20260315 Vaiṣṇava Saṅga Festival

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-gurun dina tāriṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Jayapatākā Swami: I feel fortunate to be present here. Today is Pāpamocanī or Mokṣadā Ekādaśī. This Ekādaśī is a very favorite day of Kṛṣṇa. In a year there are 24 Ekādaśīs. Every month there are two. And this way, if we observe Ekādaśī, Lord Kṛṣṇa is pleased. And Lord Caitanya asked Śacīmātā, His mother, to observe Ekādaśī.

Now is Kali-yuga. And there are many defects in Kali-yuga. But there is one very special quality. There are some great personalities who wait to take birth in this Age of Kali-yuga. Because in Satya-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga, Tretā-yuga, it takes a long time to get self-realization. But in Kali-yuga, in your lifetime which is short, if you chant the holy name of Hare Kṛṣṇa then your life will be perfected. There was a play here that showed Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni asked his guru and father Lord Brahmā, that I travel all over the universe, how will I be protected from the effect of Kali-yuga? So, in the Kali-santaraṇa Upaniṣad this pastime is there. Lord Brahmā he told Nārada Muni that there is a mantra, which you can chant all the time:

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

This way, there is a śloka:

Iti ṣoḍaśakaṁ nāmnāṁ
kali-kalmaṣa-nāśanaṁ
nātaḥ parataropāyaḥ
sarva-vedeṣu dṛśyate

This 16 syllable mahā-mantra will destroy all the ill-effects of Kali. In all the Vedas you will not find any other method than this. Someone wrote to me that I am not able to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. In this Kali-yuga, if you want to get free of the ill-effects of Kali you have to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Durgā devī asked Lord Śiva, that in Kali-yuga the senses are like crocodiles and are agitated, how can the people be protected? Lord Śiva said if they chant the Harināma:

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

They will be protected.

So in this way, there are many scriptures, some say Kṛṣṇa twice, some say Hare twice and Hare Rāma twice. So people say it in different ways but the meaning is the same. So Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is… rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya, śrī kṛṣṇa caitanya! He is non-different from Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. He descended to give this Hare Kṛṣṇa saṅkīrtana to everyone. I would like everyone of you to get back to Godhead! Now, māyā will give you different excuses. And you please do not listen to those excuses. And please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, II the time! If you do not find the strength, then please chant the Pañca-tattva mantra once:

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

In Kāśī the sannyāsīs were talking with Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. But, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu spoke very humbly. And they said that You being a sannyāsī, why don’t You read the Vedānta-sūtras? Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that His gurudeva told Him that He was a fool! And if I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then my life will be perfected.

Harer nāma harer nāma
harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva
nāsty eva gatir anyathā
[Cc. Ādi 17.21]

He taught me this mantra.

I told my gurudeva when I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, tears glide down my eyes, my hairs stand on end, I get the eight symptoms of ecstatic love. Have I made any offence? What has happened to me? Gurudeva said, you have a disease and that disease is kṛṣṇa-prema! So, this way, I chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa in pure consciousness. In Kāśī, the sannyāsīs who were chanting the Vedānta-sūtras, hearing the glories of the holy name all of them were transformed! Like that we want to see that all of you go back to Godhead!

Now His Holiness Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami is distributing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Caitanya-caritāmṛta sets. How many people have taken? (46 people. We wished to give 108) I saw how Śrīla Prabhupāda used to call me at 1 or 2 am in the morning in Māyāpur. Because I was in his service 24/7. I saw how at night, one day I washed my hands and mouth and came to answer Śrīla Prabhupāda’s call. So, I saw how Śrīla Prabhupāda with so much difficulty was translating the scriptures and giving purports. So all of you please read these books. And in this way, you can all get the association of Śrīla Prabhupāda! Who of you want the association of Śrīla Prabhupāda? This is possible through his books!

I read various books of Śrīla Prabhupāda  and got many degrees. When Śrīla Prabhupāda was present, I got my Bhakti-śāstrī. And then I wanted to acquire the Bhakti-vaibhava, Bhakti-vedānta and Bhakti-Sārvabhauma degrees as well. The Board of Examination said they would give me an honorary degree but I told them I don’t want that! I want to take tests and get the degrees in the usual way. I got the three degrees Bhakti-vaibhava, Bhakti-vedānta and just prior this festival got my Bhakti-Sārvabhauma degree. I hope that all of you will study Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books, take the tests and get the degrees.

A Vaiṣṇavī, housewife, how she can go back to Godhead, I was watching this on a video. That is in English now. And if you all want to see that, then we can give you that.

Now His Holiness Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami will speak.

Jayapatākā Swami: One announcement: That yesterday we had gone to Bhaktivinoda-āsana with all the Safari devotees. There Śrīla Prabhupāda met with his Gurudeva for the first time. This way, I have some good news! They are trying to acquire some places and develop, in Kolkata that are associated with Śrīla Prabhupāda and our previous ācāryas. Please come forward and help in this regard. This program here today is being organized by Kolkata temple and the New Town temple, that is why I offer my gratitude to them.