Date: February 26, 2009
Verse: Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.24.12
Speaker: Radhanatha Swami

brahmovaca tvaya me 'pacitis tata kalpita nirvyalikatah
yan me sanjagrhe vakyam bhavan manada manayan

TRANSLATION

Lord Brahma said: My dear son Kardama, since you have completely accepted my instructions without duplicity, showing them proper respect, you have worshiped me properly. Whatever instructions you took from me you have carried out, and thereby you have honored me.

PURPORT

Lord Brahma, as the first living entity within the universe, is supposed to be the spiritual master of everyone, and he is also the father, the creator, of all beings. Kardama Muni is one of the Prajapatis, or creators of the living entities, and he is also a son of Brahma. Brahma praises Kardama because he carried out the orders of the spiritual master in total and without cheating. A conditioned soul in the material world has the disqualification of cheating. He has four disqualifications: he is sure to commit mistakes, he is sure to be illusioned, he is prone to cheat others, and his senses are imperfect. But if one carries out the order of the spiritual master by disciplic succession, or the parampara system, he overcomes the four defects. Therefore, knowledge received from the bona fide spiritual master is not cheating. Any other knowledge which is manufactured by the conditioned soul is cheating only. Brahma knew well that Kardama Muni exactly carried out the instructions received from him and that he actually honored his spiritual master. To honor the spiritual master means to carry out his instructions word for word.

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Radhanatha Swami

I am very grateful for this opportunity to try to offer some service to the assembled devotees. We are reading today from Srimad Bhagavatam 3.24 entitled - The Renunciation of Kardama Muni. Text 12

Kardama Muni so sincerely without ulterior motives carried out the order of his father and guru, Lord Brahma. He performed great austerities and the result is he and his wife Devahuti attracted the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kapiladev to become their son. In these verses Lord Brahma has descended to honor and worship the Lord who is within the womb of Devahuti and to express his deep satisfaction to Kardama Muni.

In the spiritual world Goloka Vrindavan we read about the loving affairs between Radha Krishna and all of Their devotees. When the Lord descends into this material world

yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya tadatmanam srjamy aham — (Bg 4.7)

He comes again, and again and again in different forms. It is to manifest that love in the form of compassion. The love of the spiritual world of God is manifested in this world as compassion to lift the fallen souls who have rejected Him, who are suffering, para dukha dukhi - Great souls, their unhappiness is to see others separated from Krishna and their greatest happiness is to see people reconnecting with Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada explains this, Lord Brahma, he is the original spiritual master of this universe. How much happiness he is experiencing that his son, his disciple Kardama Muni by the power of his devotion has attracted the Supreme Lord to come to show compassion to all living beings within this world. The Lord’s vani, which is carried through disciplic succession, is the most powerful form of His love within this creation.

All the great spiritual masters are instruments of that love and how we find throughout the history of Vaisnavism how devotes take the order of their spiritual master as their life and soul and through that process are empowered to be such instruments of Krishna’s will. Here in Sri Navadvip Dham, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared.

radha-bhava-dyuti-suvalitam naumi krsna-svarupam (CC Adi 1.5)

He is Radha and Krishna - Krishna with the complexion and love of Srimati Radharani. He appeared in the role of His own devotee. As Nimai Pandit He harassed and challenged the Vaisnavas until He accepted initiation from His spiritual master Srila Isvara Puri. And how He made that order His life and soul!

In Varanasi Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu told Prakasananda Sarasvati and the sannyasis there what was his heart? They were blaspheming Him, ridiculing Him in every possible way. Why should He waste His time with them? But even to these blasphemers He wanted to show compassion. He entered that assembly and here are these Mayavadis who are envious of Him, who declare themselves to be God, who defy His own transcendental form to be maya, illusion and He enters the assembly and sits down were they are all washing their feet and emitted His Brahman effulgence which they were very attracted to.

His humility affected them. They said, “Swamiji why are You sitting in a dirty place? Come and sit with us.” And here is the guru of all gurus, the Absolute Truth, the cause of all causes and He says, “I am not qualified to sit on an elevated seat with all of you.” At that point they had to come down and take Him by the hand and bring Him up. He tricked them into doing this ajnata sukriti.

They rendered service with feeling, with respect for Him and by doing so their hearts were opening. And they said, “Why are You dancing and chanting with all this ignorant foolish people? You are a sannyasi, You should be with us. You should be studying Vedanta, performing tapasya. He said, “My Guru Maharaj told Me that I am not qualified to study Vedanta. He said I am a fool.”

Now here are all these great scholars who are so proud of their scholarship and usually people when they are with like-minded people they try to boast of their qualifications. Lord Caitanya disarmed them totally. He said, “I am a fool. You all want to be God but I am a fool. My Guru told Me that. He said I should just chant the holy name and he gave Me the sloka,

harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha — (Cc. Adi 17.21)

In this age of Kali there is no other way. By chanting the holy names You will realize the essence of dharma, the perfection of life. So I started chanting and tears started coming from My eyes and My hairs were standing on end and My limbs were trembling and I asked My Guru what is happening to Me! My Guru said, ‘Congratulations, You have achieved perfection.’”

And then he gave Lord Caitanya an order, “Taste the nectar of the holy name and give this nama sankirtana, giving this chanting of the holy name to the whole world.” That was the order that He received from his spiritual master. On the basis of the order Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came back to Sri Navadvip Dhama and inaugurated the harinam sankirtan movement.

One day He gave that same order of the disciplic succession to Nityananda Prabhu and Haridas Thakur. An amazing order! “Go to everyone and beg them, ‘Please chant the name of Krishna, worship Krishna, talk about Krishna. Krishna is your mother, Krishna is your father, Krishna is the real treasure and He is your very life and soul.’”.

Here is Lord Nityananda Prabhu, Balaram who previously to that arrogant Romharsana Suta, He took a blade of kusha grass and ended his life. Now Balaram is taking grass within his teeth and going to the same type of arrogant nonsense people, offenders, blasphemers, everyone and begging them take the name of Krishna. Sometimes they would reject Him, abuse Him, Threaten Him, but with tears of compassion in His eyes and folded arms, He would beg them, “Please just take the name of Krishna and you will be my life and soul.”

Haridas Thakur is the same Brahma we are reading about today and he is doing the same thing - subjecting himself to ridicule persecution, beating in public places for one reason, to alleviate peoples suffering by giving them Krishna consciousness and the chanting of the holy names. All in obedience to the line of the order of the spiritual master! And to what extent Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu revealed this!

Just nearby at Srivasangam there was a kirtan going on Srivasa’s son died. The ladies of the house were weeping. Srivas Thakur could feel the sadness and he went back there and told them, “Keep your weeping quiet. If our sadness destroys Lord Caitanya’s happiness and His chanting and dancing I will end my life.”

Towards the end of the night Lord Caitanya sensed, “Is there some sadness here?” Someone else said, “Srivas’s son died seven and a half hours ago.” “Why didn’t anyone tell Me?” “Srivas did not want to disturb Your happiness.” Lord Caitanya asked Srivas, “Is something wrong?” Srivas said, “With You dancing in my house nothing can be wrong.” When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu heard this, He incessantly wept tears and cried out, “Govinda, Govinda, how is it possible to give up the company of a person who out of love for Me does not even know grief for his own son.” He cried again and again and again, “How will I give up the company of a devotee, a friend like Srivas.

The devotees were confused as to why He is saying this. The reason - Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had already decided that He was going to take sannyas, and in taking sannyas He was going to break the hearts of devotees like this and leave their association. He will have to depart from His most beloved abode of Sri Navadwip. Why? To further carry out the order of His spiritual master -to spread the nama sankirtan movement in all directions.

Actually this coming January, the celebrations begin now, in Calcutta there was a big festival with many, many thousands of people celebrating the five hundredth anniversary of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepting sannyas. In the coming month of Marg is when that most compassionate manifestation of the Lords love has taken place.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu told Nityananda Prabhu that, “I am going to shave up and take sannyasa and wander around searching for Krishna and giving Krishna to others.” When Nityananda Prabhu heard this he became numb. He said, “My Lord whatever You wish to do that You will do. Nothing and no one can stop You but please talk to the devotees and see how they react.”

Nityananda Prabhu went to a secluded place and cried, cried and cried, thinking what will happen to Sacidevi when her son leaves her. What will be the anguish of her heart! Thinking in that way Nityananda Prabhu fell unconscious. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu told this news to Mukunda Datta. Mukunda Datta was practically paralyzed that, “How could you do this to us? I have renounced everything of this material world. I have renounced all desire for artha, karma and moksha, I have renounced everything only to take shelter of You and now You are going to renounce me and all of Your devotees and leave us? This is cruel!”

He gave this expression that, “Your heart is like a pot of poison on the very top of which is a very thin layer of milk. You appear to be so merciful but once we taste You what kind of suffering, once we take shelter of You what kind of suffering You inflict upon us!”

He told Gadadhara. Gadadhara said, “What kind of religious principle is this? You have come to this world to teach religious principles. By Your doing this, taking sannyas, leaving You home the first thing You will accomplish is the death of Your mother and all of Your friends, devotees and associates.”

When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu met His mother, Sacidevi, she had already heard rumors. She was running all over Navadwip, “Could this be true, could this be true? This is possible? My son Nimai! This cannot be true but I know it is. Hearing this news, I feel like the entire sky is falling on my head as is crushing me. Your brother Visvarupa has left to take sannyas, Your father has left me and gone back to Vaikuntha. I am a helpless widow with nothing and no one except You. If You leave what will I live for?

Just the thought of Your soft lotus feet trampling through the jungles were there are thorns and stones breaks my heart. I am cooking for you every day. You are my child. The thought of You hungry and thirsty wandering around begging for some food is unbearable to me. The thought of Your body, which is as delicate as soft butter being subjected to the winds and the rains and the burning scorching sun is intolerable. I will enter into fire so that this ears never have to hear the news that My son has entered into the renounced order of life.”

These were the emotions that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was confronted with but still five hundred years ago from this year Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became a sannyasi. Why? Why did He leave His chaste, young, loving wife Visnupriya, His mother and all of His friends like Srivas, Gadadhara whom He was enjoying beautiful kirtan with every night, practically all day? It was simply for the purpose of showing compassion to the most fallen.

That is parampara! To take the order of the spiritual master and to be an instrument of his compassion, to taste the nectar of the holy name and to distribute that name according to our capacity! Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Varanasi said, “I have come like a fruit vendor. I have so many fruits. I am asking everyone to taste these fruits and help Me to distribute them.” That was Mahaprabhu’s order to all of His followers.

Bhaktivinode Thakur in order to please his spiritual master, Jagannath Babaji Maharaj whose disappearance it is today, he not only went through great efforts to discover the birth place of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, but in order to build a temple, the great Thakur Bhaktivinode, an aristocrat, a magistrate of the government, a great scholar and paramahamsa, he was going door to door begging. Begging to give people the opportunity to render this most invaluable service of bringing the world to Sri Mayapur Dham.

His disciple and son, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, he took that order as his life and soul. He started printing presses, millions of books being printed and distributed, started temples in sixty-four parts of India. Sent his chief disciples to the west to spread this movement and he, himself made his headquarters here in Sri Mayapur Dham to fulfill the dream of his Guru, Bhaktivinode Thakur that Americans and Russians and Pakistanis (Pakistan wasn’t there at that time!) Africans and Indians would all be dancing and chanting together glorifying the holy names of the Lord.

That same order, the order of the Lord’s love and compassion was given to our beloved Guru Maharaj, A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. “Take this message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the chanting of the holy names and spread it throughout the world in the English language. Srila Prabhupada, like Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he took sannyasa exclusively for this purpose.

Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu left all of His beloved associates in Navadvip to travel around to spread the holy name. Srila Prabhupada left Radha Damodara Temple in the heart of Sevakunj in Sri Vrindavan dham where he was surrounded by friends and loving well wishers. He came here to Mayapur and spent the day begging for the mercy of his Guru Maharaj, Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati Maharaj at his samadhi to empower him to follow his instruction. Then he went to Calcutta, Friday the 13th of August 1965, he boarded Jaladutta, crossed over two oceans and several continents all alone with no money and knowing no one were he was going.

He left Vrindavan for that. He had taken sannyasa and then traveled across the world to execute the order of his spiritual master. And that was only the beginning. Srila Prabhupada told us again and again that he did not consider himself worthy of any credit. All credit he gave to simply adhering to the order of his spiritual master. He imbibed that same spirit in his own followers.

Srila Prabhupada told us when he was studying the commentary by Srila Visvanath Cakravati Thakur he came to that commentary of,

vyavasayatmika buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana
bahu-sakha hy anantas ca buddhayo ‘vyavasayinam — (Bg 2.41)

That if you are on this path you have to be resolute in purpose, you must have determination. What does that mean? To make the instruction of the spiritual master your life and your soul. Prabhupada, Lord Caitanya, Lord Nityananda, all of our great acaryas, they were willing to give up everything and anything, to endure any obstacle up to the persecution and death to carry out the order of the spiritual master.

Recently I was speaking with the doctors at Bhaktivedanta Hospital. His Holiness Srila Jayapataka Swami Maharaj he had this stroke. Well according to the medical doctors it was impossible for him to live according to that condition, But somehow or the other he is not only living, he is giving classes every night! [Loud audience applause]

He called me on the phone when I was coming back from the RGB meetings in Dehli. I was in an automobile driving from the airport and he said, “I would like to come to Radha Gopinath Temple to give the Sunday feast lecture on February 1st. What do you think? The doctors are not inclined but if you tell them then maybe they will say that I could come.” (Laughter)

It means driving there one hour and one hour back. So I said, “Please come.” And then I told a joke. In Krishna consciousness you have to be very careful when you tell a joke. I said the week before that is our Pune yatra. There will be 4500 people. Pune is only eight hours drive back and fourth. Why don’t you come for that too!

He started laughing really hard and I heard his caretakers and everyone laughing and then we talked about some other things and he said, “It is eight hours driving?” So yes we talked some more. He said, “I don’t think the doctors will let me.” We talked about some other things then he said, “But if you tell them then they have to let me.” (Laughter.) I never said a word to anyone after this but the day before we were leaving for Punar I get a call from Madhavananda Prabhu, sitting right here, the director of Bhaktivedanta hospital. He said, “We don’t know what to do.” He said, “Ever since that phone call he is saying how he wants to go to the Pune Yatra.”

Then he says, “All the local doctors and caretakers are saying, “No, no, no. It is too much trouble. You should not go. Four hours driving there and four hours back. There will be 4500 people. There will be a lot of pressure, a lot of stress. You shouldn’t go.” But he was very much insisting.

So finally we asked the chief doctor, the neuro surgeon. They asked his opinion and he said, “What will make him better is what will make him happy.” And he said what makes this man happy is serving others by preaching to them and giving them Krishna! (Audience applauds.) Is this correct Madhavananda Prabhu? (“Yes.”)

We have evidence. And I was thinking that this is the sakti that Srila Prabhupada imbibed in people’s hearts. That Srila Jayapataka Swami Maharaj, he lives, he breathes to give Krishna to others, whatever inconvenience, whatever disturbance is irrelevant. That was Prabhupada’s spirit that was Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda and Haridas Thakur’s spirit. That is our parampara.

Just happiness in life is life itself is to share Prabhupada’s message with others. Why? Because that was the order that Srila Prabhupada gave to His Holiness Jayapataka Swami.

Today is the disappearance day of Srila Tamal Krishna Maharaj. How in his own special unique way he just took the order of his spiritual master as his life and soul. That is why we are sitting here in Mayapur today. Other people tried to get this land but it was too difficult. Ultimately Srila Prabhupada called for Tamal Krishna Goswami and he taught him how to tape a kaupina around his neck and put all these rupees and said, “Now you go and you don’t come back until you have the deed for that land.”

Very difficult! With great effort and all sorts of manipulation and whatever else he had to do he somehow or the other convince them to sell the land to him. He had to sit there for hours and hours and hours while they were counting every little rupee. Very Difficult! And he returned to Calcutta it was late at night. Prabhupada’s light was on. He was waiting. He came in the room, offered his dandavat and said, “Prabhupada the land in Mayapur is yours,” and gave him the deed. [Audience applauds]

We can speak so many things about His Holiness Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaj. There will be a memorial service of offerings in the community center later this morning. But another example Srila Prabhupada ordered him, “Go to China.” The circumstances that he said it were rather unusual. Prabhupada told him, “Go to China.”

I think there was some controversy and Prabhupada was chastising Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaj. And in America when you are really in a hopeless situation there is a term were you say, “Maybe I should just go to China!” (Laughter.) So somehow or another, Goddess Sarasvati maybe just went on his tongue to make him say that and Prabhupada said, “That is a good idea.” (Laughter.) “You should go to China!”

“Well Prabhupada, I didn’t mean that.” He said, “No, no. Krishna is speaking through you.” (Laughter.) And then later on Srila Prabhupada said, “You go to China. That is your service.”

The iron curtain is also the bamboo curtain. The only frontier that Krishna consciousness never penetrated! Different! Different everything! He went in disguise and the seeds that he planted and the flowers that he watered - it is one of the fastest growing places in the world were Krishna consciousness is expanding. How did that happen? Because he pleased his Guru by taking his instruction as his life and soul!

Srila Prabhupada is explaining in this purport today, honoring the spiritual master is not just about throwing flowers. In fact for one Vyasa-puja for Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur he wrote that beautiful offering that said honoring our spiritual master is not just words of praise and offering garlands. It is carrying out the order of the spiritual master.

Prabhupada, he made that offering to his spiritual master at the highest cost, enduring the greatest difficulties. That is love. Here he is telling us that to honor the spiritual master means to carry out his instructions word for word. Anyone can talk about loving Prabhupada and glorifying Prabhupada, but from Prabhupada’s own heart he is telling us that, that love and honor will be shown by how you follow my instructions.

Chant at least sixteen rounds everyday as attentive as possible striving to avoid the ten offenses, by very sincerely following the regulative principles, no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling, no meat eating. One of Srila Prabhupada’s last instructions to all of us for all generations is, “You will show your love for me by how you will co operate with one another.”

Now that is probably one of the most difficult instruction he ever gave us. Because this is Kali yuga. The entire atmosphere of Kali yuga is surcharged with the energy that impels us, practically forces us into quarrel, disunity, hypocrisy, we all have our egos, we all have our interpretations, we all have our conditioning, we all have our natures. What to speak of an international movement were people of all castes, of all countries, of all races!

Prabhupada’s order, “You will show your love for me by how you co operate together to push forward this movement.” To be united, to spread Krishna consciousness all over the world even if inconvenience and risk. It is the order Srila Prabhupada has given all of us. The willingness according to our capacity to be a part of that, whether we are Hanumans or whether we are those little squirrels or spiders kicking some sand, by taking that order as our life and soul that is how we show our love for Prabhupada. That is how we honor Srila Prabhupada - yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto ‘pi.

That is how we show our love and honor for Krishna. On Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur’s disappearance day in Los Angeles many years ago, Srila Prabhupada ended his talk. He said, “I am very old. I could leave at any time.” And then you can hear on the recording how he chokes up and starts crying and with a very choked up voice he said, “You are all young, please carry on, help me to carry forward the order of my spiritual master.”

That appeal of compassion should be the life and soul of Iskcon and all of its members. Thank you very much.

[Loud Applause]

Srila Prabhupada Ki Jay!
Srila Jayapataka Swami Maharaj Ki Jay!
Srila Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaj Ki Jay!

Let me just say one more thing while we are speaking about departed Vaisnavas, there is that beautiful little area were the samadhis are. Srila Gaura Govinda Maharaj, how he took the order of Srila Prabhupada as his life and soul! Even with ill health he traveled the world with no other motive but to show love and compassion to others by giving the unadulterated message of Srila Prabhupada to others. He spent night after night after night for years giving up his sleeping and practically his eating to translate Prabhupada’s books into Oriya to give Prabhupada’s message to others.

Although such a distinguished scholar he was practically begging door to door to build that temple on Srila Prabhupada’s instruction and gave all credit to the power he received by Srila Prabhupada’s order.

Besides him is His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami Maharaj. One I gave a lecture about him and it ended up being five hours. (Laughter.) So I am not going to do that to you today. But we can take just one drop from the ocean of what he has done for Srila Prabhupada.

He has an African American body. Prabhupada wanted him to go to Africa to western Africa. And the stories he tells of what he endured. He is a graduate of Princeton. In Africa people were trying to poison him, people were putting Voodoo curses on him. Voodoo curses are not just some kind of mythology. It is serious, suffering oppressing heat, all sorts of diseases. Being in places were there is revolutions, rioting and murders.

He established so many temples, so many farm communities so many hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of devotees. He establishes Krishna consciousness powerfully there and he really, really endured tremendous amount of difficulty and risked his life. Where was that power coming from? His desire to please Srila Prabhupada by executing his instruction! And he travelled around the world again and again and again to the most remote places to repeat that message.

The same instruction that Isvara Puri gave to Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the same instruction Jagannatha Das Babaji gave to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, the same instruction Bhaktivinod Thakur gave to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, the same instruction Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur gave to Srila Prabhupada, and the same instruction Srila Prabhupada gave to all of us.

And His Holiness Sridhara Swami Maharaja also, he was one of the first devotees to come to India, very difficult, along with Giriraja Swami and others. Living in that rat and mosquito infested farm. Fighting against the government, against the dacoits, against the cheaters; but they never considered doing anything else or going anywhere else. Why? Because they wanted to honour Srila Prabhupada and reciprocate with his love.

When we go to those samadhis, especially today on Tamal Krishna Gosvami Maharaja’s disappearance day, we should not only offer our heart’s gratitude to what they have done for us, but to the spirit they have all represented in such an unparalleled way of making the order of their spiritual master their life and soul.

And there is no other better joy than feeling the blessings of Srila Prabhupada upon us. There is no wealth, there is no happiness that could compare to that. Thank you very much.

[Loud applause]

Srimad-Bhagavatam ki Jay! Srila Prabhupada ki Jay!

[Transcribed by Madri DD and Sukirti Madhavi DD]