SB 2.3.23 – One Should Be More Serious about Seeking the Mercy of the Devotee than That of the Lord Directly

Giriraj Swami: To begin, I’d like to welcome Father Joseph who is the parish priest of the Eastern Orthodox Church in Dayton, and he has been very enriched by Srila Prabhupada and the Vaishnava tradition. And before you all came, we were discussing, and he brought up about exorcism. You know what exorcism is?

Devotee: Somebody is possessed by the devil or by an evil spirit and exorcism will help to get rid of that possession.

Giriraj Swami: Yes. So, in honor of our discussion. . . Well, we discussed many other things at greater length, but I told him that I would read a verse and purport that speak about ghosts.

So, we’ll begin with some prayers that are called maṅgala-ācaraṇa in Sanskrit, which means prayers that invoke auspiciousness.

[Prayers]

Giriraj Swami: I would suggest that if the children are going to be talking loudly, they go somewhere else. Hare Krishna. So, we shall read from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Two, Chapter Three, Pure Devotional Service. Please repeat after me.

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

So, we’ll read from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Two, Chapter Three, Text Twenty-Three. Please repeat.

TEXT 23

jīvañ chavo bhāgavatāṅghri-reṇuṁ

na jātu martyo ‘bhilabheta yas tu

śrī-viṣṇu-padyā manujas tulasyāḥ

śvasañ chavo yas tu na veda gandham

TRANSLATION

The person who has not at any time received the dust of the feet of the Lord’s pure devotee upon his head is certainly a dead body. And the person who has never experienced the aroma of the tulasī leaves from the lotus feet of the Lord is also a dead body, although breathing.

COMMENT

Please repeat.

TRANSLATION

The person who has not at any time received the dust of the feet of the Lord’s pure devotee upon his head is certainly a dead body. And the person who has never experienced the aroma of the tulasī leaves from the lotus feet of the Lord is also a dead body, although breathing.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, the breathing dead body is a ghost. When a man dies, he is called dead, but when he again appears in a subtle form not visible to our present vision and yet acts, such a dead body is called a ghost.

COMMENT

So, in the Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Krishna explains that He has two energies; the superior or spiritual energy, and inferior or material energy. And the living entities are of the superior energy. The inferior energy consists of eight elements; bhūmir āpo ‘nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and ego), and the first five are gross, and the second three are subtle (mind, intelligence, and ego). When the soul leaves the body, it is carried by the subtle body into its next gross body according to its karma and thoughts at the time of death. So, the soul leaves behind the gross body but continues within the subtle body.

Now, in the case of a ghost, the living entity has only a subtle body and no gross body, and that situation is a very miserable condition. Generally, one becomes a ghost by committing suicide. One who commits suicide in effect is saying that he or she doesn’t want a gross body, so they don’t get a gross body, they keep only the subtle body.

But generally, they have gross material desires. Otherwise, why would they commit suicide? They have material desires that have been frustrated, and feeling disappointed, they commit suicide. And because they have gross material desires but no gross physical body through which to fulfill their desires, they try to take possession of someone’s gross body so they can try to enjoy through that person’s senses. So, that’s a dangerous position, to be possessed by a ghost, but one can be free from a ghost by chanting the holy names of the Lord. This is the prescribed method.

PURPORT (continued)

Ghosts are always very bad elements, always creating a fearful situation for others.

COMMENT

For the reason I described. Another way one can become a ghost is if one is very attached to a building. There are many haunted castles, palaces, mansions. So, the resident of the castle is so attached to the castle that at the time of death, he thinks of the castle, which he doesn’t want to leave. He can’t take birth as a castle, that’s not one of the eight million four hundred thousand species of life, but he can take birth as a ghost in the castle. And often, good properties, castles, palaces, mansions that are haunted go on the market for a lower rate because people don’t want to buy a haunted house. But Srila Prabhupada said, “We can buy them and chant Hare Krishna, and all the ghosts will go away and we’ll have a good temple for Krishna.”

PURPORT (continued)

Similarly, the ghostlike nondevotees who have no respect for the pure devotees, nor for the Viṣṇu Deity in the temples, create a fearful situation for the devotees at all times.

COMMENT

Now, non-devotees are compared to ghosts because they are not in their proper situation or consciousness. By constitution, every living entity is an eternal servant of God or Krishna, jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya-dāsa. So, anyone who is not acting in his proper position as an eternal servant of Krishna is compared to a ghost.

Srila Rupa Gosvami, in his treatise on bhakti-yoga called Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, has composed a very nice verse, bhukti-mukti-spṛhā yāvat, that one who has desires for bhukti, which means material enjoyment, or mukti, which means impersonal liberation, merging into the impersonal effulgence of Krishna, is compared to a person haunted by a ghost. Because when one is haunted by a ghost, one has thoughts and desires that are not natural to his normal condition.

Once, a disciple said to Srila Prabhupada that sometimes he gets crazy thoughts that he would never have and terrible thoughts that he would never have in his normal consciousness, right consciousness, could this be the influence of a ghost? And Srila Prabhupada said, “Yes, it could be.” So, having desires such as for bhukti and mukti, desires other than for the service of the Lord, are compared to a person haunted by ghosts.

PURPORT (continued)

The Lord never accepts any offering by such impure ghosts.

COMMENT

So, the Lord accepts offerings by devotees who make the offerings with love and devotion, because the Lord doesn’t need anything, He is everything and possesses everything, so the only thing that He really wants is love and devotion.

So, in the Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Krishna says patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati, “If you offer Me with love and devotion patraṁ—a leaf, puṣpaṁ—a flower, phalaṁ—fruit, or even toyaṁ—water,” He will accept it because of the love and devotion, not that He needs our fruits or flowers. So, the Lord accepts offerings only from devotees, and therefore, it is said that the Lord never accepts any offering by such impure ghosts who have no devotion and who desire other things besides Krishna and Krishna’s service.

Now, the next part.

PURPORT (continued)

There is a common saying that one should first love the dog of the beloved before one shows any loving sentiments for the beloved.

COMMENT

It’s said, “Love me, love my dog.” And the devotee, this is the point here that the devotee is like Krishna’s dog. In fact, in the early days of ISKCON, when Srila Prabhupada was explaining the neck beads that devotees wear, he said it’s like our dog collars, indicating that we are Krishna’s dogs.

PURPORT (continued)

There is a common saying that one should first love the dog of the beloved before one shows any loving sentiments for the beloved. The stage of pure devotion is attained by sincerely serving a pure devotee of the Lord. The first condition of devotional service to the Lord is therefore to be a servant of a pure devotee.

COMMENT

In other words, we can’t approach the Lord directly.

PURPORT (continued)

And this condition is fulfilled by the statement “reception of the dust of the lotus feet of a pure devotee who has also served another pure devotee.” That is the way of pure disciplic succession, or devotional paramparā.

COMMENT

So, I’m serving my spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, he served his spiritual master who was a pure devotee, and his spiritual master served his spiritual master who was a pure devotee, and that chain, one after the other, paramparā means one after the other, goes all the way back to Krishna, who’s the original spiritual master.

PURPORT (continued)

Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa inquired from the great saint Jaḍa Bharata as to how he had attained such a liberated stage of a paramahaṁsa, and in answer the great saint replied as follows (Bhāg. 5.12.12):

rahūgaṇaitat tapasā na yāti

na cejyayā nirvapaṇād gṛhād vā

na cchandasā naiva jalāgni-sūryair

vinā mahat-pāda-rajo-’bhiṣekam

“O King Rahūgaṇa, the perfectional stage of devotional service, or the paramahaṁsa stage of life, cannot be attained unless one is blessed by the dust of the feet of great devotees. It is never attained by tapasya [austerity], the Vedic worshiping process, acceptance of the renounced order of life, the discharge of the duties of household life, the chanting of the Vedic hymns, or the performance of penances in the hot sun, within cold water or before the blazing fire.”

COMMENT

So, all these different performances mentioned are beneficial for making spiritual progress, for becoming elevated in life, but they cannot award one the highest perfection of life. That can happen only when you are blessed by the dust of the lotus feet of great devotees. Mahat means great devotees, mahatma, pāda means foot, rajo means dust, and abhiṣekam, bathing yourself in the dust of the feet of great souls.

PURPORT (continued)

In other words, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the property of His pure, unconditional devotees, and as such only the devotees can deliver Kṛṣṇa to another devotee; Kṛṣṇa is never obtainable directly.

COMMENT

I told this story the other day, but still, I’ll tell it again. Srila Prabhupada demonstrated this principle, that Krishna is the property of His pure devotee, and only the pure devotee can deliver Krishna to another devotee, in relation to a two or three-year-old girl.

I was the first devotee from ISKCON to go to Madras and begin the preaching there, and I met many important people, and one of them was the chief justice of the high court. In America, you would say the supreme court of the state. And the chief justice arranged a program for Srila Prabhupada in some grounds near his own home. And after the program, Srila Prabhupada and the disciples went to the chief justice’s home for prasāda.

The chief justice gifted Srila Prabhupada a small silver figurine or statue of Krishna, and while the chief justice and his wife were making whatever preparations they had to make, Srila Prabhupada was left with the disciples. And in his talk at the grounds, Srila Prabhupada had spoken about the Six Gosvamis of Vrindavan, who were very highly placed in society, but who gave up everything to join the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And he was appealing to the members of the audience, distinguished judges and lawyers, that they should join Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission.

And Srila Prabhupada quoted some verses from the Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka, eight verses glorifying the Six Gosvamis. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat, they kicked off all association of aristocracy as insignificant.

And then also, their mood of separation, he rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥ, he rādhe vraja-devike – “Oh Radharani, Queen of Vrindavan.” He nanda-sūno kutaḥ—“Son of Maharaja Nanda, Krishna, where are You? Are you on the banks of the Yamuna River? Are you at Govardhana Hill?” So, they were roaming all over Vrindavan shouting very loudly, “Where are You?” in the mood of separation.

So, in Srila Prabhupada’s party were Shyamasundara dasa and Malati dasi. Many of you might know at least Malati dasi, and they had a daughter named Sarasvati, who at the time was two or three years old.

So, Srila Prabhupada held this little silver statue of Krishna in front of Sarasvati and said, “Who is this?” She said, “Krishna.” And then, Srila Prabhupada moved that statue behind his back and said, “Sarasvati, where is Krishna?” And she became very alarmed, “Where is Krishna?” She was looking everywhere, looking among the devotees, and she couldn’t find Krishna. She became very anxious, it was like the mood of separation.

But being so young, her mind got distracted, and eventually, Srila Prabhupada again said, “Sarasvati, where is Krishna?” Again, she became anxious, she was looking everywhere, “Where is Krishna? Where is Krishna? Where is Krishna?” She couldn’t find Krishna. So then, her mother, Malati, said, “Sarasvati, who has Krishna?” And immediately, her eyes opened wide, her face lit up in recognition, and she said, “Prabhupada has Krishna!” And then she went running up to Srila Prabhupada, and then he pulled out the Krishna from behind his back.

So, when I read this line

PURPORT (continued)

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the property of His pure, unconditional devotees, and as such only the devotees can deliver Kṛṣṇa to another devotee.

COMMENT

I think of that incident because it really demonstrated that principle very vividly.

PURPORT (continued)

Kṛṣṇa is never obtainable directly. Lord Caitanya therefore designated Himself as gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ, or “the most obedient servant of the servants of the Lord, who maintains the gopī damsels at Vṛndāvana.”

COMMENT

So, this full verse, Lord Caitanya says, “I’m not a brahman, I’m not a kshatriya, I’m not a vaishya, I’m not a sudra, I’m not a brahmachari, I’m not a grihastha, I’m not a vanaprastha, I’m not a sannyasi.” These are all external designations. “So, what are You?” Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ, “I’m the servant of the servant of the servant of Krishna.” And that also can allude to the same principle of paramparā, disciplic succession. I’m the servant of my spiritual master, he is the servant of his spiritual master, his spiritual master is the servant of his spiritual master. And that’s dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ, the servant of the servant of the servant. Although that principle can be applied in many contexts, that’s one.

PURPORT (continued)

A pure devotee therefore never approaches the Lord directly, but tries to please the servant of the Lord’s servants, and thus the Lord becomes pleased, and only then can the devotee relish the taste of the tulasī leaves stuck to His lotus feet.

COMMENT

So, Krishna is pleased when we become the servant of His servants, and then He reveals Himself to that servant’s servant.

PURPORT (continued)

In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said that the Lord is never to be found by becoming a great scholar of the Vedic literatures, but He is very easily approachable through His pure devotee.

COMMENT

The Sanskrit is vedeṣu durlabham. Durlabham means very difficult, adurlabham – but easy, ātma-bhaktau – to the devotee.

PURPORT (continued)

In Vṛndāvana all the pure devotees pray for the mercy of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, the pleasure potency of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is a tenderhearted feminine counterpart of the supreme whole, resembling the perfectional stage of the worldly feminine nature.

COMMENT

So, the complete conception of Godhead is Radha and Krishna. And although They are one, and Krishna is also very compassionate, but Srimati Radharani is said to represent His compassionate nature. In that book, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Rupa Gosvami enumerates sixty-four qualities of Krishna. Of course, He has unlimited qualities, but he enumerates sixty-four qualities, and one is compassionate. And in The Nectar of Devotion, Srila Prabhupada writes that because Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it’s difficult to approach Him directly, but we can approach Him through Srimati Radharani who represents His compassionate nature; tenderhearted, feminine counterpart of the Supreme Whole.

PURPORT (continued)

Therefore, the mercy of Rādhārāṇī is available very readily to the sincere devotees, and once She recommends such a devotee to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Lord at once accepts the devotee’s admittance into His association.

COMMENT

So, being the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant culminates when the service reaches Srimati Radharani. Like they say, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” So, our admittance into Krishna’s service depends on our being recommended to Krishna. So, we are recommended by our spiritual master through disciplic succession, or otherwise, we can come to the stage of being recommended by Srimati Radharani, and then Krishna will accept us.

PURPORT (continued)

The conclusion is, therefore, that one should be more serious about seeking the mercy of the devotee than that of the Lord directly, and by one’s doing so (by the good will of the devotee) the natural attraction for the service of the Lord will be revived.

COMMENT

So, we can attain Krishna and Krishna’s service only when we are attracted to His service. Otherwise, we have no business being with Krishna if not to serve Him. And that natural attraction for the service of the Lord, jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya-dāsa, our constitutional position as the eternal servant of the Lord is awakened or revived by the mercy of the devotee.

Now, I’ll take a little liberty here and say something about Jesus Christ, who said or is said to have said, “No one can reach the Father except through Me.” And Srila Prabhupada has explained that to me, that Jesus is acting as a guru and no one can approach the Lord except through the guru, and that’s exactly what this verse and purport are saying.

And anyway, I could say, but it would be a bit of a digression to speak all that Srila Prabhupada said about Jesus Christ, but he said a lot.

And one thing he did say that I could quote, which is not very complicated is that the Krishna consciousness movement is spreading in the western countries by the mercy of Jesus Christ because He gave them that sense of God consciousness, which the Krishna consciousness movement was supplementing or complementing. And he also quoted, I’ve never seen it myself and never looked, that Jesus said, “I have many more things to tell you, but you cannot bear them,” something like that. So, Srila Prabhupada felt that he was doing that service to Jesus Christ and the people by telling them some of the things that Jesus could have told them if they were ready for it.

Okay, thank you very much. Hare Krishna.

Are there any questions or comments?

Devotee: Maharaja, obeisances to you. I have a little question.

When you said that the mercy of Radharani is easily available to the sincere devotees and She recommends them to Krishna, I understood how to get Krishna, from the mercy of the guru and the guru-paramparā. But when devotees directly approach Radharani, She recommends them, how does that work? So, that means you don’t have to worry about Krishna, only go for Radharani, like that? I mean, I took the literal meaning. In Vrindavan, Radharani recommends the devotee to Krishna and Krishna accepts.

Giriraj Swami: Well, we don’t approach Radharani directly, we have no qualification to approach Radharani.

Devotee: Yeah.

Giriraj Swami: But we approach Her through paramparā.

Devotee: Service to Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: We approach Radharani through paramparā, and then She recommends us to Krishna.

Devotee: So, it’s important to worship both of Them?

Giriraj Swami: Yes.

Devotee: We can chant both the names.

Giriraj Swami: Well, in the Hare Krishna mantra, the Hare is Radharani, and the Krishna is Krishna.

Devotee: So, automatically, through chanting the mantra, we can get Her blessings as well as Krishna’s, right?

Giriraj Swami: Yeah. In fact, it is said that we chant Krishna’s name to please Radharani, and we chant Radharani’s name to please Krishna.

Devotee: So, automatically, if we do both, we get all of them. And today, I understood your story better. Yesterday, I only understood the literal meaning of the child saying, “Srila Prabhupada has Krishna.” It actually meant he is a pure devotee and Krishna resides in his heart. I understood it much more today than yesterday. Yesterday, I took it for literal meaning when the child said, “Prabhupada, you have Krishna.” But actually, he is pure devotee so Krishna resides in his heart.

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, he has Krishna, it meant not only the little silver figurine, but Krishna Himself.

Devotee: Yesterday, I understood the literal meaning, but today when you explained it. . . Thank you so much.

Giriraj Swami: Thank you. Hare Krishna.

Devotee: Hare Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: Any other questions or comments?

Devotee: Maharaja, one realization. I came to ask you a question today or distract my mind this morning, and while listening, you answered 99.9 percent of the question. How do I approach Radharani? That was the question bothering me since this morning. So, Mataji asked that question, but I wanted to know how do I know [Unintelligible 01:00:40] whatever once in a year we know they are important because their guru [Unintelligible 01:01:00] everything, the topmost devotee to go through Krishna, but how do I connect? When Mataji asked that question, you told only through the devotees. So, my question got completely answered, so I will not. . .

But the connection I don’t get [Unintelligible 01:01:18] devotee in one day, but I had again some of the devotees saying that they got direct benefit by directly praying to Radharani. I don’t know how they did it, I don’t see any way of what I can [Unintelligible 01:01:34] it is extremely difficult unless somebody is exalted, probably they can do it, I don’t see any other way. So, we tell same thing to devotees, but no other way to tell what the direct way [Unintelligible 01:01:48].

Giriraj Swami: Well, there are special occasions in which we can approach superior personalities, and in the case of Radharani, we can do it on Radhastami or Radha-kunda’s appearance day, special occasions. But usually, we would pray to our more immediate authorities. But you can pray if it comes in your heart, but yeah, whatever the prayer is, it should come from your heart. But often, one might feel more comfortable, I usually pray to Srila Prabhupada first and foremost.

Devotee: Maharaja, we have more questions please. Last question. Can you please explain how can the devotees relish the taste of tulasi leaves stuck to the Lord’s feet? Can you explain that a little further?

Giriraj Swami: Well, that’s prasāda, and it can be taken in relation to the Deity. Before coming to Cincinnati, Pandit Srivasa and Malini were in Dallas, where the presiding Deity is Radha-Kalachandji. Only here they have pictures of Radha-Kalachandji everywhere. And you can always see tulasi leaves stuck to Radha-Kalachandji’s lotus feet, it’s very prominent in that Deity worship.

Devotee: Oh, I’ve seen that before.

Giriraj Swami: So, I think for us, that’s the meaning. But even in kṛṣṇa-līlā, Krishna’s lotus feet are worshiped with tulasi leaves.

Devotee: Thank you so much, I can see that now.

Devotee: I have a question, Maharaja, may I?

Giriraj Swami: Yes.

Devotee: Regarding the paramparā system, I was born in Bogota, Colombia, and there is one of our godbrothers who is a Swami who has been very successful in spreading Krishna consciousness in Colombia, several temples, not only in Bogota but in Cali, Medellín, Barranquilla. And he is not part of the ISKCON, paramparā, GBC system. He is a sannyasi, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada. And they have twenty-three farms, a very successful program. And in their temples, they have vyāsāsana with Srila Prabhupada is on it, they have the Deities, and they have Srila Prabhupada and his pictures also on the temple, but not on the vyāsāsana side.

Should he be respected as a guru, as a bona fide initiating guru, when he is not part of the ISKCON GBC system? Would Prabhupada accept such behavior if Prabhupada was present? Well, we don’t know that, but what’s the outcome? Is it kind of like the Roman Catholic church accepting the protestants and the Baptists and so on? Currently, they are. I was born Roman Catholic, and basically, for us, anybody who was not Roman Catholic was going to hell. So, does the ISKCON GBC see other factions of what they call renegade spiritual masters, former sannyasis for initiating as bona fide, or are they to be considered pious?

Giriraj Swami: I think it really depends on the individual, whether they are bona fide or not. Even having left ISKCON, they can be bona fide. But not to digress or dwell on it, but you said he was very successful, but I’ve gotten other reports. But I would always feel more confident with someone being connected with Srila Prabhupada through ISKCON because Srila Prabhupada invested a lot in ISKCON and it’s really created for us. So, we can’t say that a disciple of Srila Prabhupada who leaves ISKCON is not bona fide, but I would feel more comfortable recommending someone to stay within ISKCON.

Yes?

Devotee: Guru Maharaja, thank you so much. I think the whole concept is to please the devotees, and that’s how we obtain the mercy of Krishna. Thank you so much for explaining that to us. So, what are some ways we can please the devotees? So, what is the way to really do that?

Giriraj Swami: How to please the devotees?

Devotee: Yeah.

Giriraj Swami: Do you want to say something?

Devotee: No, no, no.

Giriraj Swami: It sounded like you were just excited to. . . Why don’t you? This is Vijay Govinda dasa, he is the temple president of Cincinnati. So, how can we please the devotees?

Devotee: Maharaja, I am not qualified to answer.

Devotee: Maharaja, I will tell one of his qualities probably that will fit.

Giriraj Swami: Okay.

Devotee: So, can I go ahead? He always treats himself last.

Devotee: Humble servant of the Lord.

Devotee: He is always serving us.

Devotee: So, hopefully, [Unintelligible 01:08:53].

Giriraj Swami: Well, to give a broad answer, we can say that devotees, like anyone else, there is the soul and the body and the mind. And so, we can serve the devotees’ souls by helping them chanting and hearing and remembering Krishna. We can serve their bodies in many ways; by feeding them, by helping them when they are sick, and we can serve their minds by just being supportive and encouraging, and also helping them fix their minds on Krishna.

And so much in bhakti, almost everything in bhakti has to do with intention. Once, a disciple asked Srila Prabhupada, “How can I please you?” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “Just your desire to please me pleases me.”

So, if you are sincere in your desire to please devotees, then Krishna will give you the intelligence how to do it. Cooking is a good way, it’s pretty universal.

Devotee: That’s the only way.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:11:07] we asked him, “Come on, bring prasādam,” but instead of pleasing him, we are asking for his serving.

Giriraj Swami: But actually, it’s true. His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami had a disciple. Well, it was a family in Calcutta, and the wife was a very good cook, and the husband’s mother was also a very good cook. And he would have some of his devotees learn cooking there, and he told them that cooking nicely is a very good way to please devotees, so he wanted them to be expert in that field.

Yes, Radhika?

Devotee: Guru Maharaja, when a soul has somehow got themselves stuck in the position of being a ghost, how can they be delivered from that situation? And is it only when devotees come and chant the holy names? Or is the soul himself also in a position to realize or to do something to get himself out of that situation?

Giriraj Swami: Well, it’s true that the devotee’s chanting is the way that the ghost can be delivered, but if the ghost is intelligent and capable enough, he could go to where devotees are doing kirtan.

So, Pandit Srivasa Prabhu, what is next?

Devotee: So, couple of things. So, broadly, we will have prasādam next. We have pizza and some drinks and some sweets, which somebody got, and probably some fruits as well. And I’ll need a little bit of time just to heat up and stuff like that, so maybe people can help me a little bit.

But while that preparation is going on as well as the prasādam is going on, let us take advantage of this opportunity to look at Maharaja’s books. And the books are right there, and to purchase all those books, they are all twenty dollars each, and I think Narottama Prabhu here can help with the actual transaction part of it, and Maharaja will personally sign those books. This is again a great opportunity here.

And also, during this time, if somebody has some personal questions or conversations that they want to have with Maharaja, he is also present over here. We also have some fairs, which are from actually our neighbor's street. That is a completely different topic, but it’s important. So, they are from our neighbor’s street, and don’t worry, they were packed in his presence and with his permission, most of them anyway. So, please, take some of them home, please, take them home because I can’t deal with any more of those, do something about this.

But no, seriously though, he heard about this program, that’s the real truth, and he said, “I can’t be here,” because he has a sick child, but he was kind enough to send those. And look, somebody was asking about serving, right? So, this was in his way, in his service, he said, “Wow, you have such an important gathering, such a wonderful program.” And [Unintelligible 01:15:29], who is my neighbor from the opposite side, can bear testimony to how wonderful this other neighbor is, his name is [Unintelligible 01:15:37], and he sent almost 150 [Unintelligible 01:15:42] just for us. So, those are the next few things happening.

Giriraj Swami: All right, thank you very much. Hare Krishna.

Devotee: His Holiness Giriraj Maharaja ki jaya!