HH Radhanath Maharaja’s Sunday Feast lecture given on June 4, 2006, at the ISKCON temple of Washington DC,

[What follows is the transcript of HH Radhanath Maharaja’s Sunday Feast lecture given on June 4, 2006, at the ISKCON temple of Washington DC, located in Potomac, Maryland. The transcript is not entirely verbatim]



HH Radhanath Maharaja:

Hare Krsna. I am very grateful to have this chance to be with all of you in this auspicious temple of Sri Radha Madan Mohan. Srila Prabhupada personally named these deities?
Anuttama: Krsna first came and Radha came later. . . . [unclear]
Maharaja: Radha Madan Mohan, haribol. Madan is the name of Kamadeva or in Western terminology, Cupid. His arrows are exceedingly sharp and when they pierce the heart they make people mad for personal enjoyment. But Krsna is Madan-mohan which means that his beauty and charm, his love, is so spiritually sweet that even Cupid is bewildered.
There is a place in Vrindavan on the parikrama marg known as Madan Tila. There Kamadeva, it is said, wanted to attract Krsna. So he stood close to a tree and drew his bow with his most formidable arrow to pierce the heart of Krsna. But as he saw the beautiful form of the Lord, Madan Mohan, he fainted in ecstasy. Therefore Krsna is Madan Mohan.
Because everyone is looking for pleasure, anandamayo ‘bhyasat, it is the constitutional nature of every soul to want to be happy. The insignificant insects are looking for pleasure; the greatest conquerors of the world and the universe are doing so many things in the pursuit of happiness. It is the inseparable condition of every living being that he is thirsty for pleasure and fearful of what may interrupt that pursuit. That is why people have such fear of disease, death, poverty, loss of family members, as it interrupts our pleasure in life. We seek pleasure—if there is life, there is the search for pleasure.
The origin of our nature, the nature of the soul is as a part of God longing for the pleasure of receiving his love. Krsna is the supreme object of everyone’s love. The Absolute Truth or God has many aspects which he reveals according to time, place, and circumstance. He may appear as a stern father who showers fire and brimstone on sinful people, or he may appear in various incarnations to attract particular people. He is the supreme judge that takes note of our every thought, word, and deed: past, present, and future. But according to Srimad-Bhagavatam, the deeper and more elevated understanding of the Lord is that he is all-attractive, or Krsna, the supreme source of all beauty, knowledge, strength, wealth, fame, renunciation and the proprietor of all that exists. Krsna tells in Gita that whatever you consider opulent in this world is but a spark of my splendor.
We see to what extent people strive for, even cheat, for wealth, power, money, and fame. It is common universally that in the greed for wealth and power brothers become worst enemies, sons kill their own fathers or put them in prison. What is this driving force, the force of seeking pleasure through sexual relations, how it has infatuated like a burning fever human society. But Krsna tells whatever beautiful things you see in this world is an insignificant reflection of my beauty. He is the complete whole so as we hear and chant about him we became attracted by him directly. So Krsna consciousness is so natural. Srila Prabhupada explained that Krsna consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind; it is the original, natural nature of every one of us to be ecstatic in love with God. When Srila Prabhupada came to this country he told I haven’t come to teach you something new but to remind you of what you have forgotten: that we are etertnal servants of Lord. This service is offered with love. (?)
bhaktya tvananyaya sakhya aham eva vidho ‘rjuna
Krsna tells in Gita that it is only by undivided devotional service that I can be understood as I am.
Krsna is bhakta-vatsala, the property or friend of one who offers him service with love. Lord Caitanya, when he was speaking to Thakur Haridas—who was a simple man of an outcaste family but had deep attachment to the holy name and sharing love of God with others; he was not a wealthy man materially, he was living in a cave and for some time his room-mate was a snake. Hare Krsna. Yet he had such a wealth of love that Lord Caitanya proclaimed, “I am eternally a prisoner in the heart of Haridas Thakur.”
The most esoteric and beautiful aspect of the Supreme Lord is that he controls all but accepts being controlled by the love of his devotee. He is completely independent and can do anything and everything at any time and anywhere. How many of you would like to have such power? He is acyuta, infallible.
It’s so hard to renovate our house or our temple—it can take years—but Krsna creates all the unlimited universes and all within in the universe instantly, just by his will. All it requires is that within his heart he may silently think, “Let there be creation”, and the whole thing is manifested. And then, as Mahavisnu, “Let there be destruction”, and he inhales and all is gone. That is the power of God, he is svarat, completely independent.
Here in the US, as we were speaking last night about the revolutionary war, the colonists wanted independence from the British and wrote the declaration of independence. This disturbed the King of Britain very much and he sent an army over. It was a bloody battle, so many died just to get a little independence. And really what was the independence? On the 200th anniversary of the United States’ independence, Srila Prabhupada said we want to declare our dependence on God. What is the use of this independence? Real independence is to not have to suffer the powers that force us to get old, diseased, and die. Hare Krsna.
George Washington, Sriman George Washington [laughter], was a good general and person, we know the story of the apple tree and him admitting to the father, “I did it”; he was very honest at least in that instance. We are here in Washington DC over two centuries later and thousands are going to the George Washington Monument. He conquered the British, but death conquered him. Similarly the Jefferson Monument—Thomas Jefferson was writing the Declaration of Independence, but he too got old and died. That is power of material nature, maya.
Krsna tells I am the controller of material nature. Everyone is under the control of God because he is all-powerful. Our free will is essentially whether we want to be under his material or spiritual energy:
nityo nityananam cetanas cetananam
There are many, many individual souls and there is one supreme soul. All are under the subordination of the one supreme soul. We could either be subject to his material energy consisting of the three modes of material nature, goodness, passion, and ignorance which create an atmosphere of change. The soul is not temporary; the soul is eternal, so he will never be happy like that. Or we can be under his spiritual energy and enter into his pastimes of love. When we awaken that dormant love within our heart, what happens is something so inconceivable. Krsna tells us that he, the all-powerful independent Supreme Lord, becomes a prisoner in the heart of a devotee who loves him.
Now to be physically strong, how long will it last? Wealth is all gone at death if not before. Mystic powers and miracles, so what? To attain liberation from suffering, for a devotee that’s worse than hell unless we have an opportunity to serve the Lord. But bhakti, devotional service, is the crest jewel of all goals as it is so powerful that in reciprocation it attracts Krsna’s heart in a stream of endless love and conquers him.
Should I tell one story in this regard? I won’t speak too long. I am sorry we were late. There are two reasons for this. One is that we left late and two is that we also had a flat tire on the way. Hare Krsna. Which of the two made us more late I will not discuss. [laughter]
Krsna appeared in this world in the Age of Kali as Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya is Krsna himself who took the role of a devotee to teach us how to be one, how wonderful it is being a devotee and pleasing God. And who knows better than God himself? Krsna spoke Bhagavad-gita and explained how to find real happiness. The science of self realization was so succinctly expounded in Bhagavad-gita, but how to practically follow that is difficult. So Krsna came in the role of a devotee to teach by his example.
And one of the things Lord Caitanya greatly emphasized is we should never strive to become God. No one should declare to be God. God is God. God is free, svarat, independent. He controls all yet by his will he is controlled by the love of his devotees. But God never comes under maya. So if anyone for even one second thinks he may be God, this is evidence he was never God and never will be. Hare Krsna. How many in this world may have come under the influence of maya? Nobody? [laughter] Prakasananda Sarasvati would be very happy. [laughter]
Lord Caitanya was so beautiful, so attractive in every way, so merciful. One time in Vrindavan when he was visiting, some learned brahmanas offered him the respect of being the Lord, Narayana. When Lord Caitanya heard this, he covered his ears and said, “Never call anyone Narayana!”
mamaivamsa jiva loke jiva bhuta sanatana
“We are all eternal servants, parts and parcels of the Lord. We are qualitatively one but quantitatively small. The Lord is very great”. He cited so many scriptures to prove, along with logic and philosophy, that the jiva is always subordinate to God.
These brahmanas agreed with this, but then they said “What you are saying is correct, but we can understand that although you are covered with this very, very beautiful golden complexion, underneath you are the beautiful bluish form of the son of Nanda Maharaja. You can take sandal or musk and wrap it in some layers, but you cannot hide the identity of that fragrant substance.”
In what was a very rare instance, Lord Caitanya manifested his opulence to them.
In Navadvipa, Lord Caitanya wanted to each everyone the simple process of love of God, sankirtana, simply by chanting, dancing, and feasting in the association of devotees, whoever you are, the goal is awaiting you.
dina hina jata chilo hariname uddharilo
tar saksi jagai madhai
And to teach the world how no one is disqualified, the power of nama-sankirtana is so unlimitedly merciful that even the most sinful of all sinners can achieve the ultimate goal if they take shelter.
Jagai and Madhai were murderers, rapists, drunkards, meat-eaters, robbers, liars. . . they didn’t do anything pious. Morality was a disgusting conception to them. Hare Krsna. Every day they had their quota of sinful murderous activities to cause others suffering. No one in this world today could compare to them, but by the mercy of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda they took shelter of the holy name and today, if you go to Katwa in West Bengal, there is the tomb of Madhai, and for the past four hundred years, the most pure saintly people go and offer respect and worship Madhai, who was the more sinful of the two. Such is the power of God’s grace. This was Lord Caitanya’s life in this world, tasting the sweet intoxication of his own names and inducing others to chant.
Once he came into the house of Srivas Thakur and manifested his opulence as God. For what purpose? To fulfill the desires of his devotees. For twenty-one continuous hours he manifested his all-attractive form as the Personality of Godhead. I will explain one section of this twenty-one hours of transcendental ecstasy.
[Child crying in the background] This child is crying for pleasure. If we could only chant with that intensity how wonderful life would be! [Deities closing] Sri Radha Madan Mohan ki jai!
Lord Caitanya is sitting on the throne of Lord Visnu and he called out, “Bring Sridhar! He is my devotee and always longs to seem me and I long to see him.”
The devotees asked, “Where is he? Who is he?”
“He lives on the outskirts of town. Go there, he chants all night; just listen and you will find him.” They went out in the darkness to find him.
Sridhar was such a simple man. He made his living by taking banana leaves and selling them. He would take the banana trunk or banana flowers and cut and sell the pieces. Sometimes he actually had bananas and would sell them, sitting on the side of the dusty road. He never had much, but whatever he got he would sell it. He was honest as Maharaja Yudhisthira. He was so honest that he was scheming how to make as little profit as possible and survive.
Tell me in the great land of America, the capital of capitalism, have you ever met a businessman like this who is scheming how to make as little profit as possible and survive? [laughter] No one ever bargained with him as the price was so low. And this was in India! [laughter] This is cultural disorientation; in India everything is bargained over.
I met one devotee some time back. He was with Srila Prabhupada in 1965 in New York City, in the Bowery. He met Prabhupada at a yoga studio and Prabhupada took him back to his little apartment and Prabhupada asked him if he wanted prasad. Prabhupada was going to cook for this boy. Prabhupada had only little money. So they went to the store together, and Prabhupada bought all the ingredients: rice, flour, vegetables. He took it to the counter and the lady keyed everything in to the register [Maharaja mimicks this], trring! “It will be 20.75 dollars. Remember this is in New York City. Srila Prabhupada said, “I will give you ten dollars”. [laughter]
So the lady said, “Sir, excuse me?”
“It’s not worth even eight dollars!”
“This is America, sir!”
Prabhupada was bargaining with her. That’s how life goes on in India!
So the lady was so charmed by his sincerity. She definitely didn’t want to take the food back from the Swami, so she reached into her purse, took out the balance cash and put it in the register. “Ok, Swamiji, you can go.”
But Kolaveca Sridhar quoted such a low price that his customers just accepted his price as final. With that little income, the first thing he did was he took half, the first half, and made offerings to the Ganga, knowing that the Ganga is the dear devotee of the Lord. The Ganga comes to deliver sins and awaken love of God if you approach her in proper consciousness. The servant of the servant is the highest aspiration for a true devotee. On the balance he and his family somehow survived, but very happily.
In earlier life, Lord Caitanya was Nimai the scholar. Nobody knew he was God. Daily he would go to Sridhar and ask the prices. Sridhar would say the price. “Shocking!”, Nimai would say. “You are cheating. I will give you half the price!” For Sridhar that meant starving. It was a significant loss. He was so poor from a material point of view that selling a banana for half price was a major loss. And then Lord Caitanya would take a whole bunch like that. “No, no! Give me the full price!” Lord Caitanya would not accept.
Then Sridhar would say, “Well, then go to some other shop, there are so many in Navadvipa!” Lord Caitanya said, “I will never go to anyone else as I know a good supplier when I find one.” [laughter] And usually what would happen is Lord Caitanya would take the produce and not give him anything at all! Daily Lord Caitanya argued with Kolaveca Sridhar for two hours! Hare Krsna. It was like his regulation to go and argue over the price with Sridhar for two hours. Why? He was the Supreme Lord, he had lots of more important things to do. But he was reciprocating with Sridhar’s love.
One time Lord Caitanya said to Sridhar, “Why do you worship Krsna, why are you always chanting his name, what has he done for you? Your house is a straw hut, there are holes in the roof and in the rainy season your whole house is flooded. And what kind of food do you eat? You are just skin and bones, how much are you eating? And you don’t have money for needle and thread, you just tie the holes in your clothes! And I can see twenty such holes in your clothes. And look at your neighbors, they have so much fine food and clothing and big houses. They are not worshipping Krsna, so why are you?”
Sridhar said, “I am happy. I don’t need anything, I have Krsna! I may not have the best clothes, but still I have clothes. And I have a house and I get enough to eat. In my years in this world I have seen there is a king with opulence and jewels, eating rich food and living in a palace, and I see common birds, their only clothes are feathers, their house is a nest. But time passes in the same way. I am happy with my life, chanting the names of Krsna.”
Then Lord Caitanya said something that really shook Sridhar in his heart:
“You are cheating everyone! You are a pretender! You are living such a duplicitous life. Everyone thinks you are so poor but you have an immense wealth that you hide from our eyes.” Sridhar was amazed. “Nimai, what are you saying? Go in my house and search!”
“No, you are hiding and cheating us, but someday I am going to reveal that treasure to the world and expose you, Sridhar!” And then he took all the bananas and left.” Hare Krsna. [laughter]
Sridhar was socially so unknown that except for his own family, no one even knew his name was Sridhar. In this world, everyone likes to have his name in lights. Everyone wants to have a good name, that his name should go down in history, people crave to have their name known in the world. But Sridhar, everyone who knew him in Navadvipa only knew him as Kolaveca, the banana-seller. “There’s the banana seller.” But Sridhar was happy.
na dhanam na janam na sundarim
Lord Caitanya taught this is what a devotee really is. Not just one who shaves or wears beads or a dhoti or sari or who has a particular type of tilaka. A devotee is a state of consciousness. And what is that? “I don’t want wealth or the pleasures of the opposite sex or fame and prestige. I don’t want liberation from suffering, my Lord. I just want to serve you birth after birth, unconditionally.”
The degree we have no motivation, to that degree we develop spiritually. The externals help focus us to that goal but the only value they have is to the extent they propel us to this most holy aspiration. All of the religions teach us that there may be different rituals and languages, practices, traditions, but all for the purpose to bring us to the point of loving devotional service. If it does not bring us to this goal, srama eva, Srimad Bhagavatam says it is all a waste of time.
This was the nature of Kolaveca Sridhar. So on this particular night, Lord Caitanya told his devotees to go find Sridhar. No one knew who or where he was. “He chants all night, listen and follow that sound.”
Kolaveca Sridhar, when he would chant all night, he would chant loudly. And as we have found in the Hare Krsna movement, the neighbors don’t always appreciate this. Especially at 4:30 in the morning. [laughter]
I remember in Bombay, in the temple, once this man came to me after mangala-arati one morning. “Why do you chant like this?” And we do soft kirtana in the morning, there is no amplification. But he said, “Why are you polluting the atmosphere with all this noise in the morning?” I was so happy as this was the exact words of blasphemy spoken to Lord Caitanya. I was very happy to hear this as this meant we are bona fide. [laughter] This man was sending us this compliment.
And Sridhar was screaming the Lord’s names at night. His neighbors were angry, “Why don’t you just shut up, Sridhar, we need sleep so we can go out and make money in the day. Why are you all night screaming? Oh, we know why he’s chanting—his belly is burning and that’s why he’s screaming in pain. He’s just a parasite!” And sometimes they would pick up a pumpkin or some vegetable and throw it at Sridhar. “Here, eat this and shut up!” But Sridhar didn’t care; he would go on chanting in happiness.
They followed the sound of the chanting and came to his little hut. “Sridhar, Lord Caitanya is calling for you!” As soon as he heard the name of Lord Caitanya, he fell unconscious. “Why is he calling me? There are so many important people!” He knew Lord Caitanya was God; this was years later. “Why me, insignificant me?”
But because he had that consciousness, the Lord was calling for him. If you’re thinking why is the Lord not calling me, you will not be called, but if when it comes, you were not expecting it, then that is the reason you were called. Mercy is not something that we deserve; it comes by the power of the kindness of the Lord. If we think we deserve it, we don’t.
trnadapi sunicena taror iva sahisnuna
Lord Caitanya told Sanatana Goswami, who was the worshiper of Madan Mohan in Vrindavan, humility alone purchases God. Without humility there is no real bhakti, and without bhakti the Lord is not concerned, he let’s you deal with your karma and material nature. Humility alone can purchase the Lord, it is an inseparable aspect of devotion. And Kolaveca Sridhar was the embodiment of such humility. He didn’t expect honor, prestige or recognition: “Let whatever happens come, I deserve worse, but I’m so grateful my Lord for your holy name.”
Recently we were discussing one devotee who passed away recently in Bombay.
This was in January. Our Madhvacarya helped this devotee in an amazing way. He was a very simple boy, kind of like Kolaveca Sridhar, really simple. He was from a village, not highly educated, he performed only menial services but he always wanted to please the devotees. If he could not please the devotees he felt bad, and if he could he felt good. He was a wonderful soul. His name was Stoka Krsna Prabhu. He got married in his early 30’s and his wife was pregnant; he was hardly 34 years old and suddenly he was diagnosed with incurable fast acting cancer. He was given only a month to live.
Now for most people, even devotees, they would likely ask, “Why is God doing this to me? I dedicated fifteen years to him! Why? I just got married, my wife is about to have a child. I’m only 34 years old, and I’m wracked with pain.” He was soon paralyzed from the waist down, he was emaciated, dying. “Why is God doing this to me now?”
He never asked that question. I believe he never even thought that. When I spoke to him he had another question: “Why, why is God doing this to me?” This is what he asked: “I’m so insignificant. Why did he give me the association of devotees? I’ve had fifteen years of such association, why would God give me that? Why such a fallen soul as me has the chance to chant the holy names? For fifteen years I’ve been chanting God’s names. Out of all the billions of people, why me? Why? Why someone so undeserving has been given so many opportunities to serve Srila Prabhupada’s glorious mission?”
This was his question, “I don’t deserve it. I have no regrets, I’m just grateful that in my life I had so many chances to serve the Lord.”
That is a grateful heart and that consciousness attracts Krsna:
tat te ‘nukampan susamiksamano
Srimad Bhagavatam declares, and Srila Prabhupada quotes again and again, who is a proper candidate to go back to Godhead? When difficulties come we respond with folded palms and grateful heart and thank God that, “I deserve worse but whatever comes is your mercy for my betterment,” and in that mood take shelter. Then we are actually guaranteed to go back to Godhead and not otherwise. The world needs living examples, and sometimes the Lord takes sweet dear souls and puts them in such situations to teach us.
In Radha Gopinath temple we have learned and renounced brahmacaris who are powerful scholars and can attract many people to Krsna consciousness. Stoka Krsna couldn’t do that, but all of these brahmacaris were weeping, thinking “This is a real devotee. Powerful grhasthas who have much wealth and influence were thinking, “This is a real devotee, just see how he is teaching us what is Krsna consciousness”. It is not about what we can do but who we are. . . .
So he passed from this world. And the night before he left he was hardly breathing so the devotees called me and I started telling Krsna’s Vrindavan pastimes in his ears. He could hardly open his eyes, but as I began speaking, he turned his head and had a huge smile. His eyes opened and lit up as he listened. Hare Krsna. That was the medicine, just hearing the glories of Krsna. And the next day the Brajabasis came from Vrindavan. They brought Tulasi and garlands and holy water from the Yamuna, Radha Kunda, Syama Kunda. This was all by chance. All this maha prasadam was offered to him. The room was filled with devotees chanting. There were hundreds of devotees gathered outside. It was Advaita Acarya’s appearance day. A glorious kirtan was going on and in that midst Stoka Krsna Prabhu gave up his life. Krsna took him.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur says that the first qualification to take to devotional service is simplicity. It is the foundation on which to make real progress. We must have no duplicity, no separate agenda, we just want to please Krsna. We’re not trying to get something for ourselves and sneaking around hypocritically to achieve that.
So Kolaveca Sridhar was crying, saying “I don’t deserve this, why is he calling me? I am just a banana seller—avataras are dancing and chanting next to him, scholars, brahmanas—why me?” Saying this Sridhar fainted. He was so humble. They had to lift him up and carry him to Srivasangam. When he came before Lord Caitanya, Lord Caitanya said, “I’ve been waiting for you, behold my opulence!” And right before his eyes, Lord Caitanya manifested his glory.
Would you like to hear what he saw? My twenty minutes has expired. My dear Godbrother Anuttama Prabhu said I have twenty minutes to two hours. My other dear Godbrother Anuttama Prabhu is also here. I am surrounded by Anuttamas. I will try to balance to respect both.
He saw Lord Caitanya transform into Krsna whose body was dark like a tamal tree, with flute in hand, with complexion like a monsoon clowd. To his right was Sri Balaramaji who was like a spring cloud. Krsna was smiling with lips like the bimba fruit, with a nose like sesame, lotus eyes, beautiful blackish hair, encircling his face which was illuminated like the moon. His beautiful neck was like a conchshell with three lines, his broad chest was decorated with the Kaustubha mani, the divine gem. He wore a vaijayanti mala, a forest garland which extended below his knees. He had a beautiful three fold bending form. His lower garment was like brilliant lightning, and on his lotus feet each nail sparkled like millions of diamonds. It was this form that smiled upon Sridhar. He saw Krsna-Balarama, and on one side was Laksmidevi offering prayers and acts of devotion, there was Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, Narada, the four Kumaras, unlimited beautiful goddesses all singing the praise of Krsna-Balarama. The setting was in a forest of Vrindavan near the Yamuna with peacocks and parrots sweetly singing.
Seeing this, Kolaveca Sridhar fainted in ecstasy. It was just too much for him. Lord Caitanya revived him with his touch and said, “Sridhar, I want to offer you a boon, ask me for anything.” All the eight siddhis-there are many yoga studios in the US these days teaching asanas, yama-niyama, pranayama, meditation. From this sometimes you may get a little healthier or have less stress, but actual yogis can get the eight mystic perfections with which you can perform unbelievable miracles.
With these you can create your own planet. Hare Krsna. That’s a by-product of yoga. Visvamitra Muni and Kardama Muni could do that. Kardama created an aerial ship. He didn’t have to make reservations on United Airlines. [laughter] By his mantra om. . . ., whoosh! A beautiful ship with palaces and swans and maidservants—not airline hostesses—beautiful goddesses serving him. No seat belts or vomit bags or delayed flights. He could go anywhere in the universe!
Visvamitra Muni wanted a child, but he didn’t want to be entangled with the regular process of creating a child, so he chanted a mantra and a child was born like a fruit on a tree.
So Lord Caitanya offered Kolaveca Sridhar the eight mystic perfections. Now if you were offered that would you accept? But Sridhar said, “I have no interest in them, I don’t want anything, just to be your servant.”
“But I want you to ask me for something! It will make me happy.”
“Lord, please do not be unhappy, I don’t want anything.”
I’m not unhappy, but I want to give you something. You have all your life given me everything. I took all your bananas and leaves every day.” Lord Caitanya, he would not take a meal unless it was on the leaf of Kolaveca Sridhar as a plate. Hare Krsna. “I took so much from you for no return, so ask me for anything, great wealth, whatever.”
“I have no concern for wealth.”
“Then take liberation!”
“Why are you disturbing me? I have no concern for liberation.”
“So what do you want?”
“You are my master and I am your servant eternally.”
“Make me happy and ask!
“All right, to please you, that sweet boy Nimai who would steal bananas, let me always remember him in my heart birth after birth. That is all I desire.”
Lord Caitanya was defeated by Sridhar’s extraordinary humility. All the devotees around were weeping to see his qualities. Lord Caitanya said, “I give you pure unalloyed devotional service eternally.” He asked Sridhar to offer prayers. “I’m not educated, I don’t know any prayers.” Lord Caitanya said, “Just say something.”
To please the Lord, Sridhar tried to speak, and Goddess Sarasvati appeared on his tongue and he recited beautiful prayers: “All glories to the son of Mother Saci, Lord Caitanya, all glories to the the creator, maintainer and destroyer of unlimited universes. Only by your causeless mercy have you descended to establish the holy name which bestows liberation to all. This is the real priceless treasure of devotional service, and you agree to be defeated by that devotion.”
Krsnadas Kaviraja Goswami relates that Bhisma also defeated the Lord. Krsna promised that he would not fight in the battle, but Bhisma wanted to show the world how much he loves his devotees. So he attacked Arjuna and to save Arjuna’s life from Bhisma’s fierce attack, Krsna lifted up a wheel of a chariot and attacked Bhisma. He did this to save Arjuna. And Bhisma was so happy! First he shot arrows at Krsna, and Krsna felt each arrows as pleasing, as last night at Gauravani’s house when we put flower petals on Krsna. Hare Krsna. Bhisma said, “Thank you, my Lord, you have fulfilled my desire!” And Krsna admitted, “I have been defeated by you.”
“Yasoda, by the power of her devotion tied you like a prisoner. Satyabhama, by the power of her devotion made you act like a henpecked husband.”
Prabhupada uses this word “henpecked”. I don’t have time to go in to this exhaustive subject now. [laughter] Krsna accepted Satyabhama’s demand. He had given Rukmini a parijata flower from the heavenly planets, so then Krsna went all the way back to heaven to give Satyabhama a parijata tree. He had to fight a war with the demigods for this. See how he was defeated by the love of his devotee.
“The cowherd boys headed by Sridama would wrestle with Krsna and Krsna would lose the match.”
How is this possible? Just like some of you are fathers with little children. Your child may like to fight with you but you could just finish them in a second. That’s all Krsna has to do! Just by inhaling he destroys all the universes, so what to speak of wrestling. But the child says, “Daddy, daddy I want to wrestle!” The real pleasure. . . it doesn’t please either party if the father crushes the child, but the father lets himself get pushed down, “Oh, I give up, I give up!” And the child runs around the house, “I defeated daddy!” That pleases both of them.
Why? It is an exchange of love. Krsna is defeated, and to show his defeat he would carry the victorious cowherd boys on his shoulders, “He defeated me.” Haribol. This is the power of bhakti.
Sridhar continued, “Unfortunately I have no love, not a trace of it is in my heart, but still you are calling for me, that is your causeless mercy.”
On another occasion Lord Caitanya kept his word. I will end soon for your pleasure. Lord Caitanya had the first public harinam procession to the house of the Chand Kazi. In religious history, the greatest benedictions come when there is a crisis. In a crisis one should not be afraid, it always for your good if you respond with a grateful heart and determination. . . ? [unclear section]
Chand Kazi outlawed harinam sankirtana, he had a hundred police torturing and imprisoning. Lord Caitanya told the devotees to just go and not to worry. How many of us would do like that? When Lord Caitanya heard how the persecution is going on, he said, “I will lead the chanting tonight, I will march right to the house of Chand Kazi and he will see death personified standing before him!” Hare Krsna. It was such a beautiful scene, millions of people joined the chanting. And the ecstasies the Lord was manifesting! Chand Kazi surrendered and became a devotee.
After this most heroic victorious harinam, Lord Caitanya went to the house of Kolaveca Sridhar with a few associates. There’s his little straw hut and Sridhar is sitting there. One of his only possessions was an old iron water pot for multi purposes. He would wash his feet with it, and it was kept just outside his house. It was bent and dented, discolored. Vrindavan Das Thakur reveals to us a very wonderful truth, that even the most desperate thief on earth would not consider stealing that pot. That’s all he had. Hare Krsna. He drank from it and washed from it. Lord Caitanya, the husband of Laksmi and Lord of Vaikuntha, he saw it and picked it up. Kolaveca Sridhar said, “Lord, what are you doing!” Lord Caitanya started drinking the water from Kolaveca Sridhar’s apparently dirty iron cup!”
“Oh, I’m dead, you’re drinking from my abominable contaminated cup!” He became so ashamed that he fell unconscious. All were weeping and crying and rolling on the ground. By drinking the water from the cup that Sridhar used to wash his feet, Lord Caitanya showed the world that he is conquered by the love of his devotees. “I never tasted such sweet nectar water as this, I experience real love of God by this water!” The devotees were beside themselves, why? Because the Lord kept his promise. He revealed the treasure of Kolaveca Sridhar, that devotion, that love that even conquers the Supreme Lord.
That is real wealth and there is no other real wealth, this fulfills the heart and can endure the power of time. It is the only wealth of devotion that has the power to satisfy the soul.
prema pumartho mahan
Lord Caitanya said the supreme of all goals is love of God. Srila Prabhupada came, [Maharaja is handed a note] ah, this is a very wonderful sloka that I’m about to read: “Sorry, we need to announce a car is blocking the driveway. It must be moved or it may be hit.” Listen carefully because your car may be about to hit! “It is a Honda Accord with license plate JJ392. (?) Please move it immediately. Also, those who may need to go now as your kids have school tomorrow, we are serving prasad now.”
Thank you. I will take this as a very subtle hint to stop. [loud laughter]
Thank you very, very much. Srila Prabhupada ki jai.
This is what Srila Prabhupada has traveled thirteen times around the world to give. This is real wealth. When Srila Prabhupada was living in the Bowery, Manhattan Island, New York City, he didn’t even have money for rent, nothing. And seeing the limousines and beatiful town houses of the rich people he felt pity for them. To Srila Prabhupada they were in poverty. What Srila Prabhupada brought on the steamship Jaladuta was the ultimate wealth of creation and he shared that with all of us. This was the wealth of love of God, purusartha-siromani, and he begged us simply to accept it. That was Lord Caitanya’s mission.
And how to accept it? To make that a priority over all other situations, yes, we have economic responsibilities, domestic needs, health needs—we must be responsible in all areas—but they must be harmonized in such a way that our focus is to purify our hearts and awaken love of God and share it with others. What we make our priority we will achieve.
This is his grace, it is not just theoretical, it is practical. Take the name of the Lord seriously; it is glorified in millions of times in millions of ways in all the scriptures throughout history. However busy we may be, we should orchestrate our lives so we can please him by chanting. In the Age of Kali, there is no other way. The Lord has descended in his name. We should welcome him in our hearts and give the time to express our appreciation.
If a guest comes and you give him no time are you a grateful host? So the Lord has come and we can show our gratitude by giving the time to chant, and to chant not for any material benefit. Strive to be humble and tolerant, forgiving and honest in all ways and the Lord will be pleased. It’s so simple, but in order to do so we need encouragement, therefore the association of devotees. The attitude to serve, that is real wealth. The attitude to serve, attention to the holy Name, and association of devotees is the supreme wealth. If we take that seriously then we have understood Srila Prabhupada’s teachings and Krsna will give us himself. Thank you very, very much.
[extended loud applause]
If my lecture had any potency the Honda Accord will have been moved by now.
[laughter] Now prasad?
Anuttama Prabhu: You can take questions if you like. There will also be arati and prasada is outside.
Maharaja: I think I have already subjected them to too much. Everyone please have prasada, thank you for your great tolerance and kindness upon me. Hare Krsna.