PLEASE NOTE, *THIS DOCUMENT IS AT DRAFT (NOT PERFECT) STAGE. IT IS RECOMMENDED TO READ WITH GM’S VIDEO IN BACKGROUND. *
Nama Om Vishnu paadaaya..
Hari Haraya Naama Krishna …
Jaya Prabhupada…
Mukham karoti…
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No one wanted to let Him go from their laps.
Everyone had more affection for Lord Nityananda than their own sons. But no one was able to recognize Him by the influence of Visnu maya, the Lord’s illusory, material energy.
In this way, from the beginning of His childhood, Nityananda’s only play was Krsna lila, enacting the pastimes of Lord Krsna.
All the childhood friends of Lord Nityananda, left the house of their parents, their father and mother, to sport in the company of Nityananda Prabhu constantly sporting in the company of Lord Nityananda. This is something natural that everyone feels attracted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the Soul of the souls, life of the lives. So therefore naturally everyone feels attracted to Him. It is like people are attracted to the children but when the soul leaves the body, no matter how much they love their child, they arrange to have the final rites performed, either cremating, burying or whatever. So Lord Nityananda is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the life of all living beings. Naturally everyone is more attracted to him, children, parents, everyone.
I offer my obeisances to the lotus feet of those children many times – those who enjoyed the association of Lord Nityananda and were sporting with Him.
In this way Lord Nityananda played from His childhood, He didn’t know any other happiness than enacting various lilas, pastimes of Lord Krsna.
Who can describe the pastimes of Lord Ananta? They can only manifest to one who has received the Lord’s mercy! So Ananta means unlimited. So Lord Nityananda is the origin of Anantadev. So His pastimes are unlimited. So who can describe His unlimited pastimes? One is only able to describe some of the pastimes if they have the mercy of the Lord.
In this way, Lord Nityananda remained in His house for 12 years. Then thereafter He left to visit the holy places.
So for twenty years He travelled to the different holy places and then finally, He joined the association of Lord Caitanya.
Please listen to this narration in the Adi kanda of the holy places visited by Lord Nityananda. Those who criticize the Lord are degraded, sinful, atheists.
The Lord delivered the whole universe. He is an ocean of mercy which no one can compare with.
By His mercy, one can know the truth of Lord Caitanya. In fact, He is the Lord by which the glories of Lord Caitanya are manifest. So Lord Nityananda showed His great compassion towards the fallen, living entities and thus He delivered the entire world. So being bereft of receiving His mercy, only wicked sinful atheists criticize Him So Lord Nityananda has revealed the truth about Lord Caitanya, and He has made it known to the world. Without His mercy, no one can understand the glories of Lord Caitanya, by their own endeavor.
Kindly listen to the dear most associate of Lord Caitanya, who is Lord Nityananda. How He visited the holy places, the places of pilgrimage and purified them. So regarding the holy places that Lord Nityananda visited, are the verses 105 – 151 and 194 to 202 in Caitanya Bhagavat. So if you want to find out about this pilgrimage sites, you read the descriptions of Baladev’s visiting the holy places in Srimad Bhagavatam 10th canto 78th chapter verses 17-20 and 10th canto 79th chapter verses 9-21.
So some people don’t understand the transcendental characteristics of Lord Nityananda. So He is known as avadoot. Avadoot means, He would do things which, by social understanding, were a bit unusual. Because He was not restricted by any social understanding. Because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So some people, they criticize Him. They thought that He was an avadoot. In fact, when Krsna Gaura Krsna das approached Suryadas Sarakela to propose that his daughters marry Lord Nityananda, he thought Nityananda! He is an avadoot, I cannot marry my daughters to an avadoot! That night he had a vision when he saw that his daughters were actually the wives of Lord Balaram, Revati and Varuni. Who appeared as Jahnava and Vasuda. so he saw Lord Nityananda was Balaram, and he was giving his daughters in marriage to Lord Nityananda. So then he woke up and he called for Krsna Gaura das, and he said that he would give his daughters in marriage to Lord Nityananda, At that time Krsna Gaura das came to see Lord Nityananda who was here in Navadvip. Then He was giving a class, so Krsna Gaura came up to see Him and Lord Nityananda heard what he had to say. He privately whispered in the ear of Nityananda Prabhu and Nityananda Prabhu replied alright and then He gave his class! Ha! That is how the arrangement was made for the marriage of Lord Nityananda. Because Lord Caitanya said that since I took sanyas, you should take grihastha. So many people they cannot understand Lord Nityananda. He is an ocean of mercy. Who else would deliver Jagai and Madai? He manifested the mercy of Lord Caitanya and but for Him we can understand how merciful Lord Caitanya is. Nitai! Gauranga! Nitai Gauuuuranga! So any questions?
Question: Hare Krishna guru maharaj, PAMHO. My question is related to previous class. We have Hanuman temples without Rama La and Sita in India. Any reason?
Guru maharaj: Why don’t you ask those temples? Hanuman is easier to worship than Sita Rama. He will take a few bananas. But Rama you have to do elaborate puja. So many people worship Hanuman because it is easy and he is very merciful. In fact, I heard that there are more Hanuman temples than any other temples in India.
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And those who claim to be the family of Nityananda are the family of His disciples. And they are not really the family members of Lord Nityananda. There are family members of Advaita Gosain, and out of the six children He had, three were devotees and three became non-devotees So the children of the devotees are considered as bona fide. But just to claim some privilege of being a family member was not considered to be something valid. Actually one should perform the activities of a devotee, they should be following certain rules and regulations. In this way they will be recognized by their activities and not by their so called birthright.
Question: How can we identify our guru maharaj? It sometimes becomes so difficult to some devotees to decide from whom to get initiated? So guru dev I humbly request you to clear this confusion.
Guru maharaj: Well this is the one thing that each disciple has to choose for themselves. We cannot choose it for you. And this question used to be asked to me many times. So I wrote down 15 or 16 questions they could ask themselves. Who do I see Srila Prabhupada speaking to me through? So you can pray to Srila Prabhupada, you can pray to the deities, and in this way try to understand. If you want the questions, I can see if I still have them somewhere.
Question: Guru maharaj we have the tirtha yatra following the path that Lord Caitanya traversed. Do we also have path that Lord Nityananda followed?
Guru maharaj: Lord Nityananda travelled for 20 years. Lord Caitanya travelled for 6 years. So Lord Nityananda’s path may be a bit longer! Ha! But there is a path and that path is described in the pastime books of Lord Nityananda.
Question: Guru maharaj: PAMRO. Guru maharaj said: Accepted. In yesterday’s class you said how fortunate are we to hear these pastimes. Guru maharaj said: Yes. My question is that although we were blessed with so many fortunes how can we remain conscious of the gift that we receive every moment? Ysd Shyamagopika dd
Guru maharaj: If you think back, if we didn’t have the mercy of Srila Prabhupad, if we didn’t have the mercy of the devotees, where would you be? What would you be thinking of? What would you be doing? Then it is easy to appreciate, how we go so much mercy! How our life has been so much transformed!
Question: When a devotee is emotionally down, which would be the appropriate way of consoling them? By reminding them philosophically about karma, nature of material world, etc? Or with kind words, love and care. Sumati Jahnava devi dasi.
Guru maharaj: Yes! I agree with all those! Everyone is an individual and depending on the individual’s situation, then see what will be most appreciated and useful for that person. But all the things you said, may have their place, and I cannot say no to any of them. Like sometimes a mother has a miscarriage and she is very emotionally upset. But if we remember how mother Saci she had eight miscarriages, and then she had Vishwarup and Lord Caitanya as her children. So we never know what the plan of the Lord is. I remember that sometimes a child would leave untimely and Srila Prabhupada said that the child had already received Krsna naam, Krsna prasad and was ready to go back to Godhead. So why should he delay? But what would be appreciated by each devotee, that depends on individuals.
We are running overtime! It is 9.30 pm.
Question: When Ekadasi fasting should start? Previous night at 12 am or at sunrise on Ekadasi day. Please confirm. Ysd Adisatvaki devi
Guru maharaj: The fasting is usually from sunrise to sunrise. But if one is staying out on some preaching program or something, then they take prasad at one am that is not a problem. It is not that they should sleep and wake up before sunrise and eat because the food should be digested before sunrise.
Question: We have been hearing some explanation of Nityananda Prabhu being named Nityananda Mahaprabhu. But we also read that Lord Caitanya is the only Mahaprabhu. Can you explain this contradiction? Krishna Kishore das
Guru maharaj: Sometimes Lord Nityananda is also addressed as Mahaprabhu. So if we say THE Mahaprabhu, it means Lord Caitanya. If we say the Mahaprabhus, that means Nitai and Gaur.
Question: Why did Lord Nityananda never go back to Ekacakra? Anirbhanga das.
Guru maharaj: Some say He never left. His aprakat lila is that He is always there. So if you go there and chant Nityananda, maybe He will appear to you!
So those who want a group photo, this is the last chance for tonight!
See you tomorrow!
Transcribed by Jayaraseshwari devi dasi
5 May 2019