CC Madhya 7.128

Host: Hare Krishna, dear Vaishnavas. Please accept our obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. We continue having our morning classes with the disciples of Abhaya Caraṇāravinda Swami Prabhupada. Today we have a very dear disciple, servant of Srila Prabhupada, His Holiness Giriraj Swami Maharaja. If possible, devotees, Vaishnavas, please turn your videos on so that we and Maharaja could see us. Please, the floor is yours, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: So I will begin by singing the maṅgala-ācaraṇa prayers and leading a short kirtan. And then I will speak on Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

[Prayers]

Host: I am sorry, Maharaja. A short announcement: Dear Vaishnavas, if you turned your cameras on, but you are moving inside your premises, you better turn your cameras off, then. Thank you.

Giriraj Swami: We shall read from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta; Madhya-līlā; Chapter Seven; “The Lord’s Tour of South India,”

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya, jaya nityānanda
jayādvaitacandra, jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

TEXT 128

yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa
āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra’ ei deśa

COMMENT

By the way, this is Lord Chaitanya speaking to a brahman in South India. So He says, in the Translation.

TRANSLATION

“Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

This is the sublime mission of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Many people come and inquire whether they have to give up family life to join the Society, but that is not our mission. One can remain comfortably in his residence. We simply request everyone to chant the mahā-mantra: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. If one is a little literate and can read Bhagavad-gītā As It Is and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that is so much the better. These works are now available in an English translation and are done very authoritatively to appeal to all classes of men. Instead of living engrossed in material activities, people throughout the world should take advantage of this movement and chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra at home with their families. One should also refrain from sinful activities — illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication. Of these four items, illicit sex is very sinful. Every person must get married. Every woman especially must get married. If the women outnumber the men, some men can accept more than one wife.

COMMENT

In other places, also Srila Prabhupada mentioned that a man can accept more than one wife, but when the question came up in relation to ISKCON, Srila Prabhupada said, “No. The men should accept only one wife.”

PURPORT (continued)

If the women outnumber the men, some men can accept more than one wife. In that way there will be no prostitution in society. If men can marry more than one wife, illicit sex will be stopped. One can also produce many nice preparations to offer to Kṛṣṇa — grain, fruit, flowers, and milk. Why should one indulge in unnecessary meat-eating and maintain horrible slaughterhouses? What is the use of smoking and drinking tea and coffee? People are already intoxicated by material enjoyment, and if they indulge in further intoxication, what chance is there for self-realization? Similarly, one should not partake in gambling and unnecessarily agitate the mind. The real purpose of human life is to attain the spiritual platform and return to Godhead. That is the summum bonum [or conclusion] of spiritual realization. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to elevate human society to the perfection of life by pursuing the method prescribed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in His advice to the brāhmaṇa Kūrma. That is, one should stay at home, chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and preach the instructions of Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

COMMENT

So in this verse, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is instructing each and every one of us to become gurus, or spiritual masters: āmāra ājñāya – on My order; guru hañā – become a spiritual master. One might protest, how can I become a spiritual master? But Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu replies, “It is not very difficult; yāre dekha – whoever you meet; tāre kaha – tell him; ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa – the message of Krishna, as it is found in the Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.” And this is something that everyone can do and should do; must do. Srila Prabhupada sometimes compared the role of the guru to that of a postal peon.

Translator: With whom?

Giriraj Swami: A postman.

Translator: A postman. . .?

Giriraj Swami: Mailman. Someone who [Break] mail.

Translator: Okay.

Giriraj Swami: So, personally, the postman may not be very wealthy, but he can deliver you a check for a million dollars. Similarly, the spiritual master may be whatever he is, but he is delivering the message of Krishna which is most valuable. And therefore, we are most obliged to the spiritual master. In his eight stanzas glorifying the spiritual master, known as Gurv-aṣṭakam, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura prays, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo: that by the mercy of the spiritual master, one gets the mercy of Krishna. We cannot approach Krishna directly. We cannot get the mercy of Krishna directly, but we get Krishna’s mercy by the grace of the spiritual master.

Sometimes Srila Prabhupada said that if you want to please some rich man, what can you give him? He already has everything. But if you give a little sweet to the rich man’s small child, the child will be very happy, and the rich man will be pleased. So, what can we give Krishna? Krishna is everything and has everything. But if we please His servant, His representative, the spiritual master, then Krishna is pleased. And how do we please the spiritual master? In essence, by becoming Krishna conscious and by spreading Krishna consciousness. And how do we become Krishna conscious? That is explained in this purport. We chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra: 

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

And we follow the four regulative principles: no eating of meat, fish, or eggs; no taking of intoxicants, including coffee, tea, and cigarettes; no gambling or speculation, and no illicit sex. So if we chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and follow the regulative principles, we can become Krishna conscious. And Srila Prabhupada says, if one is literate, he or she can read the books: Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and others. So, it is very feasible; very practical. And as Srila Prabhupada said, you can do it at home. You don’t have to leave your home, you don’t have to give up family life, but you add this to your life, and you will be happy. And when you share Krishna consciousness with others, they will also become happy.

Now, because this verse deals with the subject of spiritual master, I thought I will read another verse just a little bit further along in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, in which Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu discusses spiritual master further. So while Lord Chaitanya was touring South India, He met the brahman Kūrma and gave him the instruction that we just read. And He continued His travels in South India and eventually met Srī Ramananda Rāya, who was especially recommended by Srila Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Jagannatha Puri before Chaitanya Mahaprabhu left on His tour of South India. So this is Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta; Madhya-līlā; Chapter Eight: "Talks Between the Lord and Rāmānanda Rāya,"

TEXT 128

kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, śūdra kene naya
yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei ‘guru’ haya

TRANSLATION

“Whether one is a brāhmaṇa, a sannyāsī or a śūdra — regardless of what he is — he can become a spiritual master if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa.”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

This verse is very important to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. In his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya [commentary], Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura explains that one should not think that because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was born a brāhmaṇa and was situated in the topmost spiritual order as a sannyāsī, it was improper for Him to receive instructions from Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya, who belonged to the śūdra caste. To clarify this matter, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu informed Rāmānanda Rāya that knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is more important than caste. In the system of varṇāśrama-dharma there are various duties for the brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras. Actually, the brāhmaṇa is supposed to be the spiritual master of all other varṇas, or classes, but as far as Kṛṣṇa consciousness is concerned, everyone is capable of becoming a spiritual master because knowledge in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is on the platform of the spirit soul. To spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one need only be cognizant of the science of the spirit soul. It does not matter whether one is a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, sannyāsī, gṛhastha, or whatever. If one simply understands this science, he can become a spiritual master.

COMMENT

If one understands the truth of Krishna consciousness and seriously desires to attain transcendental knowledge for the perfection of life, he can accept a spiritual master from any social status, provided the spiritual master is fully conversant with the science of Krishna.

Translator: This is from somewhere else, yes?

Giriraj Swami: Oh. It is the same purport. It is just a few sentences down.

PURP0RT (continued)

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura also states that although one is situated as a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, vānaprastha, gṛhastha or sannyāsī, if he is conversant in the science of Kṛṣṇa he can become a spiritual master as vartma-pradarśaka-guru, dīkṣā-guru or śikṣā-guru. The spiritual master who first gives information about spiritual life is called vartma-pradarśaka-guru, the spiritual master who initiates according to the regulations of the śāstras is called the dīkṣā-guru, and the spiritual master who gives instructions for elevation is called the śikṣā-guru. Factually the qualification of a spiritual master depends on his knowledge of the science of Kṛṣṇa. It does not matter whether he is a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, sannyāsī or śūdra. This injunction given by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not at all against the injunctions of the śāstras. In the Padma Purāṇa it is said:

na śūdrā bhagavad-bhaktās

te ‘pi bhāgavatottamāḥ
sarva-varṇeṣu te śūdrā

ye na bhaktā janārdane

One who is actually advanced in spiritual knowledge of Kṛṣṇa is never a śūdra, even though he may have been born in a śūdra family. However, even if a vipra, or brāhmaṇa, is very expert in the six brahminical activities (paṭhana, pāṭhana, yajana, yājana, dāna, pratigraha) and is also well versed in the Vedic hymns, he cannot become a spiritual master unless he is a Vaiṣṇava. But if one is born in the family of caṇḍālas yet is well versed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can become a guru. These are the śāstric injunctions, and strictly following these injunctions, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as a gṛhastha named Śrī Viśvambhara, was initiated by a sannyāsī-guru named Īśvara Purī. Similarly, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu was initiated by Mādhavendra Purī, a sannyāsī. According to others, however, He was initiated by Lakṣmīpati Tīrtha. Advaita Ācārya, although a gṛhastha, was initiated by Mādhavendra Purī, and Śrī Rasikānanda, although born in a brāhmaṇa family, was initiated by Śrī Śyāmānanda Prabhu, who was not born in a caste brāhmaṇa family. There are many instances in which a born brāhmaṇa took initiation from a person who was not born in a brāhmaṇa family. The brahminical symptoms are explained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (7.11.35), wherein it is stated:

yasya yal-lakṣaṇaṁ proktaṁ

puṁso varṇābhivyañjakam
yad anyatrāpi dṛśyeta

tat tenaiva vinirdiśet

If a person is born in a śūdra family but has all the qualities of a spiritual master, he should be accepted not only as a brāhmaṇa but as a spiritual master also. This is also the instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura therefore introduced the sacred thread ceremony for all Vaiṣṇavas according to the rules and regulations.

COMMENT

So, it is understood that a Vaishnava is higher than a brahman, but some people might misunderstand the position of a Vaishnava who is not a brahman, and therefore Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura adopted the practice of giving brahman initiation to Vaishnavas who are not born in brahman families. And Srila Prabhupada did the same thing. So now we will come to the end of the purport.

PURPORT (continued)

The word guru is equally applicable to the vartma-pradarśaka-guru, śikṣā-guru, and dīkṣā-guru. Unless we accept the principle enunciated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement cannot spread all over the world. According to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s intentions, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s cult must be preached all over the world. This does not mean that people should take to His teachings and remain śūdras or caṇḍālas. As soon as one is trained as a pure Vaiṣṇava, he must be accepted as a bona fide brāhmaṇa. This is the essence of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s instructions in this verse.

COMMENT

So again, coming back to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s instruction, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā: On My order, become a guru. Every one of us should become a guru. How? ‘Kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa: by repeating the message of Krishna. And that will be good for us and good for the people who hear us. As by Srila Prabhupada’s mercy and grace of the paramparā, each and every one of us has this wonderful opportunity. And we should take advantage of this opportunity and become gurus by repeating the message of Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada’s disciples, Shyamasundara and Malati, had a daughter named Sarasvati. And when Sarasvati was only a few years old, she would approach a gentleman who had come to visit Srila Prabhupada and the devotees in our flat in the Akash Ganga Building on Warden Road, in Bombay. And Sarasvati would approach them and say, “Do you know who is Krishna?” And then, she would say, “Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” And Srila Prabhupada said, “Even though she was only three or four years old, she was preaching. She was teaching by repeating what she had heard from authorities.” And that is all we have to do; just repeat what we have heard through paramparā. And in that way, we can become gurus and help others and please Srila Prabhupada and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu [01:03:03; and within our?] guru-paramparā.

So, thank you for listening so patiently and attentively. And now, if any of you have any questions or comments, you can raise your hands – your physical hand or your virtual hand – and we will discuss further.

Host: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Thank you so much for the wonderful lecture. Okay, Vaishnavas, get ready with your questions, please.

My question is related to how we should study Srila Prabhupada’s books. When you were delivering a lecture at Bhaktivedanta Institute for the leaders of Russian ISKCON – for ISKCON in Russia, you mentioned that all Srila Prabhupada’s books are identically good. I asked you, “What book would you choose, yourself?” and you replied, “Bhagavad-gītā.” Could you please explain why?

Giriraj Swami: Well. . .we should read all of Srila Prabhupada’s books. And in terms of a sequence of advancement, Srila Prabhupada said first is Īśopaniṣad; then is the Bhagavad-gītā; then is The Nectar of Devotion; then is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and then is Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. But when I asked Srila Prabhupada, he said I could read anywhere; wherever I have taste. So, I don’t know why particularly I said the Bhagavad-gītā, but of course, the Bhagavad-gītā is the spoken word of Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead. And until we properly understand the Bhagavad-gītā, we cannot really progress to The Nectar of Devotion or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. So, yes, Bhagavad-gītā is most important as the basis for further study.

Host: Okay, thank you, Maharaja. May I ask another question? About śikṣā-guru. In ISKCON the arrangement is that we don’t see our dīkṣā-gurus as often as we wish. And quite often, we are spiritually brought up by śikṣā-gurus. What is the culture of those relationships between a disciple and śikṣā-guru? Should those relationships be officially fixed? regulated?

Giriraj Swami: There are different types of relationships one can have with a śikṣā-guru. We can learn from any Vaishnava, and as such, any Vaishnava can be considered a śikṣā-guru: a devotee who gives the Bhagavad-gītā class or the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam class, in a way, is acting as a śikṣā-guru. But one may have a special relationship with a specific śikṣā-guru and take instruction from him on a regular basis in a personal way, asking personal questions about the application of Krishna consciousness in one’s own life. So there is, you could say, a deeper relationship with a śikṣā-guru. But one should not accept as a śikṣā-guru, in that sense, someone who does not teach what a dīkṣā-guru teaches. But in the context of ISKCON, where everyone is presenting Srila Prabhupada’s teachings, that should not be an issue.

Host: I would like to make a short announcement. Hare Krishna, dear Vaishnavas. Thank you so much, for being with us today. Please take this opportunity, today, to serve our Maharaja. You can send your donations to Maharaja wherever you are. Please send a message to asiavairagya.info. The link can be found under the video in the description box, and we will explain to you how to do that. Hare Krishna.

Devotee: Mataji Kamala-sundarī, please unmute yourself and turn your video [on], if possible.

Kamala-sundarī: Hare Krishna, guru Maharaja. Guru Maharaja, in your class, you speak about the spiritual master and how to please him, and I have been listening to a lot of lectures by His Holiness Kadamba Kānana Swami Maharaja. And he has been giving so many instructions for his disciples, and he also mentioned that he is leaving a book for his disciples. So from your class today, what I gathered is, what would please you the most is to become Krishna conscious and spread Krishna consciousness. Is this correct? Is this the instruction that you want your disciples to focus on?

Giriraj Swami: Correct.

Kamala-sundarī: Okay, thank you very much.

Devotee: Hare Krishna, please accept my obeisances, Maharaja. You mentioned, today, about Sarasvati, the daughter of Shyamasundara and Malati; a legendary story which proves that even children can teach – can spread Krishna consciousness. Do you know of the fate of that girl, Sarasvati, whether she is a devotee; whether she is practicing Krishna consciousness at the moment?

Giriraj Swami: She is sort of a devotee. She was living in the Chicago area; she was living in the suburbs called the North Shore, quite near where my parents had their house. And she would go to the Chicago temple. And, of course, everyone is, but she was also very fond of His Holiness Radhanath Swami. And as I recall one time when Maharaja and I were at the Chicago Temple, Sarasvati came to meet him. So yes, her association with Srila Prabhupada, and all the mercy she got from him will not go in vain.

[Pause]

Host: Tamal Krishna Prabhu, thank you so much. Devotees, while asking, please try to stick to the lecture of today’s class.

Tamal Krishna: Guru Maharaja, thank you so much for the lecture. You have mentioned, today, that how important it is to study Bhagavad-gītā. While answering to the question of Pāvana Prabhu, you said that Bhagavad-gītā is a very important book to study. And I would like to share my doubts. There is an opinion that, Bhagavad-gītā, which is translated into Russian, does not 100% correspond to the original version of Bhagavad-gītā? It has some flaws; mistakes; corrections, etc.? 

Translator: And Pavana Prabhu clarified: “Who told you that?” 

Tamal Krishna: I don’t know whether they made any corrections in the original English Bhagavad-gītā, dated 1972, however, there were some corrections made in the Russian version. What do you think about that? Does it matter whether it 100% corresponds to the original version or not? Should we study it anyway? 

Giriraj Swami: Well, if you know only Russian language and there is only one Russian translation of the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, then you should read and study it.  As far as the English Bhagavad-gītā, His Holiness Jayadvaita Swami has done some editing under Srila Prabhupada’s instruction. Srila Prabhupada said that his English should be edited for clarity and force. And he had a great faith in His Holiness Jayadvaita Swami. He said Jayadvaita means paramparā. Yes, so the little later edition of the Bhagavad-gītā that was edited by Jayadvaita Swami – of course, they are all good; they are all Prabhupada; they are all Krishna and they all have their potency. So, in one sense, it doesn’t matter much, but I prefer to read the books that have been edited by Jayadvaita Swami in whom Srila Prabhupada had faith and who Srila Prabhupada deputed to edit his books for clarity and force.

Host: Maharaja, do we have more time for more questions?

Giriraj Swami: Yes.

Devotee: Thank you.

Nanda-kiśora: Hare Krishna. Please accept my obeisances, Giriraj Swami Maharaja. You are our father. You used to come to visit our farm in Almaty regularly. So thank you for that, so much.

I would like to clarify something. Tamal Krishna Prabhu, who just asked his question, he used to be in ISKCON. However, he took initiation from someone at Radha-kuṇḍa; he took sannyasa from someone from Radha-kuṇḍa. And he had even given initiation to some of Almaty devotees. And I am concerned about that; I am disturbed by this fact that it can disturb our ISKCON society in Almaty. And he asks his questions. I love Tamal Krishna Prabhu. I don’t mind him asking questions, however, I feel that it is kind of a risky situation when ISKCON devotees listen to someone from some other sampradāya. What do you think about that? Could you please clarify this point?

Giriraj Swami: Is he with us, right now?

Nanda-kiśora: Yes. He is now. He just asked the question about Bhagavad-gītā.

Giriraj Swami: Yes. So, what do you have to say about that?

Tamal Krishna: I deeply respect Nanda-kiśora Mataji, as well, however this is kind of misinterpretation, false information that is given. I have always been and still remain a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, and I have talked about it; I have discussed this point with the leadership of ISKCON in Almaty, and everybody knows about it. I have talked about it with Chaitanya Candra Caraṇa Prabhu. But, this is a kind of sticker; a label that I have, and I keep wearing it, and I can’t wash it out.

Host: Dear devotees, please try to stick to our class, today. That is how we can honor and respect Maharaja.

Devotee: Please accept my obeisances, dear Maharaja.

Hare Krishna, Giriraj Swami. It is so good to hear you. I have a questions, also concerned what Pāvana Prabhu said about śikṣā and dīkṣā-guru and about counselorship. Sometimes, devotees have counselors in administrative fields in ISKCON, and they give some advices which can actually hamper their spiritual advancement. Because, for example, according to the level of this devotee, now, she needs to give some more time to sadhana, for example, but his advice to perform some practical service, more than what he can, because this is necessary administratively. So, my concern is whether all devotees should favor both administrative counselor and spiritual counselor, and can these roles be combined and encouraged to be?

Giriraj Swami: Well, it is important to maintain a balance between sadhana and service. And it may be that, under certain circumstances, the demands of the service are more, and one might have to spend a little less time reading, for example. But, in general, we should maintain a healthy balance between sadhana and service. And the managers should be sensitive to the needs of the devotees in terms of their sadhana and not just think of the service they can get from the devotee, but also think of the spiritual well-being of the devotee. That would be ideal. And if the devotee has, like, two authorities, a spiritual, so to speak, a spiritual authority and a managerial authority, and there appears to be some conflict between the instructions of the spiritual authority and the managerial authority, then the best would be for the two authorities to meet together and discuss what would be most appropriate for the devotee, so the devotee is not caught in between two conflicting instructions of two different authorities.

Devotee: Thank you, very much, Giriraj Swami.

Giriraj Swami: Thank you. Hare Krishna.

Host: May I ask one more question, please?

Giriraj Swami: Yes.

Devotee: My question is related to preaching. Sometimes we feel that a certain preacher, a certain devotee, has and shares the spirit of Srila Prabhupada. And I do my best to share that spirit of Srila Prabhupada with others. How can we become those preachers who hold, who embody, that spirit of Srila Prabhupada? How can we share Srila Prabhupada with others, not ourselves?

[Giriraj Swami chuckles]

Giriraj Swami: Well, that is a wonderful ambition or goal to share Srila Prabhupada with others. And we should immerse ourselves in Srila Prabhupada, first and foremost, in his books. But also his instructions in letters and in room conversations and morning walks. And of course, read about Srila Prabhupada in books such as Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta. And see films of Srila Prabhupada, like Yadubara Prabhu compiled a series called Following Srila Prabhupada that includes pretty much all the footage we have of our Srila Prabhupada. So we should immerse ourselves in Srila Prabhupada, and then when we preach, Srila Prabhupada’s spirit will naturally come out.

Host: Thank you.

The picture of Radha-Londonīśvara is standing behind you, isn’t it? Why do you have that picture, if I may ask?

Giriraj Swami: Well, Radha-Londonisvara were two of Srila Prabhupada’s favorite Deities, but I don’t have Their picture here. This is Rasabihari, in Juhu.

Host: There is one more little question left. Mataji Malati, please. [Pause] Please unmute yourself. We can’t hear you. [Pause] 

Malati: Is it okay?

Devotee: Yes, now it is fine.

Malati: Hare Krishna?

Devotee: Hare Krishna.

Malati: Am I audible, now?

Devotee: Yes, you are.

Malati: Krishna?

Devotee: Yes, yes, we can hear you. We can hear you. [Aside] Maharaja, it is Malati Mataji.

Malati: Hare Kṛṣṇa, guru Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisances unto the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to your Divine Grace. I have a question on service, guru Maharaja. Sometimes you have multiple services to be done, and when we chant, we ask for to engage ourselves in service. But sometimes it is so much of services. And it is said that when any service comes to you, you should never say no. But on the other side, we have to be practical in our lives that we cannot do so much services. We have other engagements, too, so how can we go about this guru Maharaja?

Giriraj Swami: But chanting is also service. Once a news reporter asked Srila Prabhupada, “What does chanting accomplish?” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “Chanting accomplishes chanting. The more you chant; the more you chant.” So, chanting is also service. And as far as other so-called practical service, you can do as much as you can comfortably manage. In a special situation, like some big festival, you might have to do more than usual and sacrifice some of your other activities, but as a rule, as I mentioned earlier, you should maintain a healthy balance between sadhana and service.

Malati: Thank you, guru Maharaja.

Host: I am still very curious, Maharaja. What is so special about those Deities behind you. What is so special about that Bombay Project for you, personally?

Giriraj Swami: Well, Srila Prabhupada. . .[Pause]. . .Srila Prabhupada made a promise to the Deities that he would build Them a temple. And in the history of the Juhu Project, there were many intrigues and trials and tribulations. But Srila Prabhupada, he persevered, and in the end, we were able to offer a beautiful temple to Sri Sri Radha-Rasabihari. So this is Radha-Rasabihari. And then later, when the big temple opened, we installed Lalita and Visakha. So I have many, many photos on my desk, but here’s one of them of Radha-Rasabihari in the new temple and Lalita and Visakha. I don’t know if it is—

Translator: You can bring it closer; straight, right to the camera. Yes. . .yes. Thank you, Maharaja. . .

Giriraj Swami: That is better, huh?

Devotee: . . .for this darshan. Thank you, Maharaja, with the darshan.

Giriraj Swami:

[Pause]

Host: Thank you so much, Maharaja, for your time; for your kathā. Please accept our gratitude. I have a feeling as if we talked personally to Srila Prabhupada. Thank you for that.

Giriraj Swami: Jaya!

Host: Giriraj Maharaja, ki!

Devotees: Jaya!

Giriraj Swami: Thank you.

Host: Srila Prabhupada, ki!

Devotees: Jaya!

Host: ananta koṭi vaiṣṇava-vṛnda, ki! Hare Krishna

Devotees: Jaya!

Host: Thank you very much, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Thank you. Thank you. So let us end with Vaishnava praṇāma. I mean, you said ananta koṭi vaiṣṇava-vṛnda, ki jaya, but still. . .

All Devotees: Vāñchā-kalpa-tarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

Giriraj Swami: ananta koṭi vaiṣṇava-vṛnda, ki jaya!

Devotees: Jaya! 

Giriraj Swami: Srila Prabhupada, ki jaya!

Devotees: Jaya! Jaya!

Giriraj Swami: Gaura-bhakta-vṛnda, ki jaya!

Devotees: Jaya!