The following is a transcription of a discourse delivered by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja in Boven-Leeuwen, The Netherlands on May 6, 1996

 

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: First of all, I offer my hearty expressions of devotion to the lotus feet of my Gurudeva, nitya-līlā-praviṣṭa oṁ viṣṇupāda aṣṭottara-śata Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja. I also offer my deep śraddhā and honour to the lotus feet of pūjyapāda Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja. Also, to Prabhupāda Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. By the causeless mercy of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, we are seeing so many devotees here. Holland is a small country, yet I was not expecting to see so many devotees here! It is the grace of Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja. He came to fulfil the desire of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and especially of his Gurudeva, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda.

The whole world knows Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī as Prabhupāda. But any devotee can know his Gurudeva as Prabhupāda. At that time, the disciples of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura were giving a special kind of honour to their Gurudeva – they did not like to be called Prabhupāda in India. Anyhow, the disciples of Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja called him Prabhupāda. There is no harm. Anyone can use this word for their Guru. When we sing, “Jaya Prabhupāda! Jaya Prabhupāda!” we think of our entire guru-paramparā, from top to bottom. So we can use this word for our Gurudeva.

If any guru has this feeling, “It is used for our Gurudeva,” this is another thing. Otherwise, one may call his guru ‘Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja’ or ‘Śrīla Prabhupāda’ or ‘Śrīpāda’.

When I came here, especially today, I was overjoyed to see how Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja came to the West penniless, by the Scindia navigation, without any money, with some old and torn cloth, a worn and torn Gītā, and three volumes of his Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. These were his possessions. And he had one pair of karatālas and two mantras:

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

 

Caitanya Mahāprabhu predicted that very soon, a day would come when devotees would preach His name. What name? My name Kṛṣṇa, My name Rāma, My name Gaura. Go to each village in the whole world and preach their names. Svāmījī has not come, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu has not come, or any of Mahāprabhu’s followers, especially Svāmījī, they have not come to this world to gain anything from the people of this world: any rupees or wealth, guilders (laughter), pounds, or anything. He has come to give Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s real wealth. By which receiving, not only devotees, anyone, even trees, grass, animals, men, gods, or goddesses, wherever this wealth goes in the ear, it will take one towards Kṛṣṇa, towards God. For this purpose, they have come. They have not come for any worldly gain.

Svāmījī came penniless. There was no one to welcome him. He came alone. Only Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa were with him. And his Gurudeva and guru-paramparā were with him. But it was not outside. Everyone saw that he was alone. But actually, he was not alone. Sometimes on the ship he may have felt like he was alone, but at the same moment, he knew that Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, and the whole paramparā, including Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa – with Their whole family, Lalitā, Viśākhā, and all, Rūpa Mañjarī, and all others – with the whole dhāma, they were all with him.

I think that he has made a platform in the whole world, in each country, that so many devotees, with karatālas and mṛdaṅgas, are all dancing, singing, “Haribol! Hare Kṛṣṇa!” My tears are, therefore, not stopping (Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja chokes up). I think that in these countries, there was not a single devotee. From India so many people used to come. But their was no aikāntika Vaiṣṇava. Do you know what an aikāntika Vaiṣṇava is?

Devotees: Pure Vaiṣṇava.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: There are so many differences between an ekāntika Vaiṣṇava and a pure Vaiṣṇava.

Devotee: Fixed in the worship of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Yes. Especially to Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. There may be worshipers of Nārāyaṇa, Dvārakādhīśa, Rāmacandra, or another. They may be pure Vaiṣṇavas. There are pure Vaiṣṇavas among the Rāmānujīs and among the followers of Rukmiṇī-Dvārakādhīśa. But not aikāntika Vaiṣṇava worshipers of Vrajendra-nandana Śyāmasundara. No one had come to the West like that. Now I see so many devotees waiting here for me with kīrtana, playing mṛdaṅga, and so many things. And in the West, there are not just two or three hundred, but there are perhaps lakhs. So I am overwhelmed by this. What a miracle he has done in a very few years. If he had more time, he would have accomplished so many more miracles.

When he came, there were so many obstacles. People ate not only eggs and flesh but also cows and so forth. Eating and being merry. They did not know who is Kṛṣṇa, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There were so many persons who knew of God and would pray only that, “God, give me bread and butter,” and that’s all. Svāmī Mahārāja played such a wonderful role that in a very little time, devotees like you (Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja chokes up) developed an attachment to Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Gaura-Nityānanda Prabhu. He has done these things.

I have known him since we met in Mathurā. He was a very good friend of our Gurudeva (Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja) from the beginning. He came to Mathurā and one day told me a story.

He said, “When I took initiation from Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he told me to preach in the Western countries in the English language.”

He would frequently go to meet Śrīla Prabhupāda, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, and he read a śloka from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.88.8):

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi
hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ
tato ’dhanaṁ tyajanty asya
svajanā duḥkha-duḥkhitam

[The Personality of Godhead said: If I especially favour someone, I gradually deprive him of his wealth. Then the relatives and friends of such a poverty-stricken man abandon him. In this way, he suffers one distress after another.]

Yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ. The meaning of this śloka is that those who take the shelter of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa takes away all they possess, and that devotee becomes a street beggar. If he still does not give up Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa gives everything to him.

He said, “I was so afraid of this (Devotees laugh) that he will take everything. I am living with my wife and children and am the manager of ‘Bengal Chemical.'”

He could have owned that company if he had stayed there for some time longer. He missed that seat, went to Allahabad, and began to produce medicines there. He built a very good business there. He opened a factory, and so many people were employed there. But in a short time, the business failed, and the factory was sold to another. He then opened a medicine shop, but gradually, this also disappeared. Then he began to do a small medicine business himself. In this way, he would sell medicines. But in due course, that was also lost. Then, penniless he came to our Gauḍīya Maṭha, Keśavajī Gauḍīya Maṭha in Mathurā.

I respectfully welcomed him. I had met him before in Calcutta, so I knew him. I would prepare capātīs with ghee and many vegetable dishes for him. He was very happy with me, and we became bosom friends. At that time, I was Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja, and he was Abhaya Caraṇāravinda. I told him, “You are so qualified! You should take sannyāsa at once, without delay.”

(Laughter)

At that time, he told me that story, that “I was fearing that Kṛṣṇa would take away everything and that I would become a beggar. Now I see that I have become a beggar, and at last, in reality, I will become a street beggar by taking sannyāsa“

(Laughter)

At that time, our Gurudeva came from Navadvīpa, and he and Svāmījī embraced each other. I told my Gurudeva, “He should take sannyāsa.” Guru Mahārāja also told him, “You should take sannyāsa and preach everywhere,” and an old man of almost 99 years, whose name was Sanātana Prabhu, who was a disciple of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, said, “Don’t fear! I am 99 years old. If you will take sannyāsa, then I will also take.”

Then Svāmī Mahārāja agreed, “Yes! I will take sannyāsa.”

We had a wonderful celebration for his sannyāsa ceremony on the day of Pūrṇimā; I made his daṇḍa myself, wrapping the bamboo rods in cloth as Nārāyaṇa. I made his bahir-vāsa and uttarīya. He did not know how to wear this cloth and Guru Mahārāja came and performed the yajña. Kṛṣṇadāsa Bābājī Mahārāja was there. He began to do kīrtana with so many brahmacārīs and in this way, he was given sannyāsa.

Then he became Bhaktivedānta, I was also Bhaktivedānta. His Gurudeva, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, gave him the title: Abhaya Caraṇāravinda ‘Bhaktivedānta’. So he was senior to me in that way, even though in sannyāsa he was junior to me. But in bhakti, he was senior to me (Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja and the devotees laugh).

When he would meet me, he would request me to sing kīrtana: jaya rādhe, jaya kṛṣṇa, jaya vṛndāvana and (hari) haraye namaḥ kṛṣṇa yādavāya namaḥ, Especially, he would request me to sing: śrī-rūpa-mañjarī-pada, sei mora sampada, sei mora jīvanera jīvana. This song.

Those who say, “He did not preach about rāgānugā-bhakti,” what is a greater kīrtana than this? Śrī rūpa-mañjarī-pada, sei mora sampada, sei mora jīvanera jīvana. This is the best kīrtana of the rāgātmikās, what to speak of the rāgānugās. There are four differences between rāgātmikā-bhakti and rāgānugā. Rāgānugā is sādhana-bhakti, and rāgātmikā is not sādhana-bhakti. Rāgātmikā is only in Goloka Vṛndāvana, not here. But we may become qualified for this.

Svāmī Prabhupāda has come so that from vaidhī-bhakti, we will grow up. We will enter sādhana-bhakti, and then bhāva-bhakti, and from there, prema-bhakti. He has not come only to clear the jungles and only preach harināma. Meaning they should realize what is harināma. Not (only chanting) without any rasa. With attachment and with so much rasa that in their whole life, they cannot stop chanting, “Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa!”

We may be chanting and remembering, “Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa,” but there are very rare devotees who will have taste for this. But if any taste comes, then that person will not be able to leave kṛṣṇa-nāma. Their devotion will go up and up and will come to bhāva-bhakti. And after that, it will become pure bhakti, prema-bhakti.

Svāmī Mahārāja had not come only to clear the jungle and thorns. Very soon, Kṛṣṇa called him, “Your task is accomplished now. So come on, come on. You should come and be with Me here, with Rādhikā.” So he called him.

When he was taking his last breaths, he called me. I don’t know why he told me this, but he said, “Excuse anything I have done wrong.”

I said, “You have not done anything wrong.”

“I have done some wrong, I know. To preach in the Western countries, I have told that my godbrothers are doing nothing – only taking their meals and sleeping, living in Vṛndāvana, I have said this. Only to inspire my devotees who don’t know the ABCs of bhakti. Thus I have told like this. But I know that my godbrothers are so qualified. If they were not qualified, then why did I take sannyāsa from Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja? I respected Śrīdhara Svāmī. I respected both as my Gurudeva. Why would I do this if they were not superior to me? They were superior to me. So I respected them. So you should excuse me and tell all my godbrothers they should also excuse me.”

I said, “You have not made any offence. What you have said is for preaching and to teach your disciples. It is not anything to be excused. You have done a marvellous thing. All Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa are so pleased with you and the miracle you have done in the Western countries. You have made those people who were taking wine and intoxication and made them into good devotees. We are so proud of you and indebted to you for this.”

He said, “You should do my samādhi. Do you know this? Samādhi is given after leaving the body. And you should also teach my devotees how to grow in their bhakti. I don’t want them to stay always on the same level.”

I told him, “I must say something to your disciples.”

At once he called all his senior devotees. Tamāla Kṛṣṇa was there, perhaps as his secretary. Bhavānanda was there, Jayapatāka, Bhagavān dāsa, Haṁsadūta, Brahmānanda – so many. There were hundreds of his disciples there. When they came, I said, “You should never think that he will die. He will be in our guru-paramparā forever. When he will go, if you see that he is not there in this world or on this planet, you will quarrel with each other. And you will not give respect to other Vaiṣṇavas.”

Svāmī Mahārāja told his disciples, “You should patiently hear and have a record of this.”

I told them, “You should not quarrel. Come in the line of Svāmījī to fulfil the task for which he has come to this world. Try to develop in this path. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī has said, ‘If you want to progress in bhakti, then respect all the Vaiṣṇavas, the gurus, those who live in the dhāma – Vṛndāvana-dhāma – whether they are devotees or not, also, respect the brāhmaṇas:

gurau goṣṭhe goṣṭhālayiṣu sujane bhūsura-gaṇe
sva-mantre śrī-nāmni vraja-nava-yuva-dvandva-śaraṇe
sadā dambhaṁ hitvā kuru ratim apūrvam atitarām
aye svāntar bhrātaś caṭubhir abhiyāce dhṛta-padaḥ

(Śrī Manaḥ-śikṣā, Verse 1)

We should obey these principles of Caitanya Mahāprabhu and our guru-paramparā, of Svāmījī. Svāmījī has never told anyone, “You should disrespect Vaiṣṇavas.” If you want to achieve bhakti, then you should respect Vaiṣṇavas, Gurudeva is also a Vaiṣṇava. Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī has said, “Rūpa Gosvāmī is our śikṣā-guru, Kṛṣṇa is also our śikṣā-guru, Caitanya Mahāprabhu is our śikṣā-guru, Nityānanda Prabhu is our śikṣā-guru. So śikṣā-guru is not less than dīkṣā-guru.

Try to understand all these things. Dīkṣā-guru is not less than śikṣā-guru, and śikṣā-guru is not less than dīkṣā-guru. Both are equal if they are qualified. And if they are not qualified, then śikṣā-guru and dīkṣā-guru are not really gurus. If the dīkṣā-guru does not give any proper respect to Vaiṣṇavas, then he is not even a devotee. His name should be cut from the register of devotees. So we should try to give honour – what to speak of the followers of Caitanya Mahāprabhu – even to the followers of Rāmānuja, to those who are serving Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa, Dvārakādhīśa, Rāmacandra, and so forth. But not in the same degree as our honour to those who are aikāntika kṛṣṇa-bhaktas. We should give honour to the devotees of Kṛṣṇa who are chanting and remembering, but we should try to know the different gradations. If someone is serving Kṛṣṇa, and if someone is serving Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa conjugal, who will be given more honour? If someone serves only Kṛṣṇa, and the other serves Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa conjugal, and someone who is very near and dear to Śrīmatī Rādhikā, of these gradations, who is superior?

(Laughter)

So we should try to understand these gradations. Otherwise we will see that Kṛṣṇa, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, ordinary bhaktas, and Rūpa Gosvāmī, Haridāsa Ṭhākura, rāmānuja-bhaktas, durgā-bhaktas, all are the same.

(Laughter)

So we should differentiate. A kaniṣṭha Vaiṣṇava cannot differentiate these things. Our gurus have not come only to tell us, “You should always stay as third-class kaniṣṭha Vaiṣṇavas.” We should hear all these things and try to develop in our bhakti so that we can clearly understand who is kaniṣṭha Vaiṣṇava, who is madhyama Vaiṣṇava, and who is an uttama Vaiṣṇava. Also, who is a conditioned soul, and who is above this? Though Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita, Gadādhara Paṇḍita, and so forth have come to this world, they are not conditioned souls or sādhana-siddhas. They are the eternal associates of Kṛṣṇa. Who is Brahmā? Who is Prahlāda Mahārāja? In gaura-līlā, Haridāsa Ṭhākura was Prahlāda Mahārāja as well as Brahmā – both. Who was Rūpa Gosvāmī? Rūpa Mañjarī. But in this līlā, Rūpa Gosvāmīpāda used to take the footdust of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita also. But Rūpa Gosvāmī is so, so far superior to them. We should know all these things.

Who preached more? Who preached more of the heart, or the heart’s desire, of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu? Rūpa Gosvāmī or Haridāsa Ṭhākura? Haridāsa Ṭhākura spread harināma – Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa – and he was Nāmācārya. But the soul of Caitanya Mahāprabhu was Rūpa Mañjarī, Rūpa Gosvāmī. He gave us Bhakti–rasāmṛta–sindhu, Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi and all those books which were the very heart of Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

How can we know all these things without any good association? If someone bans this [person], saying, “You should not go to any qualified Vaiṣṇava,” how can you go up? Only chanting will not do. Chanting under the guidance of a good Vaiṣṇava can take us there. Otherwise, Māyāvādīs also chant. They first chant, “hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare,” and then, “hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa“

(Laughter)

What is the difference between pure devotees and them? If you chant hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare, without any good association of rasika and tattva-jña Vaiṣṇavas, then they will only go to Vaikuṇṭha. They may not even go there. If you chant the holy names under the guidance of those in the line of Rūpa Gosvāmī, then in no time, you will realize something and develop a taste for that name in your heart.

They chant:

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

But they say, “Hare means Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa means He who took birth in Mathurā – Vāsudeva-Kṛṣṇa, And Rāma is Ayodhyā-Rāma.

Devotee: Or Balarāma.

Devotee 2: Or Paraśurāma.

(Laughter)

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Or Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. And that these are the three names. Our guru-paramparā has not given this idea. Our guru-paramparā has given the proper idea. First, one chants:

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

All three are one. Kṛṣṇa is Hari, Kṛṣṇa is Rāma. Any devotee cannot worship two manifestations of Kṛṣṇa – bhakti will be ruined. So only Kṛṣṇa. When He takes away all our sins and offences, He becomes Hari. After that, there is a very slight darśana, as you get to the stage of Nārada, when he had a momentary darśana. Then the Lord disappeared, and Nārada began to weep.

The Lord told Nārada, “By this body, you cannot have My darśana. You cannot bear the meeting or separation with Kṛṣṇa. After leaving this body, when you achieve siddha-deha, a perfected spiritual form in Vaikuṇṭha, then you can realize Me. Then you will not die again. You will never again be a conditioned soul.”

When all our sins and offences go away, then Kṛṣṇa will give His sweet darśana. He will capture our minds and hearts, so He is Hari. And He lives everywhere, so He is Rāma. He is in all living entities’ hearts. We cannot leave Kṛṣṇa for a moment. But our Rūpa Gosvāmī and Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī taught that here, Hari is not Hari. Hare means Harā. Rādhikā is Harā, because She steals the mind and heart of Hari, or Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, She is Harā. And in the vocative case, calling, Harā becomes Hare. So Hare Kṛṣṇa means Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. And when Kṛṣṇa is playing with Rādhikā, He is Rāma. In rasa, He becomes Rāma. So here, Rāma is also Kṛṣṇa. Rādhā-ramaṇa Rāma. Each word, each letter, has so many wonderful meanings and words. There are thirty-two syllables in the mahā-mantra, sixteen names, and eight pairs, and they are one in a group.

There is both separation and meeting. “Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa” and “Hare Rāma Hare Rāma” are both the times of meeting, the conjugal, and “Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare” and “Rāma Rāma Hare Hare” are in separation.

So if you chant the holy names with taste and hear hari-kathā from superiors, then all things will come. You will never be able to give up harināma. So we should chant like this. Is one hour finished?

Devotee: Yes.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: There are so many things that Svāmījī wanted to give you all, but he went away. After that, there was no one to give you, so perhaps he has called me to give you some things so that you may become qualified for this and never give up Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that you will always hear hari-kathā.

In the Bhagavad-gītā, Svāmī Mahārāja has written so many things in his explanations. In those times, there were no devotees to understand these things. So some things he wrote in another way. Because people would not understand from that stage they were in. So you should try to develop your bhakti so that you can receive all the gifts that Svāmī Mahārāja has preserved for you. He has written so many wonderful things in his books. But it is a rare person who understands all these things and distributes them to all.

Our guru-paramparā, Kṛṣṇa and Śrīmatī Rādhikā, Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu have perhaps called me here. If I give you something and help you, I will consider it my success in this tour. I pray to them all that they will bestow their mercy upon me so I can express all these things to you.

I was afraid that I had no language to give you anything in. My language is so poor, and I am so dīna–hīna, like tṛṇād api sunīcena – I cannot express these things fully to you. But you are so qualified that you will understand if I say only five or ten words or sentences in English. And you should always help me … he was singing such a wonderful kīrtana. What is your name?

Devotee: Suparṇa dāsa.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Very good. You are the disciple of?

Devotee: Śrīla Gaura Govinda Svāmī.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Oh! Very good. I want to help you all without any gain (for myself). You?

Devotee: I am your śikṣā disciple.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: You are doing so much. What is your name?

Devotee: Vijaya.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Vijaya. Very good!

(To another devotee)

I know him. Where is your wife?

Devotee: I have come.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Oh!

(Laughter)

Devotee: This is my godbrother, Janārdana Prabhu.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: What [is your] name?

Devotee: Janārdana.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: From here?

Devotee: From Birmingham. He is a disciple, along with his wife.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Have you also come from Birmingham, along with his wife?

(Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja asks a different guest)

I know Navadvīpa Prabhu so much. He is my right hand now. Also, Vṛndā, Vrajanātha Prabhu – what to speak of them – they have brought me here. I never had a dream that I would go or that I would give up Vṛndāvana and come here. But I feel like I have come to Vṛndāvana, Vṛndā is here, and Vrajanātha is in Vṛndāvana also. Tungavidyā is also in Vṛndāvana. And we have two Tungavidyā’s (Laughter). Also, we have the marvellous Vṛndāvana-vilāsinī, Kundalatā, and so many others. I am so happy to come here. I feel like I am still in Vṛndāvana, I am never out of Vṛndāvana. I pray to all of you that you give me your company so we can speak. And you should also give a good impression to those who have left ISKCON, but still they are chanting the holy names and such. We should try to bring all the devotees together. Also, kaniṣṭha Vaiṣṇavas, those who are madhyama, and those who will be good, very soon. You should embrace them and give them respect. A devotee should have so much mercy for junior devotees if he is superior. He will not have any envy. You should try to stop having any envy. If someone does something to you, try to be like Haridāsa and Prahlāda Mahārāja. Then we can preach this name everywhere, to everyone.

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

Gaura-premānande! Hari Haribol!

Devotees: Haribol!

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Gaura-Nityānanda Prabhu kī!

Devotees: Jaya!

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Guru-paramparā kī!

Devotees: Jaya!

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Śacīnandana Gaurahari kī!

Devotees: Jaya!

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa kī!

Devotees: Jaya!

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Gaura-premānande! Hari Haribol! Bas. If there is no obstacle for you, then you should meet me everywhere where I will go to preach.

(Laughter)

With four mṛdaṅgas, we can go and do nagara-kīrtana, like Svāmījī would do. Chanting, “Haribol! Haribol! Hare Kṛṣṇa!” (Laughter). Again, with the same inspiration and the same enthusiasm. It is perhaps 12:00. You should offer bhoga, do ārati, and take prasādam.

Source: Bhakta Bandhav Anthology Volume 1, Discourses delivered by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja

Transcribed and edited by the Bhakta Bandhav Team (Bhakta.org)

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Unless indicated differently, all verse translations and quotes are from the books by Śrīla Prabhupāda (Vedabase.com)