Whatever You Do, Simply Include Krishna

Giriraj Swami: This year, we are celebrating one hundred years since Srila Prabhupada appeared in Calcutta. But we are also celebrating twenty-five years since Srila Prabhupada's first big pandal program in Bombay at cross maidan. Every night about twenty thousand people gathered to hear Srila Prabhupada speak and see his Western disciples chant and dance. At the time, many people in Bombay asked for photos of Srila Prabhupada. We were new in India and I myself was struck by all the photos of God and things that people used to keep in their houses and offices, everywhere; in the barber shop, tea stall, in the buses, in the taxis. I thought that would be very nice that the people can get the little photo of Srila Prabhupada and then the taxi driver can keep little photo on the dashboard of taxi. But when we asked Srila Prabhupada, because we will never do anything without asking him first, he said “No”. He didn’t want his photo published, rather he wanted people to keep Krishna’s picture. Srila Prabhupada never wanted to call attention to himself, he always wanted to call people’s attention to Krishna. He said that for so many years or so many centuries Krishna has been kept locked in a box in India. But Srila Prabhupada had taken the key and unlocked the box and taken Krishna out of the box and presented him to the world that, “Here is God, here is Krishna.” So, Srila Prabhupada wanted all glory to go to Krishna. He did not want any glory for himself.

We find in India that many religious leaders have founded institutions, and the institutions are known by their names; such and such mission, Chinmaya mission, Rama-Krishna mission. But because Srila Prabhupada was so humble and pure devotee of Krishna, he didn’t want his name should be known, he wanted Krishna’s name should be known. And therefore, he formed the International Society for Krishna Consciousness or ISKCON. Even then one friend suggested to Srila Prabhupada, “Why do you want to say international society of Krishna consciousness, why don’t you God consciousness because God will be more universal. Krishna will be more limited or sectarian.” But Srila Prabhupada replied “No. I want that people should know that Krishna is God.” So, Srila Prabhupada’s institution is known as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, ISKCON or more popularly the Hare Krishna movement. But it is the nature of the Lord that He wants to reciprocate with His devotee. Just as the devotee is always thinking how to serve the Lord, the Lord is always thinking how to serve the devotee. Just as the devotee is always thinking how to glorify the Lord, the Lord is always thinking how to glorify the devotee. So, while Srila Prabhupada was personally present he was fully engaged himself and he engaged everyone he could in the service and glorification of the Lord, Sri Krishna. But now on the occasion of Srila Prabhupada’s centennial Lord Krishna is taking the opportunity to arrange the glorification of Srila Prabhupada, his pure devotee, his empowered representative.

According to Vedic scriptures, there are four ages which repeat in cycles like season, Satya-yuga, Treta-yuga, Dvapara-yuga, and Kali-yuga. And in each age, a particular incarnation of God descends, and he is the yuga avatar and he will propagate a specific method of God realization or self-realization meant for that particular age. So, In Satya-yuga the recommended method was meditation, in Treta-yuga the recommended method was sacrifice, in Dvapara-yuga the recommended method was temple worship. But in the present age of the Kali-yuga, the recommended method is the chanting of the holy name of the Lord.

harer nāma harer nāma
harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva
nāsty eva gatir anyathā

One should chant the holy name, chant the holy name, chant the holy name. There is no other way, no other way, no other way for success in the present age.

So, the incarnation of God who descended in the modern age of Kali-yuga is Sri Krishna Chaitanya. He is mentioned in many scriptures like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Mahabharata, Upanishad and others that he is Krishna Himself, but He has come in the mood of a devotee, and in the form of a devotee to give what no other incarnation has ever given and that is pure love for Krishna through the chanting of Hare Krishna. And Lord Chaitanya, although he spread Krishna consciousness in India, but he desired, and he predicted:

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma
sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

That in every town and village of every country of the world the holy name of Krishna will be preached and sung. Lord Chaitanya appeared five hundred years ago, and even the devotees of Lord Chaitanya did not know how his prediction would come true, but it was His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada that was appointed and empowered to fulfill the will of the Supreme Lord and spread the chanting of the holy names of Krishna throughout the world. And Srila Prabhupada left India at the advance age of almost seventy years. He celebrated his seventieth birthday at sea and arrived in New York City and he sat under a tree at Tompkins square park and began chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

He established the first ISKCON temple in New York City and installed the Vigraha of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. And from New York, the movement spread to San Franscisco, Montreal, Boston, then London, Hamburg, and eventually to every continent in the world, practically every country in the world and every major city in the world. And after spreading Krishna consciousness in the western world from 1965 to 1970, Srila Prabhupada returned to India with some of his American and European disciples and began the great spiritual revival of the Vedic culture in India. So, now we all have the most wonderful opportunity provided by Srila Prabhupada to achieve the highest perfection of life by the simple method of chanting Hare Krishna. Now, someone may look at us and think, Wwell, you have left the world so you can chant Hare Krishna but what about us, we have our wives, our children, our work, our responsibilities. What about us?

But the beauty of Krishna consciousness as taught by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada is that you can practice Krishna consciousness wherever you are; sthāne sthitāḥ. You can remain in your position, you may be brahmachari, vanaprastha, grihastha or whatever; you remain in your position. You may be doctor, lawyer, engineer, labor, farmer, businessman, teacher, it doesn’t matter. You can remain as you are, but just add Krishna consciousness, add chanting Hare Krishna. Add studying Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam especially as presented and translated by Srila Prabhupada. Take pure vegetarian kṛṣṇa-prasāda. Everything we do in the temple; you can do at home. Srila Prabhupada said that very few people will be able to live in the temple, but the temple will show people how they can worship Krishna at home. How can they make their homes into temples. And live just the devotees in the temple live at home. So, we hope that you will take advantage of wonderful process that Srila Prabhupada has given and the wonderful facilities that Srila Prabhupada has given to all of us to follow the process through the example and facilities provided by the International Society of Krishna Consciousness.

So, we will be hearing from one of Srila Prabhupada’s great friend, staunch followers in Bombay, Mr. P. L. Sethi. He will briefly explain how the saṅkīrtana movement of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as presented by Srila Prabhupada began in Bombay City right here in Goregaon. And then His Holiness Radhanath Swami will enliven and enlighten all of us will his discourse and transcendental kirtan.

Hare Krishna.