Guru-Ājñā 2025 Madurai ISKCON THIRUPPALAI - MADURAI

Preaching about God. And he was a very pious religious man. He didn't know these things. And he came to Prabhupada and rla Prabhupada explained to him what is the real purpose of prayer. Srimad Bhgavatam Also in the second verse, the introduction, there are three introductory verses. So in the second verse, Rla Vyasadeva described how this rmad bhgavatam rejects all religion, which is materially motivated. Srila Vyasadeva talks about Kaitava dharma, cheating religion, making a show of religion, but not genuine religion. So similarly in the Vedic literature, we find the path of Karmakanda is there and people are encouraged to take up religiosity. And when people are pious and religious and pray to God, they get results. The Lord hears their prayers and he often fulfills their desires. He gives them their material needs. However, that kind of approach to God, it is not really very intelligent thing to do. Just like if you're given the opportunity to approach a king, somebody who is immensely wealthy and powerful, are you going to ask him, oh, my dear king, please give me an idli or a dosa or we will ask in the west, usually give me bread. So is that a very intelligent thing to ask God for? We will pray to God, give me my daily bread or give me my daily dosa. Of course he can give much more. There's something much more valuable than that. So the Vedas describe the path of Karma Kanda. It begins with religiosity, and that's good. That's certainly for pious people. And the result of that piety, you get some material benefit it brings. After dharma comes artha, economic development. And we see this in different parts of the world. How? Just like some people went from England, they sailed to the usa they had their, what was it, the Mayflower. They had their boat, they went to America and they got to the USA and they built churches, they established their churches and they prospered economically. We see this phenomenon in many places. Just like some Tamil people, they went to Malaysia and they got to Malaysia and they established many temples and they prospered economically. They got material prosperity. But after economic development comes karma, sense gratification. Now, sense gratification is not wrong. It is allowed. And certainly there are prescriptions, there are prescribed measurements of sense gratification. Just like we say, we don't tell people, don't eat, but we tell them, take prasadam, eat ka prasadam. So eating is allowed, but it must be done in the proper manner. Don't eat too much, don't eat too little and eat food which is proper, which is offered to God. Rla Prabhupada would explain. Sense gratification is like salt. If there's too much salt it's no good, the taste is no good and if there's no salt there's no taste. We were on safari and we visited one temple and they told us this deity, it's a famous deity that they don't put any salt when they cook for this deity. Somehow the person was cooking for the deity one day and they did not put salt. But the deity liked that cooking, said oh I like it like this, it's very nice. Of course they put a lot of spices in it so that you wouldn't miss the salt. So generally we say should be regulated amount of salt, not too much, not too little. So sense gratification is like that. And when sense gratification is regulated then one will go on and, and think about liberation from material existence. So generally people think only about Artha and kama. People don't think about Mukti today. They don't think about liberation. They don't even understand what it means to be liberated. But from Rla Prabhupada's purports and from the Rmad Bhagavatam we understand that liberation means to get free from all this excessive labor, foaming at the mouth, fearfulness, frustration and death. When you are free of these things, that is real liberation. We know today a mass of people, common people are not even religious, they don't even go to temple, they don't pray, they're often atheistic. Even in so called premier educational institutes, premier universities, they have things called the atheists society.

We are in the Kalvikodangal, we are in the Pali Kodangal, we are in the Kalur.

So we are promoting religion. We are encouraging people not to be atheists, not to be like the animals. But to understand the real value of human life is to understand the, the need of religion. The animals, they are eating and sleeping and mating and defending. And the materialistic people with no religion, they are no different from the animals. So it's very good that people are religious and they come to church and they pray. Even though they may pray for material things, but it's even better if they can understand the real prayer which is to get free from the bondage to material existence. Sometimes we compare this material world to a prison house and if we're just simply trying to be comfortable in the prison house, that's not as good as trying to get out from the prison. We need some comfort, we need some wealth, some luxury. But that's not the real goal of life. Queen Kunti in her prayers in Rmad bhagavatam In the eighth chapter of first Canto text 26, she describes Janma Aiswariya, Shruta, Shribir Edamana, Madhapumam, Naivarhatiya vadatom vai tvam akinch Nagochara. Queen Kunti is describing that Lord Krishna, you're easily, you're easy to obtain, but not by those who are on the path of material progress. Material progress means we're thinking about birth in a good family, we're thinking about education, we're thinking about beauty of the body, and we're thinking also about just having wealth. But for people who are just simply thinking about these things, then it's very difficult to approach Krishna. Because the feeling, the real mood of love for Ka is not there. Lord Krishna said he is a kinchana Gochara. He is the property of those who are exhausted in the effort to enjoy the material world they have given up that attempt to enjoy. So of course as devotees we also like to get wealth and we enjoy using it for the service of Lord Krishna. That's the proper use of wealth. You use it to put on a nice festival like this weekend or to build a beautiful temple for the worship of Lord Krishna. We use our wealth to distribute Prabhupada's books and to make nice festivals for the devotees. And if we don't use our wealth for Ka service, what will happen to it? It will be taken by the lawyers and the doctors. They're very expert to take away all of your hard earned wealth. So while we have the opportunity, we want to make use of this life, use everything for the service of Lord Krishna. And one who gives to Krishna, then he's never the loser. He knows it's not really his to give. It was all Krishna's anyway, the Karma yogi, he thinks I'm giving this to Krishna.

Karma yogi, Nanekara Nan, Krishnaka, Arpana, Pandrane, karar.

But the Bhakti yogi, he knows it's all Krishna's. I'm just giving what is his. Sota Goswami is describing in this way. What is the real purpose of activities of Dharma, of occupational duties that we're meant to develop our attraction for hearing the messages of the Lord. The more we become attached to hearing the message of Ka, then the more we're Building our place in the spiritual world. So we are very fortunate. This weekend we have an opportunity to have more hearing and chanting in the association of many devotees. It's a wonderful opportunity for all of us. It's very rare we get this opportunity to come together. Here we are in South India, a long way away from Mayapur damage, and still so many devotees are coming. And we're coming because we're eager to get the nectar, to taste the nectar. And that nectar is there in the hearing and chanting of the glories of the Lord. And so many devotees have come from far and wide, from different countries, different parts of India, and all over Tamil Nadu in South India and everywhere. They've all come together. And we all want to relish the chanting of the holy names and the message of the Supreme Lord. So let us take full advantage of this wonderful opportunity. It's very rare. We don't get this opportunity very often. So we're very much thankful for everyone, for their participation. Okay, so we will stop here. Is there any question? Everyone agrees, right? Yeah. Question is there?

Question is there, Maharaj? Okay, question Hare Krishna. Thank you so much, Maharaj. Such a wonderful class. As you rightly mentioned, it's the rarest of opportunities for such amazing Vaishnava Sangha to happen here. How every devotee can be in the right mood and right consciousness. Some tips so that we can take full advantage for the next 48 hours. Thank you, Maharaj.

We can take full advantage by staying awake and being alert and attentive and giving our full attention to hearing and chanting and also taking part in the kirtan. And if you're asked, you may be given the opportunity to do some service to serve the devotees. That's also a very great mercy. An opportunity to give service to the Vaishnavas by serving the devotees who are free of sin. Great service is done. By such service.

One gains affinity for hearing the message of Vasudeva.

So there's a lot of devotees here. There's a lot of service to be done. There's a lot of cooking to be done. There's a lot of cleaning to be done. There's so much opportunity to be engaged in Krishna service. And the more we're eager for service, if it's not hearing and chanting, it's cleaning and cooking and serving posadam. Anyway, if we're engaged in the service of the Lord in His devotees, then this is a great benediction. It's an opportunity to go back to Godhead by serving the Mahatmas. All of you. You are all Mahatmas. You are all devotees. You have come here to sacrifice this.

Weekend in the service of the Lord.

So stay Mahatmas. Keep engaged. Keep yourself always busy, hearing, chanting, serving, doing something. Don't allow yourself to go away from the association of the devotees coming together. Being with the devotees is such a valuable opportunity. Take advantage of every moment to hear and chant, to talk about Krishna and to give service to the devotees. And all the service you're doing, it's all going in your spiritual bank account material. Bank accounts are always going down. But the spiritual bank account always goes up the more you do service. And that bank account will take you back to Godhead. It will help you to develop your love for Krishna. Hare Krishna.

Hare Krishna.

Oh, you're very kind. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Maharaj. Thank you. So Maharaj, beautifully explained, reiterated as to how we can all engage in services. There are lots and lots of services over here also. And how we can enhance our spiritual bank account. Thank you very much, Maharaj. Thank you. So let's chant a big Gauranga for Maharaj and the translator over here, please. Thank you very much. So with that, we come to the end of the Bhagavatam class. I'll quickly announce what happens next. We now all proceed for breakfast. That will be between 9 and 10 o'. Clock. So all of you are requested to go to the nearest counter which is underground in the basement area. Have your breakfast. There'll be some wonderful kirtan playing over here on the television over here. Those of you interested, you can participate in the ktan as well. And please ensure that you come at least five minutes before 10 o' clock so that we can start the formal proceedings of the convention by 10 o'.

Clock.

Please.

Hare Krishna.

There is just one request. If there are any Telugu or Kannada translators who would like to do some surveys, you can kindly contact Vajavasi Prabhu. Because we need translators who can online translate through zoom to our many participants who are logging in through zoom. Please. Thank you very much. So we look forward to meeting all of you back by 10 o'. Clock. Over here. Hare Krishna.

Hare Krishna. Mala.