20251215 Bhagavad-gītā 5.18

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Bhagavad-gītā 5.18

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

Translation: The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].

Purport: A Kṛṣṇa conscious person does not make any distinction between species or castes. The brāhmaṇa and the outcaste may be different from the social point of view, or a dog, a cow and an elephant may be different from the point of view of species, but these differences of body are meaningless from the viewpoint of a learned transcendentalist. This is due to their relationship to the Supreme, for the Supreme Lord, by His plenary portion as Paramātmā, is present in everyone’s heart. Such an understanding of the Supreme is real knowledge. As far as the bodies are concerned in different castes or different species of life, the Lord is equally kind to everyone because He treats every living being as a friend yet maintains Himself as Paramātmā regardless of the circumstances of the living entities. The Lord as Paramātmā is present both in the outcaste and in the brāhmaṇa, although the body of a brāhmaṇa and that of an outcaste are not the same. The bodies are material productions of different modes of material nature, but the soul and the Supersoul within the body are of the same spiritual quality. The similarity in the quality of the soul and the Supersoul, however, does not make them equal in quantity, for the individual soul is present only in that particular body whereas the Paramātmā is present in each and every body. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person has full knowledge of this, and therefore he is truly learned and has equal vision. The similar characteristics of the soul and Supersoul are that they are both conscious, eternal and blissful. But the difference is that the individual soul is conscious within the limited jurisdiction of the body whereas the Supersoul is conscious of all bodies. The Supersoul is present in all bodies without distinction.

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Jayapatākā Swami: This is a very nice verse of the Bhagavad-gītā. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person in every state sees everyone the same. So everybody has a spirit soul, and the soul should be engaged in Kṛṣṇa’s service. The parikramā path shows kṛṣṇa-līlā and rāma-līlā in this temple, and how devotees engage in the service of Lord Hari. How different demons are neutralized or annihilated by Kṛṣṇa. Now, each of these liberations is also symbolic with getting rid of certain offences, anarthas in the path of devotees. It is explained how Lord Kṛṣṇa neutralized 23-demons, and it is explained how incident was getting rid of one type of obstacle in our path of devotional service. So, there are certain offences, certain obstacles in the path of our devotional service. And we need to cross over those. It is very essential. So we take the shelter of Lord Kṛṣṇa or Lord Hari, and Kṛṣṇa’s different expansions can also give shelter. Now many of the avatāras, are expansions in Hari-dhāma. People worship them realizing their great power and glory. Like in Goloka, especially in Vṛndāvana, they don’t know about Kṛṣṇa being the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And after Kṛṣṇa lifted the Govardhana Hill, held it on one finger for seven days, then the cowherd men approached Nanda Mahārāja and asked, “Who is your son? He just lifted a mountain for seven days! So, who is He? WHO IS HE? He is not an ordinary person!” So, Nanda Mahārāja said that, “Garga Muni the astrologer, he came and told us that this boy, he has the power of Lord Nārāyaṇa. And he will be very good to the cowherd men and women.” So the cowherd men were satisfied and they left. Of course, they were not explained that Kṛṣṇa is the source of Lord Nārāyaṇa, and that is why He has the power of Lord Nārāyaṇa! He is Nārāyaṇa. He is more than Nārāyaṇa! Haribol! Haribol! Haribol!

So, this verse tells us we should see everybody equally. Someone asked what to do if family members are unfavorable. It would be nice that you can convince your family members to be favorable. My mother from my pūrvāśrama had come to India to meet me. And she met Śrīla Prabhupāda and she was an expert at rose cultivation. Every day she offered a bouquet of roses to Śrīla Prabhupāda. One day I walked into the room and Śrīla Prabhupāda was talking to her, explaining that we are not the body! So, she told me that at the Ganges, the confluence with the Jalāṅgī river, she had a religious experience. But she would not tell me what it was. But she said that she wanted some of her ashes after her body cremation to be put in the Ganges at the confluence. So, her visit to India gave her a great change of heart! I want to thank all the devotees here in the front wearing tilaka! I would like to offer my special blessings to all the devotees who are wearing tilaka! Kṛṣṇe matir astu!

So, now you know the secret to get my blessings! So, we should see everyone equally. But Kṛṣṇa says that the devotees for Him are very special, very dear. And so His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda established the temples in Bombay with the idea that if we can make the people of Bombay Kṛṣṇa conscious, that will spread to the whole of India! So, I am very glad that there are so many devotees in Kharghar! And you can try, Kṛṣṇa is the controller, and He is in everybody’s heart in the Absolute form. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said that every devotee has the ability to bless others! And maybe the beginning devotees who are practicing devotional service will bless someone, their faith in Kṛṣṇa increases. And if you are more advanced, you can give higher blessings. But by doing aṣṭāṅga-yoga, jñāna-yoga or karma-yoga it is not possible to understand Kṛṣṇa! It is only possible by association with the devotees. Śrīla Prabhupāda, he gave his association and established 108 temples. His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami gave his association and so many people became devotees! So, each of you give your association, that is the only way that people can become devotees! If they associate with everybody else, they will not get devotional service. Only by bhakti-yoga can one understand Kṛṣṇa. Each of you has a special quality to give Kṛṣṇa to others! But some people are very hard to make devotees. But a very advanced devotee, he can even turn hard nuts! Like Nārada Muni, he even liberated the hunter who was half-killing the animals, Mṛgāri.

So, it depends, the normal way, Kṛṣṇa says there are four kinds of people who are hard nuts to crack! Anyway, you can try. But you are trying, don’t be attached to the results. One may accept or not, but you tried! Maybe you gave him a book, you distributed a book. Maybe you just gave some nice association. In any way, try to give Kṛṣṇa to others! Maybe at some point people will remember that this person told me that I should chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, who don’t I try?!

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare!

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

Gaurāṅga! Nityānanda!

How much bliss, how much happiness is in the two syllables ‘kṛṣ’ ‘ṇa’, cannot be estimated! People who are trying to be happy taking intoxication. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura wrote a poem, he said the people who take intoxication, wine, they fall into disgrace. Śrīla Prabhupāda told us that we have the peace formula in the Bhagavad-gītā.

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ
sarva-loka-maheśvaram
suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati
(Bg. 5.29)

So this is the peace formula. Not taking intoxication or wine.

We are going to have a universal vision, and we can see here that the Kṛṣṇa conscious devotee has this kind of vision. Recently, many countries are losing their population, having less children. Statistics say we need 2.1 population to keep the same population number. So, people think that it is too expensive to maintain children! So, the average in some countries is 1.1. So as a result, they are getting more old people and less young people. So like China and other countries, even India, one family one child! But now they have reversed position for material reasons. They now do not say that. Two people, two children, at least! So, this is the situation that the world population is now going down! Śrīla Prabhupāda told the gṛhasthas to have ācāryas as their children! We need a lot of ācāryas. Some families are not able to have children. But those who can, they don’t want, in many countries! Now, in Europe, the population is going down like China. So we are not against families and childbirth. But I think India has become the most populous country in the world because they are making babies! But we want them to be Kṛṣṇa conscious! It takes a lot of work to make a child Kṛṣṇa conscious! It is not easy!

So, in various ways, we have our work cut out. I wanted to see the things, but I was tied up when different people came to see me. Some good news I got! One couple came to me and said it was their 20^th year anniversary of their marriage. Vaṁśīdhara Viśāla dāsa and Mādhurī Mamatā devī dāsī. You all give them their blessings! Few days ago, I got a call on Zoom that they were celebrating their 50^th wedding anniversary! Anukulya Keśava dāsa and his good wife. So like I said in the West marriages don’t last, so also in India. But India, is comparatively less. Some countries, 50% of the marriages fail. But if the people are Kṛṣṇa conscious, this could get better. Now, so many problems are there in our society but by being Kṛṣṇa all these problems can be solved. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, he established the Kṛṣṇa conscious society, and he said that this society would change the situation in the world! Gaurāṅga!

Any questions?

Question: In every situation how can we be always enthusiastic in bhakti, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Jayapatākā Swami: This is a question I don’t fully understand! When I think how Śrīla Prabhupāda sacrificed so much when at 69 years of age he crossed the Atlantic Ocean! He suffered heart attacks and sea sickness. How he started in New York, preaching. His things were stolen, he was sacrificing so much to give us this transcendental knowledge! His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami, who stayed in the West and was earning big money, he came to India to serve Śrīla Prabhupāda. Then he took up sannyāsa and tried to help the people. So many devotees have gone all over the world trying to expand Kṛṣṇa consciousness! Now we have 800 to a 1000-centers or more. All the time I am feeling enthused, thinking of all this. I want to pay back the debt I owe to Śrīla Prabhupāda! So, you say how do you stay enthusiastic? Why not?

Question: How can I serve you, Guru Mahārāja? Please take me in your shelter.

Jayapatākā Swami: I told you yesterday that I am very easy to please! I wanted to see you engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. To distribute Śrīla Prabhupāda books, read his books, get the degrees, help with the service of the temple. I see that a couple went to East London and make hundreds of devotees. I am just saying you to make one devotee and that will be good! Sura dāsa, he made this wonderful temple! It is amazing! I wrote to the GBC that they should have their meeting here! How would you like that? I could say more but there are more questions. Maybe one night we should have just question and answer!

Question: How is your relationship with your godbrothers and especially I saw a picture of you with His Holiness Gaura Govinda Mahārāja.

Jayapatākā Swami: I appreciate all of them for their dedication to spreading Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mission. Some of the lectures of His Holiness Gaura Govinda Swami are very powerful! He spoke simple but very penetrating and powerful! He wanted me to attend some program he was doing in Orissa. At that time, I was in South India. So then I came late, and he was sad about that. Other than that, most of the time I could support him! And I miss my godbrothers like Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami Mahārāja, Bhakti Cāru Swami Mahārāja, who have left. There are many more godbrothers. I don’t know how long Lord Kṛṣṇa will keep us in these bodies. Our expiry date is already there! In medicine and things, we get the expiry date. Even healthy people, they suddenly get sick and pass away! So the time here I want to give my association and whenever my godbrothers are there, I would like to meet them and chant with them. Yesterday I met, His Holiness Girirāja Mahārāja. Today I met Śrutakīrti Prabhu. Any more questions?

Question: In the beginning of the class, you mentioned about offences. How do we distinguish whether we are committing an offence or not. Sometimes we think it is normal to point out this thing in a devotee, is it normal to say that. Or if somebody did something wrong to me, it is normal to express my emotion. But sometimes it is offence in disguise. So how do we understand if we are committing an offence or not? How do we rectify it?

Jayapatākā Swami: You see it is the guru’s duty to find defects in the disciple. I am not very good at this! But it is my duty. But other devotees, you may see some defects, please keep them to yourselves, don’t imitate it, don’t do it. It says the uttama-adhikārī, he doesn’t see the faults in others. He does not fault-find. But you may see and think that I don’t want to do like that. In the scripture, Nectar of Devotion, they explain exactly what is an offence, what is a weed. And the Caitanya-caritāmṛta and other śāstras also do the same. There are weeds in our devotional service. Lord Caitanya mentions said there are six but there are unlimited! He said, niṣidhācāra, kuṭināṭi, jīva-hiṁsa, lābha, pūjā, pratiṣṭhādi. Some said I have been a devotee for five-years, I still do not have a Mercedes Benz car! Things like that! We don’t want any material things. Kṛṣṇa gives us and you may take it and use it in His service. But it is not that we want those things.

Question: I see that you have been emphasizing that we should perform the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra and having ācāryas children. How gṛhasthas should prepare so much to have Kṛṣṇa conscious children and making more and more devotees. What is making you emphasize these?

Jayapatākā Swami: How many people here are gṛhasthas? How many brahmacārīs? We only see that six or ten in saffron cloth. We see so many gṛhasthas, ladies. So why should I not lecture to the gṛhasthas too? Lord Caitanya said gṛhe thāko vane thāko sadā hari bole ḍāko. So we want to encourage the renounced order and also the gṛhasthas! So naturally then some of our lectures would be directed at them!