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
So today is the 25th and we wish you all very happy 25th of May! And we offer our greetings good wishes! Today this is a prelude to Lord Gaurasundar showing His Shadbhuj form to Nityananda Prabhu! This one is from the Caitanya Caritamrita. This one was done by Srila Prabhupada.
Half of the verse is the previous lila that was just done. The second verse is about Shadbhuja darshan.
Translation by Srila Prabhupada:
After arriving at the house of Srivas Thakura, Nityananda Prabhu got the darshan of the Shadbhuja form of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This is the second part of the verse. This is a representation of three forms of the Lord – One is form of Lord Ramacandra symbolized by a bow in one hand and arrow in another, the form of Sri Krsna is symbolized by a stick and flute, like those generally held by a cowherd boy and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is symbolized by His sanyas danda and kamandalu, or water pot. Sanyas danda means a sanyasi stick.
Murari Gupta Korca:
“Caitanya Mahaprabhu was nicely worshipped by Lord Nityananda and stayed there that day. On the morrow, He went to the ashram of Srivas who invited the avadoot to accept alms from him.”
Caitanya Caritamrita Mahakavya:
“Another day Nityananda Prabhu came to Srivas Pandit’s house in great hunger. Srivas invited Him happily and gave Him alms. After that He put sandalwood paste on His body.
Caitanya Mangal Madhya Lila:
Another day Srivas Pandit invited Lord Nityananda to his house for a meal. Avadoot Lord Nityananda came to his house for prasadam.
Lord Nityananda was very satisfied by the pandit’s meal and his dealings. In that way, He passed the day there at Srivas’s house.
Murari Gupta Korca: Sanskrit:
Srivas Pandit lovingly offered Nityananda nicely prepared foods whereupon Nityananda respectfully ate that great quantity of sanctified and excellent food. While Nityananda was staying there, suddenly Bhagavan Gaura entered the splendid temple and sat upon an excellent seat.
So Lord Nityananda took nice rice, vegetables, and other things. Then He was given a place to rest. The food was excellent but the food was rice and vegetables and other things.
Caitanya Mangal:
There Gauranga Mahaprabhu, Bhagavan Gauranga Mahaprabhu entered the courtyard of Srivas, smiling and happy!
Caitanya Caritamrita Mahakavya: Sanskrit:
After eating there Nityananda Prabhu took rest. The ocean of mercy, Gaurahari arrived there and entering the temple, sitting on an excellent seat, with a good blanket, He shone.
Caitanya Caritamrita Mahakavya: Sanskrit:
Gauracandra said to Him: “Look at Me. Look at Me. Since You have rested.” Nityananda Prabhu looked at His body but could not see anything. Mahaprabhu understood.
Murari Gupta Korca: Sanskrit:
Remembering Their former pastimes as Krsna and Balarama in Vraja, the Lord addressed Nityananda in a charming tone. “For the purpose of attaining Me, You have strived so arduously. Now look upon My Person.” When He heard the words which hinted the truth of Mahaprabhu, the avadoot glanced back at Him with devotion but could not clearly understand their meaning.
Entering the temple room, He sat on a very opulent aasan. Gauranga said, look at Me! See Me with Your eyes!
On hearing these words, Lord Nityananda, the best of the sanyasis, respectfully looked at Viswambhar’s body.
He didn’t know the truth of what Lord Gauranga was saying. He didn’t see anything special. What was the purpose that the Lord spoke in this way, in the form of some hints?
Murari Gupta Korca: Sanskrit:
Knowing this the illustrious Lord Gauranga announced to all the vaisnavas: “All of you must now leave the house.” And they did so. Then Gaura Prabhu, the Supreme Master of all displayed His opulence and sweetness to the eager and curious Nityananda.
Caitanya Caritamrita Mahakavya: Sanskrit.
Understanding, the most merciful Lord said to the devotees: “Quickly go outside.” When they went out Nityananda saw in Mahaprabhu’s body an effulgence like a hundred million suns.
Caitanya Mangal:
Then Mahaprabhu Viswambar said to His associates.
You people, everyone please go outside the temple room. So to follow the order of the Lord, they all went outside the temple.
What did Lord Gauranga show to Lord Nityananda? What should I say to You? Who knows the heart of the two? Who knows that secret?
Lord Gauranga said, You have struggled so hard to see Me, to look at Me!
Thus ends the chapter entitled Prelude to Lord Gaurasundar showing the Sadbhuj to Nityananda Prabhu.
I want to see the Sadbhuj! Who else wants to see it?
I think I am supposed to speak at the youth gathering tomorrow. You are welcome but it will be in Bengali. The day after that I am supposed to speak to the college students, that will be in English. And the day between I will be back here giving class. Tomorrow morning at 8 I will give the Russian class on the second floor, I don’t Russian so I will speak in English and they will translate it. So you are welcome to come. Tomorrow morning at 8 am.
Are there any questions? They have paper and pens? Get back the pens! Ha! Today we heard how Lord Nityananda went and had His meal at the house of Srivas Pandit. And how Srivas served Him nice rice, dal, sabzis, chutneys and all these things and satisfied Lord Nityananda. Gave Him sandalwood pulp and a place to rest. Then Lord Caitanya came and He told the others to go out and He told Lord Nityananda to see Him. Some of the texts said that Lord Caitanya started to exhibit a brilliant effulgence of millions of suns. So some of the books on Lord Caitanya didn’t say what He showed. Some did. So somehow all these texts had to be combined and produce a composite pastime.
Question: Hare Krsna Guru maharaj, in Bengali. In Vyasa Puja we do washing of the lotus feet. But where you are not there how do we do abhishek?
Guru maharaj: Well there are several options. One is you can do nothing! One option is to bathe before the picture of the spiritual master like in the case of Srila Prabhupada, we do abhishek of the brass deity of Prabhupada. Like that there are few options. Haribol!
Question: Hare Krsna Guru maharaj, PAMHO. How to remember so many instructions given in classes and follow it throughout life? Your servant, Acyuta.
Guru maharaj: You can take notes!
Question: Beloved Guru maharaj, PAMRO. If Gaura asked everyone to leave, how was it possible for them to describe what happened between Them? Your insignificant daughter, Ratnavali dd
Guru maharaj: Special question! Maybe someone peeped! Or maybe Lord Nityananda told later what was shown! How do I know?!
Question: Hare Krsna Guru maharaj PAMHO, (Guru maharaj: Accepted. Guru should be offered respectful obeisances, not humble.) You spoke in previous class that if we please Nityananda Prabhu then Mahaprabhu will be pleased. Then how to please Nityananda Prabhu?
Guru maharaj: Well we saw that Srivas pleased Him. He gave Him nice prasadam and He did some personal service. So Lord Nityananda, we can offer Him a nice puja, a nice bhoga and He likes cida and yogurt, you can offer Him a cida dahi feast! And you can also do any services to the guru and guru is very dear to Lord Nityananda. So by serving guru, we please Lord Nityananda.
Question: What should we do to develop pure bhakti in grihasta life?
Guru maharaj: Lord Nityananda said always chant and then learn about Lord Caitanya, about Lord Krsna. Then you gradually develop more and more affection to Lord Krsna. Then that develops into bhava and prema. So in this way you become detached and situated in the highest form of prema bhakti. Srila Prabhupada told us, that if we help others to chant or if we chant loudly, then in this way it is a hundred times more effective. We get rid of offences in this way. So that is why he engaged his disciples and followers in spreading the sankirtan movement by Harinam sankirtan, by book distribution and so on. So by helping others to be Krsna conscious, we can advance more quickly.
Question: What should we do in order to receive your mercy?
Guru maharaj: Same as above.
I had a Question & Answer session today from 12 to 1 and there were various students. They gave 115 questions, not possible to answer. So they gave 15 minutes overtime and we answered like this, quick answers. So I have experience! You have 15 minutes left!
Question: Bengali! Guru maharaj said: Oh Bengali! Who does the Rama word in the Mahamantra refer to in the Hare Krsna Maha Mantra – Lord Rama or Lord Krsna?
Guru maharaj: Srila Prabhupada said that the Rama, there are 3 Ramas. There is Balarama, there is also Ramacandra, Janaki Ramacandra and there is also Parasurama. Some people say Rama is also name of Krsna. So yes, all of the above. Whatever you want!
Question: Harita Madhavi dd: Hare Krsna Gurudev. PAMRO. Usually we see in some temples that Lord Gauranga is adorned with peacock feather. But He came in the mood of a devotee. Then why have they used this peacock feather for the Lord? Is this approved by Srila Prabhupada? Has Lord Gauranga in His lila has ever used peacock feather on His crown? Your spiritual daughter, Harita Madhavi devi dasi.
Guru maharaj: You see we worship Lord Gauranga in the mood of His Mahaprakash, when He is showing Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the description shows that He was at that time was not hiding His identity. So He would wear peacock feather on His crown or turban. Otherwise why would we be worshiping on the altar? Because we know that He is an avatar, He is Krsna Himself, so we worship Him in that mood. Although when He was on earth, He kept Himself secret from most of the people and He only revealed His real identity to a few, in very few cases.
Question: Hare Krsna gurudev. PAMRO. What is the ideal way to live in Mayapur? Your insignificant servant, Milan Madhava das
Guru maharaj: You see Srila Prabhupada said you get a thousand times benefit for any devotional service we do. How many of you know mathematics? Nobody! Some people! So what is a thousand times zero. Zero! So if you don’t do anything in Mayapur, then what is a thousand times zero. You should do as much as you can, then you get a thousand times that. even if you do one it is a thousand. You do 100 it is 100 thousand times, so try to do as much and get the highest score as possible. Haribol!
Question: Hare Krsna guru maharaj: PAMRO. Our eternal relationship is with Krsna, but how can we manage if family is not in favor of devotional life and not supported in bhakti. So can we manage bhakti with this kind of family. Your servant, Siva.
Guru maharaj: It is more difficult but Krsna will understand these obstacles. And He in Vrndavana enjoyed the parakiya rasa where everyone was not in favor, that their daughters in law should go to meet Krsna. But somehow they did it. Sometimes they lay in their bed and they came out of their body in their spiritual form and attended Krsna’s rasa lila. I don’t know if you are so advanced, but there are certainly some ways you can attain Krsna’s service. If sometimes you may give an ultimatum that if they obstruct you in your service, you will leave the house. Or when you go to work, return from work, go to school, or return from school, you chant or visit temple. Somehow or other you do it. In this way, you can get a counter machine and chant on the counter, or learn how to count on your fingers. Russians, under the Soviet Union would make beads out of their bread in the prison house. So where there is a will there is a way. Haribol! Last six minutes.
Question: Bengali. In grihasta life, how can husband and wife relationship be so both advance in Krsna consciousness?
Guru maharaj: I mentioned that in the wedding ceremony. The husband and wife in the Vedic marriage are considered each a half. And together they are one. The wife is considered better half. Ardangini. So there are some brahmacharis that sleep a lot and some grihastas that do a lot of service. So how much service you do goes to your credit. How much sadhana bhakti? It is not what ashram you are in, the brahmachari ashram gives the facility that they don’t have to maintain their family, and not much responsibility, they can give all their time to Krsna’s direct service. But if they don’t do that and the grihastas in spite of so many responsibilities, family, children, so many responsibilities, but if they are able to do lot of service, then that is what counts. Srila Prabhupada said how his guru sent a sanyasi to London, but he wasn’t able to do much. But he sent three grihasta couples and they got a headline in the London paper, Hare Krsna’s rock London! He said, my grihasta disciples did what the sanyasi couldn’t do! So as a grihasta you should try to do as much as you can. And a brahmachari or grihasta, whatever you are, try to do as much as you. Grihe thako bone thako sada Hari bole dako. Last question, two min to go.
Question: Dearest Guru maharaj. PAMRO. how does one sincerely and practically have humility, tolerance and patience when things are very difficult or uncomfortable. Your servant, Jayada Harinin devi dasi.
Guru maharaj: You understand? I don’t understand! Question repeated. How does one have humility and sincerity and patience when things are bad? That is the real test! Ha! What is the test of humility, sincerity and patience, when things are going good? There is no test! When things are bad, when it really counts! That is when we need patience, we need humility, we need sincerity. So at that time you show that you practice you preach. And then you pray to Krsna give me the patience, the tolerance, the sincerity to get over of these tests.
Thank you very much! Any group photo?
Transcribed by Jayaraseshwari devi dasi
25 May 2019