“harer näma harer näma
harer nämaiva kevalam
kalau nästy eva nästy eva
nästy eva gatir anyathä”
Brihad Naradiya Purana.
This most famous sloka is from the Brihad Naradiya Purana. There are many verses which are revealed in the various scriptures of the world. These verses emphasize different aspects to be absolute and different ways of approaching the absolute truth. It is described let the Vedas are like a desire tree “nigama-kalpa-taror galitaà phalaà” and this desire tree has just the fruit that will satisfy everyone’s desire. There are various sections of the Vedas, which are specially designed with various classes of man. For those who want to by following religious principles, worship the supreme Lord for the purpose of attaining material sense gratification of higher forms. There is the karma kanda division of the Vedas, which describes that a particular demigod is supreme. By performing a particular type of sacrifice for the pleasure of that demigod, he will award you all the fulfillments of this material desires. Now why for the Vedic literature is describe that a demigod is supreme. For a particular person, who is on a level of consciousness. Whoever the Vedas are recommending you worship, always indicates that person is supreme. Otherwise you will not put your heart and soul to worship. Just like in Christian scripture Lord Jesus Christ he is speaking Sanatan Dharma in a very preliminary state. He is teaching basically the ABCs of Sanatana Dharma. And he admits in one place in the Bible that I have much more to teach you, but you cannot get. But in most places of the bible, he emphasizes that I am all and all, whatever thing is your. This is supreme. So you see in the same way in the Siva purana which describes the worshiper Siva, in Markendaya purana which emphasizes the worship of Kali mata. It always describes this particular form of God is Supreme. In the sense that person is supreme for the devotee. But we have to understand through the – of our acarya who actually is supreme. The way we could understand that it is, that when it is teaching you to worship a particular personality as supreme for the purpose of attaining material benedictions, we can understand that is “kaitava dharma” that is sub-religious principles. So in the Karma kanda division o f the Vedas, practically any material desire you have can be fulfilled. And we find the great souls like Ravana and Hiranyakashipu, Kamsa. Through the study of the Vedas, to the performance of Yajna they were able to fulfill all the materialistic demoniac desires. Similarly if one is very pious, one can attain. If you want good wife, a good husband, you worship even Bhavani or Lord Sankar, if you want good health if you worship Surya as supreme and please him, you will get good health. If you want lots of money, you can worship Ganapati, Ganesh or Kuvera. Actually if you worship properly you will attain tremendous amount of money. The Vedic literature described, who call off on any desire you want. If you putting the proper sacrifice your desire will be fulfilled. But you see after attaining even the greatest pleasure of this world ultimately one is frustrated. This is described in Bhagavad-Gita
“ä-brahma-bhuvanäl lokäù
punar ävartino ‘rjuna
mäm upetya tu kaunteya
punar janma na vidyate”
Bhagavad-Gita 8.16
From the highest planet in this material world, down to the lower all places of misery. Will repeat birth and death must take place. So after being frustrated with the futility of material sense gratification, one realizes the karma kanda division of the Vedas is not the solution to the problems of life. But the Vedas argue that’s why you want the Veda is give the way to have it. So therefore one takes to a higher division of the Veda, which describes the Yoga system (astamga kand). Through this we can attain mystic siddhies. We can attain super natural powers greater than in anyone. That anyone has ever seen in our modern society. Generally the supernatural powers on only be infatuate before false ego (ahankar). And as long as we have ahankar (false ego) we are destiny for frustration. Because the false ego wants to be the supreme that we all are subordinate to God. That is why, we find the great souls of the astanga system such as these demons are talking about Ravana, Hiranyakashipu so much tapasya, so much penance they performed and they attain such power and that power brought them such a degree of ego that I am so great, I am the conqueror. I am lord of everyone. They knew within their hearts there was power greater than them. And they consider their power their worse enemy, their competitor. And therefore such great mystic yogi’s they declare to be god and compete with god. And ultimately that frustrated because they are endlessly defeated by the powers of nature. Krishna says “mayädhyakñeëa prakåtiù süyate sa-caräcaram” this nature is working under my direction. So therefore even after fulfilling all one’s desires from mysticism through the Vedas. One is tell no satisfied. And then one takes to the jyana kanda division of the Vedas. Through mental discrimination, through understanding the distinction between matter and spirit. We can realized we are not this body, we are not of this world, we are Brahman. We are the supreme energy of the God. But because as described in Vedanta Sutra, “änandam änandamayo ‘vasäne” the soul is seeking love, the soul is a participation a lila of the lord. Ultimately mukti is not satisfying to the soul. Ultimately those who attaining mukti in that liberated condition they must either elevated himself to Vaikuntha or they comedown to this material world in due course of time. Why? Because in that liberated state although there is no misery, there is no positive pleasure. And the soul is sachidananda it is eternal full of knowledge and full of bliss. It is seeking that pleasure. Therefore Krishna says in Bhagavad-Gita
“bahünäà janmanäm ante
jïänavän mäà prapadyate
väsudevaù sarvam iti
sa mahätmä sudurlabhaù”
Bhagavad-Gita 7.19
After many births and deaths on following religion or the following the scriptures, one finally comes to the real knowledge. That person surrendered onto Vausdeva. Knowing Krishna to be the cause of all causes and that He is. And Srimad Bhagavatam describes
“Sa bai punsam paro dharmo yato bhakti radhokshaje
Ahaituki apratihata yaya atma samprasidati”.
Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.6
That the supreme occupation for all humanity is that which awakens one’s unmotivated uninterrupted loving devotional service to the lord. Only this state of unmotivated loving service can completely satisfy the soul. Because only this platform of Bhakti please the soul of any contamination of selfishness. Therefore Srimad Bhagavatam is describes to the “amaìgalänäà” that all the puranas it is the spotless and topless of all puranas. It is called the cream of all vedic literatures. The paramhamsa sahmita. Why? Veda Vyasa was the author of all the Vedas describes. “dharmo….” He describes it is bhagavata purana kicks out all sub-religious principles. The Vedas have the remedy for all your problems of life, whatever you want, you can attain that through some particular section of Veda. But the Srimad Bhagavatam kicks out all materialistic selfish ambition and only deal with formula which brings one, pure and unmotivated devotion to the supreme lord. Pure Bhakti. Krishna says in Bhagavad-Gita “bhaktyä tv ananyayä çakya aham evaà-vidho ‘rjuna” it is only by pure devotion that I can be understood as I am. Now in the 11th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, it describes the means by which one can attain pure bhakti in this age of kali yuga.
“kåñëa-varëaà tviñäkåñëaà
säìgopäìgästra-pärñadam
yajïaiù saìkértana-präyair
yajanti hi su-medhasaù”
Caitanya-caritamrita Adi 3.52
That those who living in the age of kali yuga, who have good intelligent, they will worship the Yuga Avatar in the form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu who appears although Krishna not black. But in a beautiful golden complexion. And he comes with his many associates and He teaches the congregational chanting of the holy name. So this is very very definitive clue, which is describing Bhagabat Purana. Describes the process by which our inner most soul desire can be fulfilled in this age of Kali. So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in this world, he is the yuga avatar, He is the patita pabavan avatar. In this age of Kali everyone, kalau sudra sambhabe is born a sudra or less. Some people are proud that they have high birth. This high birth is all in illusion in Kali yuga. There is no high birth. Everyone is low. Compare to the previous ages Satya Yuga, Tretya Yuga, and Dwapar yuga. We are less than animals. Even our so called piety is so insignificant compare to the sinful thoughts that come into our mind. You know in previous ages if you even thought something sinful, you would have to pay the karma consequence. If you looked at someone with envy or with lust or with anger, even you control your senses, you would have to smash by maya for even thinking that. That in the kali yuga the atmosphere is so contaminated that practically no one can control their mind. So therefore the Lord gives the concession that you are not responsible for what you think. You are responsible for what you do? Because you too fallen in this age of kali yuga to even beyond the general laws of karma. There has to be a special concession even in the laws of karma. So what is the question of our high birth? Kalau sudra sambhave we are all. The first step towards the spiritual advancement is to admit that we are low, we are fallen, and that we are nothing. To admit we directly, dastardly, and urgently need the help of guru and Krishna. So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is called patita pabavana avatar, because he is specially come to deliver the most fallen and Caitanya Mahaprabhu understanding the fallen condition of the people of Kali yuga. He extracted the very essence of all Vedas, instructions, and therefore He based His teachings and based in His own personal life. And this particular verse from the Brihad naradiya Purana.
“harer näma harer näma
harer nämaiva kevalam
kalau nästy eva nästy eva
nästy eva gatir anyathä”
Brihad Naradiya Purana.
Now it is said that there are different slokas for different books. There are many different scriptures and we can go on quoting and can not quoting what we supposed to do? Correct. I am sure all of you who admit your friends that you are interested in the Hare Krishna movement. They all have so many scripture slokas to quote to say that what you doing this for. You supposed to be doing like this. But practically how to extract the essence from the Vedas. The most important permanent and dynamic – instructions for our life. The yuga avatar Himself Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is the patita pabavan, who is the deliver of the most fallen, He has personally given highest priority to this verse. Then in the age of Kali the only means of salvation is to chant the holy name, to chant the holy names, to chant the holy names. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu explain “bhärata-bhümite haila manuñya janma yära janma särthaka kari’ kara para-upakära” (Caitanya-caritamrita Adi 9.41). That especially those who are born in this land of India it is their birth right and duty to chant the holy name to become a pure lover of god and spread pure love of god throughout the world. This is the ultimate welfare service to humanity. Now when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared he did not simply speak theoretically. But he practically demonstrates. Therefore Lord Caitanya’s consider the most magnificent and most merciful all incarnations. Because in so many scriptures of the world the lord appears and tells us what to do? But here the Lord himself shows us what to do? Five thousand years ago when the supreme godhead Sri Krishna appeared, on the battle field of Kurukshetra in the 18th chapter of Bhagavad-Gita, he describes the very very highest point of religion. He orders us.
“sarva-dharmän parityajya
mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja
ahaà tväà sarva-päpebhyo
mokñayiñyämi mä çucaù”
Bhagavad-Gita 18.66
Abandoned all varieties of religion and surrender onto me. You are sinful, admit it. But I’ll relieve you from all sinful reactions, do not fear. Now there is the ultimate instruction but how to do that? How to surrender to Krishna? Krishna explained
“man-manä bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yäjé mäà namaskuru
mäm evaiñyasi yuktvaivam
ätmänaà mat-paräyaëaù”
Bhagavad-Gita 9.34
The process of surrendering to me is to always think about me, to become my devotee, to worship me, to offer me homogony to me and in this way you will come to me without fail. But in this age “mandäù sumanda-matayo manda-bhägyä hy upadrutäù”people are so unintelligent and so spiritually lazy. Laziness is the greatest enemy of spiritual aspirant. And they are addicted to so many speculations and concoctions. People are very short lived, short memory and disqualified. Our spiritual master used to tell us laziness is our worse enemy. Now what is to meant by lazy? Spiritually lazy. Sometime we see people are working very hard, they go on the trains or in the traffic for hours and they go to the office or go to the factory and they practically work so hard that their brains are being scrambled and foam is coming out from their mouths. So you may think this person is a great soul. In fact people think this is the perfection of Bhagavad-Gita he is working very hard in his job, doing his duty. Just see he is working so hard, doing his duty. This is Bhagavad-Gita, so what is Bhagavad-Gita said about such a person. “na mäà duñkåtino müòhäù”. Such person is a foolish ass. Hari bol. He is lazy ass, according to Bhagavad-Gita. The ass is working so hard, foaming at the mouth, for what? For little grass, for place to say, for little sex with the she ass, and usually the she ass kicks him in the face intime the time. As should he working his life for? Bhagavad-Gita teaches that this is lazy. Yes we should work very hard in our jobs, whatever may be. But the purpose of human life “atharto brahma jijnasa) self realization. We must work very very hard for our spiritual development. We must put time and hours in devotion and determination and sacrifices to our spiritual lives. When we chanting the holy names we have to make time to chant. It is not a question of, I do not have time and I am too busy being an ass. Human life means to make time for Krishna, at all cost. When we are chanting the holy name to chant with determination as a sacrifice. “Yajnaya sankirtan kriyah”Srimad Bhagavatam says that this chanting is the sacrifice for the age of kali. Sacrifice means you have to hear, you have to give up your self, you have to accept pain to perform the chanting of the holy name. What is the pain? With all determination and concentration to fix your mind on the holy name and
“ato yato niçcalati
manaç caïcalam asthiram
tatas tato niyamyaitad
ätmany eva vaçaà nayet”
Bhagavad-Gita 6.26
what ever your mind wanders due to our flickering unstudied nature, you must drag it back and if you not willing to do that, you not willing to make sacrifice that means however hard you work in this world. Your work is like an ass. Human life is when you willing to sacrifice for god. To put the time aside to hear from saintly person, to render service for the benefit of all living beings. To adjust our life, so we take care of our practical duties in this world that we never neglect our personal form of duty, which is to purify our heart in the service of god. So this is the condition of Kali yuga and the people herein. Therefore although Krishan has given us all instruction in Bhagavad-Gita, practically nobody has the heart to follow. Therefore that same Bhagavan the supreme cause of all causes. “sarva-käraëa-käraëam”. Nanda nandan, the divine son of Nanda Maharaja. He was appeared in this world to practically show us by His own example, how to live and attain the perfection of life. It is said
“brajendra-nandana jei,çacé-suta hoilo sei,
balaräma hoilo nitäi”
SVA 3.
That the son of the king of Vraja Lord Sri Krishna He has appeared as the son of Sachi mata Lord Goura Sundara Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His first expansion Sri Baldev has appeared also as Lord Nityananda.
“déna-héna jata chilo, hari-näme uddhärilo,
tära çäkñé jagäi mädhäi”
SVA 3.
and they have come to deliver the holy name. The holy name is the more powerful weapon of God. Because it can destroy even most demoniac mentality within our hearts. When Krishna came He killed Sisupal with His Sudarshan Chakra. When Sri Rama came He destroyed Ravana with mighty bow and arrow. When Baraha deva came He destroyed Hiranyakshya with the force of His bodily strength. When Lord Narahari appeared He – wicked demon Hiranyakashipu to pieces with the strength of His hard nails which are like swords. But when Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared He came armed with the mightiest the most powerful all of his asthras (weapons).More powerful and magnanimous than His nails, Sudarshan Chakra, and bow and arrow. He came armed with Hari Nama, the holy name. Because the Holy name, anyone who is willing to accept it, it will not destroy your body, but will be destroys all the demoniac tendencies within. It describes that two most powerful personalities who came in the form of demons, Sujaya and Vijaya. They are crushed by the four kumars to come to this earth as asuras, as enemies of god and enemies of god conscious culture. The lord had to killed Hiranyakashipu and Hiranakahya. The lord had to killed Kumbhakarna and Ravana and he had to destroy Sisupala and Dantabakra. Those saintly personalities came again in Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s Lila as Jagahi and Madhahi. But for the first time in the history of all these great incarnations of these two demons, the lord did not kill their physical bodies. The Sudarshan Chakra killed their body, the bow and arrow killed their body, and get them liberation. But liberation is not enough, it is not the perfection of life. Therefore they had to keep coming back as demons. But in the form of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Nityananda with weapon of the holy name. They converted them to be the greatest saints in the entire world. They transformed the demoniac envious, lusty, greedy, propensities into those pure loves of god. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to show the way in this age of Kali yuga. That anyone who humble himself before the holy name and attain the supreme perfection of liberation. What the Lord did? In order to give us the proper understanding. How merciful, how kind, and how compassionate the lord is. It is described when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was living in Navadvip He was the most popular amongst all. Everyone love to him and adored Him. He had a beautiful loving wife. Her name was Vishnupriya. She was none other than the Goddess of fortune, who had incarnated to assist Him in His loving pastimes in this world. Of all women throughout the history of this universe, there was no one ever so beautiful, so chaste, so loving, so sweet, and so dedicated in faithful to her husband. If a man has a woman or wife, that he has even attraction of the particle of these qualities that may very attached to the wife, very attached, cannot give it up. Vishnupriya is the embodiment of all loving qualities of a perfect wife. She had no other thought, no other ambition and only pleasing her husband to great Nimai Pundit. Day and night she would simply be making preparations for His pleasure. We read that same Vishnupriya in a previous avatar, she was Sita. Sita was such a chaste and loving wife to the Lord Rama, that when he was Vanished to the forest, she said I must go with you. Rama said how can you come with me? Do you know what it is like in the forest? You are a queen, a princes. You have been brought up in Mithila, and you brought to Ajyodha throughout your life, you never seen discomfort, you have never seen hardship. In the forest there is raskhyasas. It is bitterly cold in the winter, burning hot in the summer, there will be no servant, you have to do everything on your own. You have to dressed in bark, you have to mat your hair, you have to sleep on the ground, and there are creatures crawling, dangerous snakes, lions, tigers, elephants, mosquitoes, and insects. She my Lord please, understand that my only pleasure is pleasing you. If I am in hell and I am serving you that is heaven. If I am not pleasing you then heaven is worse than hell. So the same most beautiful chaste and faithful wife of Rama appeared as Vishnupriya and Yashoda mai She appeared as Sachi mata. In this form she was a widow. She had no one to protect her, except Lord Caitanya or said Nimai. She was so loving. She was the very embodiment of motherhood. She was the example of all mothers to follow in all over the creation and she was helplessly old and depending on her son. So this is the condition that Nimai Pundit was living in. He had the most loving, concerned, helpless mother and most faithful, pleasing, and sweet of helpless dependent wife. Not only at that time He was vey wealthy, He was very famous with popular, He had everything of this world. Krishna is the supreme enjoyer. So Navadvip Dham none different than Golok Vrindavana. Nimai pundit was simply living as a supreme enjoyer. And he was guiding everyone in the congregational chanting of the Holy name. Everyday He would go out into the street with His arms raised, He would called out to everyone in all directions, Who ever you are, whatever you have done, forget it. Raised your arms and cried out the names Govinda, Madhava, Hari and your life will be perfect. Please understand that you are spending your days in decorating your dying bodies and your nights simply wasting in deep sleep. Human life is meant for perfection. Perfection is that hand cried out for the name of Krishna. In this way he would gather together tens and thousands of people. He would danced to the streets of Navadvipa Dhama chanting “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare” That the Lord which such a compassionate and kind, well wisher of all living beings. He was thinking that so many unfortunate people are skipping my mercy. One day he was sitting under a tree and He began to called out the Name of Gopies and one brahman boy came to Him and said what is this chanting the name of gopies. This is not bona fide, you should be chanting the name of Krishna. Lord Caitanya became very angry and He picked up a stick to chase him away. That Brahmana who went to the other brahmanas who are studying. In that days Navadvip Dhama was the high city of learning for all of the India especially Bengal Gaudadesa. People began to criticize Lord Caitanya. They began to avoid Him and even abused Him with harsh words. At that time Nimai became very introspective and he began to search to His divine heart. I have come to deliver all living beings. What must I do to show my mercy to these most puffed up rascals, in this age of Kali yuga. Especially the brahmanas, who are so intoxicated by high birth, that they are not humble themselves to the holy name. So when He was thinking in that way, one day a very very great saint came on pilgrimage to Navadvip dham. His name was Kesava Bharati Maharaja. Kesava Bharati Maharaja was the disciple of Srila Madhavendra Puri. Who was the param Guru of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The spiritual master of Lord Sri Caitanya’s spiritual master Iswar Puri. Kesava Bharati was the ocean of love of god. But because in that days the disciplic succession of Sanakaracarya was very prominent. Kesava Bharati accepted sannyäsé in the disciplic line of Sankaracarya. So that he would have proper respect from all living being and then he could preach the glories of the Krishna bhakti. So when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu me with him and saw his great love and his great compassion, the Lord decided that if I really want to help the degraded fallen people of Kali yuga. If I really want them to give this message of Hari nama seriously, I must take Sannyas. He explained to Kesava Bharati that your ashram in Kathua, I’ll be coming soon to accept renounced order. Kesava Bharati knowing that He was the supreme Lord Himself Krishna, understood His divine plan and He said, so be it, my Lord. Then he departed for the holy city of Kathua. At that time Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He came one evening and His mother Sachimata and his wife Vishnu priya with all l
oving sentiments offered Him the most wonderful, delicious Prasad. They had all arrangements – just for Him to the comfortable. His wife with great devotion would massage His feet. That evening Caitanya Mahaprabhu decided. Even though either completely break their hearts for the benefit of humanity, I must leave them. There has been real creation, who has renounced so much. There are many sannyasies, there are many people who have taken to the renounced order. In fact this is the supreme expression of the highest love of god for the conditioned souls, you and me. Try to understand the supreme Lord has given up the goddess of fortune. He has given up His most intimate and loving devotees and cause them to burn in a fire of out of distress. Do not think that cause is the Lord even worse distressed. When lord sees distress in the heart of His devotees, He creates hundreds and millions of time more distress than His own heart. It is described that the great saint is Paraduhkhe duhkhi. That means the only unhappiness is the unhappiness on others. He knows no unhappiness for Himself. Not the saintly quality, only is present in the heart of the saints, because they are part and parcel of the supreme compassionate. The only anxiety for Krishna is to see the anxiety in the hearts of others. Especially His devotees and here the topmost devotees and he understood that he had to inflict severe pain in their lives and accept millions of time greater pain in his own heart for the purpose of delivering the Holy name to you and me. People do not understands the glories of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. No other form of God has ever given so much, His ever sacrifice so much for us. Therefore Srila Rupa Goswami has said
“namo mahä-vadänyäya
kåñëa-prema-pradäya te
kåñëäya kåñëa-caitanya-
nämne gaura-tviñe namaù”
Caitanya-caritamrita Madhya 19.53
That Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the most munificent and merciful of all incarnation of the Lord. Because He is distributing love of Krishna free to everyone and anyone without discrimination. So on that night when Vishnupriya and Sachimata were sleeping, Caitanya Mahaprabhu very quietly left the house. He walk to the forest and proceeded with Nityananda prabhu, Jagadananda Prabhu, and Mukunda and together they went to the holy land of Khatua. Of course the next morning when Sachi devi and Vishnupriya woke. Actually what happened in the middle of the night mother Sachi had a dream that her beloved son had left her to take to the renounced order of life. Of course she said happened already once before. Her first and only other son Viswarupa at a very young age he also left home to take sannyäsé without giving any word to anyone. So she was always fearing. In fact her husband Jagannath Mishra, he left his body out of anxiety hearing that the Lord Caitanya will leave and take sanyasa. So when Sachimata had this dream, seeing the Lord in beautiful saffron garments, she ran to His room to make sure, he is there. When she looked on His bed, she saw that there is no one. So she ran into the forest and she began to cry and scream out. Nimai, Nimai, Nimai, where have you gone? She was just like a mad woman, falling in the ground unconscious, coming to consciousness, crying, screaming, running hear and there. Going from place to place from forest to forest. She was crying out to the trees, have you seen my Nimai? Please tell me someone. There was no one to tell me. She was alone in the middle of the night. There was no one to give her any information. So she began to plead to the birds, to the insects, to the trees, to the grass, please you must have seen my lotus eye son Nimai. Where He has gone? And there was no reply. She began to cry out how cruel this forest is. How cruel are all of you? How cruel is this world? And then she fell to unconscious. At that great Goura sundara in the next morning He approached khatua and there He approached Kesava Bharati Maharaja. Kesava Bharati Maharaja explained to Him the proceedings of taking sanyasa. First He go to the Bank of Ganges, and there you must save your head. So He sat under the tree on the bank of Ganga and He asked His devotees please save my head. And the devotees took the seizures and understand the devotees they worshiped Him as a supreme enjoyer. They could not tolerate seeing the Lord take the position of renunciation, it is worsened than death. But they understood the Lord is doing it only for the shake of delivering the Holy name to the most fallen. His devotees were already accepted Him, just -, there is no need for Him to change. But for those who rejected Him, for those who are most arrogant, lusty, envious, and greedy to show mercy upon them, He had to do this. The beautiful hair of Lord Gaurachandra was like nothing anyone has ever seen in the round of beauty. When the devotees sopped of that beautiful hair falling from his head, it was so unbearable they could only fall on the ground and cried. There was no one who could look that seizures and touch it to His hair. So finally they went to get a barber, a person who is not personally intimate with the Lord. And when the barber put his seizures to His hair he cried my dear lord please do not make me do this. I cannot do it. How can I ruin such a master piece by cutting your hair, impossible please change your mind. Lord Gaurasundar with great firmness and compassion, He said cut my hair. And the barber’s eyes were full of tears and his limbs were trembling and as he cut the hairs and was falling to the ground, all the associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and all those who are witnessing, it was a pain worse than death. They were all rolling in the ground, screaming out with tear of agony in their eyes. They could not bear the idea of the Lord of their lives living as a renunciation. The hard core life of a sannyäsé. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted that position and life. And sacrifice that renounce all of the pleasures of Vaikuntha to deliver the Holy name to the people of Kali Yuga. And the Lord Himself practice by his own example the chanting of the Holy name of Sri Krishna. He extracted from the great ocean of Vedic Knowledge this particular verse in the Brihad Naradiya Purana. That anyone who accept this verse, their life and soul on His order, by His mercy, will attain the supreme perfection of love of god.
“harer näma harer näma
harer nämaiva kevalam
kalau nästy eva nästy eva
nästy eva gatir anyathä”
Brihad Naradiya Purana.
So this Nama Sankirtana, please do not take it simply a form of entertainment. Of course people who may not be familiar they make think that the personalities in this room are mad man, they must be crazy. What is this? They are jumping around and screaming and trawling around. This is below the integrity of spiritual minded people like me. But this was directly be process by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu practiced in His own life to show us by His example. By raising our arms and gracefully dancing, we are expressing the energy of our physical body in devotion to god and by crying out the holy name by chanting with great feeling. Not only to purify our own heart, we purify the entire creation. “ceto-darpaëa-märjanaà bhava-mahä-dävägni-nirväpaëaà” Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu has explained that this chanting of the name of Krishna is the prime benediction for humanity of Lord. It is the supreme benediction, it is ultimate gift, ever giving by god. We simply must be willing to accept it and our life becomes supremely fortunate. But the sashtra says that anyone who is not willing to accept the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is not willing to chant the Holy name and attain perfection of liberation to such a simple process. Whatever that person attains in this world, he is considered the most unfortunate. Therefore the great saintly person they do not take seriously any achievement that a man can acquire in the wealthy sense. If a person, whatever His position of life, whether he is the king or whether he is a beggar on the street. Neither be a king or rich man nor a beggar in the street neither position disqualified. If one sincerely takes the chanting of the God’s name that person is most fortunate. And if he is not willing to in this age of Kali Yuga that person is most unfortunate. So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was willing to show by his example how much sacrifice He was willing to make to show compassion to others. And those who captures the spirit of His love. According to our very very small capacity, we should assist His greatness of showing compassion to others. How is that possible? First of all we most accepting gift in our own life. And we must accepted with all sincerity and all gravity. Let’s chant the Holy names and purify our minds and purify our lives. And then let’s by whatever means possible be the real friend and well wisher of our family members, our country man, and all living beings. By somehow or other assisting in this great work spreading the glories of the holy name. Krishna says in Gita for one who spreads the glories of these divine teachings, there is no one dear to me than Him no other than ever be. So here we are in this auspicious atmosphere in Pune we come here every year exclusively and specifically for the purpose of reevaluating our priorities in life by completely emerging our every energy in purifying our consciousness through hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord. A place of pilgrimage is whatever the devotees come together to chant the names of god. And to the degree we are enthusiastic to chant to that degree the god lord is enthusiastic to be present amongst us. This is as you approach me I reward you accordingly. So of course Bhagavad-Gita as well as Caitanya Mahaprabhu they do not teach us, we should give up our worldly engagements. Only a very – of you could try to following the foot steps of Lord Caitanya and renounce everything for the compassion of others. Lord Caitanya did not instruct nor prescribe this in general. Rather His instructions into practically everyone he met was “yäre dekha, täre kaha ‘kåñëa’-upadeça ämära äjïäya guru haïä tära’ ei deça”. You continue your job you continue your family life, it is all right. But always chant the names of God and whoever you meet, you try to somehow or other offer to that person. Many of the devotees wanted to take to the renounced order but he said no no you have family, you have children, you have occupationally -. No need to change but “yäre dekha, täre kaha ‘kåñëa’-upadeça ämära äjïäya guru haïä tära’ ei deça” Become a guru by simply always chanting god’s name sincerely and try by your means to uplift others. So of course for any of you who have try to make spiritual advancement, you know that when you go to the work and you involve yourself in the responsibilities of this world, there are so many distractions. So many people come to us and say, how possibly, can I remember Krishna when I have to deal with the rangers of this world. The process is very simple. But you have to take it very seriously. The process is to regularly associate with saintly persons and to regularly have advance strong spiritual program within your home of hearing and chanting. And one of the most essential parts of Vedic culture is going on pilgrimage. Because it reestablishes within our heart the real conviction of what is the goal of life. As people say it charges our batteries, our spiritual batteries. So that we could go into the world that we can remain pure, we can perform our duties with spiritual energies and with purity. Therefore these pilgrimages are absolutely essential to keep our mind in the proper direction in our heart in the proper state of purity. So, why we are here? We should take four advantages of what Krishna has providing. Every moment, every second we should emerge our self, we should absorb our self in that gift, god has giving us. 150 people have come to this house exclusively for the purpose of purifying their hearts, exclusively for the purpose of hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord. So, why we are here? We should be absolutely conscious that we do not hear anything or speak anything out side of Krishna Consciousness. All our practical matters, all our business matters, all our family matters, they will wait for us. Monday morning they will be all waiting for us and for the next three hundred and sixty two days we will have full with them. But for these three days we have nothing to do with those things. For these three days we are in Vaikuntha. For these three days we must absorb the divine energy of the holy name to such an extent that we go home we will be like an explosive bomb of spiritual energy. And any one who comes near us will have to experience the fallout of this Pune Yatra. You know when the bomb dropped after the bomb was fallout and whoever touches that fallout is contaminated by the bomb. So the next three days, we should explode with spiritual enthusiasm. And throughout the year let the fallout fall. Understand what are the rare benediction we are given. The perfection of human life is at hand. Humble yourself before everyone of the great soul come. This is mood by which we can get the most of a pilgrimage. First of all you should consider yourself the lowest of everyone here. Consider yourself the humble servant of everyone who is participating in this yatra and understand this either you are part of the problem or part of solution. The problem is laziness, right. We are mudhas. We are all mudhas. Everyone who admits as mudha raise your hand. Anyone who does not think as mudha raise your hand. Oh, nobody. Who does not consider themselves a foolish ass, raise your hand? Material society they would never understand what’s going on in this room. What a short of brainwashing, this person committing his convincing and everyone are foolish asses. So we are all like that. Therefore let us be a part of the solution. The problem is lazy. The problem is we do not want to dance, because we are feeling our feet are sore, our legs are tired, this is not our style. And we do not want to chant, because my voice is little sore, and besides that I do not like the tune of the melody and this or that. I am just basically tired and hungry and everything else. Anyone who behave like this, understand that you are sucking the enthusiasm a way from everybody else. It is a fact. And to the degree you take part with enthusiasm to that degree you are so charge in the atmosphere with spiritual energy. You are contributing the spiritual purification of everyone.
To the degree you are not enthusiasm to that degree you are cheating all the others surrounding you of the opportunity to make spiritual advancement. Enthusiasm you can phages and – even you can more phages. For Paramhams is enthusiastic is – but for muddhas, asses, -. We have the counter act affects our very very condition natures. By being very enthusiastic. Sometime they would ask our guru maharaja, I remember this was in New Vrindavana on Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa Puja day in 1972. A devotee ask Srila Prabhupada What if you do not feel enthusiastic? Srila Prabhupada said then you act enthusiastic. Who care for you feel rascal, you act enthusiastic. It is your service to all others, it is how you can actually enlighten and inspire others toward the God by acting enthusiastic. Whether you feel or not. And if you act like that by gods grace you become an enthusiastic. He said, you have to be determinant to be enthusiastic. When of course lets the next question, what if we have no determination? Srila Prabhupada said then you are an animal. No determination is an animal. Human beings mean determination. So why we are here? Let’s be determined to taste the nectar of the Holy name. Rupagosawmy has said I do not know how much nectar the two syllables Krishna have produced. When I chant the holy name of Krishna with my tongue, I desire to have many many many tongues. Then when that name comes into my ears, I desire to have millions of millions of million ears. And that name enters into the court yard of my heart, it conquers my mind and my senses become inert. This is the sweetness for the great soul’s experience to the name of the Krishna. Then Krishna reveals Himself according to how you are approaching. If you approach the holy name with determination with enthusiasm then Krishna will reveal unlimited sweetness of His supreme opulence through His name. All the glory, all the opulence of god himself within His name. Hare Krishna. We are talking about enthusiasm. Enthusiasm to hear and enthusiasm to chant. When Maharaja Parikshita was instructed by Sukadeva Goswami, Maharaja Parikshita said, pleas tell me more every drop of nectar coming out of your mouth is giving me life is like immortality ejected into my heart. Please go on speaking. Sukadeva Goswami said because you are so enthusiastic to hear I am become endlessly more enthusiastic to speak. Maharaja Parikshita said because you are so enthusiastic to speak I am becoming more enthusiastic to hear. Sukadev Goswami said because you are so enthusiastic to hear I am becoming more enthusiastic to speak. In this way no one fall asleep. So this weekend is not a vacation. It is not a holiday in the material sense. In the real sense, holiday means Holyday. It is a holyday. But try to know and understand that these three days in Pune are meant for sacrifice. Forget about your enjoyment, do not even think that I have come here to enjoy. You are come here to become purified. And purification comes through sacrifice. Through the process of emerging your mind in the – process of sacrificing our power to hear, our power to speak, our power to think, our power to feel. By emerging in the holy name we will experiencing the ultimate enjoyment of life. And the sacrifice that we are humbly begging all of you to accept is to completely emerge yourself in chanting, dancing, and feasting.
“parama koruëa, pahü dui jana
nitäi gauracandra
saba avatära-sära çiromaëi
kevala änanda-kanda”
SVA 4.
Lord Sri Gaura Sundara and Sri Nityananda Prabhu they are supremely merciful, parama koruna, why? They are the essence of the all avatars. Because they are giving the way to perfection through such a simple and easy form. Kevala ananda-kanda, by chanting, by dancing, and by feasting nice Krishna Prasad. It is simply joyful. But the real joy will not be experience, until you first accepted it as sacrifice. So in the next few minutes we will be part taking of the lord’s holy Prasad. Do not simply eat; understand these are the holy sacred remnants of god. It is described as the demigods, sometimes they want to come to the earth and live where have in abodes just to taste the nice Prasad cooked at the house of Sri Dayananda and Radhapriya. These are the sacred remnants offered to the spiritual master, who has been offering to god. When we take the Prasad we should honor it. It is the sacrifice. Honoring Prasad is the sacrifice, it is not a meal. It is the sacrifice. We should be concentrate it that every mercy of the food is pure spiritual energy, it causes mercy.
“mahä-prasäde govinde
näma-brahmaëi vaiñëave
sv-alpa-puëya-vatäà räjan
viçväso naiva jäyate”
One is most unfortunate, if he does not understand the glory of the brahmanas, of the holy name, and Krishna Prasad. So one who take Prasad let’s be meditating on taking within our hearts the mercy of god with every byte. The sight of the Prasad is purifying to our eyes, the touch of the Prasad is purifying to our body, to taste of the Prasad is purifying our tongue. When Prasad goes into your bloods to purify your heart, ultimately it goes to the heart. After Prasad do not think, oh, now let us go to sleep. Then understand that is the time for arati of Sri Gaurahari. When the arati is being offered, our eyes with great devotion should sacrifice that power to see by relishing the beautiful form of the Lord, being illuminated with the light of ghee lamp and offer the pleasing articles of he arati paraphernalia. And of course Srila Prabhupada said on many occasions that if they take away our temple, if they take away our deities that is unfortunate, that we do not need anything but the holy name. When arati is going on the holy name is being chanted, the mridanga’s are beating and tying, the karatals are chinning. Let us fit to our arms in the glorification of the lord, following the foot steps of Lord Caitanya and follow along with rhythm of the holy Kirtan and from the core of our hearts let the holy name resound. And for the next three days this is all we will do. Canting, dancing, and feasting. It is the process of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He sacrificed everything of Vaikuntha simply to give us this process of chanting, dancing and feasting. It is His supreme mercy. So for the next three days, here in Pune let us have no other our intent in life except filling our hearts with the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Filling our lives with the service of his devotees, and filling our very existence with the holy name of Krishna.
“harer näma harer näma
harer nämaiva kevalam
kalau nästy eva nästy eva
nästy eva gatir anyathä”
Brihad Naradiya Purana.
Thank you, very much.
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