Answers from

A Maha Bhagavata

Power of the Holy Name

(Compiled from notes on lectures of H. H. Mahavishnu Goswami)

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev.

Inspired by the postings from HG Madanmohan prabhuji titled “Answers from a Mahabhagavata”, this is a humble attempt at reproducing excerpts from a question and answer session in a lecture delivered by HDG Srila Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj in Johannesberg, South Africa on 7th Dec 1994.

In the lecture Maharaj explained how by taking shelter of Krishna through His holy name and the scriptures, one can be protected from the onslaughts of the illusory energy of the Lord. At the end of the lecture, a devotee asked the following question and Maharaj gave the most perfect answer that we can apply in our daily lives.

Devotee: Maharaj, this Krishna conscious movement is designed to give chance to people from all backgrounds including low class, some of whom (especially in South Africa) may be practicing black magic or witch craft. So when they join, they might bring these tendencies with them. And you said in the lecture, if devotees are chanting Hare Krishna, they are not affected. So what happens to those who actually practice these things (black magic) especially against devotees? What is Yamaraj’s punishment to them?

Maharaj: "The greatest punishment is that He throws us, kshipaamy ajasram ashubhaan, aasureshv eva yonishu (BG 16.19), in innumerable inauspicious species of life. But since we don’t remember to which species we are going next, we don’t worry about these things. But the difficulty is that their present life becomes completely hellish. Fortunately they are under our roof but they are suffering like anything. Because anything you do to harm others, you have to undergo first. This is the universal rule. If I have to kill somebody, I have to kill myself first. And this principle of scriptures is very difficult to understand. There may be some devotees practicing all these (black magic or witch craft), not that everybody is a witch craft man. The problem is that the rest of the force is not powerful enough to counteract this and hence it is continuing. And then we are afraid that he is a witch craft man and he may do something to me.

To be very frank, all this was completely absent in our society even 40-50 years back. I didn’t hear about this word, black magic or witch craft. May be someone would have tried something as ours was the wealthiest community in the society, there was no sickness, no deformed children and divorce was completely absent. I had to refer to the dictionary to know the meaning of ‘divorce’ when I came to England. Such a pure society and I am really proud to have been a part of it. Krishna is so powerful that nothing else will work. He is unlimitedly powerful and we know that naamnaam akaari bahudha, nija sarva shaktih, tatraarpita niyamita smarane na kaalah, etaadrshi tava krpaa bhagavan mamaapi, durdaivam idrsham ihaajani naanuragah. durdaivam, we are really unlucky that with all the benedictions in front of us, we are not attracted to it. Just simply the attraction will give you the antiseptic effect for all this witch craft and all that. I don’t know how to explain these things to you but it works. We are completely peaceful in our own saadhana. I was a grihastha also, I have undergone all the torture but it was not a torture for me at all because in the evening, I was with my saadhana and in the morning, I was with my saadhana. So everything was going on around me but nothing had affected me and that is why I was little aloof from the show and I could leave that show, otherwise it is very difficult to leave that. So much attraction, mine, mine, mine and all these mine combine together in a gold mine. And as soon as you go to the gold mine, kali yuga is there, jaata-roopam adaat prabhuh (SB 1.17.39). Parikshit Maharaj has given him (Kali) the place and there again we commit so many sinful activities to satisfy our sinful desires. That is how, this philosophy has no comparison because it is the original one. It is always original, whether it is in South Africa, India, Fiji, Mauritius or in any part of the world. And fortunately due to the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, we are connected to the original flow. This is the cream but we are running back to the ditch. Don’t do it, there may be some forces coming into the temple as we are welcoming anybody and everybody. But our force is very forceful, Krishna’s name is very powerful. Here nothing works, Krishna’s name is very powerful and it works everywhere. Srila Prabhupada didn’t have anything, three volumes of Srimad Bhagavatam and kartals, that’s all. He didn’t change his dress and wherever he went, he sang the glories of the holy name. He insisted that the name is non-different from the Lord and the process he is following. And because he was very sincere, he could have the impact on the majority of the population of the world. Now, it is the case that even a child knows, as soon as he sees us, “Hare Krishna”. So they are liberated. So this is how, the name is very powerful. These things (black magic or witch craft) cannot stand in front of the name unless we don’t have faith. With weak faith, you cannot do this. So please trust Prabhupada’s words, you just make one resolution that whatever he says, you do. He knows whether it is correct or not but because he tells us, we do. Our unflinching faith is at his lotus feet. Whatever he says, we do and whatever he says don’t do, we don’t do. We don’t have to do with Ramayana or Mahabharata. We don’t have to do anything apart from his books. If we resolute about these things, then I am sure no craft will work. Your craft will work. Don’t be weak in this.

You know the story of Bhaktivinod Thakur. That Bisa Kishen, he claimed to be a very powerful incarnation of Mahavishnu. He was lying like that and all universes are coming out. However we pretend, universes can’t come out, only mucous can come out (Maharaj laughs and devotees join). Bhaktivinod Thakur knew that this person had covered all his illicit activities under the name of incarnation of Mahavishnu. Bisa Kishen was a very powerful person treating the sickness of everyone living there. Bhaktivinod Thakur was the district magistrate and he was entrusted with the job of arresting Bisa Kishen. When he was arrested, he told Bhaktivinod Thakur, “I will make you the prime minister”. Bhaktivinod Thakur’s whole family was suffering and his wife was worried and told him to leave this person. But Bhaktivinod Thakur was a very pakka man and somehow or the other there was a Western officer and when Bisa Kishen was arrested, he just shaved his head off. And as soon as this was done, all his power was gone. These mystic yogis have all the power in the hair and that is why they have a bush on their head. And that is why we have shaved our head as we don’t want any mystic power. We just want to be attracted to the lotus feet of the Lord without any other diversion. If you please follow this argument and if you chant “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare”, nothing should touch you, nothing. We are moving around the world but we are completely immune to these activities. If this witch craft were working, then while flying our plane will come down. If it has to come down, it will anyway come down. That is nature’s law and can’t be avoided. So don’t worry about these things, we should only worry about our saadhana and be faithful to Prabhupada’s books. And everything will be safe. Jai Srila Prabhupada Ki Jai ! "

Jai Srila Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj Ki Jai.

I pray to the lotus feet of Srila Gurudev, Srila Prabhupada and all Vaishnavas that by their mercy and blessings, I may develop firm faith in Krishna and His holy names and always remember to take their shelter.

Thank you very much.

Your servant in the service of Srila Prabhupada and Gurudev,

Svayam Prakash Krishna Das,
Singapore

Chant,

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna

Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama

Hare Hare

and be happy.