been made very easy is this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma Kali Kalama, the Kali Santana Upanishad has described that the 16 words of the Mahā Mantra Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma is effective to destroy all of the contaminations of this Kali Yuga. So powerful. We of course people think that what is in a name or just by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, is that enough?

But our answer is yes. But you don’t have to take our word for it. Everyone should chant. So this process of requesting people to chant, of participating in the Sankirtan movement, this is a very pure process. This is a very pure sacrifice. And it’s also very easy. It’s very easy to participate in preaching activities. Just like here. There were so many festivals, people were helping their procession. There are also the Kīrtana groups in many ways, even the Grihastas, those life members and other friends, they may participate in different type of preaching activities. Helping the preaching in this way they get the special blessings of Lord Kṛṣṇa Ramanujacharya. He was so much into preaching that he climbed up to the top of the tower when he got the mantra from his guru and he broadcasted it. But today, where is that spirit?

Where is that spirit to go out and broadcast? Everyone take up the chanting of Lord’s name in this Kali Yuga. This chanting of Hari Nam has been given to us as a special benediction, as a special favor. It’s so difficult to make ordinary advancement. But Kṛṣṇa has made it so easy to go right to the top. If one wants to get up. In New York they have hundred storey building. In hundred story building you have two choice. You can walk up the stairway or you can go up the lift. Lift. They have also different type of lift. They have lift up to the 12th floor, up to the 36th floor, up to the 50th floor like this. Or you have one lift that goes direct to the top. So actually in Nikali Yuga, these other lifts are more or less broken.

You can get one lift to the top or you can walk up the stairway. If you take chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa then you can go right up to the top. Of course, if someone wants to push the stop button, he may get off on the way. That’s another thing. But by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa one can go right to the very top to the highest goal of life. Otherwise if you don’t take, then it’s like walking up the stairway. It’s very hard to reach the top within this short life. But simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma as a regular habit, as a regular practice and also trying to Cultivate the science of the teachings of Kṛṣṇa and worship of Kṛṣṇa. Then one is like a rocket taken up to the topmost position very quickly.

The proof, of course, is all over the world. People who do not have the great fortune of being born in such a pious land as India, having heard about Kṛṣṇa and Nārāyaṇa and all the great demigods and devotees since they are birth. Even those unfortunate souls in these foreign countries, when they take up chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, they’re getting the same effect. So the Gītā says that the panditas, they have Samadarshan, they have equal vision that every soul has got the same spiritual quality of Godhead. That every soul is a part of Kṛṣṇa. Mama Loki. Whether the body is American or Chinese or Indian, there is a difference of covering. Only some coverings are less covered or less covering. And other coverings may be more tamasic or ajasic.

But the power of the name can cut through all type of coverings and go right to the heart. Of course, those who have less covering for them, if they also practice it, really easy to make quick progress. So that’s why we’re requesting everyone all over the world, no matter what country, no matter what background. Even you will be happy to know that in Thailand they have opened up a new. One of my disciples. He’s opened up a partnership with many Chinese people called the Hare Kṛṣṇa International Enterprises. And he gives a monthly donation every month to the temple. So even his Chinese partners, they’re also chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And they also have become, some of them pure vegetarians. And he’s saying for a Chinese person to become a pure vegetarian is very difficult, even to his face.

He tells them that I think that a Chinese can eat anything. Even if it was legalized, I think they could eat Naral monk. And they become very offended that no how you can say. But I don’t see anything that they don’t eat, so why shouldn’t I stay? But you are very nice because you all given up all this and you’re chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So anyway, we don’t want to hear those things. But the point is that the Chinese people, even they’re taking up the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement now in different countries in China also and in Hong Kong, they’re having a good progress. Prad said that for the Chinese, once they take up devotional service, they will become very strong, very good devotees. Because they’re very serious about what they do. And that I found they’re very serious.

Once they take up something, they do it with a Quite determination. So already they were able to purchase a brand new building and establish a big establishment there. Even now the whole market in Bangkok is quite down, but their institution has flourished. So now other people are coming and saying, can we get a Kṛṣṇa deity? How do you do this? They’re thinking that well, we want our business to go big also. If this is a good secret, also do it. They’re very, they like deity worship very much there. So we’re going to try to introduce Kṛṣṇa worship to them. Recently the government also is establishing one Vishnu deity because Bangkok and according to the legend was established only by the blessing of Vishnu. And in their biggest Buddhist temple there they have the whole Ram Leela that’s called the Emerald Buddha.

And the whole Leela of Ramayan is depicted there by Thai artists. And all the kings are even to this day called Rāma 1, Rāma 2. Now I believe Rāma 9 or 13 is the king and the previous capital was called Ayodhya, previous capital of Thailand. So Ram is a great hero of all the Thai people and of course Thailand itself. Ancient name is Sham. Sham is of course the name for Kṛṣṇa. So I said since it has the name Shayam or Sham, then in the west they know as Siam, but india it’s known as Sham and Burma is known as Brahman. Even in, I don’t know in South India, but in North India in the map which are in the vernacular language Hindi or in Bengali it says Brahma Desh and Sham you are changing to Brahmadesh.

Burma in maps we write as Brahma Desh and Thailand is Shamadesh. So now we want to reinstate also Brahma. Everyone worships Brahma there in Thailand. So we’re telling them that actually we’re in the Brahma Sampradāya and Brahma himself worships Kṛṣṇa. Because they know that someone worshiped Brahma, they got a big blessing. So then everyone started worshipping Brahma. So now we’re introducing the Kṛṣṇa worship so that they’re also favorable. So like this, all over the world there are souls waiting to take part in this movement of God Caitamya. And especially it was predicted that in South India there will be many great devotees take birth for preaching this message. So this morning we had a press conference in Mangalore and they asked me, what about local people? Why don’t they take up their preaching?

And we said that, well that’s what we are preaching for, to get the local people to take it up. So we said also you can take it up, you’re local but Actually we want the Western people. They want that from India. Some preachers should go there because they like to hear from the Indians. And actually we find Indian people. They also like to hear about Bhagavad Gītā from the devotees from different countries. That also is interesting to them. Like this. We’re having an international exchange program for spiritual preaching. So actually our movement is beyond body consciousness. Our movement is based on pure spiritual consciousness and we want to unite everyone. So we thank all of you for coming here and being united with us in front of Nithai Gore and in this very holy environment.

I think most of you I know are quite old faces and our regular devotees who are chanting. Is there anyone here who is just coming for recently? Is there anyone here who doesn’t chant Hare Kṛṣṇa on a regular basis? Just today. Just today. So maybe you have any question. I want to know something about this Maharaj. I am good to hear just by curiosity. I gave more insight by hearing the chanting. So you don’t know anything about this mission. So this is the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness founded by Bhakti Vedānta, Swami Prabhupāda. We’re coming in the Brahmadwa Gauḍīya Sampradāya from Madhvarcharya to Caitanya Mahprabhu. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu and his counterpart Lord Nithyananda, who were predicted in all the Vedas that Kṛṣṇa himself would come as a Sannyāsī and as a preacher of his own name in the Kali Yuga.

He wouldn’t come as an avatar as such. He would come as a devotee preaching. But he is nonetheless purely Kṛṣṇa. So what we are doing is that we’re preaching all over the world. We have over 200 branches, main branches and thousands of Sankirta and Mandalis in all of the countries, practically all the countries of the world. You can take about 80% of the countries. Maybe we don’t have one yet inner Outer Mongolia due to visa problem. But we also have a plan to open up there. It was discussed in Russia. We have many devotees, many devotees. Prabhupāda himself went there, was the state guest in Russia. Even it came out in the papers here india that Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is very active in Russia.

One of the leaders there mentioned that it was a phenomenon in Russia that most of the youth were becoming either attracted by rock and roll or Hare Kṛṣṇa. So of course we took exception because they made it sound like Hare Kṛṣṇa was a western thing. But actually Hare Kṛṣṇa is Purely our Indian. And now Russia is really good friends with us india. So I was thinking that we should make some representation that this Hare Kṛṣṇa is a purely Indian phenomena. And rather we will be very glad to send Indian preachers here from India to Russia to explain these things in a much more complete way. But anyway, we have preachers there, we have devotees. When Prabhupāda went, he initiated many people and they have gone on preaching. So we publish Bhagavad Gītā in almost all the languages possible. All this, that is our endeavor.

We have published in 40 so far and different literatures also. We have farms, restaurants, vegetarian restaurants and different programs. You can find out from our literature. This is our local president, Maharashtring Das Brahmachari, as well as Satwik Das Adhikari. So they’re having literatures which you can take home with you. And it also has pictures and you can see how the movement is going in different countries and different places. It’s actually purely preaching the message of Bhagavad Gītā and Rmad Bhāgavata. And we’re trying to preserve the teachings by also leading a very holy life. Those of us who are fully initiated, we don’t take any meat, fish or eggs. We only eat Kṛṣṇa Prasadam. We don’t take any intoxication, we don’t gamble. And either people are responsible married folk, otherwise they’re celibate Brahmacharis or sannyasis.

There’s no type of non Vedic mixing with women allowed or with the opposite sex, as the case may be. So this is in a nutshell. Our main purpose, you see, is that in this age the recommended process in all the Vedas is to chant the name of Kṛṣṇa. So we try to encourage everyone to give seven minutes a day and make an experiment to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma. And even you see how the children are able to chant. So it’s very simple to think. In the Brihadradia Prana, it very emphatically gave instruction. Haryanama, Haryanamayva Kevalam Kalova Nasteva Nasteva Gauthier, Amyata. And in this Kali Yuga, there’s actually no other alternative to chanting the name of Hari. And recommended name also is Hare Kṛṣṇa. So we’re not trying to introduce any new name or any new process.

We’re trying to preserve what is the ancient process, what is the authorized process, what is the Vedic process. But we are applying that in the modern day so therefore we use automobiles, we use microphones, we use films and videos and anything possible to broadcast the glories of Kṛṣṇa. There’s no bar in the medium because we take the message is the main thing what the message is. That message should be pure and according to all these shastras. Would you be having yourself seven minutes to spare every day? You will have. So we have a campaign that we’re requesting people to try to chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa Mahā mantra 108 times every day. Would you like to be one of the person to participate in this campaign with us? Anytime, day or night, 108 times. Chanting takes seven minutes.

Anytime you can in your office or on your way to work or in your house in the morning.

(Side B of the Cassette)

You would like then definitely your wife also. Then I said, yes, this is our Vedic family, so you can just put your name here. You shouldn’t stamp these in advance. You need a pen to give these cards out to commemorate and give it back to me and I will present this. You have not yet anyone else. They said he was going to chant three. So then he took from me one machine which I had from Bangkok as a mechanical counter. So during his factory tour he was chanting. And the people in the factory said, what is that machine? He said, you be careful, this is a computer. Everything you’re saying, I have got it recorded. By that time he had looked, he had already 1400 times he had chanted, had come up to 1400. So they saw it and they saw, did this stay back.

And so he said, because they’re hearing what is that click, click sound. And because as he was, he had to just see that they were working and how the production was going. But there was no mental activity for him. So he was able to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Hari Maam, Hari. And counting away in that way, he chanted 16, 20 times Hare Kṛṣṇa during the day. So that was 15 rounds, 15 times 108 plus in the morning he did two. So now he’s objecting. Now I can see it’s very easy to chant 16 rounds. But now my objective to do 16 on the beads, plus in addition to whatever I can. But he found that machine was ready. Now, yesterday did 18 rounds, three on the beads and 15 on the machine. Main thing is chanting. Counting is a matter of.

It’s not the main thing. Mad is good for meditation. So in this way, Kirtani Sadahari. He found that normally by the end of the day, going in the factory, going in the mind, he became very tired. But in this case, while he was chanting throughout the day, he said, I saw I wasting so much time, so much useless time I was misusing. Now he saw that I could fill up all the gaps by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And he said, the whole day I feel fresh. He came, he was so happy, came to see me at 10 o’clock at night just to tell me about the progress. And also he brought one other person, one hotel owner, vegetarian, big hotel. And also he signed up to chant 108 times.

So in this way we’re just trying to get people to get the lamentation, fear and the illusion out of their life. This is a Hare Kṛṣṇa Bake from Thailand. This is Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Makeup half family that chants together stays together. Thank you very much. Any other questions? We have also card in Canada. People in Canada that we also have a Hare Kṛṣṇa card in Canada. Language and fire here. This Mr. Wall, he’s been staying here looking very nice. His wife is also here. Yeah, his wife is over here in the room. 1016 year olds a day. Very nice. You’re happy in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which part of North India? Distribution. So you’re bridge busy? Practically. There’s also another light member who’s a devotee in Calcutta. Mahapabhu Shah. He’s chartered accountant. He’s also living.

Coming every day to the temple and serving whole family, six kids, everyone chanting. How are you? Good, Maharaj. Mr. Taghirajan said you had a very nice preaching in Madurai and other places there. He put something in the express out of Madurai. I will give you a copy of that. Just by chance of my precious grace. I went into a meeting. They asked a meeting about openings. They’re very receptive. All the Vais there are very appreciative. They want to give us one of the 108 main temples of Ramanuja. I mean of Vaishnavism. That’s very good, you know. And also there’s a big two temples. They want to give us one Narayan and one Narashinha temple. You just visited there? I visited there just before the aim of all faith program. And he showed us those two temples.

And then all the Brahmanas said that since the endowment company formed, ministry took it over, they want us to take the charge of it. There’s no trust in our enterprise. So we’re trying to proceed in that regard. I think that this is the opportunity for Gorakesh to use his Pūjā training. Because he will have to maintain a high standard. You also gave a program at you here for how long? Bangalore. Bangalore, India. What’s your program? Do you have any drama? We already had it. Yeah, the regular Sunday program. Is anyone else with cards? I will come.