SB 10.2.31 – Srila Prabhupada’s and Lord Krishna’s Mercy

Giriraj Swami: Canto Ten, Chapter Two, “Prayers by the Demigods for Lord Kṛṣṇa in the Womb.”

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

TEXT 31

svayaṁ samuttīrya sudustaraṁ dyuman

bhavārṇavaṁ bhīmam adabhra-sauhṛdāḥ

bhavat-padāmbhoruha-nāvam atra te

nidhāya yātāḥ sad-anugraho bhavān

TRANSLATION

O Lord, who resemble the shining sun, You are always ready to fulfill the desire of Your devotee, and therefore You are known as a desire tree [vāñchā-kalpataru]. When ācāryas completely take shelter under Your lotus feet in order to cross the fierce ocean of nescience, they leave behind on earth the method by which they cross, and because You are very merciful to Your other devotees, You accept this method to help them.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

This statement reveals how the merciful ācāryas and the merciful Supreme Personality of Godhead together help the serious devotee who wants to return home, back to Godhead. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in His teachings to Rūpa Gosvāmī, said:

brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva

guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja

(Cc. Madhya 19.151)

One can achieve the seed of bhakti-latā, devotional service, by the mercy of guru and Kṛṣṇa. The duty of the guru is to find the means, according to the time, the circumstances and the candidate, by which one can be induced to render devotional service, which Kṛṣṇa accepts from a candidate who wants to be successful in going back home, back to Godhead. After wandering throughout the universe, a fortunate person within this material world seeks shelter of such a guru, or ācārya, who trains the devotee in the suitable ways to render service according to the circumstances so that the Supreme Personality of Godhead will accept the service. This makes it easier for the candidate to reach the ultimate destination. The ācārya’s duty, therefore, is to find the means by which devotees may render service according to references from śāstra. Rūpa Gosvāmī, for example, in order to help subsequent devotees, published such devotional books as Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Thus it is the duty of the ācārya to publish books that will help future candidates take up the method of service and become eligible to return home, back to Godhead, by the mercy of the Lord. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, this same path is being prescribed and followed. Thus the devotees have been advised to refrain from four sinful activities — illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling — and to chant sixteen rounds a day. These are bona fide instructions. Because in the Western countries constant chanting is not possible, one should not artificially imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura, but should follow this method. Kṛṣṇa will accept a devotee who strictly follows the regulative principles and the method prescribed in the various books and literatures published by the authorities. The ācārya gives the suitable method for crossing the ocean of nescience by accepting the boat of the Lord’s lotus feet, and if this method is strictly followed, the followers will ultimately reach the destination, by the grace of the Lord. This method is called ācārya sampradāya. It is therefore said, sampradāya-vihīnā ye mantrās te niṣphalā matāḥ (Padma Purāṇa). The ācārya sampradāya is strictly bona fide. Therefore one must accept the ācārya sampradāya; otherwise one’s endeavor will be futile. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore sings:

tāṅdera caraṇa sevi bhakta sane vāsa
janame janame haya, ei abhilāṣa

One must worship the lotus feet of the ācārya and live within the society of devotees. Then one’s endeavor to cross over nescience will surely be successful.

COMMENT

Hare Krishna. So this verse and purport explain the whole process of Krishna consciousness in a very profound and beautiful way. In the previous temple here, which is now the FATE museum, the vyāsāsana was directly facing the deities and Srila Prabhupada instructed that the devotees should leave a path between the vyāsāsana and the altar, and they should face sideways so that their back was toward neither Srila Prabhupada nor the deities. And he said that this is the process of Krishna consciousness, that one gets the mercy of the spiritual master and the Supreme Personality of Godhead together. And in the verse, brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja, it is repeated that one gets the seed of devotional service by the combined mercy of guru and Krishna.

Now, what is the relationship between the guru or acharya and Krishna and us aspiring devotees? The spiritual master is very dear to Krishna because he is preaching the message of Krishna consciousness, and Krishna always wants to fulfill the desires of such a devotee. And the desires of such a devotee are that people, fallen souls like us, should take to Krishna consciousness. When I first met Srila Prabhupada in Boston and eventually requested initiation, Srila Prabhupada initiated me in, well he was in Los Angeles and I was in Boston so I guess I was initiated in Los Angeles. And in his initiation letter, he wrote that, “I marked it in your presence when I met you in Boston and I prayed to Krishna that this good soul may become aware of the value or importance of Krishna consciousness.” So, the pure devotee prays to Krishna to give mercy to the fallen souls and because Krishna is bhakta-vatsala He is very favorably inclined to His devotees, very affectionate to His devotees, He fulfills their desire within the heart. He encourages the person to appreciate the value of Krishna consciousness and accept the process of devotional service.

We find an example in Krishna’s pastimes, as described later in the Tenth Canto, that the serpent Kāliya was a very sinful and envious snake, demon, and he was poisoning the Yamuna river. And the poison was so deadly that not only by drinking the water but even by inhaling the vapors from the water the cows and cowherd boys apparently died; he was so foul. And of course, when Nanda and Yasoda heard about the calamity they went rushing to the Yamuna to see what was happening and they fainted, everyone was in so much anxiety. So Krishna tightened His belt and climbed on the branch of a kadamba, tree which is there in Vrindavan even now, and He jumped into the water and you could say He played with Kāliya, although from the perspective of the vrajavāsīs, it was a terrible experience because Krishna in their mind was just a little boy and they weren’t thinking He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are just thinking He is a small child. So He played with Kāliya, and eventually, He began to dance on the snake’s heads, and as He was dancing on Kāliya’s hoods, the snake’s poison was coming out and he was becoming weak. His demoniac, defiant, envious spirit was being beaten down by the lotus feet of Krishna, the small pinkish lotus feet of Krishna. And within himself, he began to surrender to Krishna.

And his wives, the nāga-patnīs were very tuned in to their husband’s mood, and they came forward to Krishna and they prayed to Him to be merciful to Kāliya. And because of the devotees’ prayers, his wives were all devotees although he was demonic, because of the devotee’s prayers He showed mercy to Kāliya and didn’t kill him. There are different versions of the story because the Lord’s pastimes repeat again and again with some variation, but he was sent to Fiji, he was given the island of Fiji as a place to reside. And therefore, the first temple in Fiji in Lautoka was Krishna Kāliya Temple. That was Srila Prabhupada’s choice of the main deity. So, Krishna, He fulfills the desires of His pure devotees like Srila Prabhupada.

When I first joined I was told that Srila Prabhupada had said that the guru is the representative of Krishna and because he is the representative of Krishna, Krishna has to honor his decisions even if Krishna ordinarily would not have wanted to. And he gave the example that a representative of a company may enter into an agreement with a customer or a supplier, and even if the proprietor of the company doesn’t like the deal he has to honor it because his representative made the agreement. And similarly, if the spiritual master accepts someone even though Krishna on His own would not want to accept the person, but because His representative has accepted the person so Krishna accepts also. And therefore, although the mercy, well yes, by the mercy of Krishna one gets guru and by the mercy of guru one gets Krishna or pure devotional service to Krishna. But it is really the mercy of the devotee which is followed by the mercy of the Supreme Lord. And we see this very vividly in the activities of Srila Prabhupada.

Now accepting the mercy, bhakti-latā-bīja; what is the bhakti-latā-bīja? What is the seed of devotional service? Srila Prabhupada explains that it is the idea and the methods by which one executes devotional service. Just like any plan has a seed, that is the initial idea of it, and the seed is very important because everything comes from the seed, from the initial idea. One very nice devotee told me a story that, he was a pioneer, he opened many new places for Krishna consciousness, and of course, he wanted to please Srila Prabhupada and be recognized by Srila Prabhupada. So, at the time no one had gone to Mexico so he thought, I will go to Mexico and open a temple for Srila Prabhupada. And he went and the program was very successful, hundreds of devotees joined, and Srila Prabhupada came, and so many came forward for initiation, and there was wonderful kirtan, and everything was wonderful. And he thought, Now Srila Prabhupada will recognize me. And when Srila Prabhupada met him after seeing the success of the yatra he said, “This is very nice, and your wife gets the credit.” So, he was taken aback by the statement, and then he thought, Why did Srila Prabhupada say that? And it was because she actually had the idea, she was actually the one who suggested, “Why don’t we go to Mexico City?” So the seed, the idea, she had the idea, and then from that everything developed.

So it is the initial idea and it is also the methods. And in this purport, Srila Prabhupada is emphasizing the method that he gave, but he is also emphasizing that it is not just coming from him, from his concoction or mental speculation, but it is really coming from the scriptures and the previous acharyas. But the acharya also adapts the basic instructions according to the candidate, the time, the circumstances, so that Krishna will accept the devotee’s service. And Srila Prabhupada did that, and he prescribed sixteen rounds minimum, and the four regulative principles, and reading the books, and distributing the books. And Krishna accepts that method, accepted and accepts that method, and gives us His mercy. So, if we follow this strictly we will be successful by the mercy of guru and Krishna.

Now, from a distance, someone could think that Srila Prabhupada changed the prescribed method or changed the standards. Some of his godbrothers, fellow disciples of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, could not understand what he was doing and they criticized him on various grounds such as allowing women in the ashrams, having the young men and women preach together, perhaps. . . Although it is not exactly true that he reduced the number of rounds but that is another topic. And so Prabhupada’s servant at the time Sruti Kriti Prabhu said that, “We have faith in you, we know that you have preserved the basic principles and made adjustments only in the details.” And Srila Prabhupada was very successful. As he said, “For all their strictness, what have his godbrothers actually done to spread Krishna consciousness and fulfill the desire of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura?” And then Sruti Kriti Prabhu asked, “How do we distinguish between a basic principle and a detail?” Srila Prabhupada looked down and said, “That requires a little intelligence.”

Now, this point can give rise to controversy because someone will say, “I am adjusting a detail,” and someone else will say, “It is not a detail, it is a basic principle.” So there is controversy. But in the case of Srila Prabhupada he was successful beyond anyone’s imagination, beyond his own imagination. He himself said, “I never expected that Krishna consciousness would become so successful.” But he stuck firmly to the lotus feet of his spiritual master and the previous acharyas. And because of that adherence to their instructions, he was a transparent medium, and their mercy came to us through him. And by following his instructions our service went to them through him, and they were pleased, and they accepted the service and blessed the movement and the devotees with success.

There is another verse, a few verses later, I think Thirty-eight, and it describes a liberated soul because sometimes it is very hard to recognize. Yes, it is Text Thirty-seven. And Srila Prabhupada put a lot of time and energy into writing these books, as many of you know, he would take rest around 10:00 and get up two hours later at 12:00 and dictate; he hardly slept. So that was for our benefit and we should read these books, they are really nectar, and they fortify us against the allurements of maya and empower us in devotional service. So here the demigods praying to Krishna within the womb say:

TEXT 37

Even while engaged in various activities, devotees whose minds are completely absorbed at Your lotus feet, and who constantly hear, chant, contemplate and cause others to remember Your transcendental names and forms, are always on the transcendental platform, and thus they can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

COMMENT

And as we mentioned last night, just by understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His transcendental appearance and activities one is liberated and goes back home, back to Godhead. So I will just read from the purport. One word is kriyāsu, and Srila Prabhupada writes the word kriyāsu meaning by manual labor or by work, is important in this verse.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

One should engage in practical service to the Lord. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, all our activities are concentrated on distributing Kṛṣṇa literature. This is very important. One may approach any person and induce him to read Kṛṣṇa literature so that in the future he may also become a devotee. Such activities are recommended in this verse. Kriyāsu yas tvac-caraṇāravindayoḥ. Such activities will always remind the devotees of the Lord’s lotus feet. By fully concentrating on distributing books for Kṛṣṇa, one is fully absorbed in Kṛṣṇa. This is samādhi.

COMMENT

So, this is the whole challenge, how to always remain absorbed in Krishna, that is samadhi. And our activities are so simple that anyone can do them, even children. They can sing, they can dance, they can take prasāda, they can read about Krishna, they can talk about Krishna. Anyone and everyone can do it, it is just a matter of changing the subject, it is really very easy. But we do have that envy of Krishna, that desire to be the enjoyers ourselves, the controllers, the proprietors, we do have that, envy. But the activities themselves are very easy, they are not different from what we do. We read anyway, we talk anyway, we glorify people. I won’t go into the different types of people we glorify because we could go on and on and it would not really elevate our consciousness, but we are doing everything. All we have to do is change the subject, and changing the subject is not that hard, you just have to do it. As Prabhupada often said, just do it.

Once I had a brilliant idea, and I approached Srila Prabhupada and I presented the idea thinking he would be pleased with the idea, and he just said, “Do it.” Oh my God, that brought it to a whole other platform. I thought he would be pleased that I had the idea. Do it. And when we do it the results are wonderful, they are amazing. And it is necessary for us to have the association of devotees, and that can make all the difference, the association. A man is known by the company he keeps. And therefore at the end of the purport like the most prominent position in the purport, Srila Prabhupada quotes this beautiful verse from Narottama dasa Thakura.

TEXT 31 PURPORT (continued)

tāṅdera caraṇa sevi bhakta sane vāsa
janame janame haya, ei abhilāṣa

One must worship the lotus feet of the ācārya and live within the society of devotees.

COMMENT

So that boat, Srila Prabhupada took a boat and crossed the fierce ocean of nescience, but mystically, he left the boat on the other side for us to use to cross. And that boat in a broad sense are the instructions, but in a practical sense, the boat is ISKCON. It is the association of devotees because it is really in the association of devotees that we will be able to execute the instructions. The association of devotees gives us encouragement, and in a way, knowing that we are being watched keeps us honest. That is one benefit, and then the other benefit is just some things require other people. Of course, we can chant japa and that is one of the basic instructions but other activities like kirtan, saṅkīrtana, are best done with other devotees. So we need that association, and when we appreciate the value of it we really relish that association.

And from the moment I woke up this morning I was thinking of Madhuvesa Prabhu and the poem he wrote or almost like a song under the bows of a jackfruit tree, an unlikely place I know, about Srila Prabhupada’s appearance and how momentous it was, and how significant it was, and how from that place under the jackfruit tree the whole mission of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu spread throughout the world. And I also thought about Srila Prabhupada’s mercy, how yes Madhuvesa Prabhu had done service to the mission, and he loved Srila Prabhupada and Srila Prabhupada loved him, and so he went to Srila Prabhupada, went back to Godhead. And so that shows really I feel very vividly how the merciful devotee and the merciful Supreme Lord combine to deliver the fallen souls back home, back to Godhead.

Hare Krishna.

So we have about five minutes. Yes. I will repeat it, we don’t have time. Yes, yes, I am glad you picked that up. This was a question that we had because here Srila Prabhupada emphasize sixteen rounds, but there are people who quote sixty-four rounds which is welcome, and then sometimes we heard that people in the Gaudiya Matha could be initiated if they chanted only four rounds so we were a little confused. So we made some inquiries and we found that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura had four standards. If you had very little service, or to put it another way, if your main service was chanting japa then for you the standard was sixty-four rounds, if you had a medium amount of service the standard was sixteen rounds, and if you had a lot of service the standard was four rounds. Now you can imagine the chaos that would have occurred in ISKCON if Srila Prabhupada had different standards, so he chose the middle way of sixteen rounds. So that is why I said that some people could say that Srila Prabhupada made an adjustment with sixteen rounds instead of sixty-four rounds, but he was really following his guru Maharaja Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, as in essence, he did in everything.

Yes, Vijay Prabhu. oh, I meant three.

Devotee: Maharaja, thank you for a very nice presentation. This point you brought up about your idea, bright idea that you took to Prabhupada and he said, “Do it.” Sometimes managers especially are faced with this, but all of us at different points, where somebody comes and he says, “I have a great idea.” And they expect you to glorify them just for the idea, but as you said, Prabhupada wanted you to do it. So, how to find a balance where you encourage people but at the same time not be falsely excited about something that may not happen?

Giriraj Swami: Well, they say that principle in child rearing, that to the age of five you treat the child like your father. Whatever he says you do, “I want to eat.” “Okay.” And then the child becomes attached to you. And then say from the age of five to fifteen you treat the child like your enemy. In other words, you discipline him very strictly so he becomes good and strong. And then he is so well trained that after the age of fifteen you can treat him like a friend. So, with devotees, especially in the beginning, it is good to encourage them for any possible reason so that they become more attached to the devotees, more attached to the process.

Srila Prabhupada, ki jaya!

But then when they are more attached and can take a little more demands then you know you can expect more from them or demand more from them. In my case Prabhupada said, “Do it.” And I didn’t, but it wasn’t very consequential I don’t think because Prabhupada never brought it up again. But with getting the permits for the Juhu project, “Did you get him? Did you get him? Did he go to the office? Did you meet the person? What did he. . .” But something very important he was very vigilant and persistent, and I think that is also like they say, “Choose your battle.” So, what is really important to use to prevail upon a devotee to do? So yes, I heard that at ISV, ISKCON of Silicon Valley. Vaisesika Prabhu has a policy that if anyone comes forth with an idea he should be ready to work on it or work for it.

Hare Krishna. Srila Prabhupada, ki jaya!