CC Adi 4.55 – Regional Gaura-purnima Festival

Giriraj Swami: My dear devotees, Hare Krishna. I will begin by singing the maṅgalācaraṇa prayers and leading a short kirtan. Then, I will read a very significant verse from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta that describes Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Nitai-Gaura premānande Haribol! All glories to the assembled devotees! All glories to the assembled devotees! All glories to the assembled devotees! All glories! All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

So, we read from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, Chapter Four, “The Confidential Reasons for the Appearance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu,” Text Fifty-Five. This verse appears as the first verse in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and it appears again here in Ādi-līlā, Chapter Four, Text Fifty-Five. I will just read the translation. It is very deep. Please give attention carefully.

TEXT 55

“The loving affairs of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are transcendental manifestations of the Lord’s internal pleasure-giving potency. Although Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are one in Their identity, They separated Themselves eternally. Now these two transcendental identities have again united, in the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. I bow down to Him, who has manifested Himself with the sentiment and complexion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī although He is Kṛṣṇa Himself.”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

This text is from the diary of Śrīla Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī.

COMMENT

Lord Chaitanya’s most confidential associate.

PURPORT (continued)

It appears as the fifth of the first fourteen verses of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

TEXT 56

rādhā-kṛṣṇa eka ātmā, dui deha dhari’
anyonye vilase rasa āsvādana kari’

TRANSLATION

Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are one and the same, but They have assumed two bodies. Thus They enjoy each other, tasting the mellows of love.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

The two transcendentalists Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are a puzzle to materialists. The above description of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa from the diary of Śrīla Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī is a condensed explanation, but one needs great spiritual insight to understand the mystery of these two personalities. One is enjoying in two. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the potent factor, and Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is the internal potency. According to Vedānta philosophy, there is no difference between the potent and the potency; they are identical.

In fact, Rādhārāṇī is the internal potency of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and She eternally intensifies the pleasure of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Devotees in Vṛndāvana therefore seek the mercy of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī in order to be recognized as loving servitors of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally approaches the fallen conditioned souls of the iron age to deliver the highest principle of transcendental relationships with the Lord. The activities of Lord Caitanya are primarily in the role of the pleasure-giving portion of His internal potency.

COMMENT

So, I will read the same verse again.

TEXT 55

“The loving affairs of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are transcendental manifestations of the Lord’s internal pleasure-giving potency. Although Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are one in Their identity, They separated Themselves eternally. Now these two transcendental identities have again united, in the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. I bow down to Him, who has manifested Himself with the sentiment and complexion of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī although He is Kṛṣṇa Himself.”

COMMENT

So, in 1971, we were staying in Calcutta, 3 Albert Road, in a rental apartment, and our landlord was one Bengali gentleman named [Unintelligible 02:01:09] and our Achyutananda Swami had a conversation with Mr. [Unintelligible 02:01:19] gave his theory about the identity of Radha and Krishna and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He said that Lord Chaitanya comes first, and from Him come Radha and Krishna, and that Lord Chaitanya is greater than Them, Radha and Krishna, just like rasagullā is greater than yogurt and sugar.

So, Achyutananda Swami wasn’t quite sure what to make of [Unintelligible 02:02:22] theory. So, he brought it up to Srila Prabhupada [Unintelligible 02:02:30]. And so, first Achyutananda asked, “Who comes first? Lord Chaitanya or Radha and Krishna?” And Srila Prabhupada said, “Radha and Krishna come first.” He gave the same example that yogurt and sugar come first, and then comes rasagullā.

And then, Achyutananda asked, “Well, who is greater?” And Srila Prabhupada paused for a moment and then he said, “Srimati Radharani is the greatest.” And then, he pointed to a picture on the wall in his room that showed Radharani seated on a little elevated platform [Unintelligible 02:02:36], and Krishna was kneeling at Her feet because She was in the mood of maan; that means the transcendental jealous anger. Hence, Krishna was kneeling at Her feet, trying to pacify Her and remove Her maan. So, Srila Prabhupada said, “Srimati Radharani is the greatest.”

But then, he pointed to another picture in which Lord Krishna, as a child, is carrying the shoes of Nanda Maharaja on His head. And then, Srila Prabhupada said, “Nanda Maharaja is the greatest. Krishna is carrying his shoes on His head.”

And then finally, Srila Prabhupada concluded that the devotee is the greatest. And it is true, in a way, because Krishna comes under the control of His devotees. Not exactly under the control of His devotees, [Unintelligible 02:05:00]. As Srila Prabhupada explains, He gets tired of being worshiped as the Supreme Lord all the time, so He loves when someone chastises Him. [Unintelligible 02:05:30]. 

Srila Prabhupada told a story of Ewart Gladstone, he was the Prime Minister of the British empire during the time of Queen Victoria. And an important man came to see him. [Unintelligible 02:06:00]. And so, that important man was waiting and waiting, and the secretary wasn’t calling him. So finally, that important man took the liberty of opening the door, and there he saw Prime Minister Gladstone on his hands and knees, with his grandson riding on his back. And he was playing the part of the horse, and his grandson was riding.

And Srila Prabhupada told the story to illustrate the idea that sometimes Krishna wants a break from being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He wants to voluntarily come to a subordinate position to His devotees. So, yeah, I mean, they are exchanges of love, but Srila Prabhupada [Unintelligible 02:07:34]. Through paramparā, through Prabhupada, through his line.

Well, earlier, Vaisesika Prabhu referred to a verse from the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. It’s so beautiful, both the Sanskrit and the meaning. I thought I will just sing it. We actually used to sing this verse every morning in the Boston temple.

TEXT 58

samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ
mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ
bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ
padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām

COMMENT

The meaning is; samāśritā, one who has taken shelter, ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ, of the boat of the lotus feet of Krishna, who is known as Murari, the enemy of the Mura demon, and is the shelter of the mahat, which can be read two ways; He is the shelter of the cognitive manifestation, and He is also the shelter of the great souls. So, samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ. So, for one who has taken shelter of the boat of the lotus feet of Krishna, this vast ocean of material suffering shrinks to the size of a puddle contained in a hoof print of a calf. Although there is danger at every step, a devotee crosses right over it.

So, this is the great value of taking shelter of the boat of the lotus feet of Krishna [Unintelligible 02:11:06]. So, now I will also like to take a few minutes to honor the memory of one of the stronger generals of Srila Prabhupada and Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami Maharaja, who passed away two days ago in Vrindavan. And I wrote a letter to him, addressed to him, after his departure, which I would like to read.

READING the letter

My dear Kadamba Kanana Swami Maharaja, please accept my prostrated obeisances unto your lotus feet! All glories to Srila Prabhupada! And all glories to the wonderful service to him! Srila Prabhupada said that when a Vaishnava departs, we feel simultaneously happy and sad. We feel happy because we know the Vaishnava has gone to serve Krishna, but we feel sad because we will miss the Vaishnava’s association. In your case, I am also happy that you no longer have to suffer in your diseased material body.

You were a most worthy, beloved disciple of His Holiness Jayadvaita Swami Maharaja, who was very reserved about and selective in accepting disciples. As Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura wrote, “He reasons ill who tells that Vaishnavas die, when thou art living still in sound! The Vaishnavas die to live, and living try to spread the holy name around!”

You were a man of character and integrity. You were strong and kept your word. And you were like a loving father in taking care of your disciple children. I was blessed to have your association in India, Africa, and America. In India, we served together in Vrindavan. In Africa, we served together in South Africa. And in America, we met at the sādhu-saṅga retreat in Utah, where we had heart-to-heart talks and relished kirtan together.

You also preached in Mauritius, where I have been deeply involved. And in South Africa, you specifically encouraged the black preaching, practically more than any other ISKCON leader. I am grateful to you for the support you gave to my disciple Mahaprabhu dasa in Soweto—and to so many other initiatives in relation to black preaching.

In a letter in 2021, you wrote to the devotees in South Africa, “All my prayers are with you. I have been so closely connected with you for so many years. To see that you are now in such a difficult situation is very sad. May Krishna watch over all of you.

“I left South Africa approximately one year ago, after having spent the Covid lockdown in Durban. I haven’t been away from you all for such a long time in twenty-six years. I hope that soon, things will return to a relative normal.

“The material world is never meant to be our real home; the material energy will bring happiness and distress. Srila Prabhupada instructed us to make the best use of a bad bargain. Under these grim circumstances, may you find shelter in Krishna consciousness. May you find shelter in Srila Prabhupada’s books and in chanting the holy name.

“I hope that soon, the nightmare of all the terrible things that have happened over the last one and half year may come to an end and that we may be reunited again and chant together in kirtan and discuss matters related to Krishna and enjoy happiness in Krishna consciousness.”

During this last year in Vrindavan, I frequently visited you in your apartment, and I was struck by your elevated Krishna consciousness. We discussed many topics, including your writing projects, which would be so valuable to generations of ISKCON devotees. I was impressed by how you encouraged and engaged your disciples who came to visit you from different parts of the world—your instructions to them were brilliant and compassionate.

Considering your illness, I always thought that I should visit you at your place, but one day, you, considering my seniority, came to my place and joined me and other devotees for japa in my temple room before you and I went upstairs and spoke.

You had so much faith in and taste for chanting the holy name, both japa and kirtan. I relished chanting japa with you and singing in kirtan with you, and your kirtans at the sādhu-saṅga retreat in Utah were most memorable.

You published a book called Kīrtanīyaḥ Sadā Hariḥ: To always chant the holy name of Krishna, which you called, “A collection of short meditations on the holy name” - a compilation of excerpts from your talks along with your reflections on the holy name. You wrote, “I’ve boarded the train, I’ve got my seat, and now let the journey begin. Like that, let me get ready to chant my rounds and get into a regular rhythm, just like the train—name after name in an unbroken chain with Goloka as my destination.”

You also encouraged book distribution.

COMMENT

He was very enthusiastic about book distribution.

READING continued

You wrote, “Prabhupada was reading the Kṛṣṇa book and said to Srutakirti, ‘This is such a wonderful book. Anyone who reads this book will become a pure devotee! Anyone who reads one Chapter of this book can become a pure devotee. Anyone who reads one page of this book can become a pure devotee. Not only that, anyone who reads one sentence can become a pure devotee.” And then, Prabhupada said, “Anyone who reads one word can become a pure devotee.”

I met Srutakirti in Vrindavan, and we were talking about this pastime. Srutakirti said, “Yes, Prabhupada said it to me several times about different books—about the Kṛṣṇa book, about Nectar of Devotion, and other books.” Srutakirti then said, “Obviously, Prabhupada knew that I wasn’t reading.”

Anyway, these books are very potent, and anyone who gets such a book is greatly benefitted. But the person who distributes the book is even more benefitted, because that person is undertaking austerity for the welfare of others and is learning how to stop manipulating things for their own advantage and is making a sacrifice to give out the mercy.

In some parts of our movement, book distribution is a little out of fashion. There are many other ways to reach out to people. Times have changed, and there are other interesting strategic ways to reach people and all are good. But book distribution is like a cold shower, whereas some of these other preaching tactics are nice, warm showers. Cold showers get the blood circulation really going. We can consider that there is a special purification when doing book distribution. It is this spirit of giving mercy to others that should be our focus.”

And you were grateful. You wrote, ‘Dear Vaishnavas, I want to express my gratitude to all of you for your kindness, prayers, and good wishes in this trying time. It has been about a month since I was diagnosed with a tumor. I feel greatly more close to my heart following a natural path and investing in my own Krishna consciousness and sharing it through writing. You are all wonderful people. I am living by your prayers and kindness.’

Dear Maharaja, how I miss you now! There was never anyone like you, and there never will be. I pray that you will put in a word with Srila Prabhupada and his Lords to bring me to you all after I have done what they want me to do here in this world—and we will all be reunited again in service to Srila Prabhupada, the holy names, and the Vaishnavas.

Maharaja, I love you.

Your eternal, grateful servant,

Giriraj Swami.

COMMENT

His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami ki jaya!

Alright. Thank you, my dear devotees, for listening so patiently and attentively. [Unintelligible 02:25:13] I was relishing his presentation so much. [Unintelligible 02:25:43]. Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!