750721 - Lecture Initiation Sannyasa - San Francisco

Lectures by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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750721IN-SAN FRANCISCO - July 21, 1975 - 19:37 Minutes

(Gurudāsa Sannyāsa and Harināma Initiations)

Prabhupāda:

Etām, sa āsthāya, parātma-niṣṭhām,

upā, sitām, pūrva, tamaiḥ, mahardibhiḥ,

aham, tariṣyāmi, duranta, pāraṁ,

tamo, mukundāṅghri, niṣevayaiva.

(SB 11.23.57)

Three times.

Etām, sa āsthāya, parātma-niṣṭhām,

upā, sitām, pūrva, tamaiḥ, mahardibhiḥ,

aham, tariṣyāmi, duranta, pāraṁ,

tamo, mukundāṅghri, niṣevayaiva.

Etām, sa āsthāya, parātma-niṣṭhām,

upā, sitām, pūrva, tamaiḥ, mahardibhiḥ,

aham, tariṣyāmi, duranta, pāraṁ,

tamo, mukundāṅghri, niṣevayaiva.

Devotees: Jaya! Haribol! (japa)

Prabhupāda: A garland?

Devotee: Garland? (calls for garland) (exclamations by devotees)

Prabhupāda: So the mantra means etām, "by accepting this daṇḍa or sannyāsa order"; sam-āsthāya, "taking shelter of it"; parātma-niṣṭhām . . . This accepting of this daṇḍa means full faith in the Supreme. There are four rods within this bundle. One rod is representing himself, and the other three rods means his body, mind and word. So the person who is accepting sannyāsa order, he is dedicating from this moment his personality, his body, his mind and his words. Why? Now, parātma-niṣṭhām, simply for service of the Supreme.

So, "Am I accepting something new?" No. Upāsitāṁ pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ. All the great personalities in our guru-paramparā system, all the four ācārya system, they have done it. Rāmānujācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka—there are four Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas—so they were all sannyāsīs. Now, directly, our sampradāya is Madhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya. Gauḍīya-sampradāya means the Vaiṣṇavas of the Bengal. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is accepted as the supreme guru of this sampradāya . So His guru was Īśvara Purī, and his guru was Mādhavendra Purī. And this Mādhavendra Purī belonged to the Madhva-sampradāya; therefore our sampradāya, this disciplic succession, is called Madhva-Gauḍīya sampradāya.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu also accepted sannyāsa in very young age, when He was only twenty-four years. So why? Tyaktvā tūrṇam, rājya-lakṣmīṁ dharmiṣṭha ārya-vacasā yad agād araṇyam (SB 11.5.34). Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very, very well situated. He was born in a very respectable high brāhmaṇa family, Jagannātha Miśra, and mother's side, the Nīlāmbara Cakravartī, he was very respectable brāhmaṇa. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu's learning, nobody could excel Him, He was so learned scholar. And when He was sixteen years old, He defeated one of the most learned scholar of India, Keśava Bhāratī. So learning, family . . . And wife? Personally goddess of fortune, Lakṣmīpriyā and Viṣṇupriyā, most beautiful and young. Viṣṇupriyā was His second wife; so faithful, so beautiful, personally goddess of fortune, such wife. And mother, most affectionate. There is no comparison with Śacī-mātā. So this was . . . And influence? When He was twenty years old, He could, by His command, gather 100,000 people to protest against Kazi, He was so popular. So popularity, born in high family, having good wife and good mother, everything complete—still, He took sannyāsa. Therefore it is said, pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ. Why? Now, just to show mercy to the fallen souls. Māyā-mṛgaṁ dayitayā (SB 11.5.34). Just to show mercy to the fallen souls. This is the meaning of sannyāsa. One must be very merciful. Vaiṣṇavas, they are merciful. All devotees of God, Vaiṣṇava, they are merciful. You know Lord Jesus Christ, how he was merciful.

So this human life is meant for paropakāra, for doing good to others. So therefore sannyāsa order means one that dedicates his whole life by word, by body and by mind, everything. So the result is that because he is sacrificing his all material connection—sannyāsa means all material connection—so the result will be, ahaṁ tariṣyāmi duranta-pāram. Result will . . . Because he is sacrificing everything for dedicating life for the service of Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa wants that all these rascals should give up everything and surrender to Him. So you have to teach this, that's all. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). What Kṛṣṇa desires? He comes personally, and He instructs rascals like us, "You rascal, give up all these things, material engagement. Come to Me, back to home, back to Godhead." This is Kṛṣṇa's desire.

So we have to preach that. We haven't got to manufacture anything. Kṛṣṇa says everything. We have to simply bear the message, "Kṛṣṇa says like this. You do like this." That's all. You become a perfect sannyāsī and you perfect. And by doing this, result will be, ahaṁ tariṣyāmi duranta-pāram. This material world, the ocean of nescience, it is very, very difficult to cross it over, but by doing this service to Kṛṣṇa, one can easily . . . Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padam. Bhavāmbudhiḥ, the great ocean, becomes just like a water spot in the hoofprint of an calf. There is hoofprint, and there is some water. So there is no difficulty to cross over it. So the bhavāmbudhiḥ becomes like that. Duranta-pāram. Why it is duranta? Tama, darkness. So mukundāṅghri-niṣevaya. Mukunda means Kṛṣṇa. Muk means liberation, mukti. So Mukunda, "one who gives liberation." That is Kṛṣṇa's name. Mukundāṅghri. Anghri means His lotus feet.

So this is our life. Everyone should take sannyāsa. But because it is Kali-yuga, it is restricted because it is very difficult. But as far as possible, we have to preach the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So although it is little difficult, so we should practice it, especially those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and for preaching work should take sannyāsa, particularly of our Gurudāsa. Now he is Gurudāsa Swami, his name is. So his particular life is: since the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, he is my faithful disciple, and from 1965 or '6, he is with me. And he is very innocent boy, and I got him married. His wife is also great devotee, you know, Yamunā. So now Yamunā has taken a very nice path. She has also become sannyāsīnī. Although there is no sannyāsīnī for women, but she has voluntarily taken. She is doing very nice; therefore I advised her husband that "You also take sannyāsa." Because wife's affection is very, very tight knot. It is stated, puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etad tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ (SB 5.5.8). Naturally there is tendency—a man wants woman; a woman wants man. This is the material world, puṁsaṁ striyā mithunī-bhāvam, sex impetus. That is natural. But when they are united, that impact becomes very, very tight. It is very difficult. It is very difficult to give it up. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind that his wife has voluntarily has become like sannyāsīnī. So it is very good fortune. Therefore I advised him that instead of accepting another wife, you also become sannyāsī. So he is my faithful disciple. He has accepted. And all of you Vaiṣṇavas, give your good wishes that he can keep the sannyāsa order very nicely and preach Kṛṣṇa through the rest of the life. His life will become successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. (break)

Prabhupāda: Next? Your spiritual name, Kavirāja dāsa.

Nitāi: Ramyaka dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Ramyaka dāsa. Ramyaka means very beautiful. That is Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is more beautiful than Kṛṣṇa. Asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam (Bs. 5.30). Although He is blackish, but nobody is more beautiful than Kṛṣṇa. You are all white. (laughter) Hare Kṛṣṇa.

(next devotee approaches)

Ālambana dāsa. Ālambana means reference to the context. Just like there was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya, Murāri Gupta. He was a physician of the Nawab. So he was going on the back of the elephant with the Nawab, and he saw one peacock. So as soon as saw the feather of peacock, immediately he fell down. How? Because the peacock feather is on the head of Kṛṣṇa, he immediately remembered Kṛṣṇa. This is called ālambana, "with reference to the context."

(next devotee approaches)

Meru-devī, yes. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Nitāi: Next, Tom . . . Gohita dāsa.

Prabhupāda: So Gohita dāsa, yes.

Nitāi: Mahākrama.

Prabhupāda: Mahākrama dāsa.

Nitāi: Pravāla-devī.

Prabhupāda: Pravāla-devī. Sundarī-dāsī. Darpada dāsa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Dānakelī dāsī. Vaiyāsaki dāsa. Vaiyāsaki means Śukadeva Gosvāmī's another name. So Badarāyaṇi dāsa. Sadārtheya dāsa. Samapriya dāsī. That's all? So, I shall go?

Devotees: Śrīla Prabhupāda ki! Jaya! Śrīla Prabhupāda ki! Jaya! Śrīla Prabhupāda ki! Jaya! (end).