760408 - Lecture Hindi - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

760408LE-VRNDAVAN - April 08, 1976 - 09:58 Minutes

(Translated from Hindi into English)

namo mahā-vadānyāya

kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te

kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-

nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

(CC Madhya 19.53)

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the most glorious avatara out of all the avatara's because the Supreme Lord Krishna is Himself told everyone:

sarva-dharmān parityajya

mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja

(BG 18.66)

But they did not accept this instruction in the right way. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is Krishna Himself, how to surrender at the lotus feet of Krishna, to teach that, He came in the form of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

That is why when Rupa Goswami met Him for the first time, not first time, but second time he met Him, at that time he offered this mantra as an offering unto Him:

namo mahā-vadānyāya

kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te

(CC Madhya 19.53)

First of all to understand Krishna is very difficult.

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ

(BG 7.3)

In this way it is very difficult to understand Krishna, but Caitanya Mahaprabhu is so munificent that He not only gave Krishna, but gave Krishna prema also. That is why Rupa Goswami says, namo mahā-vadānyāya avatara, You are the most munificent of all avatara's because You are giving Krishna prema. And Krishna prema is pancam purusartha (fifth principle). Dharma, artha, kama, moksa are four aims or principles of life, above that is love for Godhead.

You all know that in the Srimad Bhagavatam it is stated in the beginning itself, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2), Dharma, artha, kama, moksa these are all cheating religions. You have to transcend them. And even above moksa, what is there is love for Godhead, above moksa.

One who has love for Godhead, know that he has already achieved moksa a lot time ago. So one who is the devotee of the Lord is not enamored by moksa ever. mukulitāñjali sevate 'smān (Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta 107). Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura says, why I should aspire for moksa, she is standing at one's door asking what service she can render to you.

So devotional service and especially in Kaliyuga the holy name of the Lord:

nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś

caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ

pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto

'bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ

(Padma Purāṇa)

Just like the Lord is pūrṇa, complete.

pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya

pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate

(ISO Invocation)

In the same way the name of the Lord is also pūrṇa, complete. There is no difference between the name and the Lord Himself. This is the verdict of the scriptures, and all the ācāryas say the same thing.

So it now time for the ārati for the Lord. So all of you, we only say, the subject matter of our preaching everywhere is to chant the holy name. When I went to America in the beginning, there is a big history behind it, I did not tell them in the beginning that they have to give up this, do this, who would have listened? No! Just come, sit down and do chanting of the holy name. This is how I started. For one year I was wandering from here to there. 1966 in the month of July I registered this association, two or four boys used to come. And then hearing the holy name gradually over time, we used to go that Tompkinson Sqaure Park and sit under a tree, with no mrdangas or kartal's, just like that we used to play the dugdugi (small drum) (laughs).

So they started coming, dancing and then in New York Times the pictures came and somehow or other slowly, then I went West California and then to Canada. And so by the blessings of all of you now all over the world in major cities like London, New York and even Moscow, Tokyo, everywhere our institution is there. The holy name is being preached and these books are also chanting of the holy names. Only by mrdangas and kartal's the holy name is not chanted, holy name, just like Sukadeva Goswami did kirtana, abhavad vaiyāsakiḥ kīrtane (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.265). So kirtana means, just like the reading of Srimad Bhagavatam by Sukadeva Goswami, this is also kirtana.

Kirtana is not done only with mrdangas and kartal's only. And our Guru Maharaj used to say these books are brhad mrdanga. See if you play the mrdanga here ten, twenty, hundred people can hear it. And if you play this brhad mrdanga then from one corner to the other everyone can hear it. This is brhad mrdanga. So whatever liitle honor our institution has by the mercy of the Lord, this is due to this brhad mrdanga.

So you have all come taking so much trouble, these three people, so thank you very much. So please keep coming. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says ekaki amara, nahi paya bala.(Saranagati) Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, on My own what can I do? All of you cooperate.

So this is our prayer also that whatever little effort we are doing to preach the holy name all over the world, all of you please cooperate in this endeavor. There should be no feeling of nationalism or duality in this. This the chanting the holy name of the Lord, which is the property of India, and Caitanya preached to all the Indians and to all.

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

(Caitanya-caritāmṛta Adi 9.41)

para-upakāra, it is the duty of India to do para-upakāra, work for the benefit of all other people. So this is welfare work because:

kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare

pāśate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare

(Prema-vivarta)

We forget Krishna and māyā captures us. If you want to escape from the clutches of māyā.

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī

mama māyā duratyayā

mām eva ye prapadyante

māyām etāṁ taranti te

(BG 7.14)

So we can take darshan of the Lord, but one should have the qualified eyes to see Him. aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ (BS 5.35), He is present everywhere. So for neophytes (kaniṣṭha-adhikārī) like us, the Lord is in the temple, one should start from the temple. Its not that destroy all the temple, God is everywhere. No! This is not a fact.

As the Lord and the ācāryas have instructed us:

sri vigrahara-dhana-nitya-nana

srngara-tan mandira-marjanadau

(Gurvastaka)

So come to the temple, do kirtana in your homes, it is not difficult to do.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

There is no loss for you in doing this but if there is any gain then one should make an effort. This is our request. So kindly excuse us if any mistakes were committed. All of you have kindly come here, so thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya. (end)