20220302 Question and Answer Session

Jayapatākā Swami: So today we will have questions and answers. I reached Māyāpur from Chennai, but travelling yesterday 12 hours, I am still a bit weak, and this morning we had the Rādhā Mādhava 50-year anniversary and this afternoon they established the Perfect Questions and Perfect Answers, we had His Grace Brahma-tīrtha Prabhu, who was present on Zoom. He was the person who asked the questions from Śrīla Prabhupāda. We have some questions here.

Keyā Rāṇī: What should we do when we try to preach and people come across controversial clips of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s lectures. It is sometimes hard to convey the message to them. Please kindly enlighten us.

Jayapatākā Swami: I don’t know what controversial clips you are referring to. There are several statements GBC have published regarding certain things, so if there are still any unanswered, you can send to me.

Bālacandra and Vinita Gāndharvikā devī dāsī, USA: During (asnika) pralaya or completion of one day of Brahmā where do we go?

Jayapatākā Swami: The kalpa or destruction which is after every day of Brahmā, we go in the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and rest there in the night of Brahmā. At the end of the night of Brahmā, those who don’t go back to the spiritual world go to the Mahā-viṣṇu.

Anukampita Rādhikā devī dāsī, Durgapur, India: What is meant by Vaiṣṇava-sevā? Is it like serving only pure and uttama-adhikāri devotees? Or is it like even serving a devotee who is very new to bhakti? Do we get the same results? Please forgive my mistakes dear gurudeva.

Jayapatākā Swami: Serving a Vaiṣṇava will give you spiritual benefit. You may get more benefit when you serve a pure devotee, but any devotee can give you natural benefit.

Bhavatāriṇī Rādhikā devī dāsī: I want to know whether our Brahmājī and the Brahmājī who felt illusion for goddess Sarasvatī are the same?

Jayapatākā Swami: The Brahmā in our universe is the Brahmā for the entire bṛhad-kalpa. And the particular pastime with Sarasvatī, I don’t remember our Brahmā having a problem. There is another situation that it was mentioned, which has nothing to do with goddess Sarasvatī.

Vraja-vilāsa Gaurāṅga dāsa: In your Vyāsa-pūjā lecture, you said that your desire is that everyone of us should become an ācārya. That is Śrīla Prabhupāda’s desire. Could everyone be an ācārya? For me it is something inconceivable that I can become an ācārya. But this is your desire. So let me know how it would be possible please.

Jayapatākā Swami: There are several things. One thing is to study all Śrīla Prabhupāda books – Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and some of the small books and get a degree like Bhaktivedanta, Bhakti-vaibhava. The other thing is to practice sādhana-bhakti very carefully. Chant your 16 rounds and take all the spiritual guidance. Śrīla Prabhupāda said it is not difficult to be an ācārya. One has to follow in the footsteps of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s pure devotees. And then one can be an ācārya.

Dr. Sonal Arora: Please enlighten me that bhakti happens only to those who have sukṛti and Bhakti Rāṇī does not bless those who are so allured by māyā. So how to preach to them?

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrīla Prabhupāda was explaining at the Ardha-Kumbha-melā how one who practiced bhakti had already gone through all the other saṁskāras, sacrifices. So one devotee raised his hand and asked a question of Śrīla Prabhupāda. He said, “I look back at my life, but I don’t find anything holy. So how did I achieve bhakti which is so rare?” And Śrīla Prabhupāda answered, “I made your good fortune for you.” By Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mercy, guru’s mercy, we automatically get the benefit.

Lalitāṅgī Rādhā devī dāsī, Canada: Lord Balarāma appears to be inclined to Duryodhana who was offending the Pāṇḍavas. And He punished Romaharṣaṇa for his pride on the Vyāsa-āsana. I could not understand this apparently contradictory action. I request you to please explain.

Jayapatākā Swami: Balarāmajī and Kṛṣṇa are members of the same family, and They are real brothers. Duryodhana had come to Lord Balarāma to learn how to fight with a mace. So he was good at the technique but Bhīma, he was stronger. So, sometimes Balarāma appeared to take side, but He was just being polite. And this is part of His inconceivable pastimes with Him and Kṛṣṇa doing different līlās. But since He did not want to interfere with the war, he went on a pilgrimage when the Kurukṣetra war was happening.

I would like to thank all the devotees for the nice questions and accept my best wishes and blessings. Kṛṣṇa matir astu! I will see all the devotees on gallery darśana.

Please pray for protecting the devotees in Ukraine and neighboring countries.

I will see you tomorrow! Haribol!