We will be celebrating the most and glorious occasion of the appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The program will begin at 6 O’clock and of course this afternoon very few people have come because people are working very hard making arrangements for this evening. So since everyone is working very hard to prepare for Lord Caitanya’s festival. I’ll only speak for a few minutes this afternoon.
The purpose of the Lord’s Appearance
When Krishna comes to this world as described in Bhagavad-Gita
“pariträëäya sädhünäà
vinäçäya ca duñkåtäm
dharma-saàsthäpanärthäya
sambhavämi yuge yuge”
Bhagavad-Gita 4.8
He comes to deliver the pious, to annihilate the miscreants, and to reestablish religious principles. Because according to time and circumstance, the circumstance of this world varies. Therefore the Lord appears in many varieties of wonderful ways. Just according to the need. Some people they do not understand why there are many different religions in this world. Why there is not just one? That would make things much simpler. Actually that is true. That is why there is only one religion. Religion means obedience to the laws of god for the purpose of developing our love of god. It is called Sanatana Dharma. Sanatana Dharma is the essential truth that underlies all religions. Sanatana Dharma means that we all are part of god and our natural function is to serve him with love. According to the predicament of the condition souls at a particular time in history. The lord magnanimously reveals Himself in just the perfect way to fulfill His purpose.
Just like for instance it is described that one time there was a great flood and in that great flood all living beings would be in danger and also the Vedas. That knowledge which is the guiding light for all humanity for all time to come. That was also was greatly in danger. So therefore, what is the most suitable form to appear, when the entire universe is completely flooded by an ocean of water. The Lord appeared as a very very large fish “maschya Avatar” and with the instructions given to Satyabrata Muni. The Lord in a very very large form of fish, he was pulling a large boat and protecting them from destruction and on that boat, who is the sample of each specie of life in the Vedic literatures.
Another time it is described that due to the exploitative of selfish, greedy, activities of the great asura Hiranakshya, the entire earth was cast into the bottom of the Garvadakshya Ocean. Now to reaching something at the bottom of the lonely place that is the natural function of a hog. We find hog always going to the bottom. Just two days back I was in Vrindavana and we all were walking one way on a street and in Vrindavana there are open gutters you know, where they put all the stools. There was a hog walking the opposite directions from us and his nose was at the very very bottom of this gutters of sewage and he was just walking alone just trying to find something at the bottoms of this sewage to enjoy to grab onto. So this is the nature of the hog, to go to a loneliest place to pick something up. So therefore when the ocean was in the bottom of the Garvodakshya Ocean, the lord appeared in the most suitable form a hog, but not an ordinary hog. He went to the bottom just like a hog searching around, He found the earth, He picked it up and brought it back.
Similarly when the kshatriyas were very corrupt, the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared as the most powerful ksahtriya. Actually He appeared as a brähmaëa but He changed His role to a kshatriya Parsuram and with His mighty axe, He destroyed all the generations of Kshatiryas for 21 times.
The Lord always honors the benedictions of His devotees. So when the Supreme Personality of Godhead empowered Lord Brahma to give Hiranyakashipu the benediction that He would not be killed on the land, in the water, in air, inside or outside, by any man, any demigod, any animal, any creatures of the earth. He would not be destroyed in day or night. Therefore he appeared in just to suitable form to destroy Hiranyakashipu. Narahari. Half man half lion.
So you see, how the lord is very practical, according to the need of the time He appears. And similarly the lord also empowers His devotees in the same way. Because there are different conditions of consciousness in this material world and there are different places in which people are conditioned to certain forms. Therefore the lord empower His servants to reveal the essential truth of sanatana Dharma in so many different languages through the process of giving so many different types of rituals. But no differences. What Mohammad taught, what Jesus taught, what Zoroastrio taught, what our guru maharaja Srila Prabhupada taught even in India, or Ramanujacarya, or Lord Buddha, or Sankaracarya, or Madhavacarya. They taught the essential principle of Sanatana Dharma according to the need of time and the place in the people involved.
Mahaprabu’s appearance as Patita Pavana Avatar
So the lord is all merciful and He empowers the devotees to be all merciful. But it is described by Rupa Gosvami
“namo mahä-vadänyäya
kåñëa-prema-pradäya te
kåñëäya kåñëa-caitanya-
nämne gaura-tviñe namaù”
Caitanya-caritamrita Madhya 19.53
That all other merciful incarnations of lord throughout all of the history of all the creations there was one who is most munificent and most merciful, that is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Why He is considered the most merciful? Because the nature of mercy is it’s extent is how far and low it can reach. To deliver a pious man is merciful. But it does not so much extent. But to come to the most degraded of all ages and to approach to most degrade of all living beings that is the furthest extent of mercy. Therefore it is considered the greatest mercy. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is known as Patitapavana Avatar. Because He has appeared in the most degraded age and He is appealing to the most degraded people and He is giving them all a simple process and the only qualification is to accept it.
Generally to receive something great, you have to have some qualification. Just like what is great in this world. If you want lots of money, you have to have some qualification, that you work hard, that you have certain abilities, certain commitments, and certain connections. If you want PHD, you have to qualify yourself by going to college for many many years. Anything that is valuable there is qualification. But in Kali Yuga nobody has any qualification for spiritual advancement. That is the quality of this age. People may think they have qualifications. But that illusion is the greatest disqualification. Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has come not expecting anyone to have any qualification. But simply to give freely what no other incarnation has ever given. Pure love for Himself without motivation. You see what is keeping us from loving god is our demoniac propensities.
The 6 Births of Jaya, Vijaya representing 6 anarthas
We have often discussed that there are six demoniac propensities, they are, Kama (lust), Krodha (anger), Lobha (greed), Matsarya (envy), Madha (madness or illusion), and Moha (false pride). These six enemies are like demons looking within the hearts of all of us. The Vedic literatures explained how the six demons have been personified historically by various great asuras and they are so powerful that they conquered not only each and every living man but they conquer the entire universe. The personification of pride was Hiranyakashipu. He was so proud that he could not tolerate anyone who worshiping anyone but himself. And when he saw his own son chanting the name of god instead the chanting of his name, he was inflamed to kill him. This is the nature of pride. A proud person loves to be adored and cannot tolerate anyone adored of him. Hiranyakashipu was the supreme example throughout history and understand the potency of His pride was so great that he conquer the entire universe. Even the demigods were in fear that is the power of false pride. They all had to approach Krishna. Krishna only you can save us. So Krishna appeared as Lord Narahari and with the weapon of His strong nails, He destroy the pride of Hiranyakashipu and ripped into pieces and then the Hiranakshya.
These are the sixth births of Jaya and Vijaya. Jaya and Vijaya were associates of the lord in Vaikuntha. They were just the outside of the gates of Vaikuntha. But because they misused their independence and offended a great soul. They had to come to this world and be victim to the six enemies. So the next birth was Hiranakshya. He was the personification of greed. He was so anxious for gold. He literarily was exploiting all the gold on the earth. He wanted more and more and more and more power. More, more, and more wealth. There was never been so anyone so greedy as Hiranakshya. And these greed impelled him to have such tremendous power, he also conquer the universe. No one can stand before him. He was going to each and every one of the demigods with his mighty club and challenging him. They all refused to even fight. They said only one that can destroy you as Vishnu. So they prayed to Supreme Personality of Godhead. And the lord appeared as lord Varahdeva and with the mighty tusk, He stabbed this demon Hiranakshya. And with His mighty paw He clubbed him behind the neck and destroyed Him.
Then there is Ravana. Ravana was the personification of Lust, why? Understand lust is that propensity that makes you want to enjoy what belongs to god. Everything of this earth is property of the god and all glorious things of this earth are expansion of the goddess of fortune and see to Devi was the goddess of fortune. Ravana was such a lusty fellow that he was not content simply enjoying the energy of the goddess of fortune. He wanted to the goddess of fortune himself for his own demoniac purposes. So Lord Sri Ramachandra with His weapon of His mighty bow and arrow destroyed this personification of lust. Kumbhakarna his brother, he was the personification of illusion. What was such an illusion? He was sleeping all year and he was just get up and drink blood and ate flesh. He was completely in the mode of ignorance or illusion. But he was so powerful in that illusion that he powered over everyone. When the monkey saw Kumbhakarna coming, they were all running in fear. My god, it looks like he is going to devour the universe. He was only the mighty weapon of Sri Ramachandra’s bow, there was able to saver his arms and saver his head and kill this great demon.
Dantavakra he was the personification of anger. He was so angry with Krishna that he began to roar and scream and chipped the whole universe and he just began to run at Krishna to kill Him. No one was ever seen such anger.
Sishupala, he was the personification of envy. He was so envious of Krishna. From the time of his birth, he could nothing but find faults in Krishna. And when he heard anyone glorify Krishna, it was so painful to his heart. He could not bear it. Krishna with His Sudarshan Chakra killed this demon. Understand the same demons within the hearts of all of us and we have no hope of conquering a single one of them only God can conquer these six enemies within us.
The powerful weapon of Lord Chaitanya
Now why is Lord Caitanya considered the most munificent and merciful of all incarnations? Because His weapon is the most powerful, what Rama did with His bow and arrow, what Krishna did with His Sudarshan Chakra, what Narahari did with His nails, what Barahadeva did with his tusks, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has done infinitely more, without killing anyone. His ashtra is the holy name. And the holy name has the potency to kill all six of these demons simultaneously. The proof is, when Lord Caitanya appeared, Jaya and Vijaya they appeared as Jagai and Madhai and they possessed all the qualities of all the six demons in full. They are more wicked and more cruel than any of these six demons. When they appeared all six demons enjoying together in the form of Jagai and Madhai. And Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu with the holy name, He did not kill them but He did killed the demoniac quality within them and transform them into pure devotees of the lord. In the age of Kali Yuga, everyone is essentially like Jagi and Madhai. Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has appeared with the most illustrious weapon of the holy name to deliver everyone. The only qualification necessary is you simply accept His mercy. That’s all. Even you are the lowliest sinner along sinners. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu does not even consider what you have done or what you have not done? He only considers one thing, are you willing to accept the holy name. If you are willing to accept the holy name, you will go back to godhead in this life. But you must accept according to His simple instructions.
Today is most auspicious. It is most glorious. Because it is the day, when we celebrate the coming of the Yuga Avatar, Lord Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He appeared in the full moon night of the month of Falguna in Sri Navadvipa dhama. He appeared just when the moon was rising. So this evening we will have a very glorious celebration. A celebration of chanting and dancing and feasting, a celebration of remembering the infinite glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And we will invite all of you to come. Tonight the discourse will be on the subject of according to sashtra, how it is become to the conclusion that Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the Yuga Avatar, is specifically incarnation of Krishna for this age. Because many people have question, many people have doubt, many people are not certain, Why you say that Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna? Why you say? Because many people considered Him to be a great saint. How you understand, he is the Yuga Avatar? All knowledge must be based on Sashtra. The scriptures very very clearly explain the descent of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. What His mission and why? So this evening we will discuss the subject matter and we will have a beautiful abhishek ceremony for Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda. We will also have children’s play as well as play there will be performed by the Radhagopinath Brahmacari ashrama. And of course the highlight of the festival of Gaura Purnima at the time of the moon rise there is Gaura Arti. The arati of Sri Gaurahari and this is considered to be the most auspicious arati of the year. It is considered to be the most important arati of the year. Because He who descended with the gift of the congregational chanting of the holy name. He who personally display by His own example the most glorious process of chanting and dancing and devotion to Krishna. The devotees come together especially for this arati on His appearance day. And we show our gratitude, we show our devotion and our appreciation for what He has given us. How by accepting what He has given us? And who do you accept it? By chanting, by dancing with devotion, with enthusiasm and with our heart full of gratitude for His mercy. This is, who we can expressed Him on His birthday our love for Him.
After all on birthday we always like to give gifts to someone and if you love the person, you do not give the person, what you like. You give the person, what he likes. So I give what? You have to find out what will this person like the best. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He has explained to us very clearly what He likes the best. He likes you to go back to godhead. He like you to love god. He does not need anything. And He is giving you the means to go back to the godhead in love of god. And that is to the process of Kirtan. This is the means. So what is the best gift we can offer to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu on His appearance day? The greatest gift is to simply accept what He has given us by His words and by His example. And therefore this arati in this evening the most important arati of the year. It is the evening when we give Caitanya Mahaprabhu the greatest gift, by accepting His mercy, by following His example on taking shelter of the Holy name. Taking shelter of congregation of devotees and worshiping Him with great attention and great enthusiasm.
So my humble request is that for the next few hours you render some service to the temple, whatever possible and try to prepare your consciousness so that you can really take advantage and receive the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in this evening. For those who possibly can come for this, please come tonight. For those who are initiated devotees and aspiring to be initiated devotees we fast until moon rise. For those who are guest, it is not required, we have a nice feast, we are serving out just now and it will be served out immediately after the lecture. Thanks for those who take feast today. There is another very big feast in this evening and for those especially the initiated devotees and those want to get the very special mercy of Lord Caitanya they fast through the day and then after the maha kirtana on tonight, then you will have a very very special appreciation of Lord Caitanya’s mahaprasad. There will be the moon rise feast and celebration of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Thank you very much.
