PLEASE NOTE, *THIS DOCUMENT IS AT DRAFT (NOT PERFECT) STAGE. IT IS RECOMMENDED TO READ WITH GM’S VIDEO IN BACKGROUND. *
Mukham karoti vacalam pangum langayate girim
Yat kripa tam aham vande sri gurum dina tarinam
Paramananda Madhavam Sri Caitanya Isvaram
Today is a special day when Lord Jagannath Baladeva and Subadra’s Ratha Yatra was inaugurated in the Maidan in Kolkata. Ordinarily, Lord Jagannath is called Nilacala Candra, Nilacala Candra prabhu amar jai Jagannath, Jagannath. But Jagannathdev has come to Gundica mandir, which is actually Jagannathdev going back to Vrndavan as Sri Krsna. Please observe, along with Jagannath’s deity there are also Radha and Krsna’s deities. Jagannath has come to Braja dhama, called Sundaracala. Sundaracala Candra amar Prabhu Jagannath, Jai Jagannath Jai Jagannath! Sundarachala Candra amar Prabhu Jagannath, Jai Jagannath, Jai Jagannath! One day in Dwaraka, They were all – Rukmini rani, Satyabhama rani, they were talking with Rohini devi, as to what is the state of the Brajawasis. There Balarama was there. The Brajawasis had fainted in separation from Krsna, and some had left their body in separation and all the Brajawasis were crying and wondering when will Krsna see us? Then Krsna was in one of the halls in Dwaraka. But He came out by chance outside. Then He heard the plight of the Brajawasis. He called Balarama, and asked is this true that the Brajawasis are in so much separation and sorrow? But Baladeva could not express anything but He just said, yes this is true. Then Krsna started crying and all the Dwarakwasis also started crying along with Krsna. Then hearing this crying, Vrsni came running from the Raja Mahal, asking what is happening? What is happening? WHAT IS HAPPENING? Then He saw that Krsna was crying and imploring as to what the Brajawasis are crying for Me? Then Vrsni also started crying. This crying in Dwaraka was understood by Brahmadev. He came down from Satya loka. And seeing his Prabhu, Krsna crying, his first reaction was to cry. But he saw that if Krsna cries like this, the whole universe will cry! My duty is to bring Krsna back to normal consciousness. This way, there are countless stories. This way, we have brought Jagannath, Baladeva and Subadra to Braja dhama. You have all become Brajawasis! Haribol! Haribol! Haribol! Here the life’s wish of the Brajawasis was fulfilled! (Guru maharaj told the repeater, you are sitting so close, can you not understand?) Atul Krsna das you heard, is the Master of Ceremonies. He speaks such good Bengali! He is from Australia but for very long he has lived here. And learnt Bengali and has got married a Bengali! Ha! He has inculcated this culture in his life. I am very grateful that he comes year from Mayapur. He is a teacher of Bhakti Shastri, Bhakti Vaibhav and other courses. He is a Pandit! He glorified everyone just now, so he needs to be glorified now! Haribol! Yesterday I said that this Kolkata is a sacred place because this is our Founder Acarya Abhay Caranaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s birth place. Also this is part of Caitanyadev’s Gaura Mandala bhumi. Gaura Mandala Bhumi, jeba jane cintamai, tar hoi Braja bhumi vas. This Kolkata can be imagined this way that Sri Caitanyadev came walking here. Audi break. He went to Santipur. From Navadvip He went to Katwa, became a sanyasi and then came to Santipur. Then He came here in this area and crossed Cakratirta in the Midnapore district. There He went via Remuna to Nilacala. This way the Ratha Yatra in Kolkata is celebrated in a big way. Also, in the beginning of Kali yuga after 5,500 years, Caitanyadev appeared. And He came in the Kali yuga to establish the yuga dharma. What is the yuga dharma? Harinam. Harer Nama Harer Nam.. IN this Kali yuga there is no other way but chanting the holy name. This chanting and kirtan and japa of the holy name is the special yagna or sacrifice of this Kali yuga. And in the nine processes of bhakti, devotional service, the first two are sravanam and kirtanam. Then after that is smaranam, vandanam. We need to remember the Lord. We forget the Lord. We have other material worries, economic necessities, and students, at work place where there are coworkers, this way we have various worries. But actually, we should worry about, remember about the glories of the Lord! What are the pastimes of the Lord, what are His qualities, this is what we should think about. But we see wherever we travel that people are only worried about their film stars. Then, who will play in cricket, who will play in the World Cup, that is what they think about. LBW! Ha! This is all their thinking but they don’t think about Bhagavan. But thinking and remembering the Lord is the most useful and helpful for us. Because remembering the Lord, and thinking of Him are one of the ways of offering devotional service. We are conditioned souls and therefore have come to this material world. We have disease, death in this situation. If we die in these circumstances, then we have to take a new life, again, and again we get into the cycle of birth, death, old age and disease again and again. But if we remember the Lord, and think of Him, it is possible that we can go back to the Lord after this birth! Krsna says, janma karma ca me divyam – My birth and activities are divine. Then after this birth there will be no more material birth again and that person will come back to me. This human life, we should be able to understand who is the Lord? What are His glories? What is His appearance? All religions say that we should love God. But how does this happen? That Caitanyadev gave us the way. Nothing new. It is there in the Gita, Bhagavat and Puranas. He said, bolo Krsna, bhajo Krsna, koro Krsna sika. This way if we do service to the Lord, we learn about the teachings of the Lord, then we can get divine bliss! And after this lifetime, we can go back to the Lord. In this Kolkata, there is a lot of bhakti and attachment to Durga devi, doing Durga puja. Because, what does Durga mean? The controller of this prison house. We are all in this prison house. That is why we have to die. Now there was a boy, a devotee, who came to Mayapur and he was filming there. But he was feeling sick and we took him to the hospital and they found that he had blood cancer. Now operation is going on and chemotherapy. Only 21 – 22 years old! Earlier yugas it was that the father died first and then the children. But now we cannot say anything. Who gets cancer and so many other diseases are there. Atharva das is his name and we request all of you to chant Hare Krsna for him that he gets well. Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. There is one disciple of mine, Saci mata – left her body in the night. But she did a lot of service for Krsna and she was quite old. She used to cook for Krsna and welcomed all the devotees who were doing parikrama. We hope that she would have gone back to Krsna. This way, in this material world, there is birth, death, old age and disease. But we being humans can go back to Godhead. We can participate in the pastimes of the Lord. Now Caitanyadev taught us, grihe thako bone thako, sada Hari bole dako. There are many grihastas amongst you! So you stay at home or away, always chant Haribol! Srila Prabhupada was giving a class in Bengali, he said, Caitanyadev did not say that the grihastas were hopeless, they cannot be liberated. He said, how kibo vipra kibo nyasi, sudra keno noi, jei Krsna beda jane, sei guru hoi. Whether they are grihastas, or renunciants, brahmanas or sudras, it does not matter. Whoever knows Krsna, he is a guru, he is a vaisnava. This way, Caitanyadev said again and again, Bharata bhumi te janma hoilo jar, janma sartaka kori, koro paro upakar. My wish is that you all perfect your lives! Also try that you can also help other people as well. Through all of you, there will be various services in devotion offered to the Lord. So many conditioned souls will be liberated. They don’t know why we take birth and the purpose of life. That is why we pray – sravanam, smaranam, vandanam – to the Lord. That way we pray that the Lord gives all auspiciousness and all of you be good devotees of the Lord. And that this be your last birth! So that you can all go back to the Lord’s pastimes. Krsner mati ho, Krsne mati astu. This is my wish. That everything depends on your wish. My gurudev said that if we take one step towards the Lord, He will come forward ten steps towards us. This Jagannath, Baladeva Subadra, Ratha Yatra is a special opportunity for us to serve the Lord. Our Chief Minister said that the Ratha Yatra organized by ISKCON, Jagannathdev shower His auspiciousness to all. Now ordinarily we go to the temple to take darshan of the Lord. But He has come out on the streets, to give darshan to us and gave us a chance to serve Him! JAGANNATH SWAMI KI JAI! BALADEVA KI JAI, SUBADRA RANI KI JAI, SUDARSAN CAKRA KI JAI! Haribol! This way, many ask me, what prayer should I do? Prayer is there in our Hare Krsna japa – this is our prayer. Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare! Hey Krsna! Hey Radha, the strength of Krsna, please give an opportunity to serve You, that we serve You. Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare! This Mahamantra was given by Caitanyadev for us to do japa and do kirtan. Some of you here do japa and kirtan. If some of you have not started chanting yet then from this day pledge that you will do that. Those of you who are doing Harinam are all blessed! I will now take darshan of the Lord in the temple and then will give answers to questions. Hare Krsna!
Transcribed by Jayaraseshwari devi dasi
07 June 2019