CC Antya 20.144–157 – Sri Rama-ekadasi—Srila Prabhupada’s Concluding Words to Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

Giriraj Swami: So, we read from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, Chapter Twenty, “The Śikṣāṣṭaka Prayers,” just the last few verses, and we will read Srila Prabhupada’s concluding words.

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda

jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

So, I will read the last few verses of the last chapter of sweet Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta,

TEXTS 144–146

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya, śrī-yuta nityānanda

śrī-advaita-ācārya, śrī-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

śrī-svarūpa, śrī-rūpa, śrī-sanātana

śrī-guru śrī-raghunātha, śrī-jīva-caraṇa

nija-śire dhari’ ei sabāra caraṇa

yāhā haite haya saba vāñchita-pūraṇa

TRANSLATION

So that my desires may be fulfilled, I place the lotus feet of these personalities on my head: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, with Lord Nityānanda, Advaita Ācārya and Their devotees, as well as Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, who is my spiritual master, and Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī was the instructing spiritual master of Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī and has therefore been described as śrī-guru.

TEXT 147

sabāra caraṇa-kṛpā — ‘guru upādhyāyī’

mora vāṇī — śiṣyā, tāre bahuta nācāi

TRANSLATION

The mercy of their lotus feet is my spiritual master, and my words are my disciples, whom I have made dance in various ways.

TEXT 148

śiṣyāra śrama dekhi’ guru nācāna rākhilā

‘kṛpā’ nā nācāya, ‘vāṇī’ vasiyā rahilā

TRANSLATION

Seeing the fatigue of the disciples. . .

COMMENT

Who are the disciples?

Devotee: The words.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, the words, his words.

TRANSLATION

Seeing the fatigue of the disciples, the spiritual master has stopped making them dance, and because that mercy no longer makes them dance,

COMMENT

The spiritual master is the mercy of his superiors.

TRANSLATION

My words now sit silently.

TEXT 149

anipuṇā vāṇī āpane nācite nā jāne

yata nācāilā, nāci’ karilā viśrāme

TRANSLATION

My inexperienced words do not know how to dance by themselves. The mercy of the guru made them dance as much as possible, and now, after dancing, they have taken rest.

TEXT 150

saba śrotā-gaṇera kari caraṇa vandana

yāṅ-sabāra caraṇa-kṛpā — śubhera kāraṇa

TRANSLATION

I now worship the lotus feet of all my readers, for by the mercy of their lotus feet there is all good fortune.

TEXT 151

caitanya-caritāmṛta yei jana śune

tāṅra caraṇa dhuñā karoṅ muñi pane

TRANSLATION

If one hears the pastimes of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as described in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, I wash his lotus feet and drink the water.

COMMENT

He is so humble. Srila Krishna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami is extraordinarily humble.

TEXT 152

śrotāra pada-reṇu karoṅ mastaka-bhūṣaṇa

tomarā e-amṛta pile saphala haila śrama

TRANSLATION

I decorate my head with the dust of the lotus feet of my audience. Now you have all drunk this nectar, and therefore my labor is successful.

TEXT 153

śrī-rūpa-raghunātha-pade yāra āśa

caitanya-caritāmṛta kahe kṛṣṇadāsa

TRANSLATION

Praying at the lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Raghunātha, always desiring their mercy, I, Kṛṣṇadāsa, narrate Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, following in their footsteps.

TEXT 154

caritam amṛtam etac chrīla-caitanya-viṣṇoḥ

śubha-dam aśubha-nāśi śraddhayāsvādayed yaḥ

tad-amala-pada-padme bhṛṅgatām etya so ‘yaṁ

rasayati rasam uccaiḥ prema-mādhvīka-pūram

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta is filled with the activities of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. It invokes all good fortune and destroys everything inauspicious. If one tastes the nectar of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta with faith and love, I become like a bumblebee tasting the honey of transcendental love from his lotus feet.

COMMENT

So, my dear devotees, we should read Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

TEXT 155

śrīman-madana-gopāla-

govindadeva-tuṣṭaye

caitanyārpitam astv etac

caitanya-caritāmṛtam

TRANSLATION

Since this book, Caitanya-caritāmṛta, is now complete, having been written for the satisfaction of the most opulent Deities Madana-mohanajī and Govindajī, let it be offered at the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanyadeva.

TEXT 156

parimala-vāsita-bhuvanaṁ sva-rasonmādita-rasajña-rolambam

giridhara-caraṇāmbhojaṁ kaḥ khalu rasikaḥ samīhate hātum

TRANSLATION

Realized devotees are like bumblebees maddened by their own mellows at Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. The scent of those lotus feet perfumes the entire world. Who is the realized soul that could give them up?

TEXT 157

śāke sindhv-agni-vāṇendau

jyaiṣṭhe vṛndāvanāntare

sūryāhe ‘sita-pañcamyāṁ

grantho ‘yaṁ pūrṇatāṁ gataḥ

TRANSLATION

In Vṛndāvana in the year 1537 Śakābda Era [A.D 1615], in the month of Jyaiṣṭha [May-June], on Sunday, the fifth day of the waning moon, this Caitanya-caritāmṛta has been completed.

PURPORT

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, twentieth chapter, describing the meaning of the Śikṣāṣṭaka and how the Lord tasted it Himself.

END OF THE ANTYA-LĪLĀ

COMMENT

So, forty-eight years ago, on the Rama-ekādaśī, as usual, I went to Srila Prabhupada’s  quarters in Juhu, at the back of Hare Krishna land at about 6:00 a.m. because Srila Prabhupada would leave for his morning walk at about six, and we would accompany him from his quarters. On this particular date however, when I got to the top of the stairs, I found that Srila Prabhupada’s door was locked. On that floor, one side was Srila Prabhupada’s quarters, and the other side was his staff’s residence. His door was locked, so I tried the other door, and the other door was also locked. So, I was knocking on the doors, and eventually, Srila Prabhupada’s secretary, Harikesh, opened the door to the staff’s residence, and he said that Srila Prabhupada had finished translating Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that he was in a very ecstatic mood, that he had written a most beautiful glorification of his spiritual master, and that he said that we should celebrate by having a feast. So now, I will read that beautiful glorification of his spiritual master, to which Harikesh Prabhu referred.

CONCLUDING WORDS

Today, Sunday, November 10, 1974-corresponding to the 10th of Kārtikka, Caitanya Era 488, the eleventh day of the dark fortnight, the Rāma-ekādaśī-we have now finished the English translation of Śrī Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī’s Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta in accordance with the authorised order of His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākur Gosvāmī Mahārāja, my beloved eternal spiritual master, guide and friend. Although according to material vision His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda passed away from this material world on the last day of December, 1936, I still consider His Divine Grace to be always present with me by his vāṇī, his words.

COMMENT

So, this sets the theme for the entire concluding words. That is the presence of the spiritual master through vāṇī. Vāṇī means words, or a transcendental sound.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

There are two ways of association-by vāṇī and by vapu. Vāṇī means words, and vapu means physical presence. Physical presence is sometimes appreciable and sometimes not, but vāṇī continues to exist eternally. Therefore we must take advantage of the vāṇī, not the physical presence. Bhagavad-gītā, for example, is the vāṇī of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Although Kṛṣṇa was personally present five thousand years ago and is no longer physically present from the materialistic point of view, Bhagavad-gītā continues.

In this connection we may call to memory the time when I was fortunate enough to meet His Divine Grace Śrīla Prabhupāda, sometime in the year 1922. Śrīla Prabhupāda had come from Calcutta to Śrīdhama Māyāpur to start the missionary activities of the Gauḍīya Maṭha. He was sitting in a house at Ulta Danga when through the inducement of an intimate friend, the late Śrīman Narendranātha Mallika, I had the opportunity to meet His Divine Grace for the first time.

COMMENT

Now, fortunately, that place at Ulta Danga has come into our possession, and the devotees have done a beautiful job of renovating it just to the way it was when our Srila Prabhupada had met Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura for the first time. And later on this tour, when I go to Calcutta, I very much look forward to visiting that holy place.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

Śrīla Prabhupāda had come from Calcutta to Śrīdhama Māyāpur to start the missionary activities of the Gauḍīya Maṭha. He was sitting in a house at Ulta Danga when through the inducement of an intimate friend, the late Śrīman Narendranātha Mallika, I had the opportunity to meet His Divine Grace for the first time.

COMMENT

So, even then, Srila Prabhupada was the leader amongst his friends and associates. And so, Narendranātha Mallika, his friend, Narendranātha Mallika wanted him to meet Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura to give his verdict, what was his sense of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

I do not remember the actual date of the meeting, but at that time I was one of the managers of Dr. Bose’s laboratory in Calcutta. I was a newly married young man, addicted to Gandhi’s movement and dressed in khadi. Fortunately, even at our first meeting, His Divine Grace advised me to preach the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in English in the Western countries.

COMMENT

So, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura could see that Srila Prabhupada was educated, he knew English, and straight away, he instructed him to preach the message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the English language in the Western countries. And due to that instruction, Srila Prabhupada came and now we are all here.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

Because at that time I was a complete nationalist, a follower of Mahātma Gandhi’s, I submitted to His Divine Grace that unless our country were freed from foreign subjugation, no one would hear the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu seriously. Of course, we had some argument on this subject, but at last I was defeated and convinced that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s message is the only panacea for suffering humanity.

COMMENT

What is the meaning of panacea?

Devotee: Ultimate solution.

Giriraj Swami: Ultimate solution, no. Panacea means a cure for all diseases. So, during this first meeting, as Srila Prabhupada mentioned, he submitted to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura that India was still under foreign subjugation and no one would hear the message of India seriously, as long as it was still under foreign domination. But Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura replied that, “This message is too important to wait, and we must immediately distribute this message all over the world.” And he specifically requested Srila Prabhupada, abide then, to take this message in the English language to the Western countries. And as Srila Prabhupada said, he was. . . Hare Krishna. And as Srila Prabhupada said, he was defeated by his guru Maharaja. Up until then, Srila Prabhupada had never been defeated in any argument with anyone, but he was defeated by his guru Maharaja. And Srila Prabhupada commented that he was very glad that he was defeated by his guru Maharaja.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

Of course, we had some argument on this subject, but at last I was defeated and convinced that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s message is the only panacea for suffering humanity. I was also convinced that the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was then in the hands of a very expert devotee and that surely the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would spread all over the world. I could not, however, immediately take up his instructions to preach, but I took his words very seriously and was always thinking of how to execute his order, although I was quite unfit to do so.

COMMENT

So, this is also an instruction for all of us, that we may receive an order that we are not able to execute immediately, but we should keep that order in our hearts and await the opportunity, look for the opportunity, pray for the opportunity to execute the order. I had my own experience with this principle and Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada had given me the instruction to write. This was in Gorakhpur in 1971. And yes, I took the instruction very seriously, and then, Srila Prabhupada was organizing the first big pandal program in Bombay. And so, he asked the devotees to come to Bombay.

At the time, our dear Shyamasundara Prabhu was the temple president, and he told me that I should collect funds for the souvenir book, collect advertisements so that we could raise funds for the pandal program. So, I told him that Srila Prabhupada had instructed me to write, and Shyamasundara Prabhu said, “You can write any time, but this is one time you can walk into any man’s office and ask for an advertisement for our souvenir. He doesn’t have to pay out of his own pocket, he can give the advertisement from the business. So, you should collect advertisements for the souvenir, we need the money for the pandal, and you can write after that.” Then Srila Prabhupada came, and as usual, he would sit down in his room and glance affectionately at all the devotees and exchange some words with them. And he came to me, and he said, “So, Giriraj, how is your writing going?” And I was completely flustered, I didn’t know how to reply. And Srila Prabhupada said, “All right, we will talk later.”

So, a few minutes later, after all the other devotees had left the room, he called for me, and, “So, how is your writing going?” So, I explained what Shyamasundara Prabhu had said, that this is the one time we can walk into any man’s office and get advertisements for the souvenir book and we need the funds for the pandal program. And I also knew that Srila Prabhupada wanted us to cooperate with our authorities, so I mentioned that as well, but still, I was quite apprehensive as to how Srila Prabhupada would respond, whether he would agree with my decision. And Srila Prabhupada replied that, “One may temporarily suspend the order of the spiritual master, but one can never neglect it.” And then he said, “Just like my guru Maharaja instructed me to write, but I have been so busy traveling India and having programs, I also hardly have time to write. So, you can temporarily suspend the order of the spiritual master, but you can never neglect it.” And this is what Srila Prabhupada is saying here.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

I could not, however, immediately take up his instructions to preach, but I took his words very seriously and was always thinking of how to execute his order, although I was quite unfit to do so.

In this way I passed my life as a householder until 1950, when I retired from family life as a vānaprastha. With no companion, I loitered here and there until 1959, when I took sannyāsa. Then I was completely ready to discharge the order of my spiritual master.

COMMENT

So, Srila Prabhupada was given sannyasa by his older godbrother, Srila Bhaktiprajnana Keshava Goswami Maharaja. And when Srila Prabhupada was in Seattle in 1968, he received word that Keshava Maharaja had passed away, and he dictated a very beautiful appreciation of His Holiness Bhaktiprajnana Keshava Goswami Maharaja. And in the appreciation, he said that this godbrother forced him to take sannyas. And then he said, “Not exactly this godbrother, but my guru Maharaja forced me to take sannyasi through this godbrother.” And from this incident, we can understand that the spiritual master can give us instructions through other devotees who are representing him at a particular time and in a particular situation.

And there were many other times when Srila Prabhupada took advice, not even always from devotees, but from friends and well-wishers. In Bombay, Srila Prabhupada had a friend named Brijratan Mohatta. He was a very intelligent man and quite wealthy, he was married to R. D. Birla’s daughter, and he suggested to Srila Prabhupada that he should serialize the Bhagavad-gītā in every issue of Back to Godhead magazine. And Srila Prabhupada accepted that suggestion. He didn’t do it with the Bhagavad-gītā, he did it with Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and every issue of Back to Godhead magazine had a section from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, based on Mr. Mohatta’s suggestion to Srila Prabhupada.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

With no companion, I loitered here and there until 1959, when I took sannyāsa. Then I was completely ready to discharge the order of my spiritual master. Previously, in 1936, just before His Divine Grace passed away. . .

COMMENT

Now, it says Jagannatha Puri, but actually, he passed away in Calcutta. And I wrote to the editors of Srila Prabhupada’s books that that should be corrected.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

Previously, in 1936, just before His Divine Grace passed away, I wrote him a letter asking what I could do to serve him. In reply, he wrote me a letter, dated 13 December 1936, ordering me, in the same way, to preach in English the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as I had heard it from him.

COMMENT

So, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura repeated the same instruction, and it was confirmed beyond any doubt, that this was Srila Prabhupada’s mission.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

After he passed away, I started the fortnightly magazine Back to Godhead sometime in 1944 and tried to spread the cult of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu through this magazine. After I took sannyāsa, a well-wishing friend suggested that I write books instead of magazines. Magazines, he said, might be thrown away, but books remain perpetually.

COMMENT

So again, Srila Prabhupada took relevant and cogent advice from a well-wishing friend.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

Then I attempted to write Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Before that, when I was a householder, I had written on Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā and had completed about eleven hundred pages, but somehow or other the manuscript was stolen. In any case, when I had published Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, in three volumes in India, I thought of going to the U.S.A.

COMMENT

And Srila Prabhupada commented that actually, he didn’t come to America, but Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam came to America and he accompanied it.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

By the mercy of His Divine Grace, I was able to come to New York on September 17, 1965. Since then, I have translated many books, including Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Teachings of Lord Caitanya (a summary) and many others.

In the meantime, I was induced to translate Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta and publish it in an elaborate version. In his leisure time in later life, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhakura would simply read Caitanya-caritāmṛta. It was his favorite book. He used to say that there would be a time when the foreigners would learn the Bengali language to read Caitanya-caritāmṛta. The work on this translation began about eighteen months ago. Now, by the grace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhakura, it is finished. In this connection I have to thank my American disciples.

COMMENT

So, Srila Prabhupada is so pure and so humble he doesn’t take any credit for himself, he gives credit to his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and now he is giving the credit to his disciples.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

In this connection I have to thank my American disciples, especially Śrīman Pradyumna dāsa Adhikārī, Śrīman Nitāi dāsa Adhikārī, Śrīman Jayādvaita dāsa Brahmacārī and many other boys and girls who are sincerely helping me in writing, editing and publishing all these literatures.

I think that His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura is always seeing my activities.

COMMENT

Srila Prabhupada said that he always felt that his guru Maharaja was with him, just looking over his shoulder.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

I think that His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura is always seeing my activities and guiding me within my heart by his words. As it is said in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye. Spiritual inspiration comes from within the heart, wherein the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His Paramātmā feature, is always sitting with all His devotees and associates. It is to be admitted that whatever translation work I have done is through the inspiration of my spiritual master.

COMMENT

So, we usually think of the Super Soul, the Paramātmā, as being in the heart, and he is, but here Srila Prabhupada adds that he is not there alone, but he is there with all of his associates. And Srila Prabhupada is suggesting that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was also there in the heart with the Paramātmā, and guiding him in writing his translation of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Amazing.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

As it is said in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye. Spiritual inspiration comes from within the heart, wherein the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His Paramātmā feature, is always sitting with all His devotees and associates. It is to be admitted that whatever translation work I have done is through the inspiration of my spiritual master because personally I am most insignificant and incompetent to do this materially impossible work. I do not think myself a very learned scholar, but I have full faith in the service of my spiritual master, His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhakura. If there is any credit to my activities of translating, it is all due to His Divine Grace. Certainly if His Divine Grace were personally present at this time, it would have been a great occasion for jubilation, but even though he is not physically present, I am confident that he is very pleased by this work of translation. He was very fond of seeing many books published to spread the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Therefore our society, the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, has formed to execute the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhakura.

COMMENT

And here, Srila Prabhupada is alluding to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s desire that many books on Krishna consciousness be published and distributed. And here, Srila Prabhupada is saying in effect that ISKCON has been formed for that purpose.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

It is my wish that devotees of Lord Caitanya all over the world enjoy this translation, and I am glad to express my gratitude to the learned men in the Western countries who are so pleased with my work that they are ordering in advance all my books that will be published in the future.

COMMENT

Srila Prabhupada had a library party of devotees who would go to colleges and universities, and they would get standing orders for all of Srila Prabhupada’s books that would be published in the future also.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

On this occasion therefore, I request my disciples who are determined to help me in this work. . .

COMMENT

That is all of us. What is Srila Prabhupada requesting?

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

On this occasion therefore, I request my disciples who are determined to help me in this work to continue their cooperation fully.

COMMENT

I often heard Srila Prabhupada say, “Please cooperate with me.” Once, this same Brijratan Mohatta came to visit Srila Prabhupada in Los Angeles, and he requested Mr. Mohatta, “Please cooperate with me.” And afterwards, I asked Srila Prabhupada, “What does that mean, to cooperate?” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “It means to follow my instructions.”

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

On this occasion therefore, I request my disciples who are determined to help me in this work to continue their cooperation fully, so that philosophers, scholars, religionists and people in general all over the world will benefit by reading our transcendental literatures such as Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, dated November 10, 1974, at the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Hare Kṛṣṇa Land, Juhu, Bombay.

COMMENT

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta ki jaya!

Gaura-bhakta-vṛnda ki jaya!

So, we have five minutes. So, if any of you have any questions or comments, any reflections you would like to share, please raise your hand. Yes? Can we get a microphone over here?

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Thank you very much for this class.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Devotee: Maharaja, you were [Unintelligible 01:04:50]

Giriraj Swami: I would be happy to give more talks about Srila Prabhupada.

Devotee: Haribol!

Giriraj Swami: Yes, I gave one at the VIHE the other day. It was nice, talking about Srila Prabhupada. I spoke about Srila Prabhupada at the VIHE, Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education founded by Bhurijana Prabhu. They have a campus near the Goshala, and I accepted an invitation to speak about Srila Prabhupada there, invitation from my godsister, Naga-patni dasi, and it was very nice to speak about Srila Prabhupada. So, I am willing to speak about Srila Prabhupada, as requested by you. Yes? Back here.

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisances. It was so wonderful to hear these last concluding words on Caitanya-caritāmṛta. The way you read it [Unintelligible 01:06:27]. Maharaja, when you just shared that Prabhupada said that, “Cooperation means follow my instruction,” that somehow hit me in a very different way, in a deep way. I thought that was so deep, actually, “Cooperation means follow my instruction.” Could you please [Unintelligible 01:06:54]?

Giriraj Swami: Yes. Well, that request, “Please cooperate,” is a sweet way, a congenial way of saying, “Do what I say.” [laughter] And Srila Prabhupada used that phrase often, he made that statement often, “Kindly cooperate with me.” Of course, he also instructed the famous instruction towards the end, “Your love for me will be shown by how you cooperate with one another to maintain this institution.” And that sense of cooperation is different. That means that we work together, co-operate, we operate together. Yes? In the back.

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisances. Thank you for a very inspiring class, along with Srila Prabhupada’s comments on the last chapter of Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Talking about the corporation with each other, one question comes to mind. Is everybody in our movement means well? Sometimes there is [Unintelligible 01:08:49] Prabhupada’s instructions? Again, keeping in mind that if there is a dispute or some kind of a discrepancy, both the parties mean really well. And most of us nowadays even we are so used to what Srila Prabhupada said. Srila Prabhupada said, “Just like two lawyers are using the same law books in the court.” So, I would appreciate if you can elaborate a little bit so that we can really have good cooperation that is needed. Thank you.

Giriraj Swami: Yes. Srila Prabhupada said two things that could help. One was that each of us should think of oneself as the servant of the servant of the other devotees. Often conflict comes because we want to be the master of the other devotees. But Srila Prabhupada said we should always think of ourselves as the servant of the other devotees, and he asked us to address one another as Prabhu. Prabhu means master. And so, that means we are the servant of the other Prabhus. And we should really feel it when we say Prabhu. As Srila Prabhupada commented, not that, “Oh, Prabhu, please bring my slippers.” That is not how we address our Prabhus.

And the other thing that Srila Prabhupada said is that if we engage in common activities, then these differences will be resolved. And so, yes, if we are all in our own different places, doing our own different services, there could be room for disagreements. But if we all come together and engage in common activities, then yes, that will bring us together and fill us with appreciation and good feelings for one another. And yes, there is a very beautiful verse and purport in the Seventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in which Srila Prabhupada writes, “Everyone should be friendly for the service of the Lord. One should appreciate the service of others and not be proud of one’s own service. This is the Vaikuntha attitude.” Yes, it is a very important purport. And yes, “Everyone should be friendly for the service of the Lord, everyone should appreciate the service of others and not be proud of his own service.”

Devotee: Maharaja, it is 7.5.12.

Giriraj Swami: 7.5.12, thank you. Yes?

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Maharaja, [Unintelligible 01:13:59]

Giriraj Swami: Yes, we receive the instruction, due to circumstances, we are unable to execute it immediately, but we always keep the instruction in our heart. We look for the opportunity, even pray for the opportunity to execute the order. And in such cases and practically in all cases, offenseless chanting of the holy names, attentive chanting of the holy names is helpful, most helpful. And a number of times, devotees asked Srila Prabhupada, one example was Satsvarupa dasa, he asked Srila Prabhupada, “Now you are here so we can ask our questions to you and get answers, but what do we do when we are you are not here? How do we get answers?” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “The holy name of Krishna and Krishna Himself are the same. Do you realize this fact?” And Srila Prabhupada gave similar answers to the same question. So, yes. Over here.

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Thank you so much for the beautiful class. Maharaja, [Unintelligible 01:15:25]

Giriraj Swami: Is there any way that you can communicate with these devotees?

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:16:18] I actually try to, but it is not always possible. [Unintelligible 01:16:24]

Giriraj Swami: Well, you could possibly approach someone who is close to them and both ask what you think the Vaishnava would want you to do, and also serve them, yes, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ, be the servant of the servant. After Srila Prabhupada left right here in Vrindavan, I asked his disciple Pradyumna, who probably mentioned in his concluding words. So, I asked Pradyumna whom Prabhupada actually called Panditji that, “Everything that exists in the material world exists originally in the spiritual world in its pure state. So, what is the counterpart of pride in the spiritual world?” And Pradyumna Prabhu gave a beautiful answer, that, “Pride in the spiritual world means that you are the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant, you are the last in the line. That means you have the most masters. So, that is your pride, ‘I am the last servant in the line, I have the most masters.’” Bhakti Brihad-Bhagavata Swami Maharaja?

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:18:48]

Giriraj Swami: Oh, you are saying Saturday and Sunday from 4:30 to 6:30 I am speaking about Srila Prabhupada in Balarama Hall?

Devotee: Yes, that is tomorrow, the 22nd.

Giriraj Swami: Oh, okay. [laughter]

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:19:31]

Giriraj Swami: There is another hand raised at the back.

Devotee: Hare Krishna, guru Maharaja, please accept my humble obeisances. Guru Maharaja, [Unintelligible 01:20:21]

Giriraj Swami: Well, when I met Srila Prabhupada. . . Well, first time I saw him at program at Brandeis University where I was a student, and then the next day I went to the temple and I asked him a question, he answered, and I knew that he was my perfect master and I surrendered to him. But before then, I was searching for a few years until I finally came to him. Yes, I went through quite a few gurus, or so-called gurus, and was not satisfied with any of them. But then, when I met Srila Prabhupada, I was fully satisfied.

Devotee: Thank you.

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisances. [Unintelligible 01:22:15]

Giriraj Swami: I couldn’t quite follow the question.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:22:54]

Giriraj Swami: Do you understand?

Devotee: Yes, basically, he is saying that just like Prabhupada in the beginning [Unintelligible 01:23:24]

Giriraj Swami: I was not intelligent enough to disagree with Srila Prabhupada. [laughter] I did see some of my godbrothers who disagreed with him. There was one time when a couple of them were arguing with Srila Prabhupada, Sruti Kirti Prabhu was also there, and they were saying, “Prabhupada, we are just wasting our time in India. We should go back to the West and preach there.” But I never had that intelligence to put forth a different idea. Yes? Over here.

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. [Unintelligible 01:24:42]

Giriraj Swami: You are saying that you like to chant all your rounds before maṅgala-ārati?

Devotee: Yes.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, that is good. But sometimes it is hard to get up that early. So, what do you want?

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:25:18]

Giriraj Swami: So, you are saying that you want to chant your rounds before maṅgala-ārati. That is very good. The temple president in Los Angeles, Sahavas Prabhu, he gets up at two every morning and he chants all his rounds before maṅgala-ārati. Because he is the temple president, he cannot predict what might come up or when, and so, he wants to be sure to have his rounds done before even maṅgala-ārati.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:26:01]

Giriraj Swami: Yes, yes. My dear godbrother Kalakanta Prabhu says the best advice that he gives any devotee is to take rest early, because if you take rest early, you can get up early and perform your spiritual practices early, which is the best time.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:26:40]

Giriraj Swami: Sorry?

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:26:52]

Giriraj Swami: Well, you want to get up at 2:00?

Devotee: Yes.

Giriraj Swami: So, what time do you need to take rest in order to get up at 2:00? I think only you can answer that question.

Devotee: Thank you.

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Maharaja, please accept my humble obeisances. [Unintelligible 01:27:35]

Giriraj Swami: Yes. If you don’t have direct instruction from the spiritual master, yes, you can get direction from the holy name. Yes, as Srila Prabhupada instructed Satsvarupa and others, yes, very good.

Devotee: Thank you, Maharaja, Hare Krishna.

Devotee: Thank you, Maharaja, for the wonderful class. [Unintelligible 01:29:02]

Giriraj Swami: You are saying it is difficult to cooperate with other devotees because of false ego?

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:30:03]

Giriraj Swami: It is not so easy to cooperate with. . .?

Devotee: Equal devotees.

Giriraj Swami: Oh, peers, equals. Well, again, as Srila Prabhupada said, we should address one another as Prabhu, as master, and just be in the motive servant of the servant. It may require practice. Once, I was with His Holiness Radhanath Swami in his room in Chowpatty, and one devotee asked him how he became so humble. And Radhanath Swami replied that, “It took practice.” So, we have to practice being humble, being servant of the servant, and then eventually, like habit is second nature, eventually, it will become our nature to do that, to be like that. You have to practice.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:31:46]

Giriraj Swami: Well, both. It is true, yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ, that by akiñcanā bhakti, one develops all the good qualities of the demigods. So, by bhakti, the good qualities will follow, but we can also work on them. In fact, we should work on developing good qualities and overcoming bad tendencies. Yes, you should make an effort. Both. All right, last question.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:33:09]

Giriraj Swami: What is the best realization that I got from my association with Srila Prabhupada?

That he is my perfect master and I am his eternal servant. [applause] And that he is always present. Whenever we want, he is there.

All right. Thank you all very much, I wish you a wonderful rest of the day and month and year in Krishna consciousness. Hare Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta ki jaya!

Srila Prabhupada’s concluding words ki jaya!

Gaura-bhakta-vṛnda ki jaya!

Hare Krishna.

Devotee: His Holiness Giriraj Swami Maharaja ki jaya!