CC Adi 1.2–4 – Sri Gaura-purnima—Lord Chaitanya’s Mood and Mission

Host: Hare Krishna, everyone. Welcome to the Sunday feast program and Happy Gaura-purnima to everybody. We will get started soon. Our students from Bhakti vidyā classes are just wrapping up and coming to the main room and we are waiting for Srila Giriraj Maharaja to join us also. Devotees who can keep their cameras on would be very much appreciated so we can see all your blissful effulgent faces. 

Gopal Chandra Prabhu: Hare Krishna, dear devotees. Welcome you all to our Sunday feast program. We have devotees not only from Austin but all around the US and all over the world as well. Thank you all. Today is a very-very special Sunday. We are celebrating the appearance day of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who is none other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. Today is also the festival of colors, the Holi festival. So on this day let us pray to Lord Sri Gauranga so that everybody’s life is filled with colors of joy, happiness, prosperity, health, and most importantly the bhakti towards Krishna. To make this occasion even more special we have a very-very special speaker with us today, His Holiness, Giriraj Swami Maharaja. I just want to take a few seconds to read introduction about Maharaja. It’s going to be a brief introduction and the reason I am saying brief is no words can do justice to the amount of sacrifices and services Maharaja has been rendering to this mission of Srila Prabhupada. 

So His Holiness Giriraj Swami the only son of a respected Chicago lawyer who was later appointed judge. In March 1969, while studying at Brandeis University in Boston, he met A.C. Bhakti Vedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder-acharya of the ISKCON, from whom, he felt, he learned more in one brief exchange than he had learned in his many years of academic education. After graduating from Brandeis, he accepted formal initiation from Srila Prabhupada and received the spiritual name Giriraj dasa. Giriraj quickly became a leading member of the Boston center, and he was soon given the opportunity to go to India with Srila Prabhupada and helped establish Prabhupada’s mission there. 

In 1972, Giriraj was appointed by Prabhupada to be president of ISKCON Bombay and trustee of the Bhakti Vedanta Book Trust. Since then, he has made many significant contributions to Srila Prabhupada’s mission, most notably overseeing all aspects of the development of Hare Krishna Land in Juhu, Bombay. He was instrumental in the acquisition and development of Bhakti Vedanta ashram in Govardhana and led the development of the Kirtan ashram for women, the Bhakti Vedanta Hospice, and the Vrindavan Institute of Palliative Care, all in Vrindavan. 

Through his efforts, Giriraj Swami has become renowned for the austerities he has accepted, his loyalty and dedication to Srila Prabhupada’s mission, his ability to raise funds and cultivate important members of society, and his care for devotees around the world. 

In the year following Srila Prabhupada’s departure in 1977, Giriraj was awarded sannyasa, the renounced order of life, and appointed president of ISKCON’s board of trustees in India. In 1982 he was appointed to ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission, and he went on to oversee the Society’s activities in Bombay, Mauritius, South Africa, Spain, Portugal, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. 

Giriraj Swami has also taught at the Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education and continues to lecture and to give presentations at retreats and workshops around the world. 

Presently based in Carpinteria, California, Giriraj Swami is now focusing on one of the main instructions he received from Srila Prabhupada—to write. He is the author of Watering the Seed, Many Moons, Life’s Final Exam: Death and Dying from the Vedic Perspective, and I will Build You a Temple: The Juhu Story. 

So without further delay, over to you Maharaja. Let us all welcome Maharaja by loudly chanting the maha-mantra at our homes.

Hare Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: So before we begin, I would like to request the participants on Zoom to put on your cameras as far as possible so we can see your moon-like faces and have more personal experience. I will begin by singing the maṅgala-ācaraṇa prayers and leading a short kirtan and then speak about Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Oh! yes, incidentally I am wearing this special bead bag which shows Lord Chaitanya and the Pancha-tattva dancing at the Ratha-yatra. It was a gift, kind gift from His Holiness, Bhakti Chaitanya Swami in South Africa who had it made by some devotees in eastern Europe.

[Prayers] 

So again, dear devotees as far as possible please turn on your cameras so we can see your moon-like faces and have more personal experience. Jaya. So we have gathered on the most auspicious occasion of Sri Gaura-purnima, the appearance day of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna Chaitanya. The second verse of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta that means Ādi-līlā, Chapter One, Text Two Beautifully describes the appearance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu. 

TEXT 2

vande śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-
nityānandau sahoditau
gauḍodaye puṣpavantau
citrau śan-dau tamo-nudau

TRANSLATION

I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda, who are like the sun and moon. They have arisen simultaneously on the horizon of Gauḍa to dissipate the darkness of ignorance and thus wonderfully bestow benediction upon all.

COMMENT

And there is another beautiful verse, two verses later, that describes the special purpose of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s descent. 

TEXT 4

anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau
samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam
hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandīpitaḥ
sadā hṛdaya-kandare sphuratu vaḥ śacī-nandanaḥ

TRANSLATION

May the Supreme Lord who is known as the son of Śrīmatī Śacī-devī be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart.

COMMENT

This is a blessing. I will read it again. 

TRANSLATION

May the Supreme Lord who is known as the son of Śrīmatī Śacī-devī be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation has ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant mellow of devotional service, the mellow of conjugal love.

COMMENT

This verse was actually composed by Srila Rupa Gosvami but Srila Krishna dasa Kavirāja Gosvami has included it as the fourth verse in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. When Rupa Gosvami met Chaitanya Maharaprabhu, he glorified him with a prayer with which many of us may be familiar. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ. I offer my obeisances the most munificent incarnation of Godhead, why? Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te because he is freely delivering love of Krishna, kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya and he is known by the name of Krishna Chaitanya. Gaura-tviṣe namaḥ although he is Krishna but he doesn’t have the blackish color of Krishna but he has the golden color of Srimati Radharani. And that is also described in the next two verses of this great masterpiece Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. I will just read the translation. 

TEXT 5

TRANSLATION

The loving affairs of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are transcendental manifestations of the Lord’s internal pleasure-giving potency. Although Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are one in Their identity, previously They separated Themselves. Now these two transcendental identities have again united, in the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. I bow down to Him, who has manifested Himself with the sentiment and complexion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī although He is Kṛṣṇa Himself.

COMMENT

So originally there is Krishna and to increase His pleasure He expanded himself into two, Radha and Krishna and now the two Radha and Krishna have combined together again as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. There was once an interesting discussion on this point, in Calcutta. We were, yes, we were staying in a renting, you’d say, a quarter of a big mansion in a good section of Calcutta and the owner of the building was Mr. Singh Roy, who is a Bengali and one day our Acyutananda Swami had a discussion with Mr. Singh Roy, who had his own theory about Radha and Krishna and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. 

According to Mr. Singh Roy, first Chaitanya Mahaprabhu existed and then came Radha and Krishna and furthermore, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is greater than Radha and Krishna just like rasagullā is greater than milk and sugar. So Acyutananda Swami brought report of his conversation with Mr. Singh Roy to Srila Prabhupada and I happen to be there in the room with other devotees and so Acyutananda Swami asked who comes first, Radha and Krishna or Chaitanya Mahaprabhu? And Srila Prabhupada replied Radha and Krishna. The same example first milk and sugar exist and then they combine and become rasagullā. 

And then Acyutananda asked, “And who is greater, Radha and Krishna or Chaitanya Mahaprabhu? And Srila Prabhupada looked at, pointed out a picture on his wall of Srimati Radharani in maan, which is a type of transcendental jealous anger, in which she, of course is all for krsna’s pleasure all these different emotions and displays of sentiment for krsna’s pleasure and so in this picture Srimati Radharani is sitting on a somewhat elevated platform and Krishna is sort of kneeling at her feet begging her to give up her sulky mood and accept him again. So Srila Prabhupada said Srimati Radharani is the greatest and then he pointed to the next picture which showed a little Krishna carrying Nanda Maharaja’s shoes on his head and then he said Nanda Maharaja is the greatest because Krishna is carrying his shoes on his head and then he concluded that the devotee is the greatest. But still among all the devotees Srimati Radharani is the greatest. Her love for Krishna is the greatest and so the final conclusion is that she is the greatest.

In fact, in varshana which is the place of Srimati Radharani they have a saying that whatever Radha does Krishna likes and whatever Radha likes Krishna does. In other words, suggesting that Krishna is under the control of Srimati Radharani or we could say under the control of her love. So Lord Chaitanya, as we have been discussing. . . Oh yes, then one more verse. That was I read five and we will just add one, six. 

TEXT 6

TRANSLATION

Desiring to understand the glory of Rādhārāṇī’s love, the wonderful qualities in Him that She alone relishes through Her love, and the happiness She feels when She realizes the sweetness of His love, the Supreme Lord Hari, richly endowed with Her emotions, appeared from the womb of Śrīmatī Śacī-devī, as the moon appeared from the ocean.

COMMENT

So again the same point and the same word bhāva-āḍhyaḥ, richly endowed with the emotions of Srimati Radharani. So this is the, you can say, secret of the appearance of Mahaprabhu. The identity of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the purpose for which Krishna appeared as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. So now we have been discussing Krishna assuming the mood of Srimati Radharani and thus appearing as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. 

So what is the mood of Srimati Radharani? Of course, in relationship to Krishna, her mood is a pure love mahā-bhāva. But in relation to us what is her mood? So this is explained in The Nectar of Devotion Chapter Twenty-two, Qualities of Krishna, number Thirty-two, compassionate. And listen to this definition of compassion: A person who is unable to bear another’s distress is called compassionate. 

“Kṛṣṇa’s compassion was also exhibited when Grandfather Bhīṣma was lying on the bed of arrows which had been shot through his body. While lying in this position, Bhīṣma was very anxious to see Kṛṣṇa, and thus Kṛṣṇa appeared there. Upon seeing the pitiable condition of Bhīṣma, Kṛṣṇa began speaking with tears in His eyes. Not only was He shedding tears, but He also forgot Himself in His compassion. Therefore, instead of offering obeisances to Kṛṣṇa directly, devotees offer obeisances to His compassionate nature. Actually, because Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is very difficult to approach Him. But the devotees, taking advantage of His compassionate nature, which is represented by Rādhārāṇī, always pray to Rādhārāṇī for Kṛṣṇa’s compassion.”

And this compassion, a person who is unable to bear another’s distress is called compassionate. This compassion is exhibited in Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s desire for all souls to be delivered because as long as one is in the material world, one is bound to suffer and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu being compassionate in the mood of Srimati Radharani doesn’t want the conditioned souls to remain in bondage. But he wants to see him delivered and in a discussion with Haridasa Thakura, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu expressed this concern. The discussion is recorded in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, Chapter Three. We begin with Text Forty-nine. 

TEXT 49

One day Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu met Haridāsa Ṭhākura as usual, and in the course of discussion He inquired as follows.

TEXT 50

“My dear Ṭhākura Haridāsa, in this Age of Kali most people are bereft of Vedic culture, and therefore they are called yavanas. They are concerned only with killing cows and brahminical culture. In this way they all engage in sinful acts.

TEXT 51

“How will these yavanas be delivered? To My great unhappiness, I do not see any way.”

COMMENT

So this is, yes, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s compassionate mood which is Radharani’s compassionate mood. And in the purport Srila Prabhupada writes, 

PURPORT

This verse reveals the significance of Lord Śrī Caitanya’s appearance as patita-pāvana, the deliverer of all the fallen souls. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, patita-pāvana-hetu tava avatāra: “O my Lord, You have appeared just to deliver all the fallen souls.” Mo-sama patita prabhu nā pāibe āra: “And among all the fallen souls, I am the lowest.” 

COMMENT 

So my claim comes first. Now this particular a verse of Narottama dasa Thakura’s follows the pattern that Srila Prabhupada gave for offering a prayer. Of course, the main ingredient in a prayer is the mood of devotion, love and devotion but still Srila Prabhupada said that in offering a prayer, first, one should state the qualification of the personality to whom one is praying then one should state one’s own disqualification and then one should pray for mercy. So here Narottama dasa Thakura states the qualification of Lord Chaitanya, patita-pāvana that you are the deliverer of the fallen souls and then he states his own disqualification, mo sama patita prabhu nā pāibe āra, and among all the fallen souls I am lowest. And then he prays for mercy. So please deliver me.

PURPORT (continued)

How Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu was always thinking about the deliverance of the fallen souls is shown by the statement e duḥkha apāra (“It is My great unhappiness”). This statement indicates that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa Himself, is always very unhappy to see the fallen souls in the material world. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so merciful that He not only gives knowledge of Kṛṣṇa but by His practical activities teaches everyone how to love Kṛṣṇa. 

COMMENT

And then Srila Prabhupada addresses us.

PURPORT (continued)

Those who are following in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu should take the Lord’s mission most seriously. 

One who identifies himself as a follower of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu should feel like Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who said, ihā-sabāra kon mate ha-ibe nistāra: “How will all these yavanas be delivered?” Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was always anxious to deliver the fallen souls because their fallen condition gave Him great unhappiness. That is the platform on which one can propagate the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

COMMENT

So Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami prays and in his words, he describes the Vaishnava as para duka-duki, that he is unhappy in the unhappiness of others, which means that he is compassionate, Vaishnava is compassionate. Para duka-duki, he is unhappy in the unhappiness of others and therefore he tries to make them happy. Now what did Haridasa Thakura says.

TEXT 52

“My dear Lord, do not be in anxiety. Do not be unhappy to see the condition of the yavanas in material existence.”

COMMENT

And Srila Prabhupada says in the purport and again this is very important guidance for us. 

PURPORT by Srila Prabhypada

These words of Haridāsa Ṭhākura are just befitting a devotee who has dedicated his life and soul to the service of the Lord. When the Lord is unhappy because of the condition of the fallen souls, the devotee consoles Him, saying, “My dear Lord, do not be in anxiety.” This is service. Everyone should adopt the cause of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to try to relieve Him from the anxiety He feels. This is actually service to the Lord. One who tries to relieve Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s anxiety for the fallen souls is certainly a most dear and confidential devotee of the Lord.

COMMENT

Certainly, that describes our beloved, Srila Prabhupada and at the end of the Bhagavad-Gita, Lord Krishna also says the same thing that the preacher is His most dear servant and no one will ever be more dear. So Haridasa Thakura responded by explaining how the yavanas could be delivered. But then Lord Chaitanya. . . So coming to Text Sixty-six.

TEXT 66

As Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard this from Haridāsa Ṭhākura, the happiness within His heart increased, but as a matter of course, He still inquired further.

TEXT 67

“On this earth there are many living entities,” the Lord said, “some moving and some not moving. What will happen to the trees, plants, insects and other living entities? How will they be delivered from material bondage?”

COMMENT

So moving means all sorts of birds and beasts and non-moving means trees and plants. So Lord Chaitanya was concerned about them as well.

TEXT 68

Haridāsa Ṭhākura replied, “My dear Lord, the deliverance of all moving and nonmoving living entities takes place only by Your mercy. You have already granted this mercy and delivered them.

TEXT 69

“You have loudly chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and everyone, moving or not moving, has benefited by hearing it.

COMMENT

This reminds me of an incident that took place with Srila Prabhupada in the early days when he first came to New York city. He was living in an apartment and a landlord wanted to fumigate, means he called an exterminator to exterminate the pests, the bugs, the rodents. Srila Prabhupada refused to allow the fumigation to take place in his apartment and the result was that all the bugs and whatever, from all the other apartments came to Srila Prabhupada’s apartment and Srila Prabhupada commented, just see they are taking shelter of Krishna consciousness. So yes, Srila Prabhupada in the mood of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, extended his mercy even to the insects, rodents. 

So yes, Haridasa Thakura continues.

TEXT 72

“When loud chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is performed all over the world by those who follow in Your footsteps, all living entities, moving and nonmoving, dance in ecstatic devotional love.

COMMENT

Now Srila Prabhupada also said that we should not walk on the grass because that causes pain to the grass. But if we have to walk on the grass, we should chant hare Krishna and that way at least the grass will benefit, the living entities within the body of grass will benefit. And Haridasa Thakura says “when you have preached loud chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and in this way freed all moving and non-moving living entities from material bondage.” Now, how do we understand Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s inner mood? It is possible only by his mercy. A mercy that he is bestowed upon his confidential associates and then through them, through the pages of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta especially can understand his inner mood. 

And there is one incident described in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, Chapter One that explains how only by his mercy one can understand his inner mood. So at the Ratha-yatra in Puri, Lord Chaitanya would recite what appeared to be. . . Well, it was a verse from a mundane love song and only Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, Lord Chaitanya’s personal secretary, could understand the purpose for which the Lord recited that verse. But one year, Rupa Gosvami happened to attend the Rathyatra and Lord Chaitanya recited that verse and he understood the secret meaning behind his reciting that verse. And I will read the translation of that verse so you understand the connection here. So Lord Chaitanya recited:

CC Madhya 1.58

TRANSLATION

“That very personality who stole away my heart during my youth is now again my master. These are the same moonlit nights of the month of Caitra. The same fragrance of mālatī flowers is there, and the same sweet breezes are blowing from the kadamba forest. In our intimate relationship, I am also the same lover, yet still my mind is not happy here. I am eager to go back to that place on the bank of the Revā under the Vetasī tree. That is my desire.”

COMMENT

Now I will read the verse composed by Rupa Gosvami which you could say, explains the inner meaning of apparently mundane love song in relation to Krishna consciousness. So Rupa Gosvami verse reads:

CC Madhya 1.76

TRANSLATION

“My dear friend, now I have met My very old and dear friend Kṛṣṇa on this field of Kurukṣetra.

COMMENT

Because after Krishna left Vrindavan and all the residents were feeling separation from Him. But on the occasion of an eclipse in Kurukshetra, the residents of Vrindavan decided to go to Kurukshetra to see Krishna. But they were not very happy there, especially, Srimati Radharani. She was feeling that instead of Krishna being decorated with a peacock feather and playing a flute, He is now dressed as a royal king or prince and instead of the sound of the birds, peacocks, and other birds, there is the sound of chariots, the rattling of chariots, and elephants. So that is what she was feeling that I am the same Radharani and you are the same Krishna but it’s not the same here in Kurukshetra. So please come back to Vrindavan and Chaitanya’s mood in the Rathyatra was pulling Krishna, pulling Jagannatha, back to Vrindavan in the mood of Srimati Radharani.

And in that context the Jagannatha temple at Nilachala represents Kurukshetra or Dwarka Kurukshetra and the Gundicha temple at Sundrachao represents Vrindavan. So at the Rathyatra Lord Chaitanya was in the mood of Srimati Radharani pulling Krishna back to Vrindavan. So Rupa Gosvami’s verse reads:

TRANSLATION

“My dear friend, now I have met My very old and dear friend Kṛṣṇa on this field of Kurukṣetra. I am the same Rādhārāṇī, and now We are meeting together. It is very pleasant, but still I would like to go to the bank of the Yamunā beneath the trees of the forest there. I wish to hear the vibration of His sweet flute playing the fifth note within that forest of Vṛndāvana.”

COMMENT

So Rupa Gosvami wrote that verse on a palm leaf which he placed somewhere in his thatched roof and went to bathe in the sea and just at that time Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu went there to meet him and when he saw the leaf pushed into the roof and saw the verse, he began to read it and after reading the verse Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was overwhelmed by ecstatic love. So Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu took that verse and showed it to Svarupa Damodara for him to examine and then the Lord questioned him, how could Rupa Gosvami have understood my heart? And Svarupa Damodara replied, “Only by your causeless mercy. No one could understand the meaning, no one otherwise could understand this meaning. I can therefore guess that you have bestowed your causeless mercy upon him.” And so by the causeless mercy of these great souls we are able to get a glimpse into the heart of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. 

In Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Srila Prabhupada explains the reasons for Sri Krishna Chaitanya’s appearance. Lord Krishna, in His pastimes, in His position, was unable to experience the glory of Srimati Radharani’s love for Him, the wonderful qualities in Krishna that She relishes through Her love, and the indescribable happiness She feels when She realizes the sweetness of His love. Thus, Lord Krishna, assuming the guise of a devotee, adopted the mood and complexion of Srimati Radharani and descended in Navadvipa-dhāma to fulfill His innermost desire: to experience Srimati Radharani’s ecstatic love for Him.

So Navadvipa-dhāma is a manifestation of Srimati Radharani’s love for Krishna. The Puranas also describe that when, in the state of mahā-bhāva, the highest ecstasy Srimati Radharani reached the extreme in ecstatic feelings of separation from Lord Krishna, He entered into Her heart and “stole” Her feeling of mahā-bhāva. That mahā-bhāva became manifest as Navadvipa-dhāma.

Thus to better understand Sri Mayapur dhāma and the mood of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, as well as Srila Prabhupada and our own devotional service, we should understand Radharani’s mood of separation and this is very revealing, very significant and very revealing.

Once when Krishna left the company of the gopīs, Radharani began to search for Him in one forest after another, crying in intense separation. She approached a kadamba tree, “Where is Krishna?” She approached Govardhana Hill, “Where is Krishna?” She wandered everywhere throughout Vrindavan, crying, “Where is Krishna? He is more dear to Me than My own life. How can I live without His service?” Then, in divine madness, She fainted.

After some time, when Krishna appeared, He addressed Srimati Radharani, “I am extremely pleased with You. You may ask from Me whatever You wish.” And Radharani requested three things: “Please promise Me that You will always remain in Vraja, unseen by those without devotion; please never disappoint the devotees who reside here, maintaining their lives by their love for You alone, hoping to attain Your lotus feet; and please always shower Your mercy on Your devotees and give them shelter at Your lotus feet.”

We see that even though Srimati Radharani had been experiencing extreme separation from Krishna, when Krishna asked Her what She wanted, She did not think of Herself; She thought of the suffering of others. That was her mood of separation filled with compassion. Srimati Radharani’s desire to please Krishna is so pure and so intense that She wants to engage every living entity for Krishna’s pleasure, to give them Krishna’s service and association.

Krishna has an unlimited desire to enjoy. Radha has the unlimited desire to fulfill Krishna’s desires. And Lord Chaitanya and our Srila Prabhupada have the same desire to engage unlimited numbers of living entities in Krishna’s service. Like Srimati Radharani, the preacher wants to arrange for others to get Krishna’s association, to serve Him. 

So I have gone a little over time. I am not sure how strict we are or how limited we are.

Host: Yes, we are okay to continue, Maharaja. 

Giriraj Swami: Okay, good. So yes, thank you Ram Vijay Prabhu for organizing this program and inviting me and now if any of the devotees would like to make any comments or ask any questions, they can raise their hands. There is a hand raising feature or you can just physically raise your hand. And yes, especially, I mean, even otherwise I would like you all to put on your cameras but especially if you are going to ask a question or make a comment. Let us see what is in the chat. Oh, I see.

Host: We have a question from Brahma Samhita. I am going to unmute them.

Giriraj Swami: Okay, Okay.

Devotee: Hare Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna. 

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:17:47] compassion, we see that in our literature two very great devotees namely Arjun and Bharat Maharaja became bewildered by compassion and also even in the life of Lord Chaitanya, there is the incident of Chandra Haridasa where it seemed like Lord Chaitanya was very strict and so yes, it seems like there is compassion on the part of devotees but sometimes, I suppose, compassion can be bewildering and not only that but it seems like sometimes chastisement is necessary. So I was wondering if maybe you could give us some thoughts.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, if one is in the position of an authority, he is responsible to train and correct his subordinates or dependents and that is one’s duty. In fact, once Srila Prabhupada said the only thing he doesn’t like about being a spiritual master is that he has to correct his disciples and they are all Vaishnavas. But there was one incident in Juhu when by mail Srila Prabhupada guided me very severely. There was some. . . By the way it was explained to Srila Prabhupada there was some negligence in the care of the deities and Srila Prabhupada wrote me a letter because I was the temple president and he said this is a very abominable affair. And that really shook me up and yes, I really sort of had to struggle. And so I will read you what Srila Prabhupada wrote subsequently. So yes, after I got that letter:

“I have got some reports that the deities in Bombay are being much neglected. This is most abominable affair. Radha and Krishna should never be neglected or left unprotected, so I am wondering what you have done to rectify this situation.”

So the context was that. . . Anyway, that is not really the point but the point is that, this letter really affected me and I wrote back accepting his criticism and promising to improve. But Srila Prabhupada wrote back in a very nice letter in which he explained that his only interest was to see that I and all of his other disciples made advancement in Krishna consciousness and so if I find some criticism, I should take it in that spirit and not otherwise. So yes, sometimes when we are in a position of authority we have to correct our subordinates. But with love, not out of the mode of passion or, anger or enmity but out of sympathy to help the person. And I mean, I knew that was the case with Srila Prabhupada all along but especially I felt satisfied when he wrote that letter that my only concern is to see that you and all of my other disciple’s progress in Krishna consciousness. And he said not that the Guru should always be flattering the disciples. 

So yes, I mean, I am sure you have heard the expression tough love, yes, tough love. Sometimes we show our love by being tough on someone for their benefit, so that they don’t go in a bad way or continue to go in a bad way. Yes, I mean, as far as Arjuna’s compassion, Srila Prabhupada said different things about it. That because he was a devotee so he was naturally compassionate and he praised it but when that compassion came in the way of his service to Krishna then that so-called compassion was not favorable. So yes, an interesting question. Good question. Is there more?

Host: Yes, Maharaja. There is one more. Unmute Mataji. 

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja. Daṇḍavat-praṇāmās. Jaya Srila Prabhupada. Hare Krishna, devotees. So I don’t have a question but it was very nice to hear in the introduction, during the introduction, about Maharaja’s connection with Juhu temple. So it is very interesting to know how we keep getting prasāda even if we are in ISKCON or out of ISKCON. So my grandfather used. . . maternal grandfather used to visit Juhu temple because it was very near his recording theaters. He was in a singer’s association. So he used to bring prasāda from temple and he used to always say Hare Rama, Hare Krihsna temple. So I now think he used to get from that temple for all of us and we all used to like it so much. He will get choice for all. So now I think the period when Maharaja was there and the prasāda what he used to bring so it helped all of us a lot in our devotional services. So thank you very much Maharaja for all that. I am not sure about years yet but this is just my rough estimate, it may be true.

Giriraj Swami: Wonderful. 

Devotee: Thank you, Maharaja. 

Giriraj Swami: What was his name?

Devotee: His actual name is Sri Narsingharao [Unintelligible 01:27:05] but he goes within film industry fraternity by Sunil Kumar and then you will be glad to know that he is so close to all of these famous singers including the [Unintelligible 01:27:18]. Although, he is not materially renowned but in close circuit he was very famous. He used to be at a post of cine singers association which is like not paid voluntary. But, yes, my grandparents were also very helpful in teaching me all the things which I keep hearing in temple now. So we are really thankful to all of you Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Jaya! Wonderful. Excellent.

Host: I don’t see any more hands raised.

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Prabhu. I have a question. 

Host: Okay. 

Devotee: Hare Krishna. Maharaja. Generally, we understand they are various rasas with Sri Krishna sākhya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa, mādhurya-rasa like that are there any rasas with Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu? How do we understand that?

Giriraj Swami: That is a very good question. The basic rasa with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu because he is a Guru, he is an acharya, so the basic rust with him is dāsya-rasa. As it would be with a Guru. There is a deviant sect called Gauranganagri, who have the idea of having like a conjugal relationship with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. But Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has condemned them. I mean, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has identified various deviant sects of so-called devotees who claim to be followers of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and one of them is this Gauranganagri. That is not at all proper. Though our mood in relation to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is dāsya-rasa, like a disciple, servant disciple. Yes. 

Devotee: Thank you very much, Maharaja. 

Host: I see one more question. So we will take this as a last question and then we will move to the next part of the program.

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Devotee: Daṇḍavat-praṇāmās. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to you. Maharaja, I have a question about the rasas and also, if we are in a particular rasa, is it possible to elevate ourselves probably from vātsalya to mādhurya? Is it possible or do we stay eternally in a particular rasa?

Giriraj Swami: That is a very good question. In principle, our rasa with Krishna is fixed, it is eternal but there is a case described in Śrī Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta, where a devotee went, you could say, from a lower rasa to a higher rasa. And the explanation is that somehow, he didn’t, yes, he didn’t fully realize his rasa or he, for some time, was in a different rasa. And it’s also very interesting in the nectar of the devotion, it is stated that if one commits offenses, he can be degraded to the lower rasa. But in principle, yes, kṛṣṇa-prema, Krishna is established eternally that means our specific relationship with Krishna in particular rasa is fixed and it doesn’t change.

And whatever our rasa is with Krishna we feel completely satisfied. Don’t look at someone else. You are completely satisfied. 

Devotee: Sorry, Maharaja. I didn’t hear the last sentence because it wasn’t very clear. Sorry.

Giriraj Swami: Oh, yes. Whatever is our rasa with Krishna, we are completely satisfied in it. Yes, because it’s natural for us. It’s perfect for us and we don’t we don’t look at someone else and think, “Oh, I wish I could be in that situation.” Now, we serve Krishna in our position which is eternal. 

Devotee: Okay. thank you so much.

Giriraj Swami: Pleasure.

Host: Gopal Chandra Prabhu.

Gopal Chandra Prabhu: Thank you all devotees for the beautiful questions. Thank you very much, Maharaja, for the fabulous class today and giving your association for all of us. Ramji Prabhu maybe if we can unmute everybody so that we can also show our appreciation for just for a few seconds.

Host: Okay. Yes, we can do that. I also know that Amala Kirtan Prabhu is here. Can we just have him go first and then. . .

Gopal Chandra Prabhu: Yes, Prabhu. 

Host: Because Maharaja is here and he wanted to chant today in association of Maharaja.

Gopal Chandra Prabhu: Jaya!

Giriraj Swami: Oh.

Host: Amala Kirtan Prabhu where are you? Let’s see if we can get you on spotlight here.

Giriraj Swami: Like the old days in Dallas.

Host: Yes. You are on mute. Oh, yes, let me unmute you. Sorry my fault. There you go.

Amala Kirtan Prabhu: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisances.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna. 

Amala Kirtan Prabhu: So great to see you again. 

Giriraj Swami: Happy to see you too.

Amala Kirtan Prabhu: Yes, just like the old days in Dallas. Yes, I remember we had those kirtans on Sundays and you were the only Maharaja who would come down and participate the kirtans every Sunday evening. Thank you so much for your kind of encouragement and pushing us to keep doing that there. There you go. Thank you.

Giriraj Swami: It’s my pleasure.

Amala kirtan Prabhu: Jaya! Okay. We are going to do a quick Bhajan Sri Krihsna Chaitanya Prabhu. Yes, jaya! We also have a few a devotee here and a few kids. Just so everyone knows if you hear some noise in the background that is what’s happening.

[Prayer]

Gopal Chandra Prabhu: Thank you dear Amala Kirtan Prabhu for such a beautiful melodious and touching version. You literally took us to the Mayapur dhāma. Thank you very much. Now we have a small request for Maharaja. Maharaja, if it is possible for you would you mind singing the Nṛsiṁha prayers for us? Last time when you did a program for us you lead the Nṛsiṁha prayers. So we have devotees requesting for that, if it’s possible for you?

Giriraj Swami: Yes, it’s a pleasure.

Gopal Chandra Prabhu: Thank you. Thank you, Maharaja. Whenever you are ready.

Giriraj Swami: [Nṛsiṁha Prayers]

Gopal Chandra Prabhu: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Thank you very much for such a sweet Nṛsiṁha prayer. We know Nṛsiṁhadeva is ferocious but even he would melt listening to this prayer. Thank you. Thank you so much, Maharaja, for making very special for us today, giving your association and so that we can imbibe in the thoughts of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu on this auspicious day. Devotees we are going to unmute for a few seconds so that you can express your gratitude and appreciation for Maharaja and His Grace, Amala Kirtan Prabhu. 

[Greetings from devotees]

Gopal Chandra Prabhu: Hare Krishna. Thank you, all devotees. We are going to mute everybody again and we will do quick announcements and wrap up the program. . .