20030923 Bhagavad-gītā 6.20-23

(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 given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on September 23, 2003 – in Melbourne, Australia. The lecture begins with a reading from the Bhagavad-gītā 6.20-23.

Put the date. Put the. Make a name with a name. Starting 0309 20. Whatever. Let me get some. Maybe some other things. Any double A batteries? Work. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hope everyone is blissful. When does Karthik start? 10Th of October. You have any scripture to start out with? It’s. Deityatra nachai bayam stitas chalati tatvata young ladwa. Guru na tambidya the yogam yoga sam gītām. Translation By His Divine Grace Vlaisi Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda in the stage of perfection called trance or samadhi, one’s mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This perfection is characterized by one’s ability to see the self, by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness realized through transcendental senses established.

Thus one never departs from the truth and upon gaining this, he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material content. It’s a very long purport. We will just read a few excerpts. By practice of yoga, one becomes gradually detached from material concepts. This is the primary characteristic of the Yoga principle. And after this one becomes situated in trance or samadhi, which means that the Yogī realizes the super soul through transcendental mind and intelligence without any of the misgivings of identifying the self with the super self. Yoga practice is more or less based on the principles of the Patanjali system. Some unauthorized commentators try to identify the individual soul with the super soul.

And the Monast think this to be liberation. But they do not understand the real purpose of the Patanjali system of yoga. There is an acceptance of transcendental pleasure in the Patanjali system. But the Monast do not accept this transcendental pleasure out of fear of jeopardizing theory of oneness. The duality of knowledge in the knower is not accepted by the non dualist. But in this verse transcendental pleasure realized through transcendental senses is accepted and this is corroborated by Patanjali Muni, the famous exponent of the yoga system. The Great Sage declares in his yoga sutras. 3.34 Purushartha Sunyanam Gunanam Pratiprasava Kaivalyam Sarupa Pratishtava Chitti Shaktiriti. This chitti Shakti or internal potency is transcendental. Purushartha means material religiosity, economic development, sense gratification at the end, the attempt to become one with the Supreme. This oneness with the supreme is called trivalayam by the monistic.

But according to Patanjali, this kaivalyam is an internal or transcendental potency by which the living entity becomes aware of his constitutional position. In the words of Lord Caitanya. This state of affairs is called chetodarpa namar Janam or clearance of the impure mirror of the mind. This clearance is actual liberation or Baba Mahā da vajni nirvaapanam. The theory of Nirvana, also preliminary, corresponds with this principle in the Bhāgavatam. 2.10.6 This is called Sarouphena vivastiti. The Bhagavad Gītā also confirms this situation. This verse After Nirvana or material cessation there is the manifestation of spiritual activities or devotional service to the Lord known as Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In the words of the Bhāgavatam Swarupeyna vyavasthiti, this is the real life of a living entity. Māyā or illusion is the condition of spiritual life contaminated by material infection.

Liberation from this material infection does not mean destruction of the original eternal position of the living entity. Patanjali also accepts this by his words Kaivalyam sadhuva pratishta va chiti shaktir iti. This chitti shakti or transcendental pleasure is real life. This is confirmed in the Vedānta Sutra 1.1.1 12 as Anandamaya Vyāsa. This natural transcendental pleasure is the ultimate goal of Yoga and is easily achieved by execution of devotional service or bhakti yoga. Bhakti Yoga  will be vividly described in the seventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā. There are two kinds of samadhi called sampragyata samadhi and asam pragyata samadhi. When one becomes situated in a transcendental position by various philosophical researches, he is said to have achieved sampragyata samadhi.

In the Asam pragyata Samadhi there is no longer any connection with mundane pleasures, for one is then transcendental to all sorts of happiness derived from the senses. When the yogī is once situated in that transcendental position, he is never shaken from it. Unless the yogī is able to reach that position, he is unsuccessful. The Prabhupāda talks about how today people do so called yoga but they don’t control their senses. And it’s more or less gymnastic feats this way, or even showing off some siddhis so they actually lose the aim of yoga. Prabhupāda explains, the best practice of yoga in this age is Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, which is not baffling. A Kṛṣṇa Conscious person is so happy in his occupation, he does not aspire after any other happiness.

There are many impediments, especially in this age, of hypocrisy to practicing Hatha Yoga, Dhyana Yoga and Gana Yoga. But there is no such problem in executing Karma Yoga or Bhakti Yoga. As long as the material body exists, one has to meet the demands of the body, mainly eating, sleeping, defending and mating. But a person who is in pure Bhakti Yoga or Kṛṣṇa Consciousness does not arouse the senses while meeting the demands of the body. Rather, he accepts the bare necessities of life, making the best use of a bad bargain, and enjoys transcendental happiness and Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. He is callous towards incidental occurrences such as accidents, disease, scarcity and even the death of a most dear relative. But he is always alert to execute his duties in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness or Vaiti Yoga. Accidents never deviate him from his duty.

As stated in the Bhagavad Gītā 2.14, He endures all such incidental occurrences because he knows that they come and go or do not affect his duties. In this way, he achieves the highest perfection in the yoga practice. So Kṛṣṇa also told Arjuna. Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta Swami. Translation purport Let me finish this text. 2023 Of chapter 6 Dhyana Yoga Bhagavad Gītā as it is. Translation purport by his divine grace. So. Okay, it’s moving a little to the back. If you move to the back. If you think it’s moving to the back, you’re not so comfortable yet. I don’t know. See how much pressure. But. Shake it off. Lord Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna to be a yogī. Everyone should be a yogī from this age. Being a Karma Yogī or Bhakti yogī is recommended. Hatha, Jñāna and Dhyana are not recommended for self realization.

It takes too long, very difficult to achieve success. The devotee just by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa they also go in Samadhi. I think all of you, while you were chanting and dancing, you were in Samadhi. You forgot about the material world for a short space of time. Possibly at least some of you, if not most of you. So that’s the wonderful. Normally to Reach that state of trance or samadhi that’s mentioned here. It takes many, many years, maybe even lifetimes. But my Lord Chaitanya Mahāprabhu’s mercy, this chanting, so effective, at least one can get a glimpse of samadhi and even a short period of minutes or hours. It’s a very wonderful opportunity. Even the children, they’re also deeply immersed in samadhi, chanting and dancing, right? So young and old, they can all participate together in this process. This forms the basis of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Chanting, dancing and different kinds of devotional service. This is the bread and butter, the rice and sambar, the rooty dal, the idli, chutney, whatever you want. This is the. I guess if you’re from Punjab, it’s the parota. In China. Okay. Don’t know if it was the dahi or chamame. But these are the basis. Then apart from that, there’s many other things that one can do to give further boosts to one’s spiritual life. Because we may not be perfect in our chanting or in our practices. So Kṛṣṇa gives us some opportunity to get some bonus blessings. How many like bonus blessings? Go, Ranga? Of course, some people, they only go for the bonus blessings. And they leave aside the like. Your children like to take dessert but they don’t always want to eat the main course.

But the mature people, they will take the main course as well as the dessert. Now, just like in the Padma Puran, it mentioned how one time there was a powerful demon called Shankasura. And he defeated all the Devas. And the Devas hid in Mount Meru in some cave to escape this demon. The demon was so powerful that he could kill them. See, he couldn’t find where they were. He was looking everywhere. Then he got a plan. Let me go to Brahmaloka and there I will destroy the personified Vedas. Because the Devas, they get their strength from Vedic knowledge. If I can destroy the personified Vedas, then all the knowledge  will be lost. And then we demons  will be victorious. And all the devas was like cutting the root of the tree. This was his plan. So he went up to Brahmaloka looking for the personified Vedas.

On the Vedas, they got some advance notice that he was coming. So as he was coming, they were escaping. And then he saw them. So he ran after them or flew after them. And they came and they went to. They entered into the ocean water. So he chased after them, went into the water. What they did though is dissolve themselves in the Water. But he’s looking for them still in some kind of visible form. They dissolved themselves in the water. So they were not visible anymore. Just like you can see sugar. But if you put it in the milk and it dissolves, you don’t see it anymore. You don’t feel it. So he is looking all over the ocean. Where are they hiding? Meanwhile the Devī said, well, he’s going to keep him busy for a while.

They went over to the side of the milk ocean. The Devas to communicate with Vishnu. At that time, Vishnu was resting during the Chatur mass. Lord Vishnu rest two months one side and two months on the other hand. He’s in yoga Nidra. So they were in the last month of the four months. And they started. They didn’t want to wake him up abruptly. Maybe he gets angry or he’s not pleased with them. They thought, what we can do? So let’s sing to him his holy names. And this way he will be pleased. So they started to chant and dance. Ra. Sam. So when the Lord heard the devas singing and dancing, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Krish. He became very happy. What? The Lord became very happy. How was he very happy, Hareem.

He was so happy that he felt this is like the happiest day of my life. To see all these devas chanting and dancing. So he said, today anybody in this day or this month, anybody who practices Kṛṣṇa consciousness, who chants Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Hare. They get a hundred times the mercy bonus. Some of you businessmen can consider 100 times return on your income. You deposit Dh10,000. And next month you got 1 million. Good deal. Sounds almost dishonest. Somebody from Nigeria tells you to do this. Don’t. But this is Kṛṣṇa’s mercy. So what was that day? What was that? Titi.

Wedding day. Kṛṣṇa’s happy day.

Yes. What is Kṛṣṇa’s happy day? Ekadancy. Yes. And what was the month? No, Chaturmas is four months. It was one month. Karthi. Yes, Dhamadar. That’s why amongst the four months of Chaturmas the Kartik month is very special. And that’s coming just in less than two weeks. More or less. 10Th October. 10Th of October. Depends when you started. If you do by Purimo or I got to see you got a choice. But why don’t you do the ratta? So this very auspicious time was because people chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa. So anyway, let me finish this pastime. So then the Lord, he asked the devas what they wanted. They said, we want you to save us from the Shankar Surah. So the Lord took the form of Matsya avatar and went in the water. And that’s why he says Matsya is the protector of the Vedas.

And then he fought with the Shankasura and liberated him. And then he took out from the water because Matsya’s Lord in the water also form of fish. He took out the Vedas from the water and then gave assigned them to different Rishis each of them. That’s why you have different Rishis in charge of different Vedas. Pancham Veda is the Purāṇas. So initially Ramaharshina was given charge for that. So like this. The Vedic wisdom was saved from this demon who wanted to destroy all the knowledge of the self and the Lord and life. Scientific knowledge of life is given in the Vedas. So we are going to be practicing of course the Dhamma. The Dhammadar brought this part of the Chatra Masjid Chatrum Mas. In the old days the Sadhus and Rishis, they couldn’t walk because it was very muddy in the rainy season.

Some people around the world they question, well it’s not the rainy season outside of India. In other places it might not be the rainy season. Then why should we practice chhatramas? But of course these four months it says the Lord. Is resting and turning over. So that’s not really something dependent upon the monsoon. That just happens to be when the Lord does these pastimes it happens to be the rainy season india. But the Vedas they still say that by practicing the normal Prabhupāda said we should practice the basic aspects of Chaturmas. It’s very simple actually. The first month you don’t take spinach sak. The second month you don’t take yogurt dahi. The third month you don’t take pure milk. That’s what we’re in. Now. In the fourth month you don’t take Amish or very high protein. That means fourth month.

Of course most Vaishnavas are vegetarian all the months. But in case someone isn’t, at least in the month of Ramadan it should be a vegetarian. For the vegetarians we also don’t take Urad dal. In Bengali they call it kalai dal. I don’t know what they call it in other languages soybean doesn’t appear in the Vedas. But if uradal is prohibited and I would imagine soya would also because it’s higher protein than soya than uroot. But the Princess was no super high protein. You can take chickpeas, Mung Thor and other dolls. This morning someone made me dosa made from mung dal was quite good. Well, in this last month you learned how to make all kinds of dosas and idlis from other strange dolls. Ragi or other chickpea or something. Tamakṛṣṇamaraj was traveling in South India on the month of Kartik.

And he was looking forward to feasting on South Indian delights. But because everything is cooked with uradal, he couldn’t enjoy his visit. And he didn’t know that he could tell him to make a dosa out of urmam or chickpea as go comes out of saika dokra. In the Gujaratis they make from chickpea so can’t make. In any case, one can also do additional things. Like if somebody wants to get a good singing voice that says you don’t take salt for the whole month if you want. There’s like a whole list of things that people do is kind of a karma khanda. They want some specific blessing. I don’t remember all of them. I remember one year were in Māyāpur. So I thought since we’re at Māyāpur.

I wasn’t traveling in those days for four months I did the whole rata cutting my hair and only taking this havishana kind of plain kitchari with no salt and no spices. Only some salt and some rice, dal. We were doing like that for four months. It was quite interesting. The last month I wouldn’t use my hands. I had to eat off the floor with my hands behind my back. It was called eating like a cow. You’re almost at the last week. And then went to Vrindavan to see Prabhupāda. I don’t know if it was a trick by Tamakṛṣṇa Maharaj or it was actually from Prabhupāda. But he came and said Prabhupāda said you have to take prasada. But some sadhus, they do all kinds of tapasis. Usually the grihastas don’t do so many things. But sometimes they do depends what they like to do.

But main idea in all these practices is to help us to develop more attachment to Kṛṣṇa. And especially what’s important is that we chant more. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare, Hare. If you’re getting hundred times the benefits, it’s good to spend a little more, put a little more investment in. So try to do something extra. And there’s another bonus that the last five days of the month of Brahmadhara, from Mekanasi to Purima, that’s called Bhishma Panchaka, Vishnu Panchaka. If someone does that, then they get the benefit of the whole Chaturmas. Usually I am doing that in Māyāpur with the fruits and roots fast. But you can also take Havisham and that for those five days. Either Havishama or fruits and roots or Panchegavya. That’s tough. But these are all voluntary things. Additional.

But I did read a quote that if someone doesn’t do at least a minimum Chatra masya, then it’s quite inaugious and could lead them to the nether regions. So we don’t want to overload new devotees with too many things. But this little bit of it somehow makes you remember Kṛṣṇa. Okay, this is my like, no, you can’t take milk. Instead we take here or you take yogurt or something. You can’t take milk. So it’s just something that reminds me, doing this for you, Kṛṣṇa Oṁ Tatsat for your pleasure. So sometimes we accept some voluntary inconvenience. It helps us to control our senses when we want. I can take it, I cannot take it. One month, I can go without. One month, I can go without Gaia. In this way we start to develop our strength. That okay, our  willpower.

We can control ourselves if we have to. Does Dhammada fall same time as Ramza this year? Next year. Then we can be doing tapasya together with our brothers. So we have. We also. Sometimes they ask, you know, well, you know, do you do any tapasya? So we have different kinds of tapas you can do instead of we do it 26 days in a year for one day. So that’s almost a month. But we divide it up over twice a month for two days. So like this we have our program also for spiritual upliftment and development. They said these are more when the people get fixed already in devotional service. And they have all these things. Although some people out there that they just practice the morning stages because they want to get special mercy. That’s also one way at least.

If someone does that, they get a lot of benefit. There’s a super benefit flowing on those days. But ultimately the real goal is you want to achieve samadhi. As we explained today, we want to be absorbed. So absorption comes when we do all the days. Once I asked Prabhupāda, should I do something special for Dhammada month? And then he wrote and he Said actually these special days and months are more for the new customers. It’s like when there’s some special sale on rebate. Regular customers are already coming. This is to attract new customers to flush them out. 70% Discount. What to speak of 99% discount. A lot of buyers for things that they are giving 99% discount. So they want to get out the customers. Someone’s telling me that the growth people offer kilos of gold during the holiday season. Shopping festival.

Shopping festival Trying to inspire people to buy more gold things. So this type offers are there to get the new customers. So Prabhupāda is saying that these special days and the special Monday inspire new customers. Let me do something this month I get so much benefit. And once that they do, then maybe they get inspired. That okay, this month I really feel good. If they can get up to the samadhi level, they will feel so good they may be inclined to continue doing it even afterwards. That’s the real goal is we should be inspired to continue with our spiritual life, make it a way of life. So because what we live as a way of life, we don’t do things too difficult, should be sustainable, something we can handle.

So the practices are not so like observing a kalanchi twice a month is not so difficult. Even if people are very attached to their rice for one day and two weeks they could go without rice and wheat and beans and pulses. This way they also learned it’s good for their health. Saves a lot of grains in the world for the hungry people. And it’s a very good spiritually on that day to do something special for Kṛṣṇa, free up a little time to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Hare. Lord Chaitanya told his mother that he begged her one time requested that you must kindly practice ekādaśī. Vogītānia was very special, strong about ekādaśī. We know that in ekādaśī all the sins are inside the grains and the pulses, the cereals. Because before people by doing Ekādaśī didn’t even do anything.

Just like anything on ekādaśī, they would all get liberated. So then Yamaduttas and everybody were claiming to Vishnu that this is really difficult because nobody goes to hell anymore. Because you made a qadasi so easy, everybody gets free. So they said, okay, then an ecadasi  will put all the sin in the grains. So if anybody is stupid enough to eat grains anakadisi, then they can go to hell. But if they’re a little intelligent, then they can also easily get delivered. Unfortunately, there’s quite a number of foolish people around today. And they don’t take advantage of ekādaśī. Instead they get nabbed with all the sins. So at least all of you are very intelligent and well informed. So I am sure. How many of you do a qadasi? Of course, kids above, five, right? Five or 12. You like akirasi?

Yeah,.

That’s the. Of course. Prabhupāda made a kiasi, a special feast, the economy feast. I had to be born on Akada. So they also cook a big feast on that day. But otherwise, in many other missions, it’s very austere for 12 hours. He said okay. Anyway, it’s hard enough not to eat grain. Eat a really nice variety of vegetables, carrot, halva and things. Different kinds of roots and vegetables, sumaida. There’s a lot of substitutes like that singer Atta make halva puris. So it’s quite interesting. Break from the normal routine. Somehow we do things because we want to please Kṛṣṇa. That’s the secret. If we do that keeps us Kṛṣṇa conscious is to regulate ourselves in certain ways that we do things knowing that this is pleasing to you. Kṛṣṇa, I am doing this for you. Don’t do it out of false ego.

Don’t do it because everybody else is doing it. We do it because you want to please Kṛṣṇa. Before we do it, we can say the magic words Harihi. That means the Kṛṣṇa Absolute truth. I am offering this up to you. And like in that book about the glories of different ecdices, it says sometimes the husband and wife they had a huge argument. They were arguing all day, all night they forgot to eat. They were so busy arguing with each other. Then finally, the next morning, somehow they made up or something. And then they took some breakfast just at the right time. So they got the full credit for 24 hour galaxy near Jala fast. They had no time even to take water. They’re busy fighting and they get all kinds of special blessings. Such kind of histories.

Even accidentally, if one follows what to speak of people. So like that. There’s many different ways, but the normal things we do tulsi pūjā. How many of you have Tulsi in your house? It’s quite impressive here some parts of the world it’s too cold for Tulsi. It’s very hard even like in Santiago or Chile. For them they maintain a tulsi all winter lawn. It’s the major effort. Ultraviolet lights and a special box that they want to bring the tulsi in the temple Room they had to carry in this glass box. It’s very hard to keep Tulsi in the cold. I don’t even know if they have them. I must have it. Yeah. In some countries they have. Like in Copenhagen they have one room dedicated for Tulsi with all these ultraviolet. Ultraviolet or some kind of special blue lights, Plant lights, greenhouse lights. Yeah.

But in those countries where it’s really cold, it seems easier because they have heated houses. But like Santiago, they don’t have central heating. It’s not cold enough. But it’s too cold for Tulsi. So they had to do a major effort. But still they’re also keeping Tulsi over here. Of course, it’s maybe too hot or too dry. You just have to keep the Tulsi watered. So all these little practices, they actually help us. Like watering a Tulsi and doing pūjā. Tulsi. It’s very important thing. It gives you lots of blessings. Having our morning prayers, chanting everyday, Japa taking Kṛṣṇa Prasadam. How do you like. How many of you like Kṛṣṇa Prasadam? Unanimous. So. There’s a few things I don’t know what lo Chaitanya during the Chatto mass, he stayed in Śrīrangam. How many know where Śrīrangam is? Many don’t know. It’s in Tamil Nadu.

It’s an island in the midst of the Kaveni River. It’s about six hours, seven hours by train south of Chennai. It’s about one hour, about half hour from just across the river from Trichy Chiruchirapalli. That’s the geography. Very special place. There’s a temple there from the time of Tretā Yuga called Ranganath. How many have seen Ranganath? Many haven’t seen. This year we’re going to go to South India after Gorpurnima on our safari. I don’t know if it  will go so far as Lord Ramanath. We have to plan it out because I wanted to go to all the Nirsinga temples or at least some of the major ones in Andhra Pradesh and then be in time for the Dili’s installation in Tirupati and the inauguration of the Blue Temple and moving of the radical Hindu Dilis to the new temple. So. And Rāma Noami.

But we have to plan it out. Maybe we will have time for anyone. We will be visiting Purī as well as the Varāha Nrasingha temple at Bisakha Patnam and Nasinga temple and Pujayanwada and the temples. I should say there’s also a temple established by Buddhists here there and the Kurma Avatar temple in between us a few other places this time I think mainly to undrawn. Maybe Karnataka Hampi but I have to chakra out maybe ahog maybe it’s very hard to get there but maybe what is he Ranger? I am not sure. So anyway Lord she tell me he was in Śrī Ranga when they requested him. Let’s stay here for the chapter mass. So then he stayed and he made the chapter of Matsya at Śrī Rāma. Every day he’d go and he would have darshan of Lord Ranganatha. Lord Ranganatha is actually really a Kṛṣṇa.

He has two arms, he’s lying on an he’s with his consort Ranganaika. So. It’s one of the largest temples, if not the largest india. Seven walls around it with the largest gopuram I don’t know largest but very large. The seventh were there some years ago when they had the re consecration of all the gopurams and the Bibi after Samskaras refurbishments. It was wonderful. Anyone who got that Abhishek water on the head is also getting a free ticket to Vaikuṇṭha. And they opened the by Kuntadwara on that day. So I went through but then I couldn’t find some devotees who had lost. I had to go back and find them and take them through. So I went through twice. As you go through there’s a little tiki lizard on the top engraved in the roof. And they say that he’s watching everyone who goes through.

So when you go up to the gates of Ikonta then if you want to get through then he says well tik okay he can go. He went through. So interesting. Lord Chaitanya was there for four months and he was staying at a place called Jagannath Mata. And that temple is still there. And he used to take his meals at Venkatabatta’s house. And in that house is still there some Gauria Vaishnavas. They welcomed them to see that place where Lord Chaitanya used to sit take prasadam. And one of the youngest son of Ekhat Bhaṭṭa was Gopal Bhaṭṭa. And he gave him to Voichitanya for his service. He was every day serving Vocaitanya and washing his clothes and doing the things personal service.

So he had heard so many things from the servant of Lord Chaitanya about how Lord Chaitanya Navadipi was with hundreds of thousands of people Chanting and dancing. Nice to see. And then he was thinking I would. Because now he was seeing Lord Chaitanyasa, Sanyasi, Shaivab. All along he thought how wonderful it would be to see him with all those other associates with the Lord Nityānanda, with Advaita, with Garādhār Shivas, Va Keshwar Pandit and so many other wonderful devotees. She was thinking like there was any kind of ghost. And then he had a vision of Lord Chaitanya with all these associates. And then he was feeling so much ecstatic. Then suddenly Lord Chaitanya called him Gopal. Gopal. Gopal. Gopal. Gopal. Gopal. Oh Lord Chaitanya is calling me. Then he jumped up and he ran to Lord Chaitanya.

And then Lord Chaitanya changed his form to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Then he saw Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa playing on the flute, standing. He paid his obeisances. Then Lord Chaitanya came over and put his foot on the head Gopal Bharta and said, I want you to go to Vrindavan and join Rūpa and Sanātana and write the books for the Gauli of Aishnavas, how to worship and other important things. So let you find many of our agamas. Our rituals are quite similar to the Śrī Vaishnavas Because Gopal Bhaṭṭa with Sanātana, Goswami they wrote down how to practice these different Samskaras. He wrote the Saṁskāra, Vidika, Satriya, Saṁskāra Vidika and all the Dasa, Samskaras, Annaprasan and everything Fragoni of Aishnavas. So he got a special darshan of Lord Chaitanya where he revealed he was actually Rādhā Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Chaitanya, Rādhākṛṣṇa, Nahiyang, Rādhākṛṣṇa appeared together. Any question?

Yes, Maharaj. When you are telling the story of the Asura and Devas when the Devas had to hide in the Meru Mountain, was Kṛṣṇa born in the Bhoomi before this Leela or after this Leela had taken place?

Well, this Leela happened long time ago. SATA Yoga or something so very long ago. And every day of Brahma Kṛṣṇa appears. But in that particular day of Brahma, when that happens, he may not have appeared yet. It’s not so clear if it’s this day of Brahma or another day of Brahma. When does Leela happen? Some of the Puranic histories are from this creation or may even be from a former creation. But definitely it was much before 5,000 years ago. Why?

Because they were all chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. How did they know that Kṛṣṇa was going to appear?

Now you see in the Vedas the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is given Just like even before Ram appeared people knew that Ram was the supreme Lord. People knew about Kṛṣṇa even before he appeared. But when he appeared, how many people you know who are called Kṛṣṇa are? Govinda in your school anybody is called after name of Vishnu? Many. But how many of them are the original Kṛṣṇa? So like that when one boy in the village appeared and he called and he was called as Kṛṣṇa even Brahma wasn’t sure as a Kṛṣṇa he stole the cows of ass like how the calves and cow herp works. But then later he got convinced that this is the original Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise in the Vedas it talks about Kṛṣṇa when he comes, he manifests new pastimes. Kṛṣṇa Vasudeva is mentioned.

Why does Kṛṣṇa need to send a all down to this earth? Why? When?

Why does he have to send his.

Send us to this earth? What was the reason he had sent us down?

Because we wanted to come here. Somehow we wanted to come here. We made the wrong turn on the highway, we ended up over here. We made a wrong choice. But he’s so kind that he’s  willing to take us back. He how we got here is less important how we get out. Because we can’t remember what it was like in the spiritual world. So it’s very theoretical to try to think how could I make that mistake? Because we won’t be able to understand what it’s like there. When we get back we understand automatically. It’s very clear. It’s like when you’re sleeping, you’re being attacked by a tiger. The best thing is to wake up and there’s no more tiger. So you want to wake up Jīva Jago wake up from this illusion.

So Kṛṣṇa is  willing to wake us up and we can leave this illusion. Why do we still want to stay even though Kṛṣṇa is giving us a chance to get out? Any other question? Is that a indicator finger? How important is it to fast on Arjalakat? Recommended. How important is it to fast on Irjalakada? Seer that Śrīla Prabhupāda recommended. You get one year’s recurrences if somebody missed an occurrence. It was considered always a good idea to do a near job and make up for it. Otherwise one could well in any case if you broke it, a Kandasi by mistake was supposed to observe it again on the Trodasi. That’s a standard Avnagiri process. But. Abeda talked about because Bhima, he said, I can’t keep track of kadasi. I am fighting wars and I reach out to you. Just give me one time.

I can do it in the whole year. Tough. I don’t mind doing it. Tough. So they gave him an alternative once for the whole year. Some devotees do it to get a special blessing. I don’t remember specifically that Prabhupāda said we had to do it. Nor do I remember that Prabhupāda actually did as such. But he never objected if people did extra tapasya unless it was a disturbance for their normal service. Like if somebody does nirjal or kadasi and then the next three days they’re on their back or something. I think he was, because he was preaching to the people in the Western world. It was hard enough just to convince them to do a kadasi if he started to truck near jala and everything. But that’s just my speculation. I think Indians also, some like to do tafasya. They’re really into it.

Some they’re not so much into it. They say most people aren’t so much into tapasya. He would generally give the basic things. But there are lots of glories that you can get real special mercy by doing that. So those that some people don’t have any health problem, they like to fast. I know that some people do fast just to lose weight. If you did it, if you synchronized it with dharmas or bheeshma Panchak or something. If you’re going to do a five day juice fast, do it on Bhishma Panchak. Get the spiritual benefit plus the material. Why are you just doing. Why should we do something only for some material reason? Many people do this fast nowadays. Even here in the Middle east, the advertisements for swimming. So better to do something for a higher spiritual purpose.

Maybe you can do two things at once. But I was reading how rastami is like 100,000 ekanasis. That really convinced me. Well, 50,100, I forget. But so many Ekanasis, I thought, this is really super. That makes Bhishma, Bhima, Nirjala not so significant sometimes. So definitely we should never miss Janastami or Anastomi those days. I know many devotees, I practice every day. But it’s not obligatory. You don’t have to do it. If you want to, you can do it. There’s like many things like that. If you want to, you can do it. Everyone’s supposed to do the four basic things during the chapter mass if you want to do more, you can. But it’s not obligatory. If you do something extra and you get a little extra strength. Who likes to force in your spiritual way? People are doing it.

But if someone healthy, some good they shouldn’t do it. That’s kind of. Okay. We should. I should ask some more questions or we should. Another one or two quick questions. Anybody has a quick question? Was he. One of his maternal uncle says why did this. Our boy went with this Bhagwan Sanyas. He was angry. And then later he became the devotee of Mah. And he writes. I think. Well, percussion of this arosop was. Look it up. Be sure it sounds right. But because we planning on a big number of people. And also request you to give us some special. This year, next year, really. But this. This Vaishnava year at the. During the Goa Purima festival we’re having a very special occasion is the Panchatatwa deities for the main temple are being installed Prana Batisha. Good. And. There’s been a number of breakthroughs.

That Śrīla Prabhupāda had told us to build this temple. But apparently in 1971 or so, he drew a sketch how the temple could be built. It was a very simple sketch of a structure like an umbrella with a central staff and spokes and like cloth in between. They said it was something like that. 125 Meters. We didn’t know that. So we knew that he also wanted a temple to last a long time, which would be something very wonderful. So were planning for a masonry temple. And we made a design for that to last a thousand years. But it was costing maybe over $100 million. 125 Or more. So that seemed like over our ability. Especially when some major funders dropped out of the scene. But recently this one devotee revealed that Prabhupāda and Sadesh and gave the sketch.

Our managing director of the project asked why he never told us before. So nobody asked me before. How are we supposed to know? So then taking that idea now even like in the Dubai airport, in the Kuala Lumpur airport, a number of airports, they have this kind of structural quad which is actually woven steel. You can also have woven stainless steel, which is structural as well as it’s quite interesting. So the idea is that went to our structural engineer who had designed the original temple structure. So what if we use this kind of a structure? He said you would reduce the cost of your building by 2/3 to 30, 40 million. Because the weight of the other structure was so great that the columns were as wide as this room when built out of bricks and stone, 125 meters high.

So that makes everything very much reduced. So now it also seems, they said you can build it in three to four years. Even it goes slow within nine years, you see. So now our existing donors are fired up with that because that brings everything within a very achievable, easy time frame. So all these things to start, revealed. After we started the process of preparing the deities, someone said that when the Panchatatva appear, then the temple  will also manifest. They’re like the soul of the temple. So then we decided we will go ahead. Even though we don’t have a media plan for the temple that time, we will go ahead with the installation. So we have been casting the deities in Swami Malai, which is a city near to Śrīrangam, close to about 30 km from Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu.

And all the dilis now have been cast, the Bimbas, the reflections, and they’re in their final making, you know, finishing work. So these dhilis are really important because they were predicted by Nithyananda Prabhu, by Shrinivasacharya, by many great souls, including his divine grace, AC Bhaktivedanta. Swami Prabhupāda ordered us to do it. So taking this inspiration, went ahead with it. No, I was there for the casting of Nitinanda Devī. I told you about that. Yes, I told you a lot. That was, for me, a very ecstatic experience. And I was inspired also. Literally got one kilo of silver to put into the mix. And what they have done, though, is they calculated all the expenses not only for the casting and for the finishing, but also for the making the new altar and extending the temple and everything into the prorated, that is, per kilo.

So they’re getting some donations from people from one kilo up to. I don’t remember. I am sure you have this. 170 Kilos, 140 kilos in between all the different ranges. We want everybody to participate. Even if somebody doesn’t have enough money to contribute for the medal for the installation, they could write three times Panchatatra and 108 times Hare Kṛṣṇa. I know, I was in Russia. Even people, they don’t have their 10 people coming together, running four people and just putting together so that they could donate one kilo. What is also going to happen is that when we have installation, there  will be many different sevas, whether ringing bells or helping and sewing or I don’t know what all the sevas are, but bringing Ganges water from the Ganges for the Abhishek, things like this. So many different kinds of sevas.

How many would like to do some seva for this historical Panchatatra Villis? So some of you may have an opportunity to be there and help and do some personal seva or you might like to do the seva of contributing something or whatever. But this idea is we want to give everybody the opportunity to get as much mercy as possible for the installation of these very important babies. They’re actually life size. So that’s like 7ft tall from foot to head. Lotus turn to head a little bit and the hands go above that and then stand is also something. We’re expecting a lot of devotees to come this year for this installation. It’s also the 108th anniversary of Prabhupāda’s appearance. Of course I know many of you are working.

It may not be possible, but at least in spirit like to take the opportunity to invite you to whoever can come to participate in this wonderful Mahā Yagya. How much blessing  will be flowing at that time? I can’t even begin to estimate, but I am sure unlimited mercy  will be flowing. How would you like to attend Go Ranga. 22Nd and 23rd of February and then after that would be the right after that we will have the seven day Nava de Parikramā 6th of March and then 6th of March is the Gor Pūrṇimā. I know it’s a tough time because in the third week of March. I heard today that when the kids have their exams we also face that trouble in Bengal. It seems to be the same time all over India that they have exams. But this year at least it’s very much early.

So one could slip off, maybe get some resting and come back and still help the kids study for their exams. That you have to see what’s practical feasible for you and your work. But at least I give everybody information. You can all start make a prayer for the Panchatatra to manifest come down from the spiritual world. These are Archa avataras. We want Prabhupāda. Since he wanted them, he should personally come and just follow the baby. The Lord is going to pray for them. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hi Kṛṣṇa. Last year we had around 30 devotees going from Balarāmadeśā for the.