Sankarshan Das: Srimad Bagavatham, Fourth canto, Chapter 19, Text 9.

sindhavo ratna-nikaran

girayo ‘nnam catur-vidham

upayanam upajahruh

sarve lokah sa-palakah

sindhavah - the oceans; ratna-nikaran - heaps of jewels; girayah - the hills; annam – eatables; chatuh-vidham - four kinds of; upayanam - presentations; upajahruh - brought forward; sarve - all; lokah - the people in general of all planets; sa-palakah - along with the governors.

Sankarshan Das:Translation and Purport by His Divine Grace Om Vishnu-pada paramahamsa parivrajakacharya ashtottara-shata Shri Srimad A.C. Bhaktivedanta Tridandi Goswami Maharaj, Prabhupada.

Translation: King Prthu was presented with various gifts from the general populace and predominating deities of all planets. The oceans and seas were full of valuable jewels and pearls, and the hills were full of chemicals and fertilizers. Four kinds of edibles were produced profusely.

Purport: As stated in Isopanisad, this material creation is supplied with all the potencies for the production of all necessities required by the living entities - not only human beings, but animals, reptiles, aquatics and trees. The oceans and seas produce pearls, coral and valuable jewels so that fortunate law-abiding people can utilize them. Similarly, the hills are full of chemicals so that when rivers flow down from them the chemicals spread over the fields to fertilize the four kinds of foodstuffs. These are technically known as carvya (those edibles which are chewed), lehya (those which are licked up), cusya (those which are swallowed), and peya (those which are drunk).

Prthu Maharaj was greeted by the residents of other planets and their presiding deities. They presented various gifts to the king and acknowledged him as the proper type of king by whose planning and activities everyone throughout the universe could be happy and prosperous. It is clearly indicated in this verse that the oceans and seas are meant for producing jewels, but in Kali-yuga the oceans are mainly used just for fishing. The sudras and poor men are allowed to fish, but the higher classes like the ksatriyas and vaisyas would gather pearls, jewels, and coral. Although poor men would catch tons of fish, they would not be equal in value to one piece of coral or pearl. In this age, so many factories for the manufacture of fertilizers had been opened, but when the Personality of Godhead is pleased at the performance of the yajnas, the hills automatically produce fertilizing chemicals, which help produce edibles in the fields. Everything is dependent on the people's acceptance of the Vedic principles of sacrifice. (End of Purport)

Vande ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam sri-gurun vaishnavams ca sri-rupam sagrajatam saha-gana-raghunathanvitam tam sa jivam sadvaitam savadhutam parijana–sahitam krishna-caitanya-devam sri-radha-krishna-padan saha-gana-lalita-sri-visakhanvitams ca

nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale

srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine

namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine

nirvisesha-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine

mukam karoti vacalam

pangum langhayate girim

yat-kripa tam aham vande

sri-gurum dina-taranam

Sankarshan Das: So, what's the point? The point is because they are not performing yajna, therefore there is so much trouble. Big, big troubles everywhere. Economic problems, social problems, political problems, problems, problems, problems stacked upon one another. There is even a popular song, Problems, problems, problems all day long. Back in the 60s, popular song in the radio, problems, problems, problems. That's the nature of our world because we are not doing yajna. We are meant to perform yajna, sacrifice. In the Vedic age the Brahmins would do all kinds of elaborate sacrificial ceremonies but it is not possible to do that in this age of Kali. But in this age Lord Caitanya has made it very simple. We just have to engage in chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Engage many people in congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord. In this way we can have all prosperity, all these wars will go away, all the poverty, all the crime, all these horrible things, the pollution, one thing after another, after another, after another, after another. All these problems will go away, it will become a very auspicious age. People will live, people will be dying from all these diseases, the hospitals will be full of emergency rooms with so many things going wrong, people having this problem, that problem, you see it all becomes very auspicious. People have long healthy lives, very auspicious people, peaceful atmosphere. So why they don't chant Hare Krishna? If we tell them they still won't accept it. So, what's the difficulty? Difficulty is, instead of wanting to acknowledge the existence of the Supreme Lord, and they should subordinate themselves, they want to consider themselves the Lord of all they survive. That's the whole reason we came to the material world to begin with. In this age of Kali, it is especially bad. There are four ages, Sātyā-yuga, Treta-yuga, Dvāpra-yuga, Kali-yuga. The Sātyā-yuga is 100% pious. Everyone is saying all kinds of yoga is going on, it is very peaceful, prosperous. Then the Treta-yuga goes on to 75% pious, 25% impious. Dvapra, 50-50, Kali-yuga, 75% impious, 25% pious, going down 25, 24, but the end of Kali Yuga we are down to zero. And then the Personality of God will come, Kalki avatar will come and annihilate all the rascals and bring in a Satya yuga. So, what should we do about it? Well, we should do everything we can because there is a special era within the kali-yuga, the Caitanya era, a ten-thousand-year period of the Satya yuga, when yajna becomes prominent once again, the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra becomes prominent. So, we do everything we can to push it forward by distributing books, by having programs, engaging people in chanting, prasadam distribution, as much as we can, pushing for the Sankirtan movement of Lord Caitanya as much as we possibly can. And that will make our lives glorious and that will actually push forward the Caitanya era and become fully manifest eventually. The population increases for 10,000 and after that it diminishes. So, it's a very exciting time right now when the kali-yuga is going to be put into remission. A virtual Satya-yuga will come. So, what can we do then to do our share, to do our part, to do our duty in this regard? Well, we have to purely practice Krishna consciousness. The more we are pure the more there will be power and potency in our preaching and in our example. So, we should strive for purity in chanting the holy name without any offense. We should strive to be very punctual in attending mangalarti, We, should be very punctual in attending the various programs. We should become very learned in these teachings. Read the Prabhupada's books, become very learned in these wonderful teachings. Its amazing knowledge contained in these books. Amazing, amazing wisdom. The more we read, the more we learn, the more we transcendentalize our vision. It's called sastra caksus, one who can see through the eyes of scripture. You get your eyes get bad; you get glasses corrected. But our eyes are right now bad, lust, anger, greed, madness, illusion, envy. We have eyes that are polluted. If our eyes were pure, we could see Krishna everywhere.

premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena

santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti

yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami 

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord who is Shyama Sundar, Krishna Himself with inconceivable innumerable attributes whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion, tinged with the salve of love. Prabhupada said they see him within and without and see Krishna everywhere. So, we can actually do that. If we come to that level then we can quickly bring the whole world to Krishna consciousness. We can quickly bring. Prabhupada says if one can chant the holy name without offense, he becomes Jagadguru and his influence the whole world will take up Krishna consciousness. So let each one of us strive to become a pure chanter of the holy name because to whatever extent of purity we manifest to that extent will have the power for transforming the kali-yuga into the Caitanya era. So, we have to be very careful how to avoid these offenses. How to be, not to be inattentive, how to focus our mind.

yato yato niscalati

manas cancalam asthiram

tatas tato niyamyaitad

atmany eva vasam nayet, 

from whatever and wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back to Krishna under the control of the self. So, our japa is a very very important time of the day for us. Now is the time we intensify our focus on Krishna. Bring the mind back, bring it back, bring it back. And according to the quality of our japa we will have to that extent we will be Krishna conscious during the day. If our japa is not very attentive, our mind is running here, running there, our whole day will be splayed out. But if we can very intensely focus on the holy names of Krishna, begging the Lord to please allow me that to enter into this mood of pure bhakti, complete total absorption in Your transcendental name. Then our whole day will become ecstatic, our whole life will become ecstatic. Krishna Consciousness is simply wonderful, simply wonderful. We have these sweets called simply wonderful. This reminds me of one pastime of Prabhupada. Prabhupada, someone asked, what happens if we give somebody one of these simply wonderful sweets? Prabhupada said, he will come to your temple, and he will become simply wonderful. And then, Prabhupada said, what is the next thing? Krishna is simply wonderful; this process of Krishna consciousness is simply wonderful. And then Prabhupada said, you all are simply wonderful. And then when one devotee said Prabhupada is simply wonderful, and Prabhupada said, that's all right, I have kirtan. And it was that really ecstatic kirtan. What kind of ecstatic kirtan they had after that. So, when Prabhupada was here it was a very, very special, wonderful time. We didn't have the internet in those days, there was no email, but they would send letters in the mail, the latest, What Prabhupada said here, what he did there, the latest pastime of Prabhupada. It's in the mail, the reports would go out, the letters would come, oh, Prabhupada did this, Prabhupada said that. Oh, it's the most exciting thing, what did Prabhupada see, what did he do, what did he say to that demon, what did he, it's always the latest lecture, what are the Prabhupada, what are the Prabhupada. Then to actually be where he was there, that was really, really special thing. I remember he came to the San Francisco airport, there were three hundred of us. He was the last one off the airplane. He let everybody else come off first. So, they got, maybe he did it on purpose, because they all came to the Kirtan. Prabhupada came first, but Kirtan would have gone to them. Prabhupada came last, so every single Karmic came out of the airplane through a Kirtan. There were one hundred fifty devotees on each side chanting in ecstasy. They were just amazed. They came out and said, oh wow. And then there was no ride for Prabhupada. I've told this story many times, I like telling it. Prabhupada got to where the people, you come out of the terminal where the cars pick you up, there was no vehicle for Prabhupada. He very peacefully, he stood there like an aristocratic gentleman, totally peacefully waiting for when the ride would come. He didn't say, where's the ride? He didn't chastise him. He just tolerated it and just stood there peacefully waiting. And we devotees in Texas were so foolish, we had a car and we drove away so we could be at the festival site and greet him there when he arrived. Then Prabhupada came and he gave a wonderful lecture about how, he says, you have all seen God. There were three hundred devotees and three thousand hippies. You have all seen God because Krishna said, I am the light of the sun and the moon. Every day you drink water, once, twice, thrice, more than every day, every time you drink water you remember Krishna's face in the water, immediately becoming Krishna conscious. So, we were just learning on everything and everything aware that would come out of Prabhupada's mouth, taking it as the ultimate nectar, just like being with Krishna Himself, to be there with Prabhupada. See, Prabhupada did this, Prabhupada did that, Prabhupada, he had this, he looked this way over here, scrutinizing, analysing everything he did, every gesture, every turn of his head, everything was just complete, we just tuned in like anything to Prabhupada. So, in this way, by associating with this great personality of the Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, and now he is here in his books, by taking these, going in depth and studying these wonderful books. This is his labour of love. He would sleep, he would get up in the middle of the night and everything, there was no distractions and translate these books. So, his labour of love, so much labour of love in all these books. So many wonderful books are there. Bhagavad Gita as it is, the Sri Isopanisad, the Teaching of the planet, the Teachings of Lord Caitanya, the Nectar of Devotion, Srimad Bhagavatam, Caitanya-Caritamrta, so much labour of love, giving up sleep, sacrificing his sleep, so he could write these books for us. So, if we go deep, deep, deep in these books, it is like putting Prabhupada's lotus feet on our head to take these books very seriously and try to understand exactly what Prabhupada is telling us and try to understand exactly what he wants it to be like. we can look at this, we analyse this verse for today, what is Prabhupada saying for us, what should we be doing? What should our mentality be? What kind of character I should develop? The shudras and poor men are allowed to fish. I mean, no fish. We don't eat fish. That point is obviously there. We don't take the fish. Pearls, jewels and coral, Higher classes. The Vaishyas also and the Kshatriyas. The Brahmins, what about the Brahmins? He doesn't mention the Brahmins here. We know the Brahmins.

samo damas tapah saucam

ksantir arjavam eva ca

jnanam vijnanam astikyam

brahma-karma svabhava-jam 

controlling the mind, controlling the senses, samah, damah, controlling the senses; tapah, being austere; saucam, very clean; santir, very peaceful. So, the Prabhupada gave us this second initiation that we have to develop these qualities of a Brahmin. Being very truthful, very clean, very austere, controlling the senses, not oversleeping. Brahmin means he doesn't oversleep. He sleeps as little as possible. He doesn't overeat, he doesn't oversleep. He takes whatever is necessary to energize him in his service because he wants to be fully absorbed in serving Krishna 24 hours a day and that is his great ecstasy. Not devotional service is an austerity for him, devotional service is pure nectar for him to be totally absorbed in reconnecting himself with that Supreme Person as a source of all existence. He is emitting everything from Himself in order to have an unlimited variety of intimate loving relationships. So, Krishna wants the love of each of us. He's hankering for our love actually. Krishna is hankering for our love. He wants our love. He's not going to force us because you can't force someone to love you. But Krishna is giving, doing everything from His side to inspire us to fully absorb ourselves in loving Him. And That's why He sent Prabhupada to the world, to teach us how we can actually re-establish our loving relationship with Him. So, we should take this awakening of our Krishna consciousness as my only business, my only duty. I have no business except to awaken my Krishna consciousness and to awaken the Krishna consciousness of others. That's my only duty. Everything that I'm doing, everything I'm thinking, everything I'm saying, whatever I'm doing, it should all be for this purpose of awakening my Krishna consciousness and making the world Krishna conscious.

So, any questions? Gurumataji, do you want to add some points?

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji: Yes, I have a question. You said, we get initiated, the second initiated, the Brahmin initiated, and you quoted the verse from Bhagavad Gita.

Sankarshan Das: Yes.

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji: So is it possible for everyone who is second initiated to develop those qualities.

Sankarshan Das: And they take shelter of Guru and Krishna. Yes, they can do it. Even if they have a mentality of a sudra, they still have the sudra tendencies. If they take shelter of Guru and Krishna and they sincerely desire and they beg for the mercy, even the most fallen rascal can become a paramahamsa.

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji: That is not the point. I make the point that the qualities of Brahmin.

samo damas tapah saucam

ksantir arjavam eva ca

Sankarshan Das: It is possible for anyone who sincerely takes up this path of the Krishna consciousness, they can develop the qualities of a Brahmin. Anyone.

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji: Saucam, cleanliness?

Sankarshan Das:  Everything.

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji:  Sometimes we see that the devotees don't have this quality, although they have Brahmanical initiatives.

Sankarshan Das:  That's why training is required.

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji:  Even in the temples we see that. You only don't have that. And loving relationship also I feel like that means you do everything perfect for the lover.

Sankarshan Das: No, actually serving the Vaishnavas. You can't, if you don't serve the Vaishnavas, Krishna doesn't accept your service.

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji: Yeah, because serving the Vaishnavas, loving service, means your service to them is full of devotion.

Sankarshan Das: There has to be, there has to be full devotion for Guru, Krishna and Vaishnava.

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji: That means everything will be perfectly done.

Sankarshan Das: It should be done perfectly, yes, but because of our contamination, our lust, our anger, our greed, our madness, illusion and envy, there is so much defect in our service. So many defects are there. The loving mood is not always there. Sometimes we become angry. Sometimes we become lusty, we become angry. This is our contamination. Even the most helpless basket case can become a pure devotee of Krishna if he takes this process seriously. Even the most helpless basket case, you can become a pure devotee.

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji: What is a basket case? You bought a case full of baskets?

Sankarshan Das: Basket, it's a popular word. Basket case means, you know, it's a hopeless nightmare. A hopeless nightmare.

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji:  So, you would just say that they have not fully taken shelter or they want to remain in basket case?

Sankarshan Das:  For us basket cases, the reason we are still basket cases is we haven't fully taken shelter of Guru and Krishna yet. We're still following our mental whims, instead of following the instructions of Guru and Krishna. That's hopeless basket cases. Isn't it? Isn't it? Gargamuni agreed. Yeah. We are holding on to our so-called independence. We think, yes, I am independent, but actually we are just being manipulated by the modes of nature.

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji:  We are all like this, aren't we?

Sankarshan Das: Yes, our so-called independence. Here is a nice question that has come in. Let's see who has asked this question. Let's find out who asked it. From Amala Purana.

Amala Purana Das:  Hare Krishna Srila Gurudev. What does it mean to take full, emphasize, full shelter of Guru and Krishna?

Sankarshan Das:  It means, no, you totally give up your so-called independence, totally give it up. At what stage of devotional service one reaches this stage of taking full shelter. When you become qualified to see Krishna face to face; eye to eye, that is when you have really gotten to that level. When you actually see Krishna face to face; eye to eye, when your eyes are anointed with the salve of love of God, then you know you have taken full shelter of Guru and Krishna. Because we have not taken full shelter of Guru and Krishna, therefore I am still staying in the material world out there. Because I have not taken complete shelter of Guru and Krishna, I am still staying Austin, Texas, instead of Goloka Vrindavan. That's our position. We actually are completely, fully absorbed, our eyes become anointed with salve of love of God able to see Krishna everywhere within and without. Next.

Local Devotee:  Is that something that we have to do like at every moment or is it something that if we want once and then it's just a real list?

Sankarshan Das:  Full surrender is something that once you do it, you keep doing it forever. Once you come to the point of full surrender, it automatically, spontaneously will happen. See, for us neophytes, we have to follow rules and regulations. There is sadhana bhakti and raganuga bhakti. Sadhana bhakti is following the rules and regulations, get up in time for mangalarati, you know, etc. Rules and regulations. But once you become a pure devotee, automatically you do everything perfectly, spontaneous love of God manifest in the heart. Every word that comes out of your mouth is pure bhakti, every thought in your brain is pure bhakti. Once you come to that stage then you automatically spontaneously engage in pure devotional service for all of eternity. You know you keep struggling. Right now, we are struggling neophytes, isn't it? Struggling neophytes. But you reach a point where there is no more struggle, it is automatic. Like the water flowing down the mountain down to the ocean, automatically happening. The water isn't struggling to flow to the ocean, it is automatically flowing. Right now, it is a struggle for us to get up and attend for mangalarati. We're struggling in different ways. To always have a nice cheerful mood, not become disturbed. We're struggling. We have a hard time with it because we are neophytes. But we keep doing this Sadhana bakthi to the best of our ability in spite of all our mistakes, our bumbles and fumbles. We say okay let me pick myself up and try again. I made a mistake, I overslept, I didn't come in time for mangalarati or I did this or I did that or I did this or that. Let me over, keep trying, trying, trying, trying, trying. Krishna will see the sincere endeavour and He'll bless us. Oh, this person has trouble, but he's sincerely endeavouring to overcome his defects. So, Krishna will say, oh, this person is sincerely trying, even though he's a neophyte and he has bad habits, but he's sincerely trying to become My pure devotee. So, Krishna will give all blessings. He see the sincerity, you see. Give all blessings to help one overcome all the anarthism in the heart full of lust, the anger, the madness.

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji: That does not include that.

Sankarshan Das: What is that?

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji:  That includes also if you make one mistake you don't repeat it?

Sankarshan Das: We make the same damn mistake again and again. And we don't overcome it. Even though we won’t like to, we have a habit to make the mistake again and again and again.

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji: After making many times mistakes.

Sankarshan Das: Even many times. Some of us are so fallen, we've gone for many years making the same mistake again and again and again. We are so rooted in our anarthas.

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji: When does the question come to put surrender to Guru and Krishna?

Sankarshan Das: It is something to aim for. For us struggling neophytes. So, when will that day be mine? It's like Bhaktivinoda Thakur is showing us the mood, kabe ha'be bolo se-dina āmār When, oh when will that day be mine? When my offenses ceasing, taste for the name increasing, when in my heart will Your mercy shine? aparādha ghuci', śuddha nāme ruci, kṛpā-bale ha'be hṛdoye sañcār. kabe ha'be bolo se-dina āmār So, for us neophytes who haven't gotten over our anarthas, we can sing this song about the Bhakti Vinod Thakur great feeling and wonder when will that day come, when I can stop this stupid, ridiculous war of independence that I'm engaging in against Krishna and Guru and Vaishnavas. When will that day be mine?

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji:  Do we have to endeavour for that?

Sankarshan Das: We should definitely endeavour for it and pray for it and beg for it. We should strive like anything at every minute. Let me give up my nonsense independence and become a fully submissive servant of Guru, Krishna and Vaishnavas. We should endeavour every minute, every nanosecond. Be endeavouring for that. Sadhana Bhakti, you are endeavouring, endeavouring, endeavouring, endeavouring to bring the rascal mind under control.

More questions coming in now.

Paramahamsa Das: During morning hours what helps to recalibrate the thought process of a very intense japa with proper meditation.

Sankarshan Das: Well, you chant the Pachatattva mantra first before chanting japa. Jai sri-Krsna-caitanya prabhu nityananda / sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrinda.And then pray, my dear Lord, please bless me so I can chant these names purely without any offense. Beg for that mercy.

Panchatattva Das: Hare Krishna, Srila Gurudev, kindly enlighten, surrender to spiritual master is more important than surrender to Lord Krishna.

Sankarshan Das: They are both important. Actually, there is no difference. The Guru says surrender to Krishna and Krishna says surrender to Guru. So, what is the difference? It is the same thing. If you are fully surrendered to Guru, it means you are fully surrendered to Krishna. If you are fully surrendered to Krishna, you are fully surrendered to the Guru. Why are you making some distinction? That's artificial. That's why you separate them. You can't separate them. If you have a bogus guru, then you can separate them. If you have a bona fide spiritual master, there is no difference.

Govardhan Das:Irrespective of wanting to enjoy separately, still Krishna provides all basic needs instead of punishing us. He sees all living entities are fed.

Sankarshan Das: Krishna is very kindly taking care of us. Even the government, they take care of the prisoners. They make sure the prisoners are well fed. The prisoners are well fed in the state prison. They have a very good diet. Unfortunately, it is meat. But they have it. They give proper diet to the prisoners. They don't punish them with just bread and water only. They give them a very nice diet. So, Krishna also facilitates us in our rebellious condition. Because He loves us.

Prajna Nagpal: I heard him in a lecture that Caitanya does not appear in kali-yuga.

Sankarshan Das: Well, He did appear in the kali-yuga. This particular kali-yuga, maybe there are some kali-yugas, but I can't say about other kali-yugas, but I can say Krishna appeared in this kali-yuga. That I can say absolutely.

Rati Manjari: When can one go for the brahmanical initiation after the first initiation?

Sankarshan Das:Actually, if you have shown your steadiness in your first initiation vows, and you've shown that you're steady in your devotional service, it's up to your local authorities to recommend you. Actually, Prabhupada would give it upto six months even, second initiation. six months after first initiation. Except for the local authorities, they figure, pretty, you have your clean enough and punctual enough that you can be counted on to do deity worship on time. That's one criterion.

Every kali-yuga I can't say about. I'm not sure. All I know is He is appeared in this kali-yuga. Okay.

Panchatattva Das:  Some neophytes are not accepting the spiritual master and tell that they have already surrendered to Lord Krishna.

Sankarshan Das: They are bogus. I don't need a guru if I have surrendered to Krishna. I have ignored His instruction in the Bhagavad Gita to accept a spiritual master.

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji:  Yes, but those who are accepted the spiritual master, those are not surrender.

Sankarshan Das: That's another thing. All the superstition, they haven't factually accepted the spiritual master within their heart, they are just making a show. So how to preach to such persons? Tell them Bhagavad Gita 4.34.

tad viddhi pranipatena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti te jñānam

jñāninas tattva-dārṣinah,  

just try to learn the truth by approaching the spiritual master, inquire from him submissively, render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji:  So, what's the point in getting the neophyte who doesn't want to do what those who are are not surrendered?

Sankarshan Das:  Both should be surrendered.

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji: Yeah, both should be.

Sankarshan Das: Those who have taken initiation should be submitted. There is a bogus philosophy, well if you don't like your guru, you can take somebody else as your guru. What kind of bogus philosophy is that? It is Miskcon. If you don't like your guru, if you like another guru who is better than you, you can take him and follow him instead. What kind of bogus nonsense is this? This is kali-yuga philosophy. This is not Krishna consciousness, kali consciousness, kali-yuga consciousness. Gurus are like saying, well, if you don't like your wife, you can take somebody else, dump your wife and take another wife, get divorced. I don't like my wife so I get a divorce and take another wife. This is not Vedic culture. Switching gurus is not Vedic culture, it's kali-yuga culture.

Vishnurata: One should never go outside of Srila Prabhupada’s books and teachings. What can be the danger?

Sankarshan Das:  Prabhupada is teaching Bhagavad Gita as it is. What happens? Say, I think I like Dr. Radhakrishnan's Bhagavad Gita more, I'm going to follow that one instead. According to Radhakrishnan's Bhagavad Gita, it's not just the person Krishna leaves you surrender to but to the unborn, unmanifested, that is within Krishna, that is within you, that is within me, that is within everyone, even with a mosquito. That is the Krishna I am going to surrender to. If you go to those who are not presenting Bhagavad Gita as it is, they will cheat you and they will misguide you. So, do you want to be cheated and misguided by people who are telling you that he is not the person Krishna you should have to surrender to? You want to be cheated? Go and read any so-called Bhagavad Gita. You're welcome if you want to be cheated. You want to stay in the cycle of birth and death? Go ahead. Take these little rascals who are presenting their own philosophy and not presenting what Krishna says.

So, I guess we are a little bit over time today. Sunday, we make sure early we have extra service getting ready for the Sunday love feast. Oh wow. Keep Jai. Good answer. So, we'll stop here. We thank everybody for tuning in. Take this process seriously. Don't follow the bogus gurus that say you can surrender to anybody, surrender to the dog in the street, it doesn't matter, it's all one. We thank Bhagavad Gita.

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji:  Everything is done.

Sankarshan Das: Everything is done?

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji:  Yes.

Sankarshan Das: Oh, Gurumataji, you're amazing.

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji:  That's why she's sitting here.

Sankarshan Das: What is that?

Local Devotee:That’s why she is sitting there.

Sankarshan Das:  Any other questions? Yes.

Local Devotee: You were talking about the beginning is Sadhana bhakti and then…

Sankarshan Das: Raganuga.

Local Devotee:  Yeah, so how do we understand, like Srila Prabhupada, he seemed to be doing Sadhana bhakti.

Sankarshan Das: Prabhupada is Raghanuga bhakta.

Local Devotee: Yeah, but he is...

Sankarshan Das:  They automatically follow the rules and regulations. Not to endeavour for them. No, Ihave to follow rules and regulations. No, they automatically follow the rules and regulations.

Local Devotee:  But he still had a very tight schedule, like he did the same thing every time. So how is that possible?

Sankarshan Das: They appear to be sadhana bhaktas, but actually they are not.

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji: I have to send an example, acharya. For you.

Sankarshan Das:  Yes, Prabhupada would be on time for mangalarati. He was not doing mangalarati only, in everything.

Sankarshan Das:  He was perfect in everything. He was an amazing, amazing person. He was an amazing, amazing person. Just to see him, to be with him, to be close to him, to be able to stand close to him is just so much potency. It is like being with Krishna Himself. It is so much potency just being with the Prabhupada. Getting close to the Vyasasana is a very, very powerful experience of being physically close to him. So powerful.

Anything else? Yes.

Local Devotee: You were also describing that surrender to Guru, Krishna and Vaisnavas. So, Guru and Krishna are automatically one and they are not alike in their instructions. But what happens sometimes the Vaishnavas have different opinions.

Sankarshan Das: Then you stay with your, then ask your spiritual master what to do. He is the authority. You ask him, Gurudeva, I heard this and that, what should I do? Ask the spiritual master.

Local Devotee: So then how to also be surrendered to the Vaishnavas if they have a difference of opinion?

Sankarshan Das:  You have to respectfully, we, vancha-kalpa we offer our respect to them, at the same time we respectfully don't follow their instructions. They say it's okay to have, for householders to have recreational sex as long as they don't kill the baby. We respectfully disagree with them.

Local Devotee: We still offer them the respects.

Sankarshan Das: Yeah.

Local Devotee: So, we still see them as a Vaisnava even if they are not preaching?

Sankarshan Das: We understand that they are wrong. Their understanding is wrong. But we see at least they are chanting Hare Krishna. We don't blaspheme them. We respectfully disagree with them. It's like the GBC, they have disagreements and then the majority rules on different issues. They may disagree, but then the majority decision is what carries the day. An example.

Anything else from the locals? On the internet?

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji:  That is not on the sastra. When the GBCs have a disagreement, they are not on the sastra. What they are going to establish their .. they are not going to agree. They are not changing their disagreement with the sastra.

Sankarshan Das: What is this, Devi?

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji:  The GBCs, they are not...

Sankarshan Das: They are not going to make a decision against the Prabhupada’s teachings.

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji: They don’t.

Sankarshan Das: No, they are not going to make decision against Prabhupada's teaching.

Srimati Vishnupriya Gurumataji:  They don't have this ability. They may have this ability in putting the new issues or something. Now we have Caitanya Das.

Caitanya Das: If one is dependent on the mercy of Guru and Krishna, even sustaining in Krishna consciousness, how can one aim to progress towards pure bhakti without burdening the spiritual master?

Sankarshan Das:  It's a labour of love. Spiritual master has taken the burden of his disciples. Even he has to suffer sometimes for their sinful, their karma. He has to suffer. He may have to suffer some physical difficulty because of the sins of his disciples. It's the spiritual master's labour of love. He's doing it, his spiritual master ordered him to become a guru and deliver the world. So, he's trying to do the best he can to serve his spiritual master's order and it's a burden of love. When the spiritual master accepts a disciple and gives initiation to the disciple, he's taking a burden of delivering that disciple back to home, back to Godhead, no matter what kind of sinful reactions he has. So, if you didn't want to burden the spiritual master, you shouldn't have gotten initiated. He's already accepted it as a labour of love. The Lord Caitanya is pleased when he sees the spiritual master taking such a burden to deliver these disciples back to home, back to Godhead. He's pleased, the Prabhupada is pleased, the Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati is pleased, Bhaktivinoda Thakur is pleased, Narottama Dasa Thakur is pleased. Your spiritual master is pleasing all the previous acharyas by taking your burden. So, he is actually very happy to accept the burden of delivering you back to home, back to Godhead because he is giving great pleasure to his predecessor acharya.

Anything else? Yes.

Local Devotee:  I heard that the pure devotee never actually suffers, so how else to understand that?

Sankarshan Das:  Only the pure devotee appears to suffer. His body may suffer ailments, but a pure devotee is not disturbed by the suffering that his body goes through. A pure devotee is transcendental.

matra-sparsas tu kaunteya

sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah

agamapayino ‘nityas

tams titiksasva bharata,

the non-permanent appearance of happiness and distress and their disappearance in due course are like the appearance and disappearance of summer and winter seasons, one should learn to tolerate them without being disturbed, O scion of Bharata. of Bharata. So, the pure devotee, the Prabhupada had suffered heart attacks. He had two heart attacks on the way to America. And he suffered, in the end he was suffering, his body was greatly diseased, and he left and became very sickly and diseased. He's lying there on his deathbed in Vrindavan, was he suffering? Not really. His body was in a suffering position, but he wasn't suffering. He was transcendental to his body. Does that make it clear?

Anything else? Everybody satisfied now, ready to become pure devotees and make the whole world Krishna conscious as soon as possible? Okay, we'll stop here. We thank everybody for tuning in. 

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.