Gour Govinda Swami:
nārāyaṇaṁ namaskṛtya naraṁ caiva narottamam devīṁ sarasvatīṁ vyāsaṁ tato jayam udīrayet
oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8th Canto Chapter 23
Text 30
ya idaṁ deva-devasya
harer adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ
avatārānucaritaṁ
śṛṇvan yāti parāṁ gatim
Word-for-word Translation:
yaḥ—anyone who;
idam—this;
deva-devasya—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is worshiped by the demigods;
hareḥ—of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Hari;
adbhuta-karmaṇaḥ—whose activities are all wonderful;
avatāra-anucaritam—activities performed in His different incarnations;
śṛṇvan—if one continues to hear;
yāti—he goes;
parām gatim—to the supreme perfection, back home, back to Godhead.
Translation by Śrīla Prabhupāda:
If one hears about the uncommon activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His various incarnations, he is certainly elevated to the higher planetary systems or even brought back home, back to Godhead.
(Oriya translation)
Text 31
kriyamāṇe karmaṇīdaṁ
daive pitrye 'tha mānuṣe
yatra yatrānukīrtyeta
tat teñāṁ sukṛtaṁ viduḥ
kriyamāṇe - upon the performance; karmaṇi - of a ritualistic ceremony; idam - this description of the characteristics of Vāmanadeva; daive - to please the demigods; pitrye - or to please the forefathers, as in a śrāddha ceremony; atha - either; mānuṣe - for the pleasure of human society, as in marriages; yatra - wherever; yatra - whenever; anukīrtyeta - is described; tat - that; teṣām - for them; sukṛtam - auspicious; viduḥ - everyone should understand.
Translation by Śrīla Prabhupāda
Whenever the activities of Vāmanadeva are described in the course of a ritualistic ceremony, whether the ceremony be performed to please the demigods, to please one's forefathers in Pitṛloka, or to celebrate a social event like a marriage, that ceremony should be understood to be extremely auspicious.
(Oriya translation)
Purport by Śrīla Prabhupāda
There are three kinds of ceremonies, specifically, ceremonies to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead or the demigods, those performed for social celebrations like marriages and birthdays, and those meant to please the forefathers, like the śrāddha ceremony. In all these ceremonies, large amounts of money are spent for various activities, but here it is suggested that if along with this there is recitation of the wonderful activities of Vāmanadeva, certainly the ceremony will be carried out successfully and will be free of all discrepancies.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Eighth Canto, Twenty-third Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled "The Demigods Regain the Heavenly Planets."
Text 31
Whenever the activities of Vāmanadeva are described in the course of a ritualistic ceremony, whether the ceremony be performed to please the demigods, to please one's forefathers in Pitṛloka, or to celebrate a social event like a marriage, that ceremony should be understood to be extremely auspicious.
In the purport Śrīla Prabhupāda says, there are three kinds of ceremonies—specifically, ceremonies to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead or the demigods, those performed for social celebrations like marriages and birthdays, and those meant to please the forefathers, like the śrāddha ceremony. In all these ceremonies, large amounts of money are spent for various activities, but here it is suggested that if along with this there is recitation of the wonderful activities of Vāmanadeva, certainly the ceremony will be carried out successfully and will be free of all discrepancies.
This is a suggestion, instruction, given here in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śukadeva Gosvāmī gives. Śukadeva Gosvāmī is sādhu, a mahājana, dear devotee, Vaiṣṇava. Mahājana ye kahe se satya mani, what a sādhu says, mahājana says, that is truth and that is all-auspicious. So one should follow the instruction of sādhu-mahājanas. Śukadeva Gosvāmī, one of the twelve mahājanas, and he suggests.
Generally, in these social ceremonies, Prabhupāda Mahārāja has said there are three kinds of ceremonies—specifically, ceremonies to please the demigods, or social ceremonies like the marriage ceremony, birthday celebrations, and also śrāddha ceremonies. In all these ceremonies in human society, people observe them and spend large amounts of money. Even they kill innocent animals and make such grand feasts, cooking the flesh of those innocent animals. People take pride in it, thinking, "We performed such a ceremony. We fed so many people, nice food we gave, such nice fish, meat, you see."
But what is the result? Is there any good result they get? Rather, they welcome all inauspiciousness. There is nothing auspicious. If you kill innocent animals, that is such a cruel activity and sinful activity—how can you expect something auspicious? It is all inauspicious. You open your gate, your door towards hell. Then what is the value of spending such a huge amount of money if you cannot get anything auspicious?
Therefore, the suggestion is—don’t do it. Rather, in such ceremonies, you recite these wonderful activities of Vāmanadeva or the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead—uncommon activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His various incarnations. Then you’ll get all sorts of auspiciousness, and your ceremonies will be successfully carried out, and you’ll be free from all sorts of discrepancies. That is the proper way. Yes, that is a fact. When you speak about auspiciousness, you should understand what real auspiciousness is.
bhakti-yoga thāke, tabe sakala kuśala
bhakti vinā rājā haile o amaṅgala
dhana yaśa bhoga yāra āchaye sakala
bhakti yāra nāi, tāra saba amaṅgala
Caitanya-bhāgavata (Antya 9.113-114), Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura has said: A person may have immense material wealth, opulence, material enjoyment. He may be a very famous person, material fame he may have earned; he may occupy a very high status, a position in society. But if he is not a devotee of Lord Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, rather he is very puffed up, proud—he has forgotten Kṛṣṇa out of his pride, out of his false ego.
janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhir
edhamāna-madaḥ pumān
naivārhaty abhidhātuṁ vai
tvām akiñcana-gocaram
Kuntīdevī’s prayer is there (ŚB 1.8.26). Aiśvarya, janma-aiśvarya—one who is born in an aristocratic family is naturally proud. One who has material opulence, meaning wealth and opulence, naturally develops pride. He becomes proud. Śruta—he is a materially educated person, has acquired so many degrees from so many universities—M.A., Ph.D., doctorate. He is naturally very proud, and he cannot develop Kṛṣṇa-bhakti. You see, a proud fellow cannot. He thinks of himself with this demoniac attitude—dambho darpo 'bhimānaḥ—all this pride, arrogance, deceit. All these are demoniac attitudes. He cannot become humble.
Unless he becomes humble, how can he develop Kṛṣṇa-bhakti? As Mahāprabhu says—tṛṇād api sunīcena, become much humbler than a blade of grass lying on the street. Then you can do real hari-bhajana.
taroḥ api sahiṣṇunā, amāninā mānadena, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
Be as tolerant as a tree. Don’t demand respect. Pay respect to one and all, amāninā mānadena, then you’ll do real hari-bhajana, you’ll become a devotee; otherwise, you cannot become a devotee, you cannot do hari-bhajana. This is Mahāprabhu’s instruction.
So these materialistic persons who have immense material wealth, opulence, and so much material enjoyment—always absorbed in, engaged in material enjoyment—socially, in material society, they occupy very high positions. Famous persons, they are very puffed up. They are not humble at all. They have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. All this will make you forget Kṛṣṇa, thereby you’ll have no auspiciousness at all. Rather, you are welcoming all sorts of inauspiciousness. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti is the source of all sorts of auspiciousness.
bhakti vinā rājā haile o amaṅgala
One may become rājā, king, ruler, or emperor, but if you have no Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, you’ll have no auspiciousness. It leads to all sorts of inauspiciousness. That he says.
In Caitanya-bhāgavata (3.9.128), again it is said:
prabhu bale je janera kṛṣṇa-bhakti āche kuśala maṅgala tāra nitya thāke pāche
One who is a Vaiṣṇava, one who is a devotee of Lord Hari or Kṛṣṇa, who has developed Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, is amidst all sorts of auspiciousness. There’s nothing inauspicious with him.
avismṛtiḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ kṣīṇoty abhadraṇi ca śaṁ tanoti sattvasya śuddhiṁ paramātma-bhaktiṁ jñānaṁ ca vijñāna-virāga-yuktam
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 12.12.55)
Twelfth Canto, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (12.12.55). Those who are always thinking of, always absorbed in the thought of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa—completely attached to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa—that means, in other words, those who have developed such Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, their heart is purified, their consciousness is purified. They automatically develop jñāna and vairāgya—detachment, knowledge, pure knowledge—and detachment from this material world. Constant auspiciousness is there for them.
yas tūttamaṁ-śloka-guṇānuvādaṁ saṁgīyate 'bhīkṣṇam amaṁgala-ghnaṁ tam eva nityaṁ śṛṇuyād abhīkṣṇaṁ kṛṣṇe 'malāṁ bhaktim abhīpsamānaṁ
Twelfth Canto Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (12.3.15) says: Those who are sādhu-mahājanas, dear devotees of Lord Hari, Kṛṣṇa, they are sādhu-mahājana, completely surrendered. They are always engaged in hearing and chanting of kṛṣṇa-kathā, kṛṣṇa-guṇa, kṛṣṇa-nāma, so they are free from all dangers and calamities. It is kṛṣṇa-kathā, kṛṣṇa-nāma-guṇa; Kṛṣṇa gives protection from all sorts of calamities and dangers, and they develop pure devotion unto Kṛṣṇa. They are always engaged in śravaṇaṁ-kīrtanaṁ and kṛṣṇa-kathā. So there is nothing inauspicious for them. Everything is auspicious for them because kṛṣṇa-kathā, Kṛṣṇa, is all-auspicious.
kuto 'śivaṁ tvac-caraṇāmbujāsavaṁ mahan-manasto mukha-niṣṛtaṁ kvacit pibanti ye karṇa-puṭair alaṁ prabho dehaṁ-bhṛāṁ deha-kṛč-asmṛti-cchidam
Tenth Canto Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.83.3) says: The Pāṇḍavas, headed by Yudhiṣṣhira, are all saying to Lord Kṛṣṇa, "O Lord, Your dear devotees, those who are sādhus, mahājanas, they always speak about You, they always glorify You, they always chant Your name, fame, and glories from their lotus lips. From their mouths, Your nectarean kathā is always emanating. One who hears such nectarean kathā emanating from the mouths of Your dear devotees, Vaiṣṇavas, and drinks that nectar through the ear, becomes free from all sorts of inauspiciousness. There will be no inauspiciousness for them."
In Tenth Canto Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.51.45) it is said:
vimohito 'ṁ jana īśa māyayā tvadīyayā tvāṁ na bhajaty anartha-dṛṅ sukhāya duṅkha-prabhaveṣu sajjate gṛheṣu yoṣit puruṣaś ca vañcitaṁ
Muchukunda says to the Supreme Lord: "O my Lord, both men and women, these two types of persons, are always deluded by Your illusory energy, māyā. They have forgotten You. They are so much attached to their home and hearth, to their bodies and bodily relations, and they are always engaged in activities relating to their bodies and bodily relations, giving pleasure and enjoyment to their bodies and bodily relations. They are never engaged, they never think of You. They are never engaged in Your loving service. Rather, they are cheated.
They are bound up by the trap of māyā. They are encaged in this material body and material entanglement, thinking that they are enjoying. They are in a fool’s paradise. They have been suffering but they cannot understand how they are suffering. They are so foolish. They want to enjoy; therefore, they are entangled in all these material activities and bound up by social and family ties, staying in their homes, home and hearth. Consequently, eventually, they get so much suffering and unhappiness. They want to get happiness, but rather, the consequence is unlimited unhappiness because they are completely forgetful of You. They don’t know You, that service to You or Your devotion is all-auspicious. They don’t know it."
Therefore, kṛṣṇa-bhakti is all-auspicious. If someone is bereft of kṛṣṇa-bhakti, even if he may be a king, still there is nothing auspicious for him. It is all inauspiciousness.
Here again you’ll see that:
tava kathāmṛtaṁ tapta-jīvanaṁ
kavibhir īḍitaṁ kalaḿṣāpaham
śravaṇa-maṅgalaṁ śrīmad ātataṁ
bhuvi gṛṇanti ye bhūri-dā janāḥ
(10th Canto, 10.31.9)
“O Kṛṣṇa, those who are always engaged in glorifying You, chanting Your holy name, speaking about You, narrating Your holy, wonderful activities, nectarean activities, and giving opportunity to others to hear about it, they are the most munificent persons, bhūri-dā janāḥ, because Your kathā is nectarean, a soothing balm to the materially afflicted heart. And Your kathā destroys all sorts of sinful reactions, kalaḿṣāpaham. If someone hears it, he gets all sorts of auspiciousness. He develops great strength, he develops strong spiritual potency because Your kathā is very potent, so energetic. So those who are traveling throughout the world, wandering throughout the world, only speak about Your kathā, distributing such things—they are bhūri-dā janāḥ, the most munificent persons.”
nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād
bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt
ka uttamaśloka-guṇānuvādāt
pumān virajyeta vinā paśughnāt
(Bhāg. 10.1.4)
Who does this? Who speaks about Kṛṣṇa? Who chants about Kṛṣṇa? Who glorifies Kṛṣṇa? Who is free from all sorts of desires? Who is free from desires of material enjoyment, desire for liberation—nivṛtta-tarṣair? No material desire, no desire for material enjoyment, no desire for liberation. Free from all these desires, such a devotee, vaiṣṇava, speaks about You, glorifies You, chants Your holy name, and speaks of Your nectarean kathā, pastimes. And this is medicine for these materially affected persons, bhava-roga auṣadhi. You are all-attractive. Your kathā is very attractive. Naturally, it attracts everybody, but one who is a great sinful person, who kills animals, who kills himself, commits suicide—those persons will never be attracted towards You. Otherwise, all will be attracted.
pibanti ye bhagavata ātmanaḥ satāṁ
kathāmṛtaṁ śravaṇa-puṭeṣu sambhṛtam
punanti te viṣaya-vidūṣitāśayaṁ
vrajanti tac-caraṇa-saroruhāntikam
(Bhāg. 2.2.37)
This nectar, Your nectarean kathā is a flow of nectar. That nectar emanates from the lips of such sādhu-vaiṣṇavas, dear devotees. And those who drink that nectar through their ears and allow it to enter into their hearts, they make their hearts purified of all material contaminations. Immediately, without delay, the heart becomes purified, the consciousness becomes purified, the mind becomes purified, and very easily they develop kṛṣṇa-bhakti, and they will be eligible to approach Your lotus feet.
śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ Kṛṣṇaḥ
puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi
vidhunoti suhṛt satām
(Bhāg. 1.2.17)
How can you cleanse your heart? The filth accumulated in your heart, how can you clean it? By hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā—śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ. You can cleanse your outer body using soap, taking a bath, and, if you go to take a bath in the Ganges, especially with Ganges water, you may cleanse. But how can you cleanse your heart? So much filth is accumulated there, like a Himalayan mountain, from lakhs and lakhs of lives. How will it be cleaned off? Is there any means? No other means, just śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ Kṛṣṇaḥ. If someone hears Your all-auspicious kathā, nectarean kathā, O Kṛṣṇa, from the vaiṣṇavas, Your dear devotees, suhṛt satām, those who are well-wishing friends of all living entities, vaiṣṇavas, if someone hears Your such nectarean kathā from their lips, that nectar is drunk through the ears, allowing it to go to the heart. Then the heart will be purified, cleansed of all this filth and dirt.
śṛṇvataḥ śraddhayā nityaṁ
gāṇataś ca sva-ceṣṭitam
kālenātidīrghena
bhagavān viśate hṛdi
(Second Canto, 2.8.4)
Putting full faith, one hears, śraddha śṛṇvataḥ, either hears or chants, giving opportunity for others to hear. The Supreme Lord becomes very much pleased with him and immediately He appears in the heart of such a person.
śrutasya puṁsāṁ sucira-śramasya
nanv aṅjasā ṛṣibhir īḍito 'rthaḥ
tat-tad-guṇānuśravaṇaṁ mukunda-
pādāravindaṁ hṛdayeṣu yeṣām
(3rd Canto, 3.13.4) Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says.
Persons who hear from a sādhu-guru with great labor and for a long time, must hear from the mouths of pure devotees about the character and activities of the Supreme Lord and His pure devotees. Pure devotees always think within their hearts of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord Mukunda. As soon as they open their mouths, they only speak about Mukunda, nothing else. Then this hearing is all-auspicious.
Mahāprabhu asked Raya Ramananda: “śravaṇa-madhye jīvera kon śreṣṭha śravaṇa?” Raya Ramananda answers. What is that? What is the best type of hearing, śravaṇa, out of all sorts of hearing?
“rādhā-kṛṣṇa-prema-keli
karṇa-rasāyana”
This answer Raya Ramananda gave:
“rādhā-kṛṣṇa-prema-keli
karṇa-rasāyana”
One who hears about these conjugal loving activities, amorous pastimes of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, prema-keli, from the lips of a pure vaiṣṇava, that is the best type of śravaṇa, out of all sorts of hearing.
“rādhā-kṛṣṇa-prema-keli
karṇa-rasāyana”
And that is very pleasing to the ear, pleasing to the heart. 10th Canto, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.33.39) says:
vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ
śraddhānvitō 'nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ
bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ
hṛd-rogam āśv apahīnōty acirēṇa dhīraḥ
This is from the 10th Canto, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa-krīḍā kathā. Kṛṣṇa does rāsa-krīḍā with the Vraja-vadhūs, the damsels of Vrajabhūmi. So that rāsa-līlā kathā, one who hears it, putting full faith in the words of sādhu-guru, from the lips of sādhu-guru, who hears, and also speaks, does kīrtana, within a very short time, without delay, he will develop para-bhakti.
Such a person, and his hṛd-roga-kāma, his heart disease will be completely cured. What is that disease? Every person has this heart disease here. You have this lust, kāma, lusty desire. That is heart disease, hṛd-roga. This heart disease will be cured completely if you hear Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa-līlā kathā, Kṛṣṇa dancing with the damsels of Vrajabhūmi in rāsa. And (hearing) this nectarean kathā from the lips of a pure vaiṣṇava is the medicine. You’ll be completely cured of this heart disease, lusty desires, and within a very short time, without delay, you will develop this para-bhakti, supreme bhakti, pure bhakti. Yes. This is the only thing to be heard.
Therefore, all these things are there. Kṛṣṇa comes here and manifests such līlā here, rāsa-līlā. Why does He manifest? Why this place, in this material world? He is always engaged, nitya, eternally engaged there in His abode, Goloka Vṛndāvan, in rāsa. Why does Kṛṣṇa come down here to the material world, temporary and miserable platform, nasty platform, such a dangerous platform, problematic, every moment problems, dangers, sufferings, all nasty, temporary platform? Why does He come down here and manifest, display such līlā here? What is the necessity? Because, this is to be heard, this is to be described, this is to be recited. This is to be heard. This is medicine for the suffering persons, those who are affected with this heart disease, lust. They will develop para-bhakti, supreme bhakti. He is the well-wishing friend, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām. He has said that in Bhagavad-gītā, suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām, “I am the only well-wishing friend of all the living entities.” So He descends here and manifests His līlā. It will be recorded in books and it will be spoken and recited. The līlās will be heard, such nectarean, sweet līlās. And that is the medicine for the materially afflicted persons, suffering persons, and they will be free from this heart disease. Your heart disease will be cured. And this is all auspicious. This is all auspiciousness. Without this, you cannot get any auspiciousness.
I say, in the marriage ceremony here, in social ceremonies, people spend a huge amount of money performing such ceremonies. What auspiciousness is there? Unless they hear such wonderful activities of Vāmana-deva and make an arrangement for the recitation of the wonderful activities of the Supreme Lord in His various incarnations, their ceremonies will never be free from discrepancies. There will never be success. And there is no auspiciousness at all. Rather, they welcome all sorts of inauspiciousness. This is what you should understand here. Therefore, this suggestion has been given by Śukadeva Goswāmī here.
Another point is here. I’ll speak about this śrāddha ceremony. Those ceremonies meant to please the forefathers, like the śrāddha ceremony. What do you say, śrāddha, in English?
Devotee: Oblations to the forefathers.
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes, oblations to the forefathers. What do people generally do? In your West, it is not performed, I think. Nobody performs such śrāddha? But here in India, it is performed. This is a Vedic ritual. And what is real śrāddha, do you know? What is śuddha śrāddha, pure śrāddha and impure śrāddha? Two types of śrāddha.
Those who are materialistic persons, those who follow the karma-kāṇḍīya section of the Vedas, we say smārta-mataḥ, they perform śrāddha, the death anniversary day. They perform śrāddha and they spend a huge amount of money. It is said that’s not pure śrāddha. That is viddha-śrāddha, impure śrāddha, and it is said rākṣasa-śrāddha, demoniac śrāddha, yes, demoniac way; karma-mārga, those who follow the karma-kāṇḍīya, ritualistic system.
Yastu vidyā vinirmuktaṁ
muṛkham matvā tu vaiṣṇavam
vedavidbhyo 'dadādvipraṁ
śrāddhaṁ tadrākṣasam bhavet
Sanātana Goswāmī has quoted this verse. This is Skanda Purāṇa vākyā, from Skanda Purāṇa (quoted) in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (9.316).
Such materialistic persons think the vaiṣṇavas are fools, they are fools, yes, muṛkha, bereft of proper education, muṛkha. And those who are so-called vedavādīs, that means... So-called followers and knowers of the Vedas. So-called followers and knowers of the Vedas. These brahmavādīs, impersonalists, they are so-called followers of the Veda. They don’t know the real essence of the Veda.
Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ [Bg. 15.15].
Kṛṣṇa says, “In all Vedas I am to be known.”
Yes. In all Vedas I am to be known. So, if you are studying the Veda, following the Veda but you cannot know Kṛṣṇa, then what sort of vedavādī are you? Rather, they say, “No, no, no.”
There is no mention of Kṛṣṇa in the Veda.” Yes, they say so. There is no mention of Kṛṣṇa in the Veda. Such persons say. They are vedavādīs. Have you not heard this thing? Have you heard so-called vedavādīs? They don’t know the real purport of the Veda.
Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ
Kṛṣṇa says, “In all the Vedas I am to be known.” All Vedas come from Kṛṣṇa. The breathing of the Lord is Veda. Veda comes from the breathing of the Lord. So, studying Veda, discussing Veda, if you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, rather you say, there is no mention of the name of Kṛṣṇa in the Veda, then? These so-called vedavādīs, followers of the Veda, say like that.
And the smārta, this karma-kāṇḍīya process of śrāddha, generally people invite those people. They are smārtas, so-called vedavādīs. They invite such people to perform śrāddha and they feed them and give them money. In this way they perform śrāddha.
In Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, quoting Kurma Purāṇa, Sanātana Goswāmī says,
adadādvipraṁ śrāddhaṁ tadrākṣasam bhavet
This is rākṣasa-śrāddha, demoniac śrāddha, viddha-śrāddha. Not pure śrāddha.
But a vaiṣṇava, who is a dear devotee of Lord Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, who knows Kṛṣṇa, he knows Veda. Yes. Sarvair ca vedaiś aham eva vedyaḥ, in all Vedas I am to be known. So, one who knows Kṛṣṇa knows Veda, because Veda comes from Him. Automatically all Vedic knowledge will be revealed to him who knows Kṛṣṇa.
Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam
apohanam ca
Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā, “From Me comes remembrance, forgetfulness and knowledge.”
Veda means knowledge. Veda comes from the breathing of the Supreme Lord. One who knows Kṛṣṇa, he knows Veda. Yes. Kṛṣṇa is the source of all Vedas. Unless one invites such a vaiṣṇava on the śrāddha day and performs śrāddha, then his śrāddha is viddha-śrāddha or rākṣasa-śrāddha.
So our vaiṣṇava process, those who are gṛhasthas, they should perform śrāddha. Yes, gṛhastha should do. Not others. Not brahmacārīs, sannyāsīs, vānaprasthīs. Only gṛhastha, householder vaiṣṇava does so.
What should he do? In that śrāddha divasa, day, he should invite the vaiṣṇavas, arrange Kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana,
Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
Do Kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana and cook varieties of food according to your capacity. Four types of food: carvya, lehyā, cūṣya, peya - foods to be chewed, licked, sucked, and drunk. You make, cook, prepare many varieties, according to your capacity, and offer it to Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu, then it becomes mahā-prasāda. Feed that mahā-prasāda to the vaiṣṇavas, to your friends, family members, and offer it to your forefathers. Perform śrāddha in this way. This is the proper way, śuddha śrāddha, pure śrāddha. Lord Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa becomes pleased, and your forefathers will be pleased and they will be delivered. They will go to Vaikuṇṭha. This is our process. This is real śrāddha. That he says.
prāpte śrāddha-dine 'pi prag
annaṁ bhagavate 'rpayet
tac-śeśenaiva kurvīta
śrāddhaṁ bhagavato naraḥ
(Text 294)
Bhagavato naraḥ. In Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, Sanātana Goswāmī quotes this Kurma Purāṇa vācana. This is the process.
Again, he says,
viṣṇor niveditānnena
yastavyaṁ devatāntaram
pitrūbhyaś cāpi tad deyaṁ
tad anantyāya kalpate
(Text 297)
This is all Hari-bhakti-vilāsa. This is a quotation from Padma Purāṇa.
“Offering to Lord Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa the food, then it becomes mahā-prasāda. With that mahā-prasāda you offer to all demigods, offer to your forefathers, offer to your friends, your family members, everybody. Make a feast. Perform śrāddha ceremony, yes, so nice. Lord Viṣṇu is pleased, Kṛṣṇa is pleased, vaiṣṇavas are pleased, vaiṣṇavas are to be fed. Because this mahā-prasāda is not different from Viṣṇu. It is not material food. It is transcendental food. Lord Viṣṇu has tasted it, Kṛṣṇa has tasted it. It is transcendental. It is not material. If you perform your śrāddha with this mahā-prasāda, then your forefathers will be very much pleased and they will be delivered and go to Vaikuṇṭha. This is real śrāddha. And those who are gṛhastha vaiṣṇavas, they should not follow this karma-kāṇḍīya ritualistic ceremonies, while performing these ceremonies.
saṅkalpaṁ ca tathā dānaṁ
pitrā-devārcanādikam
viṣṇu-mantrōpadiṣṭhaś cen-
na kuryāt kuśa-dhāraṇam
In Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, Sanātana Goswāmī quotes this, quoting Skanda Purāṇa, Gṛhī vaiṣṇava, gṛhastha vaiṣṇava, householder vaiṣṇava, who has accepted vaiṣṇava-guru, initiated by viṣṇu-mantra. He is vaiṣṇava. He should not perform such śrāddha. He should not put on kuśa, on his finger, kuśa grass. Yes, in karma-kāṇḍīya process they put on kuśa. But we vaiṣṇavas don’t put on kuśa, he says. na kuryāt kuśa-dhāraṇam, a vaiṣṇava will never do that, kuśa. That is karma-kāṇḍīya process. We never follow it. While you perform this śrāddha ceremony, if you give some charity or you offer pūjā to your forefathers or some demigods, don’t put on kuśa. That is karma-khānda. Vaiṣṇavas should not do like that. And also, these vaiṣṇavas they should not go to Gayā and offer śrāddha there. It is all contained here. No need at all.
kim dattar bahubhiḥ piṇḍair
gayā śrāddhādibhir mune
yair arcito hariḥ bhaktyā
pitrārthan ca dine dine
Sanātana Goswāmī has quoted from Skanda Purāṇa, in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (9.307). “Those gṛhī vaiṣṇavas, gṛhastha vaiṣṇavas, always engaged in rendering loving service to Lord Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, under the guidance of their spiritual vaiṣṇava-guru, they offer worship to Lord Hari. There is no need for them to go to Gayā and offer śrāddha there. No need at all. What is the need? No need.
Advaita Ācārya performed this pitṛ śrāddha and he invited nāmācārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura and offered śrāddha-pātra to him. Haridāsa Ṭhākura said: “Oh Advaita Ācārya, what are you doing? I am Mohammedan, Musselman.” He was born in a Mohammedan family. “I am mleccha and yavana. You are brāhmaṇa. You are born in a brāhmaṇa family. You stay in a brāhmaṇa village, brāhmaṇa śāsana, village, all brāhmaṇas. You are pakka brāhmaṇa. If you invite me in this śrāddha-dina, śrāddha day, you will be excommunicated by the other brāhmaṇas because you are inviting a mleccha, a yavana, a Mohammedan.” But he was such a great devotee, mahā-bhāgavata. He is nāma-ācārya. Mahāprabhu named him nāma-ācārya. Day and night 24 hours he chants
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
¾ 3 lakhs of names he chants daily, day and night 24 hours. He never sleeps. He never eats. He had siddha-deha, spiritual body. Not a material body. No need of eating, no need of sleeping. Yes, such an elevated personality. But he was born in a Mohammedan family. He is a mahā-bhāgavata, a great devotee vaiṣṇava. Advaita Ācārya said,
ācārya kahena, — “tumi nā kariha bhaya
sei ācariba, yei śāstra-mata haya
tumi khāile haya koṭi-brāhmaṇa-bhojana
eta bali, śrāddha-pātra karāilā bhojana
Cc. Antya 3.221-222
The description is there in Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Advaita says: “O Haridāsa Ṭhākura, nāma-ācārya, you don’t be afraid. I am not afraid of them. Let them excommunicate me. I will do that what śāstra says. Yes, what śāstra says, I do. You need not be afraid. I am not afraid. If you eat today then I will get the result of feeding crores of brāhmaṇas. If only you eat. One such mahā-bhāgavata vaiṣṇava. Do you understand Mr. Larry [Lilavatar]? If you feed such a vaiṣṇava mahā-bhāgavata like nāma-ācārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura, then you’ll get the result of feeding crores of brāhmaṇas, yes, this śrāddha divas. He said, tumi khāile haya koṭi-brāhmaṇa-bhojana. Then he only invited nāma-ācārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura and fed him. Advaita Ācārya performed such a śrāddha ceremony.
Those who have taken shelter of the holy name, nāma-āśrayī, gṛhastha vaiṣṇava, like Jayanta Krid, a gṛhastha, householder, nāma-āśrayī, taken shelter of the holy name, accepted vaiṣṇava-guru, there is no need of performing a śrāddha ceremony.
nityam naimittikam kāmam
dānam saṅkalpam eva ca
daivam karma tathā paitram
na kuryād vaiṣṇavo gṛhī
Yes, it is all quoted in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa. Sanātana Goswāmī has quoted from Kurma Purāṇa, Skanda Purāṇa, Viṣṇu Purāṇa, so many śāstra.
nityam naimittikam kāmam
dānam saṅkalpam eva ca
daivam karma tathā paitram
na kuryād vaiṣṇavo gṛhī
Gṛhī vaiṣṇava, gṛhastha vaiṣṇava should not perform all these ritualistic karma-kāṇḍīya processes, ceremonies. He’ll not perform such śrāddha ceremony, not perform such nitya naimittika, this, what do you say? Durga Pūjā, offering pūjā to the devatās, demigods, and giving some charity to so-called brāhmaṇas, vedavādīs, like this. They should not do, na kuryāt. No need of doing.
Those who are always engaged in offering loving service unto the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, what is the need for them to perform all these things?
yasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭa
If Lord Viṣṇu is pleased or Kṛṣṇa is pleased, all are pleased, all are pleased, yes, yasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭa, because Lord Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa is the root. We say,
yathā taror mūla-niśecanena
tṛpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopaśākhāḥ
prāṇopahārāc ca yathendriyāṇām
tathāiva sarvārhaṇam acyutéjya
This is Bhāgavata śloka (4.31.14)
If you pour water at the root of a tree, there is no need of sprinkling water on the branches, twigs, leaves, flowers, fruits of the tree. The whole tree gets, the whole tree gets, yes, no need. If you give food to the stomach, then your whole body will be nourished. No need of giving food to different limbs of the body. No need of giving food to your ears, nose, eyes, hands, legs.
tathāiva sarvārhaṇam acyutéjya
If Bhagavān Acyuta, the infallible Lord Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa, will be worshiped and pleased and satisfied, all are pleased and satisfied, yasmin tuṣṭe. No need of offering worship to any demigod or anybody else. If Lord Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu is pleased, everybody is pleased.
So those vaiṣṇavas who are always engaged, every day, day and night, 24-hours, they are engaged in offering pūjā, worship, or rendering loving service unto the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa, what is the need on their part to perform such ceremonies, spending a huge amount of money? It is a wastage of money, energy, time. No need at all. Rather, you may perform in the society, the social etiquette, perform such śrāddha ceremony, such marriage ceremony, or birth, death ceremony, you may perform. So, invite vaiṣṇavas, invite all your friends, family members, invite vaiṣṇavas, arrange hari-saṅkīrtana, kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana. Cook varieties of food, nice palatable dishes as far as your capacity. Offer it to Bhagavān Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa so that it becomes mahā-prasāda. Then feed them. Offer such food, mahā-prasāda, to the vaiṣṇavas, to your friends, to your family members, kith and kin, whoever comes, feed them, yes. A nice ceremony, feast. A great ceremony you may perform, then all auspiciousness is there. If there will be any discrepancies, they will all be rectified and you will get all-auspiciousness. This is suggested here. And there should be kṛṣṇa-kathā, kīrtana, nāma-kīrtana. All will hear. Those who can speak, they can speak and give opportunity to others to hear. That is all-auspicious.
But so-called vedavādīs, they don’t know Kṛṣṇa.
sarvair vedaiś ca aham eva vedyaḥ
“In all Vedas I am to be known.”
But one who doesn’t know Kṛṣṇa, but says and demands or claims that, “I know Veda,” and opens Veda, says, “Show me where is the name of Kṛṣṇa here? There is no mention of the name of Kṛṣṇa in Vedas.” So-called vedavādīs. If you invite such persons in your ceremonies, śrāddha ceremony, marriage ceremony, or birthday ceremony, it is fruitless. And, you feed them, give them some charity, money, what benefit will you get? Rather, you will invite all sorts of inauspiciousness. No auspiciousness at all.
Is there no name of Kṛṣṇa in Veda? That is a question. Is there the name of Kṛṣṇa in Veda? So-called vedavādīs say, “No name.” But, yes, the name of Śyāma is there. Chāndogya Upaniṣad (8.13) says:
śyāmac chavalaṁ prapadye
śavalāc chyāmaṁ prapadye
Yes. But these people cannot understand it. Because Kṛṣṇa says,
na haṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya
Yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ
mūḍho 'yaṁ nābhijānāti
loko māṁ ajam avyayam
(BG 7.25)
“I never manifest Myself before everybody and everywhere. A mūḍha, a rascal cannot understand Me.”
Yes, they are rascals. They are not devotees. They have not developed bhakti. So how can Kṛṣṇa or Śyāma manifest before them? Though this mantra is there, still they cannot understand. It is covered up. It is not revealed to them.
śyāmac chavalaṁ prapadye
śavalāc chyāmaṁ prapadye
This śavalāc, one of the names; this śavalāc is the name of His svarūpa-śakti. The Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa’s svarūpa-śakti, śavalāc. Those who are completely surrendered unto Kṛṣṇa, this svarūpa-śakti, we say, antaraṅga-śakti, eternal potency. The chief is hlādinī, pleasure potency. Those who have taken shelter of that pleasure potency, hlādinī-śakti, such devotees, premī-bhaktas vaiṣṇavas, they are completely surrendered unto that Śyāma. So it is there in Veda, Chāndogya Upaniṣad.
Again, Ṛg Veda says, 1.22.164, thirty-first Ṛk:
apaśyaṁ gopāṁ anipadyamāna mā ca parā ca pathibhiś carantam
sa sadṛśīḥ sa viṣucīr vasāna avarérvati bhuvaneṣv antaḥ
This Veda mantra is there in Ṛg Veda. That means, “I saw a gopāla, a cowherd boy who never deteriorates. Sometimes He is closer, nearer, sometimes farther and He is wandering in many, many paths. Sometimes He is clad with many varieties of garments, very nice-looking garments, sometimes some different, different types of garments, and again and again He is wandering here in this universe.”
This is the meaning of that mantra in Ṛg Veda. How do you say? And many mantras are like that, yes, many mantras are like that in Veda. Still, the so-called vedavādīs, they cannot understand it because the Lord will never be revealed to them. They are rascals.
na haṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya
Yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ
mūḍho 'yaṁ nābhijānāti
loko māṁ ajam avyayam
(BG 7.25)
They are mūḍhās, rascals. They have no devotion. How will the Lord reveal Himself, though these mantras are there? Isn’t it? Understand me? That’s what they say, there is no mention of the name of Kṛṣṇa in Veda. They say so.
Vedānām sāma-vedo 'smi, isn’t it? Kṛṣṇa says, Vedānām sāma-vedo 'smi. Why does He say like that? Bolo!
Devotee: He said that the ...? they are making one type of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes.
Devotee: . . . . . he didn’t hear this mantra. He said one time in the street. . . . .
Gour Govinda Swami: Oho. You have heard it? Vedānām sāma-vedo 'smi. In Gītā Kṛṣṇa says this thing, vedānām sāma-vedo 'smi, in all Vedas I am sāma-veda. Because in sāma-veda there are many mantras that speak about Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. But so-called vedavādīs, they cannot understand it, how in sāma-veda this is there.
You have remembered it?
Devotee: . . . . little mistake . . . .
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes, yes, yes. You have remembered, āchha-āchha-āchha. Vedānām sāma-vedo 'smi. Yes, so many mantras are there in Sāma-Veda where it speaks of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. But the so-called vedavādīs, they cannot understand it. They cannot see it also how these mantras are there, because Kṛṣṇa never reveals Himself before such rascals. Kṛṣṇa never reveals Himself.
All right, some day I may say, not today. Some day I may say. I think I have said that and you were not there, isn’t it? You were not there. I’ll say some day. All right, some other day maybe. It is not coming out today. So it is too late today. Stop it. Mahāprabhu, Kṛṣṇa doesn’t what.
Thank you.
Hare Hare Hare . . . . (loud sound) shut the windows.
Q & A
Devotee: Gurudeva, when you are speaking from the Purāṇas like the Agni Purāṇa and those Purāṇas, does that mean it was spoken by Agni, or is that just the name given?
Gour Govinda Swami: The name given. All Purāṇas are written by Vyāsadeva.
Devotee: So he just gave them those names?
Gour Govinda Swami: Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Padma Purāṇa, Skanda Purāṇa, Agni Purāṇa, Kurma Purāṇa. Eighteen Purāṇas are there, eighteen, aṣṭāgas . . . And Upa-Purāṇas are also there. Many Upa-Purāṇas, and out of them vaiṣṇavas accept 18 Upa-Purāṇas. Eighteen Purāṇas, 18 Upa-Purāṇas. These are all Vedic literatures, and vaiṣṇavas quote it. They quote. That is a vaiṣṇava. He quotes authority. This is authoritative, yes. We have authority, Vedic authority.
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that while visualizing the śrī-mūrti one should not see the gross or subtle form of the deity.
Devotee: What is that? What do you say?
Gour Govinda Swami: While visualizing, while looking at the deity, one should not see the gross or subtle form of the deity, but the spiritual, absolute person, with one’s spiritual eyes opened by one’s guru, who is a spark of transcendental knowledge.
Devotee: Yes.
Devotee: What does it mean, not to see the gross or subtle form?
Gour Govinda Swami: Gross means carved out of stone or metal.
Devotee: Inquiring about the metal of the deity?
Gour Govinda Swami: That means one sees the idol. One who sees, nāma-rūpa-vigraha-tīna-cid-ānanda-maya, tīne bheda nāhi — The name of Kṛṣṇa, the form of Kṛṣṇa, and vigraha, the deity installed by vaiṣṇava, prāṇa-pratiṣṭhā and worshiped in the temple. These three are non-different. These three are transcendental, not material. Gross and subtle means that material thing you think of.
Devotee: I was wondering what it means. We shouldn’t see the deity's form or anything, or see something behind, or?
Gour Govinda Swami: Pratimā nātme sākṣāt vrajendra-nandana. In the Sākhi-Gopāla story you . . . . . . . these big brāhmaṇa and small brāhmaṇa. Older brāhmaṇa, younger brāhmaṇa. They went on pilgrimage then at last went to Vṛndāvana, in Gopāla temple.
The older brāhmaṇa said, “I will give my daughter in marriage to you.” And they promised there.
He said, “All right, make Gopāla witness. If it is required He will go and give witness, Sākhi-Gopāla.” Sākhi-Gopāla is there, in Sātyavādī. He came from there. Do you think He is a stone idol or metal idol? He is transcendental, sākṣāt.
When that question arose, people said, “Hey, what is proof that He has said? Is there any witness?”
“Oh yes, we have.”
“Who is?”
“Gopāla is witness. In Vṛndāvana Mandir, temple we have made Him witness. ‘You are witness.’ If required He must come.”
“He will come?”
“Oh yes, He will come.”
“Yes, if He comes and gives witness, then we will accept.”
Then He went there. “Oh Gopāla, You are witness. We have made You witness. Now it is required, You have to go and give witness.”
Then He said. He is talking. How does a deity talk? Yes. If you are such a devotee, pure devotion, you can talk with the deity, yes. He said,
pratimā nātme sākṣāt vrajendra-nandana
Then the deity said, “Hey! Have you ever seen the deity going somewhere?”
“What is that?” pratimā nātme sākṣāt vrajendra-nandana, “You are not idol. You are directly the son of Nanda Mahārāja. You are talking, why don’t You go?”
Who can say so?
Devotee: He can talk, He can walk.
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes, You can talk, You can walk. Yes, that is the vision. If you have vision, eyes, you see how He is the son of Nanda Mahārāja. He is not an idol.
Devotee: I was just wondering what it meant, that gross or subtle...
Devotee: That is that.
Devotee: That’s what it means?
Gour Govinda Swami: Do you understand? Yes. That he says. Yes, He reciprocates, He talks, He... love, if you have pure love, bhakti, you offer something, how He accepts it, how He reciprocates, how He gets pleasure or not.
Prabhupāda goes every day to the temple and sees, looks whether the pūjārī is taking care nicely or not, if the deities look happy, jolly, or morose. If there is some discrepancy, Prabhupāda says, “Hey, what has taken place? The deities don’t look happy. They look morose. Who is pūjārī? There is some discrepancy, definitely.” Immediately he detects, you see. How is that? He has such vision. He is such a devotee.
Devotee: So when you came to New Māyāpur you saw that Gaurāṅga was not pleased with this peacock feather.
Gour Govinda Swami: I am not such a devotee. I am not vaiṣṇava, bābā.
Devotee: Still, you saw.
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes, with the eyes, with the śāstra. What śāstra says and mahājanas say, I say. I am not such a vaiṣṇava. Don’t say so. Don’t make me an offender. You are always doing like that. Don’t do like that. Do you understand? Such devotees are there, Gopāla came to witness. And Madhavendra Purī is such a devotee. For him Gopīnātha stole khīra. From that day He is known as kṣīra-cora-gopīnātha. He is cora, He is a stealer. If you have such devotion, if you have such vision you can see how they reciprocate, how they are getting happiness or not, pleasure or not, if they are really taken care of or not.
Devotee: Another question is, when you speak about the guru giving tattva-jñāna or sambandha-jñāna, you mean not just knowledge but realized knowledge, that the devotee may realize. Is that what it means, giving sambandha-jñāna? It doesn’t mean just giving the knowledge that the jīva is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa’s servant. It means the eyes to realize knowledge?
Gour Govinda Swami: We have a perfect loving relationship with the Lord, and one who is established in that relationship, he is fixed, he is established in that relationship. He sees that He is the seer. He is not only speaking theoretically. He is a realized soul and he sees what sort of relationship you have and he has.
Devotee: So he establishes your connection?
Gour Govinda Swami: Definitely
Devotee: That is to give sambandha-jñāna?
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. That is the dīkṣā-guru. I was telling that story. I have seen with my own eyes, one such devotee, with my own eyes. One such devotee was there. He was related to me. He was my grandfather on the maternal side. I have seen it, such a great devotee. Yes.
Every day he goes to Gopāla temple. Chants, nice kīrtana, cries, sheds tears. So nice kīrtana he chants. Every day he goes there. Once he brought a big bunch of ripened bananas. He had a nice banana garden. Big bunch, very nice, sweet, ripened. He gave them to the pūjārī. And he had some other business, to go out of home, absent for five days, six days, like that. He went out. When he returned, came back after five to six days, he went to the temple and looked at the deities. He said the deity Gopāla is suffering. He has a cold, cough, so much cold, cough, congestion, mucus coming, and water is coming from the eyes. “Hey pūjārī, what have you done? Have you offered that banana?”
“Oh yes.”
“How many days did you offer?”
“One day.”
“Rascal! Did you offer the whole bunch of bananas? Gopāla is suffering from cold, cough. So much mucus is coming, water is coming in His eyes. Such a thing. Oh, Gopāla is suffering so much. Such a rascal, stupid, don’t you know? So much banana you offered at a time? You should have offered one banana each day, yes, with honey, then there would be no cough. What did you do?” Then he immediately called for a physician, kavirāja. Kavirāja came. Medicine was prepared. Medicine was offered. Then the next day he went and saw. “Oh! Now He is cured.”
You see. What is this? Understand me?
Devotees: Jay Gurudev!