SB 7.5.32 – The Secret of Becoming Krishna Conscious

Giriraj Swami: Today, we shall be reading from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Seven, Chapter Five, Prahlāda Mahārāja, the Saintly Son of Hiraṇyakaśipu, Text Thirty-Two.

TEXT 32

naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghriṁ

spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ

mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-’bhiṣekaṁ

niṣkiñcanānāṁ na vṛṇīta yāvat

TRANSLATION

Unless they smear upon their bodies the dust of the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava completely freed from material contamination, persons very much inclined toward materialistic life cannot be attached to the lotus feet of the Lord, who is glorified for His uncommon activities. Only by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious and taking shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord in this way can one be freed from material contamination.

COMMENT

Before I read the purport, I would like to discuss the background to this verse.

Prahlada’s father, Hiraṇyakaśipu, was a great demon, who considered Vishnu to be his enemy. Earlier, Vishnu, in the form of Varahadeva, had killed Hiraṇyakaśipu’s brother, Hiraṇyakṣa, and thus, Hiraṇyakaśipu was even more inimical towards Vishnu.

Prahlada was only five years old, and one day, his father asked him what was the best thing that he learned in school. And Prahlada shocked his father by saying that the best thing that he had learned was devotional service to Vishnu. His exact words are śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam—the nine processes of devotional service. Hiraṇyakaśipu became furious, and he called Prahlada’s teachers and accused them, “Prahlada, my son, who I’ve entrusted to you for his education, is speaking favorably about my enemy, Vishnu. You are to blame.” And the teachers said, “No, you are wrongly accusing us, we are not to blame.” “You have taught him these things.” “No, we have not taught him these things.” “You have allowed Vaishnavas in disguise to enter the classroom.” “No, we have not allowed any Vaishnavas in disguise to enter the classroom.” “Then where has he learned all these things?” They said, “We don’t know, you better ask him.”

So, Hiraṇyakaśipu asked his son, Prahlada, and Prahlada’s answer begins a few verses prior to the one that we just read.

TEXT 30

matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā

mitho ‘bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām

adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ

punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām

TRANSLATION

Prahlāda Mahārāja replied: Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Kṛṣṇa are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both.

COMMENT

So here, in reply to his father’s question, “How did you become Krishna conscious?” Prahlada says that it is not possible by one’s own efforts, by the efforts of others, or by a combination of one’s own efforts and the efforts of others. Logically, it would seem that all possibilities have been eliminated. So, it seems impossible. And then, in the next verse. . . Well, I’ll read it, it’s nice.

TEXT 31

na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ

durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ

andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās

te ‘pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ

TRANSLATION

“Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Viṣṇu.

COMMENT

So, na te viduḥ, they do not know, svārtha-gatiṁ, the ultimate goal of life, or their real self-interest, hi viṣṇuṁ, is Lord Vishnu and His abode. And unfortunately, most people, at least nowadays, are like that. They don’t know what their real self is, and consequently, they don’t know their real self-interest. They don’t know that their self is the soul, part and parcel of Krishna, and that their real self-interest is to serve Krishna.

TRANSLATION

As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.

COMMENT

So, Prahlada gives a very accurate description of the unfortunate souls who are not Krishna conscious. So now, we come back to the question, which Prahlada’s father asked him, how he became Krishna conscious. And he answered in this verse.

TRANSLATION

Unless they smear upon their bodies the dust of the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava completely freed from material contamination, persons very much inclined toward materialistic life cannot be attached to the lotus feet of the Lord, who is glorified for His uncommon activities. Only by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious and taking shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord in this way can one be freed from material contamination.

COMMENT

Thank you, Srila Prabhupada.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious brings about anartha-apagamaḥ, the disappearance of all anarthas, the miserable conditions we have unnecessarily accepted. The material body is the basic principle of these unwanted miserable conditions. The entire Vedic civilization is meant to relieve one from these unwanted miseries, but persons bound by the laws of nature do not know the destination of life. As described in the previous verse, īśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ: they are conditioned by the three strong modes of material nature.

COMMENT

So, baddhāḥ means bound, the conditioned souls in bondage.

PURPORT (continued)

The education that keeps the conditioned soul bound life after life is called materialistic education. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has explained that materialistic education expands the influence of māyā. Such an education induces the conditioned soul to be increasingly attracted to materialistic life and to stray further and further away from liberation from unwanted miseries.

COMMENT

Srila Prabhupada has described the modern materialistic educational institutions as slaughterhouses. Just like an innocent cow is sent to a slaughterhouse and murdered, so the innocent souls who are subjected to the materialistic education, their spiritual lives are being murdered. And their spiritual life is their real life.

PURPORT (continued)

One may ask why highly educated persons do not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The reason is explained in this verse. Unless one takes shelter of a bona fide, fully Kṛṣṇa conscious spiritual master, there is no chance of understanding Kṛṣṇa. The educators, scholars and big political leaders worshiped by millions of people cannot understand the goal of life and take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for they have not accepted a bona fide spiritual master and the Vedas. Therefore in the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (3.2.3) it is said, nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śrutena: one cannot become self-realized simply by having an academic education, by presenting lectures in an erudite way (pravacanena labhyaḥ), or by being an intelligent scientist who discovers many wonderful things. One cannot understand Kṛṣṇa unless one is graced by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Only one who has surrendered to a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa and taken the dust of his lotus feet can understand Kṛṣṇa. First one must understand how to get out of the clutches of māyā. The only means is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

COMMENT

Lord Krishna makes the same point in the Bhagavad-gītā. He says daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā, that the material energy, maya, consists of the three modes, and it is very difficult to overcome.

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī

mama māyā duratyayā

mām eva ye prapadyante

māyām etāṁ taranti te

But one who has surrendered to Krishna can easily pass over maya. But how can we surrender to Krishna? That is the question. And the answer is given that we can do so by surrendering unto Krishna’s devotee, not by trying to surrender directly to Krishna.

PURPORT (continued)

One cannot understand Kṛṣṇa unless one is graced by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Only one who has surrendered to a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa and taken the dust of his lotus feet can understand Kṛṣṇa.

COMMENT

The verse says pāda-rajaḥ abhiṣekam. Pāda means foot, rajaḥ means dust, and abhiṣekam means literally to bathe oneself in the dust of the lotus feet of a pure devotee.

PURPORT (continued)

First one must understand how to get out of the clutches of māyā. The only means is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. And to become Kṛṣṇa conscious very easily, one must take shelter of a realized soul — a mahat, or mahātmā — whose only interest is to engage in the service of the Supreme Lord. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (9.13):

mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha

daivīṁ prakṛtiṁ āśritāḥ

bhajanty ananya-manaso

jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam

“O son of Pṛthā, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.”

COMMENT

So, in the verse, Prahlad says mahīyasāṁ pāda-rajo-’bhiṣekaṁ. So, mahīyasāṁ refers to great souls, or mahatmas. And how do we recognize a mahatma? What are the symptoms or qualities of a mahatma? So, that is mentioned in this verse that we just read. It’s also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā 7.19, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate, “After many births and deaths of acquiring knowledge, one surrenders unto Me,” bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti, knowing that Krishna is everything, the cause of all causes, the cause of everything. Sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ, such a great soul is very rare.

PURPORT (continued)

Therefore, to end the unwanted miseries of life.

COMMENT

And we all want to end the unwanted miseries of life.

PURPORT (continued)

One must become a devotee.

yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā

sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ

“One who has unflinching devotional faith in Kṛṣṇa consistently manifests all the good qualities of Kṛṣṇa and the demigods.” (Bhāg. 5.18.12)

yasya deve parā bhaktir

yathā deve tathā gurau

tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ

prakāśante mahātmanaḥ

“Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.” (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23)

COMMENT

Once, Srila Prabhupada asked his disciple Guru Kripa dasa, “What is the most important verse in the Vedic literature?” And Guru Kripa dasa Prabhu replied harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā, “One should chant the holy names, chant the holy names, chant the holy names of Lord Hari, Krishna. There is no other way, no other way, no other way for success in this age.” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “No.” And he quoted this verse. 

yasya deve parā bhaktir

yathā deve tathā gurau

tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ

prakāśante mahātmanaḥ

“Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.”

So, this verse gives another elucidation of the definition of a mahatma, which is most important, because in the verse, Prahlada says that one can become Krishna conscious only by surrendering unto the lotus feet of a mahatma. Then, Prabhupada quotes in the purport.

PURPORT (continued)

yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas

tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanūṁ svām

“The Lord is obtained only by one whom He Himself chooses. To such a person He manifests His own form.” (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.2.3)

COMMENT

You might recognize that this is a continuation of the verse that Srila Prabhupada quoted earlier, nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śrutena, “One cannot become self-realized simply by having an academic education, by presenting lectures in an erudite way, or by being an intelligent scientist who discovers many wonderful things.” And then the conclusion of that verse is, “The Lord is obtained only by one whom He Himself chooses. To such a person, He manifests His own form.” And to whom does the Lord choose to manifest Himself? To the one who has surrendered unto His devotee and who has implicit faith in him and in his spiritual master.

PURPORT (continued)

These are Vedic injunctions. One must take shelter of a self-realized spiritual master, not a materially educated scholar or politician. One must take shelter of a niṣkiñcana, a person engaged in devotional service and free from material contamination. That is the way to return home, back to Godhead.

COMMENT

So, niṣkiñcana is a very important word in this verse. Kiñcana means something, and niṣkiñcana means without something. And this may be difficult to appreciate, unless one has an understanding of yukta-vairāgya. There are devotees in Vrindavan, for example, who have almost no possessions. We can’t say absolutely none, but almost no possessions. But if we look at Srila Prabhupada, apparently, he had so many possessions, but he did not consider himself to be the proprietor of the facilities that Krishna gave him to use in Krishna’s service. And that is the principle enunciated by Srila Rupa Gosvami as yukta-vairāgya.

The first part of Sri Rupa’s definition of yukta-vairāgya is anāsaktasya viṣayān, which means. . . āsakti means attachment. So, anāsaktasya means without attachment, anāsaktasya viṣayān, Viṣayān means objects of the senses. Without attachment to the objects of the senses, nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe, and seeing the relationship of so-called material things with Krishna, that they can be used in Krishna’s service, nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate, that is called appropriate renunciation.

And opposed to yukta-vairāgya is phalgu-vairāgya. There is a river in India, at least at the time of Rupa Gosvami, called the Phalgu River, and the Phalgu River appears to be dry sand, but actually, it’s not dry sand. Under the surface, it is a river, it’s water, but it appears otherwise. So, phalgu-vairāgya, which you could say is false renunciation, apparently renunciation, but not really, in phalgu-vairāgya, one rejects things as material that can be used in Krishna’s service. So, we want to avoid that.

And commentators on the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, such as Jiva Gosvami and Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, say that one who is involved in phalgu-vairāgya, false renunciation, can commit offenses by rejecting things. And they give the example of mahā-prasāda. By rejecting things related to Krishna, such as mahā-prasāda, as being material, they commit offenses.

So, it is a very fine line. Srila Prabhupada gave the example—if someone is directly under a light, there is no shadow. But if he goes to one side, there is shadow, and if he goes to the other side, there is shadow. So, if we go to the side of material enjoyment, there is shadow, there is darkness, there is maya. And if you go to the side of false renunciation, there is also shadow, there is also darkness, there is also maya. So, if we are right in the center, anāsaktasya viṣayān, without attachment to the objects of the senses, nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe, understanding the proper use of things in Krishna’s service, that is called appropriate renunciation or detachment, yukta-vairāgya, proper renunciation or detachment.

So, Srila Prabhupada has given us a wonderful process, he has given us the perfect philosophy, and he has also given us a wonderful process that is not difficult. As described by Lochan dasa Thakura, kevala ananda khanda, it is simply joyful. Chanting, dancing, feasting, and philosophy. That was Srila Prabhupada’s phrase to describe the process of Krishna consciousness, “Chanting, dancing, feasting, and philosophy.”

Once, one of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples was giving a talk in Srila Prabhupada’s presence, and the disciple said, “Chanting, dancing, feasting, philosophy, and a little work.” And Srila Prabhupada interrupted him and said, “No work.” So then, the disciple began his talk again, and he said, “Chanting, dancing, feasting, philosophy, and a very little work.” And Srila Prabhupada again interrupted and said, “No, no work!” Because there is no work, there is no karma, it’s only sevā, and that’s different from work. So, Srila Prabhupada has given us the perfect philosophy, he has given us a wonderful process.

Once, a reporter asked Srila Prabhupada, “You’ve given your life for Krishna; speaking about Krishna, hearing about Krishna, offering service to Krishna, everything for Krishna. But what if in the end, there is no Krishna?” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “Even if there is no Krishna, I wouldn’t do anything different because I like what I’m doing. I like talking about Krishna, I like hearing about Krishna, I like worshiping Krishna. I wouldn’t do anything different even if there were no Krishna.” So, it’s beautiful, it’s absolute.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says, bhaktyā sañjātayā bhaktyā, “Bhakti comes from bhakti,” which can be understood in two ways. One way is that prema-bhakti comes from sādhana-bhakti. Srila Prabhupada said, “In Krishna consciousness, the means and the end are the same.” So, bhakti comes from bhakti, prema-bhakti comes from sādhana-bhakti. But also, “Bhakti comes from bhakti” can refer to the process that Prahlada was discussing, that we have been discussing, that one gets bhakti from the bhakti in the heart of a devotee, of a bhakta. So, in that way also, bhakti comes from bhakti.

So, it’s very beautiful and very blissful, and we should accept the process with full enthusiasm. As Srila Rupa Gosvami says in Upadeśāmṛta, utsāhān niścayād dhairyāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. Utsāhān, “The first necessity is enthusiasm.” And as Srila Prabhupada says, “You cannot be successful in anything material or spiritual without enthusiasm.” So, we need both; enthusiasm and patience. Srila Prabhupada said that if you have enthusiasm but not patience, it can lead to a desire to control. And if you have patience and not enthusiasm, it can lead to lethargy. So, we want both.

So, my dear devotees from distant places all over the world, thank you for joining us for this wonderful opportunity to think about Krishna, speak about Krishna, and hear about Krishna. And now, if you have any questions or comments, you can raise your hand.

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja. Guru Maharaja, I just thought of getting a clarification about sādhana-bhakti leading towards prema-bhakti and the other bhakti. Thank you so much, Guru Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Yes. Bhakti comes from bhakti. And Srila Rupa Gosvami has explained that to progress in bhakti, you do not need to add anything else such as karma, or jnana, or yoga. The only thing required to reach the successively higher stages of bhakti is the preceding stages of bhakti, nothing else.

And as Srila Rupa Gosvami explains, ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo ‘tha bhajana-kriyā. So, there are different stages of practice, ādau śraddhā, first is faith, faith and attraction, tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo, association with devotees, and ‘tha bhajana-kriyā, engaging in devotional service. And Srila Prabhupada says that taking initiation from a spiritual master takes place in the stage of bhajana-kriyā, and then anartha-nivṛtti, the unwanted things. We read about that anartha in today’s verse.

So, anartha-nivṛtti, the eradication of unwanted desires, unwanted behavior. Then niṣṭhā, that means steadiness. Then ruci, taste. And then āsakti, attachment. So, these seven stages constitute sādhana-bhakti, and then the next stage is bhāva-bhakti, and then the final stage is prema-bhakti. So, the only thing required to reach the next stage is the previous stage—bhakti comes from bhakti. Does that answer your question?

Devotee: Yes, Guru Maharaja, thank you so much.

Giriraj Swami: Jaya!

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja, please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. I’m very happy to see you again, hear from you again.

My question, Maharaja, is related to the dust of the feet of the Vaishnavas. My Guru Maharaja, His Holiness Radhanath Swami, has mentioned that the dust of the lotus feet means obedience to instructions. And we hear in pravachans and reading many instructions from Vaishnavas. Now, if we have to follow all these instructions, it becomes kind of overwhelming, but picking and choosing seems kind of disrespectful. So, Maharaja, how do we understand this situation? How do we cope with it?

Giriraj Swami: It’s true that the general explanation of taking the dust from the lotus feet of the true devotee really means to follow his instructions. But regarding your specific question that you hear so many talks by so many different Vaishnavas, and if you have to follow all of their instructions it becomes difficult—I’m not exactly sure why it would become difficult, because generally, they would all say the same thing, more or less.

Devotee: Maharaja, can I make an example?

Giriraj Swami: Sure.

Devotee: Maharaja, in yesterday’s class, Prabhu mentioned that minimum sixteen rounds, we should chant. Minimum sixteen rounds, however, we should try and endeavor to do more. Take a vow to do whatever, seventeen, thirty-two, whatever be that case. Now, that’s an instruction, which has come from a Vaishnava. And at the same time, there are other instructions also. In temple service, you need to do so many hours of work, sevā, whatever it is. So, putting all this together, plus whatever are our other responsibilities, that becomes a little tight. So, what the Vaishnava says is not anything new, but then managing it all. . . So, sixteen rounds, and on Ekādaśī, do a little bit more. But now, to do more on a daily basis? So, from that perspective was the difficulty.

Giriraj Swami: In The Nectar of Devotion, which is Srila Prabhupada’s summary study of Rupa Gosvami’s Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, one of the principles is not to accept more than what one can easily do. So, I don’t know if that’s just another instruction that’s going to make your life more complicated, but the idea is that one should not accept more than one can easily do. In other words, one should not be overburdened by trying to do too much. And what is more important to do and what is less important, that could vary from person to person. But if you are sincere, Krishna will give you the intelligence. 

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
yena mām upayānti te

“To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.” [Gītā 10.10]

There is a nice example in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. When mother Yasoda was feeding baby Krishna her breast milk, the milk that was on the fire began to boil over. And so, she set baby Krishna aside to attend to the milk on the fire. And Srila Prabhupada explains that everything in the household of mother Yasoda was meant for Krishna’s service, for Krishna’s pleasure. But sometimes, one may have to do more than one item of service in relation to the same cause. And then, Srila Prabhupada quotes this verse, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ. He says that the intelligence what to do first and what to do later is given by Krishna. So, we are dependent on Krishna at every stage, and if we have too much to do, we can pray to Krishna to give us the intelligence what to do first and what to do later.

Devotee: So, the principle, Maharaja, is to try and do everything.

Giriraj Swami: As far as possible.

Devotee: Maharaja, my personal situation is I take these instructions and pack it in my memory. And if some opportunity comes up, then I try to remember it, and if I can remember it, then I follow it. But in this case, from what I’m hearing from you, Maharaja, is to be actively conscious of these many instructions we receive, and then pray to Krishna for the intelligence what to do and when.

Giriraj Swami: Yes. But the most important, we could say, is the sixteen rounds. You are an initiated devotee, so definitely, sixteen rounds minimum is most essential. Srila Prabhupada writes in one purport, actually very interesting and relevant purport, because there is a basic principle to always remember Krishna and never forget Him, smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇuḥ vismartavyo na jātucit, “One should always remember Vishnu, Krishna and never forget Him.” And all of the positive injunctions in the scriptures are servants of the one positive injunction—to always remember Krishna. And all the negative prohibitions in the scripture are all servants of the one negative prohibition—to never forget Krishna. So, that should be the basic guiding principle.

Devotee: Thank you, Maharaja, thank you so much. Thank you.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Devotee: Hare Krishna.

Host: One more question, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Yes.

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Maharaja, please accept my most humble obeisances. Thank you so much for giving your association again to us.

Maharaja, my question is related to one of the lines that you were talking from Srila Prabhupada’s purport, saying how modern education is considered a slaughterhouse. So, in our current situation, in our generation, how can we process that? If we consider out education is like sending our kids to a slaughterhouse, if that’s the way we need to really take it, so if we give more importance to the spiritual life of our children, are we considered fanatic? So, that’s what I’m thinking, Maharaja. If you can throw more light upon that?

Giriraj Swami: Okay. Is that your son that you are holding?

Devotee: Yes, Maharaja. I have another daughter, eight years old. He is two years old, Maharaja. That’s my daughter.

Giriraj Swami: Okay. Well, ideally, if there is a Krishna conscious school, then send your children there. But if not, then you should try to balance the education they receive in school with our spiritual education. And you can do that at home. And then, many places, many temples have Sunday schools for the children. So, they can go to the Sunday school. It’s also important that they have friends who are devotees, children, because they naturally want friends, and so if they have devotee friends, that will be very favorable for them. We may not be able to avoid sending our children to regular school, but we need to balance the materialistic influence of the regular school with spiritual values and spiritual relationships.

Devotee: My other point was if we are not sending them to school, homeschooling them, as devotees, what kind of impression are we also giving to the outsiders? “These Hare Krishnas are just trying to avoid material education because they have a different goal in life.” The way they judge the society of devotees based on how our children will later turn out to be. So, from that perspective also, Maharaja, to what extent do we need to provide or equip them so that they can also exist in a society with other non-devotees too?

Giriraj Swami: Homeschooling is good. I know many parents who homeschooled their children and the children have come out very good and they do well on their exams. There are even associations where children who are homeschooled can meet with other children who are being homeschooled so they are not socially isolated from students of their own age. So, that’s good because they should be able to mix with other children and not be so isolated. And yes, it’s a good service if they do well in their studies, because that’s a good recommendation for Krishna consciousness. It’s also a type of service to do well in their studies, to bring credit to the movement and to their devotee families.

So, these are good questions. But if there is more. . . I’m not sure if I’ve answered exactly everything you asked, so if there is more, you can inquire further.

Devotee: I’ve got what you were saying, thank you so much, Maharaja. I’m currently homeschooling my daughter and I always think about the future, couple of years from now, how will she be able to adjust, or how will she go to college? Those kinds of questions kind of bother me at times. I just thought I’ll just clarify with you, Guru Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Okay. I mean, there is one young lady in our community of devotees here, and she was homeschooled, and she is doing very well in college, extremely well. I mean, she is one example, I’m sure there is more. So, that could be another idea, that you could maybe speak to the girl, speak to the girl’s parents, their experience of homeschooling her, and how she has turned out to be such a good person, a good devotee, and a good student in college.

Devotee: Thank you, Maharaja. With your blessings, we’ll be able to do it nicely.

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, blessings for you and your children.

Devotee: Thank you so much, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Devotee: In relation to not becoming attached, sometimes if we are quite empathetic, when we are helping other people, if we feel that devotees are suffering, different devotees that we are trying to assist and guide in their spiritual rise, if we really feel their suffering, if they are not speaking about it, we can feel, sometimes we can become attached to them not suffering anymore. If you are attached and they are suffering, you can understand that it’s their journey, their karma that they have to overcome obstacles that they need to hear and learn from. So, it’s not that you want to be the controller, but still, one can feel sad if we feel their suffering.

So, it’s a fine line. Because if we are feeling really Krishna conscious then these things we know we put love there and we can pray for devotees and help them. But other times, we find ourselves, our mood changing. If they are feeling inspired in their spiritual lives, we feel a lot more peaceful. And then if something happens, even if they haven’t spoken about their suffering, but we speculate that they might be going through a time of suffering, our mood can be despondent or we can feel a bit negative. So, it’s being affected by others in this way of attachment.

Because I fall into this trap sometimes. I mean, obviously, my main connection being a mother is when it’s one of your children or something. So, therefore, I’m realizing in my own life, you get to a point where you do become more detached in a healthy way, but that bond, I get affected and I don’t want to be affected so much in an unhealthy way.

I know [Unintelligible 01:24:10] Bhaktitirtha Maharaja says about if someone is suffering, you feel they are suffering. But just having that distance from the suffering so that you can remain, and how you are helping them is purer without the parental attachment or friendship attachment even, they’ve become like daughters and sons. So, you catch yourself in too much of a control in a compassionate way. It seems like a fine line. It catches me at times.

Giriraj Swami: Our general process for not becoming materially attached is to become spiritually attached to Krishna. And to the extent that we are spiritually attached to Krishna, we’ll be materially detached. And in our efforts to help others, we can naturally hope for a good outcome, but then again, we are not the supreme controllers, Krishna’s the Supreme Controller. So, ultimately, we have to depend on Him. As Krishna tells Arjuna in the Bhagavad-gītā, “Fight and think of Me.” And we have to depend on Krishna for the result.

Devotee: Yeah. I suppose by focusing on our strength in our surrender to Krishna, then even if we externally might feel we don’t know what to do, it makes our association, and Krishna will give us the intelligence how to help them through the journey that they may be going through or something. Because to focus on Krishna, it doesn’t mean that you are neglecting souls that you are helping, it just means you become hopefully more empowered to assist them and know how to assist them.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, to become an instrument.

Devotee: So, thank you, Guru Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Okay.

Host: Maharaja, there is one more question. And before I completely forget, Maharaja, I request that if you can speak on the Sita-Rama and Lakshman and Hanuman installations and Prabhupada’s instructions and the pastimes from the day the Deities were installed from the Rama-navami aspect. I request if you can share Prabhupada’s instructions from that day of these installations.

Giriraj Swami: I will do that. So, should we let Shanti ask her question?

Host: Yes, yes, Maharaja.

Devotee: Thank you. Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja. Guru Maharaja, is it possible to enlighten us on ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, where chanting cleanses the heart of devotees? I mean, it cleanses the heart, which is full of dust, which has actually accumulated since time immemorial. What does that dust or impurities, what do they refer to? Do they refer to false ego? Material desires? Prabhu, please enlighten us on this, thank you.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, that’s a good question, and you have the basic idea of the answer. What are the dirty things, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam? Srila Prabhupada said, “The first dirty thing is identifying with the body, thinking you are the body.” That’s the first dirty thing. And that can be cleansed by chanting. When that’s gone, that false identification with the body, then everything else follows very easily and smoothly.

Devotee: Okay. Thank you so much, Guru Maharaja, thanks a lot.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Devotee: Hare Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: So, coming back to the question of the deities, in Juhu, Srila Prabhupada did discuss with me the deities we should have. So, he settled on Gaura-Nitai and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta and our Srila Prabhupada for the left altar, like in Vrindavan. Then for the central altar, we already had Radha-Rasabihari, and I suggested that we also add Lalita and Vishaka. And Srila Prabhupada got very excited and he said, “Excellent idea!” I didn’t think it was that brilliant because we already had that altar in Vrindavan, but I said it, and Prabhupada was very happy with the idea.

And then we came to the right altar, where we have Sita-Rama, Lakshman, and Hanuman, and there was some discussion. And Srila Prabhupada himself said that there are a lot of devotees of Rama in Bombay, so it would be good for them, for all the devotees of Rama, if we have Sita-Rama. Then again, the question, should it be just Sita-Rama? And we settled on the full; Sita-Rama, Lakshman, and Hanuman. So, it’s a beautiful temple, wonderful deities.

Host: Thank you so much, Maharaja, for sharing the pastimes.

Giriraj Swami: Jaya!

Host: Malati Mataji, go ahead.

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja, please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to Your Divine Grace.

Guru Maharaja, how do you develop determination and enthusiasm in yourself, especially determination, actually? I wanted to know more about determination.

Giriraj Swami: Well, first is enthusiasm, utsāhā. And Srila Prabhupada said that you develop enthusiasm by following all the rules and regulations. Then the enthusiasm will come. Determination, I would say, comes from hearing. Because determination, in a way, is a function of intelligence, and by hearing, your intelligence becomes strengthened. Srila Prabhupada also said that you strengthen your intelligence by using it, like exercise. If you exercise with your body, your muscles become stronger. So, if you exercise your intelligence, your intelligence becomes stronger. So, both by exercise and by hearing, your intelligence becomes stronger, and that will give you the determination. Determination means that even if it’s difficult, you still do it because you are determined.

In the Bhagavad-gītā, Srila Prabhupada writes that there are certain activities that are called determined, such as fasting on Janmashtami and Ekādaśī. So, we should be determined to finish up our Krishna consciousness in this lifetime and go back to Godhead.

Devotee: Thank you so much, Guru Maharaja, thank you.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Devotee: Hare Krishna.

Host: Sachi Prabhu?

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja. Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Guru Maharaja, my Question is about how Caitanya Mahaprabhu instructs us to be tolerant and humble in bhakti, but often when doing that, we become a doormat for people to step on and treat us unfairly. Then it becomes a dilemma in ourselves, because we are not as humble yet. So, there comes a dilemma in ourselves about how much we can tolerate. So, how to deal with that situation, Guru Maharaja?

Giriraj Swami: That’s a good question. I wrote a little essay called, “How much can you tolerate?” And in the essay, I mentioned Prahlada Maharaja, that sometimes you have to tolerate because you have no choice. Prahlada Maharaja had to tolerate so much, and he really had no choice because he was just a five-year-old boy and his father was so powerful and cruel. Our philosophy is to be the servant of the servant, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. Srila Prabhupada advised us to address one another as Prabhu. Prabhu means master. So, if the other is Prabhu, that means we are the servant, dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. You say that you could do that, but people might take advantage and use you as a doormat. Could you give an example of someone taking advantage of you?

Devotee: Sometimes it’s about tolerating with family, sometimes it’s about devotees, and most of the times it’s with non-devotees, because they do not understand that we are just simply trying to be nice to them, we are just trying to tolerate. But sometimes it just becomes a lot to handle, and when we react eventually, it’s a big reaction, and everyone’s shocked. It’s like, “How could you react like that?”

Giriraj Swami: I see. Well, it sounds like you might need to set some limits and draw some boundaries, because especially dealing with materialistic people, they may take advantage. So, you do need to be careful. We are in the material world, and there is danger at every step. So, you may need to be careful and not just blindly, humbly, serve everyone. The Nectar of Instruction also gives advice, because there are the six-fold loving exchanges,

dadāti pratigṛhṇāti

guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati

bhuṅkte bhojayate caiva

ṣaḍ-vidhaṁ prīti-lakṣaṇam

And in the purport, Srila Prabhupada explains that we have to apply these six-fold exchanges intelligently. And to apply them intelligently, we have to distinguish between different grades of devotees. So, I think the same principle would apply to being a humble servant. You have to apply the principle intelligently, considering the status of the other person.

One other point about people taking advantage—Srila Prabhupada said, “If someone takes advantage of us but we don’t lose, we don’t mind.” The example was that at the first Delhi pandal, at Connaught Circus, which was attended by twenty thousand people every night, there were some politicians who came forward to serve, but some devotees informed Srila Prabhupada that they have their material motives. They want to be seen, to be associated with us, to become popular, and get votes from the people who are attending the pandal program. And Srila Prabhupada said that if people take advantage of us and we don’t lose, then we don’t mind. So, all right, people may take advantage of you, but if you don’t lose, then what’s the harm? But if you do lose, then you have to be careful.

Devotee: Guru Maharaja, about being selectively humble and tolerant at different degrees, that would mean that our behavior is different with every individual. Is that okay?

Giriraj Swami: Internally, we should always be humble and tolerant, but in dealing with people practically, there may be things that we shouldn’t tolerate, such as blasphemy. We are not supposed to tolerate blasphemy of devotees, for example. So, yes, internally, we should always be humble at heart.

Devotee: Thank you so much.

Giriraj Swami: Okay.

Devotee: Hare Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Host: It was the last question, Maharaja. It’s 9:59 p.m.

Giriraj Swami: Alright, we can end. And let us conclude by offering Vaishnava praṇāma.

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 everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.

vāñchā-kalpa-tarubhyaś ca
kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca
patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo
vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ