SB 2.3.23 – Sri Radhastami

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

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

TEXT 23

jīvañ chavo bhāgavatāṅghri-reṇuṁ
na jātu martyo ‘bhilabheta yas tu
śrī-viṣṇu-padyā manujas tulasyāḥ
śvasañ chavo yas tu na veda gandham

TRANSLATION

The person who has not at any time received the dust of the feet of the Lord’s pure devotee upon his head is certainly a dead body. And the person who has never experienced the aroma of the tulasī leaves from the lotus feet of the Lord is also a dead body, although breathing.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, the breathing dead body is a ghost. When a man dies, he is called dead, but when he again appears in a subtle form not visible to our present vision and yet acts, such a dead body is called a ghost. Ghosts are always very bad elements, always creating a fearful situation for others. Similarly, the ghostlike nondevotees who have no respect for the pure devotees, nor for the Viṣṇu Deity in the temples, create a fearful situation for the devotees at all times. The Lord never accepts any offering by such impure ghosts. There is a common saying that one should first love the dog of the beloved before one shows any loving sentiments for the beloved. The stage of pure devotion is attained by sincerely serving a pure devotee of the Lord. The first condition of devotional service to the Lord is therefore to be a servant of a pure devotee, and this condition is fulfilled by the statement “reception of the dust of the lotus feet of a pure devotee who has also served another pure devotee.” That is the way of pure disciplic succession, or devotional paramparā.

Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa inquired from the great saint Jaḍa Bharata as to how he had attained such a liberated stage of a paramahaṁsa, and in answer the great saint replied as follows (Bhāg. 5.12.12):

rahūgaṇaitat tapasā na yāti
na cejyayā nirvapaṇād gṛhād vā
na cchandasā naiva jalāgni-sūryair
vinā mahat-pāda-rajo-’bhiṣekam

“O King Rahūgaṇa, the perfectional stage of devotional service, or the paramahaṁsa stage of life, cannot be attained unless one is blessed by the dust of the feet of great devotees. It is never attained by tapasya [austerity], the Vedic worshiping process, acceptance of the renounced order of life, the discharge of the duties of household life, the chanting of the Vedic hymns, or the performance of penances in the hot sun, within cold water or before the blazing fire.”

In other words, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the property of His pure, unconditional devotees, and as such only the devotees can deliver Kṛṣṇa to another devotee; Kṛṣṇa is never obtainable directly. Lord Caitanya therefore designated Himself as gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ, or “the most obedient servant of the servants of the Lord, who maintains the gopī damsels at Vṛndāvana.” A pure devotee therefore never approaches the Lord directly, but tries to please the servant of the Lord’s servants, and thus the Lord becomes pleased, and only then can the devotee relish the taste of the tulasī leaves stuck to His lotus feet. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said that the Lord is never to be found by becoming a great scholar of the Vedic literatures, but He is very easily approachable through His pure devotee.

COMMENT

Yes, Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau.

PURPORT (continued)

In Vṛndāvana all the pure devotees pray for the mercy of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, the pleasure potency of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is a tenderhearted feminine counterpart of the supreme whole, resembling the perfectional stage of the worldly feminine nature. Therefore, the mercy of Rādhārāṇī is available very readily to the sincere devotees, and once She recommends such a devotee to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Lord at once accepts the devotee’s admittance into His association. The conclusion is, therefore, that one should be more serious about seeking the mercy of the devotee than that of the Lord directly, and by one’s doing so (by the good will of the devotee) the natural attraction for the service of the Lord will be revived.

COMMENT

Hare Krishna. So, the goal of every devotee is to serve Krishna and please Him, ultimately, in the line of service or in the mood of service to gain admittance into the Lord’s personal association to serve Him. Now, in order to achieve the Lord’s mercy, we must first receive the mercy of the Lord’s devotee. We sing every morning, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo, that by the mercy of the spiritual master one can attain the mercy of Krishna. And yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto ‘pi, and without the mercy of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement. One has no means for advancement, or one has no standing in devotional service. There is another verse that seems to run parallel to the verse quoted, venā radhā prasādena mat-prasādo na vidyate. This verse is spoken by Lord Krishna in the Brahmanda-Purana. Venā—without, radhā prasādena—the mercy of Radharani, mat-prasādo—My mercy, Krishna’s mercy, na vidyate—no one can achieve. So the parallel between these two statements, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo and venā radhā prasādena, suggests a connection between getting the mercy of the spiritual master and thus the mercy of Krishna and getting the mercy of Srimati Radharani, and thus the mercy of Krishna. The connection is paramparā. Srila Prabhupada mentions in the purport that one can achieve the liberated position of a mahat or great soul only by serving another mahat or great soul.

Bhagavad-gītā says, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, the great souls have taken shelter or are under the protection of the divine energy, daivīṁ prakṛtim, which means Srimati Radharani. So by taking shelter of a great soul who has taken shelter of another great soul, who has taken shelter of another great soul ultimately, who are under the protection of the daivīṁ prakṛtim or Srimati Radharani. Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami says that the spiritual master is seen either as a manifestation of Lord Nityananda, his mercy, or a confidential servant of Srimati Radharani. This connection with a great soul who is connected to Srimati Radharani is what will establish our connection with Krishna. There are so many verses both positive and negative. Positive, yasya prasādād, by the mercy of the spiritual master, one gets the mercy of Krishna. And negative, yasyāprasādān, without his mercy, na gatiḥ kuto ‘pi, one has no means of success.

In this verse quoted by Srila Prabhupada, vinā mahat-pāda-rajo-’bhiṣekam, ‘bhiṣekam refers to abhiseka, a bathing ceremony. So the verse is actually saying that without bathing oneself in the dust of the lotus feet of the pure devotee, one cannot achieve a liberated position of a pure devotee. So there are positive injunctions and negative prohibitions. Always remember Krishna and never forget Him. By the mercy of the pure devotee, one gets the mercy of Krishna. Without the mercy of the pure devotee, one cannot get the mercy of Krishna. The best devotee is Srimati Radharani. In our paramparā, we serve our guru, and he serves his guru, and he serves his guru, and it goes all the way back to Srimati Radharani. As Srila Prabhupada mentions in the purport, Krishna is the property of His pure devotee and the pure devotee has the ability to give Krishna to us if we are sincere and eager enough. And that eagerness comes from the mood of separation or the mood of separation is the other side of eagerness. That if you are eager to serve Krishna to serve Radha and Krishna but are not able, we feel separation. We lament in separation. Therefore, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and actually beginning before him, Srila Madhavendra Puri, but Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his immediate followers, the Six Gosvamis and other associates, all demonstrated that the mood of separation in the worship of Krishna. And we can feel that mood of separation only when we have some attachment to Krishna and that attachment develops by hearing about Krishna or reading. We can become attracted. 

For example, princess Rukmini had never met Krishna, but Narada Muni or other great sages and saintly persons used to visit the royal palace, she would hear them talk about the glories of Krishna, the dealings of Krishna, the prowess of Krishna. And just by hearing about Krishna, her natural eternal dormant love for Krishna awakened. Now of course, Srimati Rukmini devi is an eternal consort of Krishna in Dvaraka, so it was natural that her love for Krishna would be awakened by hearing about Him. But each one of us has an eternal relationship with Krishna, and therefore it is just as natural for every one of us to have our dormant love for Krishna awakened by hearing about Him, nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema ‘sādhya’ kabhu naya, love for Krishna is established eternally within the heart. It is not something to be gotten from another source but our consciousness has to be purified, śuddha-citte, by the association of pure devotees, and karaye udaya, then that dormant love naturally awakens.

So there has to be some connection and desire for association in order for us to feel separation. When we know someone personally, we can feel separation. For example, we met Srila Prabhupada, we saw him, we spoke with him, we followed him, and so we can feel separation from him. But even those who have never met him personally, can feel separation by hearing about him and serving him. In the case of Krishna as analyzed by our acharyas, Srila Rupa Gosvami and others, there are different categories of separation. One type of separation occurs when there is a physical distance between the devotee and Krishna, and that can be a big distance or a small distance. Or one can feel separation when one is away from Krishna for a long time or for a short time. There are different categories. But one category is called Purva raga, that is the attachment the devotee feels for Krishna before meeting Him. When we go to the spiritual world, when that fortunate day comes, we will take birth, this is explained by Srila Sanatana Gosvami and other acharyas and shastras, that when the perfected living entity leaves his body, he doesn’t go directly to Goloka-Vrindavan to associate in the spiritual realm in the spiritual sky. But he first takes birth on the planet within the material world where Krishna is manifesting His pastimes. So, he will take birth from a gopī in Bhuma-Vrindavan in Vrindavan on Earth and in Bhuma-Vrindavan, he or she, depending on what form, will hear about Krishna and by hearing about Krishna before meeting Him, one will develop an attraction for Him and yearn for the opportunity to actually meet Him and serve Him in person.

The eternal associates of Krishna, and this is a very important and encouraging point my dear devotees. The eternal associates of Krishna are always roaming about Vrindavan looking for new candidates to serve Krishna. They are not trying to keep Krishna to themselves and keep us away. Sometimes it happens perhaps, perhaps not in South Africa but in India, we had the experience especially on our Janmashtami or Radhastami, one devotee will say, ‘I want to do the garland.’ ‘No, you get out of the way, I want to do the garland.’ ‘I want to dress the deity.’ ‘No, you get out of the way, I want to dress the deities.’ So it is not like that, everyone is thinking how to welcome more people into the service of Krishna because everyone wants to increase Krishna’s pleasure and Krishna is pleased by devotion, by service offered with love and devotion by devotees. So they always want to encourage more devotees to come closer to Krishna and offer their loving service to Him.

There is a beautiful verse about Srimati Lalita devi that she is always roaming about Vrindavan, looking for prospective gopīs who she can bring into the service of Krishna. So they are roaming about and they will find someone, ‘Oh, this young girl has taken birth. Let us tell her about Krishna.’ And by hearing about Krishna, very quickly that attraction develops. For us to develop attraction may take time because our love for Krishna is covered more but there, we have already taken birth because we wanted to serve Krishna, but we just need further association and training. So we take birth and we hear about Krishna, and very quickly hearing the description of the Krishna spoken with such love from Lalita devi or different gopīs, Rupa mañjarī, Rati mañjarī, we develop that desire to meet Krishna and serve Him. And that creates a feeling of separation because it is not that easy. You are there in Vrindavan with Krishna, Krishna is also present in Vrindavan but it is not that easy to get close to Him.

Just to give an example a rough example, a crude example, as Srila Prabhupada would sometimes say. Even with Srila Prabhupada, there weren’t that many devotees who were that close to him that they would regularly meet him and speak with him. Many devotees tell stories of how they didn’t see him, or they would just see him at the airport, and they would want some little recognition, some glance, or one or two words. So they hear about Krishna but it takes a while before they can actually get a glimpse of Him or hear the sound of His flute. And then whatever association they get, it inflames their desire to meet Him and serve Him. And that creates yearning and the feeling of separation. I know devotees who at a young age heard about Krishna and their parents were against. I am sure there are many many examples. But one was a devotee named Puri dasa who eventually came to Juhu and assisted me there. But he heard about the devotees as a teenager, and he was living with his parents in Scotland, and he really had very little chance to meet them. So he would just sit in his room and cry, and wish he could be with the devotees, or he would secretly phone them and get association on the phone. So, that eagerness and feelings of separation are very purifying. So, there is a paramparā in the material world and even in the spiritual world, we have to be recommended to be admitted into Krishna’s association. We have to be recommended, there is a paramparā. But ultimately Srimati Radharani, she holds the key to the gate. So, Srila Prabhupada exemplified in a very poignant way this idea that Krishna is the property of His pure devotee and by the mercy of the pure devotee, the good-will of the pure devotee, one can get Krishna.

One event took place in Madras in 1971 that illustrates this point. Srila Prabhupada had come for about a week, and the Chief Justice of the Madras Height Court, Justice Vera Swami became very attracted to Srila Prabhupada and Krishna consciousness, so much so that, he wanted to join the movement and take initiation. He arranged a program for Srila Prabhupada, an outdoor program to which he invited the all the high court judges and advocates and prominent citizens of the city, and they came in good numbers. In the course of Prabhupada’s discourse, he quoted the example of the Six Gosvamis who are very highly placed in society but who gave up everything to join the mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. So, Srila Prabhupada was suggesting that his audience, these highly placed people in society, should also follow the footsteps of the Six Gosvamis and join the mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Then after the talk, the public program, Srila Prabhupada and the disciples went to Chief Justice Vera Swami’s residence for prasāda. The Chief Justice offered Srila Prabhupada a beautiful sandalwood garland, and he gave a Srila Prabhupada a chaddar and a little silver figurine of Krishna.

So, Prabhupada sat down on a chair and all the devotees were sitting around him and the chief Justices lounge on the floor. And Malati was there with her daughter Sarasvati, who was maybe three years old. Srila Prabhupada held this little deity of Krishna in front of him and he engaged with Sarasvati and said, “Look Sarasvati, who is this?” “Krishna! It is Krishna.” And then he very slowly moved the deity to his side and then without her seeing it, he hid Krishna behind his back. Then he said, “Sarasvati, where is Krishna?” Then she noticed that Krishna was gone, she became so alarmed, so concerned, “Where is Krishna?” She started looking everywhere, her eyes were darting all over. She was going up to the devotees and seeing if they had Krishna. She was really disturbed with anxiety for where is Krishna. Then again three-year-olds, their attention span is short, so again Prabhupada said, “Sarasvati, where is Krishna?” And again, she was looking, going, checking the devotees, seeing if anyone was holding Krishna or hiding Krishna. Then one of the devotees said, “Sarasvati, who has Krishna?” And then like an awakening dawned in her consciousness and she said, “Prabhupada has Krishna!” So then she rushed up to Prabhupada’s seat, and he very slowly brought Krishna from behind his back and held it in front of Sarasvati.

It perfectly demonstrated the mood of separation of the Six Gosvamis, he rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kutaḥ. he rādhe – he Radharani, vraja-devike – Queen of Vrindavan, he nanda-sūno kutaḥ—“Oh Krishna, son of Nanda, where are You? Are You on the banks of the Yamuna? Or are you at Govardhana? Where are You?” And they would roam all over Vrindavan, loudly shouting. So, this is the mood of separation. And Sarasvati, really got in the mood of transcendental anxiety to find Krishna. And when her anxiety reached a sufficient pitch, Srila Prabhupada gave her Krishna. Our chanting is supposed to be like the genuine cry of a child for its mother, “O Radharani, Mother Hara. Please help me in achieving the grace of the supreme father, Krishna.”

His Holiness Niranjana Swami told me a nice story that when he was in the Boston Temple, one of the devotees had a young child maybe four years old. The father would do deity service on the altar, and he would hear the child calling for the father. But no big deal, everyone was used to it, it was no big deal. And then one day, the child started to call for the father and the same thing as usual. But then it got louder and louder and more intense, and finally, that child was shouting and then wildly screaming. And when the child was screaming wildly, then everyone took notice and began to rush, what is the matter. And it turned out that the child that locked himself in the bathroom and couldn’t get out. So, Niranjana Swami was making the point, yes, we chant we call the names of the Lord. Yes, usual, everything goes on as usual, calling for his father, life goes on but when it was really serious, and he was shouting and screaming and wildly hysterically screaming then everyone took notice and then they rushed. So, that phrase the genuine cry of a child for its mother, that is how we have to chant. And when we chant in that mood, Srimati Radharani will come running and she will call Krishna and He will come running, not exactly like that but in general terms. They will come; They will reciprocate.

From the time I heard Srila Prabhupada say, a genuine cry of a child for its mother, I always imagined or envisioned a child at a fair or carnival getting lost and crying for its mother. In other words, we are not at home, we are in some foreign place and have turned away from Krishna. We have left our eternal home with Krishna and come into this mad carnival of material existence and are lost. If we are really conscious of what our actual situation is that we are like a child lost in some carnival or fair and we are in a very vulnerable condition. One of the reasons a child screams is because it feels helpless, lost, and helpless, that anything could happen without the protection of his mother and that is actually the fact. Because of maya’s influence, we are not always conscious of how vulnerable we actually are. We live in an illusion that everything is okay. Even though we see calamities around us, even though we read about calamities in the newspaper and see it broadcast, we always think it is someone else, it is not going to happen to me. We tend to think that we are okay, we are safe, nothing will happen but we don’t know that. If really recognize how venerable we are in this body and in this material world, and we are like lost child in a fair or carnival or zoo, we will be really crying out like a child for its mother, because we are lost and are in very precarious condition without our mother and father’s protection. So, when we have that mood in our heart and chant in that mood Lord reciprocates, Srimati Radharani reciprocates, and all devotees reciprocate.

So, there is so much in this verse and purport about which I could speak, but let us just conclude with little more explanation and glorification of Srimati Radharani. Today is the most auspicious occasion for us, Srimati Radharani’s appearance day. And she is who all of us are serving ultimately. We are all under her protection. Srila Prabhupada explains, ‘She is a mahā-bhāgavata.” Every mahā-bhāgavata feels that everyone else is serving Krishna except him or her. It is just the nature of the mahā-bhāgavata. So Srila Prabhupada said, she is a mahā-bhāgavata, she is actually the mahā-mahā-bhāgavata. So, she sees that everyone can serve Krishna better than she does, so she recommends that devotee to Krishna, “Oh, look at this devotee, this devotee is doing such nice service, better than me, you should accept this devotee.” And when Srimati Radharani recommends the devotee, Krishna cannot refuse. As they say in Barsana, “Whatever Radha does, Krishna likes. And whatever Radha likes, Krishna does.” So, today, we are in Barsana mood.

So, thank you all very much for inviting me to discuss the theme on this most auspicious occasion of Sri Radhastami. And I think we have some time for questions and answers. So, if you have any questions or reflections, please raise your hand. You can raise your physical hand or your virtual hand and we will discuss further. Hare Krishna.

Sri Radhastami Mahotsav ki jaya!

Srimati Radharani ki jaya!

Host: Hare Krishna Maharaja. Thank you so much for that wonderful message of. I don’t see any questions in the chat so far and I don’t see any hand raised yet. Devotees please, if you have something you would like to ask or say to Maharaja, please take the opportunity now. There is one hand raised.

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaja. I really like your description of the child crying for the mother. And I am just curious that today in the material world, feelings of separation rather than create a sense of longing and gut wrenching cry from a child, they actually cause people to be more withdrawn and relying so much on their own strength because it is just a different experience. In spiritual world, it creates ecstatic feelings but in the material world, it creates lot of fear and withdrawal. So as devotees, how do we, instead of kind of in flinching in fear trap, really reach out to and have a mood of longing and crying and begging, rather than, ‘Oh my God, I have to do my own because the material world is replaced?’

Giriraj Swami: Yes, well, looking for shelter in the material world is not a hopeful proposition. And when we do, we are quite likely to be disappointed. And that result as you said, we withdraw and feel that we have to depend on our own strength. But when we call out to Srimati Radharani and Lord Krishna for help, that is a completely different situation because They will help us. And so we will feel enlivened by Their reciprocation and protected by Their mercy. So yes, it is very important that we know where to look for shelter, where to cry out for mercy. And if we cry out to Srimati Radharani and Lord Krishna through paramparā, we will feel their merciful reciprocation. And if we call out for help in material world, good luck, because you may not get any real substantial help in material world. So, thank you for raising that point, it is very significant. Hare Krishna.

Host: Thank you Maharaja. We have another question from Sri Radha Kṛpa Kataksha Mataji.

Devotee: Hare Krishna guru Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisance. Thank very much for your wonderful lecture. I have a question. Sometimes, we start to do a service, and we feel very enthusiastic. But while doing the service, we tend to get into the mode of passion. And sometimes, we mistake thinking doing service in passion as the enthusiasm. How do we stop this guru Maharaja? Because I find there is fine line between the two. Please elaborate on it. Thank you.

Giriraj Swami: Yes. Srila Prabhupada said that we need enthusiasm and patience. Enthusiasm without patience can lead to desire to control which as you said is something like mode of passion. So, enthusiasm without patience can lead to a desire to control. Patience without enthusiasm can lead to lethargy, laziness, which is like the mode of ignorance. So, we need both patience and enthusiasm. That enthusiasm is necessary. In the Upadeśāmṛta, Rupa Gosvami says, utsāhān niścayād dhairyāt tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt. So, utsāhān means enthusiasm and dhairyāt means patience. So we need both. And then we can sustain our service in a wholesome way. Hare Krishna. Your name, Sri Radha Kṛpa Kataksha dasi is very appropriate for today’s event because they are all one, Radha Kṛpa Kataksha, Srimati Radharani’s merciful sidelong glance. Hare Krishna.

Host: Thank you Maharaja. There is hand raised by Malati Mataji. Take your question now.

Devotee: Hare Krishna guru Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada, all glories to your divine grace. Guru Maharaja, the point you raised about the chanting of the holy name and the cry of a child. Maharaja, when we chant, it is surely the mercy of nāma-prabhu coming dancing on our tongue and our efforts also. But then sometimes, our efforts are not 100 percent. We become very comfortable. Every round what we chant, it is not a cry. Between the rounds, we become very comfortable. And we forget that we are in the foreign world and not at home. So Maharaja, how to feel that the separation for whole of those sixteen rounds? Please guide us in this.

Giriraj Swami: Well, when it comes to chanting japa, the first requirement is to try to hear, each holy name, each syllable. And from there, the other, we could say benefits or feelings will come. When I first joined in Boston, we followed the practice that Srila Prabhupada had introduced that we should read the Kṛṣṇa book at night before we take rest. And decades later, I was facilitating a japa retreat in New-Vrindavan. So, when we read Kṛṣṇa book in the night, then in the morning when we would chant, it is sort of natural to remember Krishna or remember what we read from the night before or it can be some other book. But as Srila Prabhupada gave us the practice of the Kṛṣṇa book. And as Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that the main requirement in chanting japa is to be attentive. He says, if you chant attentively, then all the other offenses will be destroyed. And if you are inattentive while chanting, negligent while chanting, then all the other offenses will flourish. Main thing is to be attentive.

And as the Bhurijana Prabhu says, just chant one mantra at a time, or really one aim at a one time, because you can’t do anything about mantra you just chanted. However good or bad it was, you can’t do anything about it. And there is no use thinking about what you are going to chant next, because as it is in future. As Srila Prabhupada says, trust no future however bright. Just like there is saying, “Just be here now.” So when it comes to japa, we should be present. And Srila Prabhupada has a very good disciple named Gopal Bhatta dasa, who is a big businessman. And he makes lists of things that he has to do because what sometimes happens while we are chanting, is we think of all the things we have to do, it becomes a time to formulate our to-do list. So, Gopal Bhatta Prabhu, the night before he makes a real to-do list, so he doesn’t have to do that while he is chanting. He does that as a service to his chanting and he is very organized. It makes sense to do that. So yes, I wish you all the best.

Devotee: Thank you guru Maharaja. I would love to share something. I used to serve guru Maharaja and when I used to chant in the morning, I used to be in anxiety ‘What I have to get from the market? And what time I have to reach?’ So, I once told guru Maharaja that these things come when I chant. So he said the same thing, do one thing, just stop your japa, make a list what you have to do, then when you start, restart your chanting, you will never remember those things because you have already made a list, then you can go accordingly.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, perfect. For those who don’t know Malati is a disciple of my dear godbrother, His Holiness Sridhra Swami Maharaja. When she is saying guru Maharaja, she is referring to him. It is a perfect advice.

Host: Maharaja, we have one more question from Divya Shakti. Go ahead Divya Shakti. We are not hearing, we can’t hear you, you are unmuted, we can’t hear you, what maybe Divya we will give you a minute or two to sort your sound issue and we will take the question from Yasoda who is raised the hand now.

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaja. Thank you for the delightful talk. It was very, very lovely to listen to all the sweet nectar and I really appreciate it. My question is, why do we feel so blissful on Radhastami on itself? The vibration adrenaline rush, I don’t know, maybe because I am a nurse, it feels like a whole lot of rushes coming through me on this day, so what is so blissful about this day?

Giriraj Swami: Well, it is Srimati Radharani’s mercy. Once a disciple asked Srila Prabhupada that, “On Janmashtami, we have fast till mid-night, and then we can only break our fast with Ekādaśī type prasāda, whereas on Radhastami, we only have to fast until noon and we can break the fast with full prasāda with grains, so why is that?” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “Because Srimati Radharani is more merciful than Krishna.” So her mercy is flowing on Radhastami and you are feeling it, you are feeling it. Jaya.

Host: Divya Shakti, do you want to try again with your question?

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaja, please accept my humble obeisances. The point you made about the gopī is always looking for people to serve Krishna really touched me and I was just thinking that often when we are regularly involved in a service in the temple or in any sphere, we become attached to that service, I know I am guilty of this myself, we become attached to that service and sometimes we even develop a pride regarding or around that services, ‘This is my service and I have been doing it for so many years or I am experts at it.’ How can we subscribe?

Giriraj Swami: Yes, as we have heard, the material world is an inverted repulsion of the spiritual, and so whatever exists in the material world also exists in the spiritual world but in its original pure form. So, Srila Prabhupada had a disciple named Pradyumna dasa who was Srila Prabhupada’s Sanskrit editor and who was very knowledgeable in shastra. And shortly after Srila Prabhupada left, I asked him that, “We have pride in the material world but what is the pride in the spiritual world?” And Pradyumna Prabhu replied that, “The pride in the spiritual world is that, I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant the servant the last in the line, that is my pride, I am the last in the line.” That means I have the most masters. I am proud because I have the most masters because I am the last in the line of servants. So, that is a good pride. But as far as being proud of our service, there is a very wonderful verse and purport, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto Seven, Chapter Nine, I believe, Text Twelve, in which Srila Prabhupada in the purport really explains what our mood of service should be. And he says, everyone should be friendly in the service of the Lord, everyone should praise the service of others and not condemn it, and no one should be proud of his own service. So, I would suggest that you study that purport because it gives a beautiful explanation of how we should feel about ourselves and the other devotees and how we should relate amongst ourselves. I can give you, I am pretty sure I quoted it correctly but I can just double check.

Devotee: Thank you so much Maharaja for your wonderful, detailed explanation.

Giriraj Swami: Okay. Yes, it is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.5.12. Every devotee should study that purport because it really explains how we should think of ourselves and think of the other devotees. And just to begin that one section which I quoted,

“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.” 

Hare Krishna. Jaya!

Host: Hare Krishna Maharaja. We have a question from Nikunja Vasni Mataji. Mataji, would you like to ask Maharaja?

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaja. I am from New-Zealand. I just have a question, your beautiful reference, the wonderful description from Sanatana Gosvami that we take birth in Krishna’s pastimes in this material world. I was just wondering where I can find that reference which I have never heard of before and are thinking are just so beautiful?

Giriraj Swami: Oh, I believe it is in Caitanya-caritāmṛta and in the teachings of Lord Chaitanya. But yes, that is the system that we first take birth in the universe where Krishna is having His pastimes and then we get trained there, we practice and we get trained there and then we go to Goloka-Vrindavan.

Host: Maharaja, we have one more question from Sakshi Latyani. Sakshi, can you ask your question now.

Devotee: Hare Krishna guru Maharaja ji. Please accept my humble obeisance at your lotus feet. Wish you a very happy Radhastami. Guru Maharaja. I wanted to share that I had a very blissful day by your mercy and I got wonderful darshan of Sri Sri Radha-Madana-mohana. And it is all by your mercy that I was really able to appreciate this festival. So guru Maharaja, I really wanted to hear a pastime of Radharani from you. So if you could please tell us about her appearance or any pastime, that would be very nice.

Giriraj Swami: Well, of course, she didn’t take birth as any ordinary person would. And she was actually discovered by her father Vrishabhanu Maharaja in the fields. He was ploughing the field and he saw this luminous object and it was her. And he took her home. And well, what a thing to find in the field!

Host: Maharaja, we have another question from Pavitra Bhat.

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaja, please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada, all glories to you guru Maharaja. Happy Radhastami. Guru Maharaja, this is a question about chanting, is more related to the deaf devotees. Some of them, they prefer to see the pictures of Radha and Krishna and do their chanting. Is that acceptable? Because they can’t hear, so they prefer to just look at the pictures.

Giriraj Swami: But they do chant but they can’t hear because they are deaf.

Devotee: Yes, they do chant but they can’t hear.

Giriraj Swami: Yes well, I do that. The Hare is Radha and Krishna is Krishna, Rama is Krishna. So, I think when they chant, I do it with a photo of Radha and Krishna and I also do it with the mantra, the written mantra, and it does help to focus the mind. So, when I chant the “Hare” I look at the picture of Radha or the word “Hare” and then when I say “Krishna” I look at the picture of Krishna or the deity of Krishna or the name “Krishna” on the mantra sign. So, that is fine, somehow or other they should think of Krishna and always remember Krishna, never forget Him. So, that is fine.

Devotee: Because they can’t hear and their mind keeps wandering around, they keep complaining about that a lot. And so, that was one of the things I said, I think if you look at the pictures, I think that could help. But before I tell them, I wanted to just confirm with you.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, that is a good suggestion. Yes, you can tell them that.

Devotee: Thank you guru Maharaja. Hare Krishna.

Host: Maharaja, we have another question from Tuva Leng. Tuva Leng, go ahead.

Devotee: Sorry, I just had this question on my mind for the longest time. When you were speaking about the protection of the daivī-prakriti, it came up again I just would really like to understand the principle of guru, sadhu, and shastra within that context of daivī-prakriti if it applies or falls in within that context at all. But how do we understand it and how to apply it the right mood?

Giriraj Swami: Well, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ, so any guru or sadhu will be a mahatma and will be under the protection of the divine energy, which is ultimately Srimati Radharani. So, by taking shelter of guru and sadhu, we are ultimately taking shelter of to the daivī prakṛti or Srimati Radharani. But I don’t think, it exactly applies to shastra except that, well, I guess you could say shastra is also under the divine energy but it is a little different from a devotee being under the divine energy such as sadhu and guru. Hare Krishna.

Host: Hare Krishna. Thank you so much dear devotees for your wonderful questions and thank you so much Maharaja for obliging us by painstakingly answering every one of the questions and really your talk and sharing of your thoughts and realizations today were superb and it was really amazing, and brought back so many memories to see to hear you again like this. So, there are no more questions that I can see in the chat or any hands raised, so Maharaja we can conclude now if you would like.

Giriraj Swami: All right then. I suggest that we end with offering Vaishnava praṇāma.

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

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca 

patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

Ananta-koṭi Vaishnava Vrinda ki jaya!

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

Srimati Radharani ki jaya!

Host: His Holiness Giriraj Swami Maharaja ki jaya!

Hare Krishna