SB 2.13.17 – Perfect Use of Invaluable Time

Madhupati dasa: Is His Holiness Giriraj Maharaja there? Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Thank you very much for being with us today.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Madhupati dasa: We are very fortunate to have you. After a long time, we are seeing you. Maharaja, please begin.

Giriraj Swami: Okay, I will begin by saying the maṅgalācaraṇa prayers and leading a short kirtan,  and then I will speak on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Krishna dasa: Madhupati Prabhu, should we give an introduction?

Giriraj Swami: Oh, you want to give an introduction?

Krishna dasa: Yes, Maharaja, if you don’t mind.

Giriraj Swami: Sure, sure.

Madhupati dasa: Thank you. So, yes, let me do that. His Holiness Giriraj Maharaja is a disciple of our founder acharya, His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada. He took to this process of Krishna consciousness at a very early age. Being born as a son of a very respected Chicago lawyer, but then when he joined Krishna consciousness, Srila Prabhupada entrusted so many higher responsibilities. He was there in Bombay in the early stage when the Bombay Juhu temple’s construction was going on, even before that, and he has been the Governing Body Commission member for many places, including Mumbai and other areas. Currently, he is residing in California, Carpentaria.

He is the author of Watering the Seed and Many Moons, and is working on several publications, including Life’s Final Exam: Death and Dying from the Vedic perspective and books about his search for his spiritual master and his early days in the Boston temple. He has traveled with Srila Prabhupada in India in Srila Prabhupada’s monumental efforts in Bombay on Vaishnava holy days. He is a member of ISKCON Governing Body Commission, and went on to oversee the society’s activities in Bombay, Mauritius, South Africa, Spain, Portugal, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. He has also taught at the Vrindavan Institute For Higher Education and continues to give lectures and give presentations at japa retreats and workshops around the world. So, we are very fortunate to have His Holiness Giriraj Maharaja amidst us. We would like to welcome him with a loud three times Haribol! Haribol! Haribol! Thank you very much, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Oh yes, I would like to request the participants on Zoom, as far as possible, to put on your cameras so I can see your moon-like faces. Hare Krishna.

[Giriraj Swami leads kirtan]

Giriraj Swami: So, I shall read a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Two, Chapter Three: “Pure Devotional Service,” Text Seventeen.

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

TEXT 17

āyur harati vai puṁsām
udyann astaṁ ca yann asau
tasyarte yat-kṣaṇo nīta
uttama-śloka-vārtayā

TRANSLATION

Both by rising and by setting, the sun decreases the duration of life of everyone, except one who utilizes the time by discussing topics of the all-good Personality of Godhead.

COMMENT

So, as I read the purport, I will be commenting, so it won’t be so useful to have the purport on the screen.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

This verse indirectly confirms the greater importance of utilizing the human form of life to realize our lost relationship with the Supreme Lord by acceleration of devotional service.

COMMENT

There are eight million four hundred thousand species of life, but the human form of life is very rare, and the human form of life affords us the great opportunity of realizing our eternal relationship with God, or Krishna. So, the human form of life, which we have, is very valuable, and it should not be wasted or squandered.

PURPORT (continued)

This verse indirectly confirms the greater importance of utilizing the human form of life to realize our lost relationship with the Supreme Lord by acceleration of devotional service.

COMMENT

To accelerate means to go faster. If you are driving a car, you have the accelerator. And so, if you want to go faster, you step on the accelerator, you step on it. So, because time is passing with every rising and setting of the sun and we don’t know how much time we have left, we want to step on it, we want to accelerate our devotional service.

PURPORT (continued)

Time and tide wait for no man. So the time indicated by the sunrise and the sunset will be uselessly wasted if such time is not properly utilized for realizing identification of spiritual values.

COMMENT

Srila Prabhupada had a good friend and supporter in Bombay named Brijratan Mohatta, who had been the wealthiest man in what became West Pakistan. And he was of such a caliber that he was married to R. D. Birla’s daughter. And Srila Prabhupada was very expert in speaking in the language of his audience. And Mr. Mohatta being a businessman, Srila Prabhupada told him, “In the ledger of your life, any time utilized in Krishna consciousness is profit, and any time not utilized in Krishna consciousness is loss.” So, every businessman wants to maximize his gains and minimize his losses. So, Srila Prabhupada was saying the same thing to Mr. Mohatta as he is telling us in the present purport.

PURPORT (continued)

The time indicated by the sunrise and sunset will be uselessly wasted if such time is not properly utilized for realizing identification of spiritual values.  Even a fraction of the duration of life wasted cannot be compensated by any amount of gold. 

COMMENT

So, when the time of death comes and we want to prolong our life, extend our lifetime, even if we are ready to spend any amount of money, we cannot purchase even one extra minute. That means the time of our life cannot be calculated in terms of any monetary value. Because at the time of death, even if we are willing to spend millions of dollars to extend our life, we can’t. So, we should be very careful how we use our time and not waste it or squander it. And there are so many ways to waste our time. Especially now with the internet, there are almost endless possibilities for wasting time very conveniently, at home. But we don’t want to do that. And we don’t want to have to lament later for the time that we wasted when we should have been utilizing the time for Krishna consciousness.

PURPORT (continued)

Human life is awarded to a living entity (jīva) simply so that he can realize his spiritual identity and his permanent source of happiness. A living being, especially the human being, is seeking happiness because happiness is the natural situation of the living entity.

COMMENT

Well, that’s a fact. Everyone wants to be happy; everyone is seeking happiness, that we all know and experience.

PURPORT (continued)

But he is vainly seeking happiness in the material atmosphere. A living being is constitutionally a spiritual spark of the complete whole, and his happiness can be perfectly perceived in spiritual activities.

COMMENT

Srila Prabhupada gives the example of a fish out of water. The natural element of a fish is water, and the fish can be happy only in water. If you take the fish out of water, even if you put it in a gold bowl and fill it with valuable gems and jewels, and light incense and create all sorts of pleasant conditions, the fish will not be happy because the fish is a creature of the water, it cannot be happy outside the water. Similarly, we are creatures of the spirit, and we can be happy only in the spiritual atmosphere. And no matter how we try to pamper our bodies, or our senses, or our minds with material facilities, we cannot be happy. Well, we all want to be happy but we don’t know how to find eternal happiness. But the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other Vedic scriptures tell us how we can be happy, which is what we all want.

PURPORT (continued)

A living being is constitutionally a spiritual spark of the complete whole, and his happiness can be perfectly perceived in spiritual activities. The Lord is the complete spirit whole, and His name, form, qualities, pastimes, entourage and personality are all identical with Him.

COMMENT

So, we want to be happy, and as spiritual beings, we can experience actual happiness only in the spiritual atmosphere, or in other words, in relationship with the Supreme Spirit, or Krishna. And how do we establish that contact, or connection, with the Supreme Spirit? That is through devotional service. And Krishna being absolute means Krishna, His name, His form, His qualities, His pastimes, His entourage, which means His pure devotees, they are all Krishna. And so, for us to perceive actual happiness, we have to make contact or establish connection with Krishna in any of those manifestations.

PURPORT (continued)

The Lord is the complete spirit whole, and His name, form, quality, pastimes, entourage and personality are all identical with Him. Once a person comes into contact with any one of the above-mentioned energies of the Lord through the proper channel of devotional service, the door to perfection is immediately opened. In the Bhagavad-gītā (2.40) the Lord has explained such contact in the following words: “Endeavors in devotional service are never baffled. Nor is there failure. A slight beginning of such activities is sufficient even to deliver a person from the great ocean of material fears.” 

COMMENT

So, the greatest fear for the living entity is to fall down into the lower species of life. But if one makes a beginning in devotional service, he has no fear of descending into the lower forms of life, but he is guaranteed a human birth in which he or she can continue in devotional service from the point at which he or she left off. Anything material is lost at the time of death. Suppose I’m a great scholar and I know six different languages. At the time of death, all of that knowledge is lost, and when I take my next birth, I begin as a baby not knowing any language, just ga, ga, ga, ga. But devotional service is never lost. As this verse in the Gītā says, there is no loss or diminution. So, if you progress even 1 percent in this life, then in the next life, you begin from 2 percent. If you progress 50 percent, then in the next life, you begin from 51 percent. So, there is no loss or diminution, and even a little advancement on the path protects one from the greatest fear.

PURPORT (continued)

As a highly potent drug injected intravenously. . .

COMMENT

That means through the veins.

PURPORT (continued)

. . .acts at once on the whole body, the transcendental topics of the Lord injected through the ear by the pure devotee of the Lord can act very efficiently. 

COMMENT

That’s what we are doing. Uttama-śloka-vārtayā, we are engaging in topics of the all-good Personality of Godhead; hearing from Srila Prabhupada, the pure devotee in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

PURPORT (continued)

As a highly potent drug injected intravenously acts at once on the whole body. . .

COMMENT

Immediately goes throughout the whole body.

PURPORT (continued)

. . .the transcendental topics of the Lord injected through the ear by the pure devotee of the Lord can act very efficiently. Aural

COMMENT

A-u-r-a-l, through the ear.

PURPORT (continued)

realization of the transcendental messages implies total realization, just as fructification of one part of a tree implies fructification of all other parts. This realization for a moment in the association of pure devotees like Śukadeva Gosvāmī prepares one’s complete life for eternity. And thus the sun fails to rob the pure devotee of his duration of life, inasmuch as he is constantly busy in the devotional service of the Lord, purifying his existence. 

COMMENT

So, on the face of it, this verse is very striking, “Both by rising and setting, the sun decreases the duration of life of everyone.” Well, that we can all accept. “Except one who utilizes the time by discussing topics of the all-good Personality of Godhead.” Now, how does that work? It works in this way, that the pure devotee, and I should explain how Srila Prabhupada defines a pure devotee. As someone who is engaging in devotional service, not for any material gain, but just for spiritual advancement. So, in that sense, we can all be pure devotees, can be considered pure devotees, because we are not engaging in devotional service, I mean, I hope we are not engaging in devotional service for some material profit or for impersonal liberation. So, in that sense, we can all be considered pure devotees.

So, “The sun fails to rob the pure devotee of his duration of life, inasmuch as he is constantly busy in the devotional service of the Lord, purifying his existence,” and preparing himself for eternal life with Krishna. So, the rising and setting of the sun is not decreasing our duration of life, but in fact, if we use the time properly in Krishna consciousness, it’s helping us prepare for our eternal life with Krishna.

PURPORT (continued)

Death is a symptom of the material infection of the eternal living being.

COMMENT

Actually, for the soul, there is no birth or death, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre.

PURPORT (continued)

Death is a symptom of the material infection of the eternal living being; only due to material infection is the eternal living entity subjected to the law of birth, death, old age and disease.

The materialistic way of pious activities like charity is recommended in the smṛti-śāstras as quoted by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. Money given in charity to a suitable person is guaranteed bank balance in the next life.

COMMENT

So, this section is very interesting, and it gives us a lot of insight, both into how we can get a good return on our investment, and how we can reach our ultimate perfection of life.

PURPORT (continued)

Money given in charity to a suitable person is guaranteed bank balance in the next life. Such charity is recommended to be given to a brāhmaṇa. If the money is given in charity to a non-brāhmaṇa (without brahminical qualification) the money is returned in the next life in the same proportion. If it is given in charity to a half-educated brāhmaṇa, even then the money is returned double. If the money is given in charity to a learned and fully qualified brāhmaṇa, the money is returned a hundred and a thousand times, and if the money is given to a veda-pāraga (one who has factually realized the path of the Vedas), it is returned by unlimited multiplication.

COMMENT

So, in the Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Krishna says vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo, that by all the Vedas, he is to be known. So, if one is a veda-pāraga, or in other words, one who knows that Krishna is the goal of life and all of our activities, such as Srila Prabhupada or his servants, that money is returned by unlimited multiplication. Now, what does that mean? Because everything in the material world is limited. So, for our investment to be returned in unlimited multiplication, we have to go to the spiritual world to get our return on our investment. And certainly, by serving a pure devotee such as Srila Prabhupada, we are opening the door to go back home, back to Godhead, where we can get our unlimited return.

PURPORT (continued)

The ultimate end of Vedic knowledge is realization of the Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ).

COMMENT

Just to give an example of how unlimited the opulence of the spiritual world is. Once, our dear godbrother Bhurijana Prabhu arranged for Srila Prabhupada to come to Hong Kong to preach. And Bhurijana Prabhu arranged to collect Srila Prabhupada from the airport in a Rolls-Royce limousine, and then Srila Prabhupada was brought to the penthouse suite of the Hong Kong Hilton Hotel, the most lavish and coveted place in the whole hotel, for a press conference.

So, in the press conference, one of the reporters asked Srila Prabhupada, “You are supposed to be a spiritual person. So, why are you riding in a Rolls-Royce limousine?” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “Actually, I am a resident of the spiritual world, and in the spiritual world, everything is made of transcendental gems, cintāmaṇi stones. So, even if they had collected me in a solid gold Rolls-Royce or a diamond Rolls-Royce, it wouldn’t have been good enough. So, you asked me why I rode in that Rolls-Royce limousine? Well, the answer is that that was the best they could offer. So, I had to settle for it.” So yeah, we can’t even imagine the opulence of the spiritual world. Nothing in the material world can even compare to it.

PURPORT (continued)

There is a guarantee of money’s being returned if given in charity, regardless of the proportion.

COMMENT

So, here we are coming to the point.

PURPORT (continued)

Similarly, a moment passed in the association of a pure devotee by hearing and chanting the transcendental messages of the Lord is a perfect guarantee for eternal life, for returning home, back to Godhead.

COMMENT

So, this is very interesting, that just as by giving money in charity you are guaranteed return in the next life, so similarly, by engaging in topics of the all-good Personality of Godhead, Krishna, one is guaranteed eternal life.

PURPORT (continued)

Similarly, a moment passed in the association of a pure devotee by hearing and chanting the transcendental messages of the Lord,

COMMENT

What we are doing now,

PURPORT (continued)

is a perfect guarantee for eternal life, for returning home, back to Godhead. Mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate.

COMMENT

In the Bhagavad-gītā, Krishna says one who attains to His abode never returns again to this miserable material world.

PURPORT (continued)

In other words, a devotee of the Lord is guaranteed eternal life.

COMMENT

We get an eternal body, we get a spiritual body, like Krishna’s.

PURPORT (continued)

In other words, a devotee of the Lord is guaranteed eternal life. A devotee’s old age or disease in the present life is but an impetus to such guaranteed eternal life.

COMMENT

How so? Because our old age and disease remind us that the material world is not a happy place, that the physical body is not a favorable residence, and therefore, we shouldn’t waste time trying to gratify the senses of the body, which will not make us happy in any case. And even if there is a little pleasure, or so-called pleasure, it is temporary. As Krishna says of the material world in the Bhagavad-gītā, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam, it is a place of misery and it is temporary. And as Srila Prabhupada says, unfortunately, foolish people try to make the duḥkhālayam into sukhālayam, which is not possible.

So, a devotee’s old age or disease in the present life is but an impetus to such guaranteed eternal life, because they remind him that this material world is not a happy place, and they encourage the devotee to make plans to go to the spiritual world by engaging in topics of the all-good Personality of Godhead, which includes kṛṣṇa-kathā; hearing about Krishna, hearing from Krishna in the Bhagavad-gītā, or hearing about Krishna in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and chanting His holy names, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

So, Hare Krishna. Thank you very much. And now, if any of you have any questions or comments, you can speak. I guess you can raise your hand or maybe put something in the chat.

Krishna dasa: Yeah, Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Yes, we have a question in the chat from Taruni Radha Mataji saying, “How can we attain perfection in our life?”

Giriraj Swami: Is she on the Zoom?

Krishna dasa: Yes, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Can we see her?

Krishna dasa: Yeah, switch on the video, Mataji.

Giriraj Swami: Okay. And unmute yourself, please, Taruni Radha dasi. So, your question is how to attain the perfection of life?

Taruni Radha dasi: Yes, Maharaja. And what are the pitfalls that we need to avoid?

Giriraj Swami: Yes, and what are the pitfalls we need to avoid. So, the Vedic literatures comprise three topics; sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana. Sambandha means relationship. From the Vedic literatures, we understand who we are, what is the material world, what is the spiritual world, who is God, and what are our relationships with the body, with the material world, with God, and so on. So, that’s first, sambandha-jñāna. Then abhidheya means the method, which is what you are asking. And the method is bhakti-yoga, devotional service. And then prayojana is the necessity, or the goal, and that is a kṛṣṇa-prema, pure love of Godhead.

So, the method is bhakti-yoga, and the science of bhakti-yoga is explained by Srila Rupa Gosvami in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, which Srila Prabhupada calls the law book for devotional service, and which Srila Prabhupada translated as The Nectar of Devotion. So, to know the process, of course, it’s there in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but it’s explained systematically in The Nectar of Devotion, especially the first Nineteen Chapters. So, the method is bhakti-yoga, and how to execute devotional service is explained systematically in The Nectar of Devotion. And in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Srila Rupa Gosvami enumerates sixty-four items of devotional service. And of those sixty-four items, he says that five are most potent. And the five are sadhu-saṅga, bhāgavata-śravaṇa, mathurā-vāsa, mūrtirā-śraddhayā-sevana, and nāma-saṅkīrtana.

So, there is a technical definition of sadhu-saṅga. Generally, we take sadhu-saṅga to mean association of devotees, but Srila Rupa Gosvami gives a specific definition of sadhu-saṅga, svajātīyāśaye snigdhe sādhau saṅgaḥ svato vare.

So, svajātīyā, you could say like-minded, or as Srila Prabhupada translates it in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, “Having a similar affection for the Lord.” And in our case, it would mean someone who is a follower of Srila Prabhupada.

So, svajātīyāśaye snigdhe. So, like I mentioned, the way Prabhupada rendered it is similar affection for the Lord. But snigdhe is also taken to mean that the sadhu should be affectionate to you. And svato vare means he should be more advanced than you. So, that is sadhu-saṅga. So, that’s one of the five.

So, sadhu-saṅga, nāma-kīrtana, we know, chanting the holy names, bhāgavata-śravaṇa. Śravaṇam means hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Bhagavad-gītā. Mathurā-vāsa means to reside in a holy place, such as Mathura or Vrindavan. But Srila Prabhupada also explains that any place where the Deity is installed is a holy place, like Mathura or Vrindavan. And then, mūrtirā-śraddhayā-sevana, that means to worship the Deity with faith and veneration. So, these are the five most potent forms of devotional service, and Rupa Gosvami explains that even a slight association with any one of the five can awaken dormant love for Krishna, provided the devotee is offenseless.

So, we engage in these processes, but we don’t immediately awaken dormant love of God because of offenses. So, when you ask, “What are the obstacles to avoid on the path?” Well, the main obstacles are offenses. And as we know, there are ten offenses in the chanting of the holy names. And the first is sādhu-nindā, to blaspheme devotees. So that’s really important, to avoid that one. And then of course, being inattentive while chanting. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that if we are attentive in chanting, then all the other offenses will be eradicated. And if we are inattentive while chanting, then all the other offenses can flourish.

So, if we have to engage in devotional service, five items, especially chanting the holy names and to avoid offenses, then our path is clear. Thank you, it was a very good question.

Taruni Radha dasa: Thank you so much. Begging your mercy, Maharaja. Hare Krishna.

Krishna dasa: Anybody else have any other questions?

Giriraj Swami: I see there is one Prananatha raising his hand. Do we have someone else?

Krishna dasa: Let me check, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Sorry?

Krishna dasa: Go ahead if somebody has a question.

Prananatha dasa: Hare Krishna, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Prananatha dasa: Guru Maharaja, I had a question. It was not a doubt; basically, I’m not qualified to even ask that question. Today while chanting, it came into my mind. Like all our acharyas have an identity as nitya-siddhas, mañjarīs, in the spiritual world, and even Prabhupada is Senapati Bhakta of Lord Chaitanya, it means special. And then, Prabhupada even said, “All my disciples, they are placed by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.” So, all are not ordinary. So, while chanting, should we have a desire or have an inquiry to know our spiritual identity? Because in the lecture, I was just chanting, and I was thinking, Should we desire? Because it is a very high thing. I am not qualified to even think that way, but I thought I should ask this question, whether we should strive to know our identity in the spiritual world while chanting?

Giriraj Swami: The main thing in chanting is to articulate all the holy names clearly and to hear them attentively, and that should be our focus. But as we mentioned, Krishna includes His name, first and foremost, and His forms, His qualities, His pastimes. And so, not artificially, but if you are fortunate, then naturally, those things can come into your mind while you are chanting. And when I joined, Srila Prabhupada instituted that the devotees should read Kṛṣṇa book every night before taking rest. And I remember, once I gave a japa retreat in New Vrindavan, and it was sort of natural, you read Kṛṣṇa book at night, and then in the morning, when you are chanting your rounds, you remember Krishna. So, that’s good. As far as what your identity is in the spiritual world, that will be revealed later on. That’s not really something that should preoccupy us now. But that will be revealed at a more advanced stage.

Somehow, I’m reminded of something that our dear godbrother Sridhara Swami said. When he was dealing with his illness, he went to Brazil with his faithful servant, Mayapur dasa, to meet a healer there named Juan de Dios, John of God. And so, this Juan de Dios, he was supposed to be able to tell what your past life was, something like that. And so, in this process, he asked Sridhara Swami if he knew what he was in his past life, and Sridhara Swami said, “Yes, I was a worm in stool.” And on top of it all, they didn’t know what stool was. So, they were talking amongst themselves, “Stool? What is stool?” And so, everyone cracked up, and then Sridhara Swami apologized, he didn’t want to make fun of the man. but he said, “I was a worm in stool and I was saved by my Guru Maharaja.” So yeah, I don’t think we should have over-inflated opinions of who we are.

Prananatha dasa: I know what I am now. [laughter] Thank you, Guru Maharaja. Thank you so much.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna. There is a hand up from Anil Shibad.

Anil Shibad: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Please accept my obeisances. Thank you for your commentary. Maharaja, my question is, we have a lot of conditioning, and it is almost, I would say, natural for us if we do something, we get something in return. That’s the conditioning; cause and effect. But here, in the process of bhakti we are trying to do everything for Krishna, for His pleasure, for His devotees’ pleasure. So, how do we protect ourselves that okay, fine, you go to the spiritual world, they have unlimited happiness and cintāmaṇi and everything is there. But then, how do we protect ourselves from the thought creeping in, Okay, I did this activity, so I’m guaranteed in my spiritual world something. And somehow, I feel that could pull us back into the material condition.

Giriraj Swami: Well, wanting to go back to Godhead is not bad, but it’s not perfect. In the Third Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is a description of devotional service influenced by the mode of ignorance, influenced by the mode of passion, influenced by the mode of goodness, and transcendental. And in his own way, Srila Prabhupada paraphrased those conclusions, and he said if someone is thinking, I’m the only devotee, everyone else is nonsense, that is a devotional service influenced by the mode of ignorance. If you think, I want to be the best devotee, I want to be known as being the best devotee, that’s devotional service influenced by the mode of passion. If you think, I want to go back home, back to Godhead, that is devotional service influenced by the mode of goodness. But if you think, I just want to serve and please Krishna, that is transcendental.

So, the real goal of a pure devotee is just to serve and please Krishna, whatever condition he is in.

nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve

na kutaścana bibhyati

svargāpavarga-narakeṣv

api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ

Lord Shiva praises the position of a devotee. Api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ, it means he sees equal elevation to higher planets or degradation to the hellish planets or liberation, he sees them all equally because he can serve Krishna in any condition, wherever he is. But as I said, it’s not bad to want to go back to Godhead, but that’s not our ultimate goal. Unless, of course, we define going back to Godhead to mean engaging in pure devotional service. If you are engaged in pure devotional service, then in a sense, you are already back to Godhead, even if you are in the material world. Does this answer your question, or do you have more to. . .?

Anil Shibad: No, Maharaja. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Anil Shibad: Hare Krishna.

Krishna dasa: Thank you so much, Maharaja, for giving your association and time. All glories to you, all glories to Prabhupada.

Giriraj Swami: Jaya! Thank you.

Krishna dasa: Maybe, I think, it’s already 9:18. If we could give a few snippets from the example of Juhu, how Srila Prabhupada was fully fired up despite so many inconveniences throughout the history before we got our land. So, if you can maybe elaborate on some of the important instructions or maybe lessons learned for us, so that we can improve our devotional service.

Giriraj Swami: Well, that’s a nice question. Actually, I think the introduction of me was a little outdated because the book Life’s Final Exam: Death and Dying from the Vedic Perspective is already published. And then the next book about Srila Prabhupada in Juhu called I’ll Build You a Temple is at the printer now, and it should be ready maybe in two months. But there are so many lessons to be learned from how Srila Prabhupada dealt with the situation.

At one stage, it seemed hopeless, “We are never going to get the permission to build.” And Srila Prabhupada said, “Okay, it doesn’t matter. If they don’t give us the permission, we’ll turn Hare Krishna Land into a bus stop. We’ll have our buses and fill them up with books and devotees, and they’ll go traveling and distributing books, and then they can come back and restock their buses with books. So, we’ll make it a bus stop.”

But one incident, it was certainly a significant incident in the history of the project, was when the owner of the land who was trying to cheat Srila Prabhupada, named Mr. Nair, died. It was a Sunday, and I was in downtown Bombay, in a section called Dhobitalao, near Metro Cinema. And, at least then, there were vendors who would have magazines on the sidewalk, on the footpath. So, I was walking, and I didn’t usually pay much attention to what they were selling, but my eyes looked down and I saw there was a headline on the front of the free press journal, “A. B. Nair is Dead.”

So, when I saw that, I felt very happy. I felt jubilant. I actually felt like dancing. But then I checked myself and I thought, We are trying to develop saintly qualities. Is this proper for a saintly person to feel happy when someone dies? So, I wasn’t sure. Anyway, I went to Juhu, and the devotees there were also very happy, they were distributing sweets. But still, I had that doubt, Is this appropriate behavior? 

So, there was a devotee visiting Bombay named Bali Mardan, who was senior to me and had more experience with Srila Prabhupada at that time, and he thought we should phone Srila Prabhupada, who was in New Zealand, and inform him. So, we didn’t have our own telephone, but somehow, we managed to get the use of a telephone and Bali Mardan called. And Srila Prabhupada’s servant, Sruti Kirti Prabhu took the call and relayed the message to Srila Prabhupada. And when Srila Prabhupada got the news, he folded his palms and he said, “Thank you, Krishna. Thank you.” Then he said, “I was praying for this. He was giving too much trouble to the devotees and the Deities, and I could not tolerate it anymore.”

And then, Srila Prabhupada quoted a verse. I should be able to find it here. It’s spoken by Prahlada Maharaja.

Krishna dasa: Is it [Unintelligible 01:34:41]?

Giriraj Swami: That’s it, that even a saintly person is pleased when a snake or a scorpion is killed, exactly. But we were not privy to this. This took place behind the scenes, after Bali Mardan Prabhu gave that message to Srila Prabhupada. But then, Srila Prabhupada wrote us a letter, it was addressed to me and a few of our supporters, and he quoted the same statement of Prahlada Maharaja, that even a saintly person takes pleasure when a snake or a scorpion is killed.

So, that was instructive. So, when Sruti Kirti Prabhu gave the news to Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada said, “Thank you, Krishna. I was praying for this.” And then he quoted that verse, and then he said, “Nair was a big snake so it’s good that he was killed. It’s good that Nṛsiṁhadeva killed him.”

So then, Sruti Kirti Prabhu asked Srila Prabhupada, “Well, if he was killed by Krishna, then does that mean he was liberated?” And Srila Prabhupada said, “No, he is not such a big demon that he was personally killed by Krishna and liberated.” But then later on, some devotees asked about Mr. Nair’s destination, “Did he take birth as a snake?” But Srila Prabhupada said he would have taken birth as a human being because even though his motivations were bad, but he did give us the land, and so he thought Krishna would see the good, give some consideration to the good he did although his motives were bad.

But we have that in Krishna. Putana came, she had poison smeared on her breast to kill Krishna, but Krishna didn’t take the dark side that she came to kill Him, but He took the bright side, that she came to feed Him her breast milk, like a mother. And so, He elevated her to the position of a mother, or nurse, in the spiritual world. Of course, she actually was killed by Krishna, but the idea is that any great person, and what to speak of Krishna, they will give more importance to the good than to the bad. They’ll see the bright side more than the dark side.

Krishna dasa: Thank you very much, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: My pleasure.

Madhupati dasa: There is a question from Pragya Nagpal Mataji.

Pragya Nagpal: Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Pragya Nagpal: Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. Maharaja, I’m sorry I’m taking your time. I hope I’m not tiring you. But my question is that being a beginner especially, we feel different emotions at different times, while chanting and while trying to worship. Sometimes I feel happy, sometimes I feel exhausted and overwhelmed also, sometimes I feel hopeless and like a loser, and all of those things. I go through those different anxieties. So, how do we remain determined and disciplined throughout the process and make sure we don’t do something wrong or fall down again?

Giriraj Swami: Srila Prabhupada said, “90 percent of Krishna consciousness is association.” So, the best protection against falling down or becoming discouraged is association. And as we discussed, sadhu-saṅga is one of the five most potent items of devotional service. But it’s good that you are afraid of falling down, that’s actually healthy. If someone thinks they are beyond falling down, then that’s very dangerous. So, it’s good that you are afraid of falling down, but the way to protect yourself is through association.

And of course, with this Corona Virus pandemic, our opportunities for face-to-face association might be less, but we can still associate. As you know, there are two ways of associating; by vāṇī, which means words or sound, and by vapuḥ, which means physical presence. So, the vapuḥ may or may not be available, but the vāṇī is always available. So, try to take shelter of that. Hare Krishna.

Madhupati dasa: Maharaja, Hare Krishna. Maharaja, the books which you mentioned, are they available, and where can we get those books?

Giriraj Swami: Yeah. Well, in America, there is Krishna Culture. They used to be in Houston, now they are in Dallas. You can order them from Krishna Culture. You can order them from Amazon. We have the three, and then the Juhu book, as I said, should be available in about two months in India, then they’ll be shipping copies to Los Angeles. In America, Vaisesika Prabhu and ISV, ISKCON of Silicon Valley, he has ordered a lot. So yeah, he wants to promote the book. So, I don’t know, the shipping might take two months, but it’ll take a little while to come on a boat from Bombay to Los Angeles. But they’ll be coming. Thank you for asking.

Madhupati dasa: Does anybody else have a question?

Devakinandan dasa: Hare Krishna.

Krishna dasa: Yes, Prabhu, you can go ahead.

Devakinandan dasa: I just want to ask, Maharaja, thank you so much for blessing us with your divine words. When you came to our temple, you also shared so much love and care with all of us. It’s etched in our hearts and keeps us alive. If you can say a few more words, I’m vaguely remembering with the Nair's story that after he left, his wife came and Srila Prabhupada met her and there was some dialogue. Can you please share something? I’m sure you remember.

Giriraj Swami: Oh yeah. Yes, so that’s true. After her husband died. . . Well, there was a very bad incident. Well, of course, ultimately, everything turned out for the good. And we will skip that because it’s interesting, but it’s a long story. But coming specifically to Mrs. Nair, she surrendered. She came to Srila Prabhupada and she surrendered, and she said, “I never really went along with my husband with all the things that he was doing.” And Srila Prabhupada really encouraged her, “I accept you as my daughter, I love you like a daughter. And wherever you want to go in the world, we’ll arrange for you to stay in our temples.” But she was lamenting, and Srila Prabhupada said, “If you lose your way in the morning, but then you come back to the right path in the afternoon, then it’s okay.”

And so, it was a very dramatic event, actually, signing the conveyance to transfer the land to Prabhupada in ISKCON’s name. And because of the dispute, we didn’t really have any place for Srila Prabhupada on the property. But one of our friends, a very big industrialist back then, the Khatau’s, they were involved in spinning and weaving. So, the Khatau’s had a holiday bungalow in Juhu, many of the big people did, and it was simple. But anyway, Srila Prabhupada was staying there. And so, we arranged that the registrar would come to Juhu, so Prabhupada didn’t have to go to the city.

So, the registrar was there, Mrs. Nair was there, many of our devotees and supporters were there, and she signed over the land. And then, Srila Prabhupada had arranged a feast to celebrate. We all went out into the next room and devotees served out the feast. Prabhupada was overseeing the serving of it. And one of Srila Prabhupada’s very staunch supporters in Bombay was Mr. Sethi, P.L. Sethi, and his wife. He is no more with us but his wife is still alive. And so, Srila Prabhupada said, “Now that we have the land, we need to start the construction fund.” And Mrs. Sethi was wearing some gold bangles. So, she took off her gold bangles and presented them to Srila Prabhupada. So, this was very auspicious, starting with gold, not with the paper money. So then, they served the feast. And then afterwards, Srila Prabhupada went back into his room, and he sort of reclined against the bolster behind his low table and he said, “It was a good fight. Someone should write a book about it.”

Devakinandan dasa: Thank you. Thank you so much, Maharaja.

Krishna dasa: Thank you so much, Maharaja. Are you available on November 29th? Not the following Sunday, but two weeks after, third Sunday evening at the same time, are you available?

Giriraj Swami: Let me check my calendar. Wow, it looks open. November 29th?

Krishna dasa: Correct, Maharaja, last day of Kartik, I think. Sunday, I believe.

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, the 29th is Sunday.

Krishna dasa: Yes, Maharaja, same time, 8–9. Madhupati Prabhu, that time is okay, right? 8–9?

Giriraj Swami: Let me just check the Vaishnava calendar. 29th, Purnima. Okay.

Krishna dasa: Thank you, Maharaja, we’ll block your calendar accordingly.

Giriraj Swami: I don’t know how you clever people broke me in like that, but you did it. [laughter]

Krishna dasa: Prabhupada’s arrangement and your mercy. Thank you.

Giriraj Swami: Okay, well, I’ll be happy to be with all of you again, sure. So yeah, one of you can send me an email.

Krishna dasa: Sure, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, send me all the Zoom details and everything.

Krishna dasa: Yes. We are grateful to you, Maharaja. Madhupati Prabhu, do you have closing comments?

Madhupati dasa: We are very grateful, Maharaja. Thank you very much. We remember the time when you came with Radhanath Maharaja to our center.

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, I remember that. I’m tempted, but I think it’s probably too late for you all, but he wrote a beautiful forward to the book about Juhu. Yeah, maybe we’ll read it next time.

Krishna dasa: For the Watering the Seed book, Maharaja?

Giriraj Swami: For Juhu.

Krishna dasa: Juhu book.

Giriraj Swami: He did write for Watering the Seed also.

Krishna dasa: Yeah, that’s what I remember. Yeah, we have the book in our temple also.

Giriraj Swami: Alright. So, if we are going to conclude now, I suggest we offer Vaishnava praṇāma.

Krishna dasa: Yes, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami:

Let us offer our respectful obeisances unto all the Vaishnava devotees of the Lord, who are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of anyone, and are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.

[Prayers]