20231230 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.2.16

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram
hariḥ oṁ tat sat

Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.2.16

māṁ khedayaty etad ajasya janma-
viḍambanaṁ yad vasudeva-gehe
vraje ca vāso ’ri-bhayād iva svayaṁ
purād vyavātsīd yad-ananta-vīryaḥ

Translation: When I think of Lord Kṛṣṇa — how He was born in the prison house of Vasudeva although He is unborn, how He went away from His father’s protection to Vraja and lived there incognito out of fear of the enemy, and how, although unlimitedly powerful, He fled from Mathurā in fear — all these bewildering incidents give me distress.

Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda: Because Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original person from whom everything and everyone has emanated — ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (Bg. 10.8), janmādy asya yataḥ (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.2) — nothing can be equal to or greater than Him. The Lord is supremely perfect, and whenever He enacts His transcendental pastimes as a son, a rival or an object of enmity, He plays the part so perfectly that even pure devotees like Uddhava are bewildered. For example, Uddhava knew perfectly well that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is eternally existent and can neither die nor disappear for good, yet he lamented for Lord Kṛṣṇa. All these events are perfect arrangements to give perfection to His supreme glories. It is for enjoyment’s sake. When a father plays with his little son and the father lies down on the floor as if defeated by the son, it is just to give the little son pleasure, and nothing more. Because the Lord is all-powerful, it is possible for Him to adjust opposites such as birth and no birth, power and defeat, fear and fearlessness. A pure devotee knows very well how it is possible for the Lord to adjust opposite things, but he laments for the nondevotees who, not knowing the supreme glories of the Lord, think of Him as imaginary simply because there are so many apparently contradictory statements in the scriptures. Factually there is nothing contradictory; everything is possible when we understand the Lord as the Lord and not as one of us, with all our imperfection.

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Jayapatākā Swami:  Uddhava and Maitreya Ṛṣi met. It is natural that they ask, how are you doing? Even when Lord Kṛṣṇa, He is playing the part of a human being He also asks, “Oh, how are you doing?” Because in this material world a person may be good or maybe bad, but in the spiritual world they don’t ask, how are you? Because there the idea that even there would be something other than complete bliss is inconceivable. There, every walk is a dance, every talk is a song. In Vaikuṇṭha dhāma everything is spiritual, everything is blissful. But in the material world it is not like that. There may be some problems, or it may be going good. So in the material world we have this dichotomy. So Uddhava, he was a very special devotee. He was not only Kṛṣṇa’s cousin brother, but he was His friend. When Kṛṣṇa went He wanted to please Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja. That is why He went along with Arjuna and Bhima to Jarāsandha, in the guise of a brāhmaṇa. They begged that please give us some alms. Whatever we ask you must give. Then Jarāsandha thought these are not actually brāhmaṇas. They look like some warriors or kings. But he remembered how Viṣṇu came as a beggar to Bali and asked for three steps of land. Even though his guru forbade him he gave the three steps to Viṣṇu. After that he became very famous. Jarāsandha thought, “Whatever they ask if I give them I will be famous as a very generous person.” “What do you want? Please tell me I will give you.” Then they revealed who they were. “I am your enemy Kṛṣṇa, this is Bhīma and his younger brother Arjuna. We want to fight with you.” So, Jarāsandha said, “I won’t fight with Kṛṣṇa, because He is a coward. He ran away from me and went to Dvārakā in the sea because He is afraid of me! Arjuna, he is younger, he is not strong like me. Bhīma, I can fight with him, he is like equal.” So, they fought for 27 days. Every night they were like friends and all day they were fighting. Bhīma told Kṛṣṇa that, “I am not able to defeat Jarāsandha, he is as strong as me. So what can I do?” So then Kṛṣṇa took a little branch of a tree He split it into two. Because when Jarāsandha was a small baby a witch named Jarā had actually joined his two-half together. And by that sign Bhīma should understand that the way to defeat Jarāsandha is to re-divide him. Anyway, Bhīma he put Jarāsandha on the ground and stood on one of his legs and with the other leg he split Jarāsandha into two. If Bhīma had wanted he could have become king. But he crowned Jarāsandha’s son Sahadeva as the king. So he became the king of Magadha. Do you know where Maghada is? It is my zone! It is part of Bihar! Anyway, there were 28,000 kings, who were captives and Jarāsandha, he wanted to offer 100,000 kings to Lord Śiva. So these kings were in a very horrible situation. But Kṛṣṇa, He freed them and He told Sahadeva to give them all kingly dress. Kṛṣṇa saw that they got a sumptuous prasāda because they were kings. Then He talked to them. You go back to your kingdom and do your duty according to varnāśrama. And you take care of your subjects very nicely. When you try to have progeny remember Me. These are not initiated disciples. Just kings! But Kṛṣṇa told them when you are having sex, think of Me.

So, devotees they are supposed to do garbhādhāna-saṁskāra, pray to the Deities and all these things. But Kṛṣṇa told them, think of Me. So this way, actually in all the activities we do, we should think of Kṛṣṇa. In this way, the gṛhasthas should think of Kṛṣṇa and even all the other devotees should always think of Kṛṣṇa. It is one thing that if anyone can think of Kṛṣṇa always in separation, that is the teaching of Lord Caitanya. In Caitanya-caritāmṛta there is a verse that says:

bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī—sakali ‘aśānta’
kṛṣṇa-bhakta—niṣkāma, ataeva ‘śānta’
(Cc. Madhya 19.149)

Haribol! Because Lord Caitanya taught us serving Kṛṣṇa gives one ultimate happiness and perfection. It doesn’t matter to us where we go, which planet, we simply want to serve Kṛṣṇa. If we are able to serve Kṛṣṇa, then we will be in bliss.

Lord Caitanya taught how we can always think of Kṛṣṇa. And how the Lord He came down from the spiritual world and He was chanting in saṅkīrtana. When we go around the Pañca-Tattva here you see the picture of Nitāi Gaura and the Pañca-tattva are engaged in saṅkīrtana. Kṛṣṇa is unlimitedly powerful. And when He came as Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He came to give out unlimited mercy. Gauuuuranga! Nityānanda! Haribol!

Śrīla Prabhupāda was worshiping Rādhā Mādhava and Māyāpur-candra. That is why this temple is called Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir. So, our purpose is to cause Caitanya Mahāprabhu to rise in the hearts of all the people. Gaurāṅga! Nityānanda! Advaita! Gadādhara! Śrīvāsādi Gaura-bhakti-vṛnda!

Now we have been observing the Śrīla Prabhupāda Marathon. We are trying to distribute Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books. How much can we convince someone but if they get a book, they can read it day after day and understand. I am very glad that we hear every morning, some days 4000, some days 11,000 books are distributed. So, we hope that all the people who come to Māyāpur, they go home with a book. What do you think, Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami?

Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami: I am very grateful to all the communities and gṛhastha-bhaktas and mātājīs, they are supporting a lot, they are distributing a lot of books here in Māyāpur. This year they are distributing a lot of books and collecting books for the Ayodhyā Rāma Mandir inauguration. We hope that this year we also target our first position as you like, as you wish.

Jayapatākā Swami: The New Delhi temple, they learnt from us and that they got all their congregation working ahead of the Marathon. So, what position we get is Kṛṣṇa’s mercy! But next year you have to start early! We heard many lectures from Śrīla Prabhupāda, may letters about book distribution. I think one letter was sent to Rāmeśvara Prabhu, is here? Maybe he wants to say something.

Rāmeśvara Prabhu (ACBSP): Śrīla Prabhupāda taught us that these books are non-different from Kṛṣṇa Himself. Kṛṣṇa is the source of unlimited knowledge. That is what we are giving to people when we give them one single book, unlimited knowledge. And Kṛṣṇa is so pleased with the book distributor that He gives the distributor unlimited knowledge from that service. This movement is meant to flood the whole world with Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: Actually, when we distribute Kṛṣṇa consciousness Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is very pleased. In the Caitanya-bhāgavata it is written that when the Vaiṣṇavas came from Bengal they all went to offer their obeisances to Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Some of them, they did not get up, they just kept crying. And Lord Caitanya would pick them up and embrace them! Haribol! Gaurāṅga!

We want to please Gaurāṅga, we want to please Kṛṣṇa, and to do that, we know that pleasing Śrīla Prabhupāda is the secret. So, this mercy to give out Kṛṣṇa to the conditioned souls is indescribable. We heard from Rāmeśvara Prabhu that by distributing books like this, Kṛṣṇa gives us unlimited knowledge.

Anyway, we know that Uddhava when he was asked by Maitreya Ṛṣi how are things, he said how can things be the same, the sun has set. When the sun was there; there was light, and when the sun set everything has become dark. So somehow, in the Age of Kali, Lord Caitanya has risen, so that has given light to this age. And then when He left, He left the saṅkīrtana movement behind Him. Śrīla Prabhupāda, he brought that saṅkīrtana all over the world. He said that his disciples, his followers, they could help him by spreading Lord Caitanya’s message to every town and village.

This material world is unpredictable. I heard that COVID-19 is again starting up in India and in Māyāpur at least there are 50 people infected. The students from SMIS School had gone to Guwahati on a tour and when they came back one person had COVID. This way, now 50 people have got infected in Māyāpur I heard a few days ago. If you don’t want to get it, then wear a mask. In Māyāpur we have many visitors. Which of them have COVID, we don’t know. Anyway, this material world is a very dangerous place. So we have to be always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. And if we are going to be out breathing, we should at least give out books. His Grace Vaiśeṣika Prabhu said the motto for this year is ‘Live to Give’. (Not properly translated Live to Give). Hare Kṛṣṇa! Gaurāṅga!

Any questions?

Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami: We would like to express our gratitude to His Grace Rāmeśvara Prabhu, His Grace Jīvanātha Prabhu, His Grace Kṛpānidhi Prabhu, who are still distributing books and giving us so much encouragement. We keenly watch, His Grace Rāmeśvara Prabhu listening to book distribution scores in the temple and we watch with enthusiasm. At the same time all our Māyāpur departments, when they heard that Māyāpur has fallen behind, all the departments have actually rushed in to help. We would like to express our deepest gratitude and thank you very much. We need some extra support this year, we want to distribute a huge amount of books at the Rāma Mandir opening, therefore please extend all the support you can.

My question regarding book distribution is that many people say we don’t want to take the Bhagavad-gītā because when this Bhagavad-gītā comes into the house it starts fight, so how can we convince them to take the Bhagavad-gītā?

Jayapatākā Swami: What kind of fight does it cause?

Bhakti Vijaya Bhāgavata Swami: They say that Bhagavad-gītā was spoken where there was a fight that was started by the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas. Therefore, we know that as soon as the Gītā enters the home it will create a fight.

Jayapatākā Swami: You see the Gītā was spoken to Arjuna. And in the war Arjuna became victorious. So if they take the book, they will be victorious. Gaurāṅga!

Kamalāpati Dāsa: Very instructive class especially many personal instructions. Bhīma was fighting with Jarāsandha during the day, but at night they were friends. Also while we are distributing books even if we have some competition between us how can we have amicable relation with other devotees we are competing with?

Jayapatākā Swami: You see this was the kṣatriya code, they fight in the day, they would be friends at night. We are not distributing books as ksatriyas. We are distributing books to please Kṛṣṇa, to please Gaurāṅga, to please Śrīla Prabhupāda. You see if someone distributes more books, we are happy! Because more people have got the message of Lord Kṛṣṇa. That will enthuse us next day to try harder. So we are not trying to kill each other! We are trying to distribute more books. This way, we can conquer death. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Alright thank you!