SB 2.3.17

Naveen Krishna dasa: Thank you very much, Maharaja. Please take over now.

Giriraj Swami: So, I will begin by saying the auspicious invocations among the maṅgala-ācaraṇa prayers and leading a short kirtan, and then we will speak on a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that is related to beginning the New Year.

[Prayers]

Hare Krishna. So, as I mentioned, we will read 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 speaking.

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

So, in the one sentence, Srila Prabhupada has made some very deep and rich statements. “This verse indirectly confirms the greater importance of utilizing the human form of life.” So, there are eight million, four hundred thousand species of life, but only in the human form of life can we realize who we are, realize who God is, and realize our purpose in life, which is to revive our eternal relationship with God.

But this one word, acceleration, is very striking. “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.” To accelerate means to go faster. Like in an automobile, the one pedal is called the accelerator. When you step on the accelerator, the car goes faster. So, time is passing, the clock is ticking, and we don’t know how much time we have left. So, we want to accelerate our devotional service. We’re engaged in devotional service, that’s very good, but we want to accelerate, we want to go faster.

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 in Bombay named Sri Brijratan Mohatta, who had been the wealthiest man in what later became Pakistan, and he was married to the daughter of R. D. Birla, and the Birla family was the richest in India, at least then. And Srila Prabhupada was very expert in speaking in the language of his audience, so he told Mr. Mohatta, “In the ledger of your life, all time used in Krishna consciousness is profit, and all time used outside of Krishna consciousness is loss.” So, any business man, anyone, in fact, will want to maximize their profits and minimize their losses. So, we should be very careful about how we use our time, because our life actually consists of time. So, how we use our time really means how we use our life, and this verse is telling us that we should use it for acceleration of 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. Even a fraction of the duration of life wasted cannot be compensated by any amount of gold.

COMMENT

Yes. Our time is so precious, that at the time of death, if we want to extend our life by one minute, by spending any amount of money, we won’t be able to. So, that means that one minute, one moment, is so precious. And if you waste some time, no matter how much money you’re prepared to spend, you can’t buy that time back. Fortunately, at this moment, we are utilizing our time for uttama-śloka-vārtayā, for discussion of topics of the all-good Personality of Godhead. But if we were wasting our time, say, well, California time may be 9:09 a.m. on January 3rd, 2021, we can’t buy that moment back for any amount of money. So, we should be very careful how we use our time. And there are many ways of wasting time, I need not enumerate them, we all know very well, especially with the internet, endless possibilities for wasting time outside of Krishna consciousness. So, we want to maintain our focus.

PURPORT (continued)

Even a fraction of the duration of life wasted cannot be compensated by any amount of gold. Human life is simply awarded to a living entity (jīva) so that he can realize his spiritual identity and his permanent source of happiness.

COMMENT

So, we all want to be happy, that’s natural. In fact, our constitutional position is sac-cid-ānanda, eternal, full of knowledge, and full of bliss. So, naturally, we want to be happy. But we have to know how to be happy.

PURPORT (continued)

A living being, especially the human being, is seeking happiness because happiness is the natural situation of the living entity. But he is vainly seeking happiness in the material atmosphere.

COMMENT

Srila Prabhupada would give the example of a fish out of water. If you take a fish out of water, even if you put it a golden bowl and fill that bowl with precious gems and jewels, and light incense, and so many facilities that would ordinarily make someone feel comfortable and happy, but the fish will not be happy because the fish is out of its natural element, it’s out of the water. So, just like the fish is a creature of the water, we are creatures of the spiritual world, and we cannot be happy outside of the spiritual atmosphere. No matter how much we pamper our senses, our minds, and our bodies, and trying to be happy through a sense gratification and by mental speculation will not work. So, we want to be happy, that’s natural, but we have to know how to become happy.

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, quality, pastimes, entourage and personality are all identical with Him.

COMMENT

So, we can realize happiness in association with the Supreme Lord, but how do we associate with Him? Here, Srila Prabhupada explains that the Lord, being absolute, there is no difference between Him, His personality, His names, His forms, His qualities, His entourage; they are all Him. And so, we can realize happiness in relationship with the Lord by making a connection with Him through any of those manifestations of Him, which is very encouraging for us, and practical.

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.

COMMENT

So, my dear devotees, we are so fortunate that Srila Prabhupada has given us this knowledge. He has translated Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and given us his beautiful purports, so that we can attain the ultimate perfection of life. But we shouldn’t waste time. In one talk in Los Angeles, Srila Prabhupada said, “Don’t waste time. If you’ve got time, chant Hare Krishna. Don’t speak nonsense, don’t waste time.”

PURPORT (continued)

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 here, Srila Prabhupada has paraphrased a verse from Bhagavad-gītā, in which Lord Krishna says that there is no loss or diminution in devotional service. Materially, whatever we achieve is lost at the time of death. For example, in this life, I may know many languages. But when I leave my body and take birth again, even if I do take birth in a human form, but still, I have to start all over with my language. I may have been able to speak fluently in many different languages, but when I leave this body and take my next birth, I start again, like anyone else, “Ga ga ga ga ga,” I don’t know any language. So, whatever we achieve materially is lost at the time of death. But whatever we achieve spiritually stays with us. So, if we make progress 10 percent in this life, we begin from 11 percent in the next life. So, there’s no loss or diminution.

So, even if one agrees that Krishna consciousness is beneficial, one may have some doubt whether he or she could be completely successful. But as Srila Prabhupada writes in a purport in The Nectar of Instruction, “One is forcibly dragged to ultimate success.” So, yeah, “even a slight beginning of such activities is sufficient even to deliver a person from the great ocean of material fears.” And Srila Prabhupada explains that the greatest fear is that we won’t get a human birth in the next life. But if we make a slight beginning of devotional service, we are guaranteed a human birth in the next life, in which we can continue where we left off.

PURPORT (continued)

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

COMMENT

Intravenously means in the veins. We have a number of doctors with us today.

PURPORT (continued)

As a highly potent drug injected intravenously 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

This is so potent, uttama-śloka-vārtayā.

PURPORT (continued)

Aural…

COMMENT

That’s a-u-r-a-l, that means through the ear.

PURPORT (continued)

Aural realization of the transcendental messages implies total realization, just as fructification of one part of a tree implies fructification of all other parts.

COMMENT

So, if we receive the message of Godhead through the ear, all aspects of the Personality of Godhead; His name, His form, His qualities, and so on, they are all realized, they all become realized.

PURPORT (continued)

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 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.” Well, how is that? How is it that our duration of life is not being decreased? The answer is that by Krishna consciousness, we are preparing ourselves for eternal life. Our duration of life in the body is limited, but when we realize our eternal identity as Krishna’s servants, then there’s no more birth and death. And so, our duration of life is not decreased, and in fact, by engaging in uttama-śloka-vārtayā, topics of the all-good Personality of Godhead, we approach our eternal life with Krishna, and no more birth and death.

PURPORT (continued)

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, that term, ‘pure devotee,’ may need to be defined because Srila Prabhupada uses the term frequently in this purport. And we might think, Well, I’m not a pure devotee, but you are, you very well might be. I’ll give one example. Srila Prabhupada had a very nice disciple named Tusta Krishna Prabhu, who had been very attached to another devotee named Sai, in Hawaii. Sai was very interested because he had never met Srila Prabhupada, but he had a community in Hawaii of devotees who were basically following Krishna consciousness.

So, this follower of Sai, who was later initiated by Srila Prabhupada as Siddha Svarupa dasa, he wrote a letter to Srila Prabhupada in which he was referring to Siddha Svarupa as a pure devotee. And Srila Prabhupada replied to him, “Why do you want to be in the spiritual world with only Siddha Svarupa? All will go.” And then, he said, “Siddha Svarupa will go, you will go, Shyamasundara, who is the GBC, will go, all will go. And we’ll have another ISKCON in the spiritual sky.” Then, he added, “Only Mr. Nair, he will not go.” [laughter] Which was very appropriate for Tusta Krishna Prabhu because he was the first devotee who met Mr. Nair.

And then, Srila Prabhupada said, “Siddha Svarupa is a good soul, but you should not be mistaken that only Siddha Svarupa is a pure devotee and others are not. Anyone who is sincerely following the instructions of the spiritual master is a pure devotee. He may be Siddha Svarupa, or a-Siddha Svarupa,” in the sense of not Siddha Svarupa. So, if one is sincerely following the instructions of the spiritual master and is not engaging in devotional service for the sake of sense gratification or impersonal liberation, he or she can be counted as a pure devotee.

And Srila Prabhupada also gave the example of a mango: A green mango is also a mango, and a ripe mango is also a mango. So, he used the example to illustrate that even from the beginning, one can be a pure devotee, but not fully matured or ripened. So, yes, gradually, as we mature and ripen, we’ll become more sweet and nectarine, but still. So, the point of this discussion is that when Srila Prabhupada refers to pure devotees in the purport, you can be included. Because you don’t have to be at the highest range of pure devotees. You can be at an intermediate range, or even at somewhat beginning range. So, this applies to you, in other words.

PURPORT (continued)

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. 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.

COMMENT

So, we are eternal, but because we’ve accepted the material body, we undergo the tribulations of birth, death, old age, and disease. But we are eternal. Now, we come to the last paragraph.

PURPORT (continued)

The materialistic way of pious activities like charity is recommended in the smṛti-śāstras as quoted by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura.

COMMENT

Now, there’s a very significant paragraph here, and I will read it in a minute. Please excuse me. So now, we come to the last paragraph. Please pay attention.

PURPORT (continued)

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. 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

The path of the Vedas or the goal of the Vedas is Krishna, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo. And, certainly, Srila Prabhupada had realized that path, and therefore, money given to Srila Prabhupada is returned by unlimited multiplications in the next life. Now, everything in the material world is limited, so my understanding is that for you to get your unlimited return, you will be promoted to the spiritual world, where things are unlimited. There was a. . . Anyway, that would be too much of a digression, but basically, the opulence of the material world is nothing compared to the opulence of the spiritual world.

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

How potent this is?

PURPORT (continued)

Mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate.

COMMENT

So, this is a line from the Bhagavad-gītā, that one who attains to Krishna’s abode never has to take birth again.

PURPORT (continued)

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

COMMENT

By utilizing our time for discussing topics of the all-good Personality of Godhead, uttama-śloka-vārtayā.

PURPORT (continued)

A devotee’s old age or disease in the present life is but an impetus to such guaranteed eternal life.

COMMENT

So, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam. The Bhagavad-gītā says that one of the elements of knowledge is to be aware of the miseries of the repetition of birth, death, disease, and old age, which nobody wants. But, “A devotee’s old age or disease in the present life is but an impetus to such guaranteed eternal life.” Because they remind us that the physical body and the material world are not a happy place. As Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gītā, duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam, it’s a place of misery and temporary.

So, when we suffer disease or old age, it serves as an impetus, “I have to get out of this predicament, this physical body in the material world, and realize my eternal life with Krishna.” So, nothing is bad as such. As Caitanya-caritāmṛta states, “Good and bad in the material world are mental concoctions.” Actually, nothing in the material world is good unless related to Krishna consciousness, and everything related to Krishna consciousness is good. So, things that we might ordinarily consider to be bad, like disease or old age, are not necessarily bad, because they can serve as an impetus to us to accelerate our devotional service and realize our eternal life with Krishna.

All right, thank you very much. If there’s time, we can take questions or comments. I think there’s quite a lot in the chat box, what is that?

Host: Hare Krishna, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Yes.

Host: So, thank you for the very hope-giving discourse on the start of the New Year. Yeah, there are a couple of questions in the chat, and prior to that, we want to announce the book distribution, and some announcements for your pleasure. Maharaja, let me unmute Hari. Hari?

Hari Ramesh: Hare Krishna, can everybody hear me?

Host: Yes.

Hari Ramesh: Hare Krishna, Maharaja, please accept our obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada. For the pleasure of Guru Gauranga, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and Maharaja, and Sri Sri Radha-Vrindavan Natabara, Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai, Sri Jagannatha Baladeva Subhadra, Sri Prahalada, Nṛsiṁha Dev. So, we’ve been trying to do our “Live to Give” campaign inspired by Vaisesika Prabhu, and he has been encouraging us every step of the way.

Our goal for when we started this book distribution effort was to have distributed 250 Gītās in the whole month of December. So, we are very gladdened to have our book distribution scores. So, our scores right now are six hundred and thirteen mahā big books, four hundred and forty Bhagavad-gītās, two hundred and sixty-two medium books, ninety-four small books, and fourteen sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So, we have been trying our best, and it’s a very big group effort. And with the blessings of you, Maharaja, we can continue on and finish it off strong. Hare Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: That’s wonderful, very inspiring. All glories to your service.

Host: Thank you, Maharaja. So, Maharaja, the first question is from Vrajabhakti Mataji. Mataji, if you want to ask your question, please--

Vrajabhakti Devi Dasi: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Please accept my obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada. Maharaja, my question is, the first sentence of the purport says we have to accelerate in our devotional service. So, me especially, I just do basic chanting and some reading, and taking care of the family, cooking, and kids. So, how do I accelerate my devotional service?

Giriraj Swami: That’s a very good question. We accelerate it by increasing the quantity of service, and improving the quality of the service. For example, you’re chanting japa, we all, initiated devotees, chant a minimum of sixteen rounds, but there’s a question of the quality of the japa. If we chant in a neglectful way, inattentive, then we’re not going to be accelerating our progress. But if we chant attentively, with focus and concentration, then we can advance very quickly.

So, even without spending more time on devotional service, we can accelerate our advancement by improving the quality of what we do. And if within our schedules there is time spent outside of Krishna consciousness that doesn’t have to be included in our day, then we can eliminate that. Of course, balance is always important, we always have to maintain a balance, and what constitutes a balance at one time may not be the proper balance at another time. But as far as possible, improve the quality and increase the quantity.

Vrajabhakti Devi Dasi: Thank you so much, happy to see you.

Host: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. The next question is from Rukmini Mataji. Rukmini Mataji, you can go ahead with your questions.

Rukmini Devi dasi: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Thank you for this wonderful class, and please accept my respectful obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada. So, thank you for mentioning this very encouraging statement from Srila Prabhupada in the letter about the pure devotees. My question was, does that start already from the stage of sraddha, a little bit of faith, or is it applicable once one starts at bhajana-kriyā where one is actually doing worship? In that set of nine stages, is it on some particular stage?

Giriraj Swami: No, if we take the example that Srila Prabhupada gave of the unripe mango and the ripe mango, both being mangoes, one can be a pure devotee from the very beginning, as you’re saying, ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo. It’s wonderful. It’s just a question of staying attached to the tree and ripening, that’s all.

Rukmini Devi dasi: So, then, that suggests how we treat people, even from the very beginning, how to treat people.

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, that’s a very important point because vaiṣṇava-aparādha, sādhu-nindā are very serious impediments to our spiritual progress. We should always be conscious that we’re dealing with devotees. There are many statements in Srila Prabhupada’s books to the effect that one can be a pure devotee even if one is in the neophyte stage, that’s a fact. We should be very careful with all devotees, and not create an obstruction in our spiritual progress by criticizing them, sādhu-nindā. We should appreciate them.

And Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that if by chance we do happen to blaspheme a devotee, then the same tongue that we use to blaspheme the devotee, we should use to glorify the devotee. That’s always the best course, Krishna’s pleased.

There was one little incident when we were with Srila Prabhupada in Bombay, before we even got Juhu. We had just arrived in Bombay, and we were staying with Kailash Seksaria at his home on Marine Drive. And Prabhupada’s disciple Guru dasa began to glorify a devotee to Srila Prabhupada in the presence of Srila Prabhupada’s small Radha-Krishna Deities with which he traveled. And The Nectar of Devotion states that one should not glorify someone in front of the Deity. So, Guru dasa said to Srila Prabhupada, “Srila Prabhupada, I’m sorry, I was glorifying this devotee in front of the Deities, and The Nectar of Devotion says we shouldn’t, it’s an offense to do so.” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “Krishna is already glorified, and He takes more pleasure when His devotee is glorified.” So, glorifying devotees is purifying for us, and pleasing to Krishna, the two go together.

Sometimes one may be in a position of having to correct a devotee, but if one is in that position, one should always do it with sympathy. Srila Prabhupada also said that criticism offered with sympathy is more likely to be accepted. But he also said that the one thing he didn’t like about being a spiritual master is that he had to correct his disciples, and they’re all Vaishnavas. [laughter] So, that’s a good mentality to have.

Rukmini Devi dasi: Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura once wrote a letter to one of his disciples, “Because of my position, I am forced to correct those who have come to me for instruction.” Apparently, this devotee had written to him complaining about somebody else. He said, “I do not know why you would go out of your way to undertake such a difficult task.”

Giriraj Swami: Perfect, perfect. Exactly to the point.

Rukmini Devi dasi: Thank you so much, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Thank you.

Host: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. One more, Kalindi Sundari Mataji. I don’t know if she’s there or not. I saw she raised her hand. Mataji, if you can unmute, Kalindi Sundari Mataji?

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, I see her.

Kalindi Sundari: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisances. Maharaja, first of all, it’s my request to you because you're a very senior, very pure devotee, and my request is, my spiritual master’s health is not going well. He got the virus, H.H Jayapataka Swami Maharaja. It is the third day, and the virus is winning. Please pray if you can, so that. . .

Host: Yeah, I will announce it.

Kalindi Sundari: And Maharaja, my question is about you giving the charity? Maharaja, I’m in the two boats. My husband is from a charity mood, that is the service they do very nicely, giving charity, and they said they are also devotees. But when my husband is giving a donation anywhere, I get so excited. As a lady, I cannot. . . All comes out from my stomach. As Kunti devi have the curse, a lady cannot digest anything, all going to come up. So, I understand I cannot digest it. So, I share with some people, if this much donation, I get so excited. And then, I don’t get so much. They tell me, “Why are you giving so much donation? You have to save it, you have children.” I think, Oh my God, better I don’t tell you. So, what do I do, Maharaja, on this condition? Sometimes I think I’ll share, and sometimes I think, “Okay, don’t share. If you share, you’re going to get this kind of answer.” So, what should I do, Maharaja, in this condition?

Giriraj Swami: Well, I don’t know how appropriate my response is, but I think of a statement by Canakya Pandita that Srila Prabhupada quoted, which is, “One who tries to come between a husband and a wife becomes the enemy of both.” [laughter] I think I’ll just leave it to the two of you to work it out.

Kalindi Sundari: Okay, so better to not tell, just don’t tell, just quiet. And I want him to tell you something.

Kalindi Sundari’s son: And also, thank you for your books because Watering the Seeds and Many Moons, I love it so much because every day when I sleep, or when I take night’s sleep, my mother tells a story. It’s so nice how you’re looking for different gurus, and you find, “He’s not my right master,” and then you find Srila Prabhupada. Whenever my mom said, “Okay, done, now you sleep, I’m going to chant my rounds,” then I say “No, no, open the book and read.” And sometimes my mom goes, and I go, “Hmmmm,” and then I tiptoe so that my mother doesn’t know that I’m walking, and then I go take the book and I look at it, and my mother is chanting rounds.

Kalindi Sundari: Maharaja, thank you for your wonderful books. I just now started Watering the Seed, and it’s so interesting going on. It's really nice for them, for a night's sleep, some book, which I can tell instead of I tell myself some story. Thank you, Maharaja, thank you so much.

Giriraj Swami: Very pleased. One of the best compliments I’ve ever gotten for my writing.

Host: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. We are planning to have a Nṛsiṁha kirtan at the end of the call to pray for the health of His Holiness Jayapataka Swami Maharaja. Maharaja, I wanted to know your availability in terms. . . I know you have another call coming up soon. So, do you want to take more questions, or should we stop at this point, Maharaja?

Giriraj Swami: Oh yeah, I think that next one is in fifteen minutes. Well, does anyone feel strongly about asking their question? I could probably take one more. I don’t know what your plan is for the Nṛsiṁha prayers. I could read the Nṛsiṁha prayers if you want.

Host: Oh, that will be great, Maharaja. I think that will be good. We can do the Nṛsiṁha prayers, and then we can go forward. I think there will be no more time for questions. So, all the questions, if they can send it to me offline, I can always forward it to you, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, thank you.

Host: Maharaja, we can go ahead with the Nṛsiṁha prayers.