Srila Prabhupada gave us everything

By: HH Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj, Gitanagari

Hare Kåñëa It is always very enlivening to come to New Dvarika dham and be with you’ll. This temple has a very beautiful flavour which is very unique. Çréla Prabhupäda used to consider this temple to be the head quarters of ISKCON and in a way it is the head quarters of ISKCON. BBT used to be here, faith used to be here and all the wonderful devotees are already here. Prabhu is such a wonderful example and there are so many Prabhupada disciples here which are also very rare nowadays so it’s always very enlivening to be here. So today I have selected two verses from Çré Caitanya-caritämåta. 

This is from the Ädi-lélä third chapter. The few verses not just these two but few more verses from this chapter actually describes who Kåñëa is, what is the purpose of Kåñëa’s coming as Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu and also through these verses we can see that Çréla Prabhupäda gave us everything. Sometimes some individuals claim that Prabhupada did not give everything therefore they are going to give it to us and in this way many devotees get misled. Just to point out that Çréla Prabhupäda not only gave everything but Çréla Prabhupäda gave everything in the most perfect way. So that is the objective of selecting these two verses from this third chapter of Ädi-lélä.

Jai Jai Sri Caitanya Jai Nityananda Jai Advaita Chandra Jai Gaura bhakta Vrinda Jai Jai Sri Caitanya Jai Nityananda Jai Advaita Chandra Jai Gaura bhakta Vrinda Jai Jai Sri Caitanya Jai Nityananda Jai Advaita Chandra Jai Gaura bhakta Vrinda Gaura premananda Hari Haribol!!

So text 5 and 6 of the third chapter of Ädi-lélä have been written on the board so we will recite them together

TEXT 5

pürëa bhagavän kåñëa vrajendra-kumära

goloke vrajera saha nitya vihära

TRANSLATION

Lord Kåñëa, the son of the King of Vraja, is the Supreme Lord. He eternally enjoys transcendental pastimes in His eternal abode, Goloka, which includes Vrajadhäma.

PURPORT

In the previous chapter it has been established that Kåñëa, the son of Vrajendra (the King of Vraja), is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, with six opulences. He eternally enjoys transcendentally variegated opulences on His planet, which is known as Goloka. The eternal pastimes of the Lord in the spiritual planet Kåñëaloka are called aprakaöa, or unmanifested, pastimes because they are beyond the purview of the conditioned souls. Lord Kåñëa is always present everywhere, but when He is not present before our eyes, He is said to be aprakaöa, or unmanifested.

TEXT 6

brahmära eka dine tiìho eka-bära

avatérëa haïä karena prakaöa vihära

TRANSLATION

Once in a day of Brahmä, He descends to this world to manifest His transcendental pastimes.

Although Kåñëa mentioned in Bhagavad Gita sambhavämi yuge yuge that is I come in every yuga again and again, I manifest Myself but actually the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kåñëa, He does not come in every yuga. He comes once in a day of Brahma. The original Supreme Personality of Godhead Kåñëa, the son of Nanda Maharaja comes only once in a day of Brahma. What is the duration of a day of Brahma? Brahma’s day comprises of ten thousand catur yugas. Satya, Treta, Dväpara and Kali. These four yugas together is called one catur yuga or a divya yuga. In one thousand catur yuga is the duration of a day of Brahma and Kåñëa comes only once in a day of Brahma. When it’s almost at midday when Kåñëa comes in that day of Brahma. In a day of Brahma there are fourteen Manus and the seventh Manu is Vaivasvata. As Kåñëa mentioned in Bhagavad Gita imaà vivasvate yogaà proktavän aham avyayam vivasvän manave präha. Vivasvän is the Sun-God, the predominating personality of the Sun planet and his son is Manu the seventh Manu, because he is the son of Vivasvän therefore he is known as Vivasvate Manu means son of Vivasvän.

 There are various Manus as mentioned there are fourteen Manus and they appear in the day of Brahma and they have their period of reign, they preside over that period. When the whole shift changes, the demi-gods change with the change of Manu. Manu comes with a set of demi-gods, set of sages and so forth. In the next Manu’s reign who will become Indra? Bali Maharaja will become Indra. Sometimes in a factory we see along with the shift the personalities change. The foreman of the shift comes with his team. The one shift goes another shift comes and they operate according to the foreman. Manu is like the foreman of the shift and there are fourteen shifts in a day of Brahma. One thousand divided by fourteen is about seventy one so the reign of each Manu is seventy one catur yugas. The seventh Manu is Vaivasvata Manu and out of his seventy one catur yugas in the twenty eighth catur yuga in that Dväpara-yuga towards the end of that Dväpara-yuga Kåñëa the son of Nanada Maharaja descends. 

This son of Nanda Maharaja is THE original Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kåñëa comes once in a day of Brahma and He manifests His pastimes in Våndävana, Goloka. Now Goloka is a little different from the other region of the spiritual sky which is generally known as Vaikuntha. The basic difference is in the spiritual sky in Vaikuntha the Supreme Personality of Godhead is THE Supreme Personality of Godhead. Narayana is the Supreme Personality of Godhead but in Goloka the Supreme Supreme Personality of Godhead is Not the Supreme Personality of Godhead He is the cowherd boy. In Goloka He has some very special relationships with His devotees which is not available anywhere else. What are those relationships? Those relationships are friendship, parental and conjugal. These three loving relationships are not available in Vaikuntha or in a way we can say that these three loving relationships are not possible in Vaikuntha where the Supreme Personality of Godhead is manifest as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Friendship takes place amongst equals so who can become equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead? In friendship they are at least equal but in parental relationship the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes subordinate and His devotee becomes superior to Him so who can become superior to the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Conjugal relationship is like the relationship between a young boy and young girl. Now who can ever develop such a relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead? We see that these three relationships are available in the material nature. We see that there is friendship in our dealings with our friends; there are parental relationships and conjugal relationships. Since material nature is a perverted reflection of the spiritual sky so whatever is there in the material nature must also be available in the spiritual sky otherwise how can that be there in the reflection. So whatever is there in the reflection must be present there in the spiritual world.

What’s the difference between material and spiritual? The difference is when we are at the centre that is material and where Kåñëa is the centre that is spiritual. We have relationships friendship, parental and conjugal. In the spiritual sky these three relationships also must be available. The problem is how can one become the friend of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or parents of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or the lover of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? A living entity, a devotee may not be able to become equal to the Lord or superior to the Lord but if the Lord wants then He can become equal to His devotees or subordinate to His devotees. Goloka, Våndävana is the region where the Lord has become equal to His friends, subservient to His parents and the paramour of His devotees.

In order to enable His devotees to develop that relationship with Him, He had to stop becoming the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So that is why in Våndävana Kåñëa is not the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead under all circumstances but what actually happens is He makes the devotees forget that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Forgetfulness are of two kinds one kind of forgetfulness is out of ignorance that is the natural forgetfulness that we naturally suffer from. In Våndävana there is a special type of forgetfulness which is out of LOVE; out of intense love one forgets the position of the object of his love. An example to illustrate this point is that the son has become the president of the United States; it is not that the mother doesn’t know that her son is the president of the United States but does the mother treat him like the president of the United States? No because of her love for her son she treats him in spite of his exalted post in the eyes of others she treats him completely different. She treats him just like her son. Like who would ever dare to chastise the president? But she does. When he comes home late she chastises him so this is an example of forgetfulness out of love. In Våndävana the devotees have forgotten that Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead because of their intense love for Him not that they do not know that Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead but their attitude is You may be the Supreme Personality of Godhead so what?

We don’t care whether You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead or not to us what really matters is that we love You. You are the object of our love that is the only thing that matters to us. That is the special mood of the residents of Våndävana and that is the special arrangement of Kåñëa in Våndävana which is called the arrangement of Yoga Maya, by the arrangement of Yoga Maya they have forgotten that Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Otherwise they could not develop this loving relationship with Kåñëa. In this Vraja-lila Kåñëa reveals only once in a day of Brahma where people get to see Him dealing with His devotees in this very very special way. After manifesting His Våndävana pastimes Kåñëa considered that “I revealed my Vraja-lila but how will anyone enter into My Våndävana pastimes” Kåñëa considered this way. After performing His pastimes abundantly to His heart’s content. After performing His pastimes Kåñëa disappears and after disappearing Kåñëa considers that “I have revealed My Vraja-lila where prema bhakti, Vraja- prema has been manifest, displayed so how will anybody ever enter into Vraja-lila Kåñëa is considering that, ‘My devotees generally serve Me following the rules and regulations of the scriptures following the vaidhé or the rules and regulations of the scripture. When one renders devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead that is called vaidhé bhakti and achieves the spiritual perfection he goes to Vaikuntha and in Vaikuntha one gets his swarupa, eternal spiritual identity which is eternal now that cannot be changed. When one goes to Vaikuntha one gets stuck there so how will one go to Våndävana which is beyond Vaikuntha? Vaidhé bhakti leads to Vaikuntha but Vraja is beyond Vaikuntha and the point here is that there are two types of Bhakti vaidhé bhakti and rägänuga-bhakti. Vaidhé bhakti leads to Vaikuntha and rägänuga-bhakti leads to Våndävana. 

Now Kåñëa is pointing out that ALL the devotees ALWAYS render devotional service unto Me following the rules and regulations of the scriptures vaidhé bhakti. The Supreme Personality of Godhead must be served following the rules and regulations of the scriptures and he will get four types of liberation in Vaikuntha. It has been very clearly pointed out by Rupa Goswami in the Nectar of Devotion that çruti-småti-puräëädi-païcarätra-vidhià vinä aikäntiké harer bhaktir utpätäyaiva kalpate. If one renders devotional service without following the instructions of the çruti means Vedas, småti means Upanishads, puräëädi-païcarätra, etc. If one renders devotional service without following the rules and regulations of the scriptures it will simply create a disturbance. Utpät means disturbance. The point that is becoming clear here is that devotees must render devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead following vaidhé bhakti but rägänuga-bhakti is the way to go to Våndävana. Serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead following the rules and regulations of the scriptures one will go to Vaikuntha and Kåñëa’s consideration is how will anyone ever come to Våndävana? How will anyone ever have access to Våndävana? Kåñëa had a problem and Kåñëa can solve the problem also in the most perfect way. What did He do? He decided to come as a devotee. When the Supreme Personality of Godhead is served following the rules and regulations of the scriptures then one ends up in Vaikuntha but when the devotee Kåñëa is served following the rules and regulations of the scriptures then he goes to Våndävana. See how wonderfully Kåñëa has solved the problem! There is something more to that also. What is rägänuga-bhakti actually? Why serving this devotee Kåñëa is the way to enter into Våndävana which is actually the means of entering into Våndävana is rägänuga-bhakti. This word rägänuga is a combination of two words räg and änuga räg means love and änuga means following. The residents of Våndävana has only love for Kåñëa the only way they see Kåñëa is through their love therefore those devotees of Våndävana are called Rägätmikä bhaktas and when one follows these residents of Våndävana these eternal associates in Våndävana that is called rägänuga-bhakti. Following one of the residents of Kåñëa when devotional service is rendered that is rägänuga-bhakti. Rägänuga-bhakti is the way to enter into Våndävana. An example to illustrate this point is once Lakñmé-devé wanted to go to Våndävana and She approached Narayan, “Please take me to your Våndävana pastimes.” Narayan said, “Look to enter into Våndävana you will have to follow one of the Gopis.” She replied, “I am Lakñmé-devé, Your eternal consort how I can ever be subservient to anyone else?” Narayan said. “Then you cannot enter into Våndävana.” Lakñmé-devé then performed severe austerity and as a result of that Kåñëa appeared and asked Lakñmé-devé, “Why are you performing such severe austerity?” So Lakñmé-devé narrated what had happened and Kåñëa placed Her on His chest and that is how Lakñmé-devé had Her entrance to Våndävana as the çrévatsa on Kåñëa’s chest. Even Lakñmé-devé cannot enter into Våndävana without following a resident of Våndävana without following rägänuga-bhakti. This means in order to enter into Våndävana we have to practise rägänuga-bhakti. When we follow Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. Who is Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu?

 Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu is Kåñëa in the mood of Çrématé Rädhäräné. Actually Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu is Radha and Kåñëa together. Kåñëa came assuming the mood of Çrématé Rädhäräné. When we are following Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu who are we following? We are following Çrématé Rädhäräné the greatest of all Rägätmikä bhaktas. Therefore we can see that vaidhé bhakti to Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu is automatically being transformed into rägänuga-bhakti. Vaidhé bhakti means the way to render service unto the Lord following the instructions of the scriptures. What are the instructions in the scriptures to serve Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu? yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah This personality Kåñëa as Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam Kåñëa appeared assuming a molten golden complexion always chanting the holy name of the Lord. He descended with His associates and His abode. How to serve this Personality of Godhead? yajnaih sankirtana-prayair. When by serving Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu following this instruction of the scriptures and when one achieves his perfection then he sees Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu as RadhaKåñëa just as Rämänanda Räya saw Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu. Rasaräja mahäbhäva. When one is seeing RadhaKåñëa one is automatically transported to Våndävana. This is how Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu created this very very special arrangement for living entities to have access to Våndävana. There is another consideration here the order for the yugas are usually Satya, Dväpara, Tretä and Kali. Dväpara means second and Tretä means third.

 How come is it first yuga, third yuga and then second yuga then Kali yuga? Does that sound right? No. In this particular 28^th catur yuga in the manvantara the Tretä and Dväpara switch places and Tretä goes first and then comes Dväpara. Why? Because in Dväpara yuga Kåñëa will come and perform His Vraja-lila and after that He will come in Kali yuga as Çré Kåñëa Caitanya Mahäprabhu. If Tretä yuga came after Dväpara yuga then people would not be able to relate to that in Kali Yuga that is why this very special arrangement was made. Kåñëa performs His pastimes as soon as He withdraws His pastimes Dväpara yuga ends and Kali yuga begins and then He comes as Çré Kåñëa Caitanya Mahäprabhu and that is how He creates the good fortune for the living entities for the age of Kali to have access or entrance to Våndävana. This is the very very wonderful arrangement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Now you can see how perfectly Çréla Prabhupäda gave everything. Actually Çréla Prabhupäda gave the way Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu arranged, the way Kåñëa arranged. This is the divine arrangement of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu and that is what Çréla Prabhupäda gave. Therefore Çréla Prabhupäda’s presentation is perfect and complete. If anybody says that Prabhupada did not give everything I will very clearly say that he is in Maya and he is not following Caitanya Mahäprabhu He is hurting Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s movement.

Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s movement and arrangement to spread Kåñëa Consciousness throughout the world has been most perfectly manifested by Çréla Prabhupäda’s divine arrangement because Çréla Prabhupäda has been especially sent by Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu to fulfil His prediction. There are three personalities Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur and Prabhupada. These three personalities are the divine arrangement of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu to spread Kåñëa Consciousness all over the world. 

Bhaktivinode Thakur revived Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s sankirtan movement when it was practically lost and eclipsed by the upper sampradaya’s deviant preaching. Then Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur gave it a shape and then Çréla Prabhupäda took it and distributed it all over the world. It is the divine arrangement of Çréla Prabhupäda in the form of ISKCON that will continue to spread Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s mission throughout the world. That is how it happened and that is how it’s happening and that’s how it will continue to happen. Those who do not line up in this arrangement will come and go without creating a tangible effect. I thought of making this point here today because I felt that the devotees need to know that. 

This year during the Mayapur GBC meeting we had a festival called ISKCON Leadership Sanga when all the leading devotees of ISKCON, the temple presidents and other senior devotees from all over the world were invited. About 1200 devotees came to this programme ISKCON leadership Sanga and when I was asked to give a seminar I decided to give a seminar on this topic entitled “Çréla Prabhupäda gave us everything even rägänuga-bhakti.”