HH Danavir Maharaja

[Guest guest]

Live from Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir!

 

February 17, 2006

Verse: Srimad Bhagavatam 2.2.15

Speaker: HH Danavir Goswami

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sthiram sukham casanam asthito yatir

yada jihasur imam anga lokam

kale ca dese ca mano na sajjayet

pranan niyacchen manasa jitasuh

 

TRANSLATION: O King, whenever the yogi desires to leave this planet of human

beings, he should not be perplexed about the proper time or place, but

should comfortably sit without being disturbed and, regulating the life air,

should control the senses by the mind.

 

PURPORT: In the Bhagavad-gita (8.14) it is clearly stated that a person who

is totally engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, and who

constantly remembers Him at every step, easily obtains the mercy of the Lord

by entering into His personal contact. Such devotees do not need to seek an

opportune moment to leave the present body. But those who are mixed

devotees, alloyed with fruitive action or empirical philosophical

speculation, require an opportune moment for quitting this body. For them

the opportune moments are stated in the Bhagavad-gita (8.23-26). But these

opportune moments are not as important as one's being a successful yogi who

is able to quit his body as he likes. Such a yogi must be competent to

control his senses by the mind. The mind is easily conquered simply by

engaging it at the lotus feet of the Lord. Gradually, by such service, all

the senses become automatically engaged in the service of the Lord. That is

the way of merging into the Supreme Absolute. (end of purport)

 

 

 

So the most important time of life is the last moment: ante narayana smrti.

 

yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram

tam tam evaiti kaunteya sada tad-bhava-bhavitah

 

Everything depends on the last moment. We see that Ajamila lived a sinful

life, but at the last moment, ante narayana smriti, he remembered Narayana.

The name of Narayana and Narayana are non-different. So he remembered the

name of Narayana, even though it was the name of his son, and his life

became successful. He counteracted all the sins that he had committed. So

one should prepare for that last moment because no one can say when that

last moment will come. King Kulasekhara, he prays:

 

krsna tvadiya-pada-pankaja-panjarantam

adyaiva me visatu manasa-raja-hamsa

prana-payana-samayev kapha-vata-pitaih

kanthavarodhana-vidhau smaranam kutas te

 

He requests the Lord to let him leave the body now, while he is fit, while

his mind is not acting up, while his mind is able to think of the lotus feet

of the Lord. He is afraid that if I leave my body later on and I become very

old, decrepit, it will be difficult. My mind will be out of control. It will

be difficult to chant, my voice will be choked up, so better now because one

leaves the body thinking of Krsna, he goes back to Krsna.

 

Someone may consider then that this movement encourages people to give up

their bodies prematurely with the idea that they will be able to go back to

the spiritual world. Generally, that is not the case. Rather, the yogi is

under training. The spiritual master trains the yogi disciple how to think

of the Lord constantly: satatam kirtayantah mam yatantas ca drdha-vratah.

Especially in the age of Kali, thinking of the Lord through meditation, is

very difficult. The mind, as certified by Arjuna, is as difficult to control

as a hurricane, but Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is the avatara of this

age, has given the process, the yuga dharma. He says:

 

harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam

kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatah

 

Chant the holy names, chant the holy names, chant the holy names of the

Lord. There is no other way, there is no other way, there is no other way in

the age of Kali. So the Krsna consciousness movement, under the guidance of

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, is teaching this form of yoga, not other forms of

yoga, because other forms of yoga will not be effective in this age.

Basically, other forms of yoga are restricted for such a yuga as the primary

process, krte yad dhyayato visnu.

 

In the age of Treta, in the Treta-yuga, the process is sacrifices. Many

great kings were performing huge sacrifices, chanting of mantras by the

qualified brahmanas, putting the ghee, grains into the fire, propitiating

the demigods and Lord Visnu. That was possible in that age. In this age, we

don't have sufficient means. Where is the gold for the utensils? Where is

the ghee? Where are the qualified brahmanas? They used to have the referee

brahamana to listen that each of the mantras was perfectly according to

accent because if one syllable was mispronounced, one could get the opposite

effect. For example, instead of getting a son that would be able to kill

Indra, you might get a son that would be killed by Indra. Like that.

 

So sacrifices were effective in Treta-yuga. In Dvapara-yuga, the process is

Deity worship. But we see that Deity worship is not so prominent in

Kali-yuga, difficult to keep the standard, but kalau tad dhari-kirtanat;

kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet. This age is a bad age, it

is an ocean of faults, but the one good quality is that by chanting the name

of Krsna, one can achieve all perfection.

 

If we want to achieve perfection, we have to practice chanting. Twenty-four

hours a day, kirtaniyah sada harih. But it is difficult for us to chant

twenty-four hours, so just as a minimum, we chant sixteen rounds on our

beads. This is required if we are at all serious to go back to Godhead in

this lifetime. And above and beyond that, there is another twenty-two hours

in the day we should also chant and hear or engage in service or arcanam or

offer prayers. There are nine processes. There are unlimited ways to serve

and remember the Lord. And if one does that, he tries very sincerely, then

Krsna helps him:

 

ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham

mama vartmanuvartante manusyah partha sarvasah

 

"As they surrender to Me, I reward them accordingly." Then one does not have

to worry where he gives up the body. He may be on sankirtana, distributing

books. He may be in Vrindavana Dham, he may be anywhere. It doesn't matter

because he has fixed his mind on Visnu. He has practiced and now the test,

just like a student, if he does his homework and he studies the assignments,

he should do well on the examination also. So that final examination is the

moment of death.

 

It is not something to be afraid of. Prabhupada was explaining about what

happens for the devotees at the time of death in one class in Los Angeles.

He said that the devotee is thinking of Krsna, then he closes his eyes for

just a moment. When he opens his eyes again shortly afterwards, he looks and

sees he is in the land of Krsna. Not very difficult. Krsna promises:

 

janma karma ca me divyam evam yo vetti tattvatah

tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti so 'rjuna

 

One who knows the transcendental nature of my appearance and activities does

not upon leaving the body take his birth in the material world but attains

My eternal abode. This is a guarantee. This is a promise from the Supreme

Personality of Godhead who has all power, who controls everything, isvarah

paramah krsnah. We don't have to doubt it.

 

Someone may say, 'Yes, I believe that it is true for the advanced devotees,

but my mind is not under my control, it is going here and there. What about

me?' Then we have to chant even more, chant more loudly to control the mind

because the mind is very fickle, but when it hears some sound, it focuses on

the sound. So the sound of Krsna's name, that is very purifying, ceto

darpana marjanam, cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated. It is not

a very difficult process of yuga. It can't get much easier than chanting.

This is the fourth age, the most fallen age.

 

I know one time I was approached by some persons who were saying, "We have

to do something before we can chant." I think they said, "We have to clear

ourselves, we have to become clear because we have so many disturbances of

the mind, then we can chant.'"

 

But chanting doesn't require becoming clear. One can be the most sinful of

all sinners and he can chant. I recall we were chanting one Halloween in

Tampa. They have a big Halloween festival. Hundreds of thousands of people

come out onto the streets and they block the streets off. Everyone is

drinking beer and they are dressed up in different costumes. We were out

there chanting. Although these people were intoxicated, making fun, joking

around, lusty, everything else, but they were chanting. They liked the

chanting because we were very happy and it was a nice beat, nice music and

the words were simple enough for them to follow.

 

So what happens? Well, they are chanting, their life is becoming auspicious.

Even if they are intoxicated, it doesn't matter. Chanting is so powerful.

Their hearts are becoming cleansed. Easy process, even the drunkards can

chant. Sometimes people are under the influence of some intoxicant and they

chant. They get the benefit because Krsna's name is absolute. Just like some

person who is intoxicated puts his hand in fire, it will burn and some

person who is an expert scientist puts his hand in fire, it will also burns,

doesn't matter.

 

This is the land of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, where the sankirtana movement

began, right here, Candrodaya Mandir. From here the chanting is going out

all over the world, all over the universe. We can take it and teach people

to chant. I don't think there is anything more pleasing than to induce

someone to chant the Holy Name, especially if they have never chanted

before, it is even more exciting. So we can do that, and then, we also make

spiritual advancement.

 

There was one very old man, he got one of our mantra cards while we were out

on harinama. He called the temple and spoke to one of the devotees. He told

the devotee that he was very old and he had been diagnosed that he only had

a few more days to live, but he was intrigued by the mantra and wanted to

know more about this mantra. So the devotee explained to him how to chant

and gave all the philosophy, what will happen if you chant at the last

moment of life, you will go back to Godhead, you will be freed from the

cycle of birth and death.

 

So the man, although his life was not at all inclined towards Vaisnava

principles, he became very attracted to this idea and he started chanting

and chanting and chanting on the phone. He didn't exactly have the mantra

perfect, but sincerity was there. So he was chanting. He said, "I'll come

and see you on Sunday if I'm still alive for the feast." He didn't come on

Sunday.

 

His son called up on Monday and explained that his father passed away, but

he wanted us to know and the father had specifically requested the son,

"Tell them I was chanting Hare Krishna when I gave up the body."

 

Another instance, one of Prabhupada's disciples who was a servant of his,

named Karttikeya, his mother was very old and she became diseased, she was

on her deathbed. The son went there to see her. Just before she was about to

leave her body, she said, "Is Krsna here?" and she left. That devotee told

Prabhupada and Prabhupada said she went back to Godhead, and he put it in

the Bhagavatam purports, so it is documented that by the grace of the son, a

Vaisnava. . . . That is why we should stay in the association of devotees,

they will help us by chanting to us at the last stage. Prabhupada surrounded

himself by so many devotees. Vaisnavas like to be in the association of

Vaisnavas because then the chanting will go on.

 

That's our aspiration, that we can leave anywhere, at any time, but somehow

or other remember the Lord. Car accidents are very prominent so everyone

should be very eager to chant when in the car. Wherever there is some

apparent danger, we should practice chanting because we don't know when the

time will come. Then we'll go back home, back to Godhead. It's quite simple.

 

Someone may say, "What about all our desires," but the chanting of the Holy

Name of Krsna supersedes, so we have to practice. Automatically, by

devotional service, the senses and the mind come under control. We don't

have to practice any other method to bring the mind of the senses under

control. A bhakti yogi is far better at controlling the senses than other

types of yogis.

 

I'll just finish up with one last point. When Srila Prabhupada came to

Portland, there was an Indian gentleman who wanted to see him. He said,

"Srila Prabhupada," or "Swamiji," I don't remember, but he said, "I know

yoga and I want to teach your disciples yoga because I notice they are

falling asleep during japa. I can teach them sitting postures and breathing

and they won't fall asleep. They'll be able to chant."

 

Prabhupada said, "No, no, it's all right. It's not necessary."

 

He said, "But I notice they are falling asleep, they are getting groggy."

 

Prabhupada said, "It is not required."

 

The man a few times insisted, then Prabhupada said, "I know that they may be

deficient, but still they are better than anyone else." Prabhupada wanted us

to concentrate on this system, mantra-yoga, chanting the holy name, Hare

Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama

Hare Hare, and become the highest yogi according to Bhagavad-gita.

 

Thank you very much. If there are any questions. . . .

 

Hari Sauri Prabhu: Just on that point on Karttikeya's mother, Prabhupada

told that story to George Harrison in London in '76 discussing about the

holy name. Prabhupada was telling him about how Karttikeya's mother, just as

she died, she asked, "Is your Krsna here?'"

 

He said, "Then she died. So fortunate, because of the son, she became so

fortunate." But he said she got salvation, he didn't specifically say "go

back to Godhead", but still he glorified her. Then George told Srila

Prabhupada about when his mother died in 1970. He said that all the family

were in the room and they were all getting emotional and everything so he

kicked them all out of the room and he sat alone with his mother and chanted

Hare Krishna as she died.

 

So then Prabhupada said, "Did she hear?"

 

He said, "I don't know. She was like in a coma."

 

Prabhupada said, "Anyway, it doesn't matter. Whether she chants or somebody

else chants, she gets the benefit."

 

Maharaja: Haribol, thank you very much. Srimad Bhagavatam ki jai!