Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (7.9.26) Class #JayapatakaSwamiArchives

By his divine grace, AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada O my Lord, O Supreme. Because I was born in a family full of the hellish material qualities of passion and ignorance, what is my position and what is to be said of your causeless mercy which was never offered even to Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva or the Goddess of Fortune Lakshmi? You never put your lotus hand upon their heads, but you have put it upon mine. Purported by Srila Prabhupada Prahlad Maharaj was surprised at the causeless mercy of the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead. For although Prahlad was born in a demoniac family, and although the Lord had never before placed his lotus hand on the head of Brahma Shiva or the Goddess of Fortune, his constant companion, Lord Narasimha Dev kindly placed his hand on the head of Prahlada. This is the meaning of causeless mercy. The causeless mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead may be bestowed upon anyone regardless of his position in this material world. Everyone is eligible to worship the Supreme Lord irrespective of his material position. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad Gita 1426 Mamcharyo Bhya Bicharina Bhakti Jogena Sevate Sagunan Samatitaytan Brahmabhuayakalpati. One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman. Anyone who engages in continuous devotional service to the Lord is situated in the spiritual world and has nothing to do with the material qualities Sattvaguna, Raja Guna and Tamoguna. Because Prahlad Maharaj was situated in a spiritual platform, he had nothing to do with his body which had been born of the modes of passion and ignorance. The symptoms of passion and ignorance are described in the RMAD BHGAVATAM1.2.19 as lust and hankering. Tadarajastamo Bhava Kamalobhadayaschahi Prahlad Maharaj, being a great devotee, thought the body born of his Father to be born of passion and ignorance. But because Prahlada was fully engaged in the service of the Lord, his body did not belong to the material world. The pure Vaiava's body is spiritualized even in this life. For example, when iron is put into a fire, it becomes red hot and it is no longer iron but fire. Similarly, the so called material bodies of devotees who fully engage in the devotional service of the Lord being constantly in the fire of spiritual life, have nothing to do with matter but are spiritualized. Rla Madhvacharya remarks that the Goddess of Fortune, the mother of the universe, could not get mercy similar to that which was offered to Prahlad Maharaj. For although the Goddess of Fortune is always a constant companion of the supreme Lord, the Lord is more inclined to his devotees. In other words, devotional service is so great that but when it is offered even by those born in low families, the Lord accepts it as being more valuable than the service offered by the Goddess of Fortune. Lord Brahma, King Indra and the other devas or demigods living in the upper planetary systems are situated in a different spirit of consciousness, and therefore they are sometimes troubled by demons. But a devotee, even if situated in the lower planets, enjoys life in Ka consciousness under any circumstance. Paratha Svata Karmatah as he acts himself, as he is instructed by others, or as he performs his material activities, he enjoys life in every respect. In this regard, Madhwacharya quotes the following verses which are mentioned in the Brahma Sri Brahma Brahmi Vindradhi Trikatatri Purushtutaha Tadanye Chakramadeva Sadamuktao Smith no translation But I assure you I understood that I can figure out Sada Muktaw Shmitava P that always liberated and Haribakto the devotee of Hari Suke is always happy as Prabhupada said, whether following others advice, doing themselves or as he performs his material activities. So thus in the Bhaktivedanta Swami translation purport to the Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 7, Chapter 9, Text 26 in the chapter entitled Prahlad pacifies the Lord with prayers spoken in the Nuramon Reiti Aletshua Radhe Sham Gornitai Prahlad Lakshmi Narasimha temple on this 1st of February 2008, which is in the 521st year of our beloved Lord Chaitanya Mahprabhu in the second half of the life of Lord Brahma. So on one hand Prahlada is very humble. He's taking the humble position that he's born in a family of demons, so that he is born in a family full of rajas and Tamas passion and ignorance. So what is my position then? But then Prabhupada explains well his position is actually transcendental because although he was born in such a family, he is always engaged in KA's service, always being engaged in KA's service puts one in the transcendental position then. But he's proud that he got to cause this mercy. He's saying here that even Brahma, Shiva and Lakshmi, he doesn't know that they've ever gotten their head patted by Lord Narasimha Dev. But he was so fortunate that the Lord affectionately put his lotus hand on his head like it's very common to do elders give blessing to the kids. So he got a blessing like that. This is the special mercy. Prabhupada explains that because he's always engaged in service. And anyone who's always engaged in service Mam chajo babichadena bhakti jogasevate saguna samatitayta brahmabhuaya Kalpati. One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman. So we want to come to the level of the transcendental Brahman spiritual universe. The Prabhupada says anyone engages in continuous devotional service to the Lord is situated in a spiritual world and nothing to do with the material qualities of Sattva Raja or Tamagun. So this is what Lord Chaitanya advised his followers to always be engaged in the service of Radha and Govinda Radhe Sham. To not do things for material reasons alone, but to do everything with an intent on serving the Lord. There's a prayer in the Caitanya Charmita that I'm sorry that I'm neglecting my traditions and my different rituals, my Karma Khanda activities. And now I am simply engaging in the service of Radha and Ka. So forgive me for having neglected all these things. But now I can only do Radha and Govinda service. This is the idea. Everything we do, we want to dovetail it with KA's service. Because we love our children. We want our children to have the best in life. And the best thing is if they are Ka conscious. So we try to give them Ka consciousness so they don't have to take birth again in the material world so they can always be happy. In the previous verse, Prabhupada was saying there's a Bengali song that I built a house in order to be happy, but then there was a fire and my house burned down. We make plans to be materially happy, but then materially, so many things happen. Has anybody ever experienced something that it didn't exactly work out the way you planned? It always works out exactly the way you Plant. So that's the nature of the material world. We make our plans to be happy. We have it all worked out, but doesn't exactly work the way we plant. He didn't, I mean the George Harrison, when he came to Mayapur, he also was saying like that, you know, different remembers him. They'll be pad this plan. If I'm rich, I'm famous. If I'm a success in my material musician attempts, then I'll be. Everything will be just like the goal of life. But then when they achieved that, they were still not happy. That's why they looked for Prabhupada. They looked for some different spiritual guidance because it wasn't working out the way they had expected. And then after John Lennon got killed, he was telling us how he was just in Thailand. So he has his personal secretary check into the hotel and give his name. Because people, they're always looking for the paparazzi's and the assassins and so many different people. So they had somehow checked in, but somehow somebody found him. So then there was some Thai organization, asked him to do a charity benefit for some reason. See, he was shocked. You know how they keep finding out? So when we were negotiating that he should come out to Mayapur, he says the deal is that you don't tell anybody where I am until after I leave. So we didn't tell anybody. We were good boys. It was a relief for him to be somewhere where there wasn't a bunch of people. He was actually a bit afraid because after one crazy guy killed John Lennon and who knows whose list he's on. So he was very much concerned and wasn't safe. So you get fame, get money, get all the success, then your life's in danger. This year, on the request of trying to fulfill the request of his holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami, I went to Nigeria. And there in the oil towns, they kidnap the oil company executives and hold them for ransom. So it's a big. It's a bit dangerous to go to certain towns, Harcourt and some other where they have a lot of oil rigs and oil companies. So like this, all over the world there's different dangerous places. So better earth here. But on the other hand, your Prabhupada is saying that the devotee is always happy. If we can always be engaged in KA's service, we can always be blissful. So we try to organize our life in such a way that everything is headed towards Ka. So Prahlada was successful like that, and he was always in Ka's service. So he got so much mercy. Even if otherwise we may not have a good family background or we may have so many other obstacles. But if we can always remain active in KA's service. That's the secret. Sometimes the devotees try to engage people in devotional service using different tricks. We heard that Sukadev Goswami used to go to the house householders to beg a bottle of one in a bottle or pot or whatever. A clay pot of milk. I don't think they had too many bottles in it. And actually he could survive without it. But it was to give them an opportunity to do some sadhu Seva Sukhumbhar Brahmachari. He had a principle that he'd go to five houses a day begging some alms and whatever he'd get, that's what he would eat for the day. Some days they might give him a good quantity or some days it would be rough. He went to one house and there was Bihasta eating a big plate of prasada. And then so the wife came to the door. He said, you know, Bhik Sham Diha, please give me some alms. I'm worshiping my deity. So he asked the wife, asked the husband, what should we give him? Sadhu here, beggar, he said, give him the ashes from our fire. He's eating his big plate, but he's saying, give ashes. What value does ashes have? I can use a little potassium. I know we use ashes for fertilizing our banana plants. But not too much use. But then Sukhum Rab Ramanshari that this guy is such a miser. These let him give ashes. They get some benefit by giving something. It'll spiritually help them say, okay, give me ashes. It's all right, just give something. Don't just talk about it. This they had to go through the activity of digging in their little stove and fishing out the ashes and bringing so some seva. They did. So one day it was a little better pickings, whatever. He had a little bag and got some broken rice and some flat rice. So he's walking down the road and then Lord Chaitanya song comes. What you got in the bag? He said, my arms. Oh, let me see. I want to try some too. Then he looked and said, oh, it's chira. It's flat rice. Let me try it. Then he said, no, no, this is old broken. They give me the worst, you know, they don't give me the good stuff for you. I'll bake some good for me. I just take whatever they give Me? But for you I'll demand to give some nice. No, no. If it's good enough for you, it's good enough for me. And just like the Leela were Krishna and Sudhama Vipra Lord Chaitanya reached over. Of course, he's so huge, his arms are very long. Reached over and forcibly took the bag and started eating some flat rice from Sukhlumbar Brahmachari. Giving him some special mercy. I don't know how many times he ate. He ate twice from Vipra Sudham going for the third time. And Rukmini stopped him and said, look it, she's Goddess of Fortune. Because he begged this from somebody else. You took one time. That means I had to give him all opulence. You're taking two times. Then I had to give him. Anyway, the final thing was that by taking three times she'd have to give more opulence. And Krishna had said that's not possible. So just take two and that's enough. I remember once I was riding a bicycle at that time in Mayapur. We didn't even have a car. We were really on low budget. We were getting 35 rupees a week to feed five devotees from Gargamuni was our allowance. So we didn't take money from the construction fund for. So I remember I rode by bicycle into the hardware store in Krishnagar which is a 45 minute bicycle, about 1012 kilometer miles, 20 kilometers. So then the whole way I was singing while I was on my bike. I pulled up and after singing for 45 minutes Hare Krishna I was feeling blissful. I came in with a smile and the guy who was the owner of the shop, he was really depressed. I don't know what his problem was, but he was depressed that day. And he looked and he just said, why are you happy? Why are you happy? You don't have anything. It came in a bicycle. I got two cars, I got a three story house, I got my business, I got wife, I got kids. Why? You're happy and I'm miserable. What do you say to someone like that? Unfortunately, because he didn't know the secret. Of course we want our grihe tako bone tako sadhari bole tako. Whether once renounced or whether they are grihasta, everybody should chant Hare Krishna Hare Ka Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hari Hari. That actually happened to me one other time when I was in Montreal. Then there was no money because we didn't have book distribution. We didn't have any Congregation. It was just Prabhupada was there in exile kind of because he lost his visa. So the temple president announced we all had to go out and get jobs as brahmacharis and turn the money into the temple to pay Prabhupada's rent. Pay the temple rent. But somehow we all went out looking for a job. And although my parents were wealthy and my grandparents. But anyway, this was, you know, I was renounced from all those connections. So in fact, my father disowned me when I heard I became a Hare Krishna. And then. So we went out, tried to get a day job, and they looked at us. We all got from Salvation army clothes and stuff and looked pretty weird, you know. So somehow I got a job in an A and W root beer stand as a cleanup boy. My job was to clean the tables, take away all the remnants, which was not unmentionable here in the temple. So someone asked Prabhupada, this is a meat joint. So I said, already works. I said, what does he do? He cleans up afterwards. He said, well, everyone who sells the animal, transports the animal, slaughters the animal, cooks the animal, sells the cooked food and eats the meat, they all get the karma clean up. It's after the fact. That's how. So no karma. So some guy pulled up, he had his big Mercedes, had his Rolex watch, had his, you know, fancy suit and was taking a cup of coffee there. And I'm wearing this A and W root beer hat, you know, that little. And I'm sweeping the floor. But I was like humming, chanting in my mind. I'm chanting and then he looks at me, smiling, and he said, why are you happy? I got a Mercedes. I got everything. And I'm completely, you know, frustrated. And you're just a sweeper, a cleaner, and you're happy. Couldn't understand the injustice of it all. Somehow, I guess he had made so many plans, but they weren't working out. But unfortunately, I couldn't preach to him. I could preach to the. The guy in the shop. I was his customer, but I couldn't reveal who I was. I got fired once I figured out I was a hare ka. The boss came and was chanting japa. I didn't know about clickers in those days, but I was chanting japa in the back during the coffee break. He said, what's this? What you doing? I said, I am meditating. I'm chanting the names of God. That's not allowed here. Coffee break. I drink coffee. The real uptight guy, you know. So anyway, like this people get frustrated. They're trying to be happy. But the real happiness, when you do something for Krishna, that's actually what makes people happy. Because if we make Krishna happy, then we feel happy. So this is a secret Prahlada. Of course, he's the crown prince of the whole universe. At that time his father was. But he didn't want to give up his devotional service. He was always happy to do his devotional activities. But his father was also disowned him, wanted to kill him. So he did so many sacrifices. To be a devotee, easy way would have been to just accept his father as God. But he didn't want to compromise his principles. So we try to dovetail our. So we're glad to hear that unfortunately our devotee is in the hospital. But somehow they're in good spirits. Thanks everyone for praying for them. I just recently was in the hospital myself. So I know I had only been twice in my life. But I remember of course I was born in a hospital, but I don't remember that one. Three times, I guess 1989 in Madrid. And then this time I landed in Australia. And suddenly I had a high fever. I had the chills, the shakes. Now in India, they say probably had dengue fever, but they didn't diagnose it properly. But we thought I just had this affection on my leg. So they put me in the hospital. And then so many devotees were coming. And there was a small temple Adelaide. So the different devotees are coming, preparing me a very simple sick diet. And some nurses were very favorable and were asking about ka consciousness. Some just doing their job. Then after three days, because I had nonstop visitors, they put me in a private room out of the ward. Because maybe I was disturbing the other patients. Constantly devotees coming, flying in from different places. So I remember one time I had 12 people in my room asking questions and preaching. Hospital is not the place you really want to be. But somehow, because of association with devotees, it was a little blissful. But people are in good spirits being in the hospital. They're always giving you injections and doing all kinds of giving medicine and taking your blood pressure four times a day. And unfortunately, birth, disease, old age and death, we all go through this. So then eventually we had to be in the hospital and get some treatments or operations. Being in this material world, it's has so many difficulties. I was talking with someone, they said that for some school they would take them on reality tours. Or maybe no. I heard that some devotees were taking kids on reality tours to let Them see what the different things are like old folks home. But also there was some famous movie star here in America in the paper that they had a whole course for her. She had to work in the morgue for one day. She had to work in the emergency of the clinic because she was driving twice under the influence, reckless driving. So they wanted her to see apparently what happens by driving recklessly. That how people go in smashed up in the emergency ward, how they die. So it was interesting that sometimes we have a pretty glamorous idea what life is all about. But it has some happiness. But there's also a lot of suffering. Just like now in Canada they have all these cigarette packs with graphic horrible pictures of lung cancer. Some rotten lungs, some cancer of the throat with some, you know, really disgusting. Still people buy cigarettes. Somehow America the lobby didn't come through. But in Canada they got it through. People who do so many things put themselves at risk. So it's very padam Padam but yabi Padam. Actually what seemed to be the cause of my infection in my leg is I was bowing down on the stage before Jagannath and there was that nail sticking up in the stage and I cut my foot. I merely went for a tetanus shot. But somehow some infection got through that it seems. So even bowing down before the deities they put. So the stage was ill made. At least they got injured in the call of duty. So he went, whatever we be, whatever our background, we all get the mercy of Lord Krishna. His mercy has caused us. Chaitanya Mahprabhu is giving us a special opportunity by chanting the holy names. Sri Krishna, Caitanya Prabhu, Nityanand La Siya Daita, Garana, Bhakta, Vrinda, Hare Ka Hare Ka Ka Ka Hare Hare Hare Rama Hari Rama Rama Rama Hari Hari Prabhupada. Once in a mantra I cut his finger and then there was like one drop of blood. So he said, actually I say I lost a drop of blood. I should have lost my head. But instead Lord Ka just took one drop of blood as a token. We don't know how many we're supposed to pay. The last hundred birth karmas, they're still all pending. Some of them are pending, some we may have paid already. And so how many animals we killed, how many sins we performed in this life and the previous 99 lives. It's so many different karmas are there to be burnt off. So by being a devotee we don't. By Ka's mercy, we can get by sometimes by paying Less or even by just burning off the karmas. By the sacrifice of the Sankirta and Yagya Jagga Maday. We're on a trip to try to do as much bad karma as possible. But they were completely forgiven for all their karmas. By Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda. When the news. When the accountants saw this in Jamaloka. Caitanya Bhagavad says that there was like a big commotion. Everybody's talking about it. They went and told Yamarja that Jaggai Madhya just were freed from all their karma. Said how much karma did they have? Said they had so much. Would fill warehouses after warehouses. If you put it down in writing. You don't know exactly what system they used for recording. And Yamaraj fainted. So they thought he was in a state of shock. They tried to revive him. Fanning him. Put in a sprinkling of water. Somehow he didn't revive. And Lord Shiva came. Saw the situation. Said, he's not in shock. He's in ecstasy. He's in ecstasy because thinking how merciful Lord Chaitanya. These are such sinful people. And they were delivered. And then you want to revive them. You have to chant. So they started chanting. Hare Krishna. Hare Ka. Hare Hare Hare. Hare Rama. Hani Rama Rama Rama. Honey. The whole staff in Yamaloka was having a big kirtan. Yamarja awakened. Lord Shiva embraced them. They're all chanting and dancing. Something like this scene. Naruanamuni Vajaya Avina. Everybody was chanting. So somehow they all were chanting. Dancing. And then if you go to Katwa sometime when you're visiting Mayapur. You can see the place where Lord Chaitanya took Sannyas. It's a beautiful, beautiful place. And there Jaggai Maday had their Ashram. And they used to dance and chant every day when they went to the Ganges. Said they would cry in ecstasy. So here are two people who are murderers. Who are criminals, robbers. The worst. You name it. Bad. And they did it. And now they've become lovers of Ka. They're chanting and dancing in ecstasy. So much mercy. And then at the place. There's a little samadhi to the barber of Lord Chaitanya. Barbara has done a very illustrious kind of job. Cutting people's hair. But he brought this barber to cut the hair of Lord Chaitanya. To shave him up. To take Sannyas. His long, beautiful curly hair. So he went to cut the hair. And then all the people. Men, ladies. No, no, no, no. Don't cut. He freaked out. He said, I can't do it. The Lord said, look here. Your duty is a barber. Your job is to cut hair. I need to cut my hair. I'm taking Sannyas. You should do it. Don't listen to anybody else. But I'll commit some operata. If there's any offense, I accept. On my order, you can do it. So then you know when he had to touch Lord Chaitanya, he started feeling ecstasy. Tears are pouring from his eyes. So he's having a real hard time how to shave him up. Because he's shaking in ecstasy. And you don't want to have your barber shaking. You know, if you walked in and the barber was shaking, he probably said, let me. I got something else to do right now. But he's trying to hold himself steady. Tears are coming down his eye because he's touching Lord Caitanya. How many like to touch the lotus feet of Lord Chaitanya? So somehow he held himself together. And then he shaved up Lord Chaitanya. Then after he finished shaving said he collapsed on the hair of Lord Chaitanya. And he was just crying. His heart was overwhelmed with ecstatic love of Ka. It has a beautiful picture there. Lord Caitanya shaved up with the hair by his side. And this barber is falling on top of the hair in a puddle of tear water. After that he didn't shave anybody else up. Rest of his life. No more. And he became he was. He got love of Godhead just by doing that one. Selah. So Prahlad got the mercy of Ka putting his hand on his head. And this barber had to put his hand on Lord Chaitanya's head. That's why he didn't want to do it. It was thought it was offensive. And the Lord just said, no, it's my order. You do it. So even a barber got love of Godhead. Sir, thank you very much. Hare Krishna. Thank you for watching our videos. Be sure to subscribe to our channel. We publish new videos every day. And don't forget to like and share our channel.