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Venue: Vrindavan, 31/8/2010 Hare Krsna! Guar Haribol! Sri Krsna Balarama ki jaya!

So glorification of the Krsna, I did not know the topic, I thought it was birth of Krishna.  Makes no difference.  Radha Govind Maharaj is also doing, Radha Govind Maharaj is also glorifying Krishna. And I am sure devotees all over the world are glorifying Krishna. How many devotees must be talking about Krishna right now? Any guess? Anantakoti! When Anantsesa was asked to glorify Krishna, Anantsesa! So he asked how long he has to glorify Krishna. And he was told not, not for very long no, no, not, how long he glorifies Krishna, how long he would keep holding the planets on his hoods. He was wondering how long I have to keep holding. So he was told, you glorify Krishna and as soon as you are finished glorifying Krishna then you don’t have to hold those planets you could throw them off. Then Anantsesa said “Oh! Let me start and I have thousand mouths and each mouth will be talking different glories of Krishna. Not the thing will be coming out of all the thousand hoods, he is sahastravadan and he is talking different topics, with each of his mouths and there is a large gathering, listening to him near each hood there is a gathering of devotees (laughs).

And they must be going from one hood to another hood just to check out what is next door topic. So he started glories of Krishna and he was chanting and he was chanting and he was chanting and he is still chanting and not finishing. He is holding the planets and he is also glorifying Sri Krishna, glories of Krishna are unlimited. We may not be always talking but we always also think of Krsna or glories of Krishna. “Munijana manasa hansa, Munijana manasa hansa”  the munis, the sages, their minds are like  lakes and in that lake there is hansa, there is swan, the topics which they think about Krishna that’s the swan. And in their lakes of their minds all the glories of Krishna are floating or swimming like a hansa,  Swan swims in the lakes. And each one thinks, all those would be talking about Krishna today or giving Bhagavatam. Each one is going to be talking differently; no two Bhagavatam classes are going to be similar. They would say Krishna, Krishna, that is similar, the rest, there will be different glories, different angles. They will be chanting, “Hare Krsna hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare”.

I was thinking I should stop because the topic is glorifying Krishna. But then I was thinking, this is glorifying Krishna. This chanting is glorifying Krishna. So why stop? That’s the topic. Chanting is glorifying Krishna. So talking about “Sri Radha-Krsna padaravinda bhajanandena mattalikau” (Sri Sri Sad goswami astaka). Six Goswamis of Vrindavan. They are“Sri Radha-Krsna padaravinda bhajanmatta” intoxicated like bees (Maharaj making the sound of bees hmmm…..) going from flower to flower. They don’t think anything else, where is the nectar, where is the nectar. So goswamis, Radha-Krsna pada arvinda bhajan. The bhajan or glorification of the lotus feet of Radha-Krsna, Radha-Krsna bhajan ananda. And then they are getting lots of ananda, that’s why matta. They are absorbed in the ananda of glories of Krishna or glories of the lotus feet of Krishna or lotus face of Krishna, lotus hands Krishna, lotus face of Krishna, the lips of Krishna, the flute of Krishna, the crown of Krishna. So many topics or the form of Krsna, pastimes of Krishna, Dhama of Krishna, the devotees of Krishna. We can talk about one devotee of Krishna, so many devotees to talk about. was told we should be talking about birth of Krishna. So I was kind of some thoughts about Krishna Janmotsava ki jay! Are you getting ready? Preparing the biggest Birthday party. Someone who has nothing to do with the birth is taking birth. Supposed to be ajanma, Krsna is ajanma, birthless. But it is not that kind of birth. Ajatasya hi dhuvam mrtyu, one who take birth he does not or he has to die. Krishna never dies, so never takes that kind of birth either he just appears, does his pastime. And he appeared not far from here, just few miles. How fortunate we are, we are sitting in land of practically birthplace of Krishna. “Jayati te’dhikam janmana vrajah srayat indira sasvadatrahi” (Gopi geet) so this, this land is even better than Vaikuntha. This Vrndavan or this Mathura, because Lord took birth here, after birth in Mathura, how many years ago? (devotees saying 5000 yrs) Everyone says that He appeared 5000 years ago. That you could close your eyes, 5000 years. But to be more precise we have to do little calculation (laughs). First of all Lord disappeared 3102 years prior to Jesus, B.C. it’s called, before Christ. 3102 years prior to Jesus He disappeared.

So how many years ago Lord Krishna disappeared? Quick! We don’t have much time. 5112 years ago Lord disappeared. How long was He on the Planet? 125 years. So we have to add 125 to, very good! 5237 years ago. Remember this number 5237 years ago Lord Krishna appeared. So this is 5237th birthday of Krishna that we are celebrating. Haribol!! (Round of applause). And Lord Krishna appeared 8 days after Balarama. We just celebrated Balarama’s appearance. So, was Balarama 8 days older? One year and 8 days. He was one year and 8 days older. Gargasamhita has some statements. It is mentioned He was 5 days in the womb. So something like that but not 8 days for sure. One year has to be added and then some days. So Lord appeared, made his appearance, this is not new thing for him; He appears here again and again and again. This is, no one thinks like that but this is fact. So many times Lord appeared in Vrindavan, in one single day of Brahma he makes his appearance. So, it was just, so everything is, we know, like Prabhupada says. He says different things and Srila Prabhupada says, we even know telephone number of Krishna. We know his name and address and his relatives, even phone no. of Krishna. So, when He appeared, where he appeared, what time of the day or night He appeared, night time? We also know what time appeared, exact spot where He appeared is known. Nothing, no speculations required, no. We don’t have to imagine anything about the Lord.

So as He appeared, vasudev aiksata (S.B 10.3.10), that beautiful Lord, Sukadev Goswami says, Vasudev aiksatam, Vasudev saw and Sukadev Goswami is showing us Krishna, “Look here is Krishna!” He describes Krishna and he says, “This kind of Krishna was seen by Vasudev.” Virocamanam Vasudev aiksatah. He is glorified; Sukadev Goswami is glorifying Krishna, glorification of Krishna. He is best glorifier of Krishna. And so, Vasudev saw, so through the eyes of the Vasudev we could see, we could see through the eyes of the sastracaksusa. The sastra shows us or Sukadev Goswami, he saw and then description is there. And we could hear or read that description, the way Vasudev was right there, Lord was right there in front of Vasudev. So it is easy to see. He is right there and he is being glorified or adbhutam balakam ambuje ksanam caturbhujam (S.B 10.3.9), so that wonderful balakam, child, ambujeksanam, lotus eyed, He has four hands and pitambaram, He has cloths on, that’s wonderful! Right? He has cloths on, He has just taken birth and he has cloths on. Devaki went on some shopping, go to Loi Bazaar quickly to get some pitambar, to get some ornaments, no He appeared, Mukut He has, He has crowns, sahstrakuntalam, when child is born, normally no hair. But this boy has sahstrakuntalam, lots of fully grown hair and other ornaments and that kind of, virocamanam Vasudev aiksatam. Vasudev has seen and then Vasudev’s Prayers, Devaki is praying, then Lord is also addressing the parents and towards end what does He say? Please get me out of here, get out of, bring me to Gokul. So how was Vasudev? He is tied, he cannot even move, chains around hands and feet and he is asked to “Oh! Bring me to Gokul”. “What do you mean bring me to Gokul? I cannot even go one step forward and I have to bring you to Gokul?” But as he has gone ahead, picked up the child, what happened next? Shackles have been broken into pieces and Vasudev is free!! Haribol!! So it’s not only Vasudev becomes free as he takes Krishna, we could also be free. As soon as we have Krishna, we grabbed Him or we accept Him or we surrender unto Him or we see Him.

 “Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti, santah”, all the time the santas, the saintly persons are seeing Lord within their heart. So when one comes to that stage is completely freed. Are we bound? We may think Oh! Vasudev is bound by the chains. Are we bound? I am free, running I am, could go wherever I wish to go to. But “prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah” (B.G 3.27), we are totally bound. Big big ropes of three gunas are binding, we can’t even move, we could also be free as Vasudev became free. We could also be free by accepting that Lord one who appeared. He did not appear just for Vasudev, He appeared for all of us. He took birth; Lord took birth so that we don’t have to die or Lord took birth to kill our death, to kill our death Lord took birth. “Janma karma ca me divyam evam yo vetti tattvatah (B.G 4.9) then what happens tyaktva deham punar janma naiti, mam eti, he comes to me. So this is the outcome, this is the benefit. Lord appeared, Lord took birth so that we don’t have to die or we don’t have to take birth again. So Vasudev has now Krishna and, “Ok, at least I can move but so many doors and the guards everywhere. How am I gone to?” But he is just, he is just following, ’Your wish is my command’. So this is Lord’s wish. He is just moving forward and as this is common knowledge, we all know.

Although there was extra security, additional security was employed, but they were all snoring to fast asleep and no one was awake so Vasudev’s path was clear. Now he was coming to the doors which were locked. They were all falling apart, opening doors. How they were opening? Automatically, automatically, so automatic system existed that time also, it’s not a new thing. When first time I went to the airport, I had my trolley with my luggage and I came to the entrance, said entrance but it was closed and I have to get in. So I parked my trolley and I went forward to open but it is just opened! Before even I touch the door it just opened. Now I, What is happening? Is it ghost! automatically! (Laughs).  I have no experience of these automatic doors. I was surprised but then I realized, it was not a new thing.

5000 years ago the automatic system existed and we have imitated, duplicated that original automatic arrangement. And then Lord is out. Vasudev and Vaasudev, they are both out of the prison. The first person to meet or greet the Lord was, who? Who greeted? Anantsesa, Balarama had appeared, so he has come. Anantsesa, expansion or form and he has come to render service also to the baby Krsna. Its rainy season, it’s raining outside. So the umbrella, Anantsesa is right over Vasudev, is moving with Vaasudev and Anantsesa is right behind. It’s not the ordinary snake. Sometimes people don’t understand. It was rainy season,so lots of snakes around, so this was not one of these snakes, Snakes loose their homes. They became homeless in rainy season because all the holes, snake’s holes are filled with water and they have no way to go. So they keep crawling, so, but this was not one of those snakes. It was Anantsesa serving, and now Vasudev was going through Mathura town. What was he going? What time was it? One’o clock. May be around, prayers and all those, coming out of those doors. So around one’o clock Vasudev is going through Mathura. And the moon what kind of moon? Is there light? Some moonlight. What kind of moon? Normally the moon, astami’s moon is half moon. But that night, have you taken note of this? That night what was the shape of the moon? full moon, full moon appearing at midnight, this never happens. On full moon night, moon appears, when sun is setting, moon is rising. Both the things happen, setting and rising happens at the same time, full moon. But this is a night of astami. Moon is supposed to be half, rising at midnight. But that night the moon could not remain half. The moon became full moon because moon has become so happy. “Oh! In my dynasty, Lord is appearing in my dynasty”.

So he is jubilant, very happy and he has blooming face, full face. Purnendu sundar mukha, purna endu, complete moon, appeared only one time at midnight and that was the appearance night of the Lord. So there was some light and Vasudev is going through Mathura streets and lanes and everything is quite. Everyone is fast asleep, including the dogs. I heard this from Radha Govind Maharaj, he said even dogs were sleeping. They had to sleep otherwise Vasudev could be in trouble, right? You could imagine? Vasudev going through the streets and as soon as the dogs, some movements, someone moving, what do the dogs do? They bark. And if they would bark seeing Vasudev then what would happen next? Some people would get up and they would see, “Aye! Vasudev!!” They would mobile Kamsa then Kamsa coming, so to stay out of that trouble Lord has arranged. So even dogs were sleeping. And then Vasudev has come to the banks of Jamuna, Jamuna Maiya ki jay! So the rainy season, so flood everywhere. Vasudev has to cross  Jamuna. He is kind of unstoppable also, he has to just go.

The waters are rising, Jamuna is anxious to touch, touch of Krishna’s lotus feet, so he is moving in, the waters are rising. He is getting into more trouble. But by this time, the river Jamuna has taken note of this child here” He is the Lord and I would be marrying him in future. So I better help him out now. If I don’t cooperate with Him to go across and He will remember at the time of marriage ceremony and then so the marriage proposal may be rejected”.  So and the Acaryas also say that Jamuna was remembering, when Ram had to across the Indian Ocean to go to Sri Lanka, and the Ocean was little, not very cooperative or not prompt, Lord was waiting and waiting and he was not coming forward to extend his cooperation. And then Ram becomes furious and He took bow and arrow and then lots of agitation in the Ocean, so this Lord, the same Lord, He has come, so He may also do something like that. Take some action the way Ram. So she gave a way to Vasudev and Vaasudev to go across Jamuna. And when they were on both eastern bank of Jamuna.

The Gokul is some distance away, Gokul Dham ki jay! And Vasudev is, he is going through different moods here. He sometimes, he is running with the child and sometimes he slows down, he moves very slowly, a slow motion picture, very slow. And then quickly he changes the gear and he is running again. Why these two speeds? Because of two moods, two speeds are there. So he is thinking, I better run and bring child to Gokul otherwise who knows just in case Kamsa finds  out that  I am not there, child also is not there so he may try to catch up with me , so I better run and bring child to Gokul. While he is running e is also thinking, but soon I will get there and I have to leave this child and come empty handed or I will be deprived of the association of the child so I better move as slow as possible so that I have association of the child for longer time and he slowing down. But then he is thinking, what if Kansa come? I better run. So he is going through this slow and druta, drutavilambita gati. Sometimes he is going fast, sometimes he is going slowly. So finally he has come to Gokul and entered Nanda-Bhavan and entered the quarter. Yasoda had given birth to a baby daughter and exchanging babies. Then Yasoda has given birth to another, confidential matter, not just one child, two children, boy and girl, Krsnanuja. That’s why the baby is described as Krsnanuja. Krsna-anuja, anuja, anu means follow, ja means taking birth. Someone else has taken birth and then, the baby daughter is anuja. So two Krsnas merging and one from Mathura, one from Gokul, Yasodanandan, Devakinandan and then baby daughter back to Mathura. And then more pastimes, more glories, Sri Krishna. Janmastami Mahotsav ki jay!

All over the world this festival, I heard last year ISKCON had Janmastami celebration in 160 countries. Haribol!! So there were times only India used to have celebration. The year Prabhupada went to America, he was on the boat. Where did Srila Prabhupada celebrated Janmastami That year, in 1965? On the ship, on the boat. I was just reading about it. So in India and on the ship, two places. Then Srila Prabhupada has done glorification of Krishna, broadcasted Krishna. Propaganda, Prabhupada says, our mission is to propaganda of Krishna, propagate Krishna, glorify Krishna, advertise Krishna, promote Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Prabhupada is never tired of, he never writes only Krishna, Krishna, Supreme Personality of Godhead. So much other propaganda the Hindu world has done, the demigods and this and that, so many Bhagavans, Brahmaneffluence, mayavad nirvisesa-sunyavadi pascatya tarine. But Prabhupada, he has promoted Krishna as He is not only Bhagvad-gita as it is but Krsna as He is. He has presented not only Brahman and Paramatma, but Bhagvan eti sabdyate. Bhagavan, he has emphasized Bhagavan. All nara, nari, all the ladies and gentlemen, children they are all happy. And this big celebration,`karati katha, gaati gaane’. They are talking about Krishna, singing his glories. And Tukarama Maharaj is,” I am also attracted to that Govind who appeared in Gokul”.

(Followed by Bhajan- Gokilichya sukha)