North Shore Oahu, Hawaii, December 30, 2000
Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja: First, thousands and thousands of obeisances at the lotus feet of my spiritual master, His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Maharaja. As well as for my siksa-guru His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja. Only by the mercy of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja, I am preaching all over the whole world. He showered on me special mercy. So I am also praying to him. He came from India and preached all over the whole world. Wrote so many books, so many authentic books. Established so many preaching centers here and there, in a couple of years. Even in the ocean, in these islands of Hawaii. Also in the mountains, Saranagati. In so many countries, even in Muslim countries also. In South Africa also, so quickly.
Why has he descended to this world? Why? To help you all! Also he sent me to help you all. But if you are not taking that help, that mercy, then you are what? Then you are more wretched than animals dogs, pigs, hogs. You should remember all these things. Oh, they are happy more than you are in sense gratification and so many things. They [the animals] can give birth not only one time, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 1000's they can give in one birth. So you are not superior to them. They have no trouble like you, always so many problems! They are not having. If you are having one child, two, then, "How should I maintain them?"
About 5,000 years before, all learned and realized rsis who realized brahma-tattva, Krishna also, they were assembled in India, Naimisaranya. A very good forest on the bank of the river. Not just one, they were assembled all, about 88,000 rsis, realized souls. And they were discussing. What were they discussing? That nowadays, Kali-yuga, the Iron Age, is here. Without any reasons, so many problems will come. Quarrelling with each other without any reasons at all."
prayenalpayusah sabhya
kalav asmin yuge janah
mandah sumanda-matayo
manda-bhagya hy upadrutah
(SB 1.1.10)
["O learned one, in this iron age of Kali men have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed." (BBT)]
In this iron age, Kali-yuga, all have short longevity, short life. Manda, all are unfortunate. Sumanda-matayo, not intelligent. Manda-bhaghya, no fortune. Upadrita, always problems like waves. One after another problem is coming. And they have to do so many things. Very busy life. How busy life? Like dogs! Very busy running on 4 wheels on highway. Like animals on 4 legs. Where are they going? "I have no time to speak to you, I am very busy!" And they will run up to a mile stone and pass urine. And then they will run again. "Where are you going?" "Oh, I have no time to answer you."
Why are you doing all these things? A business man, my disciple, very wealthy, he went to Italy. A very high level business man. Making crores and crores dollars income daily. And he was so much busy, my disciple, another man, asked him "Why are you doing all these things? Will you will take any farthing, shilling, any pence with you when you will die? Even these hairs?"
He replied, " I never think I have to die. I will die and what will be after my death?" And he became like mad.
What you are earning in this life by this body, and this intelligence, you should know, they all will be in this world, this body also. But transformation will be there, it will be ashes or stool of animals. So, what to do? You should realize this.
What you are doing all day long, can you take it with you after death or not? If anyone will take they can raise their hand? Can you, your father, your mother, your friends? You cannot take anything, even a particle of dust from here. Then why are you doing all these things? To be happy! Oh, you cannot be happy by this. More problems will. They are discussing, how to be happy. How our soul will be happy?
bruhi bhadraya bhutanam
yenatma suprasidati
Not this body, actually we are not this body. I know in our group, that devotee sitting there, she is maybe 60. One day she was more beautiful than you. [Maharaja points to some young girls in the front] Very beautiful, always smiling face, very attractive and sweep, I know. My age is also above 80. After 10 or 20 years she will not be able to walk without cane. And after some time death will come. She cannot take anything. You cannot take. So you all will be old. So how we can be happy, not this body. This body also and soul also. You should know, that you are not this material body. You are part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is Krishna. And eternal servant of Krishna. But anyhow you have forgotten this and you have come to this world, controlled by Maya. You cannot be happy in this world. This world is made of problems only. If you want to be happy in jail, you are foolish. All foolish. Jail was made to punish stupid, nonsense persons. Who are violating rules and regulations. So that is the place of punishment - how you can be happy. You can only be happy by what?
sa vai pumsah paro dharmo
You can only be happy by chanting, remembering, singing the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is our constitutional function, not these things. You are always engaged in sense gratification for so many things, but really you cannot be happy.
If even one name of Krishna enters in your ears, you are chanting and remembering the glories of Krishna, you must be happy. Without chanting you cannot be. But it can be only heard from whom? Guru, transcendental guru, holy master. Perhaps you know all the name of Brahmaji. Who was created by Mahavisnu, to create this world. When he was created, Brahma, he saw everywhere - water, water, water. And very dark, nothing was there. Only darkness. What shall I do? He could not imagine even. Then a sound came, what? 'Ta - pa', and then, how to do tapa? He was meditating and remembering his holy master, Mahavishnu. "From where I have come? I am offering thousands and thousands of prayers to that personality", and then, at once, he heard something. That arial voice told that mantra of Krishna "Klim krsnaya". And you should chant this for a long time and then your heart will be pure. Then I will do something more. And he did so. After such a long period of time, thousands of thousands of years, from the flute of Krishna he heard, kama gayatri. And by that kama-gayatri he knew so many glories of Krishna. And then he was praying, that is Brahma-samhita. Very good slokas. So without guru, we cannot be happy, but we'll have to have very strong faith in his words.
You know, Dhruva Maharaja? Perhaps you don't know. Dhruva was a son of a very high class of king, emperor of the whole world. When he at the age of five, he wanted to sit in the lap of his father. But due to fear of the step mother, he could not take him in his lap. The step mother told: "You cannot sit in the lap of your father. If you will die and take birth in my womb, then you can sit, otherwise not."
So he began to weep loudly, very loudly and came to his mother. The mother asked: "Why are you weeping?"
"Oh, my father did not take me into his lap."
She said: "Oh, why are you lamenting? Your prabhu is Hari, Krishna, Supreme Personality of Godhead. You should try to please Him! And by that, if He will be pleased, by His mercy, you can be the king of the whole world, the whole universe."
"Oh, where is He?"
In the middle of the night, without telling his mother, alone, 5 year old boy, left his father, mother, everything. And in the dark night he went into the forest. And he was thinking how to please my prabhu, Krishna. If anyone tries like this, Krishna helps him. So he sent Narada. If anyone wants to serve Krishna, or to meet Krishna, to have darsana of Krishna, really he wants, then what happens. Krishna Himself sends His associate to them to help. So He sent Narada Rishi to Dhruva. He came and he tested him, what he wants really.
Dhruva told him, "I want to have the darsana of Sri Hari and I want to be the emperor of this whole world."
He told him that you should return to your home. So many lions and tigers will eat you, you are should not be here, you are a small boy, you should return.
But he told that, "I have decided to do or die, so I must please Sri Hari."
Then Narada gave him diksa. A mantra, "Oh you chant, and very soon you can have the darsana of Sri Hari." And what did he do? You should hear.
[Maharaja asks Pundarika prabhu to speak.]
[Pundarika dasa:] After receiving instructions from the great sage Narada Muni and receiving that powerful mantra of Lord Hari, the small boy Dhruva sat down to chant the mantra with great absorption. He sat on hilltop and concentrated his mind and gradually one after another he left his connection with all gross matter. What was the first thing, he gave up all the eating, all the solid food. And he only kept on liquids or water. After a month or so he even gave up that and he was simply living on air. After some months of living on air, he even gave taking air, he was not even breathing. After six month, when he was deeply meditating on the wonderful form of the Lord, as described in the mantra by Narada Muni, he saw that the beautiful form of the Lord disappeared from his heart. He was so much disturbed. "What happened? I had that beautiful form of the Lord in my heart and now it is not there any more." So when he was disturbed, he opened his eyes, he saw that very Lord was standing in front of him. But the young boy, only five years old, knew not how to act and how to reciprocate with the Lord Himself. So, mercifully, Sri Narayana touched the forehead of the boy with His conchshell. As soon as this conchshell touched his forehead all the knowledge and conclusions of all the Vedas manifested in his heart. He knew all the wonderful prayers in Sanskrit and he started glorifying the Lord. And after he had done so, the Lord was so much pleased with him and said: "I am very much pleased, all your desires shall be fulfilled now." But at this point, due to the mercy of the Lord and His personal association, what had happened? The young boy had realized, that what he was desiring for was simply useless. He was looking for a broken piece of glass, and what he had achieved was - a diamond. But because he had performed all these austerities and worship with the desire to be materially successful, to have a great kingdom, even greater than his father, the Lord said: "Your desire must be fulfilled, because you worshipped me with this desire."
So here is a very important teaching for all of us pursuing spiritual life. That we should be very careful with our inspiration within. Despite the performing of all the limbs of bhakti, if within the heart is the desire to enjoy, to have any material desire fulfilled, what will happen? By the mercy of the mantra or the process of devotional service, our desires will keep getting fulfilled. We will not attain our goal and will keep delaying. And then it might happen that we may loose our faith, because we see that our desires are not getting fulfilled. But the reason is not the weakness of the process, but is our own weakness.
So, when the Lord told him that, "Now I bless you to have this, but do not worry, because you have attained my mercy, you will not be afflicted by this material influence. You will rule this world for 36000 years and after that you will come to my abode, a very special abode, called Dhruva-loka. We can also see that special star in the sky, which is always glittering shining so luminous. After that, you will attain my bhakti." This is how the young boy, due to his determination and the great faith in the words of his gurudeva, he attained his goal of life.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] So, if you are like Dhruva, a transcendental guru was sent by Krishna Himself. Why? Because his desire was so strong, I want to please Krishna. So if your desire is like that, Krishna will send such class of a guru. And that is why Swamiji came to this world. There were so many very interested, sincere persons, who wanted to be always happy and to serve Krishna. So Krishna Himself sent him. And that is why he came. Again also, He is sending me, only for this, to help others.
So, our desire should be like this. Then a guru like him you can have. Otherwise if your desire is not strong - what will be? Then guru will be like that, he will fall down in day three or four times. Not strong, not knowing all the siddhanta and tattva, very weak. And then we will start from where, even one round in a whole day. This is very long process. If a student is admitted in a school, the whole day he plays football, volleyball, cricket, drinking, marry making here and there, whole day, whole year, what will be the result? Nothing!
If sometimes he studies his course, it may be after so many years he may pass first grade. So we should try to be like Dhruva. He gave his whole attention and energy in remembering his deity. How? Even, not eating, not eating any delicious preparations, not drinking so many juices, not smoking any cigarettes. What was he doing? In 15 days, he ate dry leaves of trees, very little. And water only two times. And after two, three months, he left everything, even leaves also, only taking air. In another month he left air also and he went into samadhi. Krishna was bound to give him darsana.
But I tell you, even one round you should do, no harm. I tell you not to take cigarettes, meat, beef, wine, all these bad things, it will spoil you. You should realize these things.
Don't take all these things. Try to observe 4 regulative principles and chant, even one round. What will happen? Oh, you can have the darsana of Krishna, you can be happy, but it is a very long process. But the process of Prahlada Maharaja, the process of Dhruva, the process of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, in one life you can have. But try to be at least like Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. What is the story of Raghunatha das Gosvami? Can you tell?
[Brajanatha dasa:] Srila Raghunatha das Gosvami lived in this world about 500 years ago. He was the son of a very rich and aristocratic landlord. This family had only one son. There were two brothers, who were so rich, they earned millions of gold coins. At that time what the value is, so wealthy they were. But they had only one son. We can imagine, if you have only one son, how fond you are of that one son.
Raghunatha, from his early age, he received the association of great sadhus, like Haridasa Thakura and Yadhunandana Acarya. Due to the influence of this association, his desire to serve Krishna and to meet Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became so strong, by hearing from his spiritual master, and Srila Haridasa Thakura, he developed such a strong desire to meet Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that no other interest, whatever was there in his surroundings, due to being the only son of such a wealthy and aristocratic family. You can imagine, how much he was surrounded by the objects of the senses.
But his desire to meet Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and to serve Krishna was so strong, that he was not interested in anything else. His father and mother were worried. They thought: "Our Raghunatha has become mad. He always tries to find any way to meet with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. At some point he met with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and by the influence of that meeting he became so much attracted to give up material life altogether, that he received that special mercy from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu told him in his first meeting: "Very soon, you will attain my lotus feet. Now you should go back to your family and behave just like an ordinary person. Don't upset your family members, but in your heart always meditate on Me and mediate on Krishna."
So Raghunatha, at that time, followed the instructions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who told hold him: "Don't be a madman. Don't run here and there looking for Krishna, be patient. Your desire to attain Krishna will soon be fulfilled. Krishna will make all the arrangements." So his mother and father thought of ways to keep Raghunatha with them, by marrying him to a very beautiful girl. Then he will not leave them. But the father said: "Now we have married our son to this beautiful girl, but still he wants to always go and meet with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So what to do? We cannot bind him and keep him with us." So Raghunatha became so fortunate that Krishna made the arrangement that one night his spiritual master, Yadhunandan Acarya came to his house. He told Raghunatha: "Please come with me, I have some service for you."
Even though the house was so much guarded by so many servants and watchmen, so Raghunatha could not go anywhere, the father and his uncle had so much trust in Yadhunandan Acarya, that Raghunatha could go with him and return.
Actually, his father and uncle were very pious, they were looking after all the vaisnavas in Navadvipa, supplying them with so many things for their maintenance. They were very pious and wealthy and they taught that Raghunatha should just be like us. He should not go to Mahaprabhu and give up this family life, it is so good.
So that night, by Krishna's mercy, the arrangement was made that Raghunatha came with Yadhunandan Acarya to do some special service, on the pretext that the pujari had left, he was to do that service. He told his spiritual master: "Guruji, I will do this service, you can go to your ashram. Do not worry, I will manage everything."
At that time Raghunatha was thinking: "Oh, Krishna is so merciful. Now quickly I will go to Puri, where Mahaprabhu is." So Raghunatha ran day and night, without thinking about eating or sleeping and very soon he reached the lotus feet of Mahaprabhu. And Mahaprabhu was so happy to meet with Raghunatha, that he bestowed some very special mercy upon hi. He gave him in the care of Sri Svarupa Damodara.
This is, in short, the history of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. If we can be like this, then our success in Krishna Consciousness is guaranteed. If we can develop this one-pointedness, only desiring to serve Krishna, to meet with Krishna, to be in the association of pure vaisnavas, then very quickly we will see that Krishna will make all the arrangements. So we should pray that this very special mercy may come into our lives. That is why our acaryas, like Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and now our gurudeva, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja is coming to the West to kindle this desire in our heart. To develop this very strong eagerness, how can I serve Krishna, how can I please Krishna, how can I learn from these examples, especially the example of Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. To take full shelter in the association of sadhus.
Srila Gurudeva told this morning, how we don't have such strong faith, that Krishna will protect us and nourish us. We think that we need to protect ourselves and nourish ourselves. We think that Krishna may be interested or not, but actually, when we have this strong conviction, that Krishna is nourishing the whole world, all living entities, the animals, the trees, they don't have to work, like us to nourish our bodies, our families. So why should we be so much worried.
We should develop this strong conviction that surrendering to the lotus feet of sad-guru, coming in the association of pure vaisnavas, this will solve all our problems. Not only that, but this will give us real happiness and real life, which is to serve the lotus feet of the Divine Couple under the guidance of guru and vaisnavas.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] So, without high class of association, we cannot have pure bhakti. A person who is not himself expert in bhakti, has some realization, as it is told in Srimad-Bhagavatam:
tasmad gurum prapadyeta
jijnasuh sreya uttamam
sabde pare ca nisnatam
brahmany upasamasrayam
(11.3.21)
["Any person who is seriously desirous of achieving real happiness must seek out a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of a spiritual master is that he must have realized the conclusion of the scriptures by deliberation and arguments and thus be able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken complete shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, are to be understood as bona fide spiritual masters." (BBT)]
If one has realized this fact, that by these activities that I am doing, we cannot be happy, never. So to know how I can be happy, really, in this world and after this world, then he should go to very high-class of devotee, that is realized, knowing all the purports of the sastra. Gita, Bhagavatam and so on. And really observing himself, following all what has been told. So he should be expert in all the siddhanta of the Vedas, Upanisads, Bhagavatam. And secondly, he should have some realization of Krishna. If anyone is expert in all sastra, but has no realization of Krishna , he is not guru. After some time he may fall down. And if anyone, not knowing even so much sastra, but has realization of Krishna, really he is guru.
But one thing more, he will be detached from worldly desires and attachments, he must be. If the guru is not detached from worldly things, he has no experience, he has not realized anything about Krishna, and he does not know all the Vedic siddhanta, really he is not guru.
By his association, you cannot advance and have all these things. So guru should be like this. Fortunately, if you have a guru like this, detached from worldly matters, totally, always chanting and remembering in the line of Rupa Gosvami or Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And he knows all kinds of siddhanta, expert in all these things, what Krishna-tattva is, maya-tattva is, rasa-tattva is, bhakti-tattva, jiva-tattva, everything, he is expert. Only he can help you! Otherwise not.
Anyhow if you don't have a guru, you are not initiated by such a guru, you are initiated by family guru or a guru who is not expert in vedas, no realization, not detached from worldly things and you are initiated by such a guru, but now you are realizing he cannot help you. I should have the help of any realized soul, having all the qualities, always chanting, remembering, expert in all siddhanta. And especially he should be what? Detached from worldly things.
I should go there and I should take his help. He must give help. Regardless if disciple or not, always ready to help and give support. Better take him as diksa guru or siksa guru, both are like the same.
I know all the disciples of Bhaktivedanta Swamiji came to Swami Maharaja only for bhakti, not for money, not for good girls, not for wealth and reputation. They left everything behind to serve Swamiji. So, we should always remember this, that if you have left everything for Krishna, what are you doing now? You should always remember this. We have come for Krishna's service, love and affection. If anyone is helping me now, he is really guru. If anyone is helping in this object then he is guru. And if a person cannot help to attain transcendental love and affection for Krishna, then he is not guru. We should try to give him up and to have the association of high-class, exalted and qualified guru. If you are not doing that, you purpose will not be solved. You cannot be happy and you cannot have the love and affection of Krishna.
Nowadays, this is going on, everywhere, not qualified guru, they don't know all the siddhanta of the Vedas, Upanisads, Gita, Bhagavatam. No detachment from this world. They initiate any very beautiful girl, like a daughter, and next day - what? They marry. What is this silly thing? He is not guru. In a moment, at once, we should give up such a bogus guru. In laks and laks, thousands and thousands of births, with the help of these gurus, you cannot advance. You'll be entangled in maya, always in maya.
If by fortune, you have been initiated by any guru who is sincere and knows something, but is not detached from worldly things. Then what should we do? We should pray to him: "Prabhu, allow me to have association of that very exalted person." If your guru allows, then you should think that he is madhyama-adhikari, and we should try to honor him, but not associate with him. Keeping some honor for him, but what are we doing? Always serve that exalted personality, gurudeva. In any way, like siksa guru or diksa guru and he will be ready for this. Otherwise by bogus gurus, or even not bogus, sincere, but he does not know all the processes, he is not expert in all the purports of the sastras, and he himself what? Enjoying something, not detached, he cannot help.
You should know all these things. And then try to do accordingly. Very soon, otherwise you cannot be happy, you cannot realize transcendental things. That is why Raghunatha dasa Gosvami by his diksa guru Yadhunandana Acarya and then by the association of Haridasa Thakura, who? Brahma and Prahlada, mixed. And then, he went to Puri. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave his hand in the hands of Svarupa Damodara. And how he was practicing bhakti yoga? Giving his whole energy, in chanting and remembering. Even how he used to do, not taking any delicious preparation, even Jagannatha-prasadam. What was he doing? Anyhow, rotten prasadam of Jagannatha, washing and giving some salt. Only little to, save his life. Whole day long, whole night, not taking any rest, not sleeping. Sleeping maybe 24 minutes, not more than that. Sometimes no sleep like this also and chanting and remembering. Then what will be? Oh, very soon you will realize. Very soon he realized, and after Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Svarupa Damodara and Gadadhara Pandit (left), he came to Vrindavana in Radha-kunda. Why he came? "I have not realized anything. So, I should die here. How I will die? I will jump in the Yamuna, jump from Govardana hill."
But what happened? Rupa and Sanatana accepted him as, like siksa guru. So Rupa Gosvami is highest siksa guru of Raghunatha Das Gosvami. And now here in Radha Kunda, he was chanting and remembering whole day and night, weeping bitterly. How weeping?
he radhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-suno kutah
sri-govardhana-kalpa-padapa-tale kalindi-vane kutah
ghosantav iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair maha-vihvalau
"Oh, Krishna. Oh, Radhe. Oh, Lalite. Oh, Visake, where are you? I am dying. Give darsana, give your service." And thus weeping here and there, sometimes in Radha-kunda, sometimes in Govardana, sometimes in Nandagaon, sometimes in Bhandiravana, sometimes in Vrindavana, Kesi-ghat, Vamsi-vata. Always like this, weeping, weeping. And then his desire was fulfilled. Can you do like this? Even a part? A small part? So this is the real process. Without the help of association anyone cannot have the love and affection of Krishna. You know? Even trees and creepers can have the mercy of Krishna through high-class of devotee.
Narada for Nalakuvera and Manigriva. What did they become? Associates of Krishna. Even Prahlada, being the son of a very big demon, he became Prahlada Maharaja, high-class uttama maha bhagavata, only by the association of Narada Rsi. By the association of Hanuman, Vibhisan, the brother of the very big demon Ravana, he became high-class of devotee. So many trees, creepers and all can be high-class of uttama bhagavata by the association of the high-class devotee. Otherwise not!
So, if you want to develop your Krishna consciousness you should really be sincere and try to associate with high-class of devotees, guru. And then you will really realize all this and very quickly you can develop.
One thing more. If you have a dog. And giving some energy to the dog, giving food etc. The dog will be yours, but you will always remember the dog. And maybe in the future, at the time of death, you will remember that dog. Then you will be dog [in your next life].
You know the history of Bharata Maharaja? You should tell the story of Bharata Maharaja, in brief. You should hear all these things and try to develop your Krishna consciousness. Don't waste your time and energy.
[Madhava Maharaja:] In ancient India, the great emperor Bharata Maharaja, in the middle of his life, gave up his kingdom, his wife, children and all. It is very difficult to give up these things in young age, but he gave up everything. So, he came at the bank of a river to do bhajana. While doing bhajana, one day, he heard the roar of a tiger, and saw a female deer trying to jump over the river. The deer was very fearful and jumped over the river. While jumping the deer lost gave birth to a baby deer. On the side the deer was looking towards his baby and towards Bharata Maharaja, as if telling to Bharata Maharaja, to take care of his baby.
So, Bharata Maharaja gave up his bhajana to protect this baby deer. The deer expired shortly after. He had saved the life of the baby deer. But gradually became attached to the baby deer. The baby deer grew up jumping in Bharata Maharaja's lap, sometimes, while doing bhajana or chanting gayatri, the deer would come and want to play and by be caressed. So Bharata Maharaja would give up his bhajana to nourish and caress the deer.
One day, the young deer mixed with other deer and disappeared. Bharata Maharaja became so worried, the deer being so young and many tigers could devour it. In the meantime death came, while he thinking of the deer. So, in his next life he became a deer.
Sri Krishna has told in Bhagavad-Gita:
yam yam vapi smaran bhavam
tyajaty ante kalevaram
tam tam evaiti kaunteya
sada tad-bhava-bhavitah
(Gita 8.6)
["Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kunti, that state he will attain without fail." (BBT)]
As Bharata Maharaja was thinking about a deer, so he became a deer. But he was remembering everything. So he never would go here and there for grazing, but would always stay near his ashram, taking some grass and some water from the river, without mixing with any other deer. He thought that he had become a deer by mixing with deer, so he did not want to mix with any flock of deer. So when his time came to leave the deer body, he prayed to the Lord in the language of human beings. After that he became a brahmana boy. Being a brahman boy, he remembered all these things, that he was previously Bharata maharaja, then a deer etc. So he became like a fool. His father wanted to teach him how to be a brahma, vaisnava etiquette, but he did not want to learn anything. He knew everything, but externally he pretended to be dumb. His father asked him to chant 'Om', but he would say 'Ahh'. In this way his father was very worried. Who would take care of this boy after he would die? Then the time came that his father passed away. His brother and sister in law did not properly take care of Jada Bharata. His brother would engage him in the field.
One day, a group of dacoits, caught a boy to sacrifice to the goddess Kali. But, by chance the boy ran away. So they set out to find another person. So they saw Jad Bharata sitting in the field. Without any opposition they caught him and took him away. After feeding him, they put red garment on him and placed him before the alter of Kali. Jada Bharata was very calm and quiet, as anyone doing bhajana of Krishna is very calm and not worried at all. They began to offer ghee and mantras into the fire. When they were about to cut his head for sacrifice, a tremendous sound came to the deity of Badra Kali. Kali came out of the deity, with the sword from the dacoits cut of the heads of the dacoits and threw into the fire. She then came before Jada Bharata with folded hands and freed him. She then said: "Oh prabhu, don't cheat the world, I know you are a great vaisnava, other will not know and make more offenses."
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] So, if you are engaged in sense gratification and giving energy to material things, at the time of death you will remember these things and you may become a fish, dog.
You can test this, when you sit and chant your gayatri mantra, with an empty mind. Then all those worldly desires and things will come into your empty mind. You cannot check it. So at the time of death you cannot do anything. Again you will have to come to this world. Don't think this is our first human birth, thousands and millions births, even in the shape of demigods and demigoddesses, dogs, hogs, even trees and creepers.
But now, by the mercy of Krishna you have a human body. It was given only for the purpose to chant and remember and develop your Krishna consciousness. I am sending my associates to help you, you should to take that help and very soon you should come to me.
But if you are not following, again you will be animals, dogs, hogs. So you should realize all these facts. I have come only to remind you that you should remember this. Don't give your whole energy in maintaining your house and being happy in the world. You cannot be happy by this.
You should chant a certain number of Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Even one time you are chanting it will help you. And if you chanting with respect and honor, initiated by a high-class of devotee, in association of high-class devotees, chanting always, not wasting your time in other things, even to maintain your life, Krishna has arranged everything. If you give up everything, even maintaining your life, your life will be maintained. Don't worry for this and try to develop your Krishna consciousness. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
sadhu-sanga', 'sadhu-sanga'--sarva-sastre kaya
lava-matra sadhu-sange sarva-siddhi haya
(Cc Madhya 22.54)
["The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment's association with a pure devotee, one can attain all success." (BBT)]
High-class of devotee will give love for Krishna, from others you cannot have any help. Remembering this you should change your life and try to be in the association of high-class devotees, they will help. Others cannot help, your mother, father, brother, even guru, if is not expert. You should try to give more energy and time to Krishna Consciousness. If you are serving any bad company for making some money, it will not help, you will never be happy. You will be dogs etc. So, why are you not giving energy to Krishna consciousness and chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
Once, Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to the house of Srivasa Pandit. He said, "I know you don't do anything for your maintenance, always chanting and remembering, all day and all night. What will happen to your maintenance?" He did like this. [Maharaja claps three times].
"What is the meaning of this?"
"If Krishna is not giving anything I will chant all day and fast. If on the second day there is nothing also I will fast and chant. And third day also. If on the fourth day Krishna will give nothing I will jump into the Ganges and give up my life."
Then Mahaprabhu told: "It maybe that Laksmi-devi, the goddess of fortune and wealth, she can beg door to door, but my devotees can never die like this."
What has Nityananda Prabhu said:
yathestam re bhratah! kuru hari-hari-dhvanam-anisam
tato vah samsarambudhi-tarana-dayo mayi laget
idambahu-sphotair-atati ratayan yah pratigrham
bhaje nityanandambhajana-taru-kandam niravadhi
(Nityanandasakam 5)
"Oh jiva, you should chant loudly Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. I am taking all responsibility. If by chanting you are not happy it will be my responsibility."
So, you should believe in Nityananda Prabhu's words. You can believe in Krishna's word. What meaning:
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
(Gita 18.66)
[Devotee:] "Just give up all variety of religion and duties, that you think you have in this world and surrender to me fully. Come to Vrindavana, I will free you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear."
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] Thank you for coming. I am very grateful to you all. I am here for 8 days. But I was engaged in writing something very important. It will come out for as Brahma-samhita. That is why could not met with you. But I wanted to meet you soon. So I told Vrindavana prabhu to call everyone, even those that I don't know. I want to meet them and inspire them, in the line of Swamiji, Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja, your Prabhupada. So, today I am happy. For this purpose I came, simply to inspire you.
Now I am in old age. I want to be in Vrindavana always, chanting remembering, at the feet of Srila Govardhana, Radha-kunda, Syama-kunda, Vamsi-vata, I want to be. But when I remember the orders of our gurudeva, Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja, my gurudev, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Rupa Gosvami, then I am bound to come. So, I think you will help me. You should chant, even one round you should do. But try to give up bad habits like smoking and other things. Then you will see that you are really happy. Your health will be very good and you will realize that you are happy.
Gaura-premanande!
[Devotees:] Haribol!
