20210515 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.34

The following is a class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on May 15th, 2021 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, India. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.8.34.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya!
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya!
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya!

Jayapatākā Swami: So Lord Kṛṣṇa says He comes down to deliver the devotees and annihilate the miscreants. paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām – so the devas and mother earth approached Lord Brahmā, that she was overburdened by the asuras. And Brahmā went to the side of the Kṣīroda ocean and prayed. At that time, a message came that Kṛṣṇa would appear. Lord Kṛṣṇa appears in once in every day of Brahmā. So we are fortunate that They came in Dvāpara-yuga before this. And in this age, the most merciful avatāra, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu came. In the purport Śrīla Prabhupāda says how Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu came as Nārāyaṇa. From His navel sprouted a lotus flower and on top of that Lord Brahmā was born. Although Lakṣmī was there, but He did not require Lakṣmī to give birth to Lord Brahmā. So Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, They are omnipotent. Every part of Their body has power of every other part. We should understand that the Lord is not like us. As a human being, we cannot produce a baby without a woman. It requires man and woman. But not for Kṛṣṇa.

I had a desire to see Ananta Padmanābha at Thiruvanantapuram, after hearing the glories of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. The Lord who is present as Ananta Padmanābha, from His lotus navel Lord Brahmā was born. That Deity is visible. We went there many times on Safari. We got special permission for the foreigners to go in and see the Deities. So, this Deity is existing. We can understand the glories of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Brahmā. In this universe there is the Śvetadvīpa. This is the residence of Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Generally, He descends as the avatāra. He is an expansion of Lord Kṛṣṇa. And Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. So that is the first canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Lord Kṛṣṇa, they have mentioned so many avatāras but amongst them Kṛṣṇa is the Original Personality of Godhead.

In the Brahmā-Saṁhitā, there is a verse that explains the glories of Lord Kṛṣṇa:

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
(Bs 5.1)

Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Controller. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda – His body is sat-cid-ānanda eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. You see we are different from our body. We have taken birth as a man or woman or human being, in a particular race, but this body will change. After this life, whether we will get a human birth or we will take birth in other species, that depends on the activities we perform in this lifetime. If we have performed some devotional service, then at least we are guaranteed a human birth. Now there are such human beings who are by nature prone to intoxication and such people are covered by the mode of ignorance. So this way, they may take birth as a tree where their knowledge will be very low.

Yesterday, we were reading how Lord Caitanya was asking about the well-being of devotees in Bengal. He was glorifying each devotee, was embracing them. He was giving some sevā. He said that devotees who have come from Kulīna-grāma that they should bring the silk ropes for Lord Jagannātha every year. He said that all the villagers from Kulīna-grāma were very dear to Him. Even the dog of Kulīna-grāma is dear to Him! And I don’t know if I have the name right, Guṇarāja Khān, he wrote the first poetry, Kṛṣṇa Vijaya. Lord Caitanya said that you have completely conquered My heart by describing the glories of Rādhā Kṛṣṇa, because Kṛṣṇa is the Lord of My heart. Because you expressed the love of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa that shows your ecstatic bhakti. In the purport Śrīla Prabhupāda said, one who reads this particular book, it is very favorable for devotional service or bhakti.

On Gadādhara’s appearance day, we were seeing a Deity of Gaura Gadādhara in Campahatti. The person giving a lecture was saying when Kṛṣṇa approached Rādhārāṇī, He said, “I beg for Your heart and complexion”. Then it is said that Rādhārāṇī said, “Alright I will give You My heart, but You should be very careful. It should be protected.” So I am trying to find what book that is written in. But it is an amazing instruction, Rādhārāṇī’s! what can I say, it is the heart of Rādhārāṇī and if Kṛṣṇa gets the heart of Rādhārāṇī, what a precious thing that is.

Alright, Lord Caitanya He would do amazing things like He would stand outside the Jagannātha temple, crying for Kṛṣṇa. He would see the ocean and think of Yamunā and dive in the ocean. He would become so ecstatic and emotional that He would rub His face against the wall. Having the heart of Rādhārāṇī is very dangerous for Kṛṣṇa. Because Rādhārāṇī was in such ecstasy, that it would completely take over the situation of Lord Caitanya.

We see here how Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu has how much strength and His omnipotency. But from this we can learn how Lord Caitanya appeared with Rādhārāṇī’s heart and complexion. Lord Kṛṣṇa can do anything. So when we read about the different Viṣṇu avatāras we get some idea how Kṛṣṇa is completely independent. That Kṛṣṇa-līlā is so wonderful. So we can understand a drop of the glories of Lord Caitanya. It is not possible for any living entity. But it is possible for Kṛṣṇa. You see the Māyāvādīs they think that Kṛṣṇa is material. The sahajiyās think that Lord Caitanya is an enjoyer. But they don’t understand that Lord Caitanya is manifesting the limit of devotional service or bhakti. He showed how worshiping Kṛṣṇa in separation is the highest meditation. And We can all experience that separation if we want. Because we missed Lord Kṛṣṇa’s and Lord Caitanya’s association. If we stay in that vipralambha or state of separation, then we can taste the unlimited mellow of devotional service. Prema-bhakti – we can experience the ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa. That is something very rare. But Lord Caitanya is giving us that opportunity. Now we are suffering from this pandemic for more than a year. So we should have the people chant the name of Kṛṣṇa for the right reason.

You see Śrīla Prabhupāda repeatedly said that some bābājī got the people to chant in Kolkata and the plague went away. But he said that this is nāma-aparādha. That we should not pray to Lord Kṛṣṇa for any material benefit. But we can tell the people – this world is a place of suffering, we want to serve Kṛṣṇa. And therefore, we ask everyone to chant the holy name.

Today is the Akṣaya-trītīyā festival. Whatever religious activity is performed on this day, the result will be everlasting. But all the gold merchants they appreciate the people buy gold and give their wives. It is not the real purpose. On this day, we should do donation for the Lord, engaging in the service for the Lord. Kaśyapa Muni told his wife, I cannot repay my debt to you. Because if someone has a wife, then by the wife’s presence, his sex desire can be dovetailed. If one brahmacārī, or sannyāsī, even they think about sex life, it is inauspicious. And if they engage in any kind of sex life then they are on the path to hell. But those who are married, gṛhasthas, if they mingle together man and wife, there is no sin. But at the same time, they are doing devotional service, the husband is doing ārati and wife is helping, and so they made a vow to help each other. But they are doing kṛṣṇa-sevā. That is a special opportunity of Lord Caitanya’s bhakti-yoga.

The follower ācāryas of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, those ācāryas in the life of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they have instructed – gṛhe thāko vane thāko sadā hari bole ḍāko – whether you live in the house or you live in the forest, always chant the holy names of the Lord. If somebody can maintain brahmacarya, then that is very auspicious, it is called bṛhad-vrata. So one has to see what they can do. The opportunity is there that as a brāhmaṇa we can constantly, and all the time engage in devotional service. But that we should do!

Yesterday I was reading that Lord Caitanya was saying that this Vāsudeva Datta is so generous that whatever wealth he gets, he gives it in charity to others. So he being a gṛhastha that way, he cannot maintain his family. Because a gṛhastha has to keep some saving. He told Śivānanda Sena that you manage his economic system. So how Lord Caitanya, He knows, even the details of gṛhasthas and how the devotees are managing. We are so fortunate that we can remain in the movement of Lord Caitanya.

So this verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam mentions how the Lord comes down, how He delivers the world. Lord Caitanya was given the official name as Viśvambhara. Who takes the weight, the burden of the whole universe, Viśvambhara. So, today on Akṣaya-trītīyā, first day of Candana-yātrā, we should have darśana of the Deities at 8 am IST. So I will end my class here.