20200310 Happiness of The Lord and Glories of Devotional Service (Part 1)

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

So first I would like to thank the Chinese devotees, headed by Līlā Gopi dd for their sponsoring 417 Bhagavad-gītās. Also 50 youth have come from Kolkata! We welcome them and also the Chinese devotees who could not be here, let us chant Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare!

We will first have Caitanya līlā reading, then questions by the Kolkata youth group, they have various questions, they will have priority.

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Chapter entitled as Happiness of The Lord and Glories of Devotional Service

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 8.186

prabhura ānande bhāgavatagaṇera galāgali premakrandana—

prabhura ānanda dekhi' bhāgavata-gaṇa
anyonye galā dhari' karaye krandana

Translation: On seeing the Lord's ecstasy, the devotees wept as they embraced each others' necks.

Jayapatākā Swami: Seeing the ecstatic love, loving symptoms of the Lord, all the devotees present began to cry as they embraced each others’ neck.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 8.187

sabāra aṅgete śobhe śrī-candana-mālā
ānande gāyena kṛṣṇa-rase hai bholā

Translation: Sandalwood pulp and flower garlands decorated everyone’s body as they happily sang overwhelmed in the mellow of Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: In Śrīvāsa-aṅgana or garden, everyone was dancing, wearing candana garlands around their necks. They were in great ecstasy chanting in the mellow of Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, they were overwhelmed.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 8.188

mṛdaṅga-mandirā bāje śaṅkha-karatāla
saṅkīrtana-saṅge saba haila miśāla

Translation: The sound of mṛdaṅgas, whompers, conches, and karatālas mixed with their congregational chanting of the holy names.

Jayapatākā Swami: So the sound of the kīrtana and (??? 5:00) mṛdaṅgas, karatālas, the conch shells, the regular conch shells, all were involved in the saṅkīrtana and the sound was overwhelming, as they chanted congregationally the holy names of Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 8.189

sumaṅgala śrīharisaṅkīrtana o mahāprabhura mahimā—

brahmāṇḍa bhedila dhvani pūriyā ākāśa
caudigera amaṅgala yāya saba nāśa

Translation: These sounds filled the sky and pierced the covering of the universe. Inauspiciousness in the four directions was vanquished.

Jayapatākā Swami: The sounds filled the sky and pierced the covering of the universe. Inauspiciousness in the four directions was vanished.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 8.190

e kon adbhuta—yā'ra sevakera nṛtya
sarva-vighna nāśa haya, jagat pavitra

Translation: This is not so wonderful, for by even the dancing of the Lord's servants all obstacles are destroyed, and the world is purified.

In the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (11.14.24) it is stated:

vāg gadgadā dravate yasya cittaṁ
rudaty abhīkṣṇaṁ hasati kvacic ca
vilajja udgāyati nṛtyate ca
mad-bhakti-yukto bhuvanaṁ punāti

“A devotee whose speech is sometimes choked up, whose heart melts, who cries continually and sometimes laughs, who feels ashamed and cries out loudly and then dances—a devotee thus fixed in loving service to Me purifies the entire universe.”

In the Nārada-pañcarātra it is said:

saṅkīrtana-dhvaniṁśrutvā
ye ca nṛtyanti vaiṣṇavāḥteṣāṁ
pāda-raja-sparśāt   sadya pūtā vasundharā

“Mother earth is immediately purified by the touch of the dust from the feet of the Vaiṣṇavas who dance to the sound of saṅkīrtana.”

Jayapatākā Swami: This was not so wonderful because even by seeing the Lord’s devotees dancing, all the obstacles are removed and the whole universe becomes purified.

There is a verse in the 11th canto 14th chapter verse 24^th of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, it says:

“A devotee whose speech is sometimes choked up, whose heart melts, who cries continually and sometimes laughs, who feels ashamed and cries out loudly and then dances—a devotee thus fixed in loving service to Me purifies the entire universe.”

In the Nārada-pañcarātra it is said: “Mother earth is immediately purified by the touch of the dust from the feet of the Vaiṣṇavas who dance to the sound of saṅkīrtana.”

So, the chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa congregationally is so purifying that the earth is purified the universe sanctified. Everything is, all the amaṅgala, all the inauspicious is driven far away. That’s why we say, ānandera sīmā nāhi, nirānanda dure jāi!

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 8.191

se prabhu āpane nāce āpanāra name
ihāra ki phala—kibā baliba purāṇe?

Translation: When the Lord Himself dances to the chanting of His own names, who can say what benefit is there? Can even the Purāṇas describe this?

The word prabhu refers to Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, who is personally dancing while chanting His own names. The Purāṇas cannot reach the end of describing the glories of this.

Jayapatākā Swami: When the Lord Himself, dances to the chanting of His holy names what is said about the fruit? Is it even described in the Purāṇas? The Lord Caitanya’s dancing in the mood of a devotee is something indescribable. And there is no limit to how much one receives by seeing and hearing about the Lord’s dancing, congregationally, to the chanting of His own holy names. So, so glorious is this, that even the Vedas and Purāṇas, they could not describe the end of it.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 8.192

caturdige śrī-hari-maṅgala-saṅkīrtana
mājhe nāce jagannātha-miśrera nandana

Translation: The son of Jagannātha Miśra danced in the midst of শ্রীহরি-মঙ্গল-সংকীর্তন, which vibrated in the four directions.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the son of Jagannātha Miśra, Lord Gaurāṅga, He was dancing in the midst of the auspicious congregational chanting of Śrī Hari, surrounding the lord in all directions.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 8.193

yā'ra nāmānande śiva vasana nā jāne
yā'ra yaśe nāce śiva, se nāce āpane

Translation: He whose ecstatic holy names and glories induce Lord Śiva to forget his clothes and dance was now personally dancing.

Being absorbed in the ecstasy of chanting the Lord's names, Mahādeva, the Lord's devotee, forgets to wear his clothes. He whose glories when sung induce Śiva to dance in ecstasy now began to dance Himself. Another reading of the word yaśe, or “by the glories,” is rase, or “by the mellows.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the ecstatic chanting of the holy name makes Lord Śiva forget his clothes, and Lord Śiva dances in ecstasy, as he personally hears the holy names. So, Lord Śiva is the predominating deity of the material world, but when he hears the chanting of Kṛṣṇa’s holy name, he immediately starts to dance ecstatically and he forgets everything else, even his clothes. So, he is so much affected by the glories of the Lord that he absorbs himself in the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 8.194-195

yā'ra nāme vālmīki hailā tapodhana
yā'ra nāme ajāmila pāila mocana

yā'ra nāma-śravaṇe saṁsāra-bandha ghuce
hena prabhu avatari' kali-yuge nāce

Translation: That Lord, whose holy names induced Vālmīki to become enriched by austerities, whose holy names awarded Ajāmila with liberation, and whose holy names when heard destroy one's material bondage—that Lord, who has incarnated in Kali-yuga, now engaged in dancing.

One should discuss the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.1.16, 1.2.17-21, 2.2.37, 2.8.5, 3.9.5, 3.13.4, 4.29.40, 6.16.44, 10.1.4, 10.14.3, 11.6.9, 11.6.44, and 12.3.15.

Jayapatākā Swami: Those, whose holy names inspired Vālmīki to engage in austerities for writing the Rāmāyaṇa, by whose name when heard by Ajāmila, he was awarded with liberation, whose name by hearing it, can free one from the bondage of this material world, that Lord He has descended Himself in Kali-yuga and He is dancing to the kīrtana.

So, it says that one should discuss the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.1.16, 1.2.17-21, 2.2.37, 2.8.5, 3.9.5, 3.13.4, 4.29.40, 6.16.44, 10.1.4, 10.14.3, 11.6.9, 11.6.44, and 12.3.15.

So, we will test you to see if you memorize all these verses. Ha! Ha!

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 8.196-197

yā'ra nāma gāi' śuka-nārada veḍāya
sahasra-vadana-prabhu yā'ra guṇa gāya

sarva-mahā-prāyaścitta ye prabhura nāma
se prabhu nācaye, dekhe yata bhāgyavān

Translation: That Lord, whose holy names Śukadeva and Nārada sing as they wander about, whose transcendental qualities are sung by the thousand-headed Lord Ananta, and whose holy names are the best of all forms of atonement now personally danced before the eyes of the fortunate.

Jayapatākā Swami: The Lord whose holy names are sung by Nārada muni and Śukadeva Gosvāmī as they wander around, with thousand heads of Anantadeva constantly singing the glories of the Lord, the supreme atonement which is chanting the Lord’s holy names, that Lord is now dancing and those who see it, are most fortunate.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 8.198

haila pāpiṣṭha-janma, takhana nā haila
hena mahā-mahotsava dekhite nā pāila

Translation: I took a sinful birth, for I did not take birth at that time. Therefore I did not have the opportunity to see such a great festival.

The author (Vṛndāvana dāsa) expresses his humility by saying that since he did not take birth during the time of Mahāprabhu's manifest pastimes and did not have the good fortune of seeing the festival of the Lord's dancing his life has become full of sin.

Jayapatākā Swami: “I have taken a sinful birth; I did not take birth at that time. I didn’t see the great festival.” So, the author is expressing his humility that since he was not born at that time to see those pastimes of the Lord dancing in ecstasy, His life is full of sin. So, seeing, being part of the pastimes of the Lord, to see Him dance in ecstasy is the greatest fortune. But we are at least, we could hear about it. And to hear, it also is a very great mercy, although we are not fortunate enough to see it.

Caitanya-Bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 8.199

kaliyuga praśaṁsā—

kali-yuga praśaṁsila śrī-bhāgavate
ei abhiprāya tā'ra jāni' vyāsa-sute

Translation: The son of Vyāsa knew the Lord's intention, so he glorified Kali-yuga in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.

Śrī Śukadeva, the son of Vyāsa, knew very well that Śrī Gaurasundara would appear in the Age of Kali, so he glorified Kali-yuga in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (11.5.36 and 12.3.51) as follows:

kaliṁ sabhājayanty āryā
guṇa jñāḥ sāra-bhāginaḥ
yatra saṅkīrtanenaiva
sarva-svārtho 'bhilabhyate

“Those who are actually advanced in knowledge are able to appreciate the essential value of this Age of Kali. Such enlightened persons worship Kali-yuga because in this fallen age all perfection of life can easily be achieved by the performance of saṅkīrtana.

kaler doṣa-nidhe rājan
asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ
kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya
mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet

“My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.”

Jayapatākā Swami: The son of Vyāsadeva, he praised the Kali-yuga in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.

Śrī Śukadeva, the son of Vyāsa, knew very well that Śrī Gaurasundara would appear in the Age of Kali, so he glorified Kali-yuga in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (11.5.36 and 12.3.51) as follows:

kaliṁ sabhājayanty āryā
guṇa jñāḥ sāra-bhāginaḥ
yatra saṅkīrtanenaiva
sarva-svārtho 'bhilabhyate

“Those who are actually advanced in knowledge are able to appreciate the essential value of this Age of Kali. Such enlightened persons worship Kali-yuga because in this fallen age all perfection of life can easily be achieved by the performance of saṅkīrtana.

kaler doṣa-nidhe rājan
asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ
kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya
mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet

“My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.”

Haribol! Gauuuurāṅga!

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So, we will end here and continue tomorrow.

So, we will answer questions and answers. So we are not having the Bangladesh safari. Instead, we are having a Mayapur safari! So, let Marīci dāsa explain the details in due course.

Any questions?

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja, PAMHO:  from Kolkata Youth: When we are preaching to new students after some time it seems that they will come to our VOICE and practice KC steadily. But due to some reasons, they leave. If we think it is happening repeatedly, it is reducing our endeavor, so please glance on us to maintain our spirit and also that we are 100% with full endeavor, ready for preaching!

Jayapatākā Swami: There are some quotations by Śrīla Prabhupāda that in order to preach to the intelligent class, the students, the youths, we should present Kṛṣṇa consciousness in such a way, that they can practice, whatever they like to do. We should make it very easy for them, not tell them they have to shave off their hair, or do any strange things. But rather to make it as easy as possible. So that they can get a taste for chanting and for serving. And they won’t be distracted. There are many things to distract the youth and so, we have to be very expert not to give anything not suitable for them, so that they can get a taste for practicing Hare Kṛṣṇa, bhakti-yoga and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So I hope that you maintain your spirit a 100%, with full endeavor, and ready to preach! Haribol! Next question

Question: When we are staying in VOICE, at that time we can do our devotional activities very easily, but when we go to our home, we become slow in devotional life. At that time, our parents tell that you can take rest, no problem. So at that time, we, specifically, I, cannot get up for attendance and unable to complete 16 rounds. Now I am realizing that without anyone’s pushing or forcing, I cannot develop my devotional life. But I am trying. So, my question is:  What will help me to come out from this kind of situation and I can develop my taste in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, without being forced by anyone? I don’t know whether this question is understandable or not?

Jayapatākā Swami: Well, one of the things that is recommended in devotional service is good association. One of the things that is not recommended is bad association. It may not be that anybody is pushing you but it may be that since you are in good association, it is very easy to get up early. In your home, if you are not devotees then in that association, you may become a little lax. So that is why it is recommended that one should have good association, but if that is not possible, at least you should understand this difficulty, and try to do your proper time management, do your proper chanting, maybe you have to go for a walk. Within the house there may be some restrictions to your chanting. I think we all face these difficulties in the house. Also eating the food of the parents, even if they cook vegetarian, if they are not offering it to Kṛṣṇa can be very draining on the spiritual energy. So we should realize these effects and be committed to either staying in a devotee like a VOICE situation, or if you are going to get married in the future, you should marry a devotee. So that we can have a Kṛṣṇa conscious house. Without proper environment it is very hard to engage in devotional service. Haribol! My mother she said, well, you are young, why don’t you wait till you get old and then you can practice. Then I asked her, how long will I live? She started crying. No parent knows how long their son or daughter will live!  Then how do you know that my life will not be over in a few months I asked. So like that, I was fortunate, as I had the association of Śrīla Prabhupada, and I was living in a temple in Montreal, Canada. So, I told the Canadians that I took my spiritual birth in Canada!! Of course, I had my second initiation in New York. And I took my sannyāsa initiation in India. So, my father said, he would turn my name over to the draft, to be in the American Army and then I could die in Vietnam. Then I asked Śrīla Prabhupāda what should I do? He said, better to join Kṛṣṇa’s army! Ha! Ha! So I have been there ever since! Ha! Next question.

Question: If in the association of a devotees if I am unable to cooperate with a particular devotee, should I maintain distance from him so that I don’t commit any offence?

Jayapatākā Swami: This question. I don’t know the environment. If it is possible not associate with this devotee, and why by associating you can commit some offence? So, it is a very unique question. What if I am not able to cooperate with a particular devotee? You don’t say who that devotee is. Is he a peer or is he your authority? Sometimes, telling the person that I respect you a lot, you are my senior devotee, but sometimes you say things in such a way, it is very hard for my false ego to take. So like this you can express your difficulty and ask him a question, how should I tolerate this? How can I avoid committing any offence? Should I follow your example? Ha! Next question.

Question: Often youths who are cultivated and brought up in bhakti life, have to move to other places for jobs and stay there. It not only increases the physical distance from the counsellor, but also dilutes the relationship to some extent since it is not possible for him to come and associate regularly with his devotee family. Also, he may face difficulties in accepting a new authority at a new place. In such situations how can he feel spiritually connected to his counsellor?

Jayapatākā Swami: You see, this is the difficulty with working in the material world. And one chooses to work in the material world, or to be part of the āśrama, few devotes join the āśrama, many people work outside. So working outside, then these are the problems. I asked a group of people, who of you have crazy bosses? Everybody raised their hands!! Ha! They all thought their bosses were crazy! So this is all a part of life. If you work in the material world, they pay you money, they don’t love you! This is a business deal! You work, you make them money, they pay you money! So devotional service is a different situation. So that is why Lord Caitanya said, we should do yukta-vairāgya. We should do the devotional service and engage our different activities. That is why I was saying that at least if your house is Kṛṣṇa conscious, then you can have some respite or some peace. But if the house is not peaceful, if the work is not peaceful, then you won’t be peaceful! Ha! So that is why some of us live in the āśrama! Ha! Ashram also has difficulty, everywhere it is difficult. So, in the āśrama maybe the person you are staying with is not so clean or something! Who knows! But at least they are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they are trying to serve Kṛṣṇa. So anyway whether one is in yukta-vairāgya or one is living in the āśrama, he has to understand that the material word is not the place for a gentlemen man or gentle woman, that the material world is a difficult place! And that is why we are trying to transfer you to the spiritual world. Haribol!

Question: Hare Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja; PAMHO, Jayapatākā Swami: Accepted. I want to do my services in a humble state of mind. Jayapatākā Swami: Good idea. But if any devotees find fault in my service, I become angry and quarrel with him. Jayapatākā Swami: That is false ego. My nature is little aggressive, how to deal with this type of situation?

Jayapatākā Swami: One of my god brothers he got a name from Śrīla Prabhupāda something like, this kind of quality. Very aggressive. You know, it says that if someone finds fault with us we shouldn’t get upset. Rather in the third verse of Śikṣaṣṭakaṁ, it says we should be more humble than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree, offer respect to all others and don’t expect any respect for ourselves. In this way we can always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So if someone finds fault with you and you get angry it is not a good sign. You are not being humble and tolerant and you are expecting that people will praise you, probably you didn’t offer any respect to that person. Everything you did was against the advice of Lord Caitanya. And they you are asking me how to deal with this type of situation?  Completely change your attitude. Don’t expect anyone to appreciate you. Rather if they point out your faults, he is being a real friend. If they say you are nice, you are wonderful, that is where they cheat. When I came to India, I was staying in the Gauḍīya Maṭha with Acyutānanda, and he told me that someone came to see him and said, you are so wonderful, you are really wonderful, and he was praising him like anything Acyutānanda was feeling wow! Nice! Then he went upstairs to his room. The person said, oh, I want one thing from you, the deity you have a flower prasāda, if I can have that I will be very happy. He was on the 4th floor. He had to go down four floors and come up. So on the way up, he said, oh, I lost track of time, being with you time flies! You are so wonderful! Do you have the flower for me? Thank you so much! I will never forget you! And he left. And Acyutānanda went upstairs, what a nice person! And when he went up to his room, everything was upside down! And his money was all stolen! And so there is a saying in Bengali, ati bhakti chorer lokkhon. Ha! If someone is finding fault with you, be happy! If someone tells you, oh you are so wonderful, you are great! Maybe he is a thief! Ha! Ha! Maybe he is trying to cheat you somehow! In America they call that as con artists! They can sell you the Brooklyn Bridge! Like the Howrah bridge. Nobody can buy the Howrah Bridge! It is the Government’s. But somebody goes and tells you, you are so great, I will give you a special deal and want to sell you the Howrah bridge! Just give me two lacs of rupees I will give it to you! Ha! Ha! It is all cheating! 420! (cār sov bīs in Hindi) Next question.

Question: How can we always remain focused and remain enthusiastic in Iskcon because I have failed many times to keep the focus and enthusiasm in continuation, even after taking a vow that now I would do.

Jayapatākā Swami: In the presence of Śrīla Prabhupada, I never had that problem! After Śrīla Prabhupāda left, then sometimes I was tested! Because, Śrīla Prabhupāda treated us with such affection and understanding and patience, but in his absence, we did not receive that.  Then I realized that Śrīla Prabhupada, he was still there! He was still smiling at me! So the difficulties didn’t matter. I wanted to please Śrīla Prabhupada! Haribol!

Question: I have been staying in association for some years now and chanting and reading Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books regularly. But I still find it hard to control myself in provocative situations. I fear someday, maintaining regulative principles may be at stake. How can I sharpen my intelligence so that I can control my mind and steadily practice bhakti?

Jayapatākā Swami: We have to go through the different stages of bhakti. We go through the stage of śraddhā, satsaṅga, bhajana-kriyā, and then we take initiation, and then we come to anartha-nivṛttiḥ, to remove the difficulties, then we become nista and from niṣṭhā we get a taste. Sometimes we have a taste but now we get a steady taste. And then we get attached to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And then we get ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa. Then it is very easy to perform Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And then we get pure love of Kṛṣṇa! So by following this practice, naturally you will go up stage by stage and then you gain more and more control over the mind and senses. Hare Kṛṣṇa! So, it is important to continue chanting 16 rounds a day, minimum, read Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books and engage in devotional service. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Would Marīci like to speak for a few minutes?

HG Marīci dāsa: Hare Kṛṣṇa! (Guru Mahārāja said: HAREEEE KṚṢṆA!) Wow, Guru Mahārāja, so much power, thank you very much! I remember, I must say something before taking about this safari. I want to sing for you a small song, it is a very special song, because it was composed by Śrīla Jayapatākā Svāmī Mahārāja! This is a safari song he composed, many years ago. So, everybody, please repeat after me:

Going on safari for another day!

Chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa all the way!

Singing dancing and staging play!

Spreading Gaura’s glories wherever we stay!

Jaya Gaṅgā Safari ki jai!

We are very fortunate this year, very fortunate. Because Bangladesh safari will be postponed because the temple opening is postponed. But still we are having Māyāpur safari! So it is very easy for anybody to attend. Because we are especially having the association of Śrīla Jayapatākā Svāmī! What I want to say is that we have planned for the next ten days is that we are going to have a lot of activities in Māyāpur during safari. Tomorrow we are going to announce the full program but now I will give you the highlights of the safari, what is going to happen in the next ten days. Anybody can participate, it is free! And also, of course some programs there may be some contribution for prasādam and for the cost. But it is not too much. It is very accessible. So some of the highlights we have – the first one will be Ganga safari, we will be going throughout the Gaṅgā. Will be going to see Gaṅgā sunset, we will go to an island, bathe, do kīrtana and pūjā and come back, evening program. Another program will be Gośālā-sevaka. This is also special, very special. We will go at the time of milking of the cows. We can also do seva, brush the cows, feed them and also there will be talks about cow protection. This is very beautiful program. One more will be a japa retreat at the Jagannātha Mandira, over the weekend. We will live there for two days so we can attend maṅgalārati and chant together. And during the day there will be special seminars on japa. We have to understand that we are very lucky that in this safari we have of course Śrīla Jayapatākā Svāmī Mahārāja, Śrīla Bhakti Dhīra Dāmodara Svāmī Mahārāja, Narasiṁha Mahārāja from Africa. Also, we are going to request Bhakti Vighnavināśan Narasiṁha Mahārāja, who also preaches in China. We plant to do a japa retreat for two days. Another highlight is a tour to the Vedic planetarium, special tour. After the tour we are going to have some small explanation. Perhaps prasādam after that. There will be another Gaṅgā safari where we will go for Food for Life program to a village in Māyāpur, and there will be a magic show and puppet show performed by the safari devotees to entertain the children and villagers. Also we are planning to have a weekly painting worship, specially Mādhurya Kādambinī Mātājī, so devotees can go there. These are some of the highlights besides the seminars and the evening classes. If anybody would like to attend any of these programs, there are many actually! You can inform on the what’s app group, latest by tomorrow. From 12th to 21st approximately. Tomorrow will present the full program. You have to contact Sarva Śaktī Mātājī or Marīci dāsa.

Guru Mahārāja’s personal request: I have an unusual request from Śrīla Prabhupāda. I don’t know if any of you have any instructions from Śrīla Prabhupāda? Of course, he told all of us to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, to help others to be Kṛṣṇa conscious and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. But he told me that I should also see that every month, ten thousand mahā-big-books are distributed and one hundred thousand small books. So, I have this big debt that I have to pay every month. So I need a lot of help. I don’t know how much that is now, with interest! Because that was told in 1970s! So with interest, maybe that is much more now!! So Māyāpur Saṅkīrtana Party helps by distributing books but anyone here wants to help me pay my debt?

So, this book distributing will be done on behalf of Śrīla Jayapatākā Svāmī Guru Mahārāja and the all the books scores points will be sent to the International World Saṅkīrtana Newsletter, in his name. And also, you have another way to serve the mission by sponsoring the books.

Jayapatākā Swami: Chinese devotee Līlā Gopī and others 417 Bhagavad-gītās. Haribol! Yamunā Lakṣmī dd RS. 6000 from China. Jayata Malinī dd 2000 Rs.