The Journey Home Book - By Radhanath Swami
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At the age of only nineteen, Radhanath Swami left his home in America seeking adventure and spiritual knowledge. After trekking across Europe for months, Radhanath Swami reached his long hoped for destination: India. After living there for many years as a sadhu or wandering monk, Radhanath Swami returned to America in order to share the sacred knowledge and wisdom he had learned from the many holy men and women he had met there. It was an extraordinary choice, given what Radhanath Swami had survived to get there: a journey filled with bizarre characters, mystical experiences, and dangerous adventures. The story is recounted in his recently published memoir The Journey Home - Autobiography of an American Swami. Reviewers have called Radhanath Swami's saga "at once an engaging yarn, a love story, and the evocation of a transcendent paradise in all its savagery, solitude, and splendor.
Radhanath Swami emerged from his years of travel wanting to explain for others the beauty and rewards of a life devoted to God, and therein lay a dilemma. Radhanath Swami's many followers and friends describe him as completely selfless and consequently unwilling to take credit for his work and restless when a spotlight is focused on him. By choosing A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (1896-1977), a Bengali Vaishnava Saint, as his guru (after declining offers of initiation from several tyagis or renunciants in the Himalayas), Radhanath Swami cast his fate to the wind, cut his matted locks, and entered back into the society.
RadhanathMaharaj.net gives us a complete collection of the teaching of Radhanath Swami. Teachings consists of Transcriptions of lectures delivered by Radhanath Swami at various places. This website is to inspire the followers of Radhanath Swami to practice the philosophy of Vaishanavism.
Verse:No 20.
“yadä na jagrhe räjä
bhäryä-puträv aninditau
srnvatäm sarva-bhütänäm
khe väg ähäsaririni”
SB 9-20_15-20.
TRANSLATION: of verse no. 20. When the King refused to accept his wife and son, who were both irreproachable, an unembodied voice spoke from the sky as an omen and was heard by everyone present.
Translation of verse no 15. King Duñmanta replied: O Çakuntalä, with beautiful eyebrows, you have taken your birth in the family of the great saint Viçvämitra, and your reception is quite worthy of your family. Aside from this, the daughters of a king generally select their own husbands.
Translation of verse no. 16. When Çakuntalä responded to Mahäräja Duñmanta's proposal with silence, the agreement was complete. Then the King, who knew the laws of marriage, immediately married her by chanting the Vedic praëava [oàkära], in accordance with the marriage ceremony as performed among the Gandharvas.
Translation of verse no. 17. King Duñmanta, who never discharged semen without a result, placed his semen at night in the womb of his Queen, Çakuntalä, and in the morning he returned to his palace. Thereafter, in due course of time, Çakuntalä gave birth to a son.
Translation of verse no 18. In the forest, Kaëva Muni performed all the ritualistic ceremonies concerning the newborn child. Later, the boy became so powerful that he would capture a lion and play with it.
Translation of verse no. 19. Sakuntalä, the best of beautiful women, along with her son, whose strength was insurmountable and who was a partial expansion of the Supreme Godhead, approached her husband, Dusmanta.
Translation of verse no. 20. When the King refused to accept his wife and son, who were both irreproachable, an unembodied voice spoke from the sky as an omen and was heard by everyone present
PURPORT: Mahäräja Dusmanta knew that Sakuntalä and the boy were his own wife and son, but because they came from outside and were unknown to the citizens, he at first declined to accept them. Sakuntalä, however, was so chaste that an omen from the sky declared the truth so that others could hear. When everyone heard from the omen that Sakuntalä and her child were truly the King's wife and son, the King gladly accepted them.
Lecture starts:
In this very wonderful chapter from Srimad-Bhagavatam we are reading about the great descendants of Maharaja Puru, the son of Jajati. Another one of the son of Maharaja Jajati, whose name was Yadu. – Srila Sukadeva Goswami, he is leading to avenge that took place upon the appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His individual transcendental form Sri Krishna. This is a very extraordinary story, it is being told. It is described that Maharaja Dusmanta, who was a great king. One day he went into the forest performing an excursion there and he happened to see of the asrama of Kanva Muni, the most beautiful female form that he had ever weaknessed. She was so beautiful that her beauty literally illuminated the entire forest with light and fragrance of her body was so aromatic. He immediately became in saturated by this beautiful form, and desire to marry her. This was not an ordinary person that he saw. It was the goddess Sakuntala. Sakuntala was the daughter of Viswamitra Muni and Menaka. We all know the story of the power of Viswamitra Muni. He was born as a Kshetriya but by the influence of Baishistha Muni he decided that actually brahmanas are more powerful than kshetriyas. So he decided to want to be a brahmana. Although Kamadhenu Cow, Viswamitra Muni and Vaishista Muni had a competition. Viswamitra Muni was such a great king, he had such great armies and he sent them all against Vaishista Muni. But by Vaishista Muni’s brahmanical power he totally defeated and put Viswamitra the -. So he decided to be a brahmana. So he performed many many long years of severe tapasya and finally Vaishista Muni and brahmana community accepted, yes you are a brahmana. Srila Prabhupada explains Viswamitra Muni was so powerful that he want to have a child. And one time he just arrange the child to grow like bhoot on a tree. He could perform so much austerities, even Indra was trembling in fear, that if he is performing all these austerities, he must be doing it, because he wants to enjoy my property. This is the nature of material ego. So when the proud we have and attached to it. We felt everyone must want it. Everyone wants my position, my post. Everyone wants the facility that I am enjoying and using in my service. In this way Indra being a very in defensive, he wanted to destroy Viswmitra Muni just to protect his own position. So he sent Menaka and Indra was successful. Menaka was a beautiful beautiful heavenly lady. Srila Prabhupada explains many times this story how just by the temporary of the ankle bowls, the sound of her bangles and her sweet sounding voice, Viswamitra Muni 60 thousand years of meditation he could do it without eating, without sleeping, severe tapasya in Himalays in winter, in the drizzles, in the summer `He could tolerates so much difficulties but he could not tolerate the twinkle of the ankle bowls. He cannot do his meditation. Became very much attracted to Menaka. And he gave up all his austerities and became something like her husband. Then a child was born and that child was sakuntala. However Viswamitra Muni was frustrated by this type of life. So he left. And Menaka she put on her work for Viswamitra muni – to her palace, she did her work for Indra. So she also decided to leave. So this – baby just lying in the forest alone. The baby did not know who her mother and father was. She is abandoned. Meanwhile Kanva Muni took care of this child and taught her “you are actually the daughter of the great sage Vand the goddess, the very beautiful apsara Menaka”. So you could imagine having birth of this particular origin, what kind of the person Sakuntala must have been. Her beauty, her charm, her good qualities were extraordinary. Dusmanta immediately asked her please we should get married and she had no objection, because she was very much charmed by the powers and by the good nature of Maharaja Dusmanta. So when she did not make any objection, immediately Maharaja Dusmanta just chanted some mantras. Alone in the forest, but just by chanting the mantras they were officially, legally married. It is called gandharva marriage. Srila Prabhupada explains. So after they got married. He decided to be get a child within her womb. After doing that he returned to his palace in his kingdom. Child was born. This child was known as Maharaja Bharata. There are several Maharaja Bharatas in vedic literature. One of among was familiar was the son of Brishava desh who was the eldest of the hundred sons the supreme lord. He is the one that gave up everything and became attached to a deer and became Jada bharat. But this is different Bharat. He was the son of Dusmanta. He also became the king of the world. And it is described in this particular chapter that this maharaja Bharat actually a divine representation of the personal expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Vishnu. Very powerful. So Sakuntala get birth to this boy and when he was just little baby, he would playing with lions. He just catch them and played with them like toys. Just like a little children playing with cats. He would playing with lions. Not an ordinary child with his family background. Sakuntala went to the kingdom and requested Maharaja Dusmanta to take care of them. But warning to the exemplary for citizens. He did not want to confuse them. Because one who is in a leadership position, he must be very exemplary to those who are following them. This is very important principle. “yad yad äcarati sresthas tat tad evetaro janaù sa yat pramäëaà kurute lokas tad anuvartate”. What great man do, common people will naturally follow. Whatever leaders do their exemplary acts such a standard which other people naturally pursue. If there is any quotient in the leader, there is very little chance that will be teach within society. This is one of the great problems within the political war throughout the world today. Generally in democracy people do not vote for someone because they stress them. Generally and practically in every country of the world, people vote for someone because they do not distress them as much as the person running against. Who may do the worse damage both for others. Because peoples pride of life are very much unethical and people’s policies are selflessly motivated. Generally the greatest problem is people are more attached to the position than their service. Everyone according to the vernashram system. Everyone is the servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is daivi varnashram. And there is ever service we perform that is only for the purpose of the service. And we take the position only for the purpose of service. We are not attached to anything but to service. That the person has this quality and actually and genuinely serving in our birth -. Then naturally the whole kingdom wants to follow them. Not only follow what they are say, but follow the mode of life they are keeping. Of course in every type of society. In spiritual society this is also the principles. Because Srila Prabhupada was such a perfect example and what he spoke, what he has said. There was no hypocrisy, there was no secret – things to learn about him. Therefore people had completely trust. Anyone who is sincere, we can follow him, we could have faith. And that trust in the leader not only creates a proper understanding of what we should there. But it creates unit, among people. Faith in leadership is very very powerful to put the whole society in the right direction. So Maharaja Dusmanta, he just went to the forest for an excursion, and all of sudden living in his palace in his kingdom and that lady comes with a child and says this is your child take care of us. So the king did not want to confuse the citizens. Because genuinely whatever the king does becomes very very popular in public knowledge. If the king is married then people should know. If the king had child born naturally the people will know. Was this something you listen it, is this true, it would been confusing to the citizens. Therefore for the sake of world Maharaja Dusmanta refused that was true. He refused Sakuntala and the child Bharat. However, because Sakuntala was so chaste and faithful, she had the power of providence and ultimately the supreme Lord to protect her. And also the king to be heard by the citizens and everyone, a voice came from the sky. Not an ordinary voice, sky voice. And these voices very ponderously proclaim “O’ maharaja Dusmanta a son actually belongs to his father, where as a mother is only a container like a skin of mellows. According to the Vedic injunctions the father was born as the son, therefore maintain your own son and do not insult Sakuntala. O king Dusmanta, he who discharge semen if you actual father and son says in the custody of Yama Raja. You are the actual procreator of this child indeed Sakuntala is speaking the truth. Because he actually wanted to be with his wife and wanted to be take care of the son. But because of this omen that came from the sky, therefore everyone was convinced that everything was proper. Thus Maharaja Dusmanta was protected. Hare Krishna. I like to speak little about what king of this transcendental relationship. That Maharaja Bharat had three wives. However none of them look like Maharaja Bharata. So the wives were thinking that he may think we had an affair with somebody else because our sons are not look like him. So that they kill their sons. Hare Krishna. This is nature of matrial fear. In selfish motivation you can do so may, cruel things to others. But there was a son who was born of Brihaspati and his name was Bharadwaja. He has been taking care of by the Marut. So the Marut gave Bharadwaja to King Bharat to be his son. Then he got married and he has some children and just the descending of those children gave birth to one a very very great king. Who is described in next chapter of Srimad-Bhagavatam. I would like for my own purifications and the humble service to all of you. Describes briefly about the great king who is the descendent of Dusmant and sakuntala. His name was Rantideva. Rantidev was the king of the world. But he was so humble and so purely devoted of the Super Personality of Godhead that he never endeavoured for anything materials for his wellbeing’s. He was so detached and merged in the serving the citizens that whatever came for him and his family by the will of province. He would accept it. If nothing came he would be completely satisfied just performing his service to the citizens without any facilities for his personal life. And because of the simplicity which he need Maharaja Rantideva and whole family sometimes they did not have any food to it. Can you imagine a king living by these principles? So selflessly! Can you imagine how much faith people would have a leader like this? Today the leaders of the all over the world, people are always wanted what he is taking on the side? What is he getting out of it? Rantidev he would not even take food, unless he was given to him a charity. If no one gave him the charity he would not eat throughout his family. Because his family shared his same spirit. So Maharaja Rantideva and his family, it is explained, sometime they trembled due to hunger and he was the king of the world. However all the citizens had total faith on his integrity. One time he fasted with all of his family members for 48 days. By the end of the 48 days they were all practically on the bed of death. Then somebody brought some Prasad for them made with milk and ghee. And after offering his prayers, he was about to take that Prasad with his family. Just when they about to eat, a Brahman appeared as a guest in his home. And said O my dear king I am very hungry, can you give me some – to eat?So Maharaja Rantideva he so kindly divided up whatever Prasad was there, and gave a good portion to the Brahman. The Brahman ate to his full satisfaction. It is said that Rantideva saw Supreme Personality Godhead in the heart of that Brahman. Because he was such a great devotee of the lord, he wanted to selflessly serve to the lord anywhere the Lord came. So Srila Prabhupada explained that Rantideva was a great devotee. He does not impersonalist thinking that this Brahman is Krishna. The idea that has somehow or other come about due to misconceptions is that if you want to give in charity to someone, whatever you give to that person, you are actually giving to god. Because that person is God. Daridra Narayan. That Narayan has come to me in the form of this poor man. But in the scriptures our great acaryas described that Narayan is never poor. Daridra Narayan. He is the husband of the goddess of the fortune. He is never poor. He is supremely wealthy. He is the proprietor of everything that exists. He is within the heart of the rich, poor, even the lower species, and all living entities. So to see every living being and their relationship with Narayan, as the eternal servants of Narayan. And see the presence of Narayan within the heart seating besides the soul, giving direction to all living being. This is proper understanding. So in his desire to please and serve the Lord. He understood, how the Lord is please by compassion. So he gave the Brahman a good portion his food. After the Brahman was satisfied and left, King Rantideva divided the food amongst his relatives. His relatives ate. But just he was about to eat his share, a sudra came as a guest and said O king I am very hungry, although I am a low burn sudra, please give me some food. Maharaja Rantideva saw all living beings with equal vision. “vidyä-vinaya-sampanne brähmaëe gavi hastini suni caivassva-päke ca panditäh sama-darsinah” One who is actually seen the truth understands how the supreme lord is situated in heart of all living beings, every living being is parts and parcels of Krishna, therefore whether one is a Brahman, elephant, cow, dog, or dog eater. A true devotee is the humble servant of all living being. And sees every one as well wisher. Maharaja Rantidev gave a portion of his food to that sudra. He was about to eat, at that moment a guest come with many dogs. They said O king myself and all my dugs are very hungry, please give us some food. Maharaja Rantideva gave all the remaining food he had and distributed it among the dogs as well as the keeper of the dog’s. Then he offered his obeisance to all the dogs and theor keeper. This is the king of the world. Seeing the Lord in the heart of the all living entity part of Krishna, in the heart of dog he is offering obeisance. All there was left was enough water for one person. Rantideva was on the – of death. He went to drink that little water to safe his life. But at that time a chandala came to his home as a guest. And said O king although I am a low burn chandal, I am very thirsty. Please give me some water. Maharaja Rantideva hearing the pitiable words of the chandal, who was in get distressed due to thirst, his heart melted with compassion. Then he spoke the following nectarine words. “I do not pray to the supreme personality of godhead for the eight mystic perfections, nor do I pray to him to achieve liberation form the sufferings of birth and death. I want only to stay among the living entities and suffer all distresses are there we have. So that they may be freed from all sufferings. By offering my water to this chandal to maintain his poor life, I’ll become completely free from hunger, thirst, moroseness, lamentation and illusion”. With these words he offered his obeisance to the supreme personality of godhead and gave the water to the chandal. Chandal drank the water and Rantideva had nothing, nor he asked for anyone for anything. Srila Prabhupada explains this is quality of a selfless vaisnva. Paradukhe dukhi, a vaisnva is not concerned for his own happiness or distress for his own pleasure or pain. A vaisnva is concerned to others. When he sees others suffering, he is willing to sacrifice his own life to relief their suffering. Srila Prabhupada gives most illustrious example, of Srila Vasudeva Dutta, who praid to the supreme Lord Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu that I had one desire only in my life that I wish to you fulfil that all living beings in this entire universe be free from all their sufferings and miseries of birth and death and let them return to your spiritual abode. And they have no qualification to go because of their sinful karma. Then please my Lord offer me this benediction that all the karam of the sinful acts of all living entities within entire universe let me suffer the reactions of all their karma and let them become happy your divine association in your abode. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprahu heard the words of Vasudeva Dutta He began to weep profusely and love for this devotee. How pleased he was just by this compassion. We must understand what is real compassion? What is real welfare and charity? Not just to give some food and water, but to give food and water for the soul. And that comes through transcendental knowledge. Somehow inducing people to take the process of hearing about Krishna, lead in our life for devotion in the path of bhakti, chanting holy names of the Lord. That is real charity welfare of the soul. Actually that was Rantideva’s -. He was so compassionate, willing to sacrifice his life for the welfare of even the most insignificant dog and chandal. At that time Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, and other demigods, appeared to Rantideva, and revealed to him the truth. That they personally appeared to him as the Brahman, the Sudra, the dogs and their master, and the Chandal. Just because they wanted to test, what kind of real vaisnva he was? They wanted to make his name glorified in the world as such a compassionate servant of the Lord. This is important. The Lord puts His devotees in difficulty situation just to glorify him to the world. In the life of our own beloved guru maharaja His Divine Grace A. C. Bhakitvedanta Swami Prabhupada, Krishna personally descend for him. Actually Krishna could not given him a free AirIndia ticket to New York city. Within the hearts of his god brothers He could not call them to so much helps, mridangs, karatals, money, could help has his god brothers induced to build the beautiful temple in New York city. Why Krishna did not do that? Why Krishna sent to him in Jaladuta? Why he had to beg just a few minutes away at Sumati Moraji Mataji’s home. Why he had to sit on the stairs of her office like a beggar to saying I’ll not leave until you give me ticket -. And while travelling across travelling Antaltic ocean Krishna could not make ocean very peacefully nice. Why so many storms and sea sickness, and heart attack, and he went to some people’s house in – Pennsylvania, who went slight respect interested in Krishna consciousness. But he was comfortable, but he left those comfortable situation to live in a burry in New York city. No one helping him, struggling alone, Krishna could not given him people offering donation. He could gone to America with one corer rupees. But he only had forty rupees, seven dollars. Is it enough to do anything in a place like America? He was literally has nothing. And he struggle for practically one year, no one helping, having to move from one place to another, danger to his life, sitting in a park, he did not have a mridanga, he had one of the little bamboo drum, just beating on it, and chanting Hare Krishna. And only people he had to associate, the people who eating meat, taking intoxication, and addicted to illicit sex, gambling the whole lives way. And he started the movement from that. So much difficulty more than Ramtideva, but because he passed the test. Krishna actually let him go through all those things to glorify his compassion, to glorify his sacrifice for the whole world for all times to appreciate and take shelter of. The wonderful lila of Srila Prabhupada intense struggling with all stage by Krishna, just to glorify his incredible amount of compassion and sacrifice through the world. So the demigods wanted Rantideva’s glories to be known. So they put him few test just to show what kind of compassion he had. It is explained by Sukadeva Goswami that Maharaja Rantideva was such a devotee the all of his family members, all of his ministers, all of his associates practically everyone in the entire kingdom were pure devotee of the supreme personality of godhead. Just by associating with him. Just by seeing his examples. One may he was crazy, why did not just buy some food and eat it or order it. Why he was starving on the – of death. Let it die, because there was no food. Even he did not ask anyone, he would just give it away. However that example endured him so deeply to the heart of the citizens that they all became pure devotees of Krishna. They perfected their lives, due to his exemplary association. It is described that Rantideva was such a great devotee that maya could not even stand before him. She had no power to come near him. Just like darkness, has no power to come before the sun light. He was a pure devotee of Lord and by his personal example he speak loudly the he made all kingdom pure devotees of lord. So today we are reading about Maharaja Dusmanta giving birth to Bharat through Sakuntala. We should also know how these wonderful stories are leading from one sequence to a next. And each story combinates the one page after another in illustrating the supreme glories of the pure – devotional service and the devotees. Actually Prabhupada had this humility. He use the word taste, but actually Krishna glorified him. Krishna glorified him showing the world here in Juhu, how much he had to struggle, why did Krishna do that? Just see, what kind of total compassion, how he was willing to sacrifice everything to give people Krishna conscious. But then Krishna gave him everything. Krishna wanted to glorify into see his fame. Whether he has everything or nothing, he is the same, he is simple. If he has nothing hardly whatever little he has, he is like -, if there is nothing else he has to posses but it is like -. He is willing to give his 100% of it, out of compassion to others by giving them Krishna. And we have so many corer and corer of rupees and projects. He will use every paisa, whatever fame he has only for that same purpose to show compassion to fallen souls by giving them Krishna, to remain so humble, even you have so much his great opulence. But Krishna, his supremely humble nature he said Krishna tested me. But actually Krishna simply wanted to glorify him and establish for all over world history. What the Srimad Bhagavatam is teaching, the qualities of pure devotee of the Lord. Thank you very much.
End of the transcription.
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