From Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir
Date: February 26, 2017
Speaker: HH Prahladananda Swami
Subject: Srimad Bhagavatam 7.10.18
TEXT 18
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
triḥ-saptabhiḥ pitā pūtaḥ
pitṛbhiḥ saha te ’nagha
yat sādho ’sya kule jāto
bhavān vai kula-pāvanaḥ
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Prahlāda, O most pure, O great saintly person, your father has been purified, along with twenty-one forefathers in your family. Because you were born in this family, the entire dynasty has been purified.
PURPORT
The word triḥ-saptabhiḥ means seven multiplied by three. In one’s family one can count back four or five generations—to one’s great-grandfather or even one’s great-grandfather’s father—but since the Lord mentions twenty-one forefathers, this indicates that the benediction expands to other families also. Before the present family in which one has taken birth, one must have been born in other families. Thus when a Vaiṣṇava takes birth in a family, by the grace of the Lord he purifies not only that family but also the families of his previous births.
Prahladananda Swami Maharaj:
Pranam Mantras.
Here the idea of purification is there. Actually, purification is due to our association with Krishna. As much as we associate with Krishna consistently with pure motivation and love, to that degree we become purified.
When Maharaj Yudisthira greeted Maharaj Vidura when Maharaj Vidura came back from pilgrimage, Maharaj Yudisthira proclaimed that bhavad-vidhā bhāgavatās/tīrtha-bhūtāḥ svayaṁ vibho/tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni/svāntaḥ-sthena gadābhṛtā (Sb1.13.10) saints like yourself are verily holy places of pilgrimage. Why? Because wherever you go, you turn that place into a place of pilgrimage. Why? Because you cary the Lord within your heart.
What we do externally has a significance in that if we do the correct activity in the correct way with the correct motivation, if we remember Krishna, then that activity becomes perfect. At the end of the activity if we don't remember Krishna, then it's not very perfect.
For instance, we fast on Ekadasi, not to lose weight, not to show how austere we are or to torture ourselves. We fast on Ekadasi in order to help us remember Krishna. Srila Prabhupada says that there are many people fasting on Ekadasi in hospitals, but they are not going to get the benefit of Ekadasi.
Therefor the end result should be that we remember Krishna. If we don't remember Krishna, even when we chant Hare Krishna, if we don't actually remember who Krishna is, then the result will not be very auspicious.
For instance, Srila Prabhupada explains that nama aparadha is when the mayavadis chant Hare Krishna but they think that they are Krishna. Instead of becoming purified, to borrow a word that Srila Prabhupada uses elsewhere, they become putrified.
This is in relationship to a conversation that Srila Prabhupada had in Los Angeles when he was speaking to his leaders. They were talking about what was later called a gopi bhava club. Is anyone here a founding member of the gopi bhava club? gopi-bhava-rasamritabdhi-lahari-kallola-magnau muhur/vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau Rupa Goswami and his friends, the other five goswamis, they are actually members of the gopi bhava club.
There are two clubs being talked about in this particular incidence, one with the men and one with the women. They met regularly. From Srila Prabhupada's own personal books, they only read about the past times of Krishna with the gopois. They did not want to become contaminated by hearing about the cowheard boys, the parents of Krishna, and what to speak of the lowly cows. Therefore they wanted to remain on the elevated platform of hearing about Krishna with the gopis.
When Srila Prabhupada heard about this, he was not very pleased. They were very strict and did not read anything outside of Srila Prabhupada's books and separated themselves by men and women. Srila Prabhupada did ask in their conversation if the men were wearing saris yet. Then he said that this will ruin our movement if it goes on. The devotee said but Srila Prabhupada, it says in your books that if you hear about the pastimes of Krishna with the gopis then you will become purified. Srila Prabhupada said, no, they will become putrified.
That meant that they would become contaminated with decay. Why? Because first deserve and then desire. Without understand, as Bhakti Vijnana Maharaj said the other day in his class that without understanding who Krishna is, how can we understand what He is like with His family members. If we don't know who Krishna is, we don't know what he does, we don't know about His qualities or his His associates, how can we inquire about His intimate relationships with His family members?
If we met the president of India, probably the first thing we'd ask would not be how are doing with your wife. We'd probably have another topic of conversation to converse with him about.
When Srila Prabhupada met Mrs. Indira Gandhi, he did not ask her how her kids were doing. He asked her, can you get us visas for our followers? Can you stop the cow killing in India? That was the topic of conversation.
Therefore we have to associate with Krishna who is the purifier in such a way that it actually purifies us. The first thing is that we have to accept that Krishna is God. It mentions here in this verse that the vaisnavas accept that Krishna is God to different degrees. Of course, it doesn't say that in the verse, but, here we are talking about Prahlad Maharaj, who is completely surrendered to Krishna. He's like the sandalwood tree in the forest that, by his association, the whole forest becomes like the sandalwood tree. On the other hand, if there is one bush or tree that is burning the forest, then perhaps the entire forest will burn down.
Prahlad Maharaj is like the sandalwood tree and by his association so many of his relatives became purified. What is that purification? There may be varieties of ways to become purified. For instance, there was a mataji in the movement who's mother was not very favorable. She would never hear about Krishna. My mother was like that also. One day when my mother was 95 years old after I was in the movement for almost for almost fifty years. My mother one day asked me while we were talking, what is your philosophy anyhow? Then she said, wait a second. It's alright. Don't tell me. That's as close as I ever came.
So this mataji's mother was just about to leave her body, she was very ill. Throughout her entire life she was completely antagonistic. Right when she was just about to leave her body, she turned to her body and said, is your Krishna here? And then she left her body.
On the other hand, another devotee who's mother was just about to leave said to her, chant Hare Krishna, chant Hare Krishna. The mother said, I cannot say so many words. Then she left her body as well.
To get the association of a devotee is quite auspicious. I'm sure Hiranyakasipu went home everyday and complained to his wife. Your son Prahlad won't give up Visnu. He's in love with Visnu. Visnu, Visnu, Visnu. In that way he became purified.
How was Prahlad Maharaj born in the first place? His father Hiranyakasipu and his brother Hiranyaksha went to the forest in order to perform austerities to conquer the demigods. The demigods became very fearful. They were disturbed by the power of Hiranyakasipu. What to speak of if he had become more powerful by austerities.
They went to Brahma and said we are very much afraid, Hiranyakasipu is going to become even more powerful. Narada Muni and Paravata Muni were there and said, don't worry. We'll take care of it. Hiranyakasipu and Hiranyaksa went to the forest and raised their hands saying, I will become immortal.
Narada Muni and Parvata Muni became two little sparrows. Right in the area where Hiranyaksa and Hiranyakasipu were performing their austerities, with their little sparrow lungs they began to chant om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Hiranyakasipu and Hiranyaksa said, what is this? This is not very helpful for our meditation. We've come here to kill Visnu, not to hear about him.
After some time they took a rock and threw it at the birds. The birds flew away. Five minutes later the meditation again was I will be immortal. Then they hear om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Hiranyakasipu said, this is too much. He took another rock, hit the bird, and he flew away.
This went on all day. Hiranyakasipu was all day hearing om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. He thought, this is not a very good day for mediation and austerity. He went home, his mind completely disturbed. All he could hear in his mind was the sound of his enemy, om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Nothing he could do would get rid of this sound. He thought, let me enjoy with my wife and maybe I'll forget it. So he did, he enjoyed with his wife, hearing the sound om namo bhagavate vasudevaya chanted by Narada Muni and Parvata Muni. The result is that his wife became pregnant and gave birth do Prahlad Maharaj.
So if this person is chanting om namo bhagavate vasudevaya and even the demons, they don't like it, but still they get some benefit. Even the child of the demon becomes benefited. While in the womb, Prahlad Maharaj's mother was always hearing about Krishna. Therefore, as soon as he took birth, he was purifying the whole dynasty and everyone around him.
A devotee purifies everywhere he goes because he has Krishna in his heart. The degree of which will depend upon our understanding. The understanding ultimately is very simple. Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita tad viddhi pranipatena/pariprasnena sevaya/upadeksyanti te jnanam/jnaninas tattva-darsinah, just try and learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth. (BG4.34)
What is the truth? When you learn the truth, you will know that all living beings are part of Me, are in Me, and are Mine. The beginning of the truth is that everything belongs to Krishna. If we see everything in relation to Krishna, that is called Krishna Consciousness. When you see everyone and they remind you of Krishna, that means that we are becoming Krishna Consciousness. sarva-bhuta-stham atmanam/sarva-bhutani catmani/iksate yoga-yuktatma/sarvatra sama-darsanah A true yogi observes Me in all beings, and also sees every being in Me. Indeed, the self-realized man sees Me everywhere. (BG6.29)
I remember once when Srila Prabhupada came to Boston in 1969. It was Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada's dissappearance day. At that time they had purchased a temple on Beacon Street in Boston. The ISKCON press was installed there. Srila Prabhupada came to see the ISKCON press. This was a big temple in those times because it had two floors. On the second floor were the deities and on the first floor was the ISKCON press. There was no place for Srila Prabhupada to stay so he stayed outside.
We were expecting him to come and we were having a kirtan on the second floor. There was a picture of Lord Caitanya there with His arms outstretched. Behind Him is the harinam party. I was looking at the picture and suddenly it seemed to be glowing. I thought wow, they must be having a good time at the Kirtan party. A moment later Srila Prabhupada glided up the stairs and the whole room became like Vaikuntha. Everyone in the room was in Vaikuntha.
Srila Prabhupada sat down on the vyasasana and he looked at me (He looked at more than me, but he looked at me also.) I could understand that he could actually see not only who I actually am, but he could actually see Krishna. He had a completely different vision than our ordinary vision.
The timeless devotee, think whenever they look at anything, even a tree, they see Krishna. They see the tree as Krishna's energy and therefore they see Krishna everywhere. When they see a tree, they actually see Krishna.
Srila Prabhupada gives the analogy that just like a parent, especially a mother, if they see shoes in the street, they are not very much impressed. Just like when you go outside here, there are so many shoes on the shoe rack. Most of us won't fall over in ecstasy seeing the shoes. Maybe we could trip over them and fall but not out of ecstasy. But if a mother puts the little tiny shoes of her child on one of those racks, when she sees the little shoes her heart will melt. Why? Because she remembers her little tiny child. Her affection for her child is transferred to those shoes.
Similarly, when we develop actual knowledge, at least of how everything belongs to Krishna, then our consciousness will not be taken away by the illusory energy. As soon as we forget how everything is Krishna's energy, how everyone and everything belongs to Krishna, then at once Maya takes our consciousness into a different realm of life activity.
How do we see things in relationship to Krishna? When we utilize things in relation to Krishna. Bhaktivinoda Thakura says manasa deho geho, jo kichu mor, that my mind, my home, my wife, my children, everything that I have, belongs to You. When we have that mentality then we will see Krishna everywhere. When we utilize things in Krishna's service then they become in relation to Krishna by association. Then they purify us. When we become purified and have Krishna within our heart, then by Krishna being there, not only we become purified, but others also become purified.
Maybe not to some unlimited degree, like some of Caitanya Mahaprabhu's associates, just by their presence the atmosphere became spiritual and others became Krishna Consciousness. Or just by hearing Caitanya Mahaprabhu chant, they became so ecstatic in Krishna Consciousness that when they went back to their villages and others heard their chanting of Hare Krishna and also became pure devotees. That's called parampara.
Parampara is not just getting beads and changing our name. It's actually accepting within our heart that we are Krishna's servant, gopi-bhartur pada-kamalayor dasa-dasa-dasanudasa. We are the servants of the servants of the servants of Krishna in disciplic succession. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that the gopis are the most surrendered servants of Krishna.
Initiation is meant to help us so that we actually accept ourselves as the servants of the servants of the servants who are actually giving us pure knowledge. Not just by knowledge, but also by their practical example are utilizing everything in Krishna's service because they know that everything belongs to Krishna.
What is the next step? They are doing it just to please Krishna. They don't think in any respect that they are the enjoyers. They think that they are simply meant to please Krishna. All of the energies, everything, is meant to please Krishna. Everyone is meant to please Krishna.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu told us as, not His principle instruction which is to chant Hare Krishna, but that along with that is yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa/āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra’ ei deśa (CCMadhya 7.128), whoever we meet, that that's everyone. It doesn't mean that only, but it certainly means, which is Prabhupada's genius, that he has written so many books, which are non different than Krishna.
We may not be able to tell innocent people on the street about Krishna, if we give them a book, that is the best way that we can tell them about Krishna. That is the best way that we can fulfill Caitanya Mahaprabhu's instruction. There are so many people passing by. We are supposed to tell them about Krishna. We can chant Hare Krishna, but if we also give them some transcendental knowledge, then that will be the best welfare that we can possibly perform.
The books are written kirtans, and along with the kirtans, we have to have knowledge of the books. What is that knowledge? There is so much knowledge, but basically, everything is meant for Krishna's service and to please Him. Everything belongs to Krishna. Krishna is the purifier, the actual friend of everyone. By Krishna's association and by His associates' association, everyone is benedicted.
Our business is to, whoever we meet, meditate, according to Krishna's instructions and Srila Prabhupada's instructions, on how can we give this person Krishna. That is our loving exchange with them. We can offer them prasadam, we can accept prasadam. We can reveal our minds about Krishna to them, we can hear about Krishna from them. We can offer them the gift of the holy name, we can receive the holy name from them. We can engage in loving exchanges with whoever we meet.
Sometimes it's found that even the devotees, they go out on book distribution and there is so much absorption in just trying to give Krishna to others that they develop a better relationship with the non devotees than they do with the devotees. They're expert at giving Krishna to others who do not know about Krishna, but sometimes when they come back to the temple, they act as if the devotees are non devotees and they act on the street as if the non devotees are devotees. Still if we perform this service it is so nice and we become purified. And one day we will realize that the devotees are actually devotees. It's such a powerful process.
There are six loving exchanges and we can perform them in such a way that Krishna enters into our heart and He enters into the heart of others. Or, people can experience the association of Krishna. Srila Prabhupada said that my books are sold because when people see my devotees, they see that they are so enthusiastic and they become struck with wonder. At once they want to purchase a book.
I remember once when I was distributing books in the Philadelphia airport during a marathon. This was a time when devotees were distributing large, large quantities of books. Of course, nowadays they are also. The minimum qualification to get on the top twenty list was like 150 maha big books a day during the Christmas marathon. That was what I was trying to do. By the end of the marathon I was so exhausted because we were doing two books at a time, maha big books at a time, and I was so tired that I couldn't even say anything. I would just walk up to people and I'd give them the book and they'd take out their wallet and give me the money. That's not very common. I haven't experienced that very often nowadays. Such is the power of having association of Krishna through devotional service. People will become struck because it creates a different atmosphere, a spiritual atmosphere.
Srila Prabhupada was once at an interview in New York. Everything Srila Prabhupada said, the devotees would go jaya jaya! The reporter was going shhhh. He asked Srila Prabhupada, Swamiji, your followers seem so different. Why are they so different? Prabhupada said, they have to be different because they are spiritual and you are material.
By association with the knowledge about Krishna the realization of how to utilize everything in Krishna's service, especially in this age when we meet our innocent people, whether it be our father or mother, husband, wife, or children, our pet parikeet, we should think, how can I help them become Krishna Consciousness?
There are so many living entities in this world that are not becoming Krishna Consciousness. What can I do? So Haridas Thakura said, don't worry my Lord. Just by the loud chanting of the Hare Krishna mahamantra, everybody is becoming purified. Even the trees are becoming purified. Even the unmoving living entities, everyone is becoming purified by the loud chanting of Hare Krishna. And the echo that you hear, that is their kirtan.
This movement that has been given to us by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is so auspicious. The more we accept the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and practically engage our energies in helping others become Krishna Consciousness, the Krishna will appear in our heart and give us the transcendental knowledge, realization, and discrimination of how to expertly help everyone revive their dormant awareness of and love for Krishna.
Especially the association with Krishna, especially through chanting Hare Krishna in this age, reading Srila Prabhupada's books, worshipping the deities, association of the devotees in the mood of service, helping to spread the Hare Krishna movement, and by the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, taking this movement not only performing it in the Temple, but performing it everywhere and making everywhere into Vaikuntha.
One gurukula student from Dallas had once sent Srila Prabhupada his mathematical test that he had passed, proof that he was a good student. Srila Prabhupada said, very good, you are a very good student. Just like you answered the questions correctly, that one plus one is equal to two, and two plus three is equal to five, there is one more aspect of math that you should be taught in school. That Krishna plus anywhere is equal to Vrindavan. If you always remember Krishna then you will always be in Vrindavan, so please learn this math.
Thank you. Are there any questions?
Devotee:
What is the significance of the danda?
Prahladananda Swami Maharaj:
They are sticks. And there are many ways of looking at it. The principle way is that they represent the body, mind, and words and the fact that we are utilizing them in Krishna's service. That's the principle. One day Srila Prabhupada was on a morning walk and with his sannyasa disciples, many of whom were quite large, like Brahmananda. One man came up and said hey! What are those sticks for? Srila Prabhupada looked at him and said beating off dogs. So, it's a multipurpose stick. It appeals to different people according to their level of consciousness.
Devotee:
Hare Krishna Maharaj. Thank you very much for your lecture. I became a little bit worried when you were talking about purification that somehow we have to be very careful to not become putrified, we have to become purified. So for us who are trying to become purified, can you please advise or guide us on how to not become putrified in connection with the holy name?
Prahladananda Swami Maharaj:
Just to give some idea, but there are many answers to the question. When I was living in Austin, Texas, actually it was Houston, Texas, and there were obviously other devotees with me. One was Visnujana Maharaj, if anyone knows Visnujana Maharaj, the other was Srinath, who was his servant. We had gone there when Srila Prabhupada had asked me to open up some Temples. I wound up in Houston with Visnujana Maharaj.
At that time I didn't find it so pleasant to chant japa, I found it more pleasant to remember Krishna's pastimes. I had tried to memorize Krishna's pastimes at that time and I had some ability to do it. So I was chanting japa, shnik shnik rama rama hey kitty kitty hey kitty kitty. And I would remember Krishna's pastimes. Low and behold, my rounds went very nicely. They went very quickly and smoothly. I liked chanting Hare Krishna because I didn't have to pronounce any words, I could just remember Krishna's pastimes.
I had some doubts that maybe I was doing something wrong. Maybe I should confirm it with Srila Prabhupada. I asked the devotees, do you think it's alright that I remember Krishna's pastimes when I'm chanting. Yeah, yeah that's really good you know. And another one said yeah it's a lot better than remembering other things when chanting. So I wrote to Srila Prabhupada because I'd write to him periodically and send him some money for his book fund.
I was expecting that when I told Srila Prabhupada I was remembering Krishna's pastimes when I was chanting that he'd say alright. I expected oh you're such a great disciple, you're so advanced, I wish I had more disciples like you. (Laughter.)
But Srila Prabhupada did not write that to me. He said no. He said that we chant Hare Krishna and we simply try and hear the holy name. First we have to chant the holy name and then there will be something to hear. If remembrance of Krishna comes spontaneously, that is very nice, not that we are artificially trying to remember.
Of course, if remembrance comes spontaneously we don't drive it out of our minds - oh, I'm remembering Krishna, I'm disobeying Srila Prabhupada's instructions, get out of my mind! No. If spontaneously it comes, that is very nice. But our main business is to chant Hare Krishna like a child calling for his mother. Then we will be in the proper mood. We'll be in the mood of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His followers. Then remembrance of Krishna will come to us in feelings of separation rather than other kinds of mentalities.
We follow the process with patience. I am eternal, that means that I have a long time to practice patience. It's not that I only have a few years left and then I'm finished and who knows what's going to happen next. Patience with proper knowledge, then we will know how to practice the process. When we practice with patience and confidence and proper knowledge, then Krishna will appear to us. If we go through the proper process of hearing and chanting with conviction, then Krishna will reveal Himself to us and the enthusiasm will be there. The feeling will be there. The remembrance of Krishna's name, then His quailties, then His associates, then His pastimes will appear spontaneously.
Thank you very much.
Srimad Bhagavatam ki jaya.
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya.
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