So three years have passed by and now again the Purushottam month is about to be observed. This is the one month which is specially recommended for worshipping Radha and Krishna, to chant Hare Krishna and to serve the vaishnavas and this promotes nishkaama bhakti as compared to the other months which are sakaama bhakti. Krishna, He makes so many concessions. Prabhupad said that if you take one step towards Krishna, He takes ten steps towards us. He is very much desirous of having us freed from this material condition. But we are determined that we want to stay. We think that this material world is real. Side by side there is material life and spiritual life.

I remember Prabhupad was once on a morning walk. He said a person was on his death bed and he said to Prabhupad, maharaj, give me one more year and I can double my money, I will have two times more. Prabhupad said what difference does it make. He thought because any way he cannot take it with him, he is going to leave it behind. He was giving this example that he was so attached that he wants one more year.

Then one time we were going on a morning walk and he said I know this person. So they walked in and they were sitting down in the waiting room. The servant said wait a minute. So then the servant disappeared then back, he said, Babu pooja korta hai. Prabhupad said if a pure devotee visits your house then that is more important than pooja. You can stop the puja and greet the vaishnava.

So people generally get confused as to what to do – kanishtha adhikari. They could respect a vaishnava but instead they are doing their pooja. One of the special vratas in the Purushottam month is serving the vaishnavas. To give them service is considered very important – reading Srimad Bhagavatam, Krishna book – who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, playing the part of a Kshatriya, He would get off His throne, wash the feet of the vaishnavas. He embraced Viprasudama. So Lord Krishna, He took such care of the vaishnavas. But some businessman, he is thinking, babu pooja korta hai. So they do not use the opportunity that Krishna is more pleased when His devotee is respected. So this serving vaishnavas is very special. In the Padma Purana it mentions the glories of serving the vaishnavas and Krishna makes the varnashrama system, caatur varnam maya shrishtam. He would have brahmanas offered extreme respect.

In the kingdom of Baulashva which was in Mithiladesh, there was a brahmana, Shrutadev and Krishna wanted to see the brahmana. He went with some rishis – Vyasadev, Narada and others. He went to the king’s palace. So he manifested two forms. So I am not going to speak out the opulent reception. I will talk about the poor brahmana. He did not even have enough aasanaas. He had to borrow it from some neighbor and he bathed Krishna’s and the rishis’ lotus feet. He gave each of them a lotus flower and then he asked them to stay for lunch. The wife just cooked ordinary prasadam – rice, chapatis, dal, sabzi, simple food. But Shrutadev was so happy that Krishna came to his house. He started dancing, he was just so happy. Later Krishna said, who gave the better reception? Shrutadev or Bahulashva? You see Krishna does not need your food stuff. He takes your love and affection. That is what He appreciates. So Shrutadev was dancing while serving out Krishna prasadam. I have not words to describe. So somehow we should develop our affection and love for Krishna and His devotees and this Purushottam month is for that reason. Lord Caitanya’s appearance is for that reason.

Lord Caitanya could show miracles. But that is not the point. There were devotees who loved His pastimes, that is the point. Parikshit maharaj was cursed to die in one week, 5-6 days were up and he had nothing to drink, nothing eat. You could imagine what state we would be in. But he was so eager to hear about Krisna’s pastimes. He asked Shukadev wat else did my wonderful Lord do? What else did my wonderful Lord do? He was so hungry for hearing more and more about Lord Krishna. He also told his mother the synopsis of the Bhagavatam in the Brihad Bhagavatamrita by Sanatan Goswami.

So today is Ekadasi. People like Ekadasi to get a 100 times good karma. But one does not realize by observing Ekadasi and chanting Hare Krishna, he can get something more valuable – to actually love Krishna. So this human form of life is a special facility to develop our relationship with Krishna. So someone asked me for the havishanna recipes. Reference from the article by Bhakti Vinod Thakur.
(Shyam Madhusudhan prabhu read out a little).

Guru maharaj: They want to know if they can eat urad dal so they can eat their idlis and dosas.

All of our devotees are mostly nirapeksha, fully engaged in devotional service, so they should take Krishna prasadam. Those who are not fully engaged, they can take havishanna. We will write it down. I do not know if you can get those three kinds of rice. At least one should chant, worship Radha Madhav and take prasadam.

Are there any questions?

Question: Is there any special song recommended to sing while offering the ghee lamp in this month?

Guru maharaj: There are a couple of songs recommended. Which one song goes best with the chanting, those who are expert singers should do the research. You can get some Gaur songs, Krishna songs.

Question: During Damodar month we do Damodar arati everywhere and so show people to inspire new people and show lamp. What can we do for new people in the month of Purushottam?

Guru maharaj: Everyone can offer a lamp. This is possible.

Question: Is this a good month to start a new service, to be continued as a regular service? Does it make it more potent?

Guru maharaj: If it is a devotional service, it is auspicious.

Question: What can a disciple do to help one’s spiritual master’s well-being?

Guru maharaj: A disciple can be very strict and chant the Names, they can do the vrata for the pleasure of Radha and Krishna and pray for the mercy on the spiritual master.

Question: How does a disciple’s spiritual advancement help their spiritual master’s health? How is it interlinked and why does a guru have to suffer for a disciple?

Guru maharaj: There is a heart to heart link between the guru and disciple. So what the disciple does naturally benefits the guru. And the guru presents to Krishna a particular candidate for initiation. So if that disciple is not following the rules then the guru is presenting someone unqualified to Krishna and thus he gets reaction. Prabhupad was saying that relationships within marriage are not simple and you can keep it as a model to reach higher standard. If someone went out to have an illicit relationship, Prabhupad said that was sinful. So he asked the person why do you do that? So the person said my wife is for procreation, so when I need more I go out. So Prabhupad explained this is sinful.

And he wrote some letter, maybe you could have more relationships and keep the higher standard but you should not have extramarital relationships.

Like that we can take pharmaceutical drugs authorized by our doctors but should not take… (broadcast ended abruptly).

12 May 2018
JRDD