To be in the divine presence of Mahäprabhu!
And I am very grateful to be amongst all of you, tonight.
In great affection we all have gathered to pray for the blessings and offer all our support to Girish (Girigovardhan Prabhu) and Sheetal. Tomorrow in the presence of Sri RadhaRasbihari they will be taking the wows of marriage.
On the path of Bhakti in what ever Ashram we may be we can progress towards the perfection of life. Srimad Bhagvatam tells,
 
ataù pumbhir dvija-çreñöhä
varëäçrama-vibhägaçaù
svanuñöhitasya dharmasya
saàsiddhir hari-toñaëam
(Srimad Bhagvatam 1:2:13)
 
Whether we are Brahmachari, Grahasthas or Vanaprastha or Sanyassi’s Or whether we are priest or military people administrators, business people or laborers, these are all external superficial designations. What is important is the attitude in which we live. If Krishna is pleased with our efforts, our life is perfect. From a steep spiritual perspective, the only standard of our success is whether it pleases God. Bhakti Vinod Öhäkura who was a government officer with ten children and wife, he composed a beautiful song.
 
gåhe thäko, vane thäko, sadä 'hari' bole' òäko,
sukhe duùkhe bhulo nä'ko, vadane hari-näm koro re
gäy gorä madhur sware
(Çré Näma from Gétävalé : 2)
 
Whether one is living at home with wife or children or whether one is living in the jungle as a Sanyassi’s, if one simply takes the name of the lord sincerely one could be free from all the temporary happiness and distress in this world an achieve spiritual enlightenment. This is the power of Bhakti. In this regard lord Chaitanya who is Krishna himself, performed a beautiful pastime to reveal this truth. The lord descended from spiritual world specifically to give the people of this age of kali the easiest and the most practical way of perfecting their lives. Through the holy name of Krishna he was giving love of Krishna. In this age of kali which is an ocean of false, the one benediction is that simply chanting Krishna’s name one can attain the perfection of liberation.
 
 
How do we know we are getting the mercy?
 
The lord walked by foot, thousands of kilometers, town to village, offering everyone Hari Naam and Krishna Prem. He did not discriminate who was fit or unfit. The only qualification required was our sincerity. He was going down the foot paths chanting very loudly the names of Krishna inviting everyone to join him and their lives were transformed. This is the real test that we are receiving the lord’s mercy, our life is transformed. Anyone can go to the Church or Masjid or Mandir but the real test if we are getting the connection with the God, is that our hearts are getting transformed. The Nature of that transformation is our minds become detached from egoistic selfish pursuits and attached to the all attractive qualities of Krishna. Our lust is transformed into love. Selfless love! To transform greed into compassion. Transforming false arrogance to humility. Envy into being everyone’s well-wisher.
 If this is not happening there is something wrong with what we are doing. Why?
 
Om apavitra pavitra………. Sam sbhayantra Suci.
(Sholka not found)
 
 Because Krishna or God is all pure. If you are actually making a connection to god we become purified. If you are actually having a spiritual experience it’s not about enjoying spiritual ecstasies it’s about your life being transformed into one that is pleasing the lord. Only then are our ecstasies real.
 
Mahäprabhu meets Kurma Brahman.
 
The first recorded stop of lord Chaitanya pilgrimage was in a place called Kurmashetra. There is a deity of Kurma Dev. The worship was established by Sri Ramanujacharya. Lord Chaitanya was so compassionate that in that temple he was chanting and dancing. Thousands of people from the village came to see him. He induced them all to chant the holy names. Not just chant but chant with Humility, with eagerness. Lord Chaitanya invoke in their heart and eagerness to please Krishna through this chanting. And the result every single person was completely spiritually transformed. This went on for hours and hours. When it ended one Brahman invited Lord Chaitanya to his home. He is known as the Kurma Brahman. When the lord came to his home along with his entire family he washed the feet of his lord. Then the Kurma Brahman took that water and sprinkled it on all his family members and on him. Then he gave it to his family members to drink and he drank it. After offering him a sitting place the Kurma Brahman spoke from his heart. “Today all of my desires have been fulfilled. My body, my wealth, my family, and my life everything has become auspicious because you have placed your feet in my house. The same feet that Lord Brahma and lord Shiva are performing great austerities to have the darshan of, you have placed them in my simple abode. All of my desires are full filled. But my lord I want to tell you, that I can no longer tolerate sufferings of the waves of material existence. It is my will that when you leave my house and continue your pilgrimage, I will renounce my home, my family and follow you.” Lord Chaitanya looked at him, “Do not you ever speak this way again. There is no reason for you to give up the responsibilities of your family life. You remain at home and chant the names of Krishna and give others the charity of Krishna and if you do this I will always be with you and your life will be perfect.”
 
Mahäprabhu message to Grahasthas.

The same message that Lord Chaitanya gave to the Kurma Brahman he gave it to all the people he met in his south India tour. There is no need to give up your current responsibilities. Simply we should purify our lives by chanting the holy names and we should be compassionate to others. The first duty of the Grahasthas is to give Charity. And what is the highest Charity to teach the philosophy of Bhagwat Gita to others. To help other people transform their hearts.
Lord Chaitanya spent a night speaking about Krishna all night with his family. The next morning after taking his bath the Lord left. And Kurma Brahman went with him. Kurma Brahman left his home with lord chaitanya. But after they walked some way, lord Chaitanya turned to Kurma Brhaman and told him, “Go home.”
yäre dekha, täre kaha 'kåñëa' upadeça
ämära äjïäya guru haïä tära' ei deça
(Cc. Madhya 7.128)
“Remain in your home. Chant the names of Krishna and give Bhakti to others and this way be Guru.” This is the lord’s instruction to all Grahasthas. Kurma Brahman returned home. Sri Chaitanya Mahäprabhu emphasized this point. When Krishna is the centre of the house the house becomes Vaikuntha.
 
Mahäprabhu returns for Vasudeva.
 
Just after he left there was a Brahman names Vasudeva who was in the final, most severe stage of leprosy. He was so eager to meet lord Chaitanya. Vasudeva was so compassionate. His body had thousands and thousands of worms eating his rotten flesh. If one of those worms would fall of his body to the ground, he would carefully pick it up and put it in back. He was thinking more about the welfare of the worms than himself. “This body is not mine, this body belongs as much to the worms as to me.” Because he had such devotion towards the lord he felt he could see lord in the heart of these worms. But he had pus and blood and infections coming out of every part of his body. How much he was eager to meet lord Chaitanya. But when he arrived at the Kurma Brahmans house he found already early that morning the lord had left. He felt to the ground unconscious, so devastated that he missed the chance of his life to see the lord. But the lord is in everyone’s heart. He understood the grief of Vasudeva. He turned around and came back so many kilometers back to the house of Kurma Brahman. He approached Vasudeva to embrace him. Vasudeva said, “No lords please do not come near me.” But the lord embraced him with such affection; he squeezed him. Immediately the leprosy disappeared. His body became effulgent and good health. He offered a prayer quoting Sudama Brahman when he appeared in Dwarka. “Who am I? Just a very lowly insignificant fallen Brahman and who are you, the supreme personality of godhead and yet you have embraced me and therefore I can understand you are the supreme most merciful lord.”
 
 
What happens when we become proud.
 
Vasudeva was feeling very blissful that the lord had shown such mercy upon him. But he was also feeling afraid, that now that I will be known to everyone as one who has received such abundant mercy, I may become proud. And what happens when a person becomes proud? Nothing that person does can any longer please Krishna very much. You can offer cores of rupees to Krishna but if it is done with false pride Krishna doesn’t care for your rupees. patraà puñpaà phalaà toyaà,  Krishna says in Bhagwat Gita that even if you offer me a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water with love I will accept it with great happiness. Of course if you offer Krishna a leaf and you spent a cores of rupees for yourself that will not please Krishna. But what ever we offer it is done with humility and devotion it pleases Krishna.
So here is Vasudeva just cured of years and years of horrible pain and suffering from leprosy, and he is feeling afraid, that what if I become proud now that what if I become proud that I am so beautiful and have received such mercy and my whole life is defeated because I will not be able to please you my lord.” Lord Chaitanya assured Vasudeva, “If you sincerely follow this direction you will not become proud. What ever you do will please me.” And he gave him the same instruction that he gave to Kurma Brahman. “No need to give up your present responsibilities, just constantly chant the holy names of Krishna and give Krishna to others. So simple! And I will always be with you and you will always see me.” The lord then left again and the Kurma Brahman and Vasudeva they were ordered to stay back. They embraced each other and wept insensibly in the association together remembering the lord’s mercy upon them.
 
Meaning of Grahasthas Ashram as per Vedic culture.
 
 This association is so precious. If within the Grahasthas ashram, the husband and wife honor and respect each other as Viashnava, we will discuss this tomorrow also. The wife is never the husband’s property. The wife is the property of god, entrusted to the husband. If the husband disrespects the wife he is disrespecting the Lord. And if you disrespect someone’s child you are, the parent will accept that as disrespect to one self. A husband is supposed to encourage, protect and help lead the wife to the path of perfection. And the wife should not think this is my husband wrapped around my finger. She should understand, husband is the property of god, the child of god, the representative of god. In the Vedic system the husband and wife honor each other and respect each other with the understanding that this is the way to please Krishna. To share Krishna with each other, to encourage Krishna in each other and to be a team in serving the Viashnava, serving the population and serving God. And how to have that substance of consciousness is very simple. Just chant Hare Krishna and give Krishna to others. So it is so wonder full that Girish (Girigovardhan Prabhu) and Sheetal, they are marrying with this noble aspiration. Today people are so concerned about romance. Especially in Bolloywood, I had never in my life seen a Bolloywood movie but by looking at the hoardings I can understand what is it about. Sex and Violence. Hollywood and Bolloywood only sex and violence. And now this illicit sex, romance is being promoted and propagated like anything. It means the destruction of culture. You are getting your. I have never heard about a Hollywood star is not a divorcee. They are all marrying and divorcing and marrying and divorcing, marrying and divorcing. But this is becoming standard .Bombay it is very horrible! Famous people are saying if you are not having sex before marriage there is something wrong with you. 70% of marriages in America are divorced in three years. 90% of juvenile delinquency of criminal children are coming from the divorced parents. One of the greatest reasons of suicide and depression is frustrated romance. In the Vedic system Marriage has nothing to do with Hollywood or Bollywood. It has nothing to do with this nonsense of romance .It has to do with responsibility, respect and integrity. That relationship brings happiness and fulfillment in God consciousness. So it is so wonderful that these people are coming to marriage with these virtues in their mind. Spiritual Principles. To honor their parents, to honor each other, to honor all living beings, that is what civilized life is all about and that is how we make spiritual progress. And in this spirit we can taste the sweetness of the holy names. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!
 
 
Maharaj praises Mahäprabhu Prabhu.
 
It’s just like the old days. How did you translate in car? After so many years we are together. Mahäprabhu is such a special soul. When ever someone chastises him he understands it perfectly and when anyone praises him he does not understand. I believe you! 
Thank you Govinda Prabhu!
 
 
 
 
Thank you very much!
 
End of the document.