H H RADHANATH SWAMI
I would like to welcome my senior and worshipable God-sister who is very very dear to Srila Prabhupad and all Vaishnavas. The illustrious wife of His Grace Bhurijan Prabhu. Let us very enthusiastically welcome Jagatarini Mataji. So actually I felt that you did not chant very loudly for such a great vaishnava. Mataji Haribol. We are very honored that you have come. Sri Radharani is personally blessing us in your presence and of course Her Grace Malati Devi Mataji is also with us today. Let us once again show our gratitude to her. By the causeless mercy of Srila Prabhupad, our most merciful previous Acharyas and the assembled Vaishnavas we have come to the twelve forests of Vrindavan Kamyavan . We are sitting on the banks Madhurya Kunda also known as Sangam Kunda which is a place where Krishna would meet Sri Radharani and Gopis and they would perform Rasa Lila and so many extra-ordinary past times here. Khadiravan is also a place for Sri Krishna, Balaram and the Gopas, eternally performed their Lila as cowherd boys.
BAKASURA COMES
One day Krishna, Balaram and cowherd boys came to a large reservoir of water. The Gopas would first had the calves drink to the cool pure waters of Vrindavan. And then they would also drink themselves After drinking to the full satisfaction, they all sat back to relax. Suddenly before their eyes they saw the most astonishing sight. It looked like a enormous mountain that was moving. This was a friend of Kamsa , Bakasura who assumed the form of a gigantic duck with a long pointed beak that was deadly like a sword. Suddenly Bakasura leaped upon them and in an instant before anyone could understand what was happening Bakasura swallowed up Krishna. Sri Balaram and the Gopas were anguished. All of a sudden Krishna was gone eaten by this enormous demon. Balaram and the Gopas in anguish fell to the ground unconscious, practically breathless, on the verge of death. Now Balaramji he has the power to eat and kill this demon, but due to sudden disappearance of Krishna, due to his intense affection for Krishna, even he became completely affected.
KRISHNA IN THE THROAT OF BAKASURA
Krishna, He was then in the throat of Bakasura, his effulgence radiated intense heat. It was unbearable for Bakasura. Unbearable. He was trying as much as could just to devour Krishna but the heat was intolerable. Just as when a person has a disease called jaundice, when he eats sugar candy which is very sweet by nature, it tastes bitter. Because of this human’s disease of envy and violence, the sweetest of all sweet. It was being described yesterday that there is nothing sweeter than Krishna’s beautiful form and his beautiful face. He is extraordinarily sweet. And his very smile is the source of all sweetness in all of creation material and spiritual. The form of Krishna. actually Krishna is non-different from Prasad. So we also eat Krishna in that way. But Krishna is happy and Prasad tastes very nice to us because Krishna reciprocates with us as Prasad. Prasad Krishna’s is mercy which is non-different from Krishna. this is energy. Bakasura swallowed Krishna directly. Although he is sweeter than the sweetest, because of his diseased consciousness he tasted Krishna as very very very bitter. Krishna tell in Gita
ye yathä mäm prapadyante
täms tathaiva bhajämy aham
mama vartmänuvartante
manusyäù pärtha sarvaçaù
According to how we surrender to Krishna, Krishna reveals himself accordingly. Krishna’s body is cool soft tender like a petal of the lotus flower, a blue lotus flower. But to Bakasura, Krishna’s form was hard and burning hot as a thunderbolt. It was unbearable.
KRISHNA KILLS BAKASURA
Ultimately Bakasura could do nothing but vomit Krishna out of his mouth. Then Krishna was there on the ground and Bakasura with massive deadly made too sharp sword sort of a beak he tried to stab Krishna and pierce Krishna to kill him. But Krishna very gracefully, very pleasingly just dodged in a dancing way all of the attempts. But when this demon was trying to kill Krishna the cowherd boys and Balaram they were anguished. They were suffering terribly due their intense love for Krishna. when Krishna saw that, in order to please the Gopas with one hand he grabbed the bottom of Bakasura’s beak. And with the other hand he took the top part of the beak and then he tore them apart with such force that he literally whipped Bakasura’s face in half. He bifurcated the demon just like a small child effortlessly bifurcates a piece of grass. Sir Krishna Bhagavan Ki jai! Bakasura fell dead and demigods they were so very much rejoicing they were showering and showering malika flowers upon Krishna and they were playing conch shells and offering prayers. The cowherd boys headed by Balarama, they regained their life and they all approached Krishna one by one and embraced him with such loving feelings.
VRAJAVASIS DISCUSS THE GLORIES OF KRISHNA
Coming from Khadiravan they returned to the village of Vraj and they had already composed beautiful songs about the leela of Krishna’s killing of Bakasura and they were singing very very loudly. They were playing their flutes and playing their buffalo horns and they all came decorated with the dust of the cows, smiling and dancing with the little calves. They came to Vraj and all the Vrajvasis heard this beautiful song. When they heard the story of how Bakasura swallowed Krishna the Gopas and the Gopis they gazed upon Krishna, lovingly gazed upon him as if he had just come back from death. And Nanda Maharaj, he was explaining that how amazing it is that every time a cause of death comes before our Gopal the cause of death is killed. It is because the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Narayan protects innocent and helpless children like our Krishna. and then he remarked the word of Gargamuni are true.
Nanda Maharaj and the Gopas spent that evening together discussing ecstatically the pastimes of Krishna. They were describing amongst each other with hearts overflowing with love Krishna was mischievous Krishna was mischievous being and he is killing demons. That time some elder Gopas from a distant place came to Vrindavan. And they saw Nanda Maharaj and Gopas discussing discussing dicussing Krishna’s stealing butter and Krishna’s doing all mischievous naughty things. And these elder cowherd men they were very serious they said what are you doing? Human life is very rare. Human life is meant liberation. You should not discuss family and wives and children. This is the cause of bondage. You should be discussing transcendental knowledge, detachment. You should be describing the glories of the Supreme Lord Narayan. Then you will attain liberation. Nanda Maharaj and the Gopas completely ignored everything that was said. In fact they paid no attention what so ever. They just continued discussing the beautiful, beautiful pastimes of Krishna and Balaram and chanting their holy names.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare.
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
TEACHINGS OF PREVIOUS ACHARYAS
Bhaktivinod Thakur teaches us that Bakasura represents the demoniac anartha of deceptive behavior, duplicity and hypocrisy. It is great demon that kills our propensity of loving service to Krishna. deceptive behaviour. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarawati Thakur explained that the first quality of a real Vaishnav is simplicity. Prabhupada describes what is simplicity? Simplicity means without duplicity. Without a second agenda. We don’t speak one thing and do another thing. We don’t speak one thing to deceive people foe our own selfish purposes. Deception is an expression of our false ego. We must be honest. We must be simple. We must be truthful.
DECEPTIVENESS OF KRISHNA
While reading Krishna’s Lila how Krishna would steal butter and say I didn’t do it. Krishna would eat dirt and said I didn’t eat dirt mother. If you believe my friend are liars. Sri Radha and Krishna, they would perform so many wonderful and mysterious leelas to meet. Just like not far from here is Kokilavan where Sri Radharani and Gopis many living in Yavat under the care of Jatila Kutila Abhimanu and at Kokilavan Krishna would make a beautiful sound. He would sing just like a Kokila a cuckoo bird kooooo kooooo kooo kooo koo koo ko koo koo kokoko….. what can we say after that? All knowledge of Vedas is seen here. You don’t have to wander for these wonderful Kokila birds.
So he was singing so sweet like Kokila. Even the Kokilas were tying to learn how to sing from him. They were lifting and taking notes. Very nice. Very sweet, and all the, even the Krishna and the Gopis I mean Radharani and the Gopis were listening so nice so nice. The Kokilas are singing so sweetly and just coming to the evening time. We want to hear these Kokila birds singing nicely. So Jatila Kutila – Yes, yes you go you go and listen to the Kokila birds and they went. Haribol. So these beautiful past times Rupa Goswami says the loving affairs of Radha Krishna are truly like snake in the fence of that is that Madhurya Rasa in Parakiya Rasa. But we should understand that this is expression of the highest levels of divine love. If we as aspiring devotees if we can adopt crookedness deceptiveness and duplicity thinking that that’s Krishna Lila, then we are very very much cheating our own selves and cheating others as well.
NATURE OF DEVOTEES
Devotees must be very honest must be very truthful and he must be very simple at heart. Prabhupad explains the importance of love and trust within this movement. Love and trust make Vaishnavas in general. Unless we trust each other how can the love be cultivated. Very difficult. And how can we trust each other if we don’t believe what each other are saying?. If we are thinking that this person is saying one thing but really he means another thing, this person is saying one thing but really he wants something else or she. Cannot be trusted.
DUPLICITY FOR A GOOD REASON
Sometimes Prabhupad would teach book distributors the transcendental trickery. Yes. But it had to be done in a very innocent and a compassionate way. It was done in a way to invite and encourage a person who is about to fall off the material existence. Yes. Srila Prabhupad explained that one boy is playing with kite on the rooftop and he so absorbed in playing with that kite, he is about to fall off the roof and you have to some how or the other stop him. You may have to say some thing. Your mother is calling please come it may not be true you are saving a persons’ life. Prabhupad said – a mother, sometimes the child will not eat medicine and the child will die if he does not eat the medicine. So the mother will take the medicine and put it in a ladoo and say this is ladoo he says no this is medicine. No, no its ladoo is there medicine no, no, no medicine. Is that deceptiveness? Its love. Its compassion. Thats transcendental trickery. But we kill that concept that idea in our daily life and think we can say anything or do anything to fulfill what we want, that fulfill the needs of my particular service we commit offences. Then devotees cant trust each other. When there is no trust then there is lack of trust. It is horrible atmosphere. This is one of the most important process in the Vaishnav society. Simplicity no duplicity we have confidence and faith in each other. And hypocrisy. Hypocrisy really means we are saying something for our own personal interest. In the name of devotional service. This is actually the influence of Bakasura. Hare Krishna. so must some how or other we must take shelter of Krishna and take shelter of Krishna’s holy name to kill this tendency of deceptive, duplicity, hypocrisy within our hearts. We must pray, we must practice as an austerity honesty and simplicity and we must really, really, really cry out Krishna’s holy names.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare.
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
We have just all visited the Bhajan Kutir of Lokanath Goswami. The spiritual master of Srila Narottam Das Thakur. He as well as Bhugarbha Goswami, learnt in Kadhiravan so many years. I would like to speak briefly on this subject. Please listen carefully.
Lokanath Goswami was born in the Jasser district Bangladesh. Have any of you been to Jasser district of Bangladesh. It’s a very holy place. Rupa and Santana Goswami took birth there as well as Anupam. Haridas Thakur also appeared there and Lokanath Goswami. His fathers name was Padmanabh Chakravarti and his mother was Sita. When he was young, he moved to Sri Navadvip Dham where he became one of the very intimate loving associates of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Lokanath Goswami participated in Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’ glorious Lila of establishing the Harinam sankirtan movement. And for years he lived with the Lord. When the Lord was 24 years of age he had already with his beautiful Golden form and his heart of unlimited compassion completely stolen the hearts of all of his devotees. Day-night they would just do Harikirtan with Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. In fact Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami explains – the house of Srivas was Rasasthali. The mood of kirtan there was non-different from the Rasa dance of Vraj.
LOKNATH GOSWAMI LEAVES FOR VRINDAVAN
One day Lord Chaitanya brought Lokanath Goswami to a secluded place and revealed his heart to him. He said Lokanath, in few days I m going to leave Navadvip and go to shave my head and put on the saffron robes of a sannyasi. I know that this Lila would break your heart miserably. You should not be here to witness this. It is my desire that you leave Navadvip Dham and go to Vrindavan. After taking sannyas it is my plan that I will go to Vrindavan to reside and you can prepare for my arrival. Now go to Vrindavan. When Lokanath Goswami heard that, he fainted. And when he came back to consciousness he was weeping incisively, weeping and weeping. He felt at the feet of Mahaprabhu begging him, please why do want cut that long beautiful mystifying hair? It is the object of everybody’s love and attraction and how can you leave your mother and all of your friends, your million innocent your chaste, loving wife? How? But Mahaprabhu explained to him that this is my mission. I must. Lokanath Goswami’s heart was broken. He pleaded with the lord. But when he understood that the lord was determined in his resolution and become a sannyasi, Lokanath Goswami accepted the Lord’s order as his life and soul.
First Lokanath Goswami fell at the feet of every Vaishnav in Navadvip and begged for their blessings and their mercy to go to Vrindavan. This is how Lokanath Goswami taught us we should approach Vrindavan. Not the mood oh there is a yatra, I will get my train ticket, make my accommodation at the Radheshyam Ashram, have nice, nice, perfect darshan of Vrindavan Dham. Krishna will also like variety. We should be crying for mercy like the little Varshabhanvi Devi. So like Lokanath Goswami before he went to Vrindavan he fell at the feet of every devotee and weeping with humility. He begged them for blessings. He worshipped them. He literally worshiped every devotee. And then he came to Lord Chaitanya and fell at his feet and he bathed Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s lotus feet with his loving tears and Mahaprabhu lifted him up and embraced and said that after receiving the sannyas mantra from Keshav Bharati in Katwa, Kantaka Nagar I will meet you in Vrindavan. Lokanath Goswami departed. He left Navadvip Dham. Now please understand. At that time there were no Gaudia Vaishnavas in Vrindavan. This is before Rupa, Sanatana Jiva Goswami were. Even not lord Chaitanya. He departed. And on the way to Vrindavan which is quite a long walk. His heart was just pounding in separation from Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The only thing that kept him alive was the expectation of seeing the Lord again in Vrindavan. But even that was driving his mind crazy, because when I see him He will be with a shaved head and in the robes of a sannyasi with a danda. In this way he travelled to Vrindavan waiting waiting waiting. Here in Vrindavan he waited and waited. He lived for the darshan of the lord.
LOKNATH GOSWAMI TRIES TO SEARCH AND FOLLOW CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU
But then he heard news drastic news which was like thunderbolt crashing against his soft tender heart. He heard that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu accepted sannyas and is chanting ecstatically kirtan dancing all over the Vrindavan, but in this intoxicated loving state, Nityananda Prabhu diverted his path to Shantipur. And there Sachi Mata and all the devotees of Navadvip came to meet him and Sachi Mata and all the devotees appealed to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu that please make your residence in Jagganath Puri. Vrindavan is so very far away. And when he heard that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has left Puri and now He is on a tour of South India. Lokanath Goswami could not tolerate. He could not tolerate living in Vrindavan without Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He left and walked all the way to South India by foot. But when he got to the southern provinces of Bharat Varsha, south India, he got the news that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he was walking and walking for over a year now. Lokanath Goswami was searching for Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Then he got the news that Mahaprabhu for about two years was traveling. He has already returned to Jagganath Puri.
So then Lokanath Goswami started walking, walking, walking walking to Puri and then he comes to the outskirts of Puri. He hears the news that some time back. Because in those days you see there was no email or telephone or any of the cell phones. It wasn’t easy. Mahaprabhu was just traveling south India walking. How.. the people in Puri, the devotees in Navadvip what news were they getting from him? Practically nothing until He returned. They practically knew nothing about where he was, whether He was still on the planet. They didn’t know anything, until he came back. And Balbhadra, Krishnadas and others explained his Lila. So Lokanath Goswami comes to Puri and He hears the news of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu goes to Vrindavan. I am supposed to be there to greet him. He gave me the order to arrange for his arrival. So really as quickly as he could possibly could walk he walked all the way to Vrindavan and he came to Vrindavan and he got the news that just days before Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu left Vrindavan. He arrived on Kartik Poornima. He performed the Parikrama of the twelve forests. He resided at Purva Ghat. He stayed in Vrindavan for two months. But now he has departed for Prayag for the Maghmela. And he was looking for you Lokanath Goswami. Lokanath Goswami fell unconscious. He was in so much anguish. He didn’t .. that one service the lord gave me. He missed the opportunity to offer it. He arrived at night.
LOKNATH GOSWAMI STAYS IN VRINDAVAN
He decided first thing in the morning he would be leaving for Prayag. But that night Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared to him in a divine vision. The beautiful form of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu expressed his deep love and pleasure towards Lokanath Goswami and told him that I wish that you will remain in Vrindavan and never again leave. That is my desire. So Rupa Goswami, Santana Goswami, Raghunathadasa Goswami, Gopalbhatta Goswami, Raghunathabhatta Goswami, Jiva Goswami soon they will be coming also. He should live together with them as brothers to fulfill my mission in Vrindavan. Now you stay. Lokanath Goswami wandered through the twelve forests and then he decided to make his residence in Khadiravan. In the province of Chakravan near the village of Umrao, Lokanath Goswami lived under a simple tree in a very very secluded place on the banks of Kishori Kunda. There he lived in seclusion.
Every now and then, Bhugarbha Goswami a very prominent disciple of Gadhdhara Pandit who was very dear friends of Lokanath Goswami would come and they would their Bhajan together. And then Bhugarba Goswami would travel to other places. Lokanath Goswami remained here in Kishori Kunda of Khadiravan. Absorbed in chanting the holy names and remembering the beautiful past times of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Sri Radha Govinda. In his heart he cherished the desire to render personal service to the Lords deity form. He did not express this desire to anyone. But Krishna knew his desire.
APPEARANCE OF RADHA VINOD
One day Krishna personally appeared in the form of a Brahman in the secluded forest of Khadiravan. That Brahmin approached Lokanath Goswami and put something in his hands and then disappeared. Lokanath Goswami saw. It was beautiful deity. Beautiful deity. Lokanath Goswami was astonished who was that person and where did he go? He was really confused. Then the deity Radha Vinod spoke to Lokanath Goswami. Radha Vinod said I have been living in this forest for a very very long time waiting for you. I know the desire of your heart. Therefore I have personally come to you without the help of any one else. When Lokanath Goswami heard this his heart just flooded in ecstasy and he wept tears uncontrollably. Radha Vinod spoke, He said I am hungry. Please prepare food for me.
SERVICE TO RADHA VINODBY LOKNATH SWAMI WITH GREAT LOVE
So Lokanath Goswami although he was in a very, very, very great ecstasy he understood that life is meant for service. So he went to the village of Umrao and begged for some food and he got some fruits and rots from the ground and he brought it together and he coked Bhoga feast for Radha Vinod. He made a little altar for them under a tree and then he cooked with his own loving hands, he served it on a simple leaf plate that he made with his own hands. After offering the bhoga and worshiping the Lord he had nothing. He went out and collected flowers from the forest and with those flowers he brought back and with his own hands made a beautiful flowers band. Just a bead of flowers on the ground. And with tears of affection with folded palms he prayed to Radha Vinod- pleases take rest now and accept this bed of flowers that I am offering. Then he made the deities sleep on the bed of flowers. And Lokanath Goswami motherly massaged the legs and the feet of Radha Vinod. Then he went out and collected leaves and made a fan. Sometimes he would collect peacock feathers and make a fan and he would fan the deity as the deity rested. In this way Lokanath Goswami dedicated his life and soul exclusively for the worship of Sri Sri Radha Vinod. Please understand he had no facilities. Just whatever h found in the forest. He would make the facilities with his own hands. He would make the plates for the deities. He would personally cook the bhoga from whatever he could beg to whatever he found in the jungles. Very simple. But it was offered with such pure unalloyed love.
One day Lokanath Goswami begged and got some old piece of cloth and with that cloth with his own hands he sewed a bag to keep the deity in. that was Radha Vinod’s temple for years. A little bag. Now for those who have been to Jaipur, and seen the original deities of Radha Vinod. They are about this big. He had no temple. He kept them in this bag that he sewed with his own hands. And he had a strap he would wear around his neck. And wherever he went he would never leave the deity for long. Anywhere he would go he would bring the deities with him take them out of the bag and worship them. Some of the villagers from Umrao, Chakravan, Khadiravan they came to Lokanath Goswami because they saw such beautiful, beautiful self manifested deity. They wanted to built a temple for him. But Lokanath Goswami would not allow them to built a temple. This was his simplicity. He just worshipped Radha Vinod in the forest and carried him in bag for many many years, here in Khadiravan. And just here is the Bhajan Kutira. A place where Lokanath Goswami, one of the places in Khadiravan where he would personally worship Radha Vinod.
RUPA GOSWAMI AND SANATANA GOSWAMI COME TO VRINDAVAN
Years passed and Rupa and Sanatana came to Vrindavan and hey met with Lokanath Goswami and expressed their desire that he should come to Vrindavan. We should all be together. That is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s will. Let us be together. So on the request of Rupa and Sanatana Lokanath Goswami so humbly accepted like his Shiksha Guru’s.. he left Kadhiravan to reside in Vrindavan. And later on that same place where he worshipped Radha Vinod, VishwanathChakravarti Thakur who was a descendent to his disciplic line established the worship of Radha Gokulananda. So today where we visit the Radha Gokulananda temple that is the place where Lokanath Goswami did his worship. Years passed Sanatana Goswami ended his earthly Lila. Couple of years later Sri Rupa Goswami ended his earthly lila. Lokanath Goswami previously to that of course, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ended his earthly lila. Lokanath Goswami just one after the other first his worship able Mahaprabhu had left then Rupa and Santana had left. He practically spent his whole life just crying in separation and worshipping Radha Vinod.
NAROTTAM DAS THAKUR COMES TO VRINDAVAN
The only thing that kept him alive was Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared to him and told him that Narottam Das is coming and I want you to take care of him. Narottam Das Thakur lived as a prince in Ketri Gram also Bangladesh today. He left all the wealth and prestige at his home at stake and came to Vrindavan. He met Jiva Goswami. Gopalbhatta Goswami and Lokanath Goswami. In his heart of hearts he accepted Lokanath Goswami as his eternal master. But Lokanath Goswami told him that there is no possibility of he accepting any disciples. I have never accepted any disciple in my whole life and now I am in such a piteous condition in separation from Mahaprabhu, Rupa and Sanatana, Raghunathabhatta Goswami has left us. Kashishwar Pandit has left us. I cannot take such a responsibility. I am in no condition. Narottam Das Thakur did not push the issue. He just tried to do humble menial service. But it was difficult because Lokanath Goswami didn’t let people serve him.
LOKNATH GOSWAMI ACCEPTS NAROTTAM DAS THAKUR AS HIS DISCIPLE
So you all know that famous story. Just to offer service, just to express his love he would secretly go early morning to the place where Lokanath Goswami would respond to the calls of nature before taking his bath in Yamuna. He would clean that so perfectly. With his own hands. Lokanath Goswami was wondering why is it like this. Every day. So one morning he came early and he hid in bushes and there he saw Narottam Das lovingly with tears of affection, with his bear hands cleaning the stool and urine of Lokanath Goswami. As if he was worshiping the deity with such care. Lokanath Goswami was shocked. It was too much. He came out of the bushes. Narottam, Narottam what are you doing ? why ? you are a prince. You are born in buoyancy. You are meant to be king. Why are you? I don’t understand what you are doing in stool? Narottam Das Thakur with folded palms, in a choked voice revealed his heart. He said Dear Guru Maharaj, he said I have given up all of the entanglements of the so called wealth and the enjoyment of the world and I have achieved the topmost of all treasures, the greatest wealth, menial service to my spiritual master. Narottam Das Thakur spoke with such sincerity that Lokanath Goswami, his heart melted and then Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu actually appeared to him and ordered him to initiate Narottam Das Thakur. And do you know how he did it? He brought Narottam Das Thakur before Radha Vinod and with sincere and deep love in his heart, he spoke to Radha Vinod. He said please accept Narottam. I offer him to you. Now he is your property. He didn’t accept his disciples as his own property.
OUR ORIGINAL POSITION
He was offering his disciples to Krishna as his property. That is Parampara. Nothing is ours. And the more we make spiritual progress the more we realize, nothing is ours, no one is our. Everything is property of Krishna. preaching means to offer people Krishna’s mercy. Becoming a spiritual master means taking the responsibility on behalf of Krishna to offer that person to your Guru, to his Guru, to his Guru and ultimately offering it to the lotus feet of Radha and Krishna. we are just servant of the servant of the servant. That is our eternal position. We are never anything but the servant of the servant of the servant. In all so called positions however high or low we may be all different ways to express according to the need, according to Krishna or Guru’s or Vaishnava’s wish. Overall it is the servant of the servant of the servant. That was Lokanath Goswami’s consciousness and in this way he gave the Radha Krishna mantra to Narottam Das Thakur. Who worshiped him as his life and soul. He never accepting the services of Narottam Das Thakur and gave him in worshipping Radha Vinod. Lokanath Goswami entrusted Narottam Das Thakur to Jiva Goswami to train in Vaishnav Shastra where he became classmates with Srinivasacharya and Ramananda Prabhu and many others also.
OFFERING PRAYERS FOR OUR PROGRESS
So here in Khadiravan we remember the glorious character and qualities of Lokanath Goswami. Here we remember the playful and wonderful pastimes of Krishna and Gopis. And Krishna herding the cows with Balaram and the Gopas. And the killing of mighty demons. Such a inconceivable cause of fortune that we have to be here today in the assembly of so many devotees. Let us offer our head in the dust of this place Khadiravan and pray. Prya that we can chant the names of Krishna with such sincerity and serve the Vaishnavas with such care that the demon of hypocrisy, duplicity and decievefulness will be forever vanquished from our hearts. And let us pray that the sweet beautiful pastimes of Radha and Krishna, they forever manifest in our hearts and how is that possible? Only if we follow in the footsteps of the great souls. It is explained that we must follow in the footsteps of the residents of Vrindavan to enter into Vraj bhakti. But Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was so kind that his eternal associates appeared in forms that really teach us especially until we become very very pure in heart what it means? Lokanath Goswami is Manjiri. On of the principal Manjiris of Sri Vrindavan Dham . but he performed his lila of being such a humble sincere and dedicated Vaishnav. On hearing his past times our hearts should cry. We should follow in his footsteps. In our humility, in our exclusive dedication, in our renunciation, in our love and trust for Vaishnavas. That was Lokanath Goswami. Lokanath Goswami could have lived for years and years and years in Puri as an intimate associate of Lord Chaitanya. But Mahaprabhu ordered him to remain here. Of course its Vrindavan. But still for him Radha and Krishna were living in Puri. he was in Vrindavan. It was an austerity for him. But he took the order of his Guru and Krishna as his life and soul. Not his hearts desire. That is Lokanath Goswami. Let us should just follow his footsteps. And then you understand what it means to following footsteps of residents of Vrindavan. And gradually when we really please Lokanath Goswami, Rupa Goswami, Srila Prabhupad and these great souls then they will reveal to us to our pure hearts the eternal lila of Vraj. Let this be our prayer. Srila Prabhupad Ki Jai.! Very loudly please. Jai Jai Sri Radheshyam Jai Jai Sri Radheshyam! What is the use of you two thousand people who can only chant all that? Very loudly please. Jai Jai Sri Radheshyam. Thank you very very much!
