Remembering Srila Prabhupada’s mood and sacrifice – Hindi

[Talk at Prabhupada Samadhi Mandir to Defense Forces Devotees Yatra]

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Hare Krishna! I am very happy today that in Shri Prabhupada’s channel, I have got the opportunity to speak about Him. Amritesh Krishna Prabhu is my senior devotee.
I have learnt Chaitanya Chaitanya from him. He is a Trinali. And today I have got the opportunity to speak about Him.
Bhamsi Gopal Prabhu Radhika Mataji is also my senior counsellor. And when I was very young in devotion, since then He has shown me love and guidance. So whatever I will say, I will try to speak in His service.
So this is a very interesting group. Many times here in Prabhupada Samadhi Pundal, there are youth camps there. I have given questions and answers.
And all of you who are in defence forces, I have got to know for the first time that there is such a camp. And I had told Amritesh Krishna that we should write something about it in Active Audit. We should write a book about it.
It is a very wonderful and very good outreach initiative. It is a good contribution. People in different departments in the society, like Bhaktivinoda Thakur says that we need a group of devotees.
But we do not need a group of devotees. We need a group of devotees who are like us. So if we get a group of such devotees, they can understand us, we can understand them.
And through that, how we can progress in devotion, how we can practise devotion in our life, we can understand. We need devotees who understand our mind and help us to understand our mind. If we have a problem, if we have a problem, if other devotees do not understand that they are from a different world, then we cannot get as much knowledge as the devotees.
And not only they have to understand our mind, they have to understand how our mind works. So if we get such devotees, it is very good for everyone’s devotion. So now I will tell you about Prabhupada ji.
I am a… This is the comparison in this entire conversation. Prabhupada ji is a warrior. And he has gone to America.
And he is a lone warrior who has taken the weapon of spiritual knowledge and who is leading the movement of materialism in America. He is the leader of materialism. He is challenging that leader, that kingdom of materialism.
So alone, Prabhupada ji, single-handedly, he is challenging the materialistic civilisation of the West. And when Prabhupada ji went to America, when he first saw the American flag, the Austin Fire, then he wrote this song. So in this song, we come to know what is Prabhupada ji’s war strategy.
How Prabhupada ji is planning to face this materialism. How he is planning to make these people aggressive in their devotion and change their minds. So this is what Prabhupada ji has written.
An ordinary warrior is going to attack. Now he has reached close to the enemy. So he knows that the most important thing for him is his weapon.
And now the thought that comes to him is his weapon. His weapon is close to him. How to use it? So now Prabhupada ji is looking at America and what is his weapon? He is telling that thought in this song.
So now we will sing two lines of this song. I will talk a little about it. Then we will sing those two lines again with that thought.
And then we will sing the next two lines. So Prabhupada ji is looking at the American flag and is singing this song as a prayer to Lord Krishna. He is singing.
All of you can sing. Do you want to have a response to singing or not singing? All of you can sing. Prabhupada ji is telling here.
Krishna, you have done a great favour to me. What favour have you done? You have done a great favour to me. You have done a great favour to me.
Whatever purpose you have brought me here you have fulfilled that purpose. Now if we look at the situation of Prabhupada ji then Prabhupada ji is an old man. He has only 40 rupees.
And in 1965 there were not many Indians in America. There were no Indians at all. Because immigration laws were very strict.
So it was very difficult to convert Indian currency to American currency. Prabhupada ji had no money. He is alone.
He is old. He does not have any money. And those whom he is going to meet he has never met them.
He does not know them. So if we look at this situation with a lot of anger then this is a very bad situation. An ordinary person will think what kind of favour is this? There is no favour here.
I am deprived of everything. So Prabhupada ji is here. What are you looking at? What kind of favour is this? Prabhupada ji had a wish that his Guru Maharaj who had given him the order that you go to the West and convert to Hinduism.
So after a lot of difficulty Prabhupada ji has got this opportunity to go to America. So now Prabhupada ji is angry that at least he has got a chance to fulfil the orders of his Guru Maharaj. There is a chance but no facility.
There is an opportunity but no facility. Prabhupada ji has no facility. But he is not looking for that facility.
He is just looking that you have given me a chance. Krishna is very grateful that you have given me a chance to fulfil the orders of your Guru Maharaj. But at the same time he is thinking that why did you bring me here? Why did you bring me here? How will people in America understand the knowledge of bhakti? They don’t know anything.
So now what is your wish? Prabhupada ji is very… Because if we see the life story then what happens in the ordinary time? When a person starts his life then he starts with a lot of importance. When someone is in school or in college then in the first year of college the importance is very high. I will become the biggest person in the world.
I will become India’s Prime Minister. I will become India’s Prime Minister. And then in college there are studies, problems, etc.
And when our problems are so big then what happens? Our importance is always less. And till the time a person starts his studies in college then if he goes to college then I will become India’s Prime Minister. If I get a job then it will be good.
Whatever happens in the ordinary time our importance is always less. But Prabhupada ji was such that he tried a lot. When his Guru Maharaj ordered him to preach in his country then he thought I will preach.
When will my Guru Maharaj preach? When will his Saint preach? When will my Guru Maharaj preach? I will preach. That is why he worked hard to make his business. And what happened? He got a job in the business.
He started his business. Then he thought that I will write a magazine Back to Godhead. I will write that.
And he started doing it. And what happened? Back to Godhead was not good. Prabhupada ji used to take people to the streets of Delhi in the scorching heat.
Back to Godhead was not good. And then once he was walking in the scorching heat and it was so scorching that he fell on the road. The next time he was walking a cow dropped him.
And later he was told that at that time the printer who used to print Back to Godhead did not have any money. So he used to decide that today I will have breakfast and print Back to Godhead with my money. The printer used to give him some breakfast.
He was printing in such a situation that no one was interested in it. So Prabhupada ji in Jhansi decided to make a League of Devotees. And some people were taking interest in it.
And later some people went there for some work. And the people who were Prabhupada ji’s associates went against him and there was a conspiracy. Yes, Prabhupada ji took the headquarters of Jhansi and took him out.
Then Prabhupada ji was helping his brothers by printing their magazines. And he also gave them money. Prabhupada ji said that he is going to meet some rich people to get some sponsorship and he does not have a Dhoti Kurta.
He does not have a Dhoti Kurta. His Dhoti Kurta is torn. So people said that we cannot finance your Dhoti Kurta.
We cannot give you money. Then Prabhupada ji was living in Delhi and other people were coming to his house. And at that time Prabhupada ji tried to write a book and his family thought that he had sold it.
The whole book was burnt. Whatever Prabhupada ji tried to do, he could not achieve. And at that time what did Prabhupada ji think? He thought that leave it.
This is ours. But Prabhupada ji’s ambition was even bigger. He said that he wants to go to America.
He said that Indians worship Americans. So if Americans become devotees, then Indians will worship them. And people who met Prabhupada ji said that I want to go to America.
I want to reach God’s country. So Agarwal ji said that my son is in America. He will sponsor you.
So Gopal Agarwal sponsored him. And then at that time Prabhupada ji had no home. So his permission was accepted and he was at 12 addresses that your sponsorship has been done.
You have got the visa. After getting the visa, Prabhupada ji took out the ticket. Then he was a rich businessman.
So Prabhupada ji went to him. He said that I want to go to America. Prabhupada ji wanted to worship God’s country.
Then he said that Swamiji America is so cold. And you are so cold. America is so cold.
Come here. If you want to do Bhagavad Gita, if you want to do Bhagavad Gita, then come to my house. I will give you Bhagavad Gita every evening.
Prabhupada ji did not want to do Bhagavad Gita. He did not want to do Bhagavad Gita in a ritualistic way. He wanted to change people’s life.
And then seeing Prabhupada ji’s desire, he gave him a chance to go. And then Prabhupada ji came to America. But he did not know what to do in America.
He did not know what to do. And when he was coming from America, what happened? He had a slight heart attack. Heart attack is so severe.
Even if there is a doctor, there is no cure. And Prabhupada ji was the only doctor. After tolerating all this, Prabhupada ji came to America.
Why did you come to America? Oh God! What do you want me to do? What do you want me to do? Whatever you want, you can do. This is what Prabhupada ji will say at the end of this Gita. But there we will see Sharanamati’s Parakarstha.
Sharanamati’s Parakarstha Prabhupada ji said that I have taken you to America. Oh God! If you have brought me so far, then you must have some purpose. This is my assumption.
This is my assumption. Now, Prabhupada ji is a pure devotee. But he does not know what is going to happen and how.
This is my assumption. What am I going to do? You must have some purpose. So, if you do not have any purpose, then why do you bring me to America? This is my assumption.
This is my assumption. Now, in the history of America, there must be another Indian who would have thought that America is my assumption. For ordinary Indians, America is a dream land.
People yearn to They yearn so much. When I was in the 1990s, I got a chance to go to America. But, by God’s grace, I did not go to America.
I did not go to America. Then, all my relatives got very angry. They said, you had so many chances, but you did not go to America.
So, for the last 3-4 years, I have been going to God for the first time. So, I called all my relatives and told them, now your life is in danger. You go to America.
So, for ordinary Indians, the assumption is that America is a dream land. Prabhupada ji also went to America. What did he say? This is a terrible place.
This is not a good place. So, what does Prabhupada ji see in America? America has big palaces, big skyscrapers, good roads, cars, and then, why is it a bad place? Prabhupada ji will tell you the next verse. So, you can sing the second one once and then the third.
Achye Kichu Kachatava Dehi Anupane Nahe Keno Hari Vela Dehi Ugrasane Achye Kichu Kachatava Dehi Anupane Nahe Keno Hari Vela Dehi Ugrasane Achye Kichu Kachatava Prabhupada ji says that all the people here were happy with Rajo and Tamoguna. Tamoguna was everyone’s happiness. That is why Vasudeva’s story is interesting.
Vasudeva’s story is not interesting. There is no meaning in it. So, here Prabhupada ji is looking at everything from the point of view of Shastra.
He is not looking at it from the point of view of Bhauti. From the point of view of Bhauti, there could have been one view that America is such a luxurious place, here there is so much prosperity. But there could have been another view from the point of view of Bhauti that Americans do not know Indian culture, Bhagavad Gita, Krishna is not known.
When Prabhupada ji later went to America, in New York, then he put some pictures of Bhakti there. Then one American person came and asked Swami ji, there was a picture of Hanuman there. He said, what is this? Is this a cat? Swami ji, the Hanuman that millions of people ask outside, people say it is a cat.
So, people did not know anything. Many people used to say that they do not know Sanskrit language, they do not know Bhakti culture, they do not know any spiritual elements, their language is different. How will they understand? In religious history, seldom has there been an occasion where there has been such a difference between the teacher and the audience.
Like, in the history of the world, when this Dharma Sangha was propagated, there was such a difference between the teacher and the students. Linguistically, culturally, intellectually, religiously, in every way, language, Buddhist culture, in every way, there was a huge difference. But, all this is a problem.
Prabhupada ji is not seeing that. Like, if a warrior goes to fight, he knows what the biggest problem is. It is very difficult to send the fort to the enemy.
The enemy has a machine gun. The enemy has a nuclear bomb. The enemy’s biggest power or our biggest weapon, what is there, the warrior is not able to understand.
So, Prabhupada ji is not seeing all this. Prabhupada ji is seeing that why are the people not able to understand? Because they are saying that they are better than Rajo and Tamog. And what is the reason for being better than Rajo and Tamog? Because of Rajo and Tamog, even if God is Katha, they are not able to take an interest in it.
So, Prabhupada ji is seeing that I am going to do Katha and I am going to do Katha. And he is also seeing that as long as they are better than Rajo and Tamog, they are not able to understand the story of God. So, this is the problem.
And because they are better than Rajo and Tamog, they are saying that this is a place of worship. So, Prabhupada went from Vrindavan, which was the capital of devotion, to America, New York, Lower East Side, which was the capital of degradation. Prabhupada ji went from Vrindavan, to the capital of which is also discussed in America, the hippies, Prabhupada ji went from there to their place.
And that place, if it is a difficult place, if they are not able to worship there, then this is Prabhupada ji’s day-to-day vision. And from day-to-day vision, he is seeing the problem. So, what is the solution to this problem? He is a warrior.
It is very difficult to distinguish this enemy. This is the biggest problem. So, what is their plan? Can you sing one-one line? It will be easier for everyone.
Can you sing one line at a time? So, then it will be easier to sing. Previous line first. Previous lines first.
Previous lines first. So, you are seeing this problem. What is the solution to this? O God, give me your grace.
तवे जदि तव कृपा होये बादाई तुम। तवे जदि तव कृपा होये बादाई तुम। If you have divine grace, it will be possible. It will be possible for everyone. Everything will be possible.
तब यह कहतो कि आप दिव शक्ति से संपन हो, आप कुछ नहीं कर सकते हैं। तो यहाँ पर हम देख रहे हैं कि जो महान बक्तों होते हैं, उनकी प्रारथना भी क्या होती है। अगर कोई साधारल लगती जाएगा प्रारथना की प्रस्तिति में, क्या है, उनसे बोला कुछ पैसे नहीं है, बुद्धा है, अब भी हार्ट आटक आया है, कौन, किस से मिलने वाला है, कुछ बढ़ा नहीं है। हमारे जिसमें लगते हो थे, आप प्रारथना करेंगा, नहीं, तबबेद अच्छी रहने चाहिए, यह कोई तो अच्छा मुझे पर प्रारथ्मा जी ऐसे कुछ भी नहीं मांग रहे है, क्या मांग रहे है, कि ये बढ़वा हमें, आप कुर्पा करो, पर क्या कुर्पा करो, आप आपके शक्ति दिखाओ, क्या शक्ति दिखाओ, कि ये ऐसे नहीं कि मेरे लिए कुछ चाहिए नहीं, बतलब कोई अगर कोई परवत उठा लिया, कोई नदी है, उसके सामने रास्ता हो गया, कोई बाढ है और बाढ चली गई, तो ऐसे मिसर्व की नियमों के विपरित कुछ होता है, तो साधार लोग उसको चमतकार कहते हैं, और उन्होंते हैं, यह तो दिव्यों दे, बगवान का कार्य है, पर प्रारथ्मा जी बगवान की कुरपा मांग रहे हैं, पर बगवान की कुरपा किस तरह से मांग रहे है, ऐसे कोई मिसर्व की नियमों को तोड़ने का उन्हों चमतकार नहीं मांग रहे है, उन्हों चमतकार जो मांग रहे है, जो कुरपा मांग रहे है, वहाँ क्या है, वहाँ अपने कुरपा मांग रहे है। कवे जानी कवा दिल्पा, कोई आखे दुपी, सब रह सम्भावाय, दुपी से कव दुपी, कवे जानी कवा दिल्पा, कोई आखे दुपी, सब रह सम्भावाय, दुपी से कव दुपी, कि आखे होता है तारे, कुछे से ही नस्ता, कि हम विक्षाने कारण, कुछे से ही नस्ता, यह नहीं। तो तो प्रवभाजी समस्या क्या है, कि महावे भुजा रहता है, कुछे से ही रस्व, अभी प्रवभाजी बोल रहे है, तो अभी साधाने टर, भखती में आने के पहले, हम रस्व यह शब्द सुंथे है, गल्ना रस्व या आम रस्व, उसमें हि सुन्ते हैं, तो भखती को रस्व है, महावे भखती रस्व क्या है यह रस्व, It is not only about taste. If we drink some juice, it is very tasty. The juice of devotion is also very tasty.
Sukha dharam aparam na jaan jaane Hari charan smaranam te na kalyam It is the memory of God’s feet. Its taste is such that no other can compare to it. If we want to drink some juice, we have to open our mouth.
But to drink the juice of devotion, we have to open our heart. When we open our heart for God, then the juice of devotion comes in our heart. But when we are in the conscious state, attached to material things, attached to such religions, that these things will make me happy.
Then our brain will be closed for God’s juice. Sometimes you have a small child. You want to give him some medicine.
And you keep your mouth closed. Drink it. So what? Even if the medicine is sweet, still you will not drink it.
So what? If the mouth is closed, the medicine does not come inside. As much as possible. In the same way, the juice of devotion, if our heart is closed, closed means when is our heart closed? When our heart is so attached to something that it does not have space for other things.
Then this taste of devotion cannot go. So God says, If you do such a favour, I will do such a favour. So you have this power that the people their heart cannot understand the taste of devotion.
But if you control them, if you control their heart, if you take their favour, then they will understand. So Prabhupada ji was teaching Tattva Gyan, was doing Harinamrit. What was Prabhupada ji’s intention? Not to make people understand only on an intellectual level.
It is necessary to make people understand on an intellectual level. But after making people understand on an intellectual level, people want to taste the taste of devotion. When they want to taste the taste of devotion, then what happens? This is so good.
I was in my village a few years ago. And there a devotee was telling me that he was an Indian. And people in India do this in Vaishnavism.
And people in India do this in Vaishnavism. And people in India do this in Vaishnavism. But this is our culture.
It is a higher religion. When he went to America for the first time, he went there for studies, then started working. And there American devotees were doing Kirtan.
He went to the temple once. And when Kirtan was going on, the first thing he saw was that these devotees were doing Kirtan so intensely. They were closing their eyes and clapping.
And they are doing Kirtan so vigorously, so unisonously. What is there in Kirtan? I have been listening to Kirtan since my childhood. I have never seen anyone doing Kirtan so unisonously.
And when they saw it themselves, they saw what it is. And then they started doing Kirtan unisonously. Then what happened? What is this? This is something different.
So, we can practise Bhakti culturally, at a cultural level and we can practise Bhakti in a spiritual level. When we practise Bhakti in a cultural level, then what happens? It is good. But if you say, this is my culture.
My parents were doing it. My relatives are doing it. So I have to do it too.
So what happens? When it is cultural, then yes. Sometimes it feels good to do it. But leave it.
But when it comes to a spiritual level, then what do we do? We enjoy the taste of Bhakti. And you say, what is this? What is the taste in it? I want to enjoy it. So, what should you do, Krishna? Give them a chance to taste the taste of Bhakti.
Give them a chance to taste the taste of Bhakti. Even if they are not worthy of enjoying the taste of Bhakti, even if they are not worthy of enjoying the taste of Bhakti, still, with your grace, you make them capable. You make them worthy.
If God wants us to do good things, why are the good choices so few and the bad choices so many? If God wants us to do good, then why are there so few good paths in this world and so many bad paths? So I said, that is how it always is in any multiple choice exam. If there is a multiple choice exam, A, B, C, D, which one is right? One of the choices is right. Four choices are wrong.
Four choices are wrong. So now, a student can say, Teacher, you have given four wrong choices. So now my probability of giving wrong choices is 80%.
My probability of giving right choices is 20%. So you have made such a plan that I will fail. But it is not like that.
Because when a student has to choose, he is not only dependent on probability. He has to choose based on his own experience. If the teacher has taught him, if the student has followed him, then he knows what the real problem is.
So in that way, because of God’s plan, there are so many paths of Maya. And because of God’s plan, there is a path of devotion. And because of God’s plan, So we have to choose.
So what is Prabhupada saying here? God is everything because of your plan. Because of your plan, people have a chance to choose Maya. Because of your plan, people have a chance to choose the path of truth.
They can choose you. So now, what is God? God is neutral. God does not do partiality.
As we wish, as we wish, we have to choose. So here, if a student chooses, he will get marks. If he chooses the wrong path, he will not get marks.
In this, the teacher does not do partiality. So in the same way, God does not do partiality. But what is here? Prabhupada is saying that what should you do? You should make your own plan so that people come out of Maya.
What is that? Let us see in this. In this way, by focussing on Krishna, without depending on Krishna, you make your own plan. Prabhupada is saying that bhagvatena katha se abavatar bhagvatena katha se abavatar The Bhagwan katha, bhagvat, is your avatar.
And what is the result of this avatar? dhira haya shudhi jati dhira haya shudhi jati kani parva If someone listens to Bhagwat again and again, then he becomes free from it. The influence of Maya goes away. Prabhupada went to America alone, but he did not feel lonely.
Prabhupada was alone, but he was not lonely. He was alone, but he did not feel lonely. Why? Because Bhagwan was with him.
Bhagwan was in his heart, and Bhagwat was with him. Prabhupada went to America in 1965, and three years before that, in 1962, 1963, and 1964, in every year, his commentary on Bhagwat, was published in three volumes in the first canto. And when his commentary on Bhagwat was done in the first canto, then he realised that the weapon he had with him was Bhagwat.
The weapon he had with him was Bhagwat. He realised that this is Krishna’s avatar, and this is with him. And what will happen with this? If people listen to it again and again, then it will touch their heart.
Prabhupada is here, he does not want anything for himself, he wants people’s upliftment. But people’s upliftment… Prabhupada is not saying that Krishna is in their heart, change them. One time he is a devotee, next time he will become Bhagwan.
No. What does he want? That I will do Bhagwat Katha, they will listen to it again and again, and they will get the wisdom that they should listen to it. If they listen, then it will change their heart.
So what was Prabhupada’s complete belief? Bhagwan Krishna, who is in the heart of Bhagwat Katha, was in the power of its transformation. No, no. Yes, sir.
Previous one. Yes, sir. That’s right.
Bhagwatera Katha, sir. Bhagwatera Katha, sir. Tava Mahatma, Dheera Vrahya, Surya Jyoti, Jyoti Vahe, Vahe Vahe.
Bhagwatera Katha, sir. Tava Mahatma, Dheera Vrahya, Surya Jyoti, Jyoti Vahe, Vahe Vahe. Yes.
Vahe Vahe. So now, what is Prabhupada doing here? The Sanskrit verse, he is putting it in the middle of the Bengali song. So Prabhupada, along with him, he was reading Chaitanya Chaitantamra.
And he was reading Chaitanya Chaitantamra. He was writing his diary. He was writing that reading Chaitanya Chaitantamra is the criterion of my life.
That is the nectar of my life. And in Chaitanya Charita Amrut, what does Krishnadas Parents do? The text is in Bengali, but many times the Sanskrit shlokas are quoted in it. So, from the beginning to the end, he has quoted hundreds of shlokas there.
So, in the same way, Prabhupada ji has also arisen here. He has sung in Bengali, but Sanskrit shlokas have come. Because their basis is in Sanskrit shlokas.
And these shlokas come in the second chapter of Bhagavatam, the first chapter. And in the entire Bhagavatam, Prabhupada ji has quoted shlokas from different places. But from this one chapter, he has quoted shlokas from the first chapter.
The second chapter of the first chapter. Divinity and Divine Service. The third chapter.
Divinity and Divine Service. And in this chapter, what is told in these shlokas? How does devotion change the heart? By devotion, I mean, apart from doing penance in devotion. There is a shloka.
शुन्वतां सुतफा कृष्णपुल्पिष्ष्रवणकिन्दर्विद्यन्तस्तोयवद्राणिविदनोतिसुविविल्सतां In the same language, which Prabhupada ji quoted in Bengali. If someone hears Bhagwan Katha, शुन्वतां सुतफा कृष्णपुलपिष्षरवणकिन्दर्विद्यन्दस्तोयवद्राणिविदन्तस्तोयविदन्तस्विविविविदनोतिवितिविविवितिविवितियना What do they do? They purify the heart from inside. And what happens when the heart is cleansed? Tami nashyam prayeshv abhidreshv nityam bhagat sevayah bhagvati uttama shloke bhaktir bhavati naishti kriyam Tami, when the abhidhra is burnt, then the devotion becomes very stable.
So, Sushnath Chandrakar, our Acharya, tells that when there is anarchy in our heart, then our devotion becomes like a banana tree. There is a banana tree, anyone can pick it up. But when there is anarchy in our heart, then our devotion becomes like a banyan tree.
It is a peepal tree, its roots are so strong that no one can pick it up. So, bhaktir bhavati naishti. And what is the sign of stable devotion? tadam rajas tamo bhava kama nupadhyayas chini chita itair anam vidham sthitam sattve prasibhati Exactly the same thing that Prabhupada told us in the Bengali text.
That is when the effect of rajas and tamogun will take place. And what is the effect of rajas and tamogun? Kama, anger, anger will take place. And then what happens after that? sthitam sattve prasibhati When sattva guna takes place, then prasanna happens.
So, what Prabhupada ji was saying, he is also not able to taste the taste of bhakti because he is saying rajas and tamogun. But somehow if he tastes the taste of bhakti, then his life will change. So, why is Prabhupada ji saying this shloka? That if someone keeps on listening, then tamogun will come out, rajas will come out, then prasanna will happen.
If he likes it, then what will happen? tevam prasannamaso bhagvat bhaktiyogatah bhagvat tattva-vigyanam mukta-sangasya jayate When bhakti is done with pleasure, when we forcefully do bhakti, someone says, come to the temple, sit in the prayer room, then what happens? Our mind stays there, our heart stays there. Then we do not get in touch with God. But when we do bhakti with pleasure, then what happens? Our heart and God get in touch.
Then what happens? bhagvat tattva-vigyanam God is so attractive, God is so great, God is such a great source of energy, from here we understand everything. And then what happens? mukta-sangasya jayate That which he is attracted to, he does not get it. vidya-deva-daya-aghratis chhityate sarva-samsaya kshiyante chhase karmaan drishta-eva atmanishmaye Then the bond of attraction in the heart is broken.
vidya-deva-chhitya-sarva-samsaya We can have doubts in our heart. What is God? What is God? What is bhagavad-dhama? What is bhagavad-dhama? We can have a lot of doubts. But what happens? If we keep listening, then we understand everything.
kshiyante chhase karmaan And in the world of bhakti, we do a lot of karmas that get stuck in karma-bandhan. We get rid of all those karmas. We stop doing such karmas.
drishta-eva atmanishmaye But how do we see? God is Ishwar. And if I am a part of him, then I too am above this material world. I can get rid of this material attachment.
Why? This material attachment is material. I am material. So seeing God, and seeing me.
drishta-eva atmanishmaye This can be seen in the heart. So the change of the heart, how it happens in bhagavad-dhama, how it happens in bhagavad-dhama, is told. And this is Prabhupada ji’s weapon.
The thread of our initiation, what is the sutra? How Prabhupada ji is planning how he will fight. What is his weapon? His weapon is that if I somehow tell people the story of God, the kirtan of God, those people will listen. What will happen by listening? Their heart will change.
And based on this, their confidence, how will they believe? This is explained in the shastras. And the same method which is told in the shastras, Prabhupada ji is going to implement in his preaching. So what will happen by this? Prabhupada ji is telling.
Sadashivoham Adityanath Ayi Venkateshwara Siddhaera Bhadrasha Vrindavana Sadashivoham Adityanath Ayi Venkateshwara Siddhaera Bhadrasha Vrindavana Sadashivoham Adityanath Ayi Venkateshwara Sadashivoham Adityanath Ayi Venkateshwara Siddhaera Bhadrasha Vrindavana So, the Bengali language is their home territory. The shastras will tell and they will call it Bengali and give their heart to Lord Krishna. This is Krishna, this is my plan.
In this way, I am going to transform people. Please go ahead. Go ahead.
Sadashivoham Adityanath Siddhaera Bhadrasha Vrindavana Sadashivoham Adityanath Ayi Venkateshwara Sadashivoham Adityanath Siddhaera Bhadrasha God wants to change us and God wants to change others through us. Krishna wants to act on us and to act through us. But when God wants to do something and we have ego for it, then it stops the flow of God’s grace.
God’s power cannot reach us and cannot reach others like us. So, pride blocks the flow of Krishna’s mercy. Humility opens the door to Krishna’s mercy.
What does humility mean? God’s grace can reach us and others through us. Humility means that I am so poor that I can’t do anything. I can’t do anything, so I won’t do anything.
It’s not like that. If Prabhupada says that he won’t do anything, then he never goes to America. If we look at Prabhupada in a way, he doesn’t have many disciples in India.
And still he says that he wants to go to America and preach. So, people might be thinking that he has so much ego. He goes to America, so people can think anything.
Humility doesn’t mean that I don’t have power, so I won’t serve. No. The service that has been given, I have to serve.
And we have to understand that I don’t have power, so I have to give it to God. I want God’s grace. If someone thinks that he doesn’t have power, then why should he serve? Then he is not humble.
That is not humility. That is lack of surrender. Surrender means that whatever service has been given, I will do it.
Humility means that I don’t have power, so God give me grace. So, Prabhupada says that he doesn’t have power, but still he is ready to serve. That is why he has come to America to serve.
Next line. I don’t have power, but whatever I can do, I will do. In the same way, I will say a story to God.
I will say a story to Him. And I will say whatever Your wish is. If people can understand Your wish, then they will understand.
So, whatever Your wish is, I will say it. So, Prabhupada, at the level of your worth, He will change. Don’t say like this.
If it is Your wish, it will change. So, now, how can God make a change? He will explain that in the next verse. O Lord, You are the Guru of the whole world.
That means, You are the Guru of my ears and You are the Guru of me as well. You are the Guru of the whole world. So, for my words to be understood, You have to separate my words.
You have to separate my words. You have the ability to separate my words. So, when Prabhupada went to America, his Bengali had a Bengali accent.
So, many times, when he gave discourses, people understood his process. It was very difficult. So, Prabhupada thought that it was the problem of my accent.
He thought that Krishna, remove my Bengali accent so that I can speak pure English. Many times, when Indians go to America, they take such training that they remove the problem of Indian accent. And the way Americans speak English, they try to speak English.
And this is not wrong. If you want to do it, you can do it for your profession. So, he is a person.
People don’t understand our accent. But Prabhupada is not looking at it. He is thinking that Krishna, remove my accent.
Remove it. What does it mean? It means that people don’t understand what I am saying. Prabhupada’s disciples used to say that when they came to listen to the discourses, it was very difficult to understand what Prabhupada was saying.
We didn’t understand what he said. But we understood that he cares. Because of this, we came.
So, this is Prabhupada’s feeling. When we preach, it is not a materialistic way of preaching. It is intellectual.
But the essence of preaching is to give people the faith that we are their nourishers. The most important thing of preaching is to give people the faith that we are their nourishers. We don’t have any selfish motive.
And giving this faith is not an easy task. If a person gives a very good speech, what happens with that? It can affect people’s mind. They are very intelligent.
But giving faith to people is not an easy task. In reality, we have a desire in our heart that we want to be nourished. Only then that faith is awakened.
If that faith is awakened, then the language doesn’t remain the same. So, this is called Anankuta Gauri Parakha. Whatever Prabhupada used to hear, he used to say, Swamiji, in reality, he cares for me.
When Prabhupada was in Australia, he asked Swamiji, are you praying for me? Prabhupada said, I am always praying for you. If I wasn’t praying for you, I wouldn’t have come to you from so far away. I am always praying for you.
Prabhupada’s compassionate and loving speech This was the language of love that spoke to people’s heart. This was the ornament with which Krishna decorated his speech. Prabhupada’s language, his words, became Anankuta.
His love for others, his selfless love for others, that language made him understand his heart. What is the purpose of all the speech here? Svar Dukh Jai Gujjiti That all the sorrows will go away. How will it go away? If it is your grace, then what will happen? Your story, I will be able to listen to it.
And I will say to you, Shuniya Svar Shukh All the sorrows, all the sorrows will go away. So the message of Bhagavad Gita has a purpose. Rajiv Goswami Mahanacharya says what is the purpose of Bhagavad Gita’s message? He says if we look at the beginning, the first purpose is Ashoka Ashoka Shukh For which you don’t want to mourn, you mourn.
And the last purpose is Mahanacharya Ashoka So the purpose of Bhagavad Gita’s message is to free people from their sorrows. And that is the purpose of Prabhupadaji. He believes that if people listen to Bhagavad Gita’s message, then what will happen? They will be free from their sorrows.
So it is not that Prabhupadaji is very emotional and needs a lot of disciples. No! His wish is that people who are in deep sorrow will be free from their sorrows. Chanting of Bhagavad Gita Here Prabhupadaji says O God, if you have brought me to dance, then make me dance.
As you make me dance, you make me dance. Chanting of Bhagavad Gita So this is Prabhupadaji’s wish for complete surrender. It is very simple.
When we think of surrender, then many times we think of Draupadi. We surrender to Krishna with both our hands. Krishna, I surrender to you.
You protect me. So this is one form of surrender. But this surrender is not one form of surrender.
In Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavan says Arjuna has raised his bow Chanting of Bhagavad Gita What happened at the beginning of Bhagavad Gita? Chanting of Bhagavad Gita Chanting of Bhagavad Gita Arjuna raised his bow but in the direction of Bhagavad Gita, he raised his bow. So Arjuna’s surrender is not with both hands. It is not in ascending or descending.
It is in Arjuna’s surrender. It is in ascending or descending. So, surrender can be sometimes in helplessness, sometimes surrender can be in readiness.
Arjuna also surrenders in the same way as Draupadi did. But in different situations, he surrenders in different ways. So, sometimes when we have nothing in our hands, then we completely surrender to God.
But when we have some responsibility, when we have some power, then we have to try with full capacity. And to try with full capacity, that is our strength. So, when for the first time, I started giving sermons, then only I was given some guidelines on how to give sermons, and after that I was given some guidelines on meditation.
So, the last guideline was depend on Krishna. Bhagwan is dependent on Krishna. It was in the bracket, but only after we were prepared.
You prepare for the sermon, but after that I am dependent on Krishna. If I don’t prepare for the sermon, then I am dependent on Krishna. That is not dependence.
It is not being dependent on Krishna, it is being irresponsible. It is irresponsibility. So, that is why, sometimes we try with full capacity, that is also being dependent on Krishna.
So, there are two different ways of being dependent. One is, I can’t do anything, I can’t do anything, but I am dependent on you. This is the feeling of being dependent.
Is it the feeling of Arjuna? Yes, Lord, I know what I have to do. It is your wish, I have to fight in the way of Dharma. That is why I raise my bow and fight.
So, this is also a way of being dependent. Now, what is the situation of Prabhupada ji? Prabhupada ji has to give a complete declaration. But where to give the declaration? Who is he going to meet? Who is he going to meet? Where is he going? He doesn’t know anything.
That is why, Lord, as you want to make me dance, you make me dance. So, this example of a puppet, this is an example of dynamic dependence. We say, I am independent.
What does it mean to be independent? I can’t do anything. You can do whatever you want. But the puppet is dancing.
So, dynamic dependence. It means, Lord, I have a complete determination that I will serve you. But how to serve you, I don’t know.
So, as you tell me, I will do it. So, many times, there comes a situation in our life that what should I do? I don’t know. We have made a plan for our whole life that I will work here, there will be a promotion, whatever happens, it will be like that.
And then, the next year, we get a promotion, we get a job, someone gets a big salary, or we get a daughter, or there is a big fight in the relationship. So, our whole plan, the path of our life, we have made it, and everything is arranged. Suppose, we are walking on the road, and suddenly, all the lights of the road go off.
So, there is complete darkness. What should I do? There is complete darkness. What should I do? So, now, for a couple of minutes, we will scream, we will shout, we will curse, but what will we do later? We will take out our phone, and we will turn on the flashlight.
Now, the flashlight cannot take as much light as the street light. But what happens with the flashlight, we can see only one page. There is no hole here.
We can see only one page here. And then what happens, we can see only one page. And the flashlight will always show me only one page ahead.
So, in the same way, many times it happens that when the plan of our life seems to be ruined, what happens is, all the lights in the path of life have gone. So, only then, this feeling of surrender, O God, how can I serve you? You save me from what is the best prayer that we can offer to God? Prabhupada ji said, O God, give me the strength to serve you. Give me the strength to serve you.
Whatever is best for me. What does this mean? That we are our identity. That I am the service of God.
We will keep our identity whatever it is. In this world, whatever our identity is, there can be problems. If I think that I am this person’s husband.
I am this person’s wife. I am this person’s mother. I am this person’s son.
All these identities, I am this poster in this job. I am this here. If any such identity, if this identity is our primary identity, then what will happen? In that relationship, in that situation, if there will be any problem, then we will be completely crushed.
We will be very disturbed. And our identity will be first. We will say, first of all, I am God’s servant.
And in the form of God’s servant, I am someone’s wife. I am someone’s wife. I am someone’s mother.
I am someone’s son. I am someone’s wife. I am someone’s son.
So, this identity is our identity. But when this identity is our secondary identity, the first identity is, I am God’s servant. So, what will happen? Whatever problem we have in the world, whatever situation comes, that we feel darkness, we don’t know what to do.
In that situation, God, I am your servant. How am I? When we ask questions here, God, how can I answer your question? To ask that question only can start this torchlight. When we think that I am doing this in this relationship then we recognise that this person should do like this and I should do like this.
And if that person does not do like this, then it is wrong. But when we understand that I am a saviour, then this problem has come. But do not recognise that I am your saviour.
God, I am your saviour. How can I serve you? When we have that feeling, then such a big problem arises. We say, okay, I will do one thing, I will take one step forward.
And when he takes one step forward, then one more step, one more step. In this way, we recognise. So, Prabhupada ji is saying, God, you are my saviour, I am your saviour.
How can I serve you, you tell me. So, Prabhupada ji says, A devotee may be perplexed, but a devotee is never discouraged. When such a problem arises in front of the devotees, they say, I do not know what to do.
Why? I will not do anything. I will not do anything. What to do? I do not know.
What to do? I do not know. I pray to God. I seek God’s blessings.
I pray to God. I seek God’s blessings. No matter how many things go wrong in this world, one thing is true, that God will never leave my heart.
No one in the world can leave me. No one can go against me. But God will not leave me.
God will never go against me. So, when we have this faith, then no matter how big a problem arises, we are with God. So, Prabhupada ji is in such a situation, that he does not have anything.
At least in India, India had such a culture, that they used to give some donations to the sadhus. They used to give them food. Prabhupada ji, when he was in America, he started promoting.
Earlier, where he was promoting, there, they used to say, I will not give you food. Later, Prabhupada ji went to another place. There, they started giving him food.
There, there was a watchman. That watchman used his typewriter and stole his money. Then, Prabhupada ji went to another place.
And there, some people were taking interest. One person said, I was very interested. I was going to become his disciple.
So, one day, he gave drugs. And he attacked Prabhupada ji. And Prabhupada ji, when he was on the third or fourth floor, he came running down.
And he was on the road. He was on the road. I don’t know where he went.
I don’t know anything. He was alone there. On the Lower East Side, where I had gone to New York, the place on the Lower East Side, it was such a place, especially at that time, that there were Hindus living there.
There, some people had guns, and some people had guns. And they used to shoot people for fun. Many times, people used to fall on the road.
They used to get intoxicated. They used to die. So, in such a situation, Prabhupada ji was alone.
In his house, where his house was, he came out from there. Prabhupada ji thought, why did I come here? Why did I come here? I left my house. I left it in Vrindavan.
The people who came to America, they themselves came to attack me. Prabhupada ji thought, no, God is here. So, when we are down to nothing, Krishna is up to something.
When we feel that there is nothing, then God is doing a lot of things. And what Krishna was up to, he was up to in the next 10 years. Prabhupada ji was in 1965.
At that time, he was homeless, he had nothing. But what happened? In just 10,000 years, there were 108 temples. There were millions of devotees.
There were 70,000 devotees. There were 14,000 devotees in the world. So, Prabhupada ji said, Prabhupada ji said, God has created such a miracle that has never been seen in the history of the world.
So, when we take refuge in God, Prabhupada ji’s refuge is much greater than us. But the feeling of refuge can only be shown in our situation, in our miracles. And what happens with that? We take refuge in God.
God uses us. He changes our life. He uses us.
He uses others. That’s all. Satsang with Mooji So, I said, O God! I don’t have Bhakti.
My name is Bhaktivedanta. His Guru brothers named him Bhaktivedanta. They said, Guru Maharaj gave me this name.
Krishna, you gave me this position. So, you support it. What is it? You have faith in the name.
God says, God’s name is the source of transformation. So, I am going to give you the same name, Bhaktivedanta. You support it.
So, here, what is he praying to God for? That you support it. So, I said, Prabhupada ji has transformed. He is He is a religious studies scholar.
He has written a book. In that book, Hare Krishna, he has written that in the history of the world, there is no such example that a person goes to a foreign country and even there, he meets such people who are not capable of anything. So, Prabhupada ji, according to Indian Sanskrit, the people of foreign countries are very capable.
But the hippies are also capable of foreign countries. So, such was the situation. Prabhupada ji took them.
So, if a person is starting a company, he goes to start the company and takes an interview. So, the person who is capable, he starts the company. So, when Prabhupada ji started ISKCON, there were such people who were completely incapable.
So, he started a conversation with such people. He says, he is a religious studies scholar. He says that if a person who writes a book writes such a story, then no publisher will publish this story.
This is not possible. This is such an interesting story. Facts are stranger than fiction.
Prabhupada ji took such people and made them a part of the world. This has never happened in the history of the world. Someone will say that Jesus Christ, he called such people and asked them to come with him.
And they came. He made such people a part of the world. He made them a part of the world.
Jesus was a young man. Prabhupada ji was very famous. Not only that, wherever Jesus was born, he came to propagate.
The people who were propagating, they knew their language, their culture. Prabhupada ji went to such places where people didn’t know their language, didn’t know their culture. So, it was impossible to change such people with the grace of God.
So, with the grace of God, Prabhupada ji changed the world. Such a big organisation was formed. I will give an example.
What was the strategy of Prabhupada ji? If there is a worship of God, if there is a name of God, then it will change everyone’s heart. So, you all have come from different places to Mayapur, to pray to God, to listen to God’s words. Here, Prabhupada ji changed us.
God changed us. Our heart will also change. Sometimes, when we are doing bhakti, we face many problems.
There are many problems in many places. And sometimes, because of our bhakti, the problems have increased. Sometimes, people go against us.
When we have to follow the rules of bhakti, it seems difficult. How can we do this? So, when this happens, to give the facility of bhakti, the problems that Prabhupada ji has taken, we will think about that. So, to accept bhakti, we will not have any problems.
We will not have any problems. If a small child is very intelligent, and he has to take medicine, and the medicine is very bitter, he will say, I will not take the medicine. Mother, take the medicine.
I will not take the medicine. But only then, the child will understand that to take the medicine, his mother should not sell the jewellery and take the medicine. So, now, when the child understands his mother’s love, he thinks about her, and then he does not take the medicine bitterly.
When he takes the medicine, he does not take the medicine bitterly. He takes the medicine of his mother’s love. In the same way, when we do bhakti, sometimes, we feel bitter.
Sometimes, it is very difficult to follow the rules. Sometimes, the people around us trouble us. So, how to do bhakti? But the common problem of bhakti is the bitterness But the opportunity to take the medicine, Prabhupadaji has sacrificed so much to give it.
He has accepted so many problems. So, we will help him. We will help him.
Because our problems are very small. Prabhupadaji has done so much. He has given me the opportunity to do bhakti.
So, I can do bhakti. I can definitely do it. In this way, when we do bhakti, I and my ancestors, I and my problems, we will see that the problems are very big.
But we will see that I am a problem and Prabhupadaji is a blessing. Prabhupadaji’s sacrifice, Prabhupadaji’s dedication, I have done that problem. I can face this problem.
Prabhupadaji, you did so much for me. Let me do it. You did so much for me.
Prabhupadaji, you have sacrificed so much. Give me the opportunity to do bhakti. I can definitely do bhakti for you.
I will definitely be able to do it for you. That’s why, if we are close to God, then we will definitely be able to do bhakti. We will be able to do bhakti.
We will receive God’s blessings. We will be able to overcome our problems. I once wrote a poem.
There is a line in it. If there is a problem, then how can one do bhakti without doing bhakti? When there are problems, then all of us face problems. If we don’t do bhakti, then we will be able to overcome the problems.
But bhakti is there. With the help of bhakti, we will be able to overcome all the problems. This is the grace of God.
We are able to do this because of Prabhupada’s sacrifice. We can pray to Prabhupada that we can take inspiration from his sacrifice and we can do bhakti.