CC Madhya 22.113 – Always Remember Krishna and Never Forget Him

Host: We’re waiting for your mercy, Maharaja. Hare Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna. I’ll begin by singing the maṅgala-ācaraṇa prayers and a little kirtan, and then we will read a verse from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta and a related verse from the Bhagavad-gītā, and discuss how we can make progress in Krishna consciousness.

[Prayers]

Giriraj Swami: I will read a verse from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, which contains the basic principle of vaidhī-sādhana-bhakti, which is to always remember Krishna and never forget Krishna. And in his purport, Srila Prabhupada explains how we can always remember Krishna and never forget Him, which is our duty and our success.

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda

jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

Madhya-līlā, Chapter Twenty-two, Text 113.

TEXT 113

smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇur

vismartavyo na jātucit

sarve vidhi-niṣedhāḥ syur

etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ

TRANSLATION

“ ‘Kṛṣṇa is the origin of Lord Viṣṇu. He should always be remembered and never forgotten at any time. All the rules and prohibitions mentioned in the śāstras should be the servants of these two principles.’

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

This verse is a quotation from the Padma Purāṇa. There are many regulative principles in the śāstras and directions given by the spiritual master. These regulative principles should act as servants of the basic principle — that is, one should always remember Kṛṣṇa and never forget Him.

COMMENT

Now, how is that possible? Srila Prabhupada explains.

PURPORT (continued)

This is possible when one chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Therefore one must strictly chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra twenty-four hours daily.

COMMENT

How much? Twenty-four hours daily. [laughter] Even in our sleep, we should be chanting, or we should not sleep.

PURPORT (continued)

Therefore one must strictly chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra twenty-four hours daily. One may have other duties to perform under the direction of the spiritual master, but he must first abide by the spiritual master’s order to chant a certain number of rounds.

COMMENT

This brings to mind an incident with Srila Prabhupada in the early days in India, traveling with him before we got the Juhu Land. Although it was rare then for Americans or Europeans to come to India, I think an American did somehow find us and he met up with us and joined us. So, at one stage, he asked Srila Prabhupada a question, which was, “If all service is absolute, why do we have to chant sixteen rounds?” And he gave the example that suppose he’s up late at night, and someone comes, who could be willing to become a life member. So, his question was, should he make him a life member at the cost of finishing his rounds? Or should he finish his rounds and leave the person without making him a life member? Of course, implicit in the question was the idea that it could be one or the other, not both.

But Srila Prabhupada emphasized the importance of sixteen rounds, which he is doing in this purport. He basically said that if you could stay up, make the man a life member, and finish your rounds, that would be best. But if you’re very much fond of sleeping, then you should finish your rounds and then take rest. Then he said, “If you eat and sleep all day long, but you chant your sixteen rounds, I have no objection.” And then he said to all the other disciples who were there, “This is for him only, this is not for you. This is his special prerogative.” But he was emphasizing the sixteen rounds, “You can eat and sleep all day long, but you must chant sixteen rounds.”

So, then the boy asked, “Well, why do we have to chant sixteen rounds?” And Srila Prabhupada didn’t usually assert himself in that way, but in this case, he did. He sat up very erect and he said, “Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead wants you to chant sixteen rounds.” I mean, Srila Prabhupada is saying, but behind him, Krishna is saying. I’ll come back to the purport now.

PURPORT (continued)

These regulative principles should act as servants of the basic principle — that is, one should always remember Kṛṣṇa and never forget Him. This is possible when one chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Therefore one must strictly chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra twenty-four hours daily. One may have other duties to perform under the direction of the spiritual master, but he must first abide by the spiritual master’s order to chant a certain number of rounds. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we have recommended that the neophyte chant at least sixteen rounds. This chanting of sixteen rounds is absolutely necessary if one wants to remember Kṛṣṇa and not forget Him. Of all the regulative principles, the spiritual master’s order to chant at least sixteen rounds is most essential.

COMMENT

Srila Prabhupada is stressing this point emphatically in several consecutive sentences, that we must chant our minimum sixteen rounds daily. Srila Prabhupada used to quote a cartoon that he saw in which an old lady and an old man are sitting opposite each other, and the old lady is telling her husband, “Chant, chant, chant,” and the husband is replying, “Can’t, can’t, can’t.” He could. With the same effort that it took for him to deny chanting, he could just as well chant. So, we should chant, chant, chant, chant.

Now here, Srila Prabhupada, in the next paragraph, balances what he just said about chanting. What he says in the next paragraph sort of complements what he said in the first paragraph.

PURPORT (continued)

One may sell books or enlist life members or render some other service, but these duties are not ordinary duties. These duties serve as an impetus for remembering Kṛṣṇa.

COMMENT

So, here, Srila Prabhupada is explaining how the activities that he has given us support the basic principle of always remembering Krishna and never forgetting Him.

PURPORT (continued)

One may sell books or enlist life members or render some other service, but these duties are not ordinary duties. These duties serve as an impetus for remembering Kṛṣṇa. When one goes with a saṅkīrtana party or sells books, he naturally remembers that he is going to sell Kṛṣṇa’s books. In this way, he is remembering Kṛṣṇa. When one goes to enlist a life member, he talks about Kṛṣṇa and thereby remembers Him. Smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇur vismartavyo na jātucit. The conclusion is that one must act in such a way that he will always remember Kṛṣṇa, and one must refrain from doing things that make him forget Kṛṣṇa.

COMMENT

This is the basic principle to guide our lives, that we should act in such a way that we’ll always remember Krishna and refrain from activities that will lead us to forget Krishna. It’s a very simple criterion, and if we follow this, then we will be successful.

PURPORT (continued)

The conclusion is that one must act in such a way that he will always remember Kṛṣṇa, and one must refrain from doing things that make him forget Kṛṣṇa. These two principles form the basic background of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

COMMENT

I also thought to read a verse from the Bhagavad-gītā that begins with that same word, satataṁ. Many of you may know this verse. Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Chapter Nine: “The Most Confidential Knowledge,” Text Fourteen.

TEXT 14

satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ

yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ

namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā

nitya-yuktā upāsate

COMMENT

This is the same point about always. . . Smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇur. So, satataṁ means always, and nitya-yuktā also means always, perpetually engaged.

TRANSLATION

Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.

COMMENT

Because the previous verse was mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha, so this verse is elaborating on the qualities of a mahatma. So, here, Srila Prabhupada says in the purport:

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

The mahātmā cannot be manufactured by rubber-stamping an ordinary man.

COMMENT

Yes, in the Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Krishna says bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ. One who surrenders to Him is a mahatma. When I first joined the temple in Boston, we would go to the Boston Commons, do hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, and distribute mainly Back to Godhead magazines. But once, I went maybe a block away, I think it was Commonwealth Avenue, it’s a busy street in the business district. A man saw me dressed in my robes, and I don’t know exactly what impelled him, but he started going like this, “Mahatma, mahatma, mahatma!” Anyway, I pray that he got some benefit from that inspired gesture.

PURPORT (continued)

When the question of glorification is there, one has to glorify the Supreme Lord, praising His holy name, His eternal form, His transcendental qualities and His uncommon pastimes. One has to glorify all these things; therefore a mahātmā is attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

One who is attached to the impersonal feature of the Supreme Lord, the brahma-jyotir, is not described as mahātmā in the Bhagavad-gītā. He is described in a different way in the next verse. The mahātmā is always engaged in different activities of devotional service, as described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, hearing and chanting about Viṣṇu, not a demigod or human being. That is devotion: śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ and smaraṇam, remembering Him.

COMMENT

So, it’s mentioned here, Vishnu or Krishna, not any demigod. In fact, it is one of the ten offenses in the chanting of the holy names to consider the demigods to be equal to or independent of the holy name of Vishnu. And sometimes I have a little concern when devotees perform kirtan in yoga studios. Some, not all, but some, feel that they have to chant to demigods so that the owners of the yoga studio or even the people in the audience don’t think that we’re sectarian or too exclusive. But my concern is that if they think that the demigods are equal to or independent of the holy name of Lord Vishnu, then they’re committing an offense against the holy name.

But there are other devotees, such as Madhava dasa, the famous kirtan leader from Mauritius, who doesn’t do that. He doesn’t feel the need to. He feels that we have enough variety in our songs to Vishnu, means Krishna, Rama, that we don’t need to do that. That’s preferable, if you can do that successfully and not be considered too sectarian or too exclusivist.

PURPORT (continued)

Hearing and chanting about Viṣṇu, not a demigod or human being. That is devotion: śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ and smaraṇam, remembering Him. Such a mahātmā has firm determination to achieve at the ultimate end the association of the Supreme Lord in any one of the five transcendental rasas.

COMMENT

That is a very high achievement that one can attain by this process.

PURPORT (continued)

To achieve that success, he engages all activities – mental, bodily and vocal, everything – in the service of the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. That is called full Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

COMMENT

Reading this phrase, “In the service of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna” reminded me of something that Srila Prabhupada said, “We will not say that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead in one purport. We will say that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead in every purport.”

PURPORT (continued)

In devotional service there are certain activities which are called determined, such as fasting on certain days, like the eleventh day of the moon, Ekādaśī, and on the appearance day of the Lord.

COMMENT

Recently, we observed Pandava Nirjala-ekādaśī. It required some determination, dṛḍha-vratāḥ, but I think all the devotees who observed it felt it was worth the effort.

PURPORT (continued)

All these rules and regulations are offered by the great ācāryas for those who are actually interested in getting admission into the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the transcendental world.

COMMENT

Again, Srila Prabhupada is reminding us of our goal or our ultimate success.

PURPORT (continued)

The mahātmās, great souls, strictly observe all these rules and regulations, and therefore they are sure to achieve the desired result.

As described in the second verse of this chapter, not only is this devotional service easy, but it can be performed in a happy mood. One does not need to undergo any severe penance and austerity. He can live this life in devotional service, guided by an expert spiritual master, and in any position, either as a householder or a sannyāsī or a brahmacārī; in any position and anywhere in the world, he can perform this devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus become actually mahātmā, a great soul.

COMMENT

My dear devotees, you are certainly all mahatmas, or on the way to being mahatmas very soon. It has been a pleasure to meet with you and discuss with you. And again, the most essential process is the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

So, are there any questions or comments? If you have something to say, you can raise your hand and Ana Surya Mataji will unmute you or tell you to unmute yourself. Parīkṣit dasa?

Host: Go ahead. He unmuted himself.

Giriraj Swami: Good.

Host: We can’t hear you.

Pariksit dasa: Is it better now?

Giriraj Swami: Yes.

Pariksit dasa: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada. Thank you for a nice lecture. You mentioned something about kīrtanīyās performing in some places where the attendees may find it sectarian if you don’t mention demigods, or if the kīrtanīyās don’t mention demigods’ names when they perform. So, if a Hare Krishna devotee finds themselves in that situation, knowing that on the one hand, they really shouldn’t be mentioning demigods’ names because of the second offense of the ten offenses, as you pointed out, but then the congregation of those who are listening may not like the idea that demigods are mentioned. When a devotee is cornered like that, what should they do?

Giriraj Swami: Well, we have a lot of bhajans besides the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. We can sing jaya rāma śrī rāma jaya jaya rama or raghupati rāghava rājā rāma. I mean, we faced this question in a different way in the Juhu temple, because not that we wanted to show that we’re not sectarian, but we wanted to appeal to people who were attached to demigods. So, around the temple perimeter, inside, we have dioramas. So, we had one of Ganesh as the scribe, writing down the Vedic scriptures, as dictated by Vyasadeva. I guess they could, if they have to. . . I mean, just the way you phrase the question, they’re in a situation where they more or less have to.

So, if they have to, then I would say that they should explain the position of the demigod in relation to Krishna, and then it wouldn’t be an offense. I mean, it would be actually helpful and educational to the audience to understand that there’s one Supreme God, just like the king, but the king also has very powerful loyal servants in his cabinet, he has his different ministers and secretaries. So, we can say that Brahma is like the minister of creation, Shiva is the minister of destruction, Sarasvati is the minister of education, culture, and learning. It would be good because people in the yoga circles have heard these different names, but they probably don’t know who they really are. And it would be a disservice if we let them think that they’re all independent and equal Gods.

So, we can inform them as to who they actually are, and then if we chant their names or some mantra that includes their names, it wouldn’t be so bad. It wouldn’t be great, but it wouldn’t be so bad. I mean, I had a very stirring experience. . . Of course, Lord Shiva is vaiṣṇavānām yathā śaṁbhuḥ, He’s the greatest Vaishnava, of course, people should understand that. But one night, it was late, I was doing Vrindavan parikramā and I was walking along the Yamuna River. There was a lady. . . I mean, I didn’t see her but I could hear her. There was a lady with a microphone and she was chanting, “oṁ namaḥ śivāya,” which under those circumstances I found quite moving, but I mean, there was no confusion in my mind as to who Shiva was and who Krishna was.

And Ganesh, we can say Ganesh removes obstacles. So, we pray to Ganesh to remove any obstacles in our service to Krishna. Yeah, we can explain like that. I guess if we’re too clear in our explanation, again, depending on the audience, they might think, again, we’re being too focused on Krishna. But we are. Thank you.

Dr Brittany Anderson, so nice to see you! Can you unmute yourself? Yes!

Dr Brittany Anderson: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Thank you so much for doing these courses.

Giriraj Swami: Thank you, thank you for joining!

Dr Brittany Anderson: I had a question that went along perfectly with what you had mentioned about rituals to Lord Shiva. At the Detroit temple, we practice Shiva-ratri once a year, and I was there for it last year and I poured the milk with the conch shell, but it felt really uncomfortable, it was kind of like giving a special gift to someone who isn’t your relative, a total stranger. How should devotees approach Shiva-ratri and other events like that at our temple? Should we go? Should we participate? How should our mood and attitude be?

Giriraj Swami: Well, generally, Vaishnavas don’t observe Shiva-ratri. I’m not sure why they did it in Detroit. But the problem is that we know that Lord Shiva is a Vaishnava, vaiṣṇavānām yathā śaṁbhuḥ, but ordinary people who come to the temple, if they see us worship Shiva, they’ll think, In ISKCON they worship Shiva. Shiva is the same as Krishna, and they may get some misconceptions. I mean, I would avoid observing Shiva-ratri in an ISKCON temple because it sets an odd precedent; it’s a very different example.

We were in Madras with Srila Prabhupada. I mean, I went to Madras and I cultivated many big people, and eventually, I arranged a series of programs for Srila Prabhupada. And a very important man had a sort of a Deity installation in his home, and for a home temple, it was quite big. It was big enough for, I don’t know, eight, ten, twelve people to stand inside, and his main Deity was Lord Shiva. There were a lot of dignitaries invited, so Srila Prabhupada and the other dignitaries were in the temple room, and we disciples were outside. When it came time to offer flowers to the shiva-lingam, Srila Prabhupada threw his flowers in the corner, and we were a little astonished. What did Srila Prabhupada actually do?

Then, when all the others came out, we went in, and we saw that in the corner there was a little Deity of Krishna. So, he had offered his flowers to Krishna. So, we want to serve Krishna, and Lord Shiva is happy if we serve Krishna.

Dr Brittany Anderson: Thank you, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Thank you. Hare Krishna.

Dr Brittany Anderson: Hare Krishna.

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. I have a follow-up question. This is the first one.

Giriraj Swami: Sure.

Devotee: There’s been functions in here, we’re in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and there was one devotee that made some comments about a song that many Hindus sing, “oṁ jaya jagadīśa hare,” and the comment was that he wasn’t so supportive of devotees even being okay with that song. I don’t know, now I’m a little confused about it. What should devotees think about it basically is what I’m asking.

Giriraj Swami: Oh, but we don’t sing that song.

Devotee: I know we don’t, but I’m thinking about if we should just avoid it all together, or should we not even think about it at all? If you meet somebody who is Hindu and they are encouraging you to sing, “oṁ jaya jagadīśa hare” when you’re a devotee, what should you do then, basically is what I’m asking.

Giriraj Swami: I think just tell them you don’t know the words. [laughter]

Devotee: I don’t, it would be true for me to say that. But I don’t know.

Giriraj Swami: Well, my impression is that it’s a little impersonal and a little materialistic, because a lot of those prayers, they want something material from the Deity. We don’t have anything to do with that song, actually.

Devotee: Thank you, Maharaja, I get it.

Giriraj Swami: Okay, Hare Krishna.

Host: Gopal Prabhu, I think you have a question, Prabhu?

Devotee: Yes, Mataji. Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Daṇḍavat-praṇāmās. Maharaja, in the definition of mahatma, the reference comes for the five transcendental rasas, mahatmas are engaged in the strong determination in any of the five transcendental rasas. So, as a sādhaka, does one have to worry about what rasas one’s devotion is happening in? We have to worry about that?

Giriraj Swami: No, that will come later. What the purport says is that the mahatma is eager to gain the association of the Lord in one of those rasas, but that will be revealed when the time comes. But we should have in mind that that’s our real home, back home, back to Godhead, not the material world. That we should have.

Devotee: Thank you.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna. Any other questions or comments?

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. I have a question regarding devotees performing kirtan programs in yoga studios. Srila Prabhupada introduced street hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana programs where we share and spread the holy name of Lord Chaitanya’s movement. Because of that performing kirtan programs in yoga studios, it’s done in a business place, for lack of a better word, because yoga makes money from the programs. Would it be better to do street saṅkīrtana as opposed to having it in the yoga studios?

Giriraj Swami: I would say both are good. I mean, I went to an amazing kirtan in a yoga studio in Santa Barbara. The famous kirtan singer Gaura Vani came and he did a kirtan in a yoga studio, and it was amazing. He had 90 percent of the attendees, it was pretty packed, it was a pretty large room and it was quite packed, and he had 90 percent of them dancing.

I think a lot has to do with the potency and attractiveness of the singer. But yeah, street saṅkīrtana is wonderful. But I would say we shouldn’t miss any opportunity. Srila Prabhupada gave the example of. . . I think it was some swami in India, not a devotee, some swami, but he would never miss an opportunity to speak. Prabhupada gave the example that even if a pawn shop was opening and he was invited to the opening of the pawn shop, he would go and speak. And Srila Prabhupada said that way, he became very famous and popular. So, from that example, I deduced that Srila Prabhupada wanted us to take every opportunity. Of course, sometimes we have to choose between a greater opportunity and a lesser opportunity, but they’re spirit souls and they have some interest. If they’re interested in yoga, it means they have some openness or inclination towards Indian philosophy and practices. I think potentially, they are a good audience.

Devotee: Thank you, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Okay.

Host: If anyone has any questions, we request you to unmute yourself, ask your question, and mute back. That way it doesn’t create any background interference.

Devotee: Mataji, there is one question that came to the private chat. I will read it to Maharaja. “Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja, I have one question.”

Giriraj Swami: Wait, is the person who asked the question online? Because I like to see the face of the person. Where is she?

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada. How are you, Guru Maharaja?

Giriraj Swami: I’m very fine, thank you.

Devotee: Sorry, Guru Maharaja. Yesterday, I could not speak, my voice was not good. My question is, Guru Maharaja, among the ten offenses, one main is to blaspheme the devotees who have propagated the holy name of the Lord. So, what about other living entities who try to offend them? Is it an offense?

Giriraj Swami: It is. In fact, one of the regulated principles in The Nectar of Devotion is not to cause a painful action in the heart of any living entity.

Devotee: Yes, Guru Maharaja. Thank you, Guru Maharaja. My second question is that if we offend a Vaishnava and yet we ask for forgiveness and they don’t forgive us, what should we do in that case?

Giriraj Swami: Do you have any idea why not?

Devotee: Don’t know, Guru Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Well, I mean, I’ve been in a situation like that. Not recently, but some years ago. And I really went out of my way and begged the person to forgive me. But if the person is not ready to forgive you, you could ask the person what you can do to make up for your offense, so that eventually, the person might forgive you. And follow the remedial measures given by the person you offended. It’s not good for you or them for them not to forgive you.

Devotee: Yes, but I feel guilty, Guru Maharaja, because I asked for forgiveness, yet they don’t forgive me.

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, but did you try asking what you can do so that they would forgive you?

Devotee: In fact, no, Guru Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Well, try that.

Devotee: Yes, Guru Maharaja. I want to ask forgiveness because when you offend devotees, our spiritual life is affected. We cannot concentrate on our chanting.

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, it can disturb your chanting. You just try to serve the devotee and please the devotee, somehow. Or if it’s hard to serve the devotee, then serve those who are near and dear to the devotee, and that might soften the devotee’s heart and make the devotee more favorable to you.

Devotee: Yes, Guru Maharaja, thank you.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Devotee: Hari Krishna, Guru Maharaja, thank you.

Giriraj Swami: Thank you.

Host: I think there is another question, Maharaja, that was sent to Dhir Krishna Prabhu, a private message. Did you get it, Prabhu?

Devotee: No, that was the same question from Susita Mataji.

Host: The same question? No, no, I think Sakhi said. . . Go ahead, Prabhu.

Devotee: Maharaja, there is one more question. This is from Mathura Mataji. “How about the practice of celebrating Holi in ISKCON temples? Is it advisable? Thank you.”

Giriraj Swami: Well, Holi is not something that we celebrated during Srila Prabhupada’s time. Of course, in India, in Vrindavan, they make a point of throwing colors on you. So, either you have to hide inside or wear some old clothes that you don’t mind getting ruined by the colors. But Srila Prabhupada’s disciple Charu Prabhu in Utah has made a huge festival out of Holi called “The Festival of Colors.” It’s a huge preaching event, it’s amazing, it’s unbelievable. I very much appreciate what he does, I mean, thousands of people come, and the colors are there, that’s part of it, but there’s kirtan, there’s prasāda.

Now, of course, with the COVID-19, everything was sort of shut down, but he was doing it in other places. It was so popular in Utah he scheduled to do it in other places, he is going to do it in the LA area also. So, if you can do it in that way, to attract people and give them a chance to hear the holy name, chant Hare Krishna, get prasāda, and have a good time, it’s good. I feel it is an innovative way to attract people and engage them.

Devotee: Thank you, Maharaja. I think it was actually a question from somebody who’s watching this program on Facebook Live.

Giriraj Swami: Oh, I see. Okay.

Devotee: Thank you, Maharaja.

Host: Dhir Krishna Prabhu, there is another question sent to you, I think. I apologize.

Devotee: I think it is again from Mathura Mataji from Facebook Live. “Hare Krishna, Maharaja. How about in cases when the devotee we offend passes away? What do we do in that instance?”

Giriraj Swami: That’s a very good question. Well, we can pray to them to forgive us. We can try to counteract the offense. For example, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that the same tongue that you use to vilify a devotee, you should use the same tongue to glorify the devotee. So, if that was the offense, we should do that, we should glorify that devotee who has departed.

I think the same principles, try to serve those who are near and dear to that devotee and please them. And then, their master will be pleased. Of course, if we can, it’s better to close that chapter while the person is still present. But it can happen, certainly it can happen that the person we offended passed away before we could be forgiven in person. That was a good question.

Devotee: Thank you, Maharaja.

Host: Asut, do you have a question to ask Maharaja? You can go ahead, unmute yourself, and read back.

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Thank you for the wonderful lecture. I missed your original point to the answer, “If all service is absolute, why chant sixteen rounds rather than doing other service?” I missed your answer to that question.

Giriraj Swami: Oh yeah, Srila Prabhupada said, “Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead wants you to chant sixteen rounds.”

Devotee: Okay, wonderful answer, Maharaja. Thank you.

Host: Are there any other questions? Maharaja, I have another question. When you were reading Bhagavad-gītā 9.14 where Krishna was saying that such a mahatma has firm determination to achieve at the ultimate and the association of the Supreme Lord in any one of the five transcendental rasas, as a practicing devotee, Maharaja, should our mindset or our focus or mood or attitude be just in the mood of dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ? Should we be always thinking, How can I get into these five rasas? What is my position in the five rasas? Or just surrender being a dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ?

Giriraj Swami: I mean, I think that mood of gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ, that’s a very good mood, that was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mood. If we want to serve Krishna in the spiritual world, we will end up in one of the five rasas. But that’s not something that we need to artificially contemplate now while we’re chanting or worshiping the Deity or whatever service we’re doing, preaching.

Host: Thank you, Maharaja. Maharaja, there is a question from Panaga dasa. His question is, “Guru Maharaja, if time permits. . .” Yes, Prabhu, please, you have every right to ask this question. “Can you share your realization when you got Lord Shiva’s special mercy?

Giriraj Swami: Well, what makes you think I got Lord Shiva’s special mercy?

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja. Long back, actually, I had heard your lecture; it was very special and very different. It was some realization from Vrindavan, I think Gopisvara Mahadeva or you could see the moon or something. And I tried to get that lecture, but I could not get it. But it was a very special lecture, so I just wanted to recollect or relive that.

Giriraj Swami: So, there is a devotee of Lord Shiva in Vrindavan called Gopisvara Mahadeva. The background to the Deity is that Lord Shiva came to Vrindavan, and He wanted to join the rāsa dance. So, he prayed to Purnamasi, yogamāyā, and she told him to take bath, I think in Manasi Ganga. And when he came out, he had the form of a gopī. But when he went to the arena of the rāsa dance, the other gopīs didn’t recognize that person, and they were asking all sorts of questions, “Where do you live? Who is your husband? What does he do?” And Lord Shiva didn’t have any answers, so they thought This so-called gopī is an impostor, and they started to beat him, or her. Then, Lord Shiva started to take the name of Purnamasi, and Purnamasi came and said, “Please don’t beat him, this is Lord Shiva.”

She gave Lord Shiva the. . . Well, as it is, he’s kṣetrapāla, a protector of the dhāma. She gave him the boon that. . . Of course, He couldn’t participate in the rāsa dance because that’s exclusively reserved for Krishna’s gopīs, but He could protect the area of the rāsa dance, keep unwanted intruders out, and He could give people the eligibility to enter the rāsa dance.

So, there’s a Deity of Lord Shiva Gopisvara made in Vrindavan, near Vamsi Vata where Krishna played His flute to call the gopīs for the rāsa dance. It is a shiva-lingam. During the day, it’s worshiped as a regular shiva-lingam, but in the evening, they dress the shiva-lingam in a sari, as a gopī. There are supposed to be five most merciful personalities in Vraja, and Gopisvara Mahadeva is one of them. So, I would go to the temple in the evening. I did feel that he was sort of a śikṣā-guru. Then, when I came out of the temple, it was night, and I was either walking back to the Krishna-Balarama temple, and I did see a crescent moon, the kind you see in Lord Shiva’s hair. And I don’t know, I just felt that He was a śikṣā-guru for me. And He’s very merciful, He’s in charge of false ego.

And our godbrother His Holiness Sacinandana Swami went all the way to Kailash, to Lord Shiva’s abode, to pray to Lord Shiva to free him from false ego. We have a little Gopisvara Mahadeva here in our ashram in Carpinteria. It’s a gift from His Holiness Indradyumna Swami.

Host: Maharaja, I have another question. When you were speaking on the Caitanya-caritāmṛta and you were talking about the purport, that we should be remembering the Lord and chanting twenty-four hours, there has been some situations sometimes where when we ask a devotee to do service, sometimes they have this answer, “Mataji, I’m chanting my rounds.” As a leader, Maharaja, how do we deal with such situations? What do we do? Because we do come across devotees that say, “Mataji, I’m chanting my rounds,” “Mataji, I cannot, I’m chanting my rounds.” When there’s something important that has to get done for service, how do we approach such scenarios, Maharaja?

Giriraj Swami: Well, the chanting is a prayer for service, “Oh Lord, oh energy of the Lord, please engage me in Your service.” So, you can say, “Well, you were chanting so well that Radha and Krishna are answering your prayer, they’re giving you service.” There was a morning walk in Juhu, and His Holiness Lokanath Swami asked Srila Prabhupada, “Why have you prescribed sixteen rounds?” And Srila Prabhupada said, “Not sixteen rounds. Minimum sixteen rounds.” And he said, “Well, some devotees are accepting another minimum.” And Srila Prabhupada said, “Well, who’s stopping them? You can increase the minimum. You can’t decrease it, but you can increase the minimum.”

Then, Lokanath Swami asked, “Well, how do we know if we’re imitating Haridasa Thakura?” And Srila Prabhupada said, “Well, imitation of a good thing is not bad. If you’re chanting more rounds, that’s good.” Then, Brahmananda Prabhu said, “Well, what if someone asks you to do service and you’re chanting your rounds?” And Srila Prabhupada said, “I can’t do any service, I’m busy imitating Haridasa Thakura.” Prabhupada said, “That is very bad.”

Host: Yes, Maharaja, I’ve heard such comments and it bewilders me. Trying to be a leader, it’s a. . . I know for me, I’m like, “Okay, now I feel like I just got shot. Now, how do I answer this question?” Because they’re using a holy name to justify what they’re doing. Thank you, Maharaja, thank you so much.

Giriraj Swami: I mean, Svavasa Prabhu, the temple president in Los Angeles, he gets up at two o’clock every morning and he chants rounds before maṅgala-ārati. Because being the temple president of a big project, he can’t be assured that he won’t be disturbed later. If it happens more than once that that devotee refuses to do service because he’s chanting, I would suggest that devotee just gets up earlier and does the chanting before Anasuya devi dasi asks him to do some service, so he doesn’t have to refuse on the grounds that he has to chant his rounds.

Host: Thank you, Maharaja. Thank you so much. Maharaja, there’s a question from Surat Radha Charan dasa said. . .

Giriraj Swami: Radha Charan dasa from the city of Surat in India.

Host: Okay, I apologize, Prabhu, I picked the first one. . .

Giriraj Swami: That’s the way he wrote it out, so it looked like that.

Host: Yes, Maharaja. He says, “Guru Maharaja, please accept my humble obeisances. You just said that there are five most merciful personalities in Vrindavan. Which other four are? Please tell.”

Giriraj Swami: The Yamuna River, Govardhana Hill, Purnamasi, and Tulasi. We should take advantage of their mercy. I thought someone would ask that.

Host: They read all our minds, Maharaja. Thank you so much, Prabhu, for asking that amazing question. Are there any other questions that anyone would like to ask? Please do ask, please don’t hold back. I know for ISKCON Harrisburg it is our greatest fortune and mercy to hear from Giriraj Swami. I compare it to. . . Better than gulābjāmun and all the other sweets out there. We are so grateful, Maharaja. And I want to ask, if you have any questions, please don’t be shy, please do unmute and mute yourself so we can get the mercy of Maharaja.

I’m just going through to see if there are any other questions because I’m kind of slow with this machine. I don’t think there are other questions, Maharaja. But I would like to ask, Maharaja, that once we’re done with COVID-19 and whatever, if you ever were to swing by Pennsylvania, Maharaja, I sincerely beg you to please visit us, Maharaja, and give us your mercy in Harrisburg.

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, I would like to.

Host: We would love to have your mercy and darshan. I know you were due to come sometime this month. In fact, this weekend, it’s taken.

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, that’s true.

Host: Yes, it was supposed to be this weekend, and in Krishna’s arrangement, we got your mercy through Zoom. And we hope and pray by the mercy of Krishna, Lord Chaitanya, and Srila Prabhupada, that we will have your mercy in person when this whole thing is over.

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, I would like to visit.

Host: And plus, Maharaja, where we are at, one hour from us is Gita Nagari, two hours Philadelphia, two hours Baltimore and DC. So, you’re very central when you come here.

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, that’s true.

Host: It’s very nice. If there are no questions, Maharaja, we normally end with prayers to Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva.

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, I would love to lead the Nṛsiṁha prayers.

Host: Please. Thank you so much, Maharaja, thank you.