(Kindly transcribed by Mataji Swetha Ganeshan)

Download the audio for this lecture here: Download

From Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir!
Date: February 28th, 2014
Speaker: HH Bhakti Purusottama Swami
Subject: S.B. 12.13.23

HH Bhakti Purusottama Swami: Because we are celebrating Kirtan Mela, so these 4-5 days, we are instructed to speak on the glories of the Holy Name. So in this regard, I have chosen one verse for today, the last verse of Srimad Bhagavatam. 12th Canto, text number 23. The conclusion of Bhagavatam and the conclusion of all Vedic literatures is been described in this verse.

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya,

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.

nama-sankirtanam yasya

sarva-papa pranasanam

pranamo dukha samanas

tam namami harim param

TRANSLATION

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord Hari, the congregational chanting of whose Holy Names destroys all sinful reactions, and the offering of obeisances unto whom relieves all material suffering.

Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to the Twelfth Canto, Thirteenth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “The Glories of Srimad-Bhagavatam.”

HH Bhakti Purusottama Swami:   So what is glories of Srimad Bhagavatam? So glories of Srimad Bhagavatam, glories of all the Vedic literatures, is chanting the Holy Name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So today, within this limited time, we’ll discuss something about the specialty of this Hare Krsna maha mantra. How essential and how this is the essence of all the Vedic literatures. Then we will discuss some pastimes to prove the greatness, the great glories of the Holy Name, then we’ll come to some conclusion.

So as we know, Srimad Bhagavatam is,

nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam

suka-mukhad amrta-drava-samyutam

Srimad Bhagavatam is the essence of all Vedic literatures. And what is the essence of Srimad Bhagavatam? nava vidha bhakti:

sravanam kirtanam vishnu smaranam

iti pumsarpita vishnau

bhaktis cen nava-lakshana

Nine kinds of devotional services which starts from sravanam. And tar madhye sarva sreshta nama sankirtan. Nine kinds of devotional service, sarva sreshta the topmost is Hari nama sankirtana. So in this regard, it has been described how at different times, the different dharma followed according to different teachings. In various ancient times which is known as Vedic yuga, teachings of Veda was very prominent. Teachings of Vedas was ruling this earth planet. So that time, Vedic dharma was followed, Vedic dharma and that time is known as Vedic yuga. After Vedic Yuga came Daarsanik Yuga, that time everything was followed by the instructions, by the rulings of dharshan, scriptures. After that came Puranik Yuga. Puranik Yuga times, things were ruled by the teachings of Purana. Then after that came Bhagavat Yuga, then Bhagavat dharma was followed. So in this way, Vedic Yuga-Vedic Dharma, Daarsanik Yuga-Daarshanik dharma, Puranik Yuga-Puranik dharma, Bhagavat Yuga-Bhagavat dharma. So, this up to Bhagavat dharma, they are all coming from Vedas. But Bhagavat dharma is very special, the essence of Veda. The specialty of Bhagavat dharma or teachings of Bhagavat. The difference in the teachings of Vedas and the teachings of Bhagavat is that though Bhagavat is the essence of Veda, though Bhagavat is coming from Veda, what Bhagavat can give, Veda cannot give. Very interesting point. And what is the essence of Srimad Bhagavatam? So after Bhagavat dharma comes Hare Krishna dharma: Kali kale yuga dharma nama sankirtana. So the dharma to be followed now, the yuga dharma, Kali kale yuga dharma nama sankirtana, thathi lage aver bhuta sri krishna chaitanya.  So Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He came to introduce the yuga dharma. And what is this dharma? That is Hari Nama, nama and prem.

cirad adattam nija-gupta-vittam

svaprema-namamrtam atyudarah

apamaram yo vitatara gaurah

krsno janebhyas tam aham prapadye

cirad adattam: for a long time some very confidential subject matter, confidential wealth, nija-gupta-vittam, the hidden treasure that the Lord has not revealed since the Vedic yuga, that has been revealed now. To give what? Nama is given to give Prema. So in Vedic yuga, the Veda was followed. The Veda is filled with karma kanda. 96% of Vedas speaks karma kanda, 4% speaks Jnana kanda. In Veda, Bhakti, hardly you will find about bhakti. Very hidden. That’s why Bhakti is known as Veda gupya. That’s why Lord Brahma is saying: vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau. So Veda describes elaborately, karma kanda, upaasana kanda, demigod worship. Then comes daarshanik yuga. Daarshan dharma describes mostly about jnana. Then comes Puranik. Purana explains about bhakti, but that is sakama bhakti. Purana describes about sakama bhakti. But then what Bhagavat describes? Bhagavat describes something very unique, special. Removing or eradicating or kicking out all other teachings given by Vedic literatures like dharma, artha, kama, moksha. That is why Bhagavat at the beginning says: dharmah projjhita-kaitavo ‘tra paramo nirmatsaranam satam. All Vedic literatures teach us dharma, artha, kama, moksha, chatur varga or caayee purushartha, four purusha-artha, goal of life including Veda, Vedanta and Upanishads and Purana. We see in Bhagavat Gita, Lord Krishna is saying that I have come to teach dharma:

paritranaya sadhunam

vinasaya ca dushkritam

dharma-samsthapanarthaya

sambhavami yuge yuge

He says, I am Bhagavan. I have come to teach you Dharma. So please come, listen to me. So everybody comes and listens, Bhagavan has come, is teaching us dharma. Bhagavan in Bhagavat Gita is teaching us three kinds of knowledge. Confidential knowledge, more confidential knowledge and most confidential knowledge. And at the end of Bhagavad Gita, in the conclusion, Krishna is saying: sarva-guhyatamam bhuyah, srnu me paramam vacah. Most confidential and My supreme instruction is: what is that verse? Ah? (asks the audience)

sarva-dharman parityajya

mam ekam saranam vraja

aham tvam sarva-papebhyo

mokshayishyami ma sucah

So Krishna wants us to surrender to Him. Very good instruction. Nothing wrong with that. He can come and tell us please surrender. We know that is very nice. But first line He is saying: sarva-dharman parityajya. You are coming to teach us dharma?  But in conclusion after saying everything You are saying: sarva-dharman parityajya? Krishna could have easily said sarva-adharma parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. What is wrong with that? That would be better no? It is so perfect. All Vedic literatures, Vedas, Vedantas, Upanishads are all teaching sarva adharma parityajya, but Krishna is teaching sarva-dharma parityajya. It’s a very unique teaching Krishna is giving here. And of course Krishna is not teaching sarva-dharma parityajya means give up Muslim dharma, give up Christian dharma, give up Buddha dharma and all become Hindu. He is definitely not teaching that, because at that time there was no Muslim, no Christian, no Buddha dharma. And Hindu was not existing at that time. Hindu came into existence later on. So that could not be. So this is a great subject matter to analyze. What does He mean by sarva-dharma parityajya. So then where Bhagavad Gita ends, Bhagavatam starts. At the beginning of Bhagavatam, it has been stated:  Bhagavad Gita ends sarva-dharma parityajya and Bhagavatam starts from there: dharmah projjhita-kaitavo ‘tra paramo nirmatsaranam satam. dharmah projjhita:  reject dharma. By using the syllable. pra- projjhita. Dharma, artha, kama, moksha all these things have been rejected by Srimad Bhagavatam. Bhaktivinoda Thakur is saying

ajnana-tamera nama kahiye kaitava

dharma-artha-kama-moksa-vancha adi saba

ajnana-tama kaitava: cheating, darkness, ignorance whatever we have learnt.  Moksha, liberation, which has been accepted in general by all great personalities as the highest goal of life.  Liberation.  Bhaktivinoda Thakur is saying: tara madhye moksa-vancha kaitava-pradhana, among all these four kinds of goal of life, that goal of life which has been considered by great personalities to be the topmost goal of life: liberation, so that is the worst one, to accept as goal of life. So in this way the Bhagavat dharma has been explained, described, or come to existence or revealed which rejects all these things. So Bhagavat gives something special, not like what Vedas has given. Karma kanda, Jnana kanda, sakale visare bandha. Veda has described Karma kanda, Jnana kanda, which is compared with a pot filled with poison.

Though purpose of Veda is different. It has a higher purpose. The real purpose of Veda is:

vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo

vedanta-krid veda-vid eva caham

To know Krishna, that is the goal. But how it comes, gradually. First starts with Karma kanda, then daarshanik yuga to daarshanik dharma, reveals Jnana. In Puranik yuga, through puranik dharma, reveals bhakti but that bhakti is sakama bhakti.  Then Bhagavat reveals prema pum-artho mahan sri-caitanya mahaprabhor matam idam tatradarah na parah. What does Bhagavat reveal?  Bhakti, but Bhakti added with prema.  That is prema Bhakti. This is a very special subject. This prema Bhakti is very special subject. Then there is sakama bhakti, prema Bhakti. Then someone will say Purana doesn’t speak about prema Bhakti?  Puranas also speak about prema Bhakti. But what is the difference between Purana speaks prema Bhakti and Bhagavat speaks prema Bhakti?  That prema Bhakti Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to preach and spread,  cirad adattam nija-gupta-vittam.

In Caitanya Caritamritha, Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami is saying: anarpita-carim cirat karunayavatirnah kalau, never given before! What Mahaprabhu gave? He gave Bhakti! He gave prema-Bhakti.  Prema Bhakti was never given before.  Madhvacharya, Nimbarka, Vishnuswami, all the great Acharyas gave Bhakti. So Bhakti was there, it’s not unique. To some existence prema Bhakti was there. But prema Bhakti that Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave, what is that specialty?  Very unique nature of this prema Bhakti. Bhakti makes us to understand God.  bhaktya mam abhijanati. bhaktirevainam darsyati. So He is saying Bhakti makes people to understand Me as God.  You understand?  Bhakti makes people to understand Me as god. prema Bhakti: people develop love for God.  But prema Bhakti given by Mahaprabhu. The unique nature of this prema Bhakti is that through prema Bhakti you surrender to God, you understand God as God. But the prema bhakti that Mahaprabhu gave: the nature of that prema bhakti is that you don’t understand God as God. Very special. You forget God as God. So that is the unique thing that is given. So these things can be achieved through Harinam sankirtan. So what kind of Harinam sankirtan. What is the specialty? Mahaprabhus prema-bhakti is very special, unique, which makes people to understand God as God. They understand God as their son, their friend, their beloved, unique nature.

So what is the unique nature of Hare Krishna maha mantra. You see, any Holy Name of Supreme Personality of Godhead will make us free from sinful reactions. By chanting Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama, Darsu Ratnakar was free from his sinful reactions. By chanting Narayan, Ajamila was free from sinful reactions. So any Holy Name of Lord will make us free from sinful reactions. By chanting any name of Supreme Personality of Godhead we get liberation. By chanting the Holy Name of Lord, we may go back to godhead, Vaikuntha, just like Dhruva Maharaja by chanting Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya, he could see the Supreme Personality of Godhead in front of him. But chanting the Holy Name as Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare.  What is the specialty of this Holy Name?  This Holy Name not only makes us free from sinful reactions, not only gives us liberation, not only sends us back to godhead, not only gives us chance to see God face to face but this gives Krsna prema. That is a very unique nature. The Holy Name was there though:

krte yad dhyayato visnum

tretayam yajato makhaih

dvapare paricaryayam

kalau tad dhari-kirtanat

 

The Holy Name was always there. Satya yuga Holy Name was there, threta Yuga Holy Name was there. Every yuga has a special Maha Mantra. In Kali-Yuga we are chanting Hare Krsna Maha Mantra. So every yuga has a Maha Mantra called taraka brahmanam.

In Satya Yuga, the mahamantra, taraka brahmanam was

narayana-para veda narayana-paraksharah;

narayana-para muktir narayana-para gatih.

This was the Maha Mantra, this tarak brahmanam was chanted by people in satya-yuga.

In threta yuga,

rama narayanananta mukunda madhusudana;

krishna keshava kamsare hare vaikuntha vamana.

all comprise different names of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

In the Dvapara yuga the Maha Mantra was:

hare murare madhu-kaitabhare gopala govinda mukunda saure;

yajnesha narayana krishna vishno virashrayam mam jagadisha raksha.

 

When Caitanya Mahaprabhu first started this movement, that time He was chanting;

Krsna! Krsna! Krsna! Krsna! Krsna! Krsna! Krsna! He

Krsna! Kesava! Krsna! Kesava! Krsna! Kesava! Raksa mam

Rama! Raghava! Rama! Raghava! Rama! Raghava! pahi mam

Then He found this Hare Krsna Maha Mantra. Of course, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, for Him not necessary to find something.  But He saw, in the Upanishad that how this Hare Krsna Maha Mantra: iti sodasakam namnam Kali-kalmasa-nasanam natah parataropayah sarva-vedesu drsyate. In this age of Kali, this sodasanaam bhakti saakyar, 16 name and 32 syllable: sodasa namnam Kali-kalmasa-nasanam natah parataropayah sarva-vedesu drsyate

After analyzing all the Vedic literatures, you don’t find any other process above this process of chanting sodasanaam bhakti saakyar.  So this verse says Kali kalmasa nasanam.  So, I was wondering for some time, the verse says this Holy Name removes Kali-kalmasa, the sinful reactions, so why we are saying this Hare Krsna Maha Mantra gives Krishna prem? So, Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami in Caitanya Caritamritha, in one place he has described this: this Holy name is meant not only to remove our sinful reactions, the Holy Name is meant, this Hare Krsna Maha Mantra is meant to give us Krishna prem and there He is describing Kali-kalmasa-nasanam: removing kalmasa, so kalmasa Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami is saying, kalmasa means not only sinful reactions, kalmasa means pious reactions also. So when you are chanting Hare Krsna Maha Mantra, we should not think that we’ll become free from sinful reactions. We’ll become free from sinful and pious reactions, everything we have to give up. So at that point Krishna prema will come. All other mantra makes us free from sinful reactions, but Hare Krsna Mantra makes us free from pious reactions also. So that gives Krishna prema.  So specifically in this Kali yuga, the Lord does not incarnate, though Krishna is saying:

paritranaya sadhunam

vinasaya ca duskrtam

dharma-samsthapanarthaya

sambhavami yuge yuge

This Kali-Yuga, He doesn’t incarnate. Kali-kale nama-rupe krsna-avatara. This Kali-Yuga He descends in the form of the Holy Name. That is why another name of Krishna is triyuga. Prahlad Maharaja is addressing in his prayer triyuga. You come in Satya, Treta, Dvapara but specifically this Kali, You do not come as Bhagavan. Though He came as Caitanya Mahaprabhu, but He is channa avatar, He is a covered incarnation.  antah krishna bahir gaurah. He did not come as Bhagavan, He came as Bhakta. So, Kali yuga, He is coming as Holy name. Sometimes, I think, why every yuga Bhagavan comes, this Kali yuga He does not come? Because in Kali yuga people are so dangerous, I think Bhagavan does not dare to come also! (Everyone laughs).  He’ll think, I’ll have big trouble with these people. Bhagavan is thinking, this Kali yuga people are so fallen, so degraded, I’ll not be able to deliver them. Is there anything greater than Me? Is there anything more merciful than Me! Then He found yes—something more merciful than Me. That is My Holy Name.

So, Holy name non different from Bhagavan, I’ll tell you first. Then I’ll tell you Holy Name greater than Bhagavan.

As we know, nama chintamani Krishna caitanya rasavigraha. nama chintamani: abhinatvam nama-namino. Abhina:, nama and namino that is the difference. Here name and the person: namni, non different. Like in the material, the substance is different from the name. If we are feeling very thirsty, we chant coca cola, coca cola, coca cola, coca cola our thirst will not go away because in coca cola, the word coca cola is not there. But if we chant Krishna, Rama means Rama is there in that sound vibration. So that is the greatness of the Holy Name. abhinatvam nama-namino.

In this regard, the kathakars in India, they tell one pastime, I’ll tell to you. Once there was a business man, business means busy, too busy, whole day they are busy. They have no time. So he was not engaged in any religious activities. Once being merciful upon him Narada Muni came and told him, “Oh my dear businessman, you are never doing any dharma-karma. What will happen when you leave your body, one day you will die. Why don’t you think to do something.” This man said, “Oh Narada Muni, how can I do? I have no time to do this. See whole day I am doing so many activities. I have to look after my business, I have to take my children to school, I have to do shopping. There’s no time”.  Narada Muni said, “If I make free time for you, then you’ll do something”. ‘Yes tell me, what is my free time?’ Then He said “You do one thing when you are going to the toilet that time you chant loudly Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama. So your business will not be hampered, nothing will be hampered. It’s your free time”. Then this business man said  “Oh that’s a very good idea.  I will not lose anything and I can also chant the Holy Name”.  So everyday he used to go to the toilet and chant very loudly Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama – simple faith. Everyday he used to do like this.  So one day Hanuman he was flying in the sky and then he could hear somebody chanting Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama.  Then he thought some great devotee of my Lord is chanting His Holy Name, let me go meet with him (Everyone laughs). So he landed in the courtyard of that person. So where do people chant Holy Name?  In India almost every people have a Thakur ghar. Deity room. A very common practice that they have a deity room whether they worship Krsna, Rama, Kali, Durga. This is a common practice, attached with your bedroom should be a deity room. There was no attached bathroom culture before that. Now a days attached bathroom, but at that time room means we have to attach deity room.  So Hanuman thought, he must be chanting in the deity room, went to deity room, nobody is there. Maybe he is cooking and chanting so went to kitchen room no body is there. Maybe sick, lying on the bed and chanting, went to bedroom no body is there and searching, searching searching, he found this Rama Nama is coming from the bathroom (Everyone laughs). And Hanuman became very angry. “What stupid are you? You could not find any other place. In toilet you are chanting Holy Name. (Everyone laughs). Very angry sitting at the gate. You come out I will give you a good lesson.” (Laughs) And this man is chanting, Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama, then opened the door, as soon as he came out Hanuman was sitting at the gate gave a heavy slap on his cheek. “You don’t find any other place to chant the Holy Name. My Lord’s name you are chanting in the toilet! Be careful, never chant like this”. Then this businessman was very happy to be blessed by Hanuman. “Ok Ok. I’ll chant now properly”. So giving this lesson Hanuman went to Dwaraka, sorry to Ayodhya. So went to Ayodhya, Rama is sitting there putting His hand on His cheek. Then Hanuman entered, offered obeisances and looked at Ramachandra.  Ramachandras face was swollen and he saw the marks of the fingers on His face. So, “My Lord how come your face is swollen and who slapped You? Tell me who slapped You”? Became very angry. Can you imagine somebody, Hanuman will see Ramachandra slapped by somebody? He became very ferocious. “I will kill him. Who did like this to You?” Ramachandra smiled. “You are sure, you will kill him, whoever did to Me like this?” He said, “Yes, yes”. Tell me who did like this. He said “You did to Me like this”. “My Lord, how can I do this? I am Your humble servant, how can I dare to do like this?” Ramachandra said, “You remember today you have slapped anybody?” He said, “Yes yes, one man is so fool, that chanting your Holy Name in the toilet, so I slapped him heavily”. Ramachandra said, “Yes, because when they are chanting My Holy Name, I am non different from My Holy Name. When you slapped him, that slap came on My face”. So this is the proof the Lord doing these pastimes to make us understand how the Holy Name is no different from Him.

Because we have limited time I will go to the next story that how the Holy Name is not equal to the Lord, how Holy Name is greater than the Lord. (Laughs).

So once Ramachandra when He was building the sethubandha, that bridge to go to Sri Lanka. So the monkeys under the guidance of Hanuman and Sugriva, they were writing Rama Nama and throwing the stone to the ocean and by that the stones were floating.  So one day Ramachandra thought “Oh My name is so powerful! Just by writing My name they are throwing stones, stone is floating. So how powerful I would be. Just My name is so much miracle!” So, one night Ramachandra, after everybody goes to sleep, then He came out of His tent to test: “When writing My name, stone is floating. So, when I throw the stone what will happen?”  So He came out of the tent and is going towards the ocean and Hanuman saw. Hanuman is thinking why in this dark night my Lord is going towards the ocean. So without telling anything from far distance he is watching what Ramachandra is doing. So Ramachandra went to the ocean. So He wanted to test, “by writing My name stone is floating. If I put a stone what is happening?” Ramachandra picked up a stone and threw it in the ocean and the stone drowned into the ocean. And Hanuman, clapping from behind, “Oh My Lord, now You understand. You are testing Your power. But see, Your Holy Name is more powerful than You. You threw the stone, the stone drowned. But when we are writing Your name, the stone is floating”.

All transcendental pastimes of Supreme Personality of Godhead to glorify the Holy Name, that how Holy Name is greater. Very merciful. And that came in this Kali yuga. Lord never gives this to achieve special things. Krsna prema, the Holy Name.

Once HH Srila Jayapathaka Swami Maharaja was telling that the Lord has to treat us. The disease is very strong the antibiotic has to be a very powerful antibiotic also. Just like, now in modern days, we have 150 power antibiotic, 500 power antibiotic, 1000 power antibiotic, now the doctors, they are using so many antibiotics they find that no antibiotic works. So they are trying for some alternatives. So the same way Maharaja was telling that we are worst diseased person. We need most antibiotic. So that is why Krishna brought the most powerful medicine, most powerful antibiotic. Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare , Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare for the most lazy people. See, previously there was Ayurvedic medicine right. So Ayurvedic from the childhood, I remember then we have to bring some roots, some ginger, some honey, something then you grind it. So much endeavor to do and people in Kali yuga become so lazy they don’t want to take Ayurvedic medicine. See, one pill you take, bas headache is finished, stomach pain is finished. Same way Bhagavan also understands, we are too lazy people to go through all this Vedic process, these steps. So He put all karma, jnana, yajna into one table and said you just take this one tablet –Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. But this tablet is not ordinary tablet. This gives something that was never given before. Brahmard durlauvastu by chanting this we will get something rarely obtained by Brahma and Shiva. So, Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu came to give these things. To whom to give?  Krishna came, what He said in Bhagavad Gita:

sarva-dharman parityajya

mam ekam saranam vraja

Give up everything. Only surrender unto Me. Then what I will do to you? What I will do to you? My reciprocation? What? I will make you free from? (Audience responds: sinful reactions) That’s all?  What a big deal to become free from sinful reactions?

I drop everything completely, surrender to you and in return I get what? I will make you free from sinful reactions? Just see, after so much endeavor giving everything to Him, He will make me free from sinful reactions. Is that the goal of life? To become free from sinful reactions. That same Krishna came as Mahaprabhu. What He is saying here now? What to speak of surrendering fully unto Him, Mahaprabhu, what Mahaprabhus case is doing? What to speak of surrendering unto Him, if somebody runs away, no question of surrendering unto Him, if somebody runs away, Mahaprabhu runs behind him catches hold of him and says “Hey! where are you going? Take this Krsna prema”. That is Mahaprabhus magnanimity. Yes, He does that.

To get Krishna’s mercy, Rama’s mercy, all Bhagavans mercy, you have to be qualified. But to get Caitanya Mahaprabhus mercy, what qualification?  You have to become big yogi? Big jnani? Big tapasvi? What is the best qualification to draw the attention of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu? You have to chant Hare Krsna, become servant, be humble…ah??  YES, the most fallen one! Caitanya Mahaprabhu is taking a candle and looking for that person, where is that person. (Laughs). So that is the magnanimity. He is searching.

Caitanya candra doya koro vichar, vichar kore le cite pave chamatkar

That is the surprise. Chamatkar. Miracle. That far goes the magnanimity of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. You analyze: Caitanya candra doya koraha vichar, you analyze the magnanimity of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. What He has given. What greatest achievement. Ah! What is the process? Very unique. Very interesting subject matter.

So we have five minutes more. I request pujari don’t blow the conch shell.

(A devotee gives Maharaja an announcement slip)

An announcement: As the weather is not favorable, the festival inauguration will take place in the TEMPLE ROOM! Oh that is not good! After Guru Puja, all devotees are requested to remain in the temple room. After the Guru Puja, stay warm here. Don’t go out there. It’s too cold.  Why is it raining now? (Maharaja’s asks a devotee). Very bad. I don’t like this. Such a nice ceremony. But flag will be there no? Ah? Hanuman flag? I don’t know why this time Hanuman did like this. (Laughs) Actually before every year, during festival time big storm comes creating so much disturbance. That’s why we introduced to raise Hanuman flag. But this year I don’t know why Hanuman did like this, from the beginning there’s rain. Maybe afterwards everything will be OK.

I had one or two more pastimes to prove the qualities of the Harinam. But there is no time. So, I will tell you something now. We are all glorifying Harinam. Oh Harinam is so great. Harinam is so great. In my own case I will tell you what is my case.  I always glorify Harinaam. harer namaiva kevalam, harer namaiva kevalam, but inspite of that we have so many other things except the Holy Name.  How many hours are we doing sankirtan, sitting in our house? Oh Holy name is very good, holy name is very good. There is one group of people, ananda margi people. So, they chant baba nama hi kevalam, baba nama hi kevalam, baba nama hi kevalam, baba nama hi kevalam. (Laughs) baba nama hi kevalam means, baba means God, His name is the only process OK? But they don’t chant the holy name. They say baba nama hi kevalam, baba nama hi kevalam then what result you’ll get? So, this harer namaiva kevalam harer namaiva kevalam but not chanting the Holy name then what will you get?

Just like one Vaishnava Acharya told his disciple: bhaje nitai gaur radhe shyam, japa Hare Krsna Hare Ram. OK? He told his disciple, bhaje nitai gaur radhe shyam, bhaje means worship nitai gaur and radhe shyam, japa means chant Hare Krsna Hare Ram. Hare Krsna maha mantra. Worship nitai gaur radhe shyam and chant Hare Krsna Maha Mantra and this disciple thought Oh I got a mahamantra from my Guru. So, instead of worshipping nitai gaur radhe shyam, instead of chanting Hare Krsna Hare Ram, he started to chant: bhaje nitai gaur radhe shyam, japa Hare Krsna Hare Ram. bhaje nitai gaur radhe shyam, japa Hare Krsna Hare Ram. He is chanting that. (Laughs)

In this regard, there is a nice instance. Once a group of birds, they came to a Holy man, a saintly personality in the forest. Oh sadhu baba please guide us what we should do? What is good for us?  Then sadhu baba knows what is great danger for the birds in the forest. Greatest danger is they get caught in the net by the hunters. So sadhu baba told them: Listen carefully. Gathered all the birds, listen very carefully. That hunter will come, spread the net, throw the grains, don’t be greedy. What I said? Hunter will come, spread the net, throw the grains, don’t be greedy. So then everything will be auspicious to you. So all these birds, they memorized it very nicely. Hunter will come, spread the net, throw the grains, don’t be greedy. Hunter will come, spread the net, throw the grains, don’t be greedy. They all memorized this. And they all flew. They are all flying and they saw the hunter came, spread the net and threw the grains and they are chanting that mantra. They all went and sat there (Laughs). And chanting mantra they all got caught. Then the hunter captured them, carrying them, they are chanting that mantra: Hunter will come, spread the net, throw the grains, don’t be greedy, chanting that mantra and going and they got killed. Like this I have to tell we should not just discuss how holy name is great: Holy Name is great. Holy Name is great.  harer namaiva kevalam and not chanting the Holy Name. So, this kirtan mela brings us to that conclusion that what are we doing? All the way from Vedic dharma to Hare Krsna yuga, Vedic Yuga to Hare Krsna Yuga. And when I joined ISKCON, small Bengali book written by Prabhupada, Hare Krsna yuga, I don’t know whether it is still there. Hare Krsna yuga and Hare Krsna dharma. And Mahaprabhu is so convinced by this Maha Mantra. He said constantly just chant the Holy Name. You don’t need anything else. Don’t need anything else. So, this kirtan mela gives us a great opportunity which is giving the essence of everything.  Sarva Vedanta Sarangi. The essence of all Vedas is Srimad Bhagavatam and the essence of all Srimad Bhagavatam is tar madhye sarve sreshta nama sankirtan. This is a very good opportunity. Srila Prabhupada, he created this movement as Hare Krsna movement to chant the Holy name and we are very very obliged, obligated to HH Sacinandana Maharaj to inaugurate this program of kirtan mela. Though it was there before, asta prahar, chavis prahar, nama sankirtan, Maharaja has given a different name to attract. He started in Germany, Europe. And then Yasomati mataji, she’s the one who actually brought this kirtan mela. She wrote me and said we should do like this in Mayapur. Then I said very good! Then she contacted Sacinandana Maharaja. Last year Maharaja did here, he started thinking this is the best place for kirtan mela because kirtan movement started from here. The flood of Holy Name started from here.  So this is the best place. So we are very very thankful to HH Sacinandana Maharaja. And we are very very thankful to all of you. The whole world devotees, you have all come to participate in this kirtan mela and this Holy Dhama of Sri Dhama Mayapur. We are expecting 10,000 devotees, the day before parikrama. I don’t know how these 10,000 devotees will sit in this temple room and chant the Holy name. So you have to solve this problem. How can you solve this problem? Maharaja is showing hand there! That is the place where 10,000 people can stand and chant.  So we need very soon. I was telling Lokanath Maharaja, don’t think that this is the 25th anniversary of Navadvip Parikrama that is why 10,000 people are coming. Don’t think like that. From next year onwards, every year 10,000 devotees will come. Six parikrama groups, one and half thousand means 10,000 right there. 10, 20, 30,000 people will come. After 10 years the big temple will not be sufficient also. That is why HH Jayapathaka Maharaja said, better from now plan a place, make an indoor auditorium where 100,000 people can chant and dance and that should be our plan.

So anyway that we will do. But first we should finish this temple. And every day Radhajivan prabhu and different devotees are approaching, we are requesting everybody, please come forward. It’s not a big amount to sponsor one square foot. $150, in whole life you will give. Why we should stand on a place, a temple built by Ford company. We should have our own place to stand na! At least one square foot where we can stand. We can feel that I have paid for this. So nice. I have paid one foot so I can stand here. So Radhajivan prabhu, yesterday he was telling, we have 1 million devotees. If 1 million devotees. Let us, every devotee, every child, every devotee. Not a big deal these things, why can’t we? Somebody has money, they can sponsor Rs100,000, one golden brick to go under the altar. Who doesn’t have the money to pay $150. Everybody.  I think devotees coming for this festival should not plan to sponsor one square foot, they should not plan. What they should do? They should just give it. I am planning, Oh Oh I am planning, I give something. Don’t plan for it, give this time before you leave Mayapur, OK?

(Applause from the audience)

Very nice, I hope those who are clapping they will give this time and I also hope that those who are watching on Mayapur TV they will send that donation very quickly. So I feel so sympathetic to see Radhajivan prabhu everyday he comes crying, please give, please give. May be devotees are thinking, what is this going on in Mayapur. Everyday give us, give us! Don’t think like that. We are not begging give us give us, rather you should understand they, our TOVP team, they are not asking, begging begging. Rather we should think, they are very merciful trying to engage us in devotional service. Don’t feel tired, boring Oh everyday announcing. No. We should feel grateful to the TOVP team that they are trying to engage us in devotional service and not ordinary devotional service. In this service—-the temple is going to manifest for the next 10,000 years, people will come and worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, this is not an ordinary thing. I hope by now, by this you are inspired to donate 150 dollars. Thank you so much.

Jai Srila Prabhupada ki-jai

Harinam Sankirtan ki jai.