Kadamba Kanana Swami Tribute

Host: Welcome to this evening’s Kadamba Kanana Swami’s tribute session. We have the great fortune of being in the association of one of the most senior disciples of Srila Prabhupada, His Holiness Giriraj Swami, who has, at short notice, very gracefully and kindly accepted to join us today to speak on Kadamba Kanana Swami. I will just give you a little insight.

When Kadamba Kanana Swami received the news of his cancer, then he came to London. He said he wants to go America for the sādhu-saṅga retreat. And I said, “Okay.” He said that he particularly wanted to see Giriraj Swami. He said, “I want to see him because I don’t know if I am going to make it back to Godhead, but by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, I have tried to work hard for him. But I think I also need the mercy of his main men.” He said Giriraj Swami is such a man, he a Prabhupada man through and through. He was very excited to go there. When he came back, I said, “How was your meeting?” He said, “It was absolutely wonderful. Giriraj Swami really embraced me and accepted me.” Then they had very nice meetings in Vrindavan. So with that, Maharaja, I turn it over to you. In terms of a schedule, if Maharaja, you could address us for maybe half an hour, and then we can have half an hour of your time to ask questions because many devotees are very excited that we have this intimate association with you.

So let us offer our respects to His Holiness Giriraj Swami by reciting,

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca 

patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

His Holiness Giriraj Swami Maharaja ki jaya!

His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami Maharaja ki jaya!

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

We encourage everyone, if you can turn your videos on, it is more personal and warmer that Maharaja can see videos rather than many different names. Thank you. Hare Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna. Well, thank you for that nice introduction. To begin, I will read a letter that I wrote to His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami Maharaja after he left.

LETTER to  Kadamba Kanana Swami

My dear Kadamba Kanana Swami Maharaja, please accept my prostrated obeisances at your lotus feet. All glorious to Srila Prabhupada, and all glories to your wonderful service to him. Srila Prabhupada said that when a Vaishnava departs, we feel simultaneously happy and sad. We feel happy because we know that 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 disease-ridden body. You are a most worthy and beloved disciple of His Holiness Jaya Advaita Swami Maharaja, who was very reserved about and selective in accepting disciples. 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 are a man of character and integrity. You were strong and kept your word. And you are like a loving father, 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 these terrible things that have happened in the last one and a half years will 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. You 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 boarded the train, I have 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. 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 Krishna conscious. Anyone who reads one chapter of this book will become Krishna conscious. Anyone who reads one page of this book will become Krishna conscious. And not only that, anyone who reads one sentence will become Krishna conscious.’ And then Prabhupada said, ‘Anyone who reads one word can become Krishna conscious.’ Then Kadamba Kanana Swami Maharaja continued.

“I met Srutakirti in Vrindavan and we were talking about this pastime. Srutakirti said, “Yes, Srila Prabhupada said it to me several times about different books, about the Kṛṣṇa book, about The Nectar of Devotion, and other books.” Srutakirti said, “Obviously, Srila Prabhupada knew that I wasn’t reading.” Then His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami Maharaja continues, “Anyway, these books are very potent, and anyone who gets a book is greatly benefited. But the person who distributes the book is even more benefited, because that person is undertaking austerity for the welfare of others, and is finally 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. You can consider that there is a special purification when doing book distribution. It is the spirit of giving the mercy to others that should be our focus.”

And you were grateful. You wrote, “Dear Vaishnavas, I want to express my gratitude to you for all of your kindness, prayers, and good wishes in this trying time. It has been about a month since I was diagnosed with the 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.

COMMENT

So, this was a letter that I wrote to His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami Maharaja after he left, and I have so many fond memories of him. He was it was unique, he was incredible, he was amazing. I mentioned and he also mentioned as Krishna Kirtan Prabhu said in the introduction about our meeting at the sādhu-saṅga retreat in Utah. He was very eager to meet me and I also was very eager to meet him, and we really had some deep topics to discuss. He was concerned that he might have offended me, and I assured him that he had not because he was acting solely in the interest of Srila Prabhupada and I appreciated his concerns. And then in the last months in Vrindavan, I would visit him very often in his apartment, and he had a disciple or I should say he has a disciple named Jarikhnada Devaki, who is the granddaughter of two of my very best disciples in South Africa, Loka Bandu Prabhu and Kirtida Sundari Mataji in Pietermaritzburg. So, together, we would go to visit Maharaja, and I was so impressed with the way he guided his disciples who came from different parts of the world to meet him. He was brilliant the way he guided them in their service, he was brilliant and also compassionate, and of course Krishna conscious. And by spending, maybe just a few minutes with him in Vrindavan, they got direction from him that could engage them and encourage them for years to come, maybe for the rest of their lives.

So he really touch people’s hearts with his intelligent instructions, his compassion, his love, his Krishna consciousness. And yes, I miss him terribly but as I wrote, I am hopeful that when the time comes, we will all be reunited again. And in the meantime, I will try to serve him in separation by supporting the devotees and projects that were dear to him. So, I think or I will maybe I have a little more time to speak but then again maybe we could just go ahead to the questions and answers. I would love to hear from other devotees if they have any reflections or comments. Hare Krishna.

Host: Thank you Maharaja. So, if devotees have questions or if they want to share an experience then please if you raise your hand using the direction, Gokulesh Prabhu will unmute you.

Host: Yes, I will go first just to warm everyone up. So Maharaja, we would often have candid talks about his life in ISKCON and the challenges that come with that. And it was interesting. I haven’t shared this in public before but I will do it now that Maharaja you have already raised it about him speaking to you in sādhu-saṅga retreat where he was concerned there may be an offense from the 90s in regards to that episode where he was trying to protect the temple and stuff without going into the details of it. So, he also had this concern with one of your best friends Tamal Krishna Maharaja. And I am sure you spoke about this there in sadhu on different occasions.

So, one-time Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaja invited Kadamba Kanana Swami to his place in Mayapur. And Kadamba Kanana Swami is Dutch, he is very strong and bold and brave, and he knew his juniority. But at the same time, because of his nature if something wasn’t right, he was brave enough to stand up even amongst the great mighty Tamal Krishna Maharaja, and that created some tension and friction in that relationship. So, Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaja invited Kadamba Kanana Swami to his place in Mayapur and this is all being told to me by Kadamba Kanana Swami. He says, he was a bit nervous because he was thinking why is TKG asking, what is the agenda, there is no meeting. He had a suspicion maybe there is going to be a talk. So Tamal Krishna Maharaja was very warm and welcoming and he seated Kadamba Kanana Swami down, and he said, “Let us have prasādam first.”

So then he served the starters first which were very hot pakoras. And so Kadamba Kanana Swami put the hot pakora in his mouth but he didn’t know how hot it was. It was piping hot from the inside. And as soon as the pakora went in the mouth, Kadamba Kanana Swami started “oh oh…hh” And that is when TKG leaned forwards and said, “So, you are also on my blood list.” Meaning, “Why did you go after me so hard?” But then Kadamba Kanana Swami couldn’t speak because he had this boiling pakora in his mouth. So, he kind of snooker, a checkmate, so as to say. And then they spoke. And then some years later, unfortunately we lost the association of Tamal Krishna Maharaja. And when that sudden disappearance happened, Kadamba Kanana Swami was telling how he really felt he has blown his chances, he never got that reconciliation with Tamal Krishna Maharaja. And he was very concerned, he was thinking I have really blown it now.

And then it was not that night of the disappearance but the following night that Tamal Krishna Maharaja came to his dream and he manifested in a really big transcendental, very effulgent Tamal Krishna Maharaja, and paid obeisances to each other. And Kadamba Kanana Swami woke up, ‘Okay, we are cool.” So then in a similar fashion when he was saying he is going sādhu-saṅga retreat, he said, “I took a risk with Tamal Krishna Maharaja, I can’t take a risk with Giriraj Swami. I have to go there and pay my obeisances and seek his mercy and shelter.” So yes, I just wanted to say that that Tama Krishna Maharaja story where although they were going for each other sometimes, it was only as you said, it was only because they were trying to fight for what was right for Prabhupada, and everyone has their own opinion but it was it was nice that relationship. So, I don’t know if you could comment a little bit about their relationship because they are two very brave men, visionaries, and managers. So, it would be wonderful to hear especially from you a little bit about that.

Giriraj Swami: I am glad you brought that up because I was aware of, well of course initially, the issues between His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami Maharaja and His Holiness Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaja. And I was also aware that Kadamba Kanana Swami Maharaja wanted to afford some reconciliation with His Holiness Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaja. And as I recalled, they met, I think maybe in Australia. And Tamal Krishna Goswami told Kadamba Kanana Swami Maharaja that, “I have taken you off my list.” Meaning we are okay now, I have taken you off my list. [Laughter] So they were reconciled at the end and then the dream also added to it.

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada. Our guru Maharaja was a very wholeheartedly giving personality as he gave everything. Also, he had already strong physical limitations. And could you give us an advice, how can we, as disciples, develop more this mood of giving? Even if we have ourselves physical limitations or are not so young anymore. How can we develop more this mood of giving to becoming more selfless?

Giriraj Swami: Yes, what you said about your guru Maharaja is absolutely true. And you, all of us can get inspiration from recalling how he gave of himself so selflessly to help others even when he was suffering from physical limitations and health challenges. So, that should be an example and an inspiration for all of us. And he will definitely be pleased if you make that effort, to give of yourself for the sake of others despite your own health challenges and limitations. And I think he is pleased just by your asking the question. It shows that you are thinking in a very deep way and a favorable way, how to serve him, how to follow his example, follow in his footsteps and continue on his mood. Yes, internally I feel he is very pleased with you.

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaja. I have a question that I was thinking to raise in another Zoom, last a couple Zooms ago. I was reading about the different stages of grieving and how there is denial and shock, anger, and then there is also this type of negativity, depression type of phase after which is acceptance. I found for myself that I was there also in India and I got to be there. I guess I went through some shock, denial phase, I can relate to. But then yes, it really hit me when I left India and was some kind of negativity, which I know is nothing that Maharaja represented. Our guru Maharaja was extremely positive. So, I seek some advice in that regard because the blow sometimes hits hard and could put some disciples into a negative space, which is not the point.

Giriraj Swami: What do you mean by negativity?

Devotee: I guess depressive state.

Giriraj Swami: Well, we have to learn to serve in separation. I think of Srila Prabhupada’s dedication to his Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, to his spiritual master Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, he lives forever by his divine instructions and the follower lives with him. So, as we have if we have heard so many times, there are two ways of association—vāṇī, which means through words or sound, and vapuḥ, which means the body or physical association. And vapuḥ may or may not be available, but the vāṇī is always there. And by following the instructions and example, adhering to the values of your spiritual master, you should feel his presence. Doesn’t mean you won’t feel separation also, but you will feel his presence, you will feel his reciprocation. And, there is no need for negativity. And that I think by adhering to his instructions, he lives forever is by his divine instructions, and the follower lives with him. You will be relieved of that negativity. Hare Krishna.

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisances. Thank you so much for taking the time and being with all of us firstly. So, Maharaja, actually quite a few times Kadamba Kanana Maharaja would narrate the pastime where Prabhupada pushed you as well with Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that marathon. And I think it was mainly so that you would kind of encourage us and push us as well, to go beyond limits and boundaries, which was really inspiring. My question was really about that actually because, obviously when Kadamba Kanana Maharaja was here, he would really beyond any limits, and he was here to pull out here and, chase us up. So there was that element of intensity that was there when he would give us the impossible. And then you would somehow have faith that it would happen and it would work out. So how to keep that going as he is not here to, like, pull the air or anything like that, but how to push beyond the limits as he inspired us to do as Prabhupada inspired you to do as well, Maharaja?

Giriraj Swami: That is a very good question. He did push us; both Srila Prabhupada pushed us to go beyond our comfort zones, and His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami did as well. And somehow, we have to, although it is harder, but we have to internalize that mood that being pushed to go beyond our comfort zones and do what is not easy for us or for the pleasure of guru and the Gauranga, and paramparā. Again, just the fact that you are aware of the value of being pushed and are afraid of the consequences of not being pushed shows that you are thinking in the right way. And, just keep pushing, be pushing. He will be pleased by that effort for sure.

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaja. It is my particular good fortune to have your darshan. Thank you so much. Maharaja, it is sort of a little puzzle I am trying to solve. A lot of the devotees have had Maharaja Kadamba Kanana Swami’s darshan in their dreams after he left this, his material body. I also had some experience in my sleep whereby I could feel the presence of a force, and it doesn’t happen very often. It hasn’t happened at all, not frequently. But I could not quite penetrate that force field in my dream. And I, it may have been Maharaja. So, would I have committed some kind of offense in not being able to get on the wavelength and how can one repent if that is the situation?

Giriraj Swami: What do you mean by force field?

Devotee: Well, I felt that somebody was trying to say something, and my brain was trying to engage and it never succeeded. And because everybody had visitation from Maharaja’s spiritual body, a lot of the devotees, and I can’t be related that experience in that context. And I just wonder because I couldn’t connect, is that some kind of offense that might have been in place and how to rectify it?

Giriraj Swami: I don’t think it is an offense, but yes, you should be eager to get ongoing instruction from your guru Maharaja. It may or may not come through dreams. Dreams are one way that they can come, but there are many other ways also, within your heart and also from your god-brothers or his god-brothers. I think the more you offer yourself to him as his selfless, unconditional servant, the more he will guide you how to proceed through different means that he has at his disposal.

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaja. This is Jalalitha from South Africa. Maharaja, one of the questions or in the discussions, we were hearing about how particular Kadamba Kanana Maharaja was about etiquette and the Vaishnava etiquette, particularly when it came to senior devotees. And with many of us, that quality came out where, he would always in many situations, almost, although he was initiating spiritual master, take a backseat or step away from the limelight unless he was required to come forward. And when it comes to instruction, in the Third Canto where Prabhupada speaks about the offense of maryādā-vyatikrama, of not suspecting senior devotees and instructing junior devotees when there are seniors that are present. Now, as a God family, there are so many devotees who are in, then you get when you ask someone, then you get referred to another person. But also, for those disciples who have been around for a while, when you get asked about, can you share some instruction or can you share some realizations, how do we prevent this offense from happening and if it is unknowingly caused, what do we then do to rectify the situation as we have seen Kadamba Kanana Maharaja with Tamal Krishna Maharaja and with yourself?

Giriraj Swami: Well, if devotees ask you for you to give them some instructions or share some realization, in a humble mood of service, you can do that. If by chance, there is someone more senior who is present, you can suggest that the devotee, redirect the question to the senior or you yourself could redirect the question to the senior. That would be the proper etiquette. And then it is up to the senior to respond or to refer the question back to you. And if you are requested by the senior, then of course there is no offense at all. But that is a very important point that you brought up and it is true. His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami Maharaja was always very conscientious with regards to that etiquette. So yes, good.

Devotee: Hare Krishna guru Maharaja. Thank you for sharing your wonderful, very meaningful letter to our guru. And I am just wondering if it is acceptable in Krishna consciousness if our guru had received your letter before he left his body, because you sent the letter after, I believe you said.

Giriraj Swami: Well, I hope he has accepted it now, I think he has. Yes, we were very close actually. He was like so dear to me, really close. And we had our time together at the sādhu-saṅga retreat in Utah. It was very special, we had really hard talks, and then we chanted japa together, and then we did kirtan together and, we danced together. So, he is very, very dear to me. And I think that he can also appreciate my letters through all of you. By your appreciating it, he is also appreciating it. Yes.

Host: Maharaja. We have a question from the Zoom. How can we long-term deal with the reality of the guru no longer being physically present? As it may seem easy at points to just carry on, but sometimes it may backfire and we could possibly break down. How can we help this? I think what that means is how can we prevent this?

Giriraj Swami: Yes, there is a very important section in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Four, Chapter Twenty-eight, that discusses the departure of the spiritual master. And I happened to come across that section just a little after Srila Prabhupada left. And I felt that it answered all the questions I had about continuing after Srila Prabhupada’s departure. And I was elated that even after he left, Srila Prabhupada was giving us the guidance we needed. And then I went and told Tamal Krishna Goswami and others about it, Bhakti Charu Swami. I told them about my discovery. So I would recommend that to really read that and study that and see how it applies to you. It will apply to you, it definitely apply you. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Four, Chapter Twenty-eight.

Host: Yes Maharaja, I was going to say, it would be very nice if you could share something from there.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, I just have that idea. Well, it just opened to this. So I will take it as a divine arrangement. So this is Text Fifty. So it is sort of an analogy. The king and his wife take vanaprastha, they go into the forest. And while in the forest, the king dies. And Srila Prabhupada explains that figuratively, the king is the spiritual master and the wife is the disciple. So you open to this. And so I will read this Text Fifty. To save time, I won’t read the Sanskrit, but just the translation and some of the purport.

TEXT 50

She then prepared a blazing fire with firewood and placed the dead body of her husband upon it. When this was finished, she lamented severely and prepared herself to perish in the fire with her husband.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

It is the long-standing tradition of the Vedic system that a faithful wife dies along with her husband. This is called saha-maraṇa.

This indicates that a devotee’s wife must be prepared to act in such a way. Similarly, a devoted disciple of the spiritual master would rather die with the spiritual master than fail to execute the spiritual master’s mission. As the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes down upon this earth to reestablish the principles of religion, so His representative, the spiritual master, also comes to reestablish religious principles. It is the duty of the disciples to take charge of the mission of the spiritual master and execute it properly. Otherwise the disciple should decide to die along with the spiritual master. In other words, to execute the will of the spiritual master, the disciple should be prepared to lay down his life and abandon all personal considerations.

COMMENT

So, definitely no comfort zone here. Then, a brahman appears to give instruction to the widow. And Srila Prabhupada explains in the purport,

TEXT 51—PURPORT

The appearance of an old friend in the form of a brāhmaṇa is very significant. In His Paramātmā feature, Kṛṣṇa is the old friend of everyone. According to Vedic injunction, Kṛṣṇa is sitting with the living entity side by side. According to the śruti-mantra (dvā suparṇā sayujā sakhāyāḥ), the Lord is sitting within the heart of every living entity as suhṛt, the best friend. The Lord is always eager to have the living entity come home, back to Godhead. Sitting with the living entity as witness, the Lord gives him all chances to enjoy himself materially, but whenever there is an opportunity, the Lord gives good counsel and advises the living entity to abandon trying to become happy through material adjustment and instead turn his face toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead and surrender unto Him. When one becomes serious to follow the mission of the spiritual master, his resolution is tantamount to seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As explained before, this means meeting the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the instruction of the spiritual master. This is technically called vāṇī-sevā. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura states in his Bhagavad-gītā commentary on the verse vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana (Bg. 2.41) that one should serve the words of the spiritual master.

COMMENT

My dear your devotees, this is the answer. One must serve the words of the spiritual master.

PURPORT (continued)

The disciple must stick to whatever the spiritual master orders. Simply by following on that line, one sees the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Paramātmā, appeared before the Queen as a brāhmaṇa, but why didn’t He appear in His original form as Śrī Kṛṣṇa? Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura remarks that unless one is very highly elevated in loving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one cannot see Him as He is. Nonetheless, if one sticks to the principles enunciated by the spiritual master, somehow or other he is in association with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Since the Lord is in the heart, He can advise a sincere disciple from within. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (10.10):

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
yena mām upayānti te

“To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.”

In conclusion, if a disciple is very serious to execute the mission of the spiritual master, he immediately associates with the Supreme Personality of Godhead by vāṇī or vapuḥ. This is the only secret of success in seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Instead of being eager to see the Lord in some bush of Vṛndāvana while at the same time engaging in sense gratification, if one instead sticks to the principle of following the words of the spiritual master, he will see the Supreme Lord without difficulty. Śrīla Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura has therefore said:

“If I am engaged in devotional service unto You, my dear Lord, then very easily can I perceive Your presence everywhere. And as far as liberation is concerned, I think that liberation stands at my door with folded hands, waiting to serve me—

COMMENT

Yes, a devotee, who Is properly situated, is already liberated. We can see His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami Maharaja; he is definitely liberated. He was not, he did not identify with the body. He was not attached to the body. He was liberated on the platform of pure devotional service.

PURPORT (continued)

And as far as liberation is concerned, I think that liberation stands at my door with folded hands, waiting to serve me — and all material conveniences of dharma [religiosity], artha [economic development] and kāma [sense gratification] stand with her.” (Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta 107) If one is very highly advanced in devotional service, he will have no difficulty in seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If one engages in the service of the spiritual master, he not only sees the Supreme Personality of Godhead but attains liberation. As far as material conveniences are concerned, they automatically come, just as the maidservants of a queen follow the queen wherever she goes. Liberation is no problem for the pure devotee, and all material conveniences are simply awaiting him at all stages of life.

COMMENT

And we saw that, but practically in the life of His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami Maharaha. So anyway, there is more here but just the basic point.

“If the devotee serves his spiritual master sincerely, Kṛṣṇa automatically becomes pleased. Yasya prasādād bhagavad-prasādaḥ: by satisfying the spiritual master, one automatically satisfies Kṛṣṇa. Thus the devotee becomes enriched by both the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa.”

So everything is there.

Host: Thank you so much Maharaja for ending today’s session on such a powerful point, reading from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Srila Prabhupada’s purports, giving us a direct jewel to go and bookmark and let it enter into our heart. So that is very kind gift you have awarded us. To give it a very specific area where we can take shelter of so thank you on behalf of everyone. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule, speaking so openly and warmly to us. And we all have a lot of confidence that when we meet you next around the world, that we can all feel the love that you have of Kadamba Swami. Hopefully, one day we can have a drop of that and then start serving up guru Maharaja with that love that you have for him. So thank you.

Giriraj Swami: I thank you. Thank you for organizing this wonderful session and including me in it.

Host: So with this, we will close today’s session and we will offer all respects to one another.

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca 

patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

Just an announcement. Next Friday will be in the Radhadesh Vyapuja festival and the KKS tribute. These Zoom sessions will be part of that festival. So we will have a seminar and session with His Holiness Jaya Advaita Swami, His Holiness Maha Vishnu Swami, and His Holiness Swayam Bhagavan Keshava Swami. And that will be themed around the word mission. Not only what is the mission, but how do we get involved and how do we do it? Some of the questions that were asked today will be elaborated on in that session. So we look forward to seeing you all there. And again, thank you.

His Holiness Giriraj Swami Maharaja ki jaya!