CC – Conclusion of Caitanya-caritamrta

Giriraj Swami: Today is a very auspicious day, Sri Rama-ekādaśī. It is the first of two Ekādaśīs in the month of Kartik, but it has some special significance for us, beyond just being the first Ekādaśī in the month of Kartik, because it is the day that Srila Prabhupada completed his translation of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta in Bombay. I remember the day well. Srila Prabhupada’s practice was to go for a walk on Juhu Beach in the morning, leaving at six o’clock. And so, a few of us would come to his quarters a little before six to accompany him.

But on this particular morning, when we got to the top of the stairs, we found that the door was locked, which was very unusual. I mean, the door was almost never locked. So, we knocked and we waited, and eventually, Srila Prabhupada’s secretary opened the door, just a crack, and he was in a very animated state. He told us that that night, Srila Prabhupada had completed his translation of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta into English, and that Srila Prabhupada had composed the most wonderful glorification of his own spiritual master at the end. And that Srila Prabhupada was in a very ecstatic mood, and he said that the devotees should celebrate by having a feast.

Now, in the Vedic calculation, a day begins with sunrise. So, I believe that when we met Srila Prabhupada’s secretary, it was in the morning. Well, actually, I couldn’t say for sure, six o’clock. But in any case, sometime, what would be tonight, the night of Rama-ekādaśī, Srila Prabhupada finished the translation, and dictated what is called the concluding words to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. So, I shall read those to you on this auspicious occasion. Please repeat.

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

READING from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta’s concluding words

Today, Sunday, November 10, 1974-corresponding to the 10th of Kārtikka, Caitanya Era 488, the eleventh day of the dark fortnight, the Rāma-ekādaśī, we have now finished the English translation of Śrī Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī’s Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta in accordance with the authorized order of His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākur Gosvāmī Mahārāja, my beloved eternal spiritual master, guide, and friend. Although according to material vision His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda passed away from this material world on the last day of December, 1936, I still consider His Divine Grace to be always present with me by his vāṇī, his words. There are two ways of association - by vāṇī and by vapu. Vāṇī means words, and vapu means physical presence. Physical presence is sometimes appreciable and sometimes not, but vāṇī continues to exist eternally. Therefore we must take advantage of the vāṇī, not the physical presence. Bhagavad-gītā, for example, is the vāṇī of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Although Kṛṣṇa was personally present five thousand years ago and is no longer physically present from the materialistic point of view, Bhagavad-gītā continues.

COMMENT

So, here in the first paragraph, Srila Prabhupada sets the theme for the entire concluding words. The theme is that the spiritual master is present by his instructions, and the disciple can feel his presence by following the instructions. And specifically in relation to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, we will find that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura gave Srila Prabhupada two instructions that culminated in the translation of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. One was to preach in the English language for people all over the world, and the other was to write books. These were two common elements to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s desire for his disciples, that they should preach, and he specifically wanted them to preach in English to bring the message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to the western world, and to write, and publish, and distribute books.

READING continued

In this connection we may call to memory the time when I was fortunate enough to meet His Divine Grace Śrīla Prabhupāda, sometime in the year 1922. Śrīla Prabhupāda had come from Calcutta to Śrīdhama Māyāpur to start the missionary activities of the Gauḍīya Maṭha. He was sitting in a house at Ulta Danga when through the inducement of an intimate friend, the late Śrīman Narendranātha Mallika, I had the opportunity to meet His Divine Grace for the first time. I do not remember the actual date of the meeting, but at that time I was one of the managers of Dr. Bose’s laboratory in Calcutta. I was a newly married young man, addicted to Gandhi’s movement and dressed in khadi. Fortunately, even at our first meeting, His Divine Grace advised me to preach the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in English in the Western countries. Because at that time I was a complete nationalist, a follower of Mahātma Gandhi’s, I submitted to His Divine Grace that unless our country were freed from foreign subjugation, no one would hear the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu seriously. Of course, we had some argument on this subject, but at last I was defeated and convinced that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s message is the only panacea for suffering humanity. I was also convinced that the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was then in the hands of a very expert devotee and that surely the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would spread all over the world.

COMMENT

Srila Prabhupada has told us that he was a leader amongst his circle of friends, and they were particularly eager for him to meet Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, so they would know if he approved of this saintly person, because they valued his judgment so much. Srila Prabhupada also relates that when he was growing up, he saw many so-called sadhus, people who put on the garb of saintly persons, but who were not genuinely saintly persons. He perceived that they were ordinary, mundane, people dressing as sadhus, so that they could collect money and provisions and live. There was a residential dwelling across the street from his home, and he saw these people dress up as sadhus during the day and go out and collect, and then they’d come back in the evening and change their dress, and be just like ordinary people, enjoying life in a mundane way. And then, the next morning, they would dress up as sadhus and go out again.

So, Srila Prabhupada developed a skepticism in relation to sadhus, and initially, when his friend requested him to meet Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Srila Prabhupada didn’t even want to go, because he thought he might be another sadhu, like all the rest. In other words, a so-called sadhu. But somehow, they prevailed, and he went. And as he describes it, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was sitting on the terrace of the building, at Ultadanga junction, which I visited the last time I was in India, two years ago. And he was sitting on an elevated seat, and all the disciples were sitting down, and Srila Prabhupada was very new, he didn’t know the etiquette, so he sat on a chair, on the same level as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Later, he realized he had made a mistake in etiquette.

But Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura straight away asked him to preach the message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in English, and it was a very sudden, and abrupt, and bold request. And Srila Prabhupada, being a nationalist, a follower of Mahatma Gandhi’s, gave his argument that India should first gain political independence, then people would hear the message of India more seriously. But Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura explained that political dependence and independence are relative dualities of the material world, and that the message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is absolute. It’s not dependent on any material conditions, and it is too important to wait, it must be preached immediately. And Srila Prabhupada admitted that he had been defeated by the superior logic of his Guru Maharaja, and he said it was the first time in his life he had ever been defeated in argument, and he said he was glad that he was defeated by his Guru Maharaja.

READING continued

Of course, we had some argument on this subject, but at last I was defeated and convinced that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s message is the only panacea for suffering humanity. I was also convinced that the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was then in the hands of a very expert devotee and that surely the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would spread all over the world. I could not, however, immediately take up his instructions to preach, but I took his words very seriously and was always thinking of how to execute his order, although I was quite unfit to do so.

COMMENT

This is another important principle. We may receive an instruction from the spiritual master and not be able to execute it immediately, due to circumstances. So, what do we do in such a situation? As Srila Prabhupada wrote, he always remembered the instruction of his spiritual master, he kept the instruction in his heart, and waited for the opportunity to execute it.

I had a similar experience. Srila Prabhupada instructed me to write and even said that he would like me to travel with him and he would train me how to write. But within two days, one of the more senior devotees, one of the leaders, wanted to begin a traveling saṅkīrtana party, and he asked Srila Prabhupada if he could have me, and Srila Prabhupada agreed. So, I went with him, but I took the instruction and I went out and I bought some lined paper and some pens and pencils so I could begin my writing. After about two weeks preaching in Agra and Aligarh, Srila Prabhupada sent a telegram saying that he was putting on a large pandal program in Bombay, and that we should come and join him and help. So, we went to Bombay, and Shyamasundara Prabhu was the temple president then, and he had a meeting with all the devotees to divide up the duties, and he assigned me to raise funds.

So, I told him that Srila Prabhupada had instructed me to write, and Shyamasundara Prabhu replied, “You can write anytime, but this is one opportunity we have. We can go to any man’s office in Bombay, knock on his door, and ask him to contribute an advertisement in our souvenir book. So, you should do this now.” So, I thought about it, I knew that Srila Prabhupada wanted us to cooperate with our authorities, and furthermore, what he said made sense. It was a special opportunity. We could go to anyone and ask for an advertisement. They wouldn’t pay out of their own pocket, the business would pay for the advertisement, so it made sense and I did it.

After some weeks, Srila Prabhupada arrived and, of course, that was a great occasion whenever Srila Prabhupada would arrive at a center. And so, he came into his room and he would smile at everyone, and beam, and glance, and have some little exchange with them. And then he came to me and he said, “So, Giriraj, how is your writing going?” And I was so flustered, I didn’t know what to say. He said, “Alright, we’ll talk later.”

So then, a little later, Srila Prabhupada called for me and he repeated his question, and I explained what had happened, “I had my writing paper and my pens and pencils, and I was all ready to begin, but Shyamasundara Prabhu asked me to collect for the pandal program. He said it was a special opportunity and that made sense, and I knew that you wanted us to cooperate with our authorities, so I did it.” But within myself, I wasn’t sure if I had done the right thing or not, I was very apprehensive about how Srila Prabhupada would respond. And he replied that one may suspend the order of the spiritual master, but one may never neglect it. And then he said, “Just like my Guru Maharaja instructed me to write, but I have been so busy traveling in India and preaching, that I haven’t had much time to write. So, we may suspend the order of the spiritual master, but we can never neglect it.” And this is what Srila Prabhupada is saying here. He received the order, he was unable to execute it immediately, but he always kept it in his heart and he waited for the right time.

READING continued

In this way I passed my life as a householder until 1950, when I retired from family life as a vānaprastha. With no companion, I loitered here and there until 1959, when I took sannyasa. Then I was completely ready to discharge the order of my spiritual master. Previously, in 1936, just before His Divine Grace passed away at Jagannatha Puri, I wrote him a letter asking what I could do to serve him. In reply, he wrote me a letter, dated 13 December 1936, ordering me, in the same way, to preach in English the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as I had heard it from him.

COMMENT

So, the same instruction was repeated just about two weeks before his Guru Maharaja passed away, and so there was no doubt that was Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s desire for him, and Srila Prabhupada took that desire as his life and soul, that instruction, and he dedicated himself to its execution.

READING continued

After he passed away, I started the fortnightly magazine Back to Godhead sometime in 1944 and tried to spread the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu through this magazine. After I took sannyasa, a well-wishing friend suggested that I write books instead of magazines. Magazines, he said, might be thrown away, but books remain perpetually. Then I attempted to write Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Before that, when I was a householder, I had written on Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā and had completed about eleven hundred pages, but somehow or other the manuscript was stolen. In any case, when I had published Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, in three volumes in India, I thought of going to the U.S.A.

COMMENT

So, Prabhupada took the instruction to heart, he took the mission very seriously. He wanted to come to America to preach, although he said usually, the Swamis thought of London, but he thought of New York, and he really felt ready when he had books, because he was convinced of not just importance of book distribution, but the necessity of book distribution, to spread the message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And so, when he had the books, he was ready. We can see, after writing 1,100 pages and having the manuscripts stolen, someone could become discouraged, but Srila Prabhupada persevered, he didn’t give up.

So, now we have come to the stage where we have two minutes before the curtains open and Dāmodarāṣṭakam begins. We have a fair amount more to read and discuss. So, we could either just end now and have Dāmodarāṣṭakam and continue tomorrow morning. That would be easy as far as the schedule goes, the difficulty is that some of you who are here now might not be able to come back tomorrow morning. Or we could have Dāmodarāṣṭakam, and then if we are in the mood, we could continue after Dāmodarāṣṭakam. Or we could keep going and squeeze in Dāmodarāṣṭakam.

I don’t know, we need some authority here to guide us. Just the person, as if in fulfillment of my need and desire. Continue right now? Okay! The authority has spoken, now we have no doubts, all of our confusion is dispelled.

So, we began with the instruction to preach in English, coupled with Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s desire for magazines and books to be published and distributed, and we came to books over magazines, and we came to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Now, we come to Prabhupada’s arrival in America, and his translation of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

READING continued

By the mercy of His Divine Grace, I was able to come to New York on September 17, 1965. Since then, I have translated many books, including Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Teachings of Lord Caitanya (a summary) and many others.

In the meantime, I was induced to translate Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta and publish it in an elaborate version. In his leisure time in later life, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhakura would simply read Caitanya-caritāmṛta. It was his favorite book. He used to say that there would be a time when the foreigners would learn the Bengali language to read Caitanya-caritāmṛta. The work on this translation began about eighteen months ago. Now, by the grace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhakura, it is finished.

COMMENT

So, Srila Prabhupada took to heart the order of his spiritual master, he took it as his life and soul. But he was open to receiving good advice from other people, they may have been devotees, or may not have been devotees. One suggestion was that he write books instead of magazines, and now we find that he was induced, that means somebody, or some number of people requested him to translate Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. And although he was fixed on the order of his spiritual master, he was open to his spiritual master speaking to him through other mouths, through other voices. And he took their advice in support of the basic instruction that he received from His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

READING continued

Now, by the grace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhakura, it is finished. In this connection I have to thank my American disciples, especially Śrīman Pradyumna dāsa Adhikārī, Śrīman Nitāi dāsa Adhikārī, Śrīman Jayādvaita dāsa Brahmacārī and many other boys and girls who are sincerely helping me in writing, editing, and publishing all these literatures.

COMMENT

Again, Srila Prabhupada does not take the credit for himself. He gives the credit to his Guru Maharaja and to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu above him, and he gives the credit to his disciples, who were helping him. He didn’t take any of the credit. Now we come to a very important paragraph. They are all important, but this is especially important.

READING continued

I think that His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura is always seeing my activities and guiding me within my heart by his words.

COMMENT

Now, in the very beginning, Srila Prabhupada said that he was guided by his spiritual master’s vāṇī, by his spiritual master’s words. Words that were spoken to him by his spiritual master during his spiritual master’s physical presence, “You should preach the message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in English, in the western countries.” Now he is extending the principle beyond the spiritual master’s words spoken to him audibly, face to face, or in writing, to the guidance that he received from his spiritual master within the heart. And of course, one must be very pure to receive that kind of direction from within the heart, but that direction is always available.

READING continued

I think that His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura is always seeing my activities.

COMMENT

Not just giving instruction within the heart, but he is seeing our activities. On another occasion, Srila Prabhupada said he felt that his Guru Maharaja is always looking over his shoulder and observing what he is doing. He said we should feel like our Guru Maharaja is always by our side.

Sri Radha-Kalachandji ki jaya! Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra ki jaya! Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai ki jaya! Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

So, we’ll continue, just a little bit longer.

READING continued

As it is said in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye. Spiritual inspiration comes from within the heart, wherein the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His Paramātmā feature, is always sitting with all His devotees and associates.

COMMENT

We know from scripture that the Lord is within the heart. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Krishna says sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca, that He is situated within the heart of the living entity, and from Him comes knowledge, and remembrance, and forgetfulness. And there are many other verses, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe ‘rjuna tiṣṭhati. But here, Srila Prabhupada is taking the information that we get in the Bhagavad-gītā, and elaborating upon it, that the Lord is in the heart, but He is not alone in the heart. He is accompanied by His associates and servants, what Srila Prabhupada is saying here, including his spiritual master. His spiritual master is sitting in his heart as one of the associates of the Paramātmā within the heart. And actually, for a pure devotee, one can realize Krishna, Vrindavan, the entire spiritual world within his heart, and the spiritual master is also there. So, he can give us guidance from within the heart. Of course, he gives guidance from within the heart when we keep his instructions in our hearts, but he can also give us guidance from within the heart because he is there in the heart along with Krishna.

READING continued

It is to be admitted that whatever translation work I have done is through the inspiration of my spiritual master because personally I am most insignificant and incompetent to do this materially impossible work. I do not think myself a very learned scholar, but I have full faith in the service of my spiritual master, His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhakura. If there is any credit to my activities of translating, it is all due to His Divine Grace.

COMMENT

Can we keep the children quiet or take them out for a few minutes? Thank you.

So, this is really the mood of a surrendered soul of a Vaishnava. He doesn’t feel himself capable of doing anything on his own strength or power, but he feels completely dependent on the mercy of his superior authorities. Srila Prabhupada spoke in relation to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, that his chariot was decorated with the flag bearing the picture of Hanuman. And Srila Prabhupada explained that his mood was that Hanuman was a previous acharya for fighting for the Lord. So, Arjuna’s mood was, “Oh Hanuman, you also fought for Lord Ramachandra, and I also now have to fight for the Lord. So, please guide me, I am helpless on my own, and I’m dependent on your mercy.”

And then, Srila Prabhupada said, “In all activities, the Vaishnava always feels helpless and dependent on the mercy of previous acharyas.” And then he gave the example of the author of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that every line, every word, he was praying to Rupa Raghunatha, “I am helpless, I cannot write. So, you kindly help me, please guide me.”

TEXT 277

śrī-rūpa-raghunātha-pade yāra āśa
caitanya-caritāmṛta kahe kṛṣṇadāsa

COMMENT

Every line, every word, he is praying to Rupa Raghunatha. And Srila Prabhupada is exemplifying the same mood here, feeling himself helpless to do this materially impossible task on his own, and praying for mercy and depending on mercy from his superiors.

READING continued

If there is any credit to my activities of translating, it is all due to His Divine Grace. Certainly if His Divine Grace were personally present at this time, it would have been a great occasion for jubilation, but even though he is not physically present, I am confident that he is very pleased by this work of translation. He was very fond of seeing many books published to spread the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Therefore our society, the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, has formed to execute the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhakura.

COMMENT

So, every sentence here is filled with meaning. Srila Prabhupada said if His Divine Grace were physically present, it would have been an occasion of great jubilation, but then he says even though he is not physically present, Prabhupada is confident that he is pleased. That means he is present, but not physically. And our whole goal is to please the spiritual master and Krishna. We follow the instructions in order to please the superiors. And here, Srila Prabhupada is feeling that because he did take up the instruction to preach in English, and to translate and write books, that his Guru Maharaja is pleased. He is seeing his activities and he is pleased.

And then he extends the same principle to us, his followers, through paramparā. That the same order that came to him through paramparā is being passed to us through paramparā, and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, which we are all associated with, is formed to execute the order of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. And there are so many instructions. Just spread the chanting of the holy names,

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma
sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma 

But here in particular, Srila Prabhupada is emphasizing that very important instruction to write, publish, and distribute transcendental literature, and spread the Krishna consciousness movement all over the world.

READING continued

It is my wish that devotees of Lord Caitanya all over the world enjoy this translation.

COMMENT

So, he wrote to please his Guru Maharaja, but he also wrote in the mood of service to all of us, that we can benefit from reading Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and take pleasure in it. Or as Srila Prabhupada said on another occasion, that he wants his disciples not only to distribute his books, but also to read them. I mean, I could speak on this for days, each sentence. “It is my wish that devotees of Lord Chaitanya all over the world,” that means he wants devotees all over the world. When he wrote this, there were no devotees all over the world. They were in many places, but not all over. There are still places that we haven’t reached, that’s left for us to do.

READING continued

It is my wish that devotees of Lord Caitanya all over the world enjoy this translation, and I am glad to express my gratitude to the learned men in the Western countries who are so pleased with my work that they are ordering in advance all my books that will be published in the future.

COMMENT

Professors and librarians would take a standing order, that as new books were published by Srila Prabhupada, the university, the library, would take the books.

READING continued

On this occasion therefore. . .

COMMENT

And this is the occasion, Sri Rama-ekādaśī.

READING continued

On this occasion therefore, I request my disciples who are determined to help me in this work to continue their cooperation fully, so that philosophers, scholars, religionists, and people in general all over the world will benefit by reading our transcendental literatures such as Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

COMMENT

In other words, he is requesting us to distribute the books, so that all these different categories of people will get the books. That’s basically what he is saying here, but in a very eloquent and beautiful way. “On this occasion, therefore, I request my disciples,” and we are all Prabhupada’s disciples, in the sense that we are receiving śikṣā from him. “I request my disciples, who are determined to help me in this work, to continue their cooperation fully.” Of course, it also included more publications, that’s also true, editing, publishing, and distributing, “So that philosophers, scholars, religionists, and people in general all over the world will benefit by reading our transcendental literatures, such as Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta.”

READING continued

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, dated November 10, 1974, at the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Hare Kṛṣṇa Land, Juhu, Bombay.

COMMENT

Hare Krishna. So, I think we could take one or two questions if you have any, and still have time. Yes, what is your name?

Devotee: My name is Hari Nama dasa. I came from Fiji.

Giriraj Swami: You came all the way from Fiji? How wonderful.

Devotee: Maharaja, who was the secretary of Srila Prabhupada at that time?

Giriraj Swami: You mean who greeted us at the top of the stairs?

Devotee: No, who was the secretary of Srila Prabhupada in 1974?

Giriraj Swami: Well, the system was. . . Anyway, the person I was referring to was Harikesa dasa, Prabhupada’s secretary, and Prabhupada would dictate, he would type, he would transcribe the tapes. So, he knew what Prabhupada had done that night. Yes, Parameshwar?

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:58:58] temple authority. Is that on the same magnitude in the sense that you said [Unintelligible 00:59:10]. So, how about the example of a temple president when you are a new bhakta? Does that also apply, or not?

Giriraj Swami: Yes, Parameshwar Prabhu is asking. . . I’m not sure I got it right, but he is asking if the temple president gives an instruction, can we hold it in abeyance and execute it later, like it might happen with an order from the spiritual master?

Parameshwar dasa: That regarding your order to write. He said it can be delayed, but you have to carry it out at some point. So, similarly, when a new bhakta has a temple president authority, and the temple president gives an instruction. . . Let’s say for example, in my situation, I was asked to build a spiritual city. So, is that something that I have to execute?

Giriraj Swami: Your temple president told you to build a spiritual city, so you are asking how binding the instruction is upon you?

Parameshwar dasa: Well, certainly, if the spiritual master gave me an instruction, I would have to carry out that order, so I’m just wondering as a new bhakta who doesn’t have a spiritual master yet, being given an order like that, what should I do?

Giriraj Swami: But it’s Prabhupada’s order to follow the temple president. I mean, the instruction you received is in a different category, I don’t think that a temple president would give such an instruction to a new bhakta. I mean, Prabhupada wasn’t even a new bhakta, he just came for the first time, and Prabhupada told him to spread Krisna consciousness all over the world and he did it, so why not? They are all good instructions, why not?

Any other questions or comments? Nityananda Prabhu?

Nityananda dasa: You said how Arjuna [Unintelligible 01:01:57].

Giriraj Swami: Nityananda Prabhu is saying that Arjuna got strength from the flag of Hanuman, so we as warriors in Lord Chaitanya’s army, are we getting strength from the flag of Srila Prabhupada and our spiritual masters, or can we get strength from higher authorities beyond them? Of course, we get strength through paramparā. We begin with Srila Prabhupada and our own spiritual masters, but we can get strength and inspiration from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

I mean, we are all getting strength and inspiration just by hearing Srila Prabhupada tell us about his desires, and instructions, and mercy. So, we get strength from him, all of our acharyas; Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, the Six Gosvamis, Madhvacharya, Lord Brahma. We hear about them so that we do get inspiration and guidance from them, but through paramparā. We don’t jump over, but through paramparā, we can get their mercy and guidance.

Nityananda dasa: [Unintelligible 01:04:37]

Giriraj Swami: I’m not following. Would we be disregarding Prabhupada’s mood if we did like Hanuman? I think it’s an individual matter. Lord Chaitanya had a devotee who was a bhakta of Lord Ramachandra, and Lord Chaitanya told him that he could remain a bhakta of Lord Ramachandra, but if he wanted to associate with His followers, with Mahaprabhu’s followers, which he did want to do, that he should keep his devotion for Lord Rama more internal and engage in the external worship, just like the other followers. Well, we have Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva when we want some of especially ferocious support.

Any other questions or comments?

Devotee: Two questions. What are obstacles that would make following the instructions of the spiritual master difficult for the disciple? Sometimes an instruction is given, and what would prevent that disciple from being able to execute that instruction? And the second question is, sometimes an instruction is not verbal. Several times, my instructions are in my lectures, or in my discourses, and how does one understand what your particular instruction is?

Giriraj Swami: It is a very good question. The first question is what are the obstacles that may come in the way of executing the order of the spiritual master? Once, someone mentioned something similar to Srila Prabhupada, and he said, “What obstacles? With one kick of my boots, I remove all obstacles.” So, I mean, if you want to discuss in more detail, we could do it outside of the class, but for now, that’s good enough.

What you said is also true, that sometimes a spiritual master will not give an explicit, oral, or personal instruction in writing to a disciple. He’ll say, “I’ve given instructions in my classes or in my books, you follow them.” And those are general instructions; to chant the holy names, to read the scriptures, to associate with devotees, to worship the Deities, to preach Krishna consciousness. But how do we know what our particular service is, our particular mission? Well, if you are sincere and really eager to serve your spiritual master and the higher authorities, they’ll give you the intelligence from within the heart.

Even Srila Prabhupada, as he describes it, his Guru Maharaja told him to spread Krishna consciousness in the English language in the western world, but he never thought in advance, Oh, I’ll have to do this and I’ll have to do that. But when he came to America, it was revealed gradually what he had to do, and sometimes ideas came from friends, like he is mentioning here, sometimes they may have come from reading, or from Krishna in the heart, or from his spiritual master in the heart. A lot of it was, you could say, trial and error. He tried things, and if they didn’t work, he tried something else. Or he tried something, it would work for a while, and then it wouldn’t work so effectively anymore, and then he would change his approach.

It’s not zing, like this whole blueprint was revealed, the whole next twelve years, it was automatic and he just did it. No! There were a lot of struggles, a lot of experimentation, a lot of disappointment. It wasn’t easy, and we shouldn’t think it will be easy either. We have to try and work, and if we fail, we try again.

Any other questions or comments?

I thank all of you for being so patient and attentive. I apologize to any devotees who came for darshan and ārati, who came with children who were not old enough, not quiet enough, but I’m sure that you know we just have to take advantage of these special occasions to remember Srila Prabhupada, our previous  acharyas, and hear again what their desires are, what their expectations are, what their instructions are, be purified by hearing their instructions, and rededicate ourselves to following their instructions, which includes relishing Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and publishing, and distributing books. Thank you very much. Hare Krishna.