20030121 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.7.52

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The following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on January 21, 2003 – in Juhu, Mumbai, India. The lecture begins with a reading from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.7.52.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.7.52

yathā harau bhagavati
nṛṇāṁ bhaktir bhaviṣyati
sarvātmany akhilādhāre
iti saṅkalpya varṇaya

Translation by His Divine Grace: [A-side: Is there a Hindi translation by Him?] Please describe the science of Godhead with determination and in a manner by which it will be quite possible for the human being to develop transcendental devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead Hari, the Supersoul of every living being and the summum bonum source of all energies.

Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the philosophy of devotional service and the scientific presentation of man's relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Prior to the Age of Kali there was no need for such a book of knowledge to know the Lord and His potent energies, but with the beginning of the Age of Kali human society gradually became influenced by four sinful principles, namely illegitimate connection with women, intoxication, gambling and unnecessary killing of animals. Because of these basic sinful acts, man gradually became forgetful of his eternal relation with God. Therefore man became blind, so to speak, to his ultimate goal of life. The ultimate goal of life is not to pass a life of irresponsibility like the animals and indulge in a polished way in the four animal principles, namely eating, sleeping, fearing and mating. For such a blind human society in the darkness of ignorance, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the torchlight to see things in proper perspective. Therefore it was necessary to describe the science of God from the very beginning, or from the very birth of the phenomenal world.

As we have already explained, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is so scientifically presented that any sincere student of this great science will be able to understand the science of God simply by reading it with attention or simply by regularly hearing it from the bona fide speaker. Everyone is hankering after happiness in life, but in this age the members of human society, blind as they are, do not have the proper vision that the Personality of Godhead is the reservoir of all happiness because He is the ultimate source of everything (janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]). Happiness in complete perfection without hindrance can be achieved only by our devotional relationship with Him. And it is only by His association that we can get free of distressful material existence. Even those who are after the enjoyment of this material world can also take shelter of the great science of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and they will be successful at the end. Nārada is therefore requested or ordered by his spiritual master to present this science with determination and in good plan. Nārada was never advised to preach the principles of Bhāgavatam to earn a livelihood; he was ordered by his spiritual master to take the matter very seriously in a missionary spirit.

Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta Swami translation purport to the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Second Canto entitled, “Scheduled Incarnations with Specific Functions” Chapter 7 Text 52.

Jayapatākā Swami: So the father and guru of Narayana is asking him to explain and describe the science of God realization. With determination. With determination in such a way that people will be able to develop emotional service for the Supreme Lord. Sometimes the silence of God is described in such a way that people get deviated and instead of bhakti or devotional service, they’re encouraged into mukti, fruitive activities, Siddhi, mystic powers and moksha liberation.

Sometimes they’re deviant and they’re actually performing sinful activities which is leading them to hell. This is the distraction. So Narada is supposed to describe in such a way that people get pure bhakti. Lord Chaitanya also asked all his followers that they should expand the Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement and give it to everyone. He also told the Brahmin in South India, Jari Nago Tarikoho Kishtu Pradesh Amaragi Guru Mayam Taraya.

So this.

Is a special mercy. The Lord Shetania is engaging all of us in this preaching Nanamonious liberated soul. He was already liberated and he took his appearance as a son of Brahma. But actually he was already liberated. But he is being told to preach. Preaching means explaining people the science of Godhead so that they engage devotional service. That requires determination. Because generally people are not inclined. Generally everybody wants sense gratification of religion. Economic development is motivated mainly for sense gratification. Devotional service is going in another direction. So to get someone convinced about it requires some determination. Shra Bhakti Siddhartha Sara Shi Thakura said he wanted followers who could give 200 liters of spiritual blood to save each conditioned soul. In order to save a conditioned soul, it may take a lot of love, sweat, blood, effort. Even they make progress for some time.

They could get deviated. They can get discouraged, they can get bewildered. We have to give them loving care. It’s called TLC teachings of Orchintango Tender loving care. So it requires determination. Like how Narad Muni when the Rakna Dasu Rahman Kar he wanted to steal his veena but he patiently told him, preached to him and told him, go find out, Muslim, take a share of your karma. McGrath went in to shoot him with his arrow. Thought he was disturbing when he preached. Why you’re half killing animals. You don’t know it’s sinful. And then God came back to see Megrady after he was initiated to see that how he was doing. So this is the life of a preacher, to somehow or another convince them not in a stereotype way. Prabhupada said preaching is not stereotyped.

What’s going to convince one person may not convince someone else. What it took to convince Mugari was one thing. What it to convince Tasur Ratnakara was something else. When I was preaching the Yudhisthira, it was totally different. So depending on the audience, we have to preach. There’s no use of presenting something which is very fucked up, very incorrect. But the person we’re preaching to doesn’t understand the word. So. In our Krishna conscious movement, in big temples like Mumbai and Kṛṣṇa Mayapur and Delhi Vrindavan, it’s quite common to have departments. Gujari department, Sankirta department, life membership department, guest house department, maintenance department, kitchen department and so on and so forth. Many other types of departments. What happens is that in big places like Mayapur, Vrindavan, people coming there, you can preach to the people coming.

In places like Delhi, Bombay, you’re in the city, so there’s millions of people all around you. So many people coming to the temple and many people around. So it’s important to remain in this preaching spirit. Even if you’re doing another service, another department. Everyone has the same feeling that we’re working together as a team in order to bring people to Krishna. But sometimes we forget we just get absorbed in our service. That’s why, like marathons, we distribute books, our lines. But it’s also possible to do different kinds of preaching also. At least one or two days in a week. In the evening they preach to the guests, come to the temple or preach to the congregation. Different congregational programs, house programs, Bhakti Riksha groups. There’s so many people that are interested in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. They simply need training and encouragement and cultivation.

Liberated souls like Narana Muni who have nothing to gain in the material world, they engage themselves in cultivating. Even such lowly people as thieves and hunters want to speak up. Businessmen, educationalists, intellectuals, students. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he was concerned how everybody would get Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. One day he was walking with Harida’s Thakur and He was expressing the Harida’s Thakur. So many people have taken the Krishna consciousness but still there are some who have escaped. Lord Chaitanya. Even when most of the people were Kṛṣṇa conscious, say 80%, he was still not satisfied. He was concerned. What about the last 20%? He told Harida Thakur, the fishermen, the Yavarats, The students. Scholars and students tend to be very argumentative, doubting, cynical, puffed up. So generally it’s not always easy to reach them. Fishermen and hunters and such.

People there absorbed in killing, catching and killing animals and fish. People from other religions and meat eaters tend to be very narrow minded in their outlook. And they don’t tend to take up the chanting of the holy names of Krishna. Still Lord Shaitanya was worried about that. So Haridas Thakur is to please Lord. Don’t be in anxiety. Haridas Thakur being a true devotee of the Lord, he wants to please the Lord. So he doesn’t want the Lord to be in anxiety. So by your mercy everybody, just by your thinking about them, they’re delivered. You’re so merciful. He sent in. Here’s one example. Even people accidentally chant the holy names. This is like the. Followers of Islam. If they see something sacrilegious in their opinion, they say Haram. So like this they’re saying Haram. Oh my dear Ram.

Maybe in their mind they’re thinking something else but they’re saying Haram. So they’re getting causes mercy for ghatness to be the unexpected unpremeditated blessings. There’s a story where a wild boar attacked. Such a person. Since I see Boris is unclean, he was chanting Haram, Haram. While he was. While he died, went back to Ghana. Saharis Thakur was saying that like somehow or other people will get delivered. Even though I am consciously doing it unconsciously though chant. But like this Haridas Thakur, he’s Lord Brahma. He came down to be associated. He’s also preaching. Who is the guru here that just taught Naranamuni. He’s practicing what he’s preaching. He comes down and joins Lord Chaitanya and he preaches, preaching his essence. Krishna was present. He was caring for cows. When he lands, of course he can still care for cows. The play with Krishna was something transcendental.

But now Lord Chaitanya, when he was present, he was preaching. Now he can still preach. And preaching the glories of the Lord is purely transcendental. How many Washington is worried about the 20% that hadn’t been delivered. Want to speak of today? What percentage of the people have we been able to deliver or get to Shanghai district? 1%, 2%. Less than 1%. Bhukanath Praj is nodding its head. Less than 1%. Fraction of a percent. So many people need Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When I first met Srila Prabhupada in 1965, I heard him say so many times, I am an old man, I don’t know how long I have to live. The world is on fire. Urgently we have to spread this Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. Prabhupada took it out very urgently. He was in a hurry. Somehow it seems in many ways that urgency we lost it to some degree.

At least.

One person slipped through his fingers. The one person that Prabhupada was cultivating left. Sometimes Prabhupada would cry, Krishna sent us someone and we failed to give him Krishna consciousness. We failed to save him. Every individual was a project. That’s why you heard so many Prabhupada disciples explaining how every single one has some personal experience with Prabhupada. How he dealt with them differently. Why? Because they were different people. Prabhupada was thinking how to help each individual like that Lord Chaitanya said, I am the gardener. I have so many trees, I have so many fruits. If I have to pick them all myself and give them out all myself, I think it will be very laborious and I may miss so many people. So everybody should practice Kṛṣṇa Consciousness and should give it to others.

So Prabhupada wants us to help him by practicing Kṛṣṇa Consciousness and by giving it to others. There’s so many. People that want Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. So some people here, I see they’re doing very specialized preaching. Ultimately also we need everybody should get a little bit of that preaching opportunity. All the temple devotees, you should also give little time if such a thing. You think I don’t have time? After you do it, you have so much nectar. You think, why don’t I always do this? I have to make time. Because when you talk about Kṛṣṇa and Naranamuni is flying over the whole universe, just glorifying Kṛṣṇa. When you explain Krishna consciousness, you get Krishna’s energy.

When you’re acting as a Nimita Mahjana, as an instrument in Krishna’s hand for spreading instrument of Prabhupada’s hand for spreading the silence of Krishna, you become energy practices, spiritualized, enlivened, purified. When you help others to be Kṛṣṇa conscious and eradicates your own anarthas and obstacles and Offenses. So preaching is so essential if you want to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. See some people, they have so much spirit. After the meetings, Gopal Vistamansi was asked if you want to go to Mirror. They have a program there where they want Stage program. There’s 2,000 people, very enthusiastic. There are different kinds of preaching,.

But.

There’s some people that can preach on a stage before 20,000 people. But there’s some kind of preaching everybody can do. There was an Australian couple here at the courtyard being taken here by a local friend. I just walked up to them and said, hello, how are you? You like the temple? Been here before? Like I just feel a little friendly. Thank you for coming over and talking to us. Thank you for making us feel at. Just being a host in this temple. Unlimited. 200 People just went by. So much opportunity just to welcome them in Mayapur. We started Pilgrim facilitation program dedicated to A.D. rahman. 10, 20 Devotees for that. Taking the people around, explaining to them, having tables so they can get bhoga to offer to the deities. So they come up with a plate, a coconut, banana, incense, beet.

They can offer to the meetings. The more interactive, the more that you can involve the people when they’re here. I remember I went to the Puskar, Tirkha, maybe the Pandas, a little motivated, I don’t know. But they’re very good. You know, they make it okay, take this flower, hold it in your hand, repeat after me. Then they make some prayer for Buskara. Throw the flower in the water, fold your hand, make another prayer. Very interactive. I found also in Assam they do like that. They all sit around Krishna Devi. Give everybody a flower, hold the flower, repeat, Put the flower in Krishna’s feet, bow down, sit up. And whatever the priest does, he’s doing everybody. So we tried that at my airport, buying everybody up. Give everybody a flower, saying the whole Rabbani, throwing the flower, power down, everybody.

Whatever you tell them, they will do it. They don’t know what to do when they come like that. How many people? 200 People walked by. One person called up. They don’t know what to do. For them, it might have been a Chiricana. It could have been a zoo or something. They don’t know. They just walk by and walk out, grab them, stop them. This is the gory time, say their prayer, bow down, stand up, come over here. You can have people do that the whole day. Some people come here, they bow down their devotees. Some people, they come in Hare Krishna temple. I saw it. What do you See some people, they see Gura Thai and things. Who are, who are the ladies? They don’t even know. They don’t have a clue who is guardian time. So just in the temple there’s so much preaching.

Then all the people that we cultivate, that one of Chandra and Krishna, they need to be cultivated, they need to be trained.

For that.

You have to have groups, smaller groups, either like the counselor system, like they’re doing a chopa thing where you have somebody training them, cultivating, encouraging them, or bhakti bhiksha groups. Here you start some bhakti bhiksha group. Bhakti bhiksha. It’s added opportunity of preaching. The groups actually preach. They need a lot of support from the temple. I was just told you could have overnight you could have 20, 40 groups if you wanted. Lack of preachers, lack of people to go out. To train young people. In our Kuala Lumpur temple so many years they had 5 groups, 10 groups. Then the name center 3 years ago started from 0 and 3 years they got 40 groups Kuala Lumpur. They woke up, they put some energy behind it. They got 51 groups. Now they moved ahead. Now they got PowerPoint. They divided up the whole area.

For every region in the city, they have one preacher responsible. How many groups are in that area? They got a whole plan mapped out. All these millions of people, we have to see how they become Krishna conscious. It’s our responsibility. You are here all responsible for Mumbai. At least for this part of Mount. You know Mumbai. It’s your responsibility. You go do something, nothing happens. You do something, you get the glory and these people get liberated. How many souls are slipping through our fingers like that? Prabhupada, he was always thinking how to give Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Actually we saw him building the temples, but his plan was not to just build temple. He used to criticize the Gauria Bhat. Some of them, not all of them, but those who just had the temple and just start collecting and showing the deities.

He used to say bhakti, Siddhartha, Sarasith, Thakur. Quote those who show their deities and take money. Better to go out and get a job swimming. It’s more honest. The whole purpose of the temple is.

Preaching.

That when people come here, we want them to take up Krishna consciousness. We want to get them to chant. That’s why I really liked here Bambin, where I saw the chapa people coming through the night and sit and they chant Chapa outside. Very good idea. All those heads get the books. Good table. That’s also. I am not criticizing I am just. I think you’re preaching. I am just saying how. That’s the mood the problem had. You should never take it casually. What’s so easy? You know, just get into our service and I take my Musa and I chant my wrongs. You don’t mind I live so many years, no dying. We will go back to Godhead. You know what I mean? It’s a normal. You know, we’re just like Moksheev communists. We want to get liberation and we don’t worry about it. Now everybody’s liberated. It’s so amazing.

He’s liberated. What does he have to do? What is he, you know, he’s liberated. What is preaching? Preaching is a liberated activity. Has nothing to do with the material world. You’re glorifying Krishna, who’s got spiritual life. They preach. Your honor, when he’s preaching, not because he wants to get something, he’s already got it. He’s preaching because he loves Krishna and he wants to give that to everyone. Some people, they do their service because they want to get something. But even those who have it, they’re also preaching. Some devotees, they come then from below, Great lavender. They came and Lord Chaitanya to preach. So we have this opportunity here. You have a wonderful unlimited opportunity. Of course, some are planning building bigger temple, bigger facility, expanded, reaching. That’s one way of reaching some people going out and cultivating their donor.

Some people are doing our own west. Something spiritual technology for contradicting me, executives and such people, whatever. So many nice programs. But everyone should actually sometimes get the hands on preaching opportunity of actually talking to people and helping them. Once you get the people interested, you’re going to have so many ways of enthusiasing them. So many festivals, books, everything. Why I got into congregational preaching was because I was a book distributor. After I distributed the books, people india especially, they became convinced. They want me to be convinced. Okay, now what do I do? Join the temple. I got a wife, I got six kids, I got a house, I got a dog, I got a cat. I got this and that. Who’s gonna put them in the temple? Okay, become a life member. Okay, the. I became a Light member.

I only make 3,000 rupees a month. I will pay 1,000 for the next 10 years or something. I will become a Light member. What do you do with all these people? You distribute millions of books. They want to be devotees. Then I realized you have to have a program. So you started Naamhatta. Naamhatta is good. For the villages and for the cities. You call back to even Shiv. How to make the people Kṛṣṇa conscious, how to explain it to them, how to help, how to support them through their different life trials. They could give birth to someone. It’s a responsibility. I was at the Kumbha Mela then the year after I went to the Vista Hindu parish Sahib Kumbha. And they were giving me very good treatment as ISKCON leader VIP Bhargwaj and camping.

They had like for the East Indians, they had the Bengalis, they had Chaitanya Nagar for the Orisancia Jagiratnagar for the Maharashtrians, he had Tukaram bagar. So huge. 200,000 People. Big, big. They’re celebrating. There’s 1978. They’re celebrating their 15th anniversary. Surprise. The same age as ISKCON 12th anniversary. And I was. I know a little Hindi. I don’t know so much Hindi, but a little I can understand. So I was chanting Japa and there was some Mayavani sitting there. And then they were talking and one was saying, you know, kill Hare Krishna. Why are they here? And the other one said, no problem, very good. You see these people, they plant the seed, they water the seed. The plant grows, they water it. But they leave all the harvest to us. We take all the high risks. Boda shahi. They have no harvesting system.

They only do big preaching, big book distribution. They don’t have any system for taking the people and bringing them into their mission. Only a few sabi was there, all the rest for us. Then I thought, that’s not what we want. We do all the preaching and all the Maya barriers, get all the doors and all the followers. I don’t think that’s what Marci tell me I wanted. So then I started thinking, you know, we gotta do something.

This.

We have to have programs how to keep all the people engaged, the people that are in the congregation. We also engage them now in preaching. That’s where the Bhakti, Miksha and Amhat, this type of program engages the congregation. They can also preach. They can also give a day or two in the night or two in the week. And they can also preach additional encouragement from temple devotees, encouragement for senior devotees. And they can do fantastic preaching. In some parts of the world, there’s no temples and there’s no temple devotees that have been wonderful preaching. Simply question of desire, how to serve Lord Chaitanya. I was in one greenhouse home in one place and I wanted to play a Krishna catches video. They said, actually we haven’t used our television for so many years. We don’t know how to use it anymore.

We’re too busy going out preaching every night. So much pitching, we don’t have time to even look at the video.

So.

I am seeing this beautiful verse here. Brahma is telling Narada Muni describe the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And here we are, we’re insignificant souls. And Maharashtani told us the same thing. You can see that continuity. Whether you can give wonderful lectures or whether you just give it a one to one explain it. You explain it to your friend, your neighbor, to your son, your daughter, someone. You have to explain just the consciousness. It’s so blissful. Have you ever heard of an unhappy preacher? Only time they’re unhappy is when they fail to be able to save someone. When people are becoming enlivened and eventually everyone become very happy. Prophet said here with determination and a good plan. A good plan. That’s why our ministry tried to come up with plans how to do it. Different formats, different plans. You have to and they take determination.

Takes time, takes two years for a plan to develop. So I hope you have your plans and have your determination and to execute them. And this way we want to see. Because I am very concerned that Bombay should be Krishna conscious. It’s very important for the whole India. If you made major portion of the people here more and more Krishna conscious. I am very grateful for the bi for their scientific preaching and reaching out to the scientists. All these kinds of dynamic preaching. Prabhupada had a vision how to reach so many different people. I am enlightened when I see here some of the new things, some of the different things going on. I just hope that everybody they should all get into that nectar. So I will be in that spirit of preaching. Even if you don’t have time to preach.

You should be enlivened by this mood that we are all working together for this purpose of spreading the message of Mahatru that spiritually that what gives us life. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Hare. Any questions? Comments? Looking up for us. He does he walks. Just not to miss anybody. We may drive by, fly by. He walks, catch everyone.

Planning to start padiyatra into our astra. One unit, one padiyata that goes all over India that you know of the road for last 18 years. Who was with Adyata for dozen years now in Vanderpur. Vandarpur is also headquartered of padiyata. So he is president and he’s putting another team together. That will go all over Maharashtra. Iskand Godwin is helping us some ways. Others can also step forward.

Keep the money out of working.

Something.

You feel inspired when you hear it from.

Yes, I am very inspired. Okay now.

Yeah.

The good news that in America there is a foundation this foundation spending billions of dollars for scientists to prove the existence of God in science.

How many millions?

Millions of dollars.

Millions.

So throughout the world for the first time that many scientists including quite a bit of November years they are undertaking this. So very short. We hear a lot of interesting information about proving God by science.

We went back to Miranda Institute to be the first. You should get big grants, hire lots.

Of boarding scientists and even projects to show that humility is good for persons of scientific way. Humility, tolerance and respect. These are also taken up by the scientists so that all beginning to practice indirectly the Dala devotees footsteps instructions that practicing the devotional project through science. This is for the first time in history of I think this history of science. I think this has come to the forefront. So essentially there was a Sweden Bangalore.

Usually they give money to prove God doesn’t exist.

Yes. And also they give prize bigger than Nobel prize.

Under nobel prize proving God.

Yes, that’s very good time.

We want you to be the first Nobel warrior for. Subaksham. What reaching announcement.

Well, I guess for some time was in south India and going to temple and especially house program and see so many people. I didn’t know that India is like that Rather Australia of course here also India you see the house so many devotees people are coming and listening And I think what Bhauti Ginathaku said one day Naamata our congregation will be a big thing. This is my feeling prediction of so I like my life though it was too much for me. Sometimes doctor has got restriction on me. Not exactly but still I like it. I like.

I have been expanding a book in distribution.

I am from K. Then we have near about eight teams of boys distributing course we have two teams at Thirumala two teams in Goindar Astra two teams in Padauj temple and two teams in Iskcon temple. Plus we have a team for IV station and bus station. So this year when flight till number we are number one in the whole world of this mission this man we distributed 42,000 points to points and I distributed myself to the President 8,400 Mahabash.

All the people in the S books too.

Near about 100 congregation members distributors are told by the books what something like 15,000 Mahana books.

Anybody else Sri Lanhasan.

I hope that some Mount Mazavi could start Mount Moses Pattyatris Patyatras all over India and maybe also Tiruppati has actually promised earlier to start one up so since they’re already number one in the world in book distribution maybe they can also become the biggest Balia China all India so like that and in Bandapuram we do some food for life program into the very Bombay tanker was very helpful actually they sent their team and we distributed plus hours up to one and a half like people also in that last minute program Maharashtra is a place where most books have been distributed so from Bombay Bpti Gitas in all India has been the biggest book distribution so if we find some system to.

Follow up that would be very wonderful.

I think Maharaj is a good point we have distributed so many books but people have to read them and they have to come forward to change and.

Have to be guided. Anyway this will be continued Hare Krishna thank you very much thank you too.