Om Namo bhagavate vasudevay
Om namo bhagavate vasudevay
tac cej jala-sthaḿ tava saj jagad-vapuḥ
kiḿ me na dṛṣṭaḿ bhagavaḿs tadaiva
kiḿ vā su-dṛṣṭaḿ hṛdi me tadaiva
kiḿ no sapady eva punar vyadarśi

TRANSLATION
My dear Lord, if Your transcendental body, which shelters the entire universe, is actually lying upon the water, then why were You not seen by me when I searched for You? And why, though I could not envision You properly within my heart, did You then suddenly reveal Yourself?
PURPORT By the disciples of Srila Prabhupada
Lord Brahmā here refers to his experience at the dawn of cosmic creation. As described in the Second Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Lord Brahmā took birth on the seat of a giant lotus whose stem emanated from the navel of Nārāyaṇa. Brahmā was bewildered as to his whereabouts, function and identity, and therefore he tried to trace out the source of the lotus stem, searching for clear information. Unable to find the Personality of Godhead, he returned to his seat and engaged in severe austerities, having been ordered to do so by the transcendental voice of the Lord, who could be heard but not seen. After long meditation, Brahmā saw the Lord but then again lost sight of Him. Thus Brahmā concludes that the transcendental body of the Personality of Godhead is not material but rather an eternal, spiritual form endowed with inconceivable mystic potencies. In other words, Lord Brahmā should not have challenged the Personality of Godhead, the Lord of all mystic power.
 
Here this morning hearing the sublime words of the great founder of our Brahma Madhava gaudiya sampradaya. Here the Lord Brahma is revealing his rememberence of his first experience with his spiritual master, Lord Sri Krishna. Often times devotees, they likes to discuss amongst themselves how they first met there spiritual master. That is vey most relishable purifying subject matter for all of us to remember.
Om Agyan timir-andhasya Gyananjan Shalakaya.
Chakshur-oonmeelitam yena tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.
Because every true devotee has this feeling that I was born in the darkness of ignorance. No devotee should always think that by my good birth, by my previous pious activities, I’m very advanced soul. Afterall lord Brahma, he has the highest birth. No one can have highest birth than Brahma. He is born from the lotus flower directly sprouting from the navel of Lord Narayan. He is Ama bhu. What higher birth could he have. Then not only that but we all know that in order to attain the birth as lord Brahma one has to have perform the supreme most pious activities in all over creation. It is deep top most pious birth possible. So… he had highest birth and he was not thinking himself an advanced soul but lord Brahma even though he was fully manifested in such a sublime form all around him, he could see nothing but darkness. There is darkness north, south, east and west. He could not see anything beyond this darkness. He could not see anything within this darkness. There was simply darkness all around. And he decided to search for his origin. And what was around him then what was his purpose and who was God. And he was searching in all direction but through all of his great great efforts, he only found one thing only darkness. With all of his power and all of his greatness, he could not free himself from this darkness all around him. He could not create nor could he find even the slightest trace of light. But because of his sincere endeavor, he attracted the mercy of Lord Narayan. And Lord Narayan has not seen but heard by lord Brahma. He heard two syllabuls. Tapa . And lord Brahma excepted this as the word of his gurudev and surrendered to performing great great Tapasya. It is said in the shastras, that we should not try to search thorugh our eyes, we learn how to hear through our ears. By hearing the glories of the Lord, by hearing the instructions of the spiritual master and by following those instructions, through that sound vibrations we can perceive God Shabd Brahma.
So Lord Brahma surrendered with great submissiveness to the order of the Lord. And through that process, simply endeavoring according to ones capacity to serve the order of the Lord Sriman Narayan became most pleased with him and revealed His divine transcendental form. Not only that but He revealed the spiritual world.
Om Agyan timir-andhasya Gyananjan Shalakaya.
Chakshur-oonmeelitam yena tasmai Shri Gurave Namah.
You see, the most important service our real spiritual master is not only to reveal the truth to us that is within the scriptures but to live by those truths. (10.14 Mins)
And the first truth taught is the Pranipaten pariprashnen sevaya….. Is to approach the spiritual master and enquire submissively and be a servant. So therefore a true guru must teach by his example how to be a true disciple. When the disciples of the spiritual master see how he is so faithfully, humbly, dedicative and his body, mind and life to the service of his guru, through that we learn how to survive guru. Therefore it is said that unless you become a perfect disciple, you cannot understand what is mean to be a perfect guru. To the degree one is a faithful and loyal disciple to that degree we one can be a proper spiritual master. These days there are many so called great great sadhus who just claim but by their own revolution, by there own greatness they have achieved the mercy of Srimati Radharani and Lord Sri Krishna and we have become the empowered Acharyas. But how do we really know whether they are actually in such a position. But there is one way that we can know for sure that if such a person is an authorized parampara. The Ramanuja sampradaya, Nimbark sampradaya, Vishwa swami sampradaya, Brahma Sampradaya, Gaudiya sampradaya, Vallab sampradaya. There are 4 vaishnava sampradaya and there are various branches of those 4. But if we find that a person has enquired submissively and then the humble service as a servant of the great guru of the one of these sampradayas then it is quite clear that this person is really teaching by his examples how to be a proper disciples.
And therefore within our own sampradaya, it is very very very strongly commanded there we should offer respect to all vaishnavas. For we should only follow and be inspired by those persons who really and truly servant of the previous acharyas. This is what is most important. Otherwise we become attracted by lesser important characteristics mystic powers, tremendous quantities of learning, the manifestations of escatic symptoms. The devotees of our line are neutral to all of these things. They only take one thing seriously, how is this person humbly serving his gurudev in his mission. And how is he living by the words of his gurudev, and how is he preserving and maintaining the truth that Krishna has originally spoken through this great system of disciplic succession. And how such a greta soul revealing to the world this great gift of guru parampara. In this way we can accept the teachings of all the great acharyas of all the great vaishnav sampradayas. They all are one, we worship all of them. Infact Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu who played the role of the devotee, He traced this principle so much although He is the supreme personality of Godhead, the original source of Narayan, still he accepted the Diksha and Siksha from Sri Isvarapuri Maharaj who is in disciplic succession of Sri Madhavacharya in Brahma sampradaya. (16.01 mins)
Why? Why Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu did like this? He was the knower of the everything. He is the controller of the everything. He is Jagad Guru. It is not required for Him a guru or spiritual master. There is no need.
paritrāṇāya sādhūnāḿ
vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām
dharma-saḿsthāpanārthāya
sambhavāmi yuge yuge
(BG 4.8)
When the Lord appears in this world becomes to establish the principles of religion. And the first principle of the religion is to humbly submit oneself before a bonafide spiritual master. SO therefore simply for our sake to show us that its outmost essential to humble ourselves before a bonafide guru in a authorized parampara. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu who accepted Isvarpuri as His gurudev. And then He taught us how to approach the spiritual master.
vedaham samatitani
vartamanani carjuna
bhavisyani ca bhutani
mam tu veda na kascana
(BG 7.26)
Krishna, He knows past, present and future. He knows everything.
sarvasya cāhaḿ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo
mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaḿ ca
vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo
vedānta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāham
(BG 15.15)
He is the compiler of the Vedas and He is the knower of the all the Vedas. So when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, a Krishna Avatar, what is the need for Him to study the Vedas under the guru? He is the author of the Vedas and the knower of the Vedanta. But yet when He came before His guru maharaj Isvarpuri, He told him that I am a great fool. I am such a fool that there is no use telling me to study the Vedas. Because I cannot understand. So His gurudev said, Yes its is correct that you are fool. Better you should chant
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Because in the age of Kali Yuga who can understand the Vedas. Even the greatest scholars, they cannot extract the essence from the Vedas. Only by the mercy of the Sri Krishna we can understand. And the mercy of Sri Krishna is one who serves the vaishnavas and who humbly chants the Holy names. So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught that just by humbly serving to guru and chanting
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
One can attain the perfection of escatic love. And we know in the life of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu He following His guru. He did not even displayed any symptoms of being an devotee. Although He is an God Himself, He is playing an role which is very important blessing He is trying to teach us. He is playing a role of a mundane scholar. In Navadwip as a Nimai pandit, He was basically the greatest of all scholars. He even defeated the greatest Digvijay Keshav Kashmiri. But He did not revealed even the slightest glimpse of the devotion to Krishna. He was simply merged in arguing and debating on the subject matter of Yakarda (20.30 mins) in other technical subjects. In fact, in Navadwip He was most terribly materiastic people at that time. Most of them are worshipping the demigods simply for material bediction. There was so many Mayavad sanyasis who are inspiring not to service but fot the position of the God. There was so many followers of the Tantrisism who are engaged in all sort of illicit activities on the name of Yoga. And there are only few devotees who are Vaishnavas who are following in the line of Madava-gaudiya sampradaya. They were disciples of the Madhavendra Puri. And they were always in the house of Sri Adaivta Acharya and having wonderful kirtan. Chanting, dancing and praying to Lord Hari, please help us to convince to all these materialistic people to take to the chanting of the Holy name.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
So these devotees, they did not like to hear anything but the topics of Krishna. To their, its complete waste of their lives to hear anything but the glorification of the Krishna’s name and pastimes. If any material subject matter brought pains in their hearts. This is the nature of the devotee. Bhagavam says, those who relish the subjects of this material world they are like crows who enjoy the eating of garbage. But those who are the devotees of the Lord, they are like the Swans. They are always tasting the sweet nector from the stem of the lotus. So these swan like devotees could not tolerateto to hearing the Caw ..Caw….Caw (Sound of Crow) of these crows speaking all material subjects. And Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as Nimai Pandit, He was the foremost of the crows (Laughing……………). The wanted to show that if He wants to become the materialistic subject then He is the best and no one can defeat Him. So He was stop the devotees and challenge them in some technical materialistic details of the Vedas. Some grammatical rules and regulation. He would challenge them and argue with them and He would defeat them. And the poor devotees, when Lord challenge them, they just walk away. But it so beautiful that something in your heart they just loves Him in the same way they loves Krishna. (23.57 mins) They couldn’t walk away from Him at the same time they couldn’t tolerate of hearing material subject matters. Its unbearable to them.
One day its explained one of the great vaishnava his name was Mukunda. Mukunda was the same age of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But he by the grace of the Lord, he was gifted with the most beautiful voice to do sankirtan. Although he was just a young boy, when he was come to the house of Advaita Acharya, the house of Srivasa Thakur, everyone would ask him please sing the kirtan of the holy name. And when he sings the beautiful name and qualities of Sri Krishna, he was just weep in escatic love. And his voice was so full of sweet devotion and sounded so beautiful to the heart that all of the devotees will just swoon…… in the escatic love and fall to the ground. And Mukunda, he could not tolerate hearing anything but the glories of the Lord. Therefore by all means he tried to avoid to have any contact with Nimai Pandit.
So one day, Nimai was a teacher. He has thousands and thousands of student learing grammer(Vyakaran) from Him. One day Nimai was walking with His students along with the banks of Ganga. And Mukunda was walking in the way towards them. And Nimai called out “Oh.. Mukunda. I have some questions for you.” And Mukunda ran the other way. And Nimai said to His students “Why is this Mukunda running away from Me? Where he is gone? “ And His student said “Oh Nimai, must be he has some very very appointment that he has to go to. Or may be he did not see You(laughing).” And Nimai Pandit said “ No, No. That is not the reason. The reason is Mukunda is the pure vaishnava. And he cannot tolerate hearing material subjest matter which I am always speaking. Therefore he has nothing to do with Me, he cannot tolerate me. That is why he has run away.” Then He turn to the direction Mukunda ran and He started speaking very loudly that he could hear, but Mukunda you just wait and see. Some day I will become such a vaishnava that even Lord Brahma and lord Shiva would put there head on my lotus feet(Laughing). And none of the students could understand that He was saying. They were just thinking that He was telling some joke.
SO any ways, it is explained that this was going on for sometime and one day that great disciple of Sri Madhavendra Puri, that humble and gentle mahatma Sri isvapuri happen to come to Navadwip Dhama. He made no announcement of his arrival. He was so humble and so gentle that he would not even tell anyone who he was. Because he was very famous. But he did not want any recognition and any glorification. So he appeared in the dress of mayavadi sanyasi. So one day he came to the house of Advaita Acharya. And without saying anything to anyone, he just sat in the dirt of the ground outside in the courtyard. All the devotees were discussing the divine lila of the Radha and Krishna. He was just little distance away sitting on the ground like a stranger and listening. And Sri advaita Acharya and the other vaishnavas they saw him. And they were thinking who is this man who is in the dress of mayavadi sanyasi. What is this? And what type of stranger is this just sitting there. At the same time they were saying some qualities about him. He is very attractive, cannot understand what it is. So that time Mukunda began to sing. He began to sing very sweetly the beautiful charming pastimes of Radha and Krishna. And then the Isvarpuri just fell into the escatic love. Choked up the voice and crying Radhe Radhe Krishna Krishna. And upon seeing this, advaita Acharya could understand that this must be a great disciple of Sri Madhavendra Puri. (30.02 mins). Otherwise how could any one have such a escaties of love.So they all surrounded him and when they all understood that he was a Isvarpuri, they all fell down and offer their prostrated obeisances and gave him all honour and respect.
There is a story in Caitanya Caritamrita of how Sri Isvarpuri attained this very very high position. It is explained that when his guru Madhavendra puri was at the last stage of life. He was very very sickly. He was lying on his death bed. He could not walk. He could not even stand up. And it is explained that when he went to bathroom, he just went to his bed. And Isvarpuri 24 hours a day was sitting at the bed side of Madhavendra Puri, his guru. And when such a humble and manial service of his own hands with such love and devotion. He was cleaned the stool and urine of his guru from his body. Thinking that how fortunate am I that my beloved guru has given me this service. And the pain that the guru maharaj’s body was feeling in such a oldage, Isvarpuri was constantly massaging his lotus feet, massaging his body. Just the most menial, humble possible service. And through this devotion, Madhavendra Puri iinvested within him the supreme power of bhakti. It is not that he was already a very good scholar. But his scholarship did not bring him a mercy of the Lord. It was because he agreed to perform the most menial, humble possible service to his guru.
The service of the nurse(laughing). Not a great acharya but simple nurse because he did this for his spiritual master with such feeling. He was invested with such a divine power of Bhakti. And everyone knew if his glory that one who becomes the humble servant of a great souls, they are the greatest of al personalities. So when Isvarpuri came to Navadwip people recognized him very much. And one Nimai Pandit was walking down the banks of the Ganges and He happen to come across the Isvarpuri. And although He was very challenging to everyone He met when He came before Isvarpuri, He became very humble. He said “Please come to my home for Prasad”. And He brought him to His home and He personally and His wife Vishnupriya and saci Devi cooked and He was personally cooked with His own hands. And after Isvarpuri has completed, He massaged his lotus feet. He took remanants of his Maha Maha Prasada. And then Isvarpuri left Navadwip. And Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with the excuse of going to Gaya, to perform the Sradha ceremony for His recently departed father Jagannath Mishra.
He wants some of His students and there at the Gadadhar temple, when the lotus feet of the Lord Narayana, has sitted at the Gaya dhama. Lord was sitted there looking at the lotus feet of Lord Narayana, Isvarpuri came into the temple. And there Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu fell at his lotus feet and surrendered His life. And from that point, the symptoms of the escatic love began to manifest in the body of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He told to Sri Isvarpuri that My whole life is being simply wasted. But now by your mercy, by your grace uplifted me and you have given me the love of Krishna. And Isvarpuri told Him that you should always chant the holy names of the Lord

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
And Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to trace the importance of the humility before guru to such an extent that when He went to the birth place of Isvarpuri Kumarhatta, He rolled in the dust of the ground and He began to eat the dirt and He said that this is most holy of the all holy places because on this place my guru maharaj has born. He took the clothful of the dirt and everyday He was eating that dirt and tears of escatic love would fall from His eyes. Why? Because many years ago His spiritual master’s lotus feet had been upon that dirt. Therefore He considered that dirt with eternally sanctified and could purify all the three worlds.
So here Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu who is the Lord Himself has revealed this wonderful pastime to show that nobody can come out of the darkness of the ignorance without surrendering oneself before a proper guru. Not even Himself. Lord Sri Ramachandra, He was such a humble, obedient servant of Vishwamitra Muni. Carrying wood for him, massaging his feet, bringing water for him. Lord Krishna did same for His guru Sandipani Muni. In this way such examples so strongly explained
tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaḿ
jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
(BG 4.34)
When Lord comes Hw not only speaks the truth but shows us how to follow. So here today we are reading about lord Brahma. And Lord Brahma is remembering his first meeting with his guru. He was remembering how he was born from the lotus stemming from the navel of garbodhkshayi Vishnu. And how there was just darkness everywhere around him.
Om Agyan timir-andhasya Gyananjan Shalakaya.

He was born in the darkness of the ignorance. But by the causeless grace of his guru, he was given light, the torch light of knowledge to open his eyes to see the truth. And what was the truth? That his spiritual mater revealed to him. When he first began to see the divine roam of Vaikuntha, Brijbhumi He began to offer the beautiful prayers. In Brahma Samhita, the prayers of Lord Brahma offered when the divine abode of Goloka was revealed before him. In his first prayer
īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
(Śrī Brahma-saḿhitā 5.1)
This is the divine truth that his guru revealed to him. īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
that the Krishna is the supreme controller of all controllers. Every living being has some power of control from an insignificant ant upto lord Brahma and even the great demigods, we all have some power to control our particular sphere of our life. īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. But Krishna is Parameshwar.(40.16 mins)He is the supreme controller. sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. His divine form is not material. It is not subject to any of the limitation of this creation.
Tri vir guna mayay bhavay….
It is not at all under the influence of the three modes of the material nature. sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ The vigraha of Sri Krishna is eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss. It is nav yauvanam cha He is eternally youthful.
govindam ādi-puruṣaḿ tam ahaḿ bhajāmi
It is explained in the Brahma Samhita that the Krishnas transcendental body is the source of the everything that is exist that even the Brahmajyoti, Brahman the all pervading omnipotent light that the impersonalists are spending life time and life times for performing tapasya to merge in to. That light is the effulgence of the rays that is eminating from the beautiful body of Govinda. And His body it is described, that each one f His senses can perform the work of all of His other senses. He can see through His ears. He can taste through His eyes. He can smell through His feet. Every part of is body is completely conscious and every aspect, every particle of His teancendetal body can perform any activity anc could experirnce, any of the sensual experiences. Krishna can see through His ears but not like us. He could see everything everywhere all time through His hands thought His legs, through His head, through any part if His body. He cab taste through His eyes. That is how when we put the offerings on the alter, Krishna does not need to put it in His mouth. Simply by glancing on, He can taste it in full. But His eyes are so unlimited that anywhere throughout billions and trillios of universes, any devotee, anywhere, in any of the universes that offers Krishna some Bhoga with love, Krishna who is seated in Goloka Vrindavan He has seen that offering. And tasting it to His full satisfaction. This is the nature of Krishna’s vision. Therefor lord Brahma said…..
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah
That is His body is eternal, unlimited, it is infant(check 43.56) it is full of knowledge, it is full of bliss, dull of all joy, full of all extacy.
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
That this Govinda who is playing the part of a beautiful little cowherd boy. Stealing butter from the Gopis, running in fear of the stick of mother Yashoda, body is trembling, tears falling from His eyes. This beautiful little child Govinda, He is the source of everything that is exist. He is the origin of everything. sarva-karana-karanam………………….. He is the cause of all; causes. And some impersonal philosophers, Krishna says in Gita.
man-manā bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yājī māḿ namaskuru
mām evaiṣyasi satyaḿ te
pratijāne priyo 'si me (BG 18.65)
He says to Arjuna…..always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me, offer your homage unto Me, and this way you will come to me without fail. (45.20 mins) And one was very very great pandit, in his commentary of gita, he said in his purpot that it is not to Krishna that we should always remember and become devotee. It is to that unborn, unmanifested spirit within Krishna. But the vaishnav acharya completely reject this idea. That the Krishna wanted us to surrender to the unborn, unmanifest spirit within Him, He would have said surrender to the unmanifest, unborn spirit within Me. It is like sometimes even great devotees they can look after their duties (laughing). They temporarily forget But that forgetfulness in the life of the people like Brahma, that forgetfulness is not due to their negligence. That forgetfulness is the curtain of Yogamaya that personally created by Lord Govinda just to increase the escatic pastimes of Vrijbhumi. And also to show all of us a lesson that the without the mercy of the gurudev and without the humble service of the Lord, however great we are, we are nothing before Krishna. Therefore we should eternally understand Jivera Swaroop Hoy Krishnera Nitya Das …………………. That we all made for the pleasure of the Lord Hari.
So these most wonderful and beautiful pastimes are so relishable to hear and so instructive that anyone who submissively hear these wonderful lilas and understand, there is no doubt that he will receive the supreme mercy of Sri Radha and Krishna. That is the benediction given to everyone of the beautiful lilas of Sri Krishna of Vrindavan. That just submissively hearing anyone of these beautiful pastimes our life becomes perfect. Every word, every syllabul of the Bhagavatam contains the complete mercy of the absolute truth Sri Krishna.
Srimad-Bhagavatam amalam puranam. …………………….
It is the spotless, most pure of all the puranas. It is the very incarnation of Krishna. SO by hearing these wonderful pastimes, factually we are within the realm of Brijbhumi. The sound vibrations of the Krishna’s lila are non different than the Krishna’s lila and just by hearing it anywhere even if we are in Narakaloka when we hear the pastimes of the Lord. To the extent that our mind is absorbed that we are actually not in Naraka loka, we are in Goloka Vrindavan. And actually Bombay is not much better than the Naraka loka(laughing). This is the great benediction. SO these wonderful past 8 days, Sri Panditji maharaj, Madan Mohan ji, Sri Krishna, Hare Krishna, Nrisinha Baba, Bholanath ji, Lala, Suresh, Meera by their great great mercy they were just living their lives with the beautiful sound vibrations of the Krishna’s lila. Pandit ji with such sweet emotions, devotion and with such great scholarship he was resiting the beautiful lila of Srimad Bhagavatam. Madan Mohan ji, Hare Krishna, Nrisimha Babaji, Bamsidhar Babaji Maharaj (laughing), Bholanath Ji all of these wonderful devotees when they are singing in kirtan, the wonderful wonderful stories of Krishna’s lila, the beautiful sound vibrations of the Holy name, they were brought the Goloka Vrindavan right in to our temple. (50.28 mins). And they have brought Goloka Vrindavan in to the homes of all our devotees. And most of that they have brought Goloka Vrindavan into all of our hearts. This is great mercy of the sadhus. This is the true manifestation of the love of the Brijvasis.
Our own guru maharaj Srila prabhupada, he was so happily and peacefully living in Vrindavan, in Radha Damodar Mandir. But it was his gurus desire that let the whole world enjoy the sweetness of Vrindavan. Speak the holy name, speak the philosophy of the Krishna Katha. And Srila Prabhupada said because I am always chanting Krishna’s names
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare RAma Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
And because I am always serving my guru’s order by speaking Krishna Katha, I feel that I never left Brij bhumi. He would tell us this. But then secretely he would tell his confidential disciples that although this is true still my heart is longing to return to Vrindavan(laughing). Still my heart is longing to go back to the beautiful Vrindavan. In very nice, wonderful similar way, these wonderful Brij vasis, I mean can you imagine that they have left the beautiful beautiful surroundings of Manmandir where gopis are dancing and peacocks are singing and Ramesh Babaji Maharaj is dancing and Radharani is eternally manifesting herself in the sweetest most wonderful way. Can you imagine that they have left that holy simple quite place to come to the crowded, polluted, congested city like Bombay riding on all these terrible trains. Such a sacrifice. But it is a sacrifice of love. They have not left Vrindavan, they have simply come to bring Vrindavan to our lowly and sinful selves. Knowing that what a fallen souls we are, knowing how childish and materialistic our hearts and minds are they have come out of their mercy to enlighten us with the beautiful sound vibrations of Krishna Katha. Beautiful sound of the holy kirtan. In most of all the beautiful sight of the wonderful dancing of Bamsidhar Babaji Maharaj. Hari Bol !! That is the gopi name of Nrisimha Babaji maharaj(laughing).
Maharaj (to Bamsidhar Babaji Maharaj) please fogive me but I am saying this out of affection.
Any questions………………….
HG. Anand Vrindavan Pr.: Maharaj, you are saying that if we really want to advance in spiritual life we should have from core of our heart that one feeling that whatever we are having, whatever advancement we have done, is only by the causeless mercy of the spiritual master. And these things are from our core of heart and that should go on for whole of our lifetimes. There is not single tinch of our own endeavor that we have done anything. Now the problem for us is that we go into the material world and materislistic people, all of them have the controlling tendency and we are associating at lleast 7-8 hours with them and we are with them practically and they try to do brainwash for us that you are the controller not the other people and how you are doing hard working. Now on that side we have to every day just go on with quarreling ourself and make our mind fixed up that, whatever we are thinking is perfect and whatever these people are thinking is not perfect. And that association and all these things that is required that every day we have to associate so that everything would be ok. But problem for us is even one day also if these people overcome us we will again fall down into this particular trap. We have the whole life of around 20-30 years and we have to just go on quarreling for 20-30 years and if even one day we loose it then we are gone out. It is said in Bhagavad Gita that whatever we have done in the past, it is not lost, it will be carried forward in the next birth. But who knows that there is next birth that we will be having the same association and we will behaving the same endeavor. So it is very very dangerous situation all together. SO how to see to it that we are really come out smoothly without all these problems?
HHRMS: Hari Bol !!!! (Laughing) Someone could write a book about the HG Anand Vrindavan questions. It is true
mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimuktes
tamo-dvaram yoshitam sangi-sangam
mahantas te sama-cittah prasanta
vimanyavah suhridah sadhavo ye
(SB 5.5.2)
By associating with Mahatmas the door to liberation are open and by associating with worldly people who are attached to sex life and material enjoyment and wealth; the doors to darkness of ignorance are open. Rishabhadeva has said like this. So what is the prevention of falling pray(58.20) to this controlling power of Maya. Grihastha means you have to have jobs to maintain your family. That is grihastha ashram. How to prevent from falling down to the egoistic way of life. That is I am the controller, I am the Grihastha, I am the Lord, I am the proprietor. By associating with the sadhus every day and by hearing Srimad Bhagavatam and by chanting the holy names of the God very faithfully and regularly
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Haering the Bhagavatam, associating with sadhu’s and chanting the holy names of the Lord will give you strength. It is just like when someone goes to the very very diseased, infected area to try to help these people they have to get immunization. You know immunization, we get an injection which immunes you from the disease. But you have get that immunization regurlarly. So every morning we should immune ourselves from material life by hearing the Bhagavatam, by associating with sadhus, by chanting Krishnas holy name. And if we do this regularly
nasta-prayesv abhadresu
nityam bhagavata-sevaya (SB Chapter 2 text 18)
If we do this regularly then even we will have great strength my will not able to overcome us. But even if in the course of our daily duties we become little bewildered and overcome still the next day we will sit in the bhagavatam class and chanting the holy names we will be revived again. So this regular association with Krishnas devotees, with Bhagavad philosophy and with krishnas name can ptotect us from all the dangers and problems of this world. SO knowing this we should not think that the Sadhana is just something nice that I can do when I have time. This sadhana is the most urgent, immergency necessity in our life. And if we miss a day of it, we will be spiritually killed. We should have this sense of importance. And then there is no power of Maya that can overcome us.
mayadhyaksena prakritih
suyate sa-caracaram
hetunanena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate (BG 9.10)
Krishna says that I am the controller of this maya energy.
daivi hy esa guna-mayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te(BG 7.14)
In those who surrender to me in this way I protect them. So by regularly hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord and by serving the vaishnavas Krishna will protect you. Do not fear. Don’t worry. Yes we are free don’t worry. We should not worry as long as we are taking the shelter of this process. But if we considering of deviating from regualry hearing bhagavatam, chanting the holy names and associating with devotees we should worry like anything. We should consider that like if you are on helicopter and you are hanging from a rope and 10000 mts down on the ground, your whole attention should be on a rope. We should start thinking about I would like to go to eat this, I would like to see this and then you might forget about the rope and let go and you may be dead(laughing).
But let him go with rope, the only thing that dies is this physical body which is going to die in few years any way but let him go to the Krishnas lotus feet either for a second, spiritually we have catched the situation worse than death.
So therefore regularly hear the bhagavatam, everyday chant the holy names, to serve the sadhus, we should have the same sense of urgency of taking shelter of Krishna through these processes even also to holding on to that rope. If we deviate, we let go; you will finished. The waves of Maya will wash us away.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
HG. Anand Vrindavan Pr.: Maharaj, sometimes it will happens that practical problems are there. Suppose the trains are not working, we are staying far away and we can’t attend the Bhagavatam class. And sometimes office heavy load of tasks.
HHRMS: Then you should sit with your good wife and you should read Bhagavatam together and chant the holy names together. The trains are not working and you cannot come to the temple, that does not give the excuse to turn on the television or to go to the restaurants. If you give the excuse that I cannot go to the Bhagavatam, then Bhagavatam will come to me. The you should sit and the same time you should read Bhagavatam and chant the holy names. The whole Indian railway system is becoming the place of pilgrimage when HG Anand Vrindavan boards the train to come to the Bhagavatam class. Wherever the devotees are thinking of Krishna that place becomes the place of pilgrimage.
Devotee: You said that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to Prayag to perform the Sraddha ceremony of His father to Gaya. SO is it compulsory for the every grihastha to perform it and what is the significance of it?
HHRMS: Actually this was before the Sri Caitanya mahaprabhu surrendered to His gurudev. So He was very very carefully and perfectly following the general system for grihasthas. This is good. But actually you could have same type of Sraddha ceremony if it is done with love and devotion. By inviting the great and pure hearted vaishnavas to your home, to have beautiful kirtan in the honour of your diseased father, to offer bhoga to Lord Krishna then to offer that mahaprasad to your father then to feed all the vaishnavas and receive their blessings. This is perfect sraddha ceremony. There is no any need to go to Gaya. You could do like that. But if you want, you can go to Gaya also(laughing). It is the certainly a very holy place. There is no doubt. If it performed with love and compassion because it is the duty of the son, Putra to help the father come closer to God. That is the responsibility of the every son. You see, the Pralhad Maharaj did not go to Gaya to perform sraddha of hi father Hiranyakashipu(Laughing). Because wherever the Lord is present, all the holy places are contained there. So Nrisimha Deva appeared and he directly delivered Hiranyakashipu. There is no need of any other ceremony. Of course he performed his ceremony but his father was liberated. He performed the last rights like a duty for a son. So we should know the wherever the devotees, the sincere vaishnavas are chanting the holy names, we should know that is the holy place of pilgrimage. Is this correct panditji? (laughing) You are just a Bhagavatam.
So today our beloved Brijvasis is leaving us but they bring happiness to our hearts in all the way they are returning to the blissful life of Brijbhumi But they are leaving us alone in this place. But we want to extend our greatest appreciation that they have come to bring so much light and love into our lives. With their blessing everything is possible. This is power of their blessings. Even the asuara like me can be given entrance into the brij dhama. Without the mercy of such loving devotees, there is no hope, no possibility. So it is in your heart please continue to shower the loving blessings in my life that we may always remember Krishna and we may always chant His holy names.
Jai Jai Sri Radhe ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Shayam………….
Hari Bol !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!