Japa Retreat—Level 02 Day 06—Sharing Realizations—Conclusion

Giriraj Swami: I just wanted to pick up something from the discussions about our relationship with Krishna and remembering Krishna when we chant and ultimately at the time of death. I really liked the idea that every day we should read something of Krishna’s pastimes especially before we take rest as Srila Prabhupada introduced the reading of the Kṛṣṇa book for the devotees. So I have been reading the first volume of the Tenth Canto and I just came across some nice statements that I thought I would share with you. This is Canto Ten, Chapter Six: “The Killing of the Demon Pūtanā.” And this is the last verse in the Chapter.

TEXT 44

ya etat pūtanā-mokṣaṁ
kṛṣṇasyārbhakam adbhutam
śṛṇuyāc chraddhayā martyo
govinde labhate ratim

TRANSLATION

Any person who hears with faith and devotion about how Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, killed Pūtanā, and who thus invests his hearing in such childhood pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, certainly attains attachment for Govinda, the supreme, original person.

COMMENT

In the purport Srila Prabhupada says:

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Kṛṣṇa has left us many wonderful narrations about Him. Simply by reading these narrations, as they are described in Kṛṣṇa, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, one gains salvation from this material world and gradually develops attachment to and devotion for Govinda, Ādi-puruṣa.

COMMENT

We discussed what it really means to remember Krishna and to develop a relationship with Him and there is the general sense we think of Krishna, but not in a particular form or maybe in a particular form, but not with particular pastimes, but by hearing the pastimes we may develop a special affinity or attraction for a particular form or particular pastimes. It is a blessing and so we can follow our hearts and pay special attention to those pastimes and maybe even aspire to have a particular type of relationship of service with Krishna.

These topics are often treated very cautiously because in the conditioned stage we can imagine that we are associating with Krishna or serving Krishna and then we are not in the reality of Krishna consciousness but we are just in an imaginary world. But given that we are in bhagavata life and this is a more advanced group—Level Two—I felt we could discuss these topics with the understanding that it is not about pretending or imitating or doing anything artificial.

I was struck by the prayers of Gopala Guru Gosvami and how it helped devotees with their japa. So given that I also happened to read that purport in the Nectar of Instruction and how similar the mood was to the prayers coming direct from Srila Prabhupada, I thought to share it.

Just a few verses before this one, I read something that I felt was very relevant, so I thought to share that with you as well.

TEXTS 39–40

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is the bestower of many benedictions, including liberation [kaivalya], or oneness with the Brahman effulgence. For that Personality of Godhead, the gopīs always felt maternal love, and Kṛṣṇa sucked their breasts with full satisfaction. Therefore, because of their relationship as mother and son, although the gopīs were engaged in various family activities, one should never think that they returned to this material world after leaving their bodies.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

The advantage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is described herein. Kṛṣṇa consciousness gradually develops on the transcendental platform. One may think of Kṛṣṇa as the supreme personality, one may think of Kṛṣṇa as the supreme master, one may think of Kṛṣṇa as the supreme friend, one may think of Kṛṣṇa as the supreme son, or one may think of Kṛṣṇa as the supreme lover. If one is connected with Kṛṣṇa in any of these transcendental relationships, the course of one’s material life is understood to have already ended. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (4.9), tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti: for such devotees, going back home, back to Godhead, is guaranteed.

COMMENT

This is sort of the purport to ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ, remembering the Lord at the time of death.

PURPORT (continued)

This verse also guarantees that devotees who constantly think of Kṛṣṇa in a particular relationship will never return to this material world. In this material world of saṁsāra, there are the same relationships. One thinks, “Here is my son,” “Here is my wife,” “Here is my lover,” or “Here is my friend.” But these relationships are temporary illusions.

COMMENT

Without Krishna consciousness.

PURPORT (continued)

Ajñāna-sambhavaḥ: such a consciousness awakens in ignorance.

COMMENT

“Here is my son,” and so on.

PURPORT (continued)

But when the same relationships awaken in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one’s spiritual life is revived, and one is guaranteed to return home, back to Godhead. The word saṁsāra refers to attachment for one’s body, home, husband or wife, and children, but although the gopīs and all the other inhabitants of Vṛndāvana had the same affection and attachment for husband and home, their central affection was for Kṛṣṇa in some transcendental relationship, and therefore they were guaranteed to be promoted to Goloka Vṛndāvana in the next life, to live with Kṛṣṇa eternally in spiritual happiness.

COMMENT

That suggests that there is no harm in having relationship for husband and wife and children as long as Krishna is the center and if Krishna is the center and we enter into our transcendental relationship with Him then our going back home back to Godhead is assured.

PURPORT (continued)

One should give up all sinful activities and remain in the family of Kṛṣṇa. Then one’s liberation is guaranteed.

COMMENT

Then I thought to conclude by reading a contemporary poem. Contemporary means 1975 [laughter]. It had special—and it still does—but it had special significance for me. Just at the end when Srila Prabhupada was ill and we could imagine that he was leaving, he was quite ill in his quarters in Juhu before he went to Vrindavan for the last time and I also was quite sick at the time. I had a little office. By today’s standards it would probably be a closet [laughter]. I don’t know how it happened because I was really rigid and I would only listen to Prabhupada’s tapes but someone gave me a cassette—in those days an audio cassette—of some songs by a devotee named Mangalananda. One of the songs just really touched my heart and in that mood of just thinking of Prabhupada’s departure and his going back to Godhead I would just constantly play it and just think of him going back to Godhead and also having the sense or the hope that one day we would follow him. It begins with that keyword and then it ends with another keyword. So I will read. I probably should ask Anapayani sing it. I won’t attempt to sing it myself because my froglike . . .

Devotee: Sing it.

Giriraj Swami: Okay, I’ll sing it in obedience to the order. The first word is “selflessness.”

Selflessness really used to stress
Gentle rains of happiness
Put out the burning fire of life
Transport the soul beyond all strife

Past starry night and cruel death
For those who give their living breathe
Upon their lips the holy name
In praise of he who came

To them a store of bliss is known
And hidden worlds to them are shown

That’s selflessness carries us out of the material world and then the next portion is about the spiritual world:

Where the Supreme Lord fills every eye
Sweet jubilation fills the sky
As dancing milkmaids and cowherd boys
Play in forests green with joys

Of bael and jackfruit lily white
An endless full moon nectar night
Of dancing magic loving smiles
And gopī damsel playful wiles

They sport in lotus lakes
With He whose glances taste of ecstasy

So this really has everything. The author of the lyrics is actually a devotee named Jamadagni. He and Mangalananda were a team. Mainly Jamadagni Prabhu wrote the lyrics and Mangalanda Prabhu wrote the music and sang. You just never know who you dealing with when you deal with devotees. This for years remained in my heart and I never met Mangalananda or Jamadagni. Then finally I met Jamadagni and he told me that he had a dream or a vision or some sort of experience where Rupa Gosvami wanted him to put our philosophy—and Rupa Gosvami was such a poet himself—in English for contemporary audience. And he was thinking, What a challenge. He also had some experiences, some visions, and out of his visions he wrote the words to some of the songs. There is one about Svetadvipa. He actually had a vision and out of that vision he wrote the lyrics to the song.

Looking at this there is just so much in it. Just “selflessness” then “upon their lips the holy name/ In praise of he who came.” And I always took that as Srila Prabhupada. “To them a store of bliss is known/And hidden worlds to them are shown.” We are actually getting a sense of that just in this association chanting the holy name. And then the description of life, the spiritual world: “Dancing milkmaids and cowherd boys/ Play in forests green with joys.” Some devotees asked for the green paper because it reminded them of Vrindavan. And then: “Dancing magic loving smiles/ Gopī damsels playful wiles.” This is not ordinary poetry. And then the last word is “ecstasy.” So the first word is “selflessness” and it ends with “ecstasy.”

Thank you all. [applause]