Sanyasa Initiation by H.H Gopal Krishna Goswami & H.H Lokanath Swami Maharaja | 13.11.23 | Vrindavan

Hare Krishna. Om Gānti Manasā. Jānānjanāśravya. Shri Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Hare Rūpa Gosvāmī. Nārīla Mādhava Rādhārāṇī. Jai Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Jai Gītā-nanda. Om Namaḥ Śrī Gaurābhadra.

Hare Krishna.

I have a very soft voice, so I'm going to speak and Maestro Mahārāja will repeat what I say. Is that okay? I've lost my voice. Hare Krishna. So this auspicious ceremony is being performed in a very auspicious place, in Vṛndāvana Kṛṣṇa Mahāramchandana. And in this ceremony, two devotees from the Vṛndāvana Temple are taking energy. So, Bhakti Mukunda Das is an initiated disciple of His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami.

Bhakti Mukunda Das is the disciple of His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami.

So I'm just offering sannyas on behalf of Bhakti Charu Swami.

So Maharaj is telling he is doing this sannyas, giving this sannyas order to Bhakti Mukunda Das on behalf of Bhakti Charu Swami.

Bhakti Charit Swami was a very senior devotee of our movement. Bhakti Charit Swami Maharaj was a very senior devotee.

He was a senior devotee.

And he served Prabhupāda in a very nice way.

Prabhupāda ji ko, he served Prabhupāda ji in a very nice way.

He built a beautiful temple in Ujjain.

Printed all the books in Bengali, and he translated all the Prabhupāda books in Bengali language.

And he was a very active preacher also.

He was an active preacher too.

I want to start this class by reading a verse from some, any Prabhupāda book. This verse is from the 11th Canto.

This is from 11th Canto, Chapter 23, Text 27.

Hare Krishna. I have a disciple, body of a dead disciple.

The body of Devakinandan Prabhu, disciple of His Holiness Gopal Krishna Maharaj, who departed from this world last night, also arrived in front of Śrīla Prabhupāda's Samādhi Mandīra.

Hare Kṛṣṇa. You can give your lecture.

Yeah, so there is a lecture given by Srila Prabhupada when His Holiness Loknath Maharaj was accepting the renounced order from Srila Prabhupada. So we have the 1975, so we have the 10-minute recording, so that we will play here now. So it was here in the Krishna Balaram Mandir courtyard.

So we'll play that lecture for 10 minutes and after that we will Hare Kṛṣṇa. First of all, I welcome all the assembled devotees. And well, we have very senior devotees, G.B.C.s and sannyasis and Prabhupāda disciples in attendance. Hare Rāma. Guru Prasāda Mārājī, Jaya Pancha Gaura Prabhu, Śrīta Kīrti Prabhu, Dadī Bākṣya Prabhu, Redāya Caitanya Prabhu, Guru Dev Prabhu, my Godbrothers, well, they are all my Godbrothers, Devaki Nandan Prabhu, And Kṛṭu Prabhu, Prasada Rāmān, Swāmī Mahārāja, and it's a big long list. I do not want to, well, take your time mentioning the names of all those who are present. Well, attendance is a huge one. We have courtyard or temple full of devotees. Normally, big gatherings are in the marriage parties, you know, for the marriage ceremony. But here in the land of Gosvāmīs, we have a big gathering in Sannyas ceremony also. And then I was thinking, those who attend the marriage, those who are not married, they make some plans for getting married. Matchmaking also happens. They feel inspired by someone getting married. "I wish I was. I would." So I hope and pray likewise you would also get inspiration to take sannyas one day. All right, let's go for vanaprastha one day. Hari, Hari. Kamyanaam Niyasam, Sannyasam. In fact, some may in a formal way take sannyas and others may not undergo that formality. However, it is essential for every single soul to do the kamyanamnyasam, sannyasam. Lord Krishna has described in 18th chapter, which is also sometimes called sannyasya yoga, sannyasya yoga, renunciation, that one has to become free from kamyanamnyasam, renounce karm.

Kāma-vāsana.

And that is how we all become eligible to attain Kṛṣṇa. Go back to Kṛṣṇa happens then when this kamyāna-mnyāsām-sannyāsām. So that kind of sannyāsa everyone has to take one of these days or years or at least before we give up this body. Anyway, that's— I did not really mean to say that, but I just said it. So you just heard Prabhupada's talk. I thought today's talk would be a The keynote speaker would be Śrīla Prabhupāda. So, I arranged the same talk that was delivered right here in this courtyard. That talk resounded. I was reminded of the resounding of that talk. 1975, 6th of December. Some 48 years ago Prabhupāda delivered that talk. Well, I have the details. While it was myself and Śrīdhara Swāmī Mahārāja, he was Śrīdhara, and Pritupātra from France, and Śrīdhara Swāmī from Canada, and Lokanātha Swāmī from India. Who were awarded sannyāsa here. That time Prabhupāda's asana was where normally we have guru-pūjā, and Prabhupāda sits there. So that's where the asana and the yagya-sāla was right here. And for sure that day the gathering was not anywhere near the gathering that we are observing and enjoying also today. So we will be doing that. Prabhupāda gave us sannyās mantra, which we are going to give that very soon. Prabhupāda asked to go change your clothes, wear new Sannyas suit, which is 3-piece suit including kaupin and uttariya and the dhoti. We just walked in right this room here and changed our clothes and we were back. And, well, so much to say. So, after the ceremony was over, we had gone to Śrīla Prabhupāda's quarter to see whether he wants to give us some new names. To which Prabhupāda said, "Add Swāmi to your names." Everything simple. You are keeping it simple. Keep it simple. And any particular area that you would like us to go to? South Africa or Siberia or— "You go to Bombay," Prabhupāda said. My servant's father were from Bombay. "You go to Bombay and continue preaching there." And Prithupitra goes to Europe, France. Any special blessing Śrīla Prabhupāda's on this? Maharāja is here. Then Prabhupāda said, "Mān māna bhāvamādhya bhakto." That he had repeated several times in the talk, in sannyāsa initiation talk, which we have heard. Prabhupāda repeated that. "Manmana avo madbhakto madhyādhimām namaskarūt." And Śrīla Prabhupāda said, "Ariyari!" Attention, Prabhupāda is saying. If you just do these four things, "manmana"— one time Prabhupāda also said, another time— we follow four regulative principles. So devotees were expecting that Prabhupāda would say, "No meat eating, no intoxicants," like that. But that time Prabhupāda said, after saying, "We follow four regulative principles: man mana, one, mad bhakto, two," like that, four principles Prabhupāda repeated. So he repeated in his quarter and he said, "If you follow this," you will be successful. By executing this order, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order, you will be glorified, the country will be glorified, and the whole world will benefit by just doing these four things. Manmana, remember Me, become My devotee, 'Worship me and offer obeisances.' And he said, 'Without being duplicitous,' he emphasized, 'no duplicity, without being duplicitous, if you follow these four principles strictly, you will be successful, glorified, the country will be glorified, the whole world will be glorified.' Hari Hari. So we had, after our sannyas, anyway, I'll just say a few more Prabhupada memories or stories. Well, not exactly stories. So when we were back in Bombay, myself and Śrīdhara, we got to stay in the same building Same floor as Śrīla Prabhupāda used to stay in one particular building in the back. Those buildings are not there now, but there are quite a few buildings in the back. So, we were kind of promoted from brahmachari ashram to Prabhupāda quarters. That became our sannyāsa ashram on one side of the That floor Prabhupāda was residing, and the other side we were staying. Well, quickly one time Prabhupāda said, "Why is Śrīdhara not carrying danda all the time?" I used to carry my danda all the time. But Prabhupāda, "He's not carrying. Why is he not carrying?" So I thought this was, must be important to Prabhupāda. So I had been carrying dhan even to this day. But this is not the same dhan. This is a— that dhan was made from bamboos from Vrindavan and was very heavy duty, which I did carry for long, long time, but then the terrorism cropped up and then the screening became tough. So this is a traveling gun, but Prabhupada was very happy when his sannyasi disciples were carrying gun. Well, sannyas was awarded in 1975, December, then I go to Mayapur, first time ever in Mayapur. Now my dand becomes my, what, passport or morning walk. I was welcome to join morning walks. There's another promotion. Now earlier Brahman, "Hey, stay out." Others will keep us out. "You stay behind." Even if we joined, they will send us back, "Go back to Ashram, go back." But now we had access, we had a close association. So one time, one morning I walked Lotus Building. There were only a few buildings those days. Lotus Building was the first building and Long Building came on later on. So I climbed up, Prabhupada was already walking. With his G.B.C. sannyasis, and I reached the roof, I offered my obeisances, and I was about to join the team, and Prabhupāda says, "Here comes Paramahamsa." He was not glorifying or He was rebuking me, getting on my case. And I was wondering, "Why is he calling me Paramahansa? Here comes Paramahansa." And then Prabhupada made morning walk, the talk, and he started explaining. He began with Bahudaka and Kutisakha and Bahudaka and Parivrāja and then Paramahansa. The trouble was why he called. My clothes, sannyasi clothes were not bright saffron. Those days we were used to that, no chemical dye but the geruwa kyakadang. Geruwa, yeah, this some kind of dust or soil. So my clothes were faded and there was this little tinge of saffron, hardly anything. So Prabhupāda is not following these principles. Clothes have to be saffron clothes, as saffron or bright as a fire, and that's a sign of renunciation. So I was kind of had deviated from that principle, and Prabhupāda, "Eh, here comes Paramahansa." As I was back after sannyāsa in Bombay, and I proposed to Śrīla Prabhupāda, "Prabhupāda, I would like to go back to Vrindāvana where I could study your books. Now I will have to preach. I will get the microphone all the time. I have to talk." "So, I should be studying your books thoroughly." Prabhupada said, "No, you stay in Bombay, you study in Bombay, you preach in Bombay." So, he did not want us to become some kind of ghosty anandis renouncing your— because Prabhupada had given me lots of service in Bombay also. I was in charge of this, that, and Prabhupāda did not want me to renounce that and rush to Vrindavan to do my bhajan. So there's something to learn from that. However, in '76, after Mayapur Festival, This time Hansadutt Swami Maharaj had come with German buses and he wanted to travel all over India with his Nithayagarb World Travelling Sankirtan Party. And we were kind of buddies, we both were kirtaniyas and he wanted also some Hindi speaker to— so he wanted me to join him. And Gopalakrishna Maharaj, Gopalakrishna Gosai Maharaj, my G.B.C. from Bombay, he did not want me to join that party. And well, there was a tussle going on for a few weeks or months now. Hansudha wanted me to travel and preach with him. Gopalakrishna Maharaj wanted me to Stay on in Bombay and do some management, preaching also. So finally, in Vrindavan, in Prabhupāda's courtyard, there was a little court held. Prabhupāda was the judge, and Gopāl Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja and Hansadūta Mahārāja, and I was also there. And they were both making their case, and Gopalakrishna Mahārāja says, "Prabhupāda, Lokanātha Swāmi is a key man in Bombay. How could he go hand like that?" Going back and forth. Prabhupāda kind of released. "What is this key man? Let him go, travel, preach." So at one time he did that. "You don't want me to leave Bombay. You stay, study here, preach here." But then he allowed me to. And Prabhupāda wanted all sannyasis to preach extensively. So then he, here in Vrindavan only, he asked me to start the pādayatra, or bala-kar sankīrtan traveling. And he said, "Now you go from Vṛndāvana to Mayapur." "How? Walking?" "No air travel. Pada-yatra, not air-yatra." And well, I was happy to accept. So, and that now this one, one Pada-yatra party was going on successfully in India, then Prabhupāda writes saying, "We could have millions of such carts all over the world." So he was expanding my preaching field. And this is also— Prabhupāda is known for his big thinking. So, he was thinking like that. And so we had been following Prabhupada's instructions and executing his will. So following in the footsteps of Śrīla Prabhupāda, including Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Prabhupāda has mentioned in his talk, That Caitanya Mahāprabhu takes sannyāsa, and our ācāryas have taken sannyāsa and traveled extensively. Then Prabhupāda took sannyāsa in Mathura in '59, and he became jet age parivrajaka ācārya. Śrīla Prabhupāda ki?

Mahārāja.

So that example is before all of us. And there is a dire need, there is so much need of propagation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given us a goal. Pratavitya ca jato nagarādi-grāma sarvatra-prasādho 'ibhi moro 'nam. My name will be spread in every town, every village, How many sannyasis that is going to take to reach every town, every village on this planet? So we are very happy that where these two Prabhus grew up, they were born here. Śrīla Mahāprabhu and Gopendra Prabhu were born, and yeah, born in Kṛṣṇa consciousness here, and were brought up here. They were trained here, and they were made qualified here to preach. I also want to take this opportunity to the temple authorities here, Panchagauda Prabhu, headed by Panchagauda Prabhu and others, taking all the trouble of training these candidates, engaging these candidates, and certainly they are ready.

Are you ready?

Two of you, two of you, not everyone.

Lord bless her.

So, we welcome, we congratulate, we appreciate that they have come forward. Brajasundar Prabhu is also here. I mean, for their training, or they're put through such a rigorous regime. It took 7 years for Radhasyamsuddha to come out and become— just last week we heard, "Okay, now he's approved and qualified. You could go ahead." I mean, those were good old days. Prabhupāda, I approached Prabhupāda I was 2 and a half years in ISKCON. 2 and a half years in ISKCON, I approached Prabhupada, I want to take sannyāsa. Prabhupada did say, wait. And I was waiting for a little more time, maybe 6 months or 9 months. And then again approached Śrīla Prabhupāda because Śrīdhara Swāmī's sannyāsa was approved. Śrīdhara Śrīdhara dāsa Brahmācārya. We were khalī, we were together preaching. And so when he was, his sannyāsa was approved, I approached Śrīla Prabhupāda saying, "Me too, me too, me too." Like kids in the family, one child gets some toys or some sweets and then other child runs to the father, "Me too, Daddy, me too, Mommy." "Something like that. I was a 'me too.'" And then there was some dialogue back and forth. Prabhupāda was, "Oh, you are already sannyāsi and this and that." But I was not buying all those proposals. "Oh, you want to undergo the formality?" "Yes, yes, Prabhupāda." And then Prabhupāda said, "Okay, join Śrīdhara. You both travel to Vṛndāvana." And Prabhupāda was scheduled to— he was in Bombay— he was scheduled to travel to Kurukṣetra. And Gopākṛṣṇa Mahārāja, Harikesh, and even Ambariṣ Prabhu and Harishauri, their small team traveled to Kurukṣetra. Prabhupāda was looking for land for ISKCON. And as Śrīla Prabhupāda returned to Vrindavan beginning of December, then on 6th of December, 1975, Śrīla Prabhupāda was kind to few of us that day to award us sannyāsa. Priyari, if Maharaj is okay with Maharaj, or I would like maybe some of you Prabhus, Maharajas, could say a few words of appreciation or congratulations.

We have a list of 88 devotees.

Oh, okay. So, okay, here you go. You hear your name and then Go for it.

I'll be very, very brief. I'll be very brief.

I'm going to speak in brief because you're going to try to go away very Because we have a big gathering here to speak about these two devotees. So before Maharaj left for attending the other program, he was about to speak about that verse, Ekam Samastha Paratmanista. That is actually sannyasis who used to chant this. Since Toca time, this is the story of Avanti Vikshu.

Avanti Baba was very rich, very well The story is like this, Avanti Brahmān was very rich and very miser too. He would not give even a penny to anybody.

He was not giving any penny to anybody.

Then all became beggars.

Then everyone became his enemy.

Yes, I was born in a rich family, you were poor.

Then during the time that same, this Brahman become beggar.

He was there, Brahman, invisible by people.

Then this Brahman was criticized.

Everybody, wherever he was going, people would say, 'Oh, he was rich.' Then he became poor, very poor.

So then people used to say this, "Ramana, you were one time rich, now you are so poor." Initially the family was sad, we also were sad. Ramana was very sad, he lost all his wealth. Then he started thinking of renunciation. Then this verse was sung by Avanti Rama. This text was also written by Shri Chaitanya Mahāprabhu.

And in this verse, the key point is that I am going to cross over the iceberg of devotion, I am going to land and be fixed on the planet. So He was the boat.

The key point of this verse is the firm decision He took that He will definitely cross over the oceans. By taking the self-approved speech of Kṛṣṇa.

Mukunda, the giver of the knowledge.

He wants to serve the speech of Mukunda, the giver of knowledge.

You are saying, "Yāsi, let's be determined on the devotion of Kṛṣṇa." And sannyāsi, you have to take vidyamāniṣaṁ to follow the devotional path. What will happen to the world? What will the future be?

So, now try to let's recoup to Guru Swami. So, the 6 Arjuna's Vachabhaigam, Manasamputabhigam, we should try our best to follow.

Vachabhaigam, our speech as a reality should be.

So Vajra Vego means sanyasi should speak all spiritual, nothing mundane.

No prajalpa. Control the mind.

Control the mind. Anger.

Lust, anger.

And greet others. See, I will give you 2 L's.

So give up anger. Then you should control your belly and genitals.— you can control mind, body, and the senses.

So it is very important that sannyasi should control his mind, body, and words.

We carry a three dandas, it means we have control over the body, mind, and words.

So we have three dandas, that means we should have control over mind, body, and words.

So we can have control over the Then I can't remember.

So we can control when our chanting is offenseless.

But endeavor should be to constantly improve our chanting.

So our endeavor should be to constantly improve our chanting.

Regularly chanting.

Regularly read Śrīla Prabhupāda's books.

Prasad RAVAL in terms of female association.

Sannyasi has to be very careful in terms of female association.

Lord Caitanya gave a perfect example in this area.

Lord Caitanya gave a perfect example in this area. So female disciples used to offer obeisances from a distance. One should be— sannyasis should be very careful regarding the association with women. So we have the example of Vratisiddhanta Maharaj. When his sister used to come to see him, he should have a kundari with him.

Brother has given a lot of instructions for sannyasis.

We hope that all the sannyasis will be very careful following all the instructions. Disciple of Swami is taking sannyas today.

In late '90s, he moved into Ah, yeah, he came from Bengal, he came to Delhi Temple, and from there he came to Vrindavan Temple. He has been in Vrindavan for a very long time. He was in the Sankirtan Party. Earlier, he is very fond of reading the Chaitanya-caritāmṛta. So we hope that as a sannyāsi, he will preach in the mood of Chaitanya Mahāprabhu. And spread the Holy Name in every town and village.

Every town and village. Spread the Holy Name.

So ISKCON's program is to spread the Holy Name in every town and village.

Village. Village.

So Rādhā-śrīmānanda Prabhu is also a very exemplary devotee. So after sannyasa, he will take the responsibility for preaching.

Hare Krishna.

Hare Krishna.

Now the sannyas candidate will pray to Guru Maharaj to give the sannyasa ashrama.

The candidate should now say, "Bo Guru, sampranaya." Sadhya sadhanastana pragna asmin bhārataḥ samsāraṇ maḥ prāhī sannyāsam dehī. The meaning of this is: O spiritual master, most knowledgeable in the process and goal of perfecting human life according to the bona fide sampradaya. Please deliver me from the material ocean by granting me the honor of sannyāsa.

Haribol. Now the sannyāsa candidate should pray to Guru Mahārāja for giving the kaupīṇa. Om Maya Tarange Samsare Patitam Mam Samuddhara Kaupina Dehi Shuddhyartham Bhavatapa Nivaranaam Kaupina Grahana Naham Putosmi Iti Achirad Iha Please deliver this fallen soul from the base of the material world.

Bestow upon me the kaupīṇa to purify me and extinguish the suffering of material existence. Receiving this kaupīṇa, I shall very quickly become pure. Now, with respect to spiritual masters, Again, you have to repeat again.

Om Bhoguruh Bhikṣupayogam Yogapatthādikam Mām Grahayā.

The candidates are now again taking their spiritual master. Oh, spiritual master, please give me the cloth.

And other items which are characteristic of a sannyasin, the guru should say, Om Yadi, Om Yadi, Evam, Evam, Tarhe, Tarhe, Praśa, Praśa, Ithe, Ithe, Vāratrayam, Vāratrayam, Pātasvā, Pātasvā, Bhadra, Bhadra.

The meaning of this is, O fortunate one, If you so desire this, then say prasā 3 times. The candidate will now say prasā 3 times.

Prasā sumi, prasā sumi, prasā sumi, prasā sumi.

So this is to say that they are very sure of— he was the table today and having eaten twice, now All the senior devotees required—

requested to give your blessings. In the form of touching this Ananyaasi cloth.

Hare Krishna! Now these spiritual masters will give their respective candidates one mantra which shall be uttered by them for 3 days. Allow. And another mantra, which is a puja mantra. Now Maharaj will give him his sanyas name.

Eita!

Tamo Mukundangri Nesei Bayeba. So, Abhi, parambuje lokna soi maras. His Grace Radha Shyamus Sundaraprabhuji ko sannyasudanda dharam kareinge or funka sannyas nam dehenge.

I did not want to change his name so much. Little change, torasa parivartana. Radhe Shyamananda Swami. Radhe Shyamanaanda Swami Maharaj, tor kahenge. Nam toy Radhe Shyamanaanda Swami.

His Holiness Radhe Shyamananda Swami Maharaj ki—

They are going to start the ceremony. It is already late. So in the meantime, we have Janakinatha Das Brahmachari. He is on Govardhan. He is releasing this book on Govardhan Lila. It is in Hindi. So both Sri Gopabakrishna Maharaj and Prambhuchil Lokanath Swami Maharaj, they have already blessed him for these books. Tomorrow is Govardhan Puja, so anybody have this book on Sri Govardhan, they can contact Jahnakirath Prabhu.