Venue: Vrindavan, 2004
Some time I still saying that during Krishna’s time if there were photographers and video graphers then we could have watched the video of Krishna’s pastime video live as it is, we could have seen the photographs of those times. But there as then I was listening to Radhanath Maharaj speak, it was just like watching the video no need of these machine (devotees laugh). Maharaj gets into quite a few intricate details of the pastimes that he paints a beautiful and complete picture that you could feel the past time before you, or as if he is seeing and then he is showing us that past time. So he is gifted, gifted by God, Krishna, gifted by Srila Prabhupad, our Hare Krishna Movement has been gifted, we are very fortunate to have personality like Radhanath Maharaj who could present the past time as they are. I am again very thankful for Maharaj to not come himself but brought almost two thousand devotees are here.
Haribol, Haribol, Haribol, Haribol….
All these two thousand devotees ki jai………… each one of you ki Jai……(Maharaj laughing) Maharaj is very sincere follower of Srila Prabhupada and you are too following him very closely and that’s the topic of purport of the subject matter of this place or past time of this place. When Maharaj arrived, we went behind the Lakshmi mandir just for few minutes, quite association and just we could make little planning we were behind the temple , one poor show one kid came begging he wasn’t begging from me, he saw I am Indian no money right (devotees laugh) so thinking Maharaj doesn’t speak the beggars child’s language I was trying to send the child away, I told the boy that what to speak of Maharaj being empty pocket, he doesn’t even have a pocket (devotees laugh). Then as the boy wasn’t going away, and I was sending him away but Maharaj embraced him that there was the difference, Maharaj was trying to be embracing and following Brajvasis while I was just trying to send him thinking this a little boy just go away don’t bother us. So I beg to this Dham and to Maharaj that I develop that kind of “Anugatya” being follower of, appreciator of Dham and the residents of this Dham. While I was coming here today I came across a mantra and it was from Bhavishya purana prayer unto this particular forest. So you could please repeat after me
“Tapa siddhi pradaye va Nammo bilva vanaya ca Janardhan namastubhyam Bilveshaye namstute.”
Then I also realised why Lakshmi is performing austerities here “Tapa siddhi pradaye va”, this is the forest where your tapa, your austerities will bear fruits “Tapa siddhi” so Lakhmi has chosen the right forest, She is performing her “Tapasaya” in this forest, it takes little longer, little longer time. But then I was also thing that the Caitanya Mahaprabhu travelling and travelling through out India then south India, He comes to Maharashtra and He comes to Kolhapur, they all know. (Maharaj asking to audience) How many are from Kolhapur? How many from Maharashtra? 90% (laughter)… Including Rathanath Maharaj is Maharashtrian. Maharashtra Jai Maharashtra (Laughter). So kind of fulfilment of her austerities that was fulfilled in Kolhapur Caitanya Mahaprabhu coming Krishna coming to give darshan to Lakshmi devi while Lakshmi is performing austerities here on this eastern bank of Jamuna, then on the western bank Jamuna just across, there is Kaliya lake. So while Kaliya was chastised very heavily very badly by Shri Krishna, then Krishna was still on his hoods on Kaliyas hood. Then wives of Kaliya appeared and surrounded the Lord, of course they were not in air, they were in water, that time during that very intense time they remembered the Lakshmi’s austerities here, and as they offer prayer this is one of their statements
“Kasyanubhavo ‘sya na deva vimahe tavanghri renu sparsadhikarah yad- vanchaya srir lalanacarat tapo vihaya Kaman su-ciram dhrta-vrata” (S.B 10.16.36)
So they say all we are simply surprised how come our husband is getting all the mercy and all the dust from your lotus feet, O’ Lord, they say very nicely, very nicely.
“tavange renu sparsha adhikara”
How did he get the adhikar, the eligibility of having “sparsha” the touch of the “renu” -the dust “Tavage” of your lotus feet, that time they are citing example of Lakshmi devi, “yad-vanchaya” meaning that vanchacha of that “charan renu”, Srir Lalana that is Lakshmi “caratapo” She performed the austerities here in Belvan. “vihaya kama” giving all the comforts She performed austerities in Belvan, “sushilam” for long time, “dhrta-vrata” she was very determined to get the dust but no she did not get the dust to this date but look our husband is blessed lots of dust of Krishna’s lotus feet, he did not even have to bow down and reach the dust to put that on his own head. Lord personally came, He brought His Lotus feet with lots of dust and sprinkled not just on one head but all one hundred heads of our husband has been sprinkled with the dust of Your Lotus feet. So they are just pointing out how fortunate, my Lord it’s your causeless mercy that you have blessed our husband Kaliya. And they go on describing the importance, significance value of the dust of Vrindavan. We have also have come to Vrindavan, why do we come to Vrindavanto? To get the dust of Vrindavan. We are sitting right in the dust of Vrindavan, let us take the dust, Matajis bring some dust to Maharashtra, smear your face with vraja dust “vihaya Kama” giving up all the comforts. I was also reminded, not far from here is Manas Sarovar. Mana Sarovar, you may not go, I don’t know you may or may not go there parikrama party goes there. Shiva had come Shiva ji had come, and then near Govardhan there is Naradaji, Narada Kunda, so both of these personalities Narada and Shiva they wanted to take part in Rasa dance. There are basically two conditions for you in order for you to become capable, eligible to enter Rasa dance. You need a “Gopi roop” “roop” of Gopi, a form like Gopi, “Gopirupa” and “Gopibhava”, and mood like Gopi. The Shiva does he looks like Gopi? When he arrived there he got the news that Krishna is dancing in Rasa, let me enter, with this “Trishul” and “Dim Dim Dim” damaru and “munda mala” wearing. So it was not possible for him to participate in rasa dance with his also long mated hair, logs. He had not taken bath also for who knows, so he was recommended if you have a Gopi like rupa, so Shiva he throws himself in Man Sarovar, he goes in and then in few seconds he is out with a form like a Gopi and he became Gopesvar Mahadeva and then in Kusum sarovar, Vrindadevi has herself recommended that he could take bath in Kusum sarovar , Narada Muni with his veena and all his outfit he jumped inside and he came out in few second with a Gopi form. It is easier to have form but to have mood is even more difficult. Some mataji may think that I look like Gopi or even more beautiful but the “bhava” the mood of Gopi is difficult, being “anugatya” being the follower is one of the speciality of the Gopi that specialized being a very good followers of other Gopis, there is a whole hierarchy there. To attain that kind of mood everyday we do pray in our ISKCON temple, when we stand before Tulasi Maharani, who is the one of the leading Gopis of Vrindavan.
“ei nivedana dharo sakhira anugata karo” “seva adhikara diye karo nija dasi”. “Tulasi Krishna Preyasi namo namah”. (kirtan)
We are in the front of Vrinda devi, Vrindavan is named after Tulasi and Vrinda devi kindly appeared in this world in our temple also in a form of a Tulasi tree. So while we sing this song lets bring this thought, lets understand what being said here, what is the meaning of what I am singing, “e nivedana” i humbly appeal to you ‘O’ Tulasi devi, make me “anugataya” the follower of damsals of Vraja. While Narottama dasa Thakur sings “radha Krishna pran” is that Narottama dasa Thakur? Yes so there also he is singing in similar mood.
“lalita vishaka adi jata sakhi-brinda ajnaya koribo seba caranarvinda”
He wants to enter, Narottama das thakur wants to render service to Radha and Krishna, it is a beautiful beautiful bhajana, wonderful bhajana. It is a whole meditation, how would go, where you would go, what would you do next, like that. Then he say when I get there, for sure there will be Lalita Vishakha there, Lalita Vishakha adi Jata sakhi brinda, there are sakhi also, “ajnaya koribo seba”, I will take their permission then Caranarvinda- I will serve the lotus feet of divine couple Radha Krisnha. Not that I will just enter that ahe……..get out who you are I want to serve who are you, Hey Lalita get out Hey Vishaka..! . That is the mood Narottama that’s why he is Narottam Narottam. So our acharya also has taught us the mood being follower being a follower. This is our parampara, special feature of our parampara is being a follower, good follower. Follower of the follower of the follower of the follower. Then again I did not teach this lesson to you I need not teach you these lessons, the reason is that Radhanath Maharaj is again, he is leading this kind of training, Radhanath Maharaj leading the show. Practically every talk that he delivers, he talks of this “dasa anudasa” servants of the servants of the servants. The subject matter of this poet something Maharaj repeats again and again “dasa anudasa anudasa”.
So lets us keep in mind what the time is, although some of you will be driving in buses across, Braj mandal parties still have to only walk. Our speed is 4 km/hr, so we have couple of hours walk ahead of us. So very very thankful, I am getting some thumping from behind (laughter). It did take some few extra years for us to come together. But I wish our next get together will be only next year and not many years. So on behalf of our Braj mandal party, Radharaman Maharaj is one of the chief coordinators of this party, for past out of last 18 years he missed one year for some reason, otherwise this is 17th year of Maharaj running this padayatra Haribol Haribol……
And Badra so these are our right and left, left and right man here, Badra prabhu also missed one so out of 18, 17 parikramas. These two prabhu Maharaj are running the show. I am very thankful to them. So of course there is whole capable team assisting them and show is on road. Vrindavan is big big topic and Prabhupada of course gets the credit for revealing the Dham, this Dham unto this whole world. We are here because of Prabhupada, lets us not forget that.
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