(Baisakha) Monthly Message (25 April 2024 to 23 May 2024)

My dear dīkṣā, sheltered, aspiring, śikṣā, grand disciples, and well-wishers,

Please accept my blessings and best wishes. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Home base: Śrī Māyāpur Chandrodaya Mandir
Camp: New Delhi

Yesterday, we celebrated the appearance day of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. Nṛsiṁhadeva is a special avatāra of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Each avatāra has a specific purpose, and Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva protects His devotees. By His mercy, we are all protected in numerous ways. In Māyāpur, since last year, the festival has been celebrated for nine days. Each morning, yajñas were performed in twelve yajña kuṇḍas. They also had Sudarśana Yajña and an oil abhiṣeka for the Lord, with the main abhiṣeka on Nṛsiṁha Caturdaśī. In Māyāpur, we have Ugra Nṛsiṁhadeva, but here in Delhi, they have Lakṣmī Nṛsiṁhadeva with Prahlāda Mahārāja. I heard that through my JPS office, many devotees participated in the service of Nṛsiṁhadeva’s abhiṣeka.

His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī would attend the Māyāpur Nṛsiṁhadeva abhiṣeka every year. He was also a member of the MEB. He would go every year to Māyāpur on Nṛsiṁha Caturdaśī. But last Nṛsiṁha Caturdaśī, he installed Lakṣmī Nṛsiṁhadeva here in Delhi temple. Since he is not here physically, his disciples requested that it would be a blessing for all of them, especially at this time, if I attended this first-anniversary abhiṣeka of Lakṣmī Nṛsiṁha. So I rescheduled my travel, and I went to Delhi temple and participated in the festival. His Holiness Guru Prasāda Swami also attended the festival since he is the GBC Chairman now, and he has taken on the responsibility of His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī’s zone in India.

This month is Baisakha, one of the three holy months every year—Kārtika, Baisakha, and Māgha. This month is for increasing sādhana bhakti. In Kārtika month, we specially offer lamps; in Māgha month, it is recommended to bathe in holy rivers like Gaṅgā, and in Baisakha month it is recommended to chant. Encouraging people to chant or to increase their chanting during this month is very beneficial. The scriptures state that whatever devotional service we perform in the month of Baisakha, we will receive 100 times the benefit.

I have been in Delhi for more than a month now. Since my last message, my health has been fluctuating, and despite being discharged once, I was readmitted. By the prayers of devotees, I am gradually regaining my strength. Though I am out of the hospital, I am still undergoing various therapies. I am very grateful to devotees for their extra chanting, Ekādaśī vratas, Tulasī parikramas, and other prayers dedicated to my health. I heard that there is chanting for 2 hours daily on a global level organized by different yatras each day. Also, many devotees individually and some temples are doing yajñas and other offerings dedicated to my health.

When my health improved slightly, on the auspicious Sītā Navamī day, I visited the ISKCON Rohini temple. I had previously agreed to attend the temple opening in April, but unfortunately, I could not attend as I was in ICU. I was very happy to take darśana of the deities and meet the devotees. I took this opportunity to glorify my dear Godbrother, His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja. This was the first time I addressed his disciples after Mahārāja departed from this world. I pray for all the disciples of Mahārāja regularly. As he was dear to me, his disciples are also dear to me. To assist them, I created an email ID exclusively for the disciples of His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja (gkg.jpscare@gmail.com). Devotees have already started writing and I am trying to reply to their concerns and questions whenever time permits. However, I want to emphasize that this is exclusively for the disciples of His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī. My disciples can always write to me at jayapataka@gmail.com

Recently, in between my procedures, one evening, I visited ISKCON Delhi, took darśana of the deities and addressed the disciples of His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī. I also spoke about his glories.

While in Delhi, many of my Godbrothers and senior disciples come to visit me, and I am grateful for their association. I also received a very personal and touching letter from my dear Godbrother His Holiness Satsvarūpa Dāsa Gosvāmī praying for my health and requesting me to stay longer!

I continue to receive video reports from my disciples, which give me great pleasure. Along with Bhakti Vṛkṣas and Nāma-hattas, there are also many university preaching programs conducted by brahmacārīs and gṛhasthas. ISKCON Youth Forum (IYF) Māyāpur, led by Tīrthāṅga Nitāi Dāsa, sent me an inspiring report of their preaching in different colleges and at Kalyani University, Durgapur. Their program was also covered in the news channels.

One of my disciples, Jāhnavī Nimaipriya Devī Dāsī from Surat, runs an online preaching platform called Eternal Journey. This month, a total of 4,293 jīvas participated in morning mantra meditation, collectively chanting over 34,344 rounds in 27 hours throughout the month. They also had 20 hours of online classes attended by 918 participants, where they discussed Kṛṣṇa consciousness according to individual spiritual levels.

Another disciple, Suśānta Rāma Dāsa, a brahmacārī in ISKCON Thiruvananthapuram temple, wrote to me about a book reading group he started in 2018. Now, he has 40 devotees who have completed reading the entire Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, with some even having read it twice. This was very inspiring.

Some disciples, after initiation, write to me about challenges in chanting 16 rounds daily and other commitments. I would appreciate it if my senior disciples could support newly initiated devotees in adhering to their initiation vows. As mentioned in previous messages, I have established an e-Care office to care for every disciple. However, they do not have updated contact details for all disciples. It would be helpful if you could send a short form with your name, spiritual name (if initiated), phone number, and email ID. Please update your details by using this link https://www.jayapatakaswami.com/contact/

Your presence is vital for the progress of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s movement. Each one of you comes from a different professional backgrounds, blessed with unique talents. I encourage you to utilize these talents in the service of Kṛṣṇa. Whether you choose the brahmacārī āśrama or the gṛhastha āśrama, the most important thing is to remain Kṛṣṇa conscious.

In his 1975 Vyāsa Pūjā lecture, Śrīla Prabhupāda urged his Western gṛhastha disciples to produce paramahaṁsa children who could become ācāryas and preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Thus, gṛhasthas also play a pivotal role in our movement.

It is my desire that you study Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books thoroughly and put his teachings into practice. Become true representatives of Śrīla Prabhupāda and the ISKCON movement. In this material world, there is nothing more valuable than Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything else is temporary. Kṛṣṇa and everything related to Kṛṣṇa is supremely sweet. Lord Caitanya and Śrīla Prabhupāda came to freely distribute the sweetness of Kṛṣṇa.

I am praying for you regularly. I did a special prayer on Nṛsiṁha Caturdaśī that Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva removes the obstacles to your spiritual progress and helps you achieve devotion to the lotus feet of Śrī Śrī Rādhā Mādhava.

Please follow the below links for my daily quotes, short videos and online classes:

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/Jayapatakaswami
YouTube:
www.youtube.com/c/Jayapatakaswamiofficial
WhatsApp Channel:
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaBTu8uIiRoqvPKige0G
Telegram Channel:
https://t.me/JayapatakaSwamiOfficial

Your well-wisher always,
Jayapatākā Swami

JPS/ssdb