Day 3, Mayapur Arrival

Mayapur Arrival Lecture
Gurudeva started the lecture by discussing the beautiful Vaishnava song by Lochana Dasa Thakur - Parama Karuna

(1)
parama karuṇa, pahū dui jana
nitāi gauracandra
saba avatāra-sāra śiromaṇi
kevala ānanda-kanda

 (2)
bhajo bhajo bhāi, caitanya nitāi
sudṛḍha biśwāsa kori
viṣaya chāḍiyā, se rase majiyā,
mukhe bolo hari hari

 (3)
dekho ore bhāi, tri-bhuvane nāi,
emona doyāla dātā
paśu pākhī jhure, pāṣāṇa vidare,
śuni' jāńra guṇa-gāthā

(4)

saḿsāre majiyā, rohili poriyā,
se pade nahilo āśa
āpana karama, bhuñjāye śamana,
kahoye locana-dāsa


WORD FOR WORD TRANSLATION: Parama Karuna

 TRANSLATION

1) The two Lords, Nitai-Gauracandra, are very merciful. They are the essence of all incarnations. The specific significance of these incarnations is that They introduced a process of chanting and dancing that is simply joyful.


2) My dear brother, I request that you just worship Lord Caitanya and Nityananda with firm conviction and faith. If one wants to be Krsna conscious by this process, one has to give up his engagement in sense gratification. One simply has to chant, "Hare Krsna! Hari Hari!" without any motive.


3) My dear brother, just try and examine this. Within the three worlds there is no one like Lord Caitanya or Lord Nityananda. Their merciful qualities are so great that upon hearing Them even birds and beasts cry and stones melt.


4) But Locana dasa regrets that I am entrapped by sense gratification. Since I have no attraction for the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda, then Yamaraja, the superintendent of death, is punishing me by not allowing me to be attracted by this movement.


Then we sang the Ohe Vaishnava Thakura:


Bhaktivinod Thakur has written this song ”Ohe Vaisnava Thakura”. The official Name for this song is ”Bhajana Lalasa Song 7". This song is taken from the book Saranagati. Bhaktivinoda Thakura prays to the pure devotees to bless him so that that he can control his senses. He prays that he should continue having faith in Hare Krishna Mantra. He pleads that let Krishna be his. This can be possible only by the mercy of a pure Vaishnava.


(1)

ohe! vaisnaba thakura, doyara sagara,

e dase koruna kori'

diya pada-chaya, sodho he amaya,

tomara carana dhori


(2)

chaya bega domi', chaya dosa sodhi',

chaya guna deho' dase

chaya sat-sańga, deho' he amare,

bosechi sańgera ase


(3)

ekaki amara, nahi paya bala,

hari-nama-sańkirtane

tumi krpa kori', sraddha-bindu diya,

deho' krsna-nama-dhane


(4)

krsna se tomara, krsna dite paro,

tomara sakati ache

ami to' kańgala, 'krsna' 'krsna' boli',

dhai tava pache pache

(1) O venerable Vaisnava. O ocean of mercy, be merciful unto your servant. Give me the shade of your lotus feet and purify me. I hold on to your lotus feet.


(2) Teach me to control my six passions; rectify my six faults, bestow upon me the six qualities, and offer unto me the six kinds of holy association.*


(3) I do not find the strength to carry on alone the sankirtana of the holy name of Hari. Please bless me by giving me just one drop of faith with which to obtain the great treasure of the holy name of Krsna.


(4) Krsna is yours. You have the power to give Him to me. I am simply your servant running behind you shouting, "Krsna! Krsna!"


SB 10.33.36
When the Lord assumes a humanlike body to show mercy to His devotees, He engages in such pastimes as will attract those who hear about them to become dedicated to Him.

Purport
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī explains in this connection that when Lord Kṛṣṇa descends to this world in His original two-handed form, out of kindness He manifests that form in a way His devotees conditioned in human society can perceive and understand. Thus here it is stated, mānuṣaṁ deham āsthitaḥ: “He assumes a humanlike body.” Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura glorifies the Lord’s conjugal pastimes, stating that these romantic affairs have an inconceivable spiritual potency to attract the polluted heart of conditioned souls. It is an undeniable fact that any pure- or simple-hearted person who hears narrations of the loving affairs of Kṛṣṇa will be attracted to the lotus feet of the Lord and gradually become His devotee.


Then we sang the below song:
Bhaktivinod Thakur has written a song “Suddha Bhakata Carana Renu”. This song is taken from the book Saranagati (Section: Bhakti Anukula Matra Karyera Svikara Song 3). Bhaktivinoda Thakura describes the association with Sri Krsna’s devotees very important. He also speaks about the importance of the Holy Dhams where pastimes of Sri Krishna Caitanya were performed. He speaks about the importance of observing fasts like ekadashi and janmashtami. In this song the importance of prasadam is stated. Offering what we eat to the Lord is an integral part of bhakti-yoga and makes the food blessed with spiritual potencies. Then such food is called prasadam, or the mercy of the Lord. Krishna’s potency is absorbed in that food. In this way material substance becomes spiritualized, which then affects our body and mind in a similar way. This is His special mercy for us. Thus, the devotional process becomes an exchange of love between us and God, which includes food. And that food not only nourishes our body, but also purifies our consciousness.

(1)
suddha-bhakata-carana-renu,
bhajana-anukula
bhakata-seva, parama-siddhi,
prema-latikara mula

(2)
madhava-tithi, bhakti-janani,
jetane palana kori
krishna-basati, basati boli’,
parama adare bori

(3)
gaur amara, je-saba sthane,
koralo bhramana range
se-saba sthana, heribo ami,
pranayi-bhakata-sange

(4)
mridanga-badya, sunite mana,
abasara sada jace
gaura-bihita, kirtana suni’,
anande hridoya nace

(5)
jugala-murti, dekhiya mora,
parama-ananda hoya
prasada-seba korite hoya,
sakala prapanca jaya

(6)
je-dina grihe, bhajana dekhi,
grihete goloka bhaya
carana-sidhu, dekhiya ganga,
sukha sa sima paya

(7)
tulasi dekhi’, juraya prana,
madhava-toshani jani’
gaura-priya, saka-sevane,
jivana sarthaka mani

(8)
bhakativinoda, krishna-bhajane,
anakula paya jaha
prati-dibase, parama-sukhe,
swikara koroye taha

(1) The dust of the lotus feet of pure devotees, enthusiatic devotional service, and service to the pure devotees of the highest order are the roots of the creeper of devotion.

(2) The holy days like Ekadasi and Janmashtami are the mother of devotion for those devotees who respect them. Let the holy places of Krishna’s pastimes be my places of worship, and bless me.

(3) May I always visit all the holy places associated with the lila of Lord Caitanya and His devotees.

(4) When I hear the sound of the mridanga in my heart I always desire to join in kirtana; and when I hear the bonafide songs decribing Lord Caitanya’s pastimes, my heart dances in ecstasy.

(5) Whenever I see the transcendental sri-vigrahas of Radha-Krishna I am in bliss, for by taking Their Lordships’ prasada we can conquer over the material elements.

(6) One day while performing devotional practices, I saw my house transformed into Goloka Vrindavana. When I take the caranamrita of the Deity, I see the holy Ganges waters that come from the feet of Lord Vishnu, and my bliss knows no bounds.

(7) By seeing the tulasi tree my heart feels joy and Lord Madhava (Krishna) is also satisfied. When I eat the prasada favored by Lord Caitanya it is a new life’s experience. (Lord Caitanya was very fond of a green vegetable preparation called sak, and there is another song in this book that tells of the amazing effects of this type of prasada.)

(8) Bhaktivinoda concludes by saying: "Whosoever attains the stage of enthusiasm for these devotional practices will be supremely blissful wherever he may be."

Videos from today:
1. Arrival lecture Mayapur 2020

Photos from today:

Day 2, Kolkata

Visit to Radha Govinda Mandir, Kolkata 

We are meditating on the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada. The deities of Radha Govinda are so beautiful. Srila Prabhupada describes that he saw the deities and was so enamored with them that he requested his father to also get him deities. He and his sister would emulate the priests at Radha Govinda when serving their deities. 

In BG 6th chapter - When someone is given a facility, it is all Krishna's arrangement and it's based on previous doings. Krsna says if your heart is in me that I will carry what you lack and preserve what you have. It's a very simple thing, wherever we are in the world if we can concentrate our mind on Krsna's pastime, form. Stay where we are and just hear about Krsna. Who can understand God, through Sravanam, message coming through the parampara. Krsna can't be conquered but can only be conquered through devotees love.

In these places we see the spiritual energy, there is a spiritual current running here. The devotee gets ecstatic knowing that whatever I've done in the past, if I just start from now, Krishna will give me his mercy to come to Him.

The devotee appreciate Krishna 10 million times more that their lives. Hence we should have gratitude. If we have gratitude, that means someone went out of their way and did something for me. We should have gratitude towards devotees. BVT says in the song Kripa Bindhu diya, is saying please give me this drop of mercy, I'm lower than the blade of grass. This is gratitude and feeling of bhakti. If we have this feeling, then we can grow in our spiritual life.

The Holy Name is the same for everyone. But it acts differently on how everyone has organized their lives without the 10 offenses. BVT then says - I need your mercy otherwise I have nowhere to go.

Then Sri Gurudeva sang the beautiful song Gurudeva, Kripa bindhu diya. Each person is like a crystal. If we put a red rose next to the crystal, it will look red. Hiranyakashipu was very disturbed because his son was becoming a Vaishnav. Whoever we take association with, we also start taking those qualities. Science of KC is to be in the vicinity and taking some service of the pure devotees and then naturally we start taking their qualities. 

KC is our natural quality but because of the association of the material world we start thinking we are of this material world. Hence, in these wonderful places, we take association of the Dhaam and that will help the pure soul to come towards Krishna consciousness.

Why is the disciple is running after his Guru, because his Guru is running behind his Guru to do some service. A devotee has so much focus on Krishna that the material world doesn't bother him. He is fully absorbed in following the footsteps of the Guru and doing the duty in KC. There is a sense of absorption and he feels grateful. 

Love is our real love for Krishna. If we can get even one molecule of that, KC is the ways we can stay close to the proximity to be able help us increase our love for Krishna. One molecule of gratitude for Krishna changes our whole life. 

What is the way we know from the SB that Krishna is a person? He shook his hand with Brahma and said good luck, one creator to another. Bhakti is pure love and Guru is the manifestation and hence we feel immense gratitude for Guru. We get gratitude from someone. Through you we are coming to the Dhaam and getting the bliss.

The Vartamaka Pradakshina Guru is also a manifestation of Krishna and he is there due to Krishna's arrangement. Srila Prabhupada had the same conditioned experiences like us and hence he has compassion for us because he knows what it's like to go through these material experiences. There is no impediment to Bhakti. I'm going to surrender to Krishna, no matter what happens. I'm surrendering, I'm surrendering. With that mood Bhakti can't be blocked with any other material circumstance. 

Kolkota is the epicenter of the movement where Srila Prabhupada met SBBST and getting the instructions. We need to make an investment in Krishna. People in the material world can put everything into the material world and at any point it is all gone. 

So we pray at Sri Sri Radha Govinda so we can follow in the footsteps of Srila Prabhupada so we can always remember this wonderful place and take the message everywhere to far flung places.

Next we went to Baag Bazaar and saw the first printing press and then went to Ulta Danga.

Ulta Danga, Kolkata

Srila BSST lived here for 18 years and is the epicenter of our Gaudiya movement. It was here that Srila Prabhupada climbed the same stairs to meet Srila BSST for the first time. 

The order of the SM is the manifestation of his internal potency. The internal potency is coming directly from the spiritual world. So, we should all take heart of the order of the SM and start to follow the instructions. Krishna supplies everything necessary to serve. SP was given the instruction to expand the movement in the west. He kept this instruction in his heart and over time it fructified. Same way with Bali maharaj, he got the instruction from the Supreme Lord and in his heart he had surrendered to Krsna. Anyone who takes the order of the Guru and the Parampara and takes it as their mainstay of this KC that will help them to grown in their spiritual life. Order of the Lord comes through the internal potency of Lord. BSSST stayed in this place which wasn't very upscale but after going to the Baag Bazaar temple he saw a change in mood and he was disgusted by the idea and where disciples were fighting over the which room would they get. Always remember nothing is mine and everything belongs to Krsna. 


ISKCON Sri Sri Radha Govinda Mandir

Everyone loves to read books. There is a strong urge for humans to get knowledge. SB is full of the unlimited names of Krishna's names. As one listens to SB, gradually we get away from the position of pushing from the lower modes of material nature. SP brought SB on the jaladutta. It is the very means of conquest, it was SP's means of conquest. He depended on SB to found the movement and bring the masses of devotees to a higher standard whom he enlisted. He gave his time without fail to translate and wanted everyone to have access to it. The sound vibration of the SB is the KC movement. This is the means through which we transcendentalize us and also transcendentalize the entire society. This is the key to the KC movement. 

The soft institution of the Gaudiya movement is the literature we have. SP was eager that we dedicate our lives reading his books. He said we should read at least CHAD. SP said if we do CHAD then he gave the benediction that we will go back home back to Godhead. We have to identify the way in which we are getting held back to that nectar and try to remove them from our lives. There might be some hesitation to hear the SB till we get some taste for it. So in the starting we should have our lives regulated. In order to continue on the onslaught of the mind and we drift away from the transcendental sound vibration, one has to develop the system to stay close to the transcendental vibration even if the mind doesn't want to do it. Nityam bhagavata sevaya, everyday, without stoppage. 

Goals are very potent and hence we need to create Goals. Have a goal and then don't get disturbed till you finish reading till you reach the goal. We can learn the entire 700 verses of BG just by doing CHAD. Keep the BG with you constantly. If you don't have the BG you can't read it. If you keep the scriptures with you, then you can always use it. Keep it visible. Above my bed, Gurudeva tapes verses to the wall and the printed CHAD. If you make a deliberate plan for BG and SB then start reading everyday and take your daily dose without fail. We need to have a custom program and we need to have an everyday program. In 1973 in SF with SP, SP said don't just distribute books but also read my books. Read so you can become pure devotees and Go back home back to Godhead. Drops a day are very important, keep these drops going everyday. These drops are life saving. SP says we should read all of SP's books and if we don't then we will fall down from the process of KC. 

One of the best hearing and chanting is to come out with more questions we had before we started. Asking good questions is a result of very good hearing and chanting and then you look for people who have very good association. 

Sign - Un-necessary wastage of water and it had a chart of how much water you waste if you keep the water running. Life chart of unnecessary wastage of time in life. Lot of time in the gaps and you win in the margins. Use every min and don't waste any time, be ready anytime for KC.  Look for that extra time. To learn slokas, always carry index cards of what you are trying to learn. Have the sloka book ready if there is any time.  If we are doing puja, bring your verses to read to the deities and as part of the puja for example we can read to them. 

Be regulated in everything what we do. There is time for everything. When take prasadam, he would meditate on the prasadam. Make sure we have a balanced spiritual diet - hearing and chanting most important, reading, deity worship - SP's books are the primal sound of the KC movement. If we don't hear and chant properly then even deity service will become a burden. KC is to be done with taste and hearing is the basis. 

Video Links:
1. Talk at Radha Govinda Mandir
2. Visit to Ulta Danga, Kolkata. [Place where Srila Prabhupada met for first time with his divine spiritual master Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Goswami Maharaja]
3. Class at Radha Govinda Mandir, ISKCON Kolkata 

Pictures from today:

Yatra 2020 Day 1 Arrival at Kolkata

Yatra 2020 Schedule