susvagatam jagannatha

[Guest guest]

> The latest in the ever expanding repertoire of ISKCON speculative chants

> is "susvagatam jagannatha", "susvagatam baladeva", "susvagatam radha" etc.

>

> Following in the tradition of such popular favorites as "jaya jaya radha

> ramana haribol" this is adapted from a popular Hindi bhajan cassette.

>

> "Susvagatam" (welcome) is offered to a guest when he enters a person's

> home. But Jagannatha is the Lord of the Universe -- it belongs to Him, not

> us. We should be fortunate if He welcomes us to His spiritual abode. This

> chant is thus particularly inappropriate when sung in the Lord's temple.

> It is like going to someone's house and on arriving there greeting him

> with "Welcome!" Such an utterance could be taken as an illegal attempt to

> falsely establish one's own proprietorship.

>

> It could be stated that in bhaava-seva a devotee may welcome the Lord, but

> this chant is adapted from a commercial cassette, not from the bhaava-seva

> of genuine acaryas.

 

All these new new terminologies are coming only because we want to please

people and show how good we can do. I thought our business is to please

Krsna and His pure devotee like Srila Prabhupada. If we have unflinching

faith in Srila Prabhupada's words, than we do not need all this nonsensical

additions to attract people. Here in Bombay, Bhima prabhu and myself

alongwith Sridhar Swami and Jayadatta swami tried to set the standard of

kirtan but the gurus they come and they sing so many 'jaya jaya', jaya Sita

Ram, jaya this one, jaya that one, so disciples naturally like to supersede

the management and follow the guru and senior devotees. Actually in order to

stop this addition of speculation songs the gurus and senior members of the

society should only sing what Prabhupada has asked us to sing. Otherwise the

way things are going, it will not be too long when the devotees start

chanting in ISKCON, Nitai Gaur Radhe-Shyam bhaja Hare Krishna Hare Rama. In

Vrindavan, I heard during the kartika, one very senior man, GBC and guru was

singing for long time, 'Radhe Radhe Shyam milade', its just sahajiya

mentality.

 

Thank you maharaj, I always admired Jayadvaita swami, you and many others

who inspire us to follow Srila Prabhupada by doing or singing what

Prabhupada has given and taught us. I hope the Indian leaders will look

into Srila Prabhupada's instructions on kirtan and other practical day to

day behaviour which will remind people in general that this is ISKCON.

 

Thank you very much.

Your Servant,

Devakinandan Das