20250310 Questions and Answers Session

Jayapatākā Swami: So, today we are having another question and answer time.

Question: Yesterday we were hearing how we can only realize our siddha-deha after we attain the bhāva stage and by the mercy of guru, Nitāi Gaura and Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. We see however among the devotees that some have natural inclinations for certain services such as cooking, singing, Deity worship, etc. As well as varied ista devas. Where do these inclinations arise from? Is it from qualities we have obtained in the material world or through the eternal, personal relationship we have with Kṛṣṇa?

Jayapatākā Swami: I mean, I was following some book and Śrīla Prabhupāda said that those who are following this and this book, they are in this and this rasa. We could debate on what the devotee is experiencing to ascertain what his rasa is. Service as a servant or friendship is usually male, parental, some are mothers and some are fathers. Conjugal, you are a Vaiṣṇavī, parental could be mother, a lady, if you are a father, you are a male. You see, like in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we read how Devahūti and Karadama Muni, she had daughters and then she had Kapiladeva as their son. Then she asked Kapiladeva to teach her. So, she went to the spiritual world in Kapila Muni’s planet. She was the mother. She really was! Hard to say, she got that relationship from her service to Kapila Muni. So, different devotees may have different opportunities.

Question: How do we know we have overcome the anarthas?

Jayapatākā Swami: If we don’t have any! How do you know when your stomach is full? Do you ask your neighbor? You know that it is full! Anarthas are coming up in our mind. When there are no more anarthas then we will know it.

Question: What should be first – chanting our rounds or doing our duties at home and work?

Jayapatākā Swami: You have to finish your rounds every day. It would take between 1.5 to 2 hours to chant 16 rounds. There are how many hours in a day? 24. So what do you do with the other 22 hours? We take a vow that we will chant 16 rounds a day and avoid breaking the four regulative principles. So, some people chant 16 rounds in the morning. Rest of the day they are free to do all the other duties. So how you do, is up to you.

Question: Please give a brief description about śikṣā-guru and dīkṣā-guru.

Jayapatākā Swami: Dīkṣā-guru gives you the mantra. You can only have one dīkṣā-guru. Śikṣā-guru is of two types – one who is on the level of your dīkṣā-guru and one who gives relevant instructions for your spiritual life. There is no limit to how many śikṣā-gurus you can have. If the śikṣā-guru gives some instruction which contradicts your dīkṣā-guru, you should ask your dīkṣā-guru about that because he is responsible for your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So if you think your śikṣā-guru is giving the wrong instruction, then confirm it with your dīkṣā-guru.

Question: Sometimes we hear kṛṣṇa-kathā and quotations of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas other than our line of ācāryas starting from Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, from other families of Mahāprabhu’s branch, so how to accept those teachings?

Jayapatākā Swami: We should see that they are in our paramparā like Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, he is in our paramparā. We are rūpānugas. Rūpa and Sanātana, Jīva Gosvāmī, they are in our paramparā. Others who are out of our paramparā you can ask your dīkṣā-guru or you can just accept, like Śrīla Prabhupāda, has given us instructions, so that we can accept his instructions. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Kṛṣṇe matir astu!