20220813 ISKCON Sylhet Initiation Address

The following is an Iskcon Sylhet initiation address given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on August 13th, 2022 in Bangladesh.

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

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Jayapatākā Swami: Hare Kṛṣṇa! Today there were lot of traffic jams on the way, but as we had police escort, we could come here. It took us about one and a half hours to come. Normally it takes twenty minutes. Anyway, it was decided that we come to Sylhet to do the installation of Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava Deities. But as soon as I came here, I was told that there were about 1,400 initiations to be done. Yesterday 200, today 600 and tomorrow 600, 1,400 total. So many devotees have come from various places. But I was not advised earlier whether there would be initiations or not, so I did not know. Now I don’t know when I will I be able to fix my departure date. According to the plan now I hope there are not more than 1,400 initiations. I heard that 500 odd devotees have come. Those who have come for initiation ceremonies and not able to get a slot, they will be given first preference when we next have initiations.

You have to always think of Kṛṣṇa and chant 16 rounds every day on the beads which have 108 beads. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare! And there are four things we are forbidden to do - regulative principles. You have to observe them strictly. I came by Bangladesh Biman Air and they gave a cake there. We saw the ingredients, it was written egg. Everyone was eating but we could not eat as I don’t eat egg. We don’t eat egg, meat, onion, garlic, fish. It is not that once we get initiation all the work is done. Getting initiation means that we will follow bhakti-yoga sincerely and become yogīs or yoginīs and follow the instructions of the spiritual master for life. Who all of you have taken this oath, raise your hands? Those who have not taken the oath please raise your hands. No drinking, gambling, illicit sex.

(Guru Mahārāja did Hare Kṛṣṇa kīrtana)

Gṛhe thāko vane thāko sadā hari bole ḍāko. Bhakti-yoga can be followed by gṛhasthas. And there you will try to have devotional, Caitanya conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious children. And this takes a lot of effort and time. How the parents are doing bhakti-yoga, doing kīrtana and other devotional service, seeing that the children get inspired and become devotees. I saw a drama in Chennai, His Holiness Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami says I very often talk about this drama. This drama was performed by devotee children. Two children were Yamadūtas and one girl enacted as Yamarāja and had drawn a mustache on her face. The Yamadūtas were complaining to Yamarāja, we normally bring the sinners after arresting them to hell. Then in hell we give them punishment. But here everyone is a Kṛṣṇa devotee, we see that the ladies are blowing conch shell, offering bhoga, doing worship and the husband wife together do devotional service and chant Kṛṣṇa’s name. They have deities at home, they have the Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam at home. They study the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and we see that. If all the families become like this, then we will not have any work to do. We are not able to arrest them, not able to punish them. We have to look for another job! This drama I saw. Who of you want to give mercy and give the Yamadūtas a job? Raise your hand. And who of you want to give the Yamadūtas a holiday? We desire that you all go back to Kṛṣṇa. Māyā will test you then, she will test whether you really want to go back to Kṛṣṇa or not. I will see, she says! I am not saying this, I was just enacting but Kali-rāja and māyā will test you. Just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura who was born in Bangladesh, he was tested by a prostitute Hīrā devī who tried to allure him for three days continuously to have illicit relation with him. She said, I am greatly attracted to you, and I want your association. Haridāsa Ṭhākura said, okay, I will fulfill your wish but I have a promise that I will chant 3,00,000 names every day and as soon as I finish I can oblige you. That way, she came in the morning and saw Haridāsa Ṭhākura chanting. And she went back. Rāmacandra Khān told her he would give her one thousand gold coins if she was able to succeed in this mission. That is a long history. On the third day Haridāsa Ṭhākura was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, then Hīrā was chanting with him. Chanting this way, three days after listening to Haridāsa Ṭhākura chanting, her heart had a change. Then she paid obeisances to Haridāsa Ṭhākura and said I had come to defame you. Haridāsa Ṭhākura said I know this was your wish, but I wanted you to get devotion to Kṛṣṇa. Hira said, I will be your disciple, please teach me what I should do. This way, he instructed to her after giving her initiation to go distribute all the wealth and things and she then started chanting, circumambulating tulasī. People came and saw that the prostitute Hira had become a devotee! People came and gave her dal, rice, ghee, etc. Rāmacandra Khān could not believe this! He was a big Vaiṣṇavī aparādhi. Anyway, there is more history.

So Haridāsa Ṭhākura has taught by this that with the chanting of the holy name our hearts can be purified. You should do the nine processes of devotional service, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, do kīrtana and this way do service to Kṛṣṇa. Eat kṛṣṇa-prasāda, and we have beautiful Deities in the temple, you can take darśana. And respect all. Lord Caitanya in the Śikṣāṣṭaka says that we should be humble and tolerant and give respect to all and not expect any respect for ourselves. Amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ.

Anyway, today once you take initiation, all your life you will follow all the rules and will chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa names daily and succeed in your life. Hare Kṛṣṇa! If you are not ready you can go away and those ready to take initiation can stay. Taking initiation means following these rules all your life and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra daily.

Hare Kṛṣṇa!