20031205 Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Lecture on Pānihāti Pastime

(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 December 5, 2003 – in Cape Town, South Africa. The lecture begins with a reading from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Jaya jaya Nityānanda!

Thus, Lord Caitanya performed various pastimes with his associates at Jagannātha Purī and various varieties of transcendental pleasure. Saktagana. The Lord thus enjoyed his life with his devotees. O devotees of Lord R. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu now hear how Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī met the Lord. When Raghunatha during his family life went to meet Chaitanya Mahapra at Shantipur, the Lord gave him worthy instructions. By his causeless mercy. Instead of becoming a so called renunciate Raghunatha, following the instructions of the Lord returned home and played exactly like a pounds and shillings man. Raghunatha was inwardly completely renounced even in family life. But he did not express his renunciation externally. Instead he acted just like an ordinary businessman. Seeing this, his father and mother were satisfied. So what’s better? Inwardly renounced even in his family life.

Outwardly he acted like ordinary businessman or outwardly looked renounced and inwardly be like an ordinary businessman. So what’s important is what goes on inwardly. So this secret Ma Lord Chaitanya taught. How to be inwardly renounced. When he received a message that Lord Chaitanya Mahapra had returned from Mathura city. Raghunatha endeavored to go to the lotus feet of the Lord. Sapta Gramma Munu kena se hoi Chaudhari. At that time there was a Muslim official collecting the taxes of Saptagram. Formerly, when the Muslim government was in power, the person appointed tax collector would collect the taxes of the local Zamindars or landholders. He would keep 1/4 of the collection for himself as a prophet and the balance he would deliver to the treasury of the government. So when Hiranya Das, Raghuna Das uncle made an agreement with the government to collect taxes.

The Muslim Chaudhary or tax collector having lost his position, became extremely envious of him. Dass collected 2 million coins and therefore should have delivered 1,500,000 to the government. Instead, he was giving only 1,200,000. Thus making an extra profit of 300,000 coins. Seeing this, the Muslim Chaudhary who was a Turk, became his rival. After sending a confidential account to the government treasury, the Chaudhary brought the minister in charge. The Chaudhary came wanting to arrest Hiranya Das. But Hiranya Das had left home. Therefore the Chaudhary arrested Raghunatha. Every day the Muslim would chastise Raghunatha and tell him, bring your father and his elder brother. Otherwise you will be punished. The Chori wanted to beat him. But as soon as he saw Raghunath’s face, his mind changed and he could not beat him. Indeed, the Chaudhary was afraid of Raghunatha. Because Raghunatha belonged to the Kayasta community.

Although the Choudri would chastise him with oral vibrations, he was afraid to beat him. So this Raghuna Das was a member of a very aristocratic family of the Kayesta community. He had a lot of influence with the local people. So therefore the local Chaudhary was afraid to meet him. Prabhupada said, the members of the Kaiste community india are generally very intelligent, expert in business management. Formerly they were mostly government officers. They were mentioned even by Yajiavalka as quoted by Rla Bhaktivedin O Thakur in his Amrita Prabhaha Basya chatta taskara Dubrittdaya moha sahasika dibi pidyamarana Prajarakshit kayostayees chavisheshata. From this verse it appears that the government officials of the Kaiasta committee would sometimes chastise the citizens. And thus it was the duty of the king to protect the people in general from the atrocities of the Caiastas. They were heavy.

So like this is going on. Raghurad Das thought of a plan how to get out of this situation. He said, Amar Pita Jeta Hoi Tumara Koloho Korosarboray. My dear sir, my father and elder brother are your brothers. All brothers always fight about something. Sometimes brothers fight amongst themselves and sometimes they have friendly dealings. There is no certainty when such changes will take place. Thus I am sure that although today you are fighting, tomorrow your three brothers will be sitting together in peace. Just as I am my father’s son, so I am also yours. I am your dependent and you are my maintainer. For a maintainer to punish the person he maintains is not good. You are expert in all the scriptures. Indeed, you are like a living saint. So when the Muslim heard Raghunath Das’s appealing voice. You are my maintainer.

You’re also like my father. It’s not good if you, the one who maintains, punishes the maintained. So Raghunatha spoke in such a nice way that the Muslim’s heart softened and tears were pouring down his long beard. He told Raghunatha, you are my son from this day on. Today, by some means I will have you released. After informing the minister that Chori released Raghunatha and then began to speak to him with great affection. Your father’s elder brother is less intelligent. He enjoys 800,000 coins. But since I am also a shareholder, he should give some portion of it to me. Now you go arrange a meeting between me and your uncle. Let him do whatever he thinks best. I shall completely depend on his decisions. So Raghunatha arranged a meeting between his uncle and the Chaudhary. The matter was settled and everything was peaceful.

In this way Raghunatha passed one year exactly like a first class business manager. Even he got arrested. So many things. First class businessman. Next year he again decided to leave home. Every day he’d get up but his father would catch him at a distant place and bring him back. It became almost a daily affair. He’d run away from home. His father would bring him back. The Raghunatha mother spoke to his father as follows. Our son has become mad, she said. Just keep him by binding him with ropes. His father, being very unhappy replied to her as Inder Samaisraja. Raghunath Das. Her son has opulences like Indra the heavenly king and his wife is as beautiful as angel. Yet all this could not tie down his mind. How then could we keep this boy home by binding him with ropes?

It is not possible even for one’s father to nullify the reactions of one’s past activities. Lord Chaitanya Mahabhu has fully bestowed his mercy on him. Who can keep home such a madman of Chaitanya Chandra. Raghunatha considered something in his mind and the next day went to Nityananda Gosai. He got an interview with Nityananda in the village of Panihati. Nityananda was accompanied by many servants, Kirtans, singers, performers, Brahmanas. He was sitting on a rock under a tree in the bank of the Ganges. Lord Nityananda seemed as effulgent as hundreds of thousands of risings of sons. Ganga Tiri, Viksiya Chena Janu. Many devotees sat on the ground surrounding him. Seeing the influence of Nityananda Prabhu Raghunath dance was astonished. Seva Kohe Raghunatha Dandavatta Kore Raghunatha offered his obeisances by falling prostrate at a distant place.

And the servant of Nityananda Prabhu pointed out, There is Raghunatha offering you obeisances. Sune Prabhu Kohi Chora Dilidarasan Ayi Aji Tor Korea Hearing this, Lord Nityananda Prabhu said, you are a thief. Now you have come to see me. Come here. Come here. Today I shall punish you. The Lord called him. But Raghunath Das did not go near the Lord. Then the Lord forcibly caught him and placed his lotus feet on Raghunath Das’s head. How many would like to have lotus feet of Lord Nityananda on your head? Nityananda was very funny by nature and very merciful. So being merciful, he spoke to Raghuna dance as Nikotena AI sochore bhagodune dure ajay lag payachi dandi motumare. You are just like a thief. For instead of coming near, you stay away at a distant place. Now that I have captured you, I shall punish you. I see.

The Tirnanda lived only few hours walk from where Raghunatha was. But seems Raghunatha wasn’t going and getting the association of Nityananda. He was just trying to join Lord Chaitanya. So today he came to get Nithyananda’s mercy. So Nityananda was chastised. Why you’re not coming? So I am going to punish you today. Sometimes we’re getting association nearby. We don’t take it. Dari Chira, Bakkan Khoraho, Moragoni Sunni Anandita, Haila Raghunathamune. Make a festival and feed all my associates yogurt and chipped rice. Hearing this, Raghunatha was greatly pleased. So Raghura Das, he was very happy to get this punishment, right? Because devotees always want to serve. So when they get the opportunity to serve, it’s a special mercy. Das merely sent his own men to the village to purchase all kinds of edibles and bring them back.

Raghunatha brought chipped rice, yogurt, milk, sweet meats, sugar, bananas and other edibles and placed them all around. As soon as they heard that a festival was going to be held all kinds of Brahmanas and other gentlemen began to arrive. There were innumerable people. The crowd was increasing. So then Raghunath sent his people get more stuff from other villages. He brought two to 400 large round earthen pots. He got five, seven super large earthen pots. They have some kind of pots india that are like five or six feet high. They use it for storing grains. Because the rats can’t chew through the big thick clay pots. So it’s a special. I have seen these pots. They’re not. You have to order them Special because it’s not like everybody uses a huge gigantic pot. So he got some of these pots for mixing.

You can mix big quantities one time. Then he got all kinds of little pots. So one he soaked chipped rice with milk and other one he soaked chipped rice with yogurt, sugar and bananas. Then he soaked some with condensed milk and a banana known as chapacola. Then sugar, clarified butter and camphor were added. Do we have any edible camphor? You get it from the grocery store. I mean from the drugstore. You get a medical quality camphor that you can eat. The stuff we burn for aarti is artificial. You can’t eat it. Chapa Cola. These are the little yellow ones. I don’t know if they have here the little yellow ones. Sometimes they’re known as butter bananas because they’re kind of yellow like butter. When they’re. The quality of chini chappas is that when they’re ripe they’re very sweet.

But when they’re unripe, because they have high vitamin C, they’re sour more than other bananas. You can’t eat them unripe. So you see like you can’t other. So these are special. Sometimes they’re known as sugar Czapacan. When they’re really ripe, they’re very sweet. They’re much sweeter than the big yellow ones when they’re really ripe. In India they got dozens and dozens of kinds of bananas. Once I went to the Banana Research Institute and they showed all the different varieties of bananas. They’re going square bananas, round bananas, strawberry flavored bananas. Then they have a kind of coke banana which has got seeds in it. Big seeds. Yeah, Biji call it. So Nityananda, he changed his cloth for a new one. And then he sat on the raised platform. Then all the prasadam was brought. He was offered to him in the big pots.

And all the important associates and other important people, they sat in a big circle around the Lord. Some of the associates were Ram Dass. You know who Ram Dass is? Abhiram Das. Abhiram Ram Dass. Abhiram Thakur. His Sridharm. Then Sundar Ananda Gadadhar Das is an expansion of Gadar Pandit Murari Kamalakar. Kamalakar Pipola. He was very wonderful devotee. He wrote some literature. He was worshipping a Jagannath deity very close to Panihati. Sadashiva Purandara Dhananjaya Jagadisha. Pandit Parameshwar Das Mahesh. Pandit Gauri Das. Pandit Gauri Das Subal Saka Krishna Das. Wow. He was a king who became a preacher. And later he gave up his kingdom and he became a guru. Unheard of things in Vedic culture like Kshatriya. And he was the one who organized the marriage of Lord Nityananda Uddarandatta. Adi Uddarandatta Thakur was Prabhupada is a descendant of Udharan Datta Thakur.

So so many different people came. Then the word got out. It said, you want to please a Suja, give him fame. You want to please Avaisha, give him money. You want to please the Kshatriya, give him power. You want to give him please of Brahmana, give him Prasad. So the word was out. All kinds of learned scholars, Brahmanas, priests, they came, they heard Mahaprasadam Govinde Nityananda Prabhu honored them and had them sit on the raised platform with him. Everybody was offered two earthen pots. One had the chipped rice with condensed milk and the other chipped rice with yogurt. All other people sat in groups around the platform. No one could count how many people were there. Each and every one of them was supplied two earthen pots, one of chipped rice soaked in yogurt and the other of chipped rice soaked in condensed milk.

Some of the Brahmanas, not having gotten a place in the platform, went to the bank of the Ganges with their two earthen pots and soaked their chipped rice there. Others who could not get a place even in the bank of the Ganges, they got down into the water and began eating their two kinds of chipped rice. In other words, it was so crowded there was no more space on the land. So they got up to their waist in the water, standing in the water just to get. Ganga. They’re eating it, the prasada. In those days, the Ganges now they have all these industrial plants and the municipalities that throw their affluent. Now the government has passed all kinds of laws to clean up the Ganges. But all over the world ecology is just a buzzword. But actually so many industries cheat.

I was walking in Chicago morning walk and I heard this huge water dumped into Lake Michigan, one of the great lakes in America. I said, what’s that? They said, oh, the inspectors don’t wake up till 8 o’. Clock. So they dump all their industrial waste in the lake early in the morning and Ganga. So now it’s like. Can take a lot of Ganges water unless you keep it for about 10 days and it purifies itself. But in those days, I am sure there was. The Ganges was not being contaminated by so much municipal garbage and stuff. So. The Ganges water is pure. But if you dump a bunch of garbage in it’s not the Ganges full. So there are 20 people distributing prasadam. Everybody was supplied two pots. Raghava pandit arrived. He was very surprised.

He brought a big platter of cooked food offered the Lord. He put it before Nityananda and distributed it among the devotees. So I have cooked you all this prasad, but it’s lying there untouched. Nitinanda, let me eat all this food here during the day. I shall eat at your home at night. I belong to a community of cowherd boys. And therefore I generally have many cowherd associates with me. I am happy when we eat together in a picnic like this by the sandy bank of the river Gopajati. Ami Bahu Gopa Gana Sange Ami Sukha Paaye Pulina Bhojanange. So Nityananda, he gets special happiness taking prasadam with all the cowherd voice. Because he’s in the mood now of Balaram. So he’s very happy to take the prasada with the cowherd boys on the side of the Kalini River.

So now he’s by the side of the Jamuna and Ganga. He’s in that ecstasy mood. So I will take my meal later in the afternoon now let me take in the evening. Let me enjoy this picnic. I am very happy. So how many want to make Nitai Mayapur Chandra happy? How many? Give them a Polina Bhojan here picnic. So you have even got here the blue water of the river on the side here. That’s why you paint it blue. To remind us the water flowing, you got the color. The floor is the color of the sand. So Nityananda told Ragha, sit down. Give him two pots. You take with us. Two. So he wanted to bring Nityananda to eat his lunch. But instead Nityananda got him to sit down and take flat rice and yogurt.

When everybody had been served, the Lord Nityananda brought by his meditation Lord Chaitanya Mahpravhu. When Sitanya Mahaprabhu arrived, Lord Nityananda Prabhu stood up. They then saw how the others were enjoying the chipped rice with yogurt and condensed milk from each and every pot. Lord Nityananda Prabhu took one morsel of chipped rice and pushed it into the mouth of Shichitanya Mahaprabhu as a joke, Chee Chita Mahabhara also smiling, took a morsel of food, pushed it into the mouth of Nityananda and laughed as he made Nityananda eat it. So they were in the mood of cowherd boys. Cowherd boys. They don’t follow all those kind of formal rules and regulations like don’t eat from other people’s plates. So they took all these people that were eating with him just as the cow herd friends.

So they were taking the food from their pot and pushing it in each other’s mouth. So you could see the food come out from the pot. And then Nithya Nana put it in the mouth of Nithyanandan. Nithyanandan would put in the mouth of Lord Chaitanya and poof, it would disappear. So they were having a good time. So they were walking through the groups of people and all the Vaishnavas were watching the fun. But no one could understand what Nityananda Prabhu was doing as he walked about. Some who were very fortunate could see that Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was also present. When Nityananda Prabhu smiled and sat down on his right side. He kept four pots of chipped rice that had not been made from boiled patty. So Nityananda and Lord Chaitanya sat down and the two began to eat Chiniday.

Lord Nathaniel became so ecstatic that seeing Lord Chaitanya sitting next to him taking this bhoga, taking this prasad. Then he ordered everyone. Ordered all of you eat chanting the holy name of Hari. Immediately. The holy names. Hari. Hari. Hari. Hari. Hari. Hari. Hari, Hari. Hari, Hari. They filled the entire universe. So there’s so many thousands and thousands of devotees. And they’re all eating and chanting Hari. So when the Vaishnavas were chanting, they remembered Krishna Balaram ate with her companions, the cowherd boys on the bank of the Jamuna. Nityananda Mahaprabhu Kripalu Raghunathe Bhog Bhagya Koila. Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Nityananda Prabhu are extremely merciful and liberal. It was Raghunathasa’s good fortune that they accepted all these dealings. Who can understand the influence and mercy of Lord Nityananda Prabhu?

He is so powerful that he induced Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to come and eat chipped rice in the bank of the Ganges. All the confidential devotees who were cowherd boys headed by Sri Ramadasa were absorbed in ecstatic love. They thought the bank of the Ganges to be the bank of the Jamuna Haribo. So all the associates were absorbed in this ecstasy. So the pastime of Nityananda, he was also doing Leela Smaran. He’s doing the Leela smarn of the cowherd boys eating in the forest in Vrindavan. And we’re doing Leela Swaran, Lord Nityananda and Lord Chaitanya and all the associates taking flat rice and yogurt on the side of the Ganges in the village of Panihati. So remembering the remembrance of the remembrance and the remembrance of the transalp times. So shopkeepers from other villages heard about the festival.

They arrived there to sell their flat rice, yogurt, sweet meats and bananas as they came. Then all kinds of food arrived. Raghunatha purchased it. So Raghunar Das paid everybody as much as they brought. He paid them for it, told them to sit down, gave them prasad. It’s like you sell your goods. Then you get the goods given back to you to eat. It’s a good deal, huh? There’s a saying in Bengali. Rad de ki kola becha. Understand? Reshma, you understand? Rad de kela becha. To see the rock, to see the chariot and sell bananas. Understand? Ruth. Ruth’s name is like rock. You see, there was a businessman and he had to sell his bananas. So he thought, let me go and sell my bananas at the rath yatra. That way I can sell my bananas and I can also see rath yatra.

So that’s called rat deki kola vecha. See the rat, sell your bananas. That’s the Vaishnava equivalent of doing two things at one time. Like in English, sometimes they talk about killing birds with stones and stuff, which we are not inclined to kill anything. So instead we say, see the rath and sell your bananas. Now you understand? You know that somebody says he wants to kill birds with stones and tell them, no. Sell bananas at the rath yantra. Bibi likes that. You have rath yatra here. Someone was saying that there’s a huge festival here sometime in the year. And that would be a great time. They have a rath yatra, some big parade or something. They block off the road and all the people gather and this become the Khon carnival. Someone.

Someone asked me to suggest to you that you think of having a wrath in the Closed street At that time when all the people are there, people are in a good mood. So I did my duty. Anybody who came just to check out what’s going on here? Let’s see. They go to the. They’re also given two pots. Everyone got the mercy. What happened to Tananda? Finished. He washed his hands and mouth and then he gave all the Maha Prasad remaining in the four pots. The two by him and the two by Lord Chaitanya. Gave them to Raghunatha. Hareem, Haribo and evil. Amazing, huh? How many like to get the personal Mahaprasad from Lord Nityananda and Lord Chaitanya, Right? So Nithinanda had seven pots. So the other three pots they distributed the rest of the remnants to everybody else.

Then they gave Nityananda a garland, put sandalwood pulp on his body. Then Lord Chintananda started distributing his own flower garland, sandalwood pulp and betel nuts. And then different things. All the devoe. Forgetting the remnants of Lord Nithyanamda Raghunatha took the remnants and then he distributed to his assistance. That’s the description of Lord Nityananda Prabhu’s pastime relation to the celebrated festival of chipped rice and yogurt. It’s called Chira Dahi Muhutzab. Chira means flat rice Daddy is yogurt Muhutsab. After that there was a nice Kiran. Describes the big feed. Raghun Das prayed to Nityananda next day I am the lowest of men, the most sinful, fallen, condemned. Nevertheless I desire to attain shelter. Lotus feet of Sricitanya Mahaprabhu Like a dwarf who wants to catch the moon I have tried my best many times But I have never been successful.

Every time I try to go away and give up my home relationships my father and mother unfortunately kept me bound. No one can attain the shelter of Sri Caitanya Mahabra without your mercy. But if you are merciful, even the lowest of men can attain shelter at his lotus feet. Although I am unfit and greatly afraid to submit this plea I nevertheless request you, sir, to especially be merciful toward me by granting me shelter at the lotus feet of Sri Chaitavya Bah Prabhu. Placing your foot on my head, your feet on my head. Give me the benediction that I may achieve the shelter of R. Caitanya Mahaprabhu without difficulty. I pray for this benediction.

Lordityananda told all of his associates Raghunatha standard of material happiness equal to that of Indra the King of Heaven, because of the mercy bestowed upon him by Sric Caitanya Mahaprabhu Raghunatha, although situated in such material happiness, does not like it at all. Therefore, let every one of you be merciful toward him and give him the benediction that he may be very soon attained as shelter at the lotus feet of R. Caitanya Mahaprabhu. One who experiences the fragrance of the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa does not value even the standard of happiness available in Brahmaloka, the topmost planet. And what to speak of heavenly happiness? Sanityananda called Raghunatha to him, put his lotus feet on his head and his boat. My dear Raghunatha, since you arranged the feast on the bank of the Ganges, Sri Chaitanya Mahabhara came here.

She is to show you his mercy. By his cause this mercy he ate the chipped rice and milk. Then, after seeing the dancing of the devotees at night, he took his supper. Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Gora Hari came here personally to deliver you. Now rest assured that all the impediments meant for your bondage are gone. Caitanya Mahava will accept you and place you under the charge of his secretary Saroop Dhamma Dhar. You will thus become one of the most confidential eternal servants and will attain shelter at the Lord’s feet of Sh Caitanya Mahaprabhu Hareem. Being assured of all this, return to your own home very soon without impediments. You will attain shah at the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Then Raghunatha he took leave. Then secretly after consulting Raghunatha, he left some gold coins in the hand of Nitinanda Prabhu’s treasurer.

He told, don’t speak about this only when I return home. Inform him when he returns home, inform him. Then he also gave a little donation to each of the Mahantas and associates as you think fit. Give 20, 15, 12, 10 or 5 coins to each one of them. Raghun Daski drew up an account of the amount to be given and submitted to Raghava Pandit who then made up a list showing how much money was to be paid to each and every devotee. Then for all the other devotees, he also gave some more gold. So every pizza got between 20 and 5 gold coins. Good donation. Thus I have described the meeting of Raghunatha of Sichitanimabhu. Anyone who hears about this incident attains the lotus feet. He was walking about 45 kilometers a day. It. How are you doing? Yeah. Then you serrate.

You cut on this like on the sides. Like you cut with like. And so look, it looks like a tree. On four sides. On four sides. You just cut about an eighth of an inch next to each other. Like chop into it. So it looks like bark of a tree. You should always peel them. Panihat. The festival is still going on in Panihati. Prabhupada went there. I went there with him twice. Devotees are very. They distribute about 50,000 people prasadam every Panihati festival. There’s a lot of. There’s no advertisement. People just know and they just show up. It’s that type of festival. A lot of kirtan groups. Everybody also distributes according to their might. They bring a little. Some mix and serve to 50 people. Some serve to 10, some certain hundred. It’s the kind of mood just taking and giving.

That same stone is still there. Same tree is still there. We’re Nichinanda Prabhu Saranda. Same Ganges. How many here have gone to Panihati? Not gone. Beautiful place. See the beautiful tree nearby. The house of Raghava Pandit with his deities Ramadan Muhandinis. There. They have a museum of all the things that Raghava Pandit would send with his sister Diamond. All the things they would prepare and send the Jagannath Puri for Lord Chaitan. Different kinds of acharas like mango achar, lemon achar, pickles. She even know how to cook a sweet out of Ganges mud. You gotta be a good cook to make Ganges mud taste goods. Yeah. Never heard any restriction for that. Any questions? Maybe if we get the arranged boats. I’d like to go this year to the Panihati again by boat from Mayapur to the ocean via Panihati.

Prabhupada said we should have a temple at the Panihati place. He liked it so much. He said, right. Build a temple like where Nityananda sat. Build it up like 15ft above, 5 meters above the ground on columns. So people could still go and just have free access to the rock and to that. But then build above that. Like raised up a temple so people go up and see a nice Gornita deities. He said we should have regular motorboat service. Speedboat service from Calcutta to Mayapur. And I should stop at Panihati and take breakfast Flat Royce and special Chiradai Prasad. There’s also a little Krishna. There’s a Balaram and Revati temple just opposite the tree where Prabhupada does. Prabhupada went there. It was a newer temple, not from the time of Lord Chaitanya. But Prabhupada went there. They say that Gandhi went there too.

I heard that when Lord Chaitanya in his times, they didn’t eat much chillies. I don’t know about this. I don’t think there were chilies. I think they say that chilies came from South America or something. In those days they had ginger, black pepper. Now they eat moderate chilies. They still like ginger a lot. I read this one poem where they say I give Krishna bread. In the spiritual world. Is that like kind of like chapatis or. It seems northwest India, they have some type of baking system, but. And Bengal doesn’t seem to be a tradition of baking things. So we don’t. We never see any traditional. The bread they use would be like chapati type bread, As far as I know. Any other questions? Bibi, Ruth, Esther Ingar?

Well, because there is a particular day when it happened, which is in the middle of June in Bengal. So that’s the peak of the mango season. So Prabhupada told the devotees in Australia they could do rath yatra in the month of December, January, because it was the summer for them. Because they said if they did it during the time of Rath Yatra india, it would be the middle of the winter. It would be like.05 degrees. So I think that Prabhupada said that you could do the rath yatra in the southern hemisphere in the summer. Then we can do the Panihati in the mango season here. You can also. You can always invoke this particular pastime because we invoke praying the Lord Nityananda and take his permission that we want to relive that pastime today. Since he likes to take this type of picnic.

He will be very happy. Yeah. What’s your name? Prabhu. I heard the train. Some people came to see then. Then I couldn’t. Oh, mostly nobody could see. Only some were very advance. Some devotees who are very advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they could see because Lord Chaitanya at that time, he was brought by meditation. He’s actually in South India, about thousand miles away, thousand kilometers away. So he was brought spiritually. He wasn’t physically brought there. He was spiritually brought there. So not everybody could see him. Didn’t have airplanes. He could have just flown, you know. He was brought by Nityananda spiritually simultaneously. He’s still walking around in South India. So it’s like wo Chitanya is in two places at one time. So. So not everybody can see that some cause this mercy on advanced devotees.

Like because you are a sincere devotee already hard working and surrendered. You may be able to see Lord Nityananda walking around and taking from everybody’s pots today. But we may not be fortunate enough to see that. Sometimes. Like that sounds special. Like Pratap Rudrama, he could see Lord Chaitan dance in seven places. And Sai Rabo Bhattacharya could see it. But others couldn’t see. Why the Lord gives somebody mercy. I mean that’s his prerogative. Like Pratap Ruddama, he got the mercy because he served Lord Jagannath. He swept so Raghunatha by doing this service, he got mercy. When we do service, that’s how what gives us the kind of blessing to get more service. The more service to do, the more the higher level of service we can get. And if we get some very special personal service, we get some special personal mercy.

Is there some kind of light breakfast for the devotees? Okay, so have another break for breakfast and then you can leave your friend in mind. Tell you where to leave your stuff and then Finish quick to 20 minutes, come back and. Continue. Class will continue in the kitchen. It’s. Cutting vegetables and fruits. Italy, no life. India. We had it in Mauritius, we had it in Middle East. We had it in America. To help them. They’re doing so many years in Atlanta. This year instead of having an auction, they had tenders. So for a month ahead of time people were doing tenders. More tenders are like bits and highness. Bidder against them. So sponsoring different pots. Sometimes they raise. One year they raised US$13,000 and nobody did the 16 pots. And Australia. We don’t actually plant. Then they go around. It. That’s pretty good.