20080815 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.18

Following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Maharāja on August 15^th, 2008 in Bangalore, India. The class begins with a reading from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto One, Chapter Two, Text Eighteen.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.18

naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu
nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā
bhagavaty uttama-śloke
bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī

Translation: By regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.

Purport: Here is the remedy for eliminating all inauspicious things within the heart, which are considered to be obstacles in the path of self-realization. The remedy is the association of the Bhāgavatas. There are two types of Bhāgavatas, namely the book Bhāgavata and the devotee Bhāgavata. Both the Bhāgavatas are competent remedies, and both of them or either of them can be good enough to eliminate the obstacles. A devotee Bhāgavata is as good as the book Bhāgavata because the devotee Bhāgavata leads his life in terms of the book Bhāgavata and the book Bhāgavata is full of information about the Personality of Godhead and His pure devotees, who are also Bhāgavatas. Bhāgavata book and person are identical.

The devotee Bhāgavata is a direct representative of Bhagavān, the Personality of Godhead. So by pleasing the devotee Bhāgavata one can receive the benefit of the book Bhāgavata. Human reason fails to understand how by serving the devotee Bhāgavata or the book Bhāgavata one gets gradual promotion on the path of devotion. But actually these are facts explained by Śrīla Nāradadeva, who happened to be a maidservant’s son in his previous life. The maidservant was engaged in the menial service of the sages, and thus he also came into contact with them. And simply by associating with them and accepting the remnants of foodstuff left by the sages, the son of the maidservant got the chance to become the great devotee and personality Śrīla Nāradadeva. These are the miraculous effects of the association of Bhāgavatas. And to understand these effects practically, it should be noted that by such sincere association of the Bhāgavatas one is sure to receive transcendental knowledge very easily, with the result that he becomes fixed in the devotional service of the Lord. The more progress is made in devotional service under the guidance of the Bhāgavatas, the more one becomes fixed in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. The messages of the book Bhāgavata, therefore, have to be received from the devotee Bhāgavata, and the combination of these two Bhāgavatas will help the neophyte devotee to make progress on and on.

* * *

Jayapatākā Swami: This is the Independence Day of India, and this is the 522^nd year of our beloved Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And we are to the southern side of the Gaṅgā and the southwest and the north side of the Kāvērī. And today is Balarāma Jayantī (tomorrow), today is Jhulana-yātrā festival going on. And here we have many assembled devotees who are candidates for getting independence from the conditional life.

So, when it says bhāgavata-sevayā, it means two things: what are the two things? Serving the book Bhāgavata and serving the devotee Bhāgavata. Bhagavān is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Those things connected to Him, representing Him, are Bhāgavatas. So, by doing the daily service, we get all the dirt cleansed from our heart. All the abhadras, all the unnecessary things which are blocking our spiritual progress, they get cleansed away.

Once Lord Caitanya, when He was traveling from Jagannātha Purī, He stopped at a place called Varāha-nagara in West Bengal, not far from Dakṣiṇeśvara, the famous Kālī temple and Rādhākānta temple. And there, He heard one devotee giving the Bhāgavatam class. He appreciated his Bhāgavatam class so much. He gave him the instruction: “You simply every day give Bhāgavata class. That is your service, and I am giving you that title – Bhāgavata Ācārya.” You are the ācārya for giving Bhāgavata class.

We have nāma-ācārya, who is called nāma-ācārya? So, there is also one bhagavata-ācārya. This Bhāgavatam is so important. People come and regularly hear the Bhāgavatam. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā [ŚB 1.2.18] — every day we serve the Bhāgavatam book by hearing the class, by reading. Maybe now some of the devotees are not able to come every day to hear Bhāgavatam class because they have to work early. But of course, it used to be tape recorders. Now people use iPod and whatever you call them, you can hook up, listen to the Bhāgavatam every day while you are traveling to work. Somehow or another, if we hear the Bhāgavatam every day, that helps to realign our consciousness.

Normally, we are aligned in such a way — we think that the goal of life is sense gratification and that will somehow make us happy. Sense gratification gives some immediate happiness. But later, it also turns into frustration, anxieties, and suffering, śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dā āgamāpāyino ‘nityās [Bg. 2.14] — just like we are going through the changing of the... now it has become the monsoon season, then it will become the fall season, then it will become the winter season. The seasons are coming one after another. Maybe not exactly in the same order. Because of global warming, there are some aberrations. But generally, there are these changes of seasons.

Right now, in South America, I saw yesterday on the news, it was fourteen degrees in Santiago, Chile. Well, in Beijing it is like thirty something. Bangalore does not come in the global news yet. Maybe in the future — only in Indian news. But so, one place it is the end of summer. August is the end of summer. And then here, and then in South America, September–October becomes a spring. Now it is winter. Every place in the world has its own cycle. If you are on the equator, then the sun goes north, the sun goes south. So sometimes you are in summer. You only have two things — summer and spring. Summer and spring — it never gets colder on the sea level.

So, like this, there are so many different changes. If we try to get sense gratification, we will get some happiness, we will get some suffering — it is guaranteed. Whereas in spiritual life, it is always blissful serving Kṛṣṇa. So, we need to hear the Bhāgavatam. Serve the Bhāgavatam every day. So, we remember that the real purpose of life is to serve Kṛṣṇa.

I was recently in Berlin, Germany for the Ratha-yātrā festival. And they asked me to give a class on Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So here in India, there are some different movements going on — Art of Living. So, I gave a class on the art of being happy… art of happiness. Art of happiness is chanting –

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare,

And engaging in devotional service. When we make Kṛṣṇa happy, we become happy. This is the secret. Making our senses happy, we will be happy, we will be also suffering. Senses mean they give us both these problems — temporary happiness, temporary suffering. But chanting the holy name, serving Kṛṣṇa, and bhakti-yoga — we get eternal happiness. How many want eternal happiness? Very good. We are so much addicted to temporary happiness. How many like temporary suffering? You like permanent suffering? You know what? Fortunately, there is no such thing as a permanent suffering. But being in this material world itself is like a permanent suffering. Once in a while we feel a little happiness. And then usually it is suffering.

There are the different stages — hankering. We want something. So that is also a kind of suffering. Because we are filled with hope and desire. We want something — it is a kind of anxiety. Then there is hankering. Then fearing. If we get what we want, then we fear losing it. Somebody just gave me a Rolex watch. Some very wealthy person wanted to give something. I have been avoiding. Immediately — anxiety. Too expensive. I will lose it. What will people think? You know? So, you get something, then also anxiety. Some places in South America, people — the taxi drivers — are wearing their watch by the taxi. So, thieves will come up and grab their watch. And they know how to rip it off and run. So, what the taxi driver will do? Leave his taxi. So, then taxi drivers got smart. They put the watch on the other hand. So that way, they cannot reach. So, then the thieves got more smart. They come with a knitting-needle — big knitting-needle or hairpin. They go and jab it in the arm of the taxi driver. Rip off his watch. So, then nobody was in there to stop wearing watches. Too dangerous.

And someone from that country told me, “You come from India, that is such a poor country.” I said, “They do not rip off watches so far you know.” (laughter) Very rarely... India now sending up satellites. But so much propaganda. And that is another topic, but they only see the very starving people. But like that they have in all the countries some hungry people. So anyway, like this we are trying to enjoy in life. We have loved ones. Sometimes we fall sick and are put in anxiety. Sometimes we lose our near and dear one. Then it goes into lamentation. We lose some beloved person. Then we are lamenting.

Or we lose something that was dear to us — someone steals our bicycle or something then we are lamenting. “Oh, that was a good bicycle. I spent three thousand rupees four years international style.” So, we go through these phases — hankering, fearing and lamentation. Have any of you ever been in any of those phases? (laughter) So many people donating me my mobile phones just know you can do bhagavata-sevayā later. So, the mobile phone now. So, this hearing the Bhāgavatam helps us to understand things as they are. And also, to get some spiritual appreciation about Kṛṣṇa and His devotees. How they are so wonderful. The other service that we serve the devotees, the Bhāgavatas. Bhāgavata and Bhagavān. Bhagavān and Bhāgavata. Connected with Bhagavān is Bhāgavata. So that is also the devotees, the pure devotees. When we serve the devotees, that is also very pleasing to Kṛṣṇa.

Recently, I was traveling someplace. They were talking about Ambarīṣa Mahārāja and Durvāsā Muni. Durvāsā Muni is a great mystic. He can travel in outer space. But he is famous for doing one thing especially. What is that? Cursing. So, people are a bit afraid of him. If they do the wrong thing, he may curse them. So, then he made a mistake. He cursed Ambarīṣa to die because he drank some water just to break his fast before Durvāsā came. Durvāsā, the exact moment came, cursed him, created some demon. The demon will kill him. Sudarśana cakra came. The demon ran and the Sudarśana cakra went. After Durvāsā Muni went to the Satyaloka as protection from Brahmā. He said, “I have no power to protect you from the weapon of Viṣṇu.” He went to Kailāśa as protection from Śiva. Śiva said, “I do not have any defence against the Sudarśana cakra.”

Then he went to Viṣṇu, traveling by the speed of mind. It took him one year to get to Viṣṇuloka. He is such a great ṛṣi could actually go and talk to Viṣṇu. Not something very ordinary, very special. So, he told Viṣṇu, “Praised be You. You are very soft-hearted. You are Patitā-pāvana, You are Dīna-bandhu and I am suffering so much. Your Sudarśana cakra is chasing me all over the universe. So, please with Your soft heart, save me from Your weapon.” But Viṣṇu said, “You see, My devotees have completely given themselves to Me. So, as a result, I have given My heart to My devotees. I have given Myself to My devotees. Now I do not own Myself. I belong to My devotees. So, I am sorry I am not able to help you because I do not have any independence anymore.” So, Durvāsā Muni was bewildered. What to do? “No, but You have a soft heart. You can please save me.” “Well, people say I have a soft heart. But I have given My heart also to My devotee. So, You want a soft heart. Then You have to go to Ambarīṣa because he has it. You have to ask him to forgive You. Then You will be freed from the Sudarśana cakra.” And so many things. Here there is a whole chapter. All the glories of the Bhāgavatas of Viṣṇu said how they are... because of their service, because of their surrender, they have purchased Me. Even He says, “The devotee of My devotee is also so dear to Me.” So, we are trying... Śrīla Prabhupāda was a pure devotee. We are trying to be the devotee of the devotee — dāsa-anudāsa, to get the mercy of Kṛṣṇa.

So finally, Durvāsā Ṛṣi flew back and fell down, said, “I misestimated You. I underestimated You. Now I realize how great the Bhāgavatas are.” Some yogīs, some jñānīs, some Māyāvādīs — their understanding of what these devotees are sentimentalists. They do not realize how they have got the heart of the Supreme Personality of Godhead because of their surrender and devotion and there is one of our bhajanas. In one verse it says: ohe! vaiṣṇava ṭhākura, dayāra sāgara, e dāse karuṇā kari’; and there is one verse that says, kṛṣṇa se tomāra, kṛṣṇa dite pāro, tomāra śakti āche, “Kṛṣṇa is yours, you have Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is yours, you can give Kṛṣṇa, this power you have.” So, we are praying to the Vaiṣṇava, “Please give us Kṛṣṇa.” How many of you want Kṛṣṇa? Right, so we have to pray to Śrīla Prabhupāda, pray to the Vaiṣṇavas to get Kṛṣṇa. This is the secret.

Once, Bhakti Tīrtha Mahārāja, at the time, he was known as Ghanaśyāma, he was... during the Soviet period in the 1970s, being sent to do the Library Program preaching. So Śrīla Prabhupāda called all the sannyāsīs and members of the Governing Body Commission, and senior devotees, and said, “I want you all to give blessings and prayers to Ghanaśyāma Prabhu.” We said, “Śrīla Prabhupāda, when you are there, you are the pure devotee — then what is the need of us? Who are we? We are insects, flies, very insignificant.” “No, you are also devotees. Kṛṣṇa will listen to His devotees. I want to see he gets maximum blessings.” So, we all, by Śrīla Prabhupāda’s order, we all had to pray and blessed Ghanaśyāma. He distributed so many books. Now of course, there is no more Soviet Union, and now there is Russia. They have freedom of religion there.

Recently, Prema Padminī Devī Dāsī — she was preaching there in Siberia and other places. What was your impression? How is the scope in Russia for preaching? Great potential. How about Bangalore? So anyway, the Soviet Union was somehow dissolved. Śrīla Prabhupāda predicted in twenty years it would be gone. Sure enough. Was it 1991? 1993, it was disbanded, etc. So now they have freedom of religion. I have a one‑year multiple religious visas for Russia. And there it says the Society of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is recognized as a bona fide religion, they can give religious visas. Before, we had to go in suit and pants, in some hidden way. Now we are going as devotees, religious visas. So like this, Bhāgavatas are blessing the other devotees.

There was also this, Lord Caitanya used to go out and do the Harināma. In the Prema‑vivarta by Jagadānanda Paṇḍita, it mentions that He went to... He was doing Harināma in Madhyadvīpa, and one cowherd boy came up to Him and said, “My dear brother, my mother, who is your auntie, wants you to come home and take some milk sweets.” So, Lord Caitanya said, “You are a cowherd boy, I am a brāhmaṇa, how are we brothers?” “My mother was serving Śacīmātā, and she said that, “You are my younger sister.” So, Śacīmātā and my mother are sisters that means we are cousin brothers. So please come home.” I think it was Mālinī was her name, something like that... Malatī, Mālinī.

As they were going to the house, they went by a tank, a lake. There the cows were (sounds of mimicking the cow’s mooing). So, why were they mooing like that? There was a crocodile in the tank, and they were afraid. They did not know where the crocodile was. If they drink water, he may leap out and grab them and eat them. So, they were waiting to see where he gets up. Lord Caitanya told His party to do kīrtana,

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

The crocodile rose up in the middle of the lake, started swimming towards the kīrtana party, climbed up the bank of the lake, ran to Lord Caitanya and jumped, touched His lotus feet, and turned into a celestial boy, a deva-kumāra. That was a unique thing that happened in Harināma. Has that ever happened to you on your kīrtana?

There was once a kīrtana held in Santiago de Chile, and there was a dog who was barking during the kīrtana. So, the kīrtana leader had the people move, and then the dog came, and the dog jumped up on the hind legs, was jumping up and down. And then the dog fell-down and paid prostrate obeisances to the kīrtana leader. Have you ever had that happen? Then, the police said, “Stop kīrtana.” They went to the Supreme Court. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) was banned in Santiago under the dictator Pinochet. But there is freedom of religion in the constitution. So, although ISKCON was banned, the Supreme Court decided that anybody can practice their religion. The organization may be banned, but the religion can be practiced. So, with Supreme Court order, we did Harināma. Now the dictator has been thrown out, and ISKCON is registered.

But I was just recently doing kīrtana in Freiburg, Germany, Harināma. I had my whompers. There was a loudspeaker and so many people walking by. One lady came by with a baby in her trolley, what do you call the baby carriage? Called the tram or perambulator, tough word. Anyway, as soon as the baby heard the Harināma, just a little baby, like maybe cannot walk yet or maybe just barely walking, one year or something, the baby raised her hands and started going like this. Then the mother was so surprised, she turned the perambulator to face the kīrtana. And the baby, for like half an hour, was going like this. Must have been our devotee in the previous life, huh? Have you ever seen that? A baby just spontaneously going like that when the kīrtana is going on?

So, like that, surprising things happen sometimes in Harināma. There, that Freiburg means ‘free city.’ So there it is open. You can sing and dance in the downtown, no? But as we were leaving, the police came up. They said, “You are using these whompers. These are too big, making too much noise. No amplification. Sing and dance, but not so loud.” Anyways, I had already finished so…

So, even in Germany they let you do kīrtana but it should not be loud. So, they said, “Where is your permit?” I was doing Harināma in Montreal, Canada in 1968, and I got arrested. A whole party was arrested for disturbing the peace. They put us in jail. And I knew that police chief. So I phoned him up, somehow, I got in contact. And then he had us released but for about eight hours, twelve hours, we were there. Made us take off our neck beads and deposit our beads. So, sometimes we had to go through so many difficulties.

There is a High Court of Calcutta. They decided... Always in Calcutta—there is this, what do they call it? There is some section 104 or something—section 144. Section 144 means around the Writers’ Building, you cannot chant or make any noise. We said, “It is not noise, to sing the holy names is our right as Indians. We have a constitutional right to praise God.” So that justice of the High Court justice at that time was Bhagavatī Bandyopādhyāya (Banerjee)—she signed the order that nobody can stop the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. You should get a copy of that. Show that. Otherwise get her permission. What is the big deal? Get her permission to do Harināma. They do not give permission? Then take it to court. Give some more work to our legal office, fighting for the right causes.

So, like this, Lord Caitanya asked this boy, “Who are you?” He said, “I am a resident of Indraloka. There I am five years old. I was playing in the forest, and I came across a ṛṣi, a yogī, lying down. He had big matted hair.” What do you call that, jaṭā? “So to play a joke on him, I cut off his hair. I did not know it was Durvāsā Muni. Or who is Durvāsā Muni?

When he sat up, his head was very light. He saw his hair. He said, “Who cut my hair? Who is expert at cutting – a crocodile, so I curse him to be a crocodile.” Then I said, “Oh no. I do not want to be a crocodile.” I went out. I fell at his feet, “Please have Your mercy on me. Forgive me. I was just playing around. I am just a child. I did not mean anything, any harm. I do not want to become a crocodile. Please take back Your curse.” Problem with curses, they are not retractable. You can give some escape-the-curse, but you cannot retract them. So, then he gave an escape-the-curse that be a crocodile in Navadvīpa dhāma. And when Lord Caitanya appears, you can touch His feet. He will be freed from the curse.

“So please, You freed me from the curse. I want to be Your eternal devotee. I want to serve eternally, circumambulated four times, three to four times. Then in a heavenly airplane, the parents came, grabbed their son by the ear, “What are you doing? Always getting in trouble.” Misbehaving children are like what they used to be. Ever heard that? Then took him in the airplane, went back to Indraloka. Then Lord Caitanya went with His kīrtana party to the house of Mālinī and they had prasāda - rasagullā, sandsśa, cham-cham, khīra-kadamba, barfī. They say sandeśa like that. So many rābḍī, miṣṭi-dahi, milk sweets. She is a cowherd lady, so she was very expert at milk sweets. Bengal is an expert at milk sweets. Even here they have, right? K.C. Das. North India is expert at grain sweets. Only milk sweet is rābḍī-peḍā mainly, right? But laḍḍus here also, Jagannātha... here more grain sweets. Only the pāyasam they put milk — pāl-pāyasam. So every part of India has different sweets. Bengal is famous for the milk sweets. So, they had milk sweets. And then like that.

So, that was one day in the saṅkīrtana party of Lord Caitanya. So Durvāsā Muni — he is a great yogī. He can fly to the Viṣṇuloka. But he was not a Bhāgavata. He was a mystic yogī. Ambarīṣa was a king. A very humble devotee. He was mahā-bhāgavata, so much so that Durvāsā had to come down and beg him forgiveness. Now many people like to be yogīs and get mystic powers. But it is much greater to have the heart of Viṣṇu, have the heart of Kṛṣṇa. We should be very careful to avoid the aparādhas against the Vaiṣṇavas,

yadi vaiṣṇava-aparādha uṭhe hātī mātā
upāḍe vā chiṇḍe, tāra śukhi’ yāya pātā
[Cc. Madhya 19.156]

You commit an offence to the Vaiṣṇava, that is the mad‑elephant offence. It is like if a wild elephant goes into your garden and pulls out the trees, throws them down, stomps on them. The leaves may stay green for some hours a day. But then they will dry up and finish. That is what will happen to your devotional creeper by committing vaiṣṇava-aparādha. So, how many of you want to avoid vaiṣṇava-aparādha? So, here this verse is saying, Vaiṣṇava-sevā - best way you do sevā to the Vaiṣṇavas, then you learn to respect them.

Once somebody asked Śrīla Prabhupāda, “How is it that we avoid... we may knowingly or unknowingly commit some offence.” Then he said that every morning, after the Bhāgavatam class, after the maṅgala-ārati, we chant prayers to the Vaiṣṇavas — that we forgive them if any offences and they forgive us,

vāñchā-kalpa-tarubhyas ca
kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca
patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo
vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

How many of you have been to the Navadvīpa-maṇḍala parikramā? Now every year there are fifty devotees coming from Dubai for the parikramā; four hundred devotees from Delhi, Mumbai, Western India – Hindi group. Now we have to translate into Hindi and Russian, two big groups, plus for the international party. So, there is one place we go to in Koladvīpa. Koladvīpa was known in the time of Lord Caitanya is Kuliyapāṭha on the other side of the Gaṅgā), and one of the names is called aparādha-bhañjana-kuliyāpaṭa. (someone’s phone rings) mobile phone aparādha (laughter) — put it on silent or off mode so that you get forgiven. (laughter) For the Vaiṣṇava aparādhas, in Kuliyāpāṭha, Devānanda Paṇḍita got forgiven, Jagāi and Mādhāi, this Kuliyāpāṭha in Koladvīpa is aparādha-bhañjana, bhañjana means to wipe out the aparādhas — clear away the aparādhas. That is another way to get when you go to Koladvīpa, you can pray. We have all the devotees pray that they forgive all the other Vaiṣṇavas and that they will be forgiven for offences.

So, like this you can get forgiven easier in Kuliyapāṭha, aparādha-bhañjana-kulīnapāṭha. Otherwise, we have to constantly chant,

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

As we progress in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness… Śrīla Prabhupāda said, the more progress is made in devotional service under the guidance of the Bhāgavatas, the more one becomes fixed in the trance and loving service of the Lord. The messages of the book Bhāgavata therefore have to be received from the devotee Bhāgavata, and the combination of these two Bhāgavatas will help the neophyte devotee to make progress on and on. This is a simple way for us to progress.

We heard some of the devotees are having Bhagavad‑gītā class or Bhāgavatam class at the workplaces during the lunch break with permission of the superiors. It is a good program. And the other special thing is that people have a special spiritually inclined nature. Now the Westernization is polluting that, but it is in the blood. So, the more that if they have little contact with the Bhāgavatas, then their inclination for sense gratification, for materialism, will become purified. They will want to do things for Kṛṣṇa. We can do things — material things. We can have development but side by side we should have our spiritual life. Otherwise, the human life is a waste. All over the city they have these big signboards for some newspaper. Something like “I believe in Bangalore, the spiritual home of fashion in India” and so many things, it is been going around. But Bangalore also is known to be spiritual. The South India is known to be very spiritual. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī said, “If I had to take birth again. I want to be born in South India.” So let us not lose our spiritual heritage.

Last year we went to, no actually this year we went actually in January to Madikeri, which is by the origin of the Kāvērī, that time I was told that there was a big drought. So, they asked us to chant then there was so much rain, so like this. But there are so many holy rivers, in the Bhāgavatam, it says those people born by Kāvērī, Tuṅgabhadrā, Godāvarī and all these different rivers, all these are very... the devotees of Viṣṇu. So along with side by side with our development, keep the spiritual side alive. Śrīla Prabhupāda was saying how we need to have both the material, and the spiritual should be in harmony. Thank all of you for coming here on Independence Day. Many people are probably sleeping in. Some people are watching the Olympics or something. You came here for real spiritual independence. May Kṛṣṇa bless all of you to advance very steadily and quickly in your devotional service. And all become Bhāgavatas, mahā-bhāgavata. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Any questions? Comments?

Somebody asked me that question. You see, this is a step by step. Seventeen, for instance, says if you have an urge to hear His messages of Viṣṇu, then He cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee. Then this one said, regular attendance in the classes of the Bhāgavatam and rendering service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental song, is established as an irrevocable fact just by hearing the Bhāgavatam, serving the Bhāgavatam.

The next verse said, as soon by hearing Bhāgavatam, you get this irrevocable desire to serve the Lord, when that is established in the heart, then the effect of nature is modes of passion, ignorance, such as lust, desire, hankering, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, he becomes completely happy. That is established in the mode of unalloyed goodness. The man whose mind has been enlivened by contact with devotional service gains scientific, positive, scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead in the stage of liberation from all material association. Okay, and now He is liberated. Thus, the knot in the heart is pierced, all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions is terminated. One sees the self as master. Certainly. Therefore, since time immemorial, all transcendentalists have been rendering devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality He is. It is great delight because such devotional service is enlivening to the self.

So, like that, first hearing the Bhāgavatam, you get almost everything is clear, but then little bits left, okay but then also devotional service is that when that is irrevocably established in the heart, passion, ignorance and all these other problems like lust, desire, hankering — they disappear. One gets situated in goodness. When you are in unalloyed goodness, you become enlivened with devotional service. You get scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead. Then the knot in the heart is pierced. All misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions is terminated. One sees the self as master. So, Bhāgavatam class — that is the major gross cleaning but then there are these other steps that come after irrevocable devotion and transcendental knowledge, cutting the knot of the heart. So, then that finishes off whatever is left. It is a chain reaction like nuclear reactor, this is a bhakti reactor.

You hear the what? So just come in here. Do not have to do anything. Just come and listen to the Bhāgavatam class. When they do that, pretty soon they will do everything on their own because of this magical power, one thing will lead to the next. You hear enough about Kṛṣṇa from the Bhāgavatam and associate with the devotees. Then they get this irrevocable desire to serve Kṛṣṇa in their heart. When that happens, then all the tamas and rajas is cleaned out — whatever was left. See now how it works. This is the second step – hearing the Bhāgavatam. What is your name? Śyāmasundara Harināma-saṅkīrtana dāsa. Any other questions from ladies?

Question: I just wanted to know. Sometimes we see devotees committing offenses against very senior devotees. So, when we see them doing that, is it offensive on our part to think bad about them?

Jayapatākā Swami: Well, we can think that. I do not want to do that. I do not want to repeat the same mistake. Even if you ask a senior devotee a question, it is not considered an offense. So, “I look up to you as a very senior devotee, but I saw you apparently behaving with another one in an offensive way. I just want you to instruct me, is this bona fide? Should, am I, be able to do that. No danger?” If you ask some question, it is not offensive. You can also ask or if you just know that it is not right. Sometimes I get senior devotees, they have been around for a long time, they lose the taste. I have people who question me, “I lost my taste. I chant, I serve. I do not feel any happiness from it.” That is a result of committing too many offenses. When we do not have any taste, then we become more open to the attacks of māyā. We have less defence. Our defence is we feel always spiritually blissful and happy in Kṛṣṇa’s service but if we are committing offense, we lose the taste, things start to get dried and material attractions may increase. Very dangerous. So yes. We also learn from others — from people’s mistakes or people’s good example, bad example. What do you think? Maybe they have a reason. Maybe that is not an offense. You can ask them. But if you are quite sure that it is an improper example, then you can just say, “Okay. I never want to act like that. I learn from others’ mistakes also.” Yes sir. What is your name? Manoj. Manoj Ravi. Only Ravi. Ravi like the sun. Good morning, sunshine, Ravi.

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja. Yesterday one of my relatives — I mean my cousin — died yesterday morning. Can we offer to Lord Kṛṣṇa the bhoga, or can we chant, or can we read Bhāgavad-gītā? Otherwise, we are proving for our family. We are doing the nine‑day or eleven‑day pūjā but I am not allowing that thing in spiritual life. We can perform pūjā or offer anything?

Jayapatākā Swami: No, we are not against śrāddha and all these ceremonies. So, at that time, anyway, we are offering prasāda of Viṣṇu to that deceased soul, to the departed soul. Souls do not decease, but they depart the body; body is deceased. We can offer prayers and offer the results, feed the Vaiṣṇavas and offer the results. We do all these things for the blessing of the departed soul. In fact, in the Bhāgavatam somewhere it mentions that a descendant or a relative — like a son — who does this type of pūjās, they are called the suputra or suputrī (daughter) because they are doing something for their blessing, but we should do it in a Vaiṣṇava way.

On the śrāddha day, it should be pure vegetarian, viṣṇu-prasāda — no onion, no garlic, no non‑veg. Everything should be done in the proper way. Some people say, “Oh, our deceased relative, he loved to eat chicken.” So let us offer him some chicken. We are sending him a curse, so he goes more deeply in hell. Offer him vegetarian, kṛṣṇa-prasāda so he gets freed from all the bad karmas he did, that is the purpose of śrāddha. Nothing wrong with that. We also do that. Of course, the sannyāsīs do not have to do. But otherwise, the gṛhasthas, they can do.

Lord Caitanya Himself offered pindī at Gayā. When He offered piṇḍī doing the abhiṣeka to the Viṣṇupāda and offering the bhoga to the Viṣṇupāda. And then offering the prasāda to His father who had departed. Then He felt love of Kṛṣṇa awaken in His heart. These are all devotional services. We are just offering the result to this departed soul. So, it is good for them. You can also of course read Bhāgavatam. You can do more things. Offer the result of the Bhāgavatam. Have a Bhāgavatam class and feed everyone prasāda at the end. Offer the results. (Aside: The devotee asks if we can chant japa and offer bhoga during this period) No, we do our japa, we offer our prasāda but sometimes we do not go to the public temple. That is mainly because some people, they are lamenting. So, they come into the temple, and they are lamenting, and they are in material consciousness. So that is why periods longer for the śūdras and less for the brāhmaṇas. Because brāhmaṇa is supposed to be more spiritual.

The head priest of the Guruvāyūr temple, if a relative dies in his family, then he would have to stop the pūjā for so many days. So, their system is not to tell him. He is isolated. I was told like this by Nanda-putra, who is a Nambudari Pāra; also his uncle was head priest. He worshipped in Guruvāyūr. “They do not tell him”, because if he hears, then he has to stop the pūjā. If he does not know, then no lamentation. They tell him after his pūjā is over after his six-month period is over. (Aside: the devotee further inquiries about the Deity worship and other rituals) Yeah, daily in your house you can do, in fact, who worships? Who worships the deities for ten days? But someone should worship them that day. Everybody starts, sisters or some distant relatives can worship, and they can cook in the house and generally it will come. As I said these are different family traditions. So, whatever your family tradition, if it is all Vaiṣṇava, you can follow it, but the problem is that, like in the West, sometimes they only have one pujārī. We are ninety percent emergency. (laughter)

Question: Many times, we come across the advertisements, posters over here in bhāgavata-saptāḥ by so-called devotees who look like devotees, big, big śikhā, tilaka, even the encounters in Vṛndāvana, other places, even TV like āsthā channels. Is it something to hear or should we just ignore? Is there any wrong if you ignore them? Because they also speak Bhāgavatam but they do not come in the four sampradāya. Why should we do the cases?

Jayapatākā Swami: So not coming in the four sampradāyas. Why we want to listen to them? It says mantras and things not gotten from the four sampradāyas is niṣphala. Apart from that, we do not want to hear from the professional Bhāgavatam speakers. There are these professional Bhāgavatam speakers who are just doing it for money, then that also is not spiritually beneficial. It is an offence to go and at the same time, like also have this. They call gītā-jñāna-yajñas and things like that. Where these Māyāvādīs, they speak on Gītā or Bhāgavatam. I was once watching in a Janmāṣṭamī festival in Patna, Bihar. They had some professional drama troupe who performed the Mīrābāī drama. And the whole drama was very devotional. Mīrābāī worshipping Kṛṣṇa and being fed poison and saved and all these things. At the very end, the last act, then it said Mīrābāī, she finally achieved Kṛṣṇa and it showed like a silhouette of Mīrābāī hugging Kṛṣṇa, then it showed some kind of sparkling light and she merged, spoiled the whole thing!

avaiṣṇava‑mukhodgīrṇaṁ
pūtaṁ hari‑kathāmṛtam
śravaṇaṁ naiva kartavyam
sarpocchistaṁ yathā payaḥ
[Hari‑bhakti-vilāsa]

Just like you do not take milk touched by the lips of a serpent, you should not hear even the teachings about hari-kathāmṛtam, because hari-kathā is amṛta but you hear from them, it is like taking milk touched by a serpent. Your bhakti will be destroyed. There is something that at the end all the bhakti and everything they are talking, then you merge, and you become one with God. This is how they will put something. These Advaita-vādīs, they spoil the whole thing. Bhakta Hanumān never accepted liberation, no bhaktas accept the sāyujya-mokṣa merging. They all want to be eternally serving the Lord, but they (these Advaita-vādīs) will always at the end somehow merge or becoming God or something like that. So very dangerous. They will talk so much nectar, and all the people will be like, “Oh, nice, beautiful! Ah! Bhakti! Bhakti!”, then at the end — sarva-nāśa.

Devotee: Guru Mahārāja, one more small question.

Jayapatākā Swami: How small?

Question: Guru Mahārāja, we find that sooner or later in most of our lives we come. We find we just mentioning about reading Bhāgavatam. Sometimes we are very much on a fast track. And very soon urge to read Bhāgavatam also is not as severe as it used to be earlier you, please throw some light on that, as to why such things happen? Like I personally feel that up to the Tenth canto of Bhāgavatam I could progress very fast. And it is after that, in spite of the deep desire being there, I do not progress so fast. So probably I would like to—

Jayapatākā Swami: You did not read the 10^th Canto yet?

Devotee: I finished 10^th Canto.

Jayapatākā Swami: 11^th Canto?

Devotee: 11^th Canto also I have been reading, but it is not as severe and as intense as it used to be earlier.

Jayapatākā Swami: Twelfth Canto?

Devotee: Yes, up to the Tenth Canto, it was very fast but then…

Jayapatākā Swami: Subsequently, Eleventh and Eighth, they have very long purports (laughter) and they shortened them in Twelfth, I told Hṛdayānanda Mahārāja to keep the purports shorter. He is putting in all the ṭīkās from all the ācāryas. We have to get through the Eleventh and get up to the Twelfth. Okay, thank you all very much. Last question.

Devotee: (not clear)

Jayapatākā Swami: How do you just come up with it in the class? I know, but how did it come up? Usually, the questions are according to the… that is what I am saying. According to the... If somebody is in pure devotional service, then it is... Usually the smārtas, they follow this very strictly and generally the Vaiṣṇavas would do but if one is in full devotional service, there is some emergency and there is no one else, then we consider that our devotional service is more important. But like this, if you have joint family and you have other people, you can arrange it. That is generally how we do. But I am not so much because here in South India everyone has so many family traditions. You are doing but I am coming with zero family traditions, negative family traditions. (laughter) So, whatever I am picked up, I do not know Bengal, where I lived for so many years, how strictly they follow all these things. Whatever I heard from Prabhupāda, I just think that when in ISKCON, if they do that, I consider that the devotional service is more important. But like they said, then we are not having the class on this and then you found one quote someone should research and do a whole study on it – what are all the things that Prabhupāda said, what are the exceptions? Just like generally when a wife is. When a woman is in her, you know, monthly, she does not do any, does not touch anything, does not do any pūjās but sometimes in the emergency situation, even Prabhupāda allowed her when there is no... because here there is no other support from family members, other people here they can do that thing. She can have a relief for a few days. But in the West, there is nothing like that. So, there is some for all these things that what the tradition is and what we do. Nuclear families. Before there was joint families. Somebody gets sick off time someone else in cover. What you do when you are living in some apartment, you are separated, no family members. So, there is different circumstances.

So, accordingly, Prabhupāda had given some instructions about the priorities. But in principle, there is nothing wrong with doing it but if there is some emergency, then the devotees can do their devotional service. Also, because a pure Vaiṣṇava, they should be more transcendently fixed. So, they should not feel so much any lamentation because the soul left the body. We know that soul is eternal, souls will continue living on. But you are going into like some detailed thing, which I did not do. It is not on the class, it is not. I did not do whole research on it. Maybe some paṇḍita like Mahāsundara Prabhu can research. He has a family tradition. A group of people can see. When are the exceptions? What is considered an emergency? When not. But what you said, that overriding principle, that the pure Vaiṣṇava - service in our tradition could take precedent, under normal circumstances, if you have a whole family support, then no problem.