20201102 Question and Answer Session

Kṛṣṇa and Samyak, UK [Sheltered disciples]: Hare Kṛṣṇa dear Gurudeva. As devotees of Lord Caitanya, are we allowed to have deities or photos of Lord Śiva and Gaṇeśa in our altar home temple. How should we worship them and please them? Thank you as always for your wonderful words Gurudeva.

Jayapatākā Swami: So Lord Śiva, Lord Gaṇeśa, they are all Vaiṣṇavas, and they want to take kṛṣṇa-prasāda. So they should be put on the lower level of the altar or on the side. And the prasādam of Kṛṣṇa may be offered to them. If you offer a lamp to Kṛṣṇa, you can offer a prasādam lamp to Lord Śiva and Lord Gaṇeśa. Similarly, you can offer the bhoga prasādam to Lord Śiva and Lord Gaṇeśa. Thank you Kṛṣṇa and Samyak.

Śyāma Śrīpradā devī dāsī: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja. Please accept my respectful obeisances. Can we take demigods’ prasāda, if we are not taking that is that an aparādha?

Jayapatākā Swami: You see, in Jagannātha Purī, all the prasāda of Lord Jagannātha is offered to Vimalādevī, who is the form of Durgā. So that is called mahā-prasāda. So everyone takes this mahā-prasāda. So that is not a problem. But if the food is offered directly to the devas, then actually they are not pleased. They want to take kṛṣṇa-prasāda. So if the prasāda is offered to Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu, and then offered to Śiva then it is alright. Otherwise, it is not properly done. And it is doubtful whether the devas also took it.

Dr. Das: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja. Please accept my respectful obeisances. Why we have to offer obeisances to demigods on the right side, and for Viṣṇu by the left side?

Jayapatākā Swami: You see, we offer our obeisances to Lord Viṣṇu always on the left. The devas are also offering their obeisances to Lord Viṣṇu on our right, but their left to Lord Viṣṇu. That is why when we offer our right side to the devas, we are thinking we are offering our left side to Lord Viṣṇu, and the spiritual master is always ahead of us.

Rukmiṇī Ramaṇa dāsa, Colombia: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja! What is more powerful – hearing the pastimes about Kṛṣṇa, or hearing the philosophy about Kṛṣṇa?

Jayapatākā Swami: Everything is Absolute. Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Truth. His guṇa, līlā, nāma, dhāma, all are Absolute. So we hear the tattvas about Him, on hearing His pastimes, they are all in the same absolute level. So maybe it may be easier for people to hear his pastimes. But actually, there is no difference. But they may not be able to understand His teachings. So, that we have to consider.

Medhāvinī Sakhi devī dāsī: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja! Like Gaura Nitāi are pleased by kīrtana, Jagannātha Baladeva Subhadrā devī are pleased by nice bhoga offering, how can we please Bāla Gopāla or Laḍḍu Gopāla Deity? Please advise.

Jayapatākā Swami: All are pleased with chanting. But Laḍḍu Gopāla likes laḍḍus. Bāla Gopāla likes sweets, fruits. So Medhāvinī Sakhi devī dāsī, you can offer Bāla Gopāla, Laḍḍu Gopāla sweets, fruits and such things like children.

Avatārī Gaurāṅga dāsa, Khargar, Mumbai: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja. Why don’t we offer ārati to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam after Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam class?

Jayapatākā Swami: We can. You can offer ārati to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, no harm. Usually, we offer respects before we give class. We chant Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, and this way we offer our respect to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And certainly, on the Bhādra Pūrṇimā, we offer the ārati. In Assam they would have the namkaras, they have Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in their altars and they offer ārati to it. Also, in Odisha they have Bhāgavata Tuṅgīs where they offer ārati to the Bhāgavatam, I heard. So it can be done. So the question is if we do too many things, whether you can fit it into the day or not.

Kackuly Rāṇī: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja! Can sheltered devotees have Deities at home?

Jayapatākā Swami: You see, if the devotees are practice Deities, they are not installed, but they are invited to come, then even a sheltered devotee can worship them. Śrīla Prabhupāda, he was worshiping the deities of Rādhā Govinda as a small child. After him, he gave the deity to his sister.

Gaurāṅga Prasāda dāsa, Chennai: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja. As gṛhasthas are we allowed to do financial planning?

Jayapatākā Swami: Why not? Gṛhasthas are supposed to plan ahead for some emergencies, or offering some donation for the Deities, for the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they have to meet their own expenses. How can you do that without financial planning?

Suvarṇa Gopīka devī dāsī, Dāmodaradeśa: Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja! Can we do Deity worship if the blood test for sugar is done through the finger?

Jayapatākā Swami: Why not! You have to wash your hands. I never heard that you couldn’t. Anyone has blood sugar problem; they test your blood. Obviously, you have to wash your hands, do ācamana, before you do the Deity worship.

Śacīnandana Gauracandra dāsa, Nepal: If any initiated devotee breaks one of the regulative principles, still a local authority is happy with his sevā, then is it proper or not? And what is his fate?

Jayapatākā Swami: Since an initiated devotee has taken a vow to chant minimum 16 rounds a day and to follow the four regulative principles, so if they don’t chant 16 rounds, they are doing the third offence by disobeying the order of the spiritual master. And if they don’t follow one of the regulative principles, that is also considered breaking the vows. If one is married, but they have a relation not for procreation, that may not be breaking a principle. But it is not the highest standard of bhakti. So, it is nice the local authority is happy, still one should adhere to the vows. They should not give up, otherwise doing service is beneficial.

Varuṇapati Govinda dāsa: You gave me initiated name as Varuṇapati Govinda dāsa, but fellow devotees address me as Varuṇapati, therefore I started requesting them to address me as VP Govinda dāsa, so everyone could rather take the name of Lord Govinda, rather than an adjective which is Varuṇapati. Could you please reassure me if that is okay? I am blessed that you have given me initiation and would like to make the most of that spiritual name.

Jayapatākā Swami: When Śrīla Prabhupāda had the spiritual name of Abhaya Caraṇāravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami. But He used the name A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. So if someone asked what A.C. stands for, you tell them. So if you use VP Govinda dāsa it is alright. Varuṇapati, the Lord of Varuṇa, that is Govinda, Viṣṇu. So anyway, that also is a spiritual name. You use VP Govinda, Varuṇapati Govinda, that is all okay.

Lakṣmī Rādhā devī dāsī: I have a question related to meditating on Deities in the temple, in the dhāma while chanting. Does it give us the same benefit as physically being there? What about offences when mentally being there? Are there risks of offences to the dhāma?

Jayapatākā Swami: We should be respectful, if we see the Deities in the dhāma. When you see the Deities on the TV, it may not be śuci, but apparently you cannot go into the temple that way as śuci. I have never heard that seeing a picture or video of the Deity, one has to be śuci. One other thing we don’t like to face our feet towards the Deity, or do anything else offensive. We should try to be respectful.

Acyutapreyasī Tulasī devī dāsī: Hare Kṛṣṇa Gurudeva! I love chocolates but I know we should not consume that. How to control that feeling of taking chocolates?

Jayapatākā Swami: You should love Kṛṣṇa. Not love chocolates!! I heard that taking chocolates with over 70% or something, black chocolate, is good for the heart. Also, it is a diuretic. If you take it as a medicine it is alright. If you take it in a high percentage, then it is more medicinal. If you take it low, it is more of sense gratification.

Alright, thank you for your questions.