SB 1.3.43 – Srila Prabhupada’s Arrival in America

Opening Prayer

[00:15:58]

Giriraj Swami: Today we are discussing Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in America which took place on September 17, 1965. And in commemoration of that event I will begin by reading a couple of exchanges with Srila Prabhupada about his coming to America.

Once Srila Prabhupada was asked, “Your godbrothers who came to the West went to England and Germany. Why did you choose to come to America?” And he replied, “They went and came back to India without accomplishing anything, so I thought if I am going to fail, at least let me fail in a different place.”

And on a morning walk in Los Angeles, a disciple said to Prabhupada, “When you came to the Western world, no one anywhere believed it would be successful. But actually it has become very successful, by preaching.” Srila Prabhupada replied, “I myself did not believe I shall be successful, what to speak of others. But because I did in the proper line, so it has become successful.”

Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

Of course, it was a difficult voyage for Srila Prabhupada on the ship Jaladuta, and on the way he had two heart attacks, and he thought that if he had a third, he might not survive. He kept a diary, and that has been published—The Jaladuta Diary. 

I will read a little from Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta to give the background leading up to Srila Prabhupada’s arrival: “On the night of the second day, Prabhupada had a dream. Lord Krishna, in His many forms, was rowing a boat, and He told Prabhupada that he should not fear, but should come along. Prabhupada felt assured of Lord Krishna’s protection, and the violent attacks did not recur.”

On Thursday, September 9, Srila Prabhupada wrote in his diary, “This afternoon, we have crossed over the Atlantic Ocean for twenty-four hours. The whole day was clear and almost smooth. I am taking my food regularly and have got some strength to struggle. There is also a slight tacking of the ship and I am feeling a slight headache also. But I am struggling and the nectarine of life is Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the source of all my vitality.”

The next day, Friday, September 10, just a week before he arrived in America, he wrote, “Today the ship is plying very smoothly. I feel today better. But I am feeling separation from Sri Vrindavan and my Lords Sri Govinda, Gopinatha, Radha-Damodara. The only solace is Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta in which I am tasting the nectarine of Lord Chaitanya’s līlā. I have left Bharatabhumi just to execute the order of Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati in pursuance of Lord Chaitanya’s order. I have no qualification, but I have taken up the risk just to carry out the order of His Divine Grace. I depend fully on Their mercy, so far away from Vrindavan.”

And when Srila Prabhupada arrived at Boston Harbor on September 18, 1965, he wrote a wonderful poem with rhyming stanzas, Markine Bhagavata-dharma, in which he expressed the same mood of dependence on the mercy of his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

baro-kṛpā kaile kṛṣṇa adhamer prati 

ki lāgiyānile hethā koro ebe gati

“My dear Lord Krishna, You are so kind upon this useless soul, but I do not know why You have brought me here. You can do whatever You like with me.”

In his humility, Srila Prabhupada refers to himself as a “useless soul.” And he submits himself, as he says later, as a puppet in the hands of Krishna and the paramparā to do with him whatever they like. That should also be our mood in our devotional service, that we just want to be puppets in the hands of our spiritual master and act as he wants us to act or do as he wants us to do. And Srila Prabhupada’s poem gives us an insight not only into Prabhupada’s mood of surrender and dependence on the mercy of the Lord and his spiritual master, but also into what our mood should be in our execution of devotional service.

āche kichu kārja taba ei anumāne

 nahe keno āniben ei ugra-sthāne

“But I guess You have some business here; otherwise why would You bring me to this terrible place?”

It is interesting that Srila Prabhupada called America a “terrible place” (ugra-sthane). Most people want to come to America. They think America is the promised land, where their desires will be fulfilled and all their aspirations will be met. But Srila Prabhupada is not seeing America like that, as the promised land, the land of the free and the home of the brave; he is seeing it as a terrible place.

rajas tamo guṇe erā sabāi ācchanna

 bāsudeb-kathā ruci nahe se prasanna

“Most of the population here is covered by the material modes of ignorance and passion. Absorbed in material life, they think themselves very happy and satisfied, and therefore they have no taste for the transcendental message of Vasudeva. I do not know how they will be able to understand it.”

In this verse Srila Prabhupada elaborates on the challenge he is facing in presenting Krishna consciousness, and that is that most of the population are covered by the modes of ignorance and passion, and to appreciate Krishna consciousness, or kṛṣṇa-kathā, one should be in the mode of goodness or at least be under the influence of goodness. So Srila Prabhupada is seeing this formidable challenge that he will have to meet in presenting Krishna consciousness to the people in America.

tabe jadi taba kṛpā hoy ahaitukī

 sakal-i sambhava hoy tumi se kautukī

“But I know Your causeless mercy can make everything possible because You are the most expert mystic.”

After presenting his incapability, Srila Prabhupada now expresses his hope that Krishna will make the impossible possible, because Krishna is the most expert mystic. It is said in the Bhagavad-gita (18.78) about Krishna, yatra yogeśvaraḥ kṛṣṇo, that He is the most expert mystic, so He can work miracles. And He did, through Srila Prabhupada.

ki bhāve bujhāle tārā bujhe sei rasa

 eta kṛpā koro prabhu kori nija-baśa

“How will they understand the mellows of devotional service? O Lord, I am simply praying for Your mercy so that I will be able to convince them about Your message.”

Srila Prabhupada is exhibiting that mood of helpless dependence on the mercy of the Lord, and that should be our mood when we preach, that we pray for the Lord’s mercy to make our words suitable for the audience, and we also pray for the Lord’s mercy in the hearts of the audience, to make them receptive to the message. 

When I was distributing books, I would always pray to say the right words to influence the person to take the books, and I would pray to the Lord in the heart of the person who I was approaching, to inspire them to take the book and do some service, give some donation for the book or magazine.

tomāra icchāya saba hoy māyā-baśa

 tomāra icchāya nāśa māyār paraśa

“All living entities have come under the control of the illusory energy by Your will, and therefore, if You like, by Your will they can also be released from the clutches of illusion.”

For me, this particular stanza has special significance, because shortly after I first came to the Boston temple I was initiated by Srila Prabhupada by mail, and in my initiation letter Srila Prabhupada wrote, “I marked it in your person when I was in Boston, and I prayed to Krishna that this good soul may be aware of the importance of Krishna consciousness.” And Srila Prabhupada’s prayer for me was instrumental in my coming to Krishna consciousness. The Lord is known as bhakta-vatsala, very affectionate to His devotees. And if a devotee, especially a pure devotee like Srila Prabhupada, prays to the Lord, the Lord will accept the devotee’s prayer. Out of his causeless mercy, Srila Prabhupada prayed to Krishna to make “this good soul aware of the importance of Krishna consciousness.” The prayer of the devotee to the Lord for the sake of a candidate for devotional service, or for the sake of a fallen soul, is effective. 

Here Srila Prabhupada is saying, “All living entities have come under the control of the illusory energy by Your will, and therefore, if You like, by Your will they can also be released from the clutches of illusion.” So yes, Krishna is all-powerful, and Srila Prabhupada is praying to Him on our behalf. 

And then, in the next verse, he says it explicitly

taba icchā hoy jadi tādera uddhār

 bujhibe niścai tabe kathā se tomār

“I wish that You may deliver them. Therefore, if You so desire their deliverance, then only will they be able to understand Your message.”

This reminds me of Srila Prabhupada’s prayer for me, but he is so magnanimous that he is praying for everyone in America, and by extension for everyone everywhere, but specifically he is praying for us fallen souls in America.

“I wish that You may deliver them. Therefore, if You so desire their deliverance,” which of course the Lords does, “then only will they be able to understand Your message.”

bhāgavater kathā se taba avatār

 dhīra haiyā śune jadi kāne bār bār

“The words of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam are Your incarnation. . .”

Very important. Yes, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is Krishna Himself, an incarnation of Krishna.

idaṁ bhāgavataṁ nāma purāṇaṁ brahma-sammitam

“This scripture named Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the literary incarnation of God.” (SB 1.3.40)

kṛṣṇe sva-dhāmopagate

dharma-jñānādibhiḥ saha

kalau naṣṭa-dṛśām eṣa

purāṇārko ‘dhunoditaḥ

This Bhāgavata Purāṇa is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Kṛṣṇa to His own abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the Age of Kali shall get light from this Purāṇa. (SB 1.3.43)

So coming back to Srila Prabhupada’s prayer,

“The words of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam are Your incarnation and if a sober person repeatedly receives it with submissive aural reception. . .”

So these are the qualifications for understanding the message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: to be sober—not intoxicated by one’s own greatness or by the prospects of enjoying in the material world—and to receive it repeatedly (nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā). Nityaṁ means “always,” or “regularly.” With submissive aural reception. It is very important to be submissive, not challenging. 

When I was first coming to the Boston temple, one of the devotees of Srila Prabhupada had said that I was submissive, and I, in all my twenty-one years, had never heard of being submissive as a virtue. It was not something we were taught. So when Srila Prabhupada was appreciating that I was submissive, I thought, Oh, that is odd. He was appreciating me for being submissive. But here he is saying, “The words of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam are Your incarnation, and if a sober person repeatedly receives it with submissive aural reception, then he will be able to understand Your message.”

And then, in his poem, Srila Prabhupada quotes five very important verses from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ

hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi

vidhunoti suhṛt satām

Suhṛt satām is translated as “Krishna is the benefactor of the truthful devotee.” Satām—sat is often a word for “devotee,” but the root of sat is “truth.” So we should be truthful; we should not be duplicitous, pretentious, or hypocritical. We should be truthful, we should be honest, and we should be sincere.

naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu

nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā

bhagavaty uttama-śloke

bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī

This verse also has personal significance for me. The translation is,

“By regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.”

In the early days when we were serving Srila Prabhupada in India, he kept us so busy that we hardly had time to read. And I was starting to feel guilty that I wasn’t reading his books. So one day I was sitting with him in his room in the Calcutta temple, and even though I didn’t say anything about feeling guilty, he could read my mind, and he quoted this verse: naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Bhagavata refers to the book Bhagavata or the person Bhagavata, the devotee Bhagavata. Srila Prabhupada told me that by serving the person Bhagavata, all the truths of the book Bhagavata will be revealed to you even if you never read the book. He was encouraging me to continue with my service to him, the devotee Bhagavata, and he was assuring me that all the truths of the book would be revealed even if I didn’t read the book. Of course, that was a special time, when we were so busy. In general, we should do both—serve the person Bhagavata and read the book Bhagavata. But if under certain circumstances one is actually engaged fully in serving the person Bhagavata and does not have time to read the book Bhagavata—which could happen even now—all the truths of the book Bhagavata will be revealed.

And the next three verses,

tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ

kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye

ceta etair anāviddhaṁ

sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati

evaṁ prasanna-manaso

bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ

bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ

mukta-saṅgasya jāyate

bhidyate hṛdaya-granthiś

chidyante sarva-saṁśayāḥ

kṣīyante cāsya karmāṇi

dṛṣṭa evātmanīśvare

Now, this is all in Srila Prabhupada’s poem: “It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.17–21): ‘Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses the desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.’”

Srila Prabhupada quoted these verses from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as the process by which he would deliver the fallen souls that he would encounter in the West. This cleansing of the heart is very difficult, and we are not able to do it on our own. Krishna enters the heart in the form of transcendental sound as Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and that sound vibration is purifying. And more than that, Krishna, as the Supersoul, will also cleanse the heart of desires for material enjoyment. So we are really quite helpless on our own, but Krishna helps. All we have to do is lend submissive aural reception to His messages, and then He will help, both in the form of transcendental sound and as the Paramātmā within the heart.

I will read it again. Prabhupada says it here repeatedly. “Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.” Puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ: Just by hearing and chanting, one becomes pious or virtuous.

“By regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome in the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the glorious Lord, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.”

The Sanskrit is naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu. Abhadreṣu means “all that is inauspicious,” nasta means “destroyed,” and prāyeṣv means “almost completely.” Not completely—that comes later—but almost completely. (Commenting on this verse, Srila Prabhupada has said 75 percent.)

And the next verse,

“At that time loving service is established in the heart and the modes of passion (rajas) and ignorance (tamas), and lust and desire (kāma) disappear from the heart.”

Then you are really purified.

And the next verse,

“And thus established in the mode of goodness, the man rejuvenated by loving service to the Lord gains liberation from all material association (mukti) and comes to know scientifically of the Personality of Godhead.”

Then the devotee, the listener, through submissive aural reception, which leads to liberation from material association (mukta-saṅgasya jāyate), comes to know scientifically of the Personality of Godhead (bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ). 

The next quote,

“Thus the knot in the heart and all misgivings are cut to pieces.”

It is so liberating just to read this. 

“Thus the knot in the heart and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions is terminated when one sees the self as master.”

After quoting these five verses from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Prabhupada continues his poem.

rajas tamo hate tabe pāibe nistār

 hṛdayer abhadra sab ghucibe tāhār

“He will become liberated from the influence of the modes of ignorance and passion and thus all inauspicious things accumulated in the core of the heart will disappear.” Srila Prabhupada, in his Bengali, was summarizing these verses.

ki ko’re bujhābo kathā baro sei cāhi

 khudra āmi dīna hīna kono śakti nāhi

“How will I make them understand this message of Krishna consciousness? I am very unfortunate, unqualified, and the most fallen. Therefore I am seeking Your benediction so that I can convince them, for I am powerless to do so on my own.”

We can see Srila Prabhupada’s abject humility and his complete dependence on the Lord’s mercy. There is no pretense when he calls himself “the most fallen.”

Srila Prabhupada had a disciple who once said to him, “I am the most fallen,” and Srila Prabhupada replied, “You are not the most anything.” When Srila Prabhupada said it, he meant it. Srila Prabhupada was actually fulfilling his disciple’s desire. The disciple wanted to be humble, and he was presenting himself as humble, and Prabhupada’s words were humbling, “You are not the most anything.”

athaca enecho prabhu kathā bolibāre

je tomār icchā prabhu koro ei bare

“Somehow or other, O Lord, You have brought me here to speak about You. Now, my Lord, it is up to You to make me a success or failure as You like.”

Again, complete dependence on the Lord.

akhila jagat-guru! bacana se āmār

alaṅkṛta koribār khamatā tomār

“O spiritual master of all the worlds! I can simply repeat Your message, and if You like You can make my power of speaking suitable for their understanding.”

This is also a very important verse, because it speaks to the point of realization. “I can simply repeat Your message.” So we repeat, but at the same time Srila Prabhupada is praying to the Lord to make his power of speaking suitable for the audience. Indirectly, he is alluding to the point of realization.

In his purport to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto One, Chapter Four, “The Appearance of Sri Narada,” Text one, Srila Prabhupada gives a nice definition of realization:

vyāsa uvāca

iti bruvāṇaṁ saṁstūya

munīnāṁ dīrgha-satriṇām

vṛddhaḥ kula-patiḥ sūtaṁ

bahvṛcaḥ śaunako ‘bravīt

TRANSLATION

Vyāsadeva said: On hearing Sūta Gosvāmī speak thus, Śaunaka Muni, who was the elderly, learned leader of all the ṛṣis engaged in that prolonged sacrificial ceremony, congratulated Sūta Gosvāmī by addressing him as follows.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Śrī Śaunaka Ṛṣi had all these qualifications, and thus he stood up to congratulate Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī when he expressed his desire to present Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam exactly as he heard it from Śukadeva Gosvāmī and also realized it personally. Personal realization does not mean that one should, out of vanity, attempt to show one’s own learning by trying to surpass the previous ācārya. He must have full confidence in the previous ācārya, and at the same time he must realize the subject matter so nicely that he can present the matter for the particular circumstances in a suitable manner. The original purpose of the text must be maintained. No obscure meaning should be screwed out of it, yet it should be presented in an interesting manner for the understanding of the audience. This is called realization.

Giriraj Swami: So now I come back to Srila Prabhupada’s words here. It is exactly the same thing.

akhila jagat-guru! bacana se āmār 

alaṅkṛta koribār khamatā tomār

“O spiritual master of all the worlds! I can simply repeat Your message. . .”

That is the idea of just repeating, but more than that also: 

“. . . so if You like You can make my power of speaking suitable for their understanding.”

taba kṛpā ha’le mor kathā śuddha habe 

śuniyā sabāra śoka duḥkha je ghucibe

“Only by Your causeless mercy will my words become pure. I am sure that when this transcendental message penetrates their hearts they will certainly feel engladdened and thus become liberated from all unhappy conditions of life.”

And that is exactly what happened when Srila Prabhupada, empowered by Krishna, came—we heard him, we appreciated what he said, and we became happy. As Srila Prabhupada said, he was converting the hippies into happies.

āniyācho jadi prabhu āmāre nācāte 

nācāo nācāo prabhu nacāo se-mate

kāṣṭhera puttali jathā nācāo se-mate

“O Lord, I am just like a puppet in Your hands. So if You have brought me here to dance, then make me dance, make me dance, O Lord, make me dance as You like.”

Such a beautiful metaphor.

bhakti nāi beda nāi nāme khub daro 

“bhaktivedānta” nām ebe sārthak koro

“I have no devotion, nor do I have any knowledge, but I have strong faith in the holy name of Krsna. I have been designated as Bhaktivedanta, and now, if You like, You can fulfill the real purport of Bhaktivedanta.”

Bhakti means “devotion,” and Vedanta means “knowledge.” Actually, Veda means “knowledge,” and anta means “the end of knowledge.” So Srila Prabhupada is saying that he is been designated as Bhaktivedanta but actually he has no bhakti, devotion, or Vedanta, knowledge, but, “I have strong faith in the holy name of Krishna.” And this in one sense is really the secret of Srila Prabhupada’s success—his strong faith in the holy name of Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada had a godbrother named Akincana Krishna dasa Babaji Maharaja, who Srila Prabhupada said was a paramahamsa, a liberated soul, and was always chanting. At Prabhupada’s sannyasa initiation, Akincana Krishna dasa Babaji Maharaja was present in the Gaudiya Matha in Mathura, where Prabhupada took sannyasa from His Holiness Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Maharaja. During the ceremony there was a break, and Babaji Maharaja started chanting. And then, when it was time for the mantras for the ceremony to begin again, the priest, not Kesava Maharaja but his disciple who was doing the fire ceremony, motioned to Babaji Maharaja to stop chanting, and Prabhupada, behind his back, motioned to Babaji Maharaja, “Keep chanting, keep chanting.” And Babaji Maharaja said that at that time he understood that Srila Prabhupada would become the world leader of the Hare Krishna movement, because he had complete faith in the holy names. And Srila Prabhupada himself says it here: “I have no devotion, nor do I have any knowledge, but I have strong faith in the holy name of Krsna. I have been designated as Bhaktivedanta, and now, if You like, You can fulfill the real purport of Bhaktivedanta.”

And Srila Prabhupada signed the poem:

“Signed-the most unfortunate, insignificant beggar

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami,

on board the ship Jaladuta, Commonwealth Pier,

Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

dated 18th of September, 1965”

This poem was unknown to us, and Srila Prabhupada himself wasn’t even sure if there was any record of it. But devotees did find it, and they published it in Back to Godhead magazine. And that issue Back to Godhead with the poem came into our hands in 1971 when we were staying at the Sea Palace Hotel on Colaba, which was owned by our friend and life member Ramachand Chabria. It was a vegetarian hotel, and we didn’t have any other place to stay in Bombay then, and he allowed us to stay free of charge. So the magazine came, and Gurudas and his wife Yamuna devi and I were reading from it and when we came to the signature, “the most unfortunate, insignificant beggar, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami,” Yamuna devi burst out into tears. She was just so moved by Srila Prabhupada’s humility. I will never forget that. She burst out into tears. We should have such feelings for Srila Prabhupada.

So this is a momentous, historic occasion—Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in America—and because of his coming here, pursuant to the order of his spiritual master, our lives have been changed: we have been saved from nature’s modes of passion and ignorance and all the other things that Srila Prabhupada described about the population that he was preparing to encounter.

So my dear devotees, thank you for joining us on this auspicious occasion, The Celebration of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in America. And now if you have any questions or comments, any reflections you can raise your hands; your physical hand or your virtual hand, and we will discuss further. And at the end, as far as possible, the participants on Zoom please put on your cameras so we can see your moonlike faces.

Yes, Krishnalila dasi.

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaja. Please accept my obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I was just wondering, you were saying that Prabhupada arrived in Boston Harbor on the 17th of September but he wrote that poem the next day- the 18th of September. It is signed the 18th of September.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, maybe he stayed on the boat. It is true, it is dated the 18th, but we have always heard that he arrived on the 17th. So yes, he stayed on the boat. 

All right, so if there are no more questions or comments. Oh! Malati dasi has raised her hand.

Devotee: Hare Krishna guru Maharaja. Please accept my heartfelt obeisances unto the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to Your Divine Grace. Guru Maharaja, as you said twice in today’s lecture that Prabhupada wrote that “I am a useless soul and Krishna please use me as you like,” this is the mood of pleasing the Divine couple, actually the highest mood what Prabhupada was exhibiting. We see the same mood in the eighth stanza of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s prayers- āśliṣya vā pāda-ratāṁ pinaṣṭu mām. And I just recollected the same pastime when Srila Prabhupada was about to leave his body and the pastime happened when he wanted to visit Govardhana, and there were two parties, where the first party said that “Yes, we have to please Srila Prabhupada, whatever he says and we have to do whatever he likes.”

Now I was a little confused that the second party said that “No Srila Prabhupada, you have to take care of your health and you cannot go about like this.” So what is the right mood guru Maharaja because is it that we be ourselves and whatever mood we have for our spiritual master and Krishna, we should exhibit the same mood or we should reach the mood like fully surrendered and just follow what it is said? So please Guru Maharaja if you can show something.

Giriraj Swami: Yes at the end it is true, Srila Prabhupada expressed his desire to go to Govardhana and one group of devotees said, “It is not our duty to question the order of the spiritual Master. We should just execute the order.” But the other devotees were concerned that Srila Prabhupada would not be able to withstand the arduous journey to Govardhana and that he might even give up his body on the way. And Tamal Krishna Goswami said, “People might even accuse us of killing our spiritual master.”

So there were senior devotees on both sides of the controversy but I was closer to the devotees who felt that we should not subject Srila Prabhupada to that arduous journey. And that group was led by Tamal Krishna Goswami and Bhakti Charu Swami. And in the end Srila Prabhupada agreed not to go. But even afterwards that controversy continued amongst the different devotees and I myself wasn’t completely sure. But after Srila Prabhupada left I was looking at the new volume of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that had just come in his room, and in that volume the dāmodara-līlā is discussed. And of course, Srila Prabhupada left during Kartik, the month of Damodara. And in the discussion of the dāmodara-līlā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says that although Krishna is fully independent He does have one transcendental attribute, and that is that He comes under the control of the love of His pure devotees. And I related that to what had happened with Srila Prabhupada that he came under the control of his pure devotees and agreed not to go to Govardhana.

Hemlata?

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to you. Thank you for sharing this wonderful poem and the purport so beautifully Maharaja. My question is, why does the pure devotee feel that he has no devotion and no knowledge? What are the feelings going on in the heart of a pure devotee to come to this point of realization?

Giriraj Swami: Yes, there is pure devotee’s humility. The author of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Srila Krishna dasa Kavirāja Gosvami, he says, “I am lower than the worm and stool. And I am more sinful than Jagai and Madhai.” So as one becomes more advanced one becomes more aware of one’s deficiencies, although the deficiencies may not actually be there. But one feels oneself to be deficient, and that makes one humble. That is very favorable for devotional services- be humble.

Devotee: Does the devotee come to such refined realization based on seeing the previous acharyas or how is such consciousness cultivated?

Giriraj Swami: That could be part of it but a lot comes from offenseless chanting and hearing. As one’s heart becomes cleansed one becomes more acutely aware of one’s deficiencies. It is part of the process of purification.

Devotee: Thank you so much Maharaja. Hare Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Chandrika Priya.

Devotee: Hare Krishna guru Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to Your Divine Grace. Sorry guru Maharaja, the question is actually not very much related to the topic, is it okay to ask?

Giriraj Swami: Yes.

Devotee: Thank you guru Maharaja. I was wondering, we have a couple of devotees here and there is some tension between them. And one of the devotees, she does so much book distribution, it is amazing; she distributes some five to six sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam almost every day and she distributes CC as well. And I feel giving so many obeisances to her on one hand, but then on the other hand she can be so nasty to this other devotee and I don’t understand how that can happen. I am not able to understand this contradiction, how it can be that a devotee distributes so many books but on the other hand cannot. . . sorry I am not in a very quiet place, so I was just wanting to ask that Guru Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Well, it is wonderful that she distributes so many books but she should also be humble and respectful of the other devotees and not be mean or nasty. Did you ever ask her about it?

Devotee: Yes guru Maharaja, it is a family tension. Actually it is the daughter and mother, and the daughter got married to someone the mother didn’t like. So that is the thing. So that is what happened. But I think she actually goes and puts it on public groups and stuff and it is a bit nasty. But I was just wondering how; I cannot understand how. . . I don’t know how to say but how on one hand it is so amazing that she is completely transcendental when she goes on to book distribution and then on the other hand it is just when the situation arises it is like a completely different person.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, she has to let it go. Really she has to accept it with a more philosophical outlook and not try to be such a controller and not react on the basis of false ego. I can’t say I really understand the situation completely, but based on what I have gotten from you I would say that she should just let it go. She is not the Supreme controller, Krishna is. And things didn’t work out the way she wanted and it is just the way it is.

Devotee: Thank you guru Maharaja. Thank you for that. Thank you for the wonderful class. Hare Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna. 

Thanu is your hand up?

Devotee: Yes Maharaja. Hare Krishna Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisances. As usual it is a wonderful class Maharaja, we learn a lot of things from the class today. But my question is continuation of what Chandrika Mataji is asking that okay we are hearing from the pure devotees every moment here and there- more humble than the grass, more tolerant than the tree. And still there is a “lord it over” mentality is coming on that. Sometimes we are bursting, not sometime- most of the time we are bursting that, we are uncontrollable the emotion coming out because things are going out of control or something like that Maharaja. How do we control our emotion Maharaja?

Giriraj Swami: Yes, well of course our main process is offenseless hearing and chanting that cleanses the heart, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, and that helped and we also have to make an effort. And Srila Prabhupada said, “If we feel angry we should think of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. And if you feel lusty you should think of Krishna and the gopīs.” So somehow transfer your consciousness to the Lord and that will purify your consciousness and help you get over that emotional rush.

Devotee: Thank you Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna. 

Malati? 

Devotee: Hare Krishna guru Maharaja. Guru Maharaja, as you said that one becomes humble when one chants very sincerely. It is not so easy to hear and be attentive but we try our very best to hear our rounds. But every syllable, it is too difficult; it is too difficult guru Maharaja to hear every syllable. So how to get up to that mood of chanting, to hear every syllable. Once I tried a round hearing every syllable but it took me quite a bit of effort and a lot of time consuming, so I don’t know how to go about guru Maharaja. Please can you help me?

Giriraj Swami: Srila Prabhupada said, “Practice makes perfect, even in spiritual life.” So if you practice chanting attentively then eventually you will become perfect but it is a battle. The mind is always going here and there. As Bhurijana Prabhu says, and there are many good books on japa that I recommend, one of them is by Bhurijana Prabhu and it is called Japa. And he says, “It is a battle but that battle must be fought.” You can’t just give in to the mind and surrender to the mind and let it go wherever it wants. To make that endeavor as Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gītā, “Whenever and wherever the mind wanders you should bring it back to the self.” 

Devotee: Yes guru Maharaja, please pray for me so that I can chant attentively and please you and the divine couple.

Giriraj Swami: I will pray for you.

Devotee: Thank you. Hare Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: There are some nice prayers. Srila Prabhupada actually recommended some prayers before chanting japa that will help us to overcome offenses, so I will email you those prayers. Hare Krishna.

Devotee: Hare Krishna.

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaja, can I also have those prayers please?

Giriraj Swami: Okay, I will send you too. Maybe I will read them since I might have created some interest here. So in the purport to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.5.23) Srila Prabhupada writes, 

“One should be very humble and meek to offer one’s desires and chant prayers composed in glorification of the holy name, such as ayi mukta-kulair upāsya mānam (Namastaka 1) and nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād (SB 10.1.4). One should chant such prayers to become free from offenses at the lotus feet of the holy name.”

So that is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.5.23 purport. And now the two prayers that Srila Prabhupada mentioned. The first is Namastaka 1.

nikhila-śruti-mauli-ratna-mālā-

dyuti-nīrājita-pāda-paṅkajānta

ayi mukta-kulair upāsyamānaṁ

paritas tvāṁ hari-nāma saṁśrayāmi

“O Hari-nāma! The tips of the toes of Your lotus feet are constantly being worshiped by the glowing radiance emanating from the string of gems known as the Upaniṣads, the crown jewels of all the Vedas. You are eternally adored by liberated souls such as Nārada and Śukadeva. O Hari-nāma! I take complete shelter of You.”

That is Namastaka 1. And then,

nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād

bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-’bhirāmāt

ka uttamaśloka-guṇānuvādāt

pumān virajyeta vinā paśughnāt

Glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is performed in the paramparā system, that is, it is conveyed from the spiritual master to disciple. Such glorification is relished by those no longer interested in the false, temporary glorification of this cosmic manifestation. Descriptions of the Lord are the right medicine for the conditioned soul undergoing repeated birth and death. Therefore, who will cease hearing such glorification of the Lord except a butcher or one who is killing his own self?

So again coming back to the purport which gave the idea.

“One should be very humble and meek to offer one’s desires and chant prayers composed in glorification of the holy name, such as ayi mukta-kulair upāsya mānam (Namastaka 1) and nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād (SB 10.1.4). One should chant such prayers to become free from offenses at the lotus feet of the holy name.”

And here Srila Prabhupada is giving these two prayers as examples but he is making the general point that one should chant prayers composed in glorification of the holy name and that will help one become free from offenses at the Lotus feet of the holy name.

Harinama Prabhu ki jaya! Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

Devotee: Thankyou Maharaja for your mercy. This is Giriraj Maharaja’s last class in this forum for this year. And Maharaja will be going to India and it will be, as Maharaja said, very practical. It will be very difficult for Maharaja to get on this hour from India especially when time changes next month. So Maharaja, when will you be back?

Giriraj Swami: I am scheduled to be back in February; I think February 22nd.

Devotee: We will wait.

Giriraj Swami: I will be very happy to join you upon my return.

Devotee: Thank you very much Maharaja. Thank you for your mercy Maharaja. I will see you in Vrindavan Maharaja [Unintelligible].

Giriraj Swami: Yes, I look forward to seeing you in Vrindavan.

All right so we are going to end now. I suggest we conclude with Vaishnava praṇāma.

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

vāñchā-kalpa-tarubhyaś ca

kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca

patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo

vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

Ananta koti Vaishnava-vrinda ki jaya!

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

His arrival in America ki jaya!

Hare Krishna.

Devotee: His Holiness Giriraj Swami Maharaja ki jaya!

Hare Krishna.