Question: We understand from the Bhāgavatam that when Brahmā created Rudra, he found his descendants dangerous and asked him to do penance. We also hear Rudra was initiating a sampradāya. It looks contradictory. Requesting you to enlighten us.

Jayapataka Swami: You see Lord Śiva, is a guṇa avatāra, in the mode of ignorance. Naturally in that aspect he can do things unusual. At the same time, we know that his overriding quality is devotion to Hari. And in this pastime we read, he begged at the lotus feet of...

Question: When we have done some sinful acts before we came to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whenever we come across someone showing that act and showing our mistake, how to take it? But now I am in a great movement, doing all services, and doing my regular sādhana and following all the instructions, and in the association of devotees. Please help me, how to face these incidents and become stronger in my sādhana?

Jayapataka Swami: Lord Caitanya said that no one should hold Jagāi Mādhāi responsible for the sinful acts they performed previously. They shouldn’t judge them based on that. Because now that they have accepted devotional service, they have become very dear to Kṛṣṇa....

Question: Lord Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, whoever remembers Me, comes back to Me. So it is already predestined in people’s karma that at the time of death, a certain individual may remember Kṛṣṇa and go back to Godhead. Is it a personal choice or freewill?

Jayapataka Swami: That is why we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa all our life, so that we can remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. We heard that loving Kṛṣṇa, remembering Kṛṣṇa, serving Kṛṣṇa, going back to Kṛṣṇa is not a matter of karma, it is a matter of our bhakti and free will....

Question: If any of our relatives leave their body, for how many days should we observe and not touch the altar? As I am not initiated, so how many days should I observe and how many days should an initiated disciple observe? Please kindly enlighten me Gurudeva.

Jayapataka Swami: It depends, like a sannyāsī doesn’t have to go through this, the days of aśuci. I think that for vaiṣṇavas, generally it is for 11 days. But if there is no one to do the worship and it is an emergency, that emergency knows no rule. Just like a mother...

Question: As a manager, how to solve disputes between devotees?

Jayapataka Swami:  I was thinking that to be a manager, one should learn how to counsel and resolve disputes. In a nutshell, the secret is to see have each person see the thing from the other’s point of view. So in this way, they can understand the solution...