SB 2.7.14, 7.5.12 – Nrsimha-caturdasi

Host (Naveen Krishna das): Hare Krishna. Dapavan Prabhu and Alek Prabhu for wonderful kirtan, thank you very much, on this auspicious day of Lord Nṛsiṁha’s appearance day, and Maharaja is here. Hare Krishna, Maharaja, very happy to see you, Happy Nṛsiṁha day. I was asked to give an introduction. Of course, Maharaja doesn’t need introduction for my own purification, so I’ll just introduce Maharaja. Then, after that, Maharaja will be doing kirtan, and then eventually, he will read a lecture followed by questions and answers. I was told Maharaja has a hard stop at 8:30 so based on when he stops, then he’ll be able to accommodate questions and follow Nṛsiṁhadeva prayers, and then we’ll end the program with announcements. So, that’s the schedule for today. Let me start.

So, Maharaja we all know, Giriraj Swami Maharaja is initiated and before that, his name was Glenn Phillip Teton. So, he was actually studying in the Brandeis University in Boston, and he met the devotees there in late 1960s, especially he met Srila Prabhupada, founder-acharya of ISKCON in 1969 while he was studying. And during his brief introduction with Prabhupada and the devotees, Maharaja developed very sincere and serious desire for spiritual path. However, he waited until he completed his degree, studies, and then he eventually joined them, and he took up his path very seriously. And in a short time, he became a leader, and then eventually was asked to go to India in 1972. And ever since he left, he went to India, and he was doing a lot of services with the direction of Prabhupada. Then, Prabhupada gave him sannyasa, he was the main person while Prabhupada was there building the temple. So, you all know, I got my first copy today of I Will Build You a Temple. Thank you, Maharaja, I got this today.

He is also the author of many other books, especially this book I Will Build You a Temple, about his personal experience, his own realizations, he gave so much of [Unintelligible 00:33:52]. We recommend all the devotees get a copy, Columbus, Lalita Mataji has a copy. Besides this, he also did many other projects, he traveled around the world by so many people. Right now, he has been based in Carpinteria, California, and there, he is writing the books to spread across the globe.

So, without any further delay, I request Maharaja, please take over from here. And then, if you are not talking, please put yourself in mute, and also, we request all the devotees please turn on your videos, Maharaja would like to see your name with your face. So, if possible, if it is not an emergency, please show your videos and names. Thank you, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: I’ll begin by singing the maṅgala-ācaraṇa prayers and leading a short kirtan. And then, we will speak about Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva.

[Prayers]

Hare Krishna. Happy Nṛsiṁha-caturdaśi. I will read two verses from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam about Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. The first one will give an overview of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva’s appearance and pastimes, and the second one will explore Prahlada Maharaja’s beautiful mentality. So, we’ll begin with Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Two, Chapter Seven, Scheduled Incarnations, Text Fourteen.

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

Again, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Two, Chapter Seven, Scheduled Incarnations, Text Fourteen.

TEXT 14

trai-piṣṭaporu-bhaya-hā sa nṛsiṁha-rūpaṁ

kṛtvā bhramad-bhrukuṭi-daṁṣṭra-karāla-vaktram

daityendram āśu gadayābhipatantam ārād

ūrau nipātya vidadāra nakhaiḥ sphurantam

TRANSLATION

The Personality of Godhead assumed the incarnation of Nṛsiṁhadeva in order to vanquish the great fears of the demigods. He killed the king of the demons [Hiraṇyakaśipu], who challenged the Lord with a club in his hand, by placing the demon on His thighs and piercing him with His nails, rolling His eyebrows in anger and showing His fearful teeth and mouth.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

The history of Hiraṇyakaśipu and his great devotee-son Prahlāda Mahārāja is narrated in the Seventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Hiraṇyakaśipu became very powerful by material achievements and thought himself to be immortal by the grace of Brahmājī.

COMMENT

Yes, Hiraṇyakaśipu performed such severe austerities that the whole universe was disturbed. And ultimately, Lord Brahma, the chief demigod in charge of the universe, came to Hiraṇyakaśipu to ask him to desist from performing his severe austerities, which were creating such a disturbance in the universe. But Hiraṇyakaśipu wanted some boons from Lord Brahma.

PURPORT (continued)

Hiraṇyakaśipu became very powerful by material achievements and thought himself to be immortal by the grace of Brahmājī. Brahmājī declined to award him the benediction of immortality because he himself is not an immortal being.

COMMENT

So, Lord Brahma has a very long duration of life, but he is not immortal. So, he told Hiraṇyakaśipu, “I myself am not immortal, so how can I make you immortal?”

PURPORT (continued)

But Hiraṇyakaśipu derived Brahmājī’s benediction in a roundabout way, almost equal to becoming an immortal being.

COMMENT

So, these are the boons that Hiraṇyakaśipu requested from Lord Brahma and which Lord Brahma granted.

PURPORT (continued)

Hiraṇyakaśipu was sure that he would not be killed by any man or demigod or by any kind of known weapon, nor would he die in day or night. The Lord, however, assumed the incarnation of half-man and half-lion, which was beyond the imagination of a materialistic demon like Hiraṇyakaśipu, and thus, keeping pace with the benediction of Brahmājī, the Lord killed him. He killed him on His lap, so that he was killed neither on the land nor on the water nor in the sky. The demon was pierced by Nṛsiṁha’s nails, which were beyond the human weapons imaginable by Hiraṇyakaśipu. The literal meaning of Hiraṇyakaśipu is one who is after gold and soft bedding, the ultimate aim of all materialistic men. Such demonic men, who have no relationship with God, gradually become puffed up by material acquisitions and begin to challenge the authority of the Supreme Lord and torture those who are devotees of the Lord.

COMMENT

So, in this part of the purport, Srila Prabhupada is making the point that Hiraṇyakaśipu exemplified materialistic persons. They want gold or money, and they want soft bed for sensual enjoyment, and they become proud of their acquired power and wealth, and they harassed devotees or tortured devotees.

PURPORT (continued)

Such demonic men, who have no relationship with God, gradually become puffed up by material acquisitions and begin to challenge the authority of the Supreme Lord and torture those who are devotees of the Lord. Prahlāda Mahārāja happened to be the son of Hiraṇyakaśipu, and because the boy was a great devotee, his father tortured him to the best of his ability. In this extreme situation, the Lord assumed the incarnation of Nṛsiṁhadeva, and just to finish the enemy of the demigods, the Lord killed Hiraṇyakaśipu in a manner beyond the demon’s imagination. Materialistic plans of godless demons are always frustrated by the all-powerful Lord.

COMMENT

So, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva’s appearance was extraordinary because He kept intact all of Lord Brahma’s boons to Hiraṇyakaśipu. That he would not be killed in the day or night, so he was killed at twilight, at dusk, which is neither day nor night. Hiraṇyakaśipu was given the boon that he would not be killed inside or outside, indoors or outdoors, and so Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva killed him just on the threshold of the palace, not really inside and not really outside. And he was given the boon that he would not be killed by any man or demigod or animal, and Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva was none of those, He was a unique form, half man and half lion. So, all these different boons that Hiraṇyakaśipu obtained from Lord Brahma in his attempt to become immortal were fulfilled by Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, He kept all the boons intact, and still, He killed the great demon Hiraṇyakaśipu.

Now, I will read from the Seventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I spoke on this in Columbus. This is Canto Seven, Chapter Five, Prahlāda, the Saintly Son of Hiraṇyakaśipu, Text Twelve.

TEXT 12

sa yadānuvrataḥ puṁsāṁ

paśu-buddhir vibhidyate

anya eṣa tathānyo ‘ham

iti bheda-gatāsatī

TRANSLATION

When the Supreme Personality of Godhead is pleased with the living entity because of his devotional service, one becomes a paṇḍita and does not make distinctions between enemies, friends and himself. Intelligently, he then thinks, “Every one of us is an eternal servant of God, and therefore we are not different from one another.”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

When Prahlāda Mahārāja’s teachers and demoniac father asked him how his intelligence had been polluted, Prahlāda Mahārāja said, “As far as I am concerned, my intelligence has not been polluted. Rather, by the grace of my spiritual master and by the grace of my Lord, Kṛṣṇa, I have now learned that no one is my enemy and no one is my friend.

COMMENT

So, Hiraṇyakaśipu had entrusted his son, Prahlada, to be taught by Sananda and Amarka, who were two sons of Sukracharya, who is the guru of the demons. And when Hiraṇyakaśipu asked Prahlada what was the best thing he had learned from his teachers, instead of answering what his father would have liked to have heard, he replied, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ. Vishnu, Hiraṇyakaśipu’s mortal enemy. śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam. The nine processes of devotional service, nava-vidhi-bhakti.

So, when Hiraṇyakaśipu heard this answer, he became furious at Prahlada’s teachers, because he blamed them for Prahlada’s deviant mentality. So, he called for the teachers and interrogated them, “How have you allowed this to happen?” And they said, “We haven’t allowed it.” He said, “Well, you are allowing Vaishnavas in disguise to enter the school.” They said, “No, we are not.” Then, Hiraṇyakaśipu said, “Well, then how has he become Krishna conscious?” And the teacher said, “We don’t know, you better ask him.”

So, Hiraṇyakaśipu asked Prahlada, and Prahlada replied with three very beautiful and important verses. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ. Yeah, maybe I’ll read them because they are very significant. So, Prahlada replied. . . This is in response to the question of how he became Krishna conscious. So, he replied in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Seven, Chapter Five, Text Thirty.

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.

COMMENT

That’s punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām. If you chew something and get all the juice out of it, then if you chew it again, what will you get? There is nothing, there is no juice left, it’s just chewing the chewed, there is nothing really there. But still, materialistic people, they try to enjoy the same thing again and again in different forms, but they do not get any real happiness.

TEXT 30 (again)

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, this is a very intriguing answer. “How did you become Krishna conscious?” So, Prahlada says that one cannot become Krishna conscious by his own efforts or by the efforts of others or by the combined efforts of oneself and others. So, it seems that all the logical possibilities have been excluded. So, how do you become Krishna conscious?

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

Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ, they don’t understand that that’s the goal of life and that’s their real interest.

TEXT 31

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

And now, Prahlada comes to the point of how one can become Krishna conscious.

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.

COMMENT

Thank you, Srila Prabhupada.

TEXT 32 continued

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

So, in effect, Prahlada was telling his father, “You don’t need to worry about becoming Krishna conscious because you are too proud, you’ll never bow down to the lotus feet of a pure devotee. So, you don’t have to worry about becoming Krishna conscious, but that is the only way, to smear upon one’s body the dust of the lotus feet of the pure devotee.” So, this is some of the background.

So now, we come to this verse; 7.5.12. And I read the translation and the first two sentences of the purport, now I’ll continue.

PURPORT (continued)

We are all actually eternal servants of Kṛṣṇa, but under the influence of the external energy we think that we are separately situated from the Supreme Personality of Godhead as friends and enemies of one another.

COMMENT

So, Hiraṇyakaśipu was a great politician, and the basic conception in politics is friends and enemies.

PURPORT (continued)

This mistaken idea has now been corrected, and therefore, unlike ordinary human beings, I no longer think that I am God and that others are my friends and enemies.

COMMENT

This statement reminds me of something my dear godbrother Bhurijana Prabhu said about the psychology of conditioned souls. Although they may not say it openly, but their mentality is this, everyone is walking around with this idea, “Excuse me, I have a very important announcement to make. I am the center of the universe and everyone should support me in my desires.” Bhurijana Prabhu also said that people generally go through life as if it were a movie or a drama in which they are the hero or heroine, and they think everyone else is the supporting cast who is meant to support them in their heroic adventures.

So, you can imagine how much conflict rises, because I’m thinking I’m the hero of this movie, you are meant to support me, and the other person is thinking, No, I’m the hero of the movie, you are meant to support me. And like this, everyone is thinking they are the center of the universe or they are the hero of the drama, and everyone should support them and obey them.

PURPORT (continued)

I no longer think that I am God and that others are my friends and enemies.

COMMENT

“If you support me, you are my friend, and if you don’t support me, you are my enemy.”

PURPORT (continued)

Now I am rightly thinking that everyone is an eternal servant of God and that our duty is to serve the supreme master, for then we shall stand on the platform of oneness as servants.”

Demons think of everyone as a friend or enemy, but Vaiṣṇavas say that since everyone is a servant of the Lord, everyone is on the same platform. Therefore a Vaiṣṇava treats other living entities neither as friends nor as enemies, but instead tries to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, teaching everyone that we are all one as servants of the Supreme Lord but are uselessly wasting our valuable lives by creating nations, communities and other groups of friends and enemies. Everyone should come to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and thus feel oneness as a servant of the Lord. Although there are 8,400,000 species of life, a Vaiṣṇava feels this oneness. The Īśopaniṣad advises, ekatvam anupaśyataḥ. A devotee should see the Supreme Personality of Godhead to be situated in everyone’s heart and should also see every living entity as an eternal servant of the Lord.

COMMENT

What a beautiful vision that is.

PURPORT (continued)

This vision is called ekatvam, oneness. Although there is a relationship of master and servant, both master and servant are one because of their spiritual identity. This is also ekatvam. Thus the conception of ekatvam for the Vaiṣṇava is different from that of the Māyāvādī.

COMMENT

So, oneness, we want oneness and the Mayavadis want oneness, but our conception of oneness and the Mayavadis’ conception of oneness are completely different. We want oneness in the sense of we are all one as servants of the Supreme Lord, and we are one with the Supreme Lord in that we and the Supreme Lord are both spiritual. But we are different because the Lord is the master, and we are the servants.

This is what Srila Prabhupada calls the sublime philosophy of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, acintya-bhedābheda-tattva, inconceivable, simultaneous oneness and difference. We are one in quality, we are spiritual, but we are different in quantity. As Srila Prabhupada says, “God is infinite. We have the same qualities, but God is infinite, and we are infinite simal,” or as we would say, infinitesimal.

So, there has to be oneness. If there is no oneness, there can be no possibility of a relationship. Unless there is something common between two people, there cannot be any relationship. So, there is something common, we are spiritual, God is spiritual and we are spiritual. But because God is great and we are small, the relationship is that He is the master and we are the servants. And that’s fine, that’s good, that’s our natural position. Jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya-dāsa, we are eternal servants of Krishna.

PURPORT (continued)

Hiraṇyakaśipu asked Prahlāda Mahārāja how he had become antagonistic to his family. When a family member is killed by an enemy, all the members of the family would naturally be inimical to the murderer, but Hiraṇyakaśipu saw that Prahlāda had become friendly with the murderer.

COMMENT

So, Hiraṇyakaśipu had a brother named Hiraṇyakṣa, another demon, who was killed by Vishnu in the form of Varahadeva. So here, Srila Prabhupada is saying that if someone murders a family member, as Vishnu killed Hiraṇyakaśipu’s brother Hiraṇyakṣa, one would naturally become inimical to that murderer. But Prahlada, to the contrary, was favorable to Vishnu.

PURPORT (continued)

When a family member is killed by an enemy, all the members of the family would naturally be inimical to the murderer, but Hiraṇyakaśipu saw that Prahlāda had become friendly with the murderer. Therefore he asked, “Who has created this kind of intelligence in you? Have you developed this consciousness by yourself? Since you are a small boy, someone must have induced you to think this way.” Prahlāda Mahārāja wanted to reply that an attitude favorable toward Viṣṇu can develop only when the Lord is favorable (sa yadānuvrataḥ). As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa is the friend of everyone (suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati). The Lord is never an enemy to any of the millions of living entities, but is always a friend to everyone. This is true understanding. If one thinks that the Lord is an enemy. . .

COMMENT

As Hiraṇyakaśipu did.

PURPORT (continued)

If one thinks that the Lord is an enemy, his intelligence is paśu-buddhi, the intelligence of an animal. He falsely thinks, “I am different from my enemy, and my enemy is different from me. The enemy has done this, and therefore my duty is to kill him.” This misconception is described in this verse as bheda-gatāsatī.

COMMENT

Disastrous.

PURPORT (continued)

The actual fact is that everyone is a servant of the Lord, as confirmed in Caitanya-caritāmṛta by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu (jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’). As servants of the Lord, we are one, and there can be no questions of enmity or friendship. If one actually understands that every one of us is a servant of the Lord, where is the question of enemy or friend?

COMMENT

And this last paragraph is so wonderful as a guide to devotees how to relate with one another.

PURPORT (continued)

Everyone should be friendly for the service of the Lord.

COMMENT

I’ll repeat that.

PURPORT (continued)

Everyone should be friendly for the service of the Lord. Everyone should praise another’s service to the Lord and not be proud of his own service. This is the way of Vaiṣṇava thinking, Vaikuṇṭha thinking. There may be rivalries and apparent competition between servants in performing service, but in the Vaikuṇṭha planets the service of another servant is appreciated, not condemned. This is Vaikuṇṭha competition.

COMMENT

But Srila Prabhupada has explained the difference between transcendental competition and material competition, which involves envy. In transcendental competition, the devotee accepts the good qualities or the good service of the other devotee in serving and pleasing Krishna, but he wants to excel the other devotee in good qualities or in nice service, to give Krishna more pleasure. In other words, there is a recognition of the good qualities and service of the other.

Whereas in a mundane competition where there is envy, the one does not recognize the good service or the good qualities of the other. And if someone praises the other, then the one, “Oh, I don’t think he is all that good. I know more about him than you do, and I can tell you a lot about him, and he is not all that good.” So, that’s envy, we try to put ourselves up by pulling someone down. Whereas in transcendental competition, we see that the other person is up, and we want to push them higher, and by doing so, we go higher ourselves.

PURPORT (continued)

There may be rivalries and apparent competition between servants in performing service, but in the Vaikuṇṭha planets the service of another servant is appreciated, not condemned. This is Vaikuṇṭha competition. There is no question of enmity between servants. Everyone should be allowed to render service to the Lord to the best of his ability, and everyone should appreciate the service of others. Such are the activities of Vaikuṇṭha. Since everyone is a servant, everyone is on the same platform and is allowed to serve the Lord according to his ability. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15), sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: the Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, giving dictation according to the attitude of the servant. However, the Lord gives different dictation to the nondevotees and devotees. The nondevotees challenge the authority of the Supreme Lord, and therefore the Lord dictates in such a way that the nondevotees forget the Lord’s service, life after life, and are punished by the laws of nature. But when a devotee very sincerely wants to render service to the Lord, the Lord dictates in a different way. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gītā (10.10):

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.” Everyone is actually a servant, not an enemy or friend, and everyone is working under different directions from the Lord, who directs each living entity according to his mentality.

COMMENT

So, this is another application of acintya-bhedābheda-tattva; we are all one as servants of the Lord, but we are different because we are all individuals, and we have our individual ways of serving the Lord and giving pleasure to the Lord. And that variegatedness amongst the servants gives more pleasure to the Lord. Just like a bouquet of flowers that has different kinds of flowers or a vase of flowers is very attractive.

So, thank you for inviting me on the auspicious occasion of Nṛsiṁha-caturdaśi and giving me the opportunity to remember Hiraṇyakaśipu also and Prahlada Maharaja and Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. So now, we can take questions and comments. So, if you have any question or comment, raise your hand.

I see Priti Radhika raised her hand.

Devotee (Priti Radhika): Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja, daṇḍavat-praṇāmās.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Devotee (Priti Radhika): Maharaja, I wanted to know what is the significance of Nṛsiṁha kavacam because I have seen many devotees wear a necklace with Nṛsiṁha kavacam. So, what is the significance? How does it protect? And should we wear it? Should all of us wear it?

Giriraj Swami: No, it’s. . . I mean, yes. I mean, it can give protection, for sure, but it’s not required that everyone should do it. I mean, Srila Prabhupada didn’t do it. So, I think it’s really an individual matter. Some devotees may want to do so, and that is certainly fine if they do, but not everyone will, and you don’t have to.

Devotee (Priti Radhika): Okay, thank you, Guru Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, I mean Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva is there. Everyday, we sing ito nṛsiṁhaḥ parato nṛsiṁho yato yato yāmi tato nṛsiṁhaḥ, “Nṛsiṁhadeva is here, Nṛsiṁhadeva is there, wherever I go, there is Nṛsiṁhadeva,” bahir nṛsiṁho hṛdaye nṛsiṁho, “He is outside and He is within my heart as well,” nṛsiṁham ādiṁ śaraṇaṁ prapadye, “Surrender to Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva who is the origin and shelter.” So, He is everywhere.

Devotee (Priti Radhika): Okay, thank you, Guru Maharaja.

Host (Naveen Krishna das): Hare Krishna, dear devotees. If you want to ask a question, either you can type a question or you can unmute yourself or raise your question by putting the raise button.

Giriraj Swami: I see five hands up.

Host (Naveen Krishna das): Okay.

Giriraj Swami: So, I don’t want to be partial, I don’t want to create friends or enemies, so we’ll let the organizer of the program decide who will speak first.

Host (ISKCON Columbus): So, the hands, I can see them in the order they raised, so Rama Tirtha Prabhu can go first.

Devotee (Rama Tirtha das): Thank you, thank you, Alec Prabhu. Thank you so much, Maharaja, for your wonderful association today. Maharaja, from this purport, there are two points that I was thinking. The purport mentions that the attitude favorable toward Vishnu can develop only when the Lord is favorable. But the Lord always wants everybody, all the conditioned living entities, to go back to Him. So, from that perspective, the Lord is always favorable for people to go back to Him, right? So, I could not understand that statement, could you please elaborate on that, Maharaja?

And the second point is in the same purport, it is mentioned, Prabhupada mentions that Lord dictates in such a way that the non-devotees forget the Lord’s service life after life, and are punished by the loss of nature. So, that statement also indicates that the non-devotees, life after life, are punished by the loss of nature. So then, how do they come out of the cycle? If the Lord is dictating those living entities in that way, so how do they come out of that cycle?

Giriraj Swami: Well, they come out of the cycle by the mercy of a devotee, exactly what we read, naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghriṁ spṛśaty anarthāpagamo yad-arthaḥ. So, they can come out of the cycle by the mercy of a devotee, and when the devotee is merciful, then the Lord will be merciful. The Lord’s mercy follows the mercy of the devotee. And as far as the Lord being favorable or not, as the Lord says in the Bhagavad-gītā, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante, “As people approach Me, I reciprocate accordingly.” So, although internally the Lord is favorable to everyone, but if someone approaches the Lord in a defiant way, in a challenging way, inimical way, then the Lord will reciprocate and not be favorable to that person in the same way that He is favorable to someone who is favorable to the Lord, which is natural.

Devotee (Rama Tirtha das): Thank you, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Host (ISKCON Columbus): Harry Krishna can go next. 

Devotee (Harry Krishna): Hare Krishna. Giriraj Swami, regarding the question by Mother Priti Radhika about the Nṛsiṁha kavacam, I heard a class today by Bhakti Chaitanya Swami, somebody asked a question about how in Krishna’s pastimes different demons are killed and those demons represent different anarthas. And so, he read something else, somebody asked, “What does the killing of this demon represent?” And he read from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and Prabhupada writes that actually, we are trying to kill our material desires, actually that’s what’s the real demon. And some devotees pray to Lord Nṛsiṁha for the protection for health and different things, but the real disease or danger is material desires. So, he mentioned that point in the class today. Hare Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, that’s good, that’s good, there is a nice prayer by Prahlada in the Fifth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in which he prays to Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, “Please, please, vanquish the demon-like desires of fruitive activities in my heart.” Yes, very good.

So, I see three more hands.

Host (Naveen Krishna das): Yeah, next is Siddhi Lalasa Mataji.

Devotee (Siddhi Lalasa dasi): Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Devotee (Siddhi Lalasa dasi): My question is about parents who complain that their children are not interested in Krishna consciousness. And that's what we heard from Prahlada Maharaja, he says even by the advice of others, people can take to Krishna consciousness. But the parents, they are themselves initiated devotees, they have received the mercy of guru, and their children are also in touch with guru. So, how do we explain this?

Giriraj Swami: Now, what’s the question?

Devotee (Siddhi Lalasa dasi): So, the question is that the parents, they complain that their children are not taking to Krishna consciousness.

Giriraj Swami: They complain that their children are not taking to Krishna consciousness?

Devotee (Siddhi Lalasa dasi): Yes, and they are in touch with the gurus, but they themselves are devotees and in touch with advanced devotees, they are getting so much mercy. So, how do we explain that the children are not able to take the mercy that they are receiving?

Giriraj Swami: Well, we are all individuals and we have free will. So, we can take to Krishna consciousness or not take to Krishna consciousness. As His Holiness Ṛtadhvaja Swami says, children may be born in the Hare Krishna movement, but they still have to decide to join the Hare Krishna movement. And that, to an extent, depends on us, how we attract them to want to join, although they are already born in it. So, I’m not sure I’ve answered your question, not sure exactly what the question was, but that was my thought on hearing about the situation you described.

I mean, the mercy is there, but you have to take it. That’s your choice, if you take it or not. And why do some take it and some not? That’s their free will. But we should try to induce them to take it, of course, naturally. But they may or may not.

Do you have more on this topic?

Devotee (Siddhi Lalasa dasi): No.

Host (Naveen Krishna das): Next, Rukmini Mataji.

Devotee (Rukmi Devi dasi): Daṇḍavat-praṇāmās. Maharaja, thank you for the nice class. So, I had started reading your book, although I haven’t finished it, and of course, I’ve read a bit in the Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta. So, there is a lot in this book about the saga of Mr. Nair, and I had read about the point where he had actually somehow gotten people to come and demolish the temple of Radha-Krishna, that had been erected on the land and they actually demolished a large part of it, although they didn’t get the Deity room.

So, in this purport, we are being asked to consider everyone as the servant of the Lord and not to consider anyone as friends and enemies. This person certainly seems like an enemy. And I don’t remember, I think you said that at some point, Prabhupada said that everyone would go back to Godhead, but Mr. Nair could stay here. So, could you give some perspective about what it really means to see everyone as a servant of the Lord and not to see any friends and enemies?

Giriraj Swami: Well, everyone by nature is a servant of the Lord, jīvera svarūpa haya kṛṣṇera nitya-dāsa, but some people are acting inimically towards the Lord, and we as servants of the Lord cannot be friends of an enemy of the Lord. They are not our enemies in a personal sense, but because they are inimical to the Lord and we are servants of the Lord, devotees of the Lord, we can’t really be friends with them.

So, Mr. Nair is very interesting. The verse was like that, the Bhāgavatam verse was like that, it was about demons in allay, and it just led into my discussing the history of Hare Krishna Land. And during the course of the talk, I referred to Mr. Nair and some of his accomplices as demons. And after the class, my dear godbrother, His Grace Virabhau Prabhu, approached me and said that he doesn’t usually like it when devotees call people demons, “But after hearing this, I have to agree, they actually were demons.”

And speaking about Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, Srila Prabhupada commented, or he wrote, he wrote a letter that Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva had killed the demon, Nair. He even said that he had prayed for it, Prabhupada had prayed for it. Of course, maybe I shouldn’t have said that because that’s quite confidential, someone might think that’s odd. But anyway, Prabhupada said he was causing too much trouble to the Deities and to the devotees.

And there was another. . . A very nice statement by Prahlada Maharaja came into this story. So, on a Sunday, I was out preaching near Dhobitalao in Mumbai, near Metro Cinema, and there were vendors who sell magazines and newspapers on the sidewalk. And I didn’t usually pay much attention, but that day, I happened to look down and I saw this headline across the Bharat Jyoti, which was the Sunday edition of the Free Press Journal where Nair was the editor. And it said, “A.B. Nair dead.” And I felt jubilant, I felt like dancing in the street. But then, I checked myself and I thought, I’m supposed to be sadhu, I’m supposed to be developing saintly qualities. Is this an appropriate way to respond when I hear that someone has died?

Anyway, we thought this was a very important event to report to Srila Prabhupada who was in New Zealand. And at that time, Prabhupada’s disciple, Bali Mardana dasa, was visiting Bombay, and he was more senior and he had, in a way, more experience with Srila Prabhupada. And so, he phoned Srila Prabhupada. And so, Prabhupada had Srutakirti Prabhu take the call, and he reported to Srila Prabhupada, “It’s Bali Mardana, he says that Nair is dead.” And then, Prabhupada folded his palms over his head and said, “Thank you, Krishna. Thank you, Krishna. I was praying for this.”

But still, I was wondering about my reaction, whether it was appropriate or not to feel happy. And then, Srila Prabhupada wrote a letter to a few of us supporters in Bombay, saying, “I’ve received one telephonic message today that Nair is dead, and if that’s the case, it is a great occasion for rejoicing,” and he quoted Prahlada Maharaja, that even a saintly person takes pleasure when a snake or a scorpion is killed. And he said, “Nair was a big snake.” So, it was not inappropriate to feel happy. And that line of Prahlada Maharaja, “Even a saintly person takes pleasure when a snake or a scorpion is killed,” is very significant.

Srila Prabhupada recounted an incident when he was visiting his Guru Maharaja in Mayapur, I mean, his Guru Maharaja came out on the balcony, and he saw that there was a snake in the garden, and he ordered his disciples to kill the snake. And our Srila Prabhupada was very surprised because devotees, we don’t kill even an insect. But then later, Srila Prabhupada came across that line from Prahlada Maharaja, that even a saintly person takes pleasure when a snake or a scorpion is killed, and then he said, “Oh yes, what Guru Maharaja ordered was correct.”

Devotee (Rukmi devi dasi): Thank you very much, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Host (Naveen Krishna das): Maharaja, it is 8:30 p.m., would you like to take more questions, or how is the time?

Giriraj Swami: I’m fine, I’m fine.

Host (Naveen Krishna das): You are fine, okay. So, Sumithira Mataji.

Devotee (Sumithira Vasu): Hare Krishna, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Devotee (Sumithira Vasu): Hare Krishna. Maharaja, I have a question, which is more about how do we reconcile two seemingly apparent contradictions. One is that lately we get a lot of emails about reciting Nṛsiṁha kavacam for seeking protection. On the other hand, there is tat te ‘nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo verse and several purports in Mukunda-mālā-stotra by Prabhupada imploring the devotee, “The Lord who takes care of every living entity, will He not take care of the servant of the Lord? And whatever happens to me is a result of my past karma, I’m not going to ask you for anything, for protection or anything.” So, it is one way to reconcile these two to say, “For my own personal protection, I’m not going to ask the Lord, He can do whatever He wants,” but for others protection, I will recite the Nṛsiṁha kavacam. So, what do we think about this?

Giriraj Swami: Well, it depends on your perspective. If you think of yourself as the body, then you shouldn’t pray for protection. But if you think of yourself as a servant of Krishna, then you can. I mean, those two apparently contradictory responses were shown by Srila Prabhupada, it was during the 1971 war between India and Pakistan, and we were in Delhi with Srila Prabhupada. And someone asked something about Yahya Khan dropping a bomb, “What would you think?” And Srila Prabhupada said, “Well, I would think that Krishna wants to kill me in the form of this bomb dropped by Yahya Khan.” But then, around the same time, someone asked him, “If someone were to attack you, would you defend yourself?” And he said, “Yes, why should I let someone harm Krishna’s servant?”

So, if we see ourselves as Krishna’s servants, which we are, then we can pray for protection for our service, not protection of our body in and of itself, but protection of our service in which the body is an instrument, in which the body serves as an instrument. So yeah, like Prabhupada said, “Why should I let some rascal harm Krishna’s devotees?”

Devotee (Sumithira Vasu): Thank you, Maharaja.

Host (Naveen Krishna das): Hare Krishna, devotees. If you are not talking, please mute yourself, I will appreciate it. Next is Sadbhuja Caitanya Prabhu. 

Devotee (Sadbhuja Caitanya Das): Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Thank you so much for your association on this auspicious day. So, my question is related to. . . Prahlada Maharaja was a very, very great devotee, but even though his father is not favorable for his Krishna consciousness, but he was being delivered because of Prahlada Maharaja’s purity and devotional service with the Lord. But in our case, neophyte like me, if suppose the parents are not favorable or making kind of offensive subtle or even gross, what kind of implication they may have it or what is our responsibility to convey that this is the correct one and they should not offend and all the things? And will they incur any sins for these kinds of things if somebody’s parents are opposing the kids who were practicing devotional service? Because they may not understand the way they were brought up, which is totally different. Can you please give some light on this, Maharaja?

Giriraj Swami: Yeah. I would also reiterate that whoever’s not speaking should be muted because there are some noises, I don’t know.

Host (Naveen Krishna das): Yeah, Alec Prabhu, can you mute everybody except Maharaja?

Giriraj Swami: Okay. So, the situation you described is mixed because you are talking about parents who are opposing their children’s Krishna consciousness. So, their opposition to their children’s Krishna consciousness is not good for them, but their child becoming Krishna conscious is good for them. And the benefit of the Krishna conscious child will outweigh the reactions to their offensive talks or behavior. In fact, just today, I shared with someone a conversation that Srila Prabhupada had about the benefit that parents get from having devotee children. And I will read that because it’s very relevant.

This is a room conversation with Mr. and Mrs. Wax, the writer and editing manager of Playboy magazine, which was published in Chicago. This conversation took place in Chicago. One might think it was an unlikely couple to visit Srila Prabhupada, but they did. So, this was on July 5th, 1975.

CONVERSATION TRANSCRIPT

Devotee 1: We are giving these books to so many common men. Then the books will attract them to perhaps chanting and following the regulative principles.

Prabhupada: Yes, if they read. Even if they touch. That is the difference between this book and ordinary book. Even they touch and they read one line and says, “Oh, this is very nice,” he makes a step forward. If he simply says, “Oh, it is very nice,” that is sufficient to bring him. Therefore, I am trying to push.

COMMENT

The book distribution.

CONVERSATION TRANSCRIPT continued

Prabhupada: He has paid some money. He will then say, “What these nonsenses have written, let me see.” And if he sees and says, “Oh, it is very nice,” then the beginning is immediately. Therefore, we are trying to push. At least let him say, “It is very nice.” Kārtikeya’s mother.

COMMENT

This is Prabhupada’s continuing to speak.

CONVERSATION TRANSCRIPT continued

Prabhupada: Kārtikeya’s mother, practical experience. . . Kārtikeya, when he used to go to see his mother, she used to go out. The same mother, gradually, in the association of her son, became Krishna conscious. So, at the time of her death, she asked Kārtikeya, “Is your Krishna here?” And she died immediately. This is the effect. Anta-kāle, she remembered Krishna, so her life was successful. She inquired, “Is your Krishna here?” and immediately thereafter died. So, she got the benefit of her son’s Krishna consciousness. You can ask Kārtikeya also. She said that.

Jayatīrtha: Yes, he told me that story.

Prabhupada: Yes. So, all the mothers of my disciples, they will get salvation, because she has got nice son.

Jayatīrtha: All the mothers will get salvation?

Prabhupada: Oh, yes.

Mrs. Wax: Oh, good.

Devotee 2: What about the fathers?

Prabhupada: Fathers also. Both the father and the mother. Because they are father and mother of a Vaishnava devotee, so they will be taken special care. You’ll find from Prahlada Maharaja’s description. Even a father like Hiraṇyakaśipu got salvation because Prahlada was his son.

Devotee 3: Srila Prabhupada, it seems strange that so many parents who are engaged in meat-eating and illicit sex and intoxication and gambling could have a son who would become a Vaishnava.

Prabhupada: Therefore, they will get the advantage. Somehow or other, they have produced a son, Vaishnava, so the son’s activities will react upon the life of the parents. Because naturally, the sons think of the father and mother, that is beneficial for them. However one may be renounced, he cannot get rid of family affection. That is natural. So, the Vaishnava son sometimes thinks of the father and mother. So, they are getting the benefit.

COMMENT

Isn’t that nice?

Devotee (Sadbhuja Caitanya): Yes, Maharaja. Thank you very much.

Host (Naveen Krishna das): Thank you, Maharaja. There is one last question that nobody else has to say, I want to ask a question, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: So, Naveen Krishna Prabhu, your hand is up?

Host (Naveen Krishna das): Yes, Maharaja. You have time, right? Thank you very much for your wonderful lecture and association, Maharaja. So, we all heard in Prahlada Maharaja’s life story when he was in the womb, his mother, Kayadhu, was well taken care by Narada Muni when Narada Muni was there till her husband come back with almost, some places say a hundred thousand years or a thousand celestial years, this is a long time. But at the same time, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also says Narada Muni was cursed by Dakṣa not to stay in one place.

Giriraj Swami: Sorry?

Host (Naveen Krishna das): Narada Muni was cursed by Dakṣa Prajapati that he could not stay in one place because of his teaching of his sons like many brahmacharyas, one after one, he cursed him. So, these hundred thousand years, which is a long time, he stayed in one place in an ashram taking care of mother and son, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says. So, how do we reconcile this, Maharaja?

Giriraj Swami: Well, I mean, she was given shelter at his ashram and he did preach to her, which Prahlada heard in the womb, but it doesn’t mean that he didn’t leave. I have my ashram and I come and go, but the ashram remains and people can stay here even when I’m not here. So, I don’t think it’s necessary that Narada Muni was there continuously at the ashram during that whole period, he could have gone and come back.

Host (Naveen Krishna das): That was my question.

Giriraj Swami: Okay, that’s a good question. Now, Aayushi?

Devotee (Aayushi): Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisances. Jaya Srila Prabhupada! Guru Maharaja, I have a question. At many places, Srila Prabhupada told that if we want to make progress in spiritual life, then we have to stop taking association of non-devotees. But like you told today, we don’t have to see others as our friends or enemies, we should see Krishna situated in everybody’s heart. But in provoking situation, for example, let’s say there is a woman and she is a devotee and her husband is a non-devotee and he has an association of non-devotees. So, Prabhupada also says that a wife should be chaste wife. And when that wife takes association of those non-devotees with her husband, then she may tend to become envious of those persons because of their principles, which are not very ideal, and Srila Prabhupada told us not to follow that.

So, how should we see Krishna in their hearts also? In those provoking situations when we take their association and our hearts become filled with envy?

Giriraj Swami: Well, I don’t know why your heart should become filled with envy. I mean, if you are practicing Krishna consciousness properly, then you’ll feel satisfied and you won’t envy the materialists, rather you’ll feel compassion for them that they are not able to relish the happiness of devotional service. But if you envy them, if you envy their material opulence or their sense gratificatory processes, then you really should avoid associating with them. But you are saying you have no choice because your husband associates with them, but it’s not good for you to associate with them. But if you have to associate with them, then you should counterbalance that with very strong association with devotees so that you can improve spiritually and become stronger and not feel envious of them for their opulence or so-called enjoyment.

Devotee (Aayushi): Yeah, I’ll not say sometimes it’s envy only but sometimes I had a discussion with one of his friends, and they were saying, “Who told you that? You read Bhagavad-gītā according to Pandavas, Krishna’s inclination towards Pandavas, but we have our own version wherein you never have heard of Kauravas also, you never have heard that Kauravas were also innocent.” So, I was not in that discussion, I even didn’t want to be a part of that discussion because, Guru Maharaja, I’m not a person who is very verbal and who will just speak continuously for hours and hours. But some people, they have good oratory skills, so they will try to use some convincing skills to convince the other person that, “You are not reading a good thing,” or that. So, that makes my heart sometimes very agitated, that why they are using such words for Pandavas and Krishna? And they are taking side of people who were adharmis and who were not actually following any religious principles.

So, it happened sometimes. So, in those provoking situations, I don’t know how to fix up my vision in seeing that Krishna is also situated in their hearts. I mean, I forget this vision, I mean, I feel that I cannot see Krishna inside their hearts while they are speaking such things.

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, I would suggest that you don’t speak with them, and I think that you should quietly chant japa. I think of this because after Srila Prabhupada left, I was meeting people, I guess doing research to get information about Srila Prabhupada. So, in Delhi, I met one man named D.P. Gupta. I mean, he had a nice place, he had a very good estate and he accommodated Srila Prabhupada there. This was before Srila Prabhupada went to America. So, he had a nice estate, but he was sort of a Mayavadi and he was a bit proud. And as he told me, he used to say to Srila Prabhupada, “You are bhakti and I am Vedanta,” and he would give his theories to Srila Prabhupada. And he said that whenever he was speaking to Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada always had his hand in his bead bag and he was always chanting.

So, he wasn’t really listening to that man’s nonsense, he was chanting japa. So, I think that’s what you should do in these cases, because you are not going to be able to convince them, and you won’t be able to avoid them because they are your husband’s friends, and you have to accompany your husband. So, I think just tune out, tune out, don’t waste your time arguing with them and don’t create a situation where they create more offenses by speaking nonsense to you to try to convince you.

Devotee (Aayushi): Thank you so much, Guru Maharaja.

Host (Naveen Krishna das): Maharaja, just one more question from Malati Mataji.

Giriraj Swami: Yes?

Devotee (Malati dasi): Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada, all glories to Your Divine Grace. Thank you for your wonderful class, Guru Maharaja. I just want to extend the question of Her Grace Siddhi Lalasa Mataji about children becoming devotees when the parents are initiated. So, on one hand, Guru Maharaja, we see that it’s written in the purport that it’s not the effort of yourself nor the effort of others nor the combined effort that one becomes a devotee. But parents are the best well-wishers of the children, they are always in anxiety, especially devotees’ mothers who clearly want their children to become devotees ahead. And we give the best of mercy, whatever we get in prasādam or the other devotee’s mercy, we just extend it to the children. But on the other side, we see that if there is no effort of any one of them, but we say that parents are responsible for the child’s devotion, otherwise you shouldn’t become parents. So, it is a bit like this. Maharaja, please clear this point.

Giriraj Swami: Yes. Well, we had some devotees visiting my ashram in Carpinteria a few years ago, and the children of devotee parents, in this case, were also devotees. So, we asked the children how it was that they became devotees, and they all said that their parents didn’t force them, they are very happy that their parents didn’t force them, but their parents did everything that good devotees do, and so they were influenced.

And the general advice I give to devotees dealing with family members is that they should be happy, and they should treat the other family members very nicely. And when the other family members see, “Oh, this person is happy from Krishna consciousness and this person is behaving very nicely,” they’ll become favorable to Krishna consciousness.

And one of the couples who visited, my godbrother Shesha Prabhu, and both of his daughters are devotees, I think they are both initiated now. And he said the same thing as a parent, that he never forced the children, but he did everything; he invited Vaishnava’s home, he served them, he went to the temple programs, he did everything, but he never forced them. So, yeah, it is your responsibility, it’s true, gurur na sa syāj pitā na sa syāt, but you have to be intelligent how to fulfill that responsibility. Especially in Kali-yuga, there are so many other influences on the children that we have to contend with.

And another thing, I don’t know if this is really good advice, but another thing, I noticed some families, the parents were devotees and the children were like devotees. And the parents would do some things with the children that were not directly Krishna conscious. But of course, this was in America, I don’t know how it would work in India. And their thinking was that the children are going to be curious, they are going to want to experience these things, whatever, a movie. So, it’s better that the parents do it with them because the parents can give a Krishna conscious perspective on it, and the children also won’t think they have to sneak out and do it without their parents’ knowledge.

So, yeah, it’s a challenge, but it can be done. There are so many excellent examples of devotee parents whose children have become devotees and we can learn from their example, how they were successful. But the general pattern is that they did everything as good devotees, but they didn’t force their children.

Devotee (Malati dasi): Yes, Guru Maharaja, that’s so true, actually. I sometimes do that, seeing a movie with children because then they will not hide anything from us, they will be very open, and they can speak to us afterwards, if ever in life they have some challenges, so that is very true. And actually, I can understand from you that I can do the needful, whatever the circumstances are at my place, whatever I can do, because one side, they have been learning about demigods from my husband, and then here, I am showing them the perspective. Now it’s their choice what do they choose.

Thank you so much. Please pray for my children, Guru Maharaja. I just need your prayers, I know prayers are the most important, Guru Maharaja. Thank you so much. Hare Krishna.

Host (Naveen Krishna das): Hare Krishna, Maharaja. It’s 9:00 p.m. here, which is 6:00 p.m. there. So, I see one more devotee raised the hand, Radha Charana Prabhu. Would you like to take it, or we should end it? So, it’s your call, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: I’m okay, it’s only six here.

Host (Naveen Krishna das): Okay.

Giriraj Swami: I will have to leave soon because we are having our own program, but we can go ahead, we can continue.

Host (Naveen Krishna das): Radha Charana Prabhu?

Devotee (Surat Radha Charan Das): Please accept my humble obeisances. We understand, you said about the children, that we should remain a happy devotee and behave nicely, that is perfectly all right. At the same time, in our case, our son is an initiated devotee now, but our daughter is not taking that much seriously, Krishna consciousness. So, how should we understand this? We can try our best, but if somebody is not able to take up for whatever reason, we should not feel depressed. Or what more we can do, Guru Maharaja? This is not within our control and we have committed some mistakes in the past, now we are improving, correcting those things to behave such a way so that she can become more positive and take to Krishna consciousness gradually. Any other guidance about this, Guru Maharaja?

Giriraj Swami: Yeah. Well, it’s good to be introspective in what way we could have done better and try to improve. Better late than never. As far as feeling depressed about it, it would really depend on the reason why you are depressed or discouraged. If you are depressed because of your false ego, that’s not very good. But if you are depressed out of genuine compassion for your daughter and a sincere desire to see that she is happy in Krishna consciousness, then that feeling, that’s okay, that’s okay. But if it’s just your false ego that you are a failure, then I wouldn’t suggest dwelling on that.

Devotee (Surat Radha Charan Das): Yeah, yeah, that’s what I am asking you, that we are not feeling depressed for that reason, because we have committed mistakes in the past, now we are improving those things and engaging her in some small, small things and she is taking little interest also. So, we are doing our thing, this is not within our control, so we are doing whatever we can do and we are doing other practices and our preaching regularly, not getting affected by those things. What more can we do?

Giriraj Swami: Sounds just right.

Devotee (Surat Radha Charan Das): Okay, thank you, Maharaja. Bless us so that we can just make it much better. Thank you.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, I’ll pray for you.

Devotee (Surat Radha Charan Das): Thank you.

Giriraj Swami: Good prasāda is also a very important factor, having good prasāda at home. I could elaborate on it, but it’s getting late. But a good prasāda, it can be an important factor in the children’s Krishna consciousness, how favorable they are.

Devotee (Surat Radha Charan Das): Yes, Guru Maharaja, thank you, daṇḍavat-praṇāmās.

Host (Naveen Krishna das): Thank you. We have some announcements to make. Yadhu Chandra Prabhu, please go ahead.

Devotee (Yadhu Chandra): Hare Krishna, Maharaja, daṇḍavat-praṇāmās. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Thank you so much for your association and we look forward to having your association pretty soon in the near future.

We have a couple of announcements for today’s festival. I’d like to thank the festival coordinators; Ramesh Prabhu and Naveen Krishna Prabhu, who have organized this festival very well, thanks to both of them. And nice decorations are done by Sita Sundari Mataji and Mohini Kishori Mataji. And Bhargavi Mataji has helped for the garlands and vases, thanks to all of them as well. And Deity dressing, Ramadeva Prabhu, Lalita Mataji and [Unintelligible 02:32:47] Mataji have done a wonderful job. And you probably might have seen the darshan of the Deities, most of you have seen in the temple today as well. Thanks to all three of them. And prasādam, thanks to all the cooks; Kamagiri Mataji and Nitai Chandra Prabhu. They have done a wonderful job on preparing nice prasādam for all our devotees. With their grace, we were able to distribute about two hundred lunch prasāda boxes for ISKCON Columbus devotees. Thank you for all the efforts.

And Kamagiri Mataji was helped by Neera, her granddaughter, and for the vegetable cut up, so we had couple of devotees come to the temple and spend some time to help do this service. Special thanks to Alec Prabhu, Vaibhava Prabhu, Ridhima Mataji, and Gurudayal Prabhu and Naveen Krishna Prabhu for doing this service. And finally, we have some sponsors for this festival; Rameshwar Choudhari Prabhu, Bhavani, Gopal Krishnan Mataji, Nitabhai Prabhu, Yashoda and Ananda Reddy family, Chandrabhan Prabhu and family, Somadatta Mataji and family, Narahari Prabhu and Parikshit Prabhu and family. So, we had good sponsors for having this festival, make it successful. And finally, Chanakya Prabhu and Mona Mataji helped in packing the prasādam for all the devotees and also cleaning up the pots and everything at the temple and making it clean.

Thank you all so much, and I would like to take this moment to thank everybody for attending this call, and especially Maharaja for giving your association. And we would like to have your association pretty soon as well. Thank you so much, Maharaja.

Host (Naveen Krishna das): And, of course, humbly, Yadhu Chandra Prabhu did not mention his name, he was also part of the festival coordination, helping, cleaning, distributing those two hundred boxes, he was one of them packing them. Thank you, Yadhu Chandra Prabhu. Thank you, Maharaja. Thank you, devotees. I think, I don’t know whether. . . As per the schedule, we also have the Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva prayers at the end. So, Maharaja, would you like to sing the prayer to end?

Giriraj Swami: Yeah.

Host (Naveen Krishna das): Please, go ahead, we’d like to hear from you.

Giriraj Swami: One moment.

[Prayers]

Host (Naveen Krishna das): His Holiness Giriraj Swami Maharaja ki jaya! Thank you, Maharaja, and devotees. So, one more final reminder about the book I Will Build You a Temple by Maharaja. The books are out there. It’s available, again, at the website, www.thejuhustory.com. So, for locals in Columbus, Lalita Mataji has a list. If you want to buy, please report to her. For non-local devotees, they can get it from their own centers or the website. Please, get your copies, thank you very much.

So, we will end the program now with the Vaishnava prayers for all of us.

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

Devotee: Thank you.

Devotee: Thank you so much, Guru Maharaja.