20170502 An Arrival Address

Following is an arrival address given by his holiness Jayapataka Swami Maharaj on May 2nd 2017 in Hong Kong.

Jayapataka Swami Maharaj: We were talking about Lord Caitanya this afternoon. Is there any Gita shlok or something? Krishna says he comes in every yuga. 

(English translator recites the shloka, translation and purport)

Secretary:  Chapter Three

TEXT 20

karmaṇaiva hi saṁsiddhim
āsthitā janakādayaḥ
loka-saṅgraham evāpi
sampaśyan kartum arhasi

Translation

Kings such as Janaka attained perfection solely by performance of prescribed duties. Therefore, just for the sake of educating the people in general, you should perform your work.

( Followed by Chinese translation and purport)

Jayapataka Swami Maharaj: Just like Janaka maharaj did not have to do all the rituals; but he did so to be a good example and to teach others. Similarly Lord Caitanya did not have to follow all the rules & regulations. But he did so to teach others. When he was a teacher, he insisted that all his students perform their brahminical duties before coming to class. He performed worship of his Vishnu deity. He put on his tilak. He did his Gayatri mantra. If some student came to class without tilak, he would ask them to stand up. “It looks like you have not done your morning pooja. Where is your tilak? You have neglected to do your duties. So you can go home, do your brahminical duties, wear your tilak & then come back to study. “For a young student, this was very embarrassing. Lord Caitanya was very strict in this regard. And he was known as Nimai Pandit. He had his classes by the side of Ganges. At that time he was hiding his identity.

When he was 3-4 years old, as a toddler he came to the house of Murari Gupta. May be 2 years old I don’t know. That time Murari Gupta was teaching pranayam and patanjali. Pranayam is considered very basic instruction. It is not suitable for the bhakti yogis. So seeing Murari Gupta giving class on pranayam, he was inwardly upset. He thought what to do. Then he started to mimic Murari Gupta. Murari Gupta was teaching, “You hold your left nose & breathe in through the right and in this way you practice pranayam.” (Gurumaharaj  says it in a singing tone) ( English translator follows the same singing tone while the Chinese translator doesn’t .So Gurumaharaj says you have to translate in the same mood.) ( All laugh )  ( The Chinese translator tries to say it in singing tone, while one more  Chinese devotee does it very nicely , All Laugh and say Haribol) Everybody laughed.  Murari Gupta’s class was being interrupted. So he became very serious ,”Do your pranayam, control your breathing, and fix your mind”. ( Gurumaharaj tells seriously) Little Lord Caitanya said, “do your pranayama, fix your mind.” (Gurumaharaj again tells it in a singing tone, English translator and the Chinese translator follow the same mood. Gurumaharaj claps )( All devotees laugh and clap)  So the class was broken up. Murari Gupta said,” Who is this? This is the son of whom? Why is he disturbing my class? “Little Lord Caitanya said, “I will see you at lunch.” And he walked away, with his ankle bells ringing.

He went back to his house. He put a peacock feather on his head. Put a flute in his belt. He decorated himself just like Lord Krishna. He went to the house of murari gupta. And he called out.” Murariiii guptaaaa.” (Gravely) Murari gupta thought,” Who is this yelling my name in deep grave voice.” He got up. Saw little lord Caitanya at his door way. Lord Caitanya said, “I have disturbed your lunch because you interrupted your bhakti. You are a pure devotee. You should not preach anything other than pure devotion.”  So then he walked away. Murari gupta was scratching his head,” How does a small toddler know all this bhakti? Is this Krishna? He looks just like Krishna. Ankle bells, peacock feather. Only colour is different. Let me go look again”. He went to the house of Jagannath Mishra. And there he saw Jagannath Mishra was hugging this child. He was smelling his hair. Then mother Saci took Nimai on her lap, she was kissing his face,she hugged him. She showered him with motherly affection. Jagannath Mishra took back and he embraced Nimai again with his fatherly affection. Murari Gupta was convinced this is Krishna. He paid his prostrated obeisances. 

Namo Brahmannya Devaaya Go-Braahmanna Hitaaya Ca |
Jagat Hitaaya Krssnnaaya Govindaaya Namo Namah || 

So then Jagannath Mishra saw Murari Gupta and said,” Oh the most famous and richest doctor in Navadwip. What has brought you to this poor brahman’s house?” Murari gupta walked around Jagannath Mishra, Saci mata and their divine son. He grabbed Jagannath Mishra’s hand,” You are the most fortunate man in the whole universe. You son is ….aahhhh mummmyyy I waannnttt millkkk aaahhhhh. (Gurumaharaj says loudly, English and Chinese translator follow the same  tone) Censored. They never heard what Murari Gupta was going to say. Lord Caitanya did not wanted to be revealed who he was. 

So like this a few people could guess who Lord Chaitanya was. But he would reveal himself to Advaita Gosai and only confidential associates could understand. So, Krishna is known as “Tri-yuga”. He comes in the Satya, Treta and Dwapara yuga and proclaims himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But in the Kali yuga, he comes covered up. He does not reveal who he is. Because in Kali yuga there are so many bogus people who proclaim to be God. So, the Lord comes but doesn’t proclaim himself. 

All the holy rivers came to see Krishna  in Dwarka. They pushed Ganga ahead as the spokesperson. And she said, “It appears that your pastimes are coming to an end. So, we want you to take us with you. We don’t want all the sinful people in Kali yuga to bathe in us. We will get overloaded with bad karmas. So, please take us with you.” Lord Krishna smiled.,He said ,”Let the sinful people bathe in you for 5000 years ,then I will send a devotee who will spread  Bhakti Yoga all over world. After 10,000 years (Jayapataka maharaj correcting) 5,000 years there will a golden age of Kali. That age will be 10,000 years long and you will know the people because they will chant the holy name. 

Please chant “HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE, HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE”( All chant together)

After 10,000 years the golden age will come to an end. And then it will become the dark Kali and you can go underground like the Saraswati river. “So it seems that in the Brahma Vaivartha Puran Krishna has predicted the coming of Srila Praphupad. Lord Chaitanya came 4,500 years after the start of Kali yuga and Srila Praphupada came 5,000 years after Kali yuga was started. 

Srila Praphupad went to all the continents of the world. He circled the globe 12 or 14 times. Now, we have to see that Srila Praphupada’s mission is manifested. Bhakti Vinoda Thakur also predicted that someone will come and go very easily from one continent to the next. And then  Srila Praphupada said “May be he is predicting me”. And then he changed the subject. 

So, we need all you devotees to take up Srila Praphupad’s mission very seriously. One feels satisfied by chanting Hare Krishna and following the Bhakti yoga process. So this is something that you can experience. So if you have some noodles, then you can know that your hunger is satisfied, you don’t need someone else to tell you. In Bengal, they eat rice. In China, they eat dumplings and noodles (All laugh). 

So, are there any questions?

Devotee- Hello Gurumaharaj. It is my pleasure to listen to your lectures and this is my first  time to come to Hong Kong temple for ___(43.39). My question is, at the previous time, when I had associated with my friends, I was asked the same question. I can feel Gurumaharaj’s talk is powerful in your heart. I can feel Gurumaharaj’s strong faith in Bhakti yoga and last June I began to practice Bhakti yoga. So my question is how to have  such strong, powerful faith in your heart?

Jayapataka Maharaj  answers - If I have any good qualities, it is by the mercy of my Gurudev. Srila Praphupad was giving me instructions and I was trying to carry those  out and I’m still trying to carry them out. Some are carried out and some are in the process. By practicing Bhakti yoga, by surrenderingunto  a bonafide Guru, you should also develop strength. I thought I should fully absorb myself in Bhakti yoga, if I wanted to know what it’s like. If I don’t try it out how will I know? So, I’m glad to hear that you’re practicing Bhakti yoga. This is a gradual process. Srila Praphupada said it took him 20 years. It may take some people longer. But it’s not very long ,considering  other yogas it may take many many births. So in Bhakti yoga , one can achieve success in one life. Thank you! 

Sometimes, we teach other yogas just to introduce people. But, if we see that they are interested, we teach them Bhakti yoga. Murari Gupta was teaching Bhakti yoga and for some reason he changed and was teaching pranayam . That’s what irritated Lord Chaitanya. 

Are there any other questions? (Gurumaharaj looks around to see if there is someone who wants to ask questions, all laugh)

( He enquires if they have Sri Jagannath stick or Sri Narasimha oil to bless all )

Devotee- If a devotee is doing a service and he gets money for this, is it still a service? Does it  mean its  related to pure devotional service which is described in “Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu” by Rupa Goswami?

Jayapataka Maharaj  answers – If the devotee has an arrangement with the temple and then in the arrangement a certain amount he gives to the temple and a certain amount the devotee keeps for his basic expenses. ( Conch shell blows in the background) That would also be pure devotion. There are other ways that it could be devotional service.

Lord Caitanya as Nimai Pandita was teaching and he took some gifts from his students. So, there is no karma in that. But how this will be devotional service is sanctioned by the Guru. If one is able to teach directly Bhakti yoga and get remuneration that’s ideal. But, many may have to teach other things which  are not  pure Bhakti. So, as a grhastha they are allowed to keep some income. If they are brahmacaris then they have different rules.

I have a stick from Jagannatha Puri which is the toothbrush of Lord Jagannatha.