Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā 5.33, Initiations and Trivikrama Sannyas – July 27, 1971, New York

710727BS-New York [84:11 Minutes]

Rūpanuga: Chant japa throughout the ceremony. Hare Krsna.

Prabhupada: Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami. This verse, ahgani yasya sakalendriya-vrtti-manti [Bs 5.32], we have explained. Next verse is advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rūpam [Bs 5.33]. There are thirty-six verses in this record. You have chanted only three verses, three or four. Huh?

So the next verse is,

Krsna, He has got multiforms. We are also Krsna's forms, vibhinnamsa. There are two categories of forms, Krsna's: visnu-tattva and jiva-tattva. Visnu-tattva, a Krsna person, and jiva-tattva, separated personalities. So the jivas, they are also Krsna's forms, vibhinnamsa. They are called vibhinnamsa. Just imagine the living entities, innumerable forms there are.

That is conditioned living entities. Whatever we see within this material world, that is only a fragment part of all the living entities. The major portion of the living entities, they are in the spiritual world. They are called nitya-mukta, ever-liberated. And we, in this material world, we are nitya-baddha, ever-conditioned.

Besides that, Krsna has got visnu-tattva form, personal. Visnu-tattva form means that one form is as powerful as the other form. In the vibhinnamsa form, we are not as powerful as Krsna. But there are forms of Krsna who are as powerful as Krsna. Diparcir eva hi dasantaram abhyupetya [Bs 5.46]. Just like you take this candle and you light on another candle, another candle-but all these candles are of the same power, although the original candle is there. Similarly, Krsna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, and there are innumerable other forms of Godhead also. But they are as good as Krsna. Pūrnasya pūrnam adaya pūrnam evavasisyate .

The potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is so great that if another Godhead is expanded, both of Them are of the same potency. Therefore it is advaita acyuta. Acyuta means who never falls. Living entities, although they are forms of Krsna, they fall down. Just like our present condition is fallen condition. We are in the matter. But the personal expansions, they never fall in the matter. Therefore another name of God, or Krsna, is Acyuta. Acyuta means never falls.

Advaita acyuta anadi. Our beginning is from God, but God has no beginning. Anadi. Advaita acyuta anadi ananta-rūpam, although the forms are many millions and trillions. Advaita acyuta anadi ananta-rūpam, adyam purana-purusam. Adyam, original. Therefore the oldest person. Krsna, God, is the original person; therefore the oldest person. Still, nava-yauvanam ca: but still He's always youth, youthful.

Vedesu durlabha. To search out Krsna by academic education, by mental speculation, by pursuits of different types of knowledge is not possible. Advaita acyuta anadi ananta-rūpam adyam purana-purusam nava-yauvanam, vedesu durlabha. You cannot find out Krsna by simply academic education.

Adurlabha atma-bhaktau. But He is available from His devotee. If you approach a devotee of Krsna, he can deliver you Krsna like anything: "Here is Krsna. Take." Krsna is so nice. He becomes a doll in the hands of devotee. He agrees. Just like before Mother Yasoda He was trembling, Mother Yasoda showed Him the cane.

So this is Krsna's merciful pastime, that He becomes very easily available to the devotees. Otherwise it is very difficult to find out where is Krsna, how is Krsna. So our process is therefore to go through the devotees, not directly. Directly one cannot understand what Krsna... Vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami [Bs 5.33]. We worship Govinda, the original Personality of Godhead. That is our business. Now you can begin.

Prabhupada: [chanting japa]

[09:50]

Rūpanuga: Let me demonstrate how to use the water. The right-hand, once, twice, three times. And again, pass it on. [chants the Sri Guru Pranama, devotees repeat responsively]

Hare Krsna.

Devotees: [japa]

Rūpanuga: [Repeats the following with devotees repeating responsively]

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna.

Devotees: [japa]

Rūpanuga: [Repeats the following twice more with devotees repeating responsively, japa in between and after]

Hare Krsna.

[22:12]

This prayer, this prayer-apavitraḥ pavitro va sarvavastham gato 'pi va yaḥ smaret punḍarikaksam sa bahyabhyantaraḥ-suciḥ. Means un-purified or purified or even having passed through all situations. One who remembers the lotus eyed Supreme Personality of Godhead is cleansed without and within.

Srila Rūpa Gosvami Prabhupada warns us not to go near the banks of the Yamuna, if we at all want to remain enamoured of our family attachments and of our friends and of our different worldly attachments. Because by that bank of the Yamuna Lord Krsna is there playing His flute so nicely. His heavenly blue tinged body with it's lotus garland. So Rūpa Gosvami Prabhupada is warning us, "Don't go near the Yamuna because if you do, Krsna will steal your heart."

So this today we are having a threefold transcendental event. Initiations to the Hare Krsna mantra, the maha-mantra, and second initiations of the brahmanas into the brahminical status of life and to the renounced order of life, sannyasa. These are the three different stages that we progress through in the International Society for Krsna Consciousness. From brahmacari and brahmacarini and to grhastha life and then to the renounced order of life, sannyasa.

So it's a question of renunciation. In the Hare Krsna mantra initiation, it is simply required that one give up one's material miseries and engage oneself happily and joyfully in the execution of duties and service to our spiritual master, chanting, dancing and in other ways being happy, happily situated in transcendental life. There are four requirements. Four principles of morality without these principles of morality no man can be religious. These four principles must be followed otherwise a man cannot call himself a religious person.

He must not engage in any illicit sex, or gratification, nothing. No sex relationships outside of marriage and he must avoid intoxicants, including coffee, tea or cigarettes. And he must not eat meat, fish or eggs. And he must not gamble. If a man can successfully execute these regulative principles then he can become a religious person. And it is very easy because the principle of Krsna consciousness is positive renunciation.

This is a very important point to understand, simply by chanting Hare Krsna one develops a higher taste. When he loses his propensity and attraction for these lower things. If someone says, "Oh why don't you eat meat." We can answer, "I don't care for it." Not that, "I am not allowed to." No, that is negative renunciation. "No I don't care for it because everything I am doing is in relationship with Krsna. Those things, I care for those things only."

So these regulative principles must be practiced and if they are practiced nicely and we are chanting 16 rounds then in due course we come to the realization, aham brahmasmi-I am pure spirit soul. I am not this body and I am not these bodily designations that so many people have foisted upon me. My family and friends, my country, this that. We should think, "I am now, I am Krsna's. I am Krsna's. I'm not Russian, I am not Hindu, I'm simply Krsna's."

This is beyond the impersonal conception, this is beyond knowing that I am simply pure spirit soul. This knowing how to act, everyone must act, this is made clear in the Bhagavad-gita that no man can refrain from activity. But the activity that we do, how we act, this is the important point in human life. Regarding renunciation, Rūpa Gosvami Prabhupada made it clear that to give up things in this material world that belong to God, to Krsna, even though they are material, is not full renunciation.

Actually it is simply an avoidance of our eternal position to Krsna, to give up those things and cast them aside, those things which belong to His Lordship. Rather we should use everything in Krsna service, renunciation means to renounce sense gratification. That's all. Simply give up using things for my own personal sense gratification, a renegade servant in the material world lording it against the will of the Lord.

It is said that one in the house of the master who starts imitating the master, is called illusion, illusioned. So as long as we remain illusioned then we try to use what is Krsna's for our ourself and remains simply thieves, renegade servants from Krsna. So the idea is not to give up things, this society is not a society of renunciants we are not asking new initiates to become inactive, to retreat from the material world. No, the Vaisnava is concerned with other fallen souls like himself. Because as he sees the light he begins to understand his obligation.

This philosophy this Vaisnava philosophy cannot be defeated, nowhere can it be defeated. We can learn the philosophy very nicely and defeat everyone but argument is not our purpose, although we wish to convince everyone, "Simply chant Hare Krsna and be happy." This is our persuasion that we want, we want to convince everyone. We don't care about argument, our philosophy cannot be beaten.

That is not the point, we do not feel superior rather we realize that because we have this transcendental knowledge we are everyone's servants. That our obligation is to give this information to everyone who does not have it. That is our obligation, not that we sit in our temples and chant Hare Krsna for our own realization. This we can do, this we can do, that is [indistinct] ...but that is considered inferior to going out and preaching actively.

So those of you who are entering now into brahmacari and brahmacarini life-for certain. Because now a connection is being established by our spiritual master. Here-to-before the connection was not definitely established. Now the contract is drawn and about to be signed and it will never be broken by the Supreme Lord nor Srila Prabhupada. It is our simple obligation to keep our end of the bargain and always to remember our obligation to the Supreme Lord and to Srila Prabhupada. Simply to engage in Krsna conscious activities, simply practice bhakti-yoga and set by example to the whole world.

So brahmacari, brahmacarini this requires sense control, we should understand that we have to control these senses from engaging in nonsense activities. They can be controlled easily by chanting Hare Krsna and our other activities but we must be conscious that we have to control these things. Formerly and ideally brahmacaris remained brahmacaris for some time until they were in their early twenties and because they were able to remain brahmacari like that they were very strong. Very strong and this is sure that the firstborn would be a son. This was the practice brahmacari life was very strict and there were very many restrictions on sense gratification.

So in this age because we are not able to perform these activities, these austerities so nicely it has been granted to us that we can become grhastha's. We can become married and we can have children and raise them in Krsna consciousness. And then at a certain age after our children are grown and everyone is provided for then we can take sannyasa. But the point to remember about all of these stages actually is that all of them are sannyasa.

Sannyasa means to give up sense gratification simply to give it up for the higher taste of Krsna consciousness. To realize that my happiness can only be there if the Lord is happy. To be more concerned about Krsna's satisfaction than my own. More concerned about my spiritual master's satisfaction than my own. This is advancement, this is Krsna consciousness.

So simple renunciation will not suffice when Ramananda Raya and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu were having a discussion. Ramananda Raya suggested that to give up the fruits of one's activities. Ramananda Raya rejected that proposal because there must be spiritual variegatedness. The impersonal conception is simply to give up all kinds of variety out of frustration and to start thinking that I can become God in lieu of service to God. But there are spiritual varieties that must be revealed through devotional service with the guidance of the pure devotee.

So this spiritual variegatedness is revealed how? When Ramananda Raya proposed that one study and preach the Srimad-Bhagavatam this Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted, as the very important. So our sannyasis they are a little advanced, there are four different stages of sannyasi. But the second stage of sannyasi is parivrajakacarya this means to travel and preach the glories of the Lord as Caitanya Mahaprabhu has exemplified and as our spiritual master has exemplified.

Simply travel and preach depending on Krsna for all material arrangements. Not worrying much about my bodily care, not worrying much about foodstuffs, not worrying much about my shelter. Simply worrying about how to preach, mad after preaching, reaching to as many people as possible, distributing literatures, traveling. Distributing prasadam, so many things.

This is parivrajakacarya because our sannyasis they can begin there and then there is paramahamsa stage. When one becomes a little advanced and purified by this process he can take some... Some disciples. Like that, and help this family of the holy name grow all over the world. We must have spiritual children. In order to do that, we must be potent and pure and we must push on this movement purely so that our offspring, our spiritual children, will be strong and grow up to be better preachers and travel further than we.

So, these different orders of life and spiritual asrama are there and different orders of sannyasa are there but the main point to remember is what is renunciation? Renunciation: one can have a nice family, nice wife, nice son one can have nice arrangement but not to be attached. Non-attachment, that doesn't mean to ignore or not to meet one's duty or responsibilities but not to be attached, to maintain the family members to advance together in Krsna consciousness, but not for my own sense gratification, not that I become with advancement more interested in family life and then try to fall down. No that is not the point our grhastha's will remain strong, our sannyasis will remain strong and our brahmacari's will be trained up for responsibilities.

So essentially this renunciation involves controlling the mind, purifying the mind and senses. The mind is simply accepting or rejecting we have to dovetail that process, "Oh I accept whatever is good for advancing in Krsna consciousness and I reject that which is not good for advancing in Krsna consciousness." So this way we will dovetail and purify our mind and we will think and we will accept and reject the relationship to Krsna because the mind according to the Bhagavad-gita can be a source of bondage or liberation depending on how we use that mind. And the minds ego must be purified because the mind's ego is thinking that I am this body and by chanting we realised that I am a devotee, I am servant of Srila Prabhupada, I am servant of Krsna.

So there is direct service and indirect service and the impersonalist and the yogi they want to avoid direct service. After all suppose you are a yogi and you can achieve the highest perfectional yoga. That you can contradict the law's of material nature. This is a tremendous thing, this is very tempting, this is a final lording it over the material nature but it is not devotional service. So we can avoid these processes, we... It is said that one who chants Hare Krsna nicely has passed the tests of developing fruitive activities and mental speculation and he has also passed the yoga trials also. So these things are already included in taking initiation in the Hare Krsna mantra.

Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita that, "Only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am standing here before you. Thus can I be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of My understanding." "Thus can I be seen directly," Krsna says, so this the direct process, direct process. Krsna and His name are identical, so directly immediately we are contacting Krsna, immediately we are transferred to the spiritual platform. Not that we chant Hare Krsna and atone for our past sins and then go about doing nonsense but we keep chanting Hare Krsna and we become purified.

We become gosvami, master of the senses, not godasa-one who is controlled by the senses. We become gosvami and that gosvami is the final stage of sannyasa and that means one is perfectly controlled he has no material desires whatsoever. If we have as much desire as for one little piece of candy we will remain in this material world and come back again. So we must purify all our desires and not destroy, have desires for Krsna, in Krsna's name, for Krsna's sake and Krsna service. Not for my own first but my own will come automatically. By taking that prasadam, by taking the remnants simply by serving Krsna first.

So we must remain non-attached in that way we can become gosvami, controller of the senses instead of controlled by the senses. In this world the arrangement is now made that everyone is walking around the street their senses are dragging their mind, the mind is dragging the intellect and the intellect is dragging the whole body and intellect is dragging the spirit soul here, this way, that way, this way, that way.

The whole thing is backwards, the senses control the mind, the mind controls the intelligence and the intelligence being misused is dragging the spirit soul and his material body all over the universe all for seeking so much pleasure. But we must reverse that, Krsna consciousness begins from the platform of buddhi-intelligence. Krsna says in the sixty first verse of the second chapter, "One who restrains his senses and fixes his consciousness upon Me is known as a man of steady intelligence."

So by intelligence we can make advancement and what is the intelligent thing to do? Take shelter of the spiritual master and listen to the spiritual master and then we can control our minds and our senses. And we can use the body as it is intended in Krsna's service. So in the Bhagavad-gita it explains, verses four and seven through seven on karma-yoga.

"Not by merely abstaining from work can one achieve freedom from reaction nor by renunciation alone can one attain perfection. All men are forced to act helplessly according to the impulses born of the modes of material nature. Therefore nobody can refrain from doing something not even for a moment. One who restrains the senses and organs of action but whose mind dwells on sense objects certainly deludes himself and is called a pretender. But on the other hand he who controls the senses by the mind and who engages his active organs in works of devotion without attachments is by far superior."

So Arjuna posed a similar question that Maharaja Pariksit proposed to Sukadeva Gosvami that, "How is it that we are going to stop this after we atone, that we go and commit some more sinful activities as if driven by impulse. What is this, this factor that is driving us on?" And the answer is by association with the material modes.

So therefore the spiritual solution is to associate with the pure devotees and in that way one can conquer over these three modes of material nature. The principle of association is there, just like the crystal stone will reflect whatever is put in front of it so nicely. And it is said that, "If the husband is potent and the wife is healthy there will be a conception, there will be offspring."

So if the spiritual master is bona-fide and the disciple is bona-fide and there is sravanam kirtanam, there is chanting and there is hearing and there is receiving and service. Then by that association one can become purified. So non-attachment means to do everything on Krsna's behalf it is very very simple formula that everyone can follow in this age. Simply by reading the Srimad-Bhagavatam, by chanting Hare Krsna, this is the beginning process by reading other scriptures and then following the spiritual master's orders.

In the chapter 12 entitled, "Devotional Service." Arjuna asks Krsna, he enquires, "Of those who are properly engaged in Your devotional service and those who are engaged by the impersonal Brahman-the unmanifested which is considered to be more perfect?" The Supreme Personality of Godhead answered that, "One who has fixed his mind upon My personal form always engaged in devotional service with great and transcendental faith is considered by Me to be most perfect." And a little later on in that same chapter, in the ninth verse Krsna says, "If you cannot fix your mind upon Me without deviation then engage yourself in the practice of bhakti-yoga principles. In that way you will develop a desire to attain to Me."

So we are all practising the principles of bhakti-yoga and by practising the principles of bhakti-yoga we become more Krsna conscious and we develop our love of God. In order to chant nicely whether one is sannyasa, grhastha whatever his spiritual designation one has to follow these... Be careful to avoid the list of offences. You have this list before you and they should be paid very careful attention to throughout your spiritual life.

The first one is, "blaspheming the Lord's devotee."

We must be very careful this may seem a very difficult one to commit. We must be very careful not to be blaspheme the Lord's devotee and his disciples also. Srila Prabhupada's disciples should be treated with some respect because they are trying to do a very important job to bring Krsna consciousness back to the people on this earth planet and they have simply forgotten Krsna and our business is simply to remind them of Krsna by our appearance, by our deeds, words, actions-in every way. So a devotee should be cooperated with he should not be blasphemed.

And two, "Considering the Lord and the demigods on the same level or to understand that there are many gods." No there is one God, God is one. God is already God there is no question of meditating and becoming God, He is already God. Simply a question of yoga, bhakti-yoga connecting with Him in devotion. The demigods are simply spirit souls like us and they are delegated to control different aspects of the universe. Their power comes for Krsna, just like the ocean is an extension of Varuna. Varuna's body, he is able, just like we go like this and we can feel, we know. He is able to do the same thing.

Everything is so personal but we are so much impersonal. Everything is governed by intelligence, this intelligence means personality, how can we conclude otherwise? And the biggest personality, the supreme personality is Krsna. So by serving Krsna all his servants become pleased. It is not that the servant who lives in the house of the master lives like a pauper. No the servant in the house of the master has nice clothing, has nice prasadam he has nice arrangement for shelter. He's practically on the level of the master.

Three, "neglecting the order's of the spiritual master."

Well, this is foolhardy, one who is taking initiation must be very careful and must already know in advance that the only way he can make advancement is to follow the orders of the spiritual master.

Four, "minimising the authority of the scriptures or Vedas."

The spiritual master never deviates from the Vedas because the Vedas are the absolute truth given by Krsna Himself so one can understand that if I do not understand the Veda or the scripture it is because of my defect. It is that the scriptures are already perfect it is simply a question of my understanding and in due time what is in the scriptures will be revealed to me by practical devotional service. This is the way to think.

Five, "interpreting the holy name of God."

There is no name. No reason to interpret. One can chant Hare Krsna without even knowing what the words mean and achieve benefit. So much benefit without even knowing what Hare Krsna. The explanation is there, Hare-"All Krsna's energy" also addressing Radha. Another name of Radha is Hara.

So Hare is addressing Radharani who is in charge of devotional service because She can obtain the compassion of Krsna for us. So say Hare, Krsna, Krsna is Krsna. Krsna and Krsna are identical. This is the perfection of our devotional service to realize that Krsna and His name are the same. And Rama another name for Krsna. Krsna has many names and they are all covered in this one mantra,

All names and all pastimes are there. Including om, everything is there.

Six, "to commit sins on the strength of chanting."

This is the popular fad of the day, to go and commit more sins after atoning, after confessing, after being shameful and after realising that one has committed nasty thing. But then they go ahead and do it again. The way to cure that is to destroy the desired seed for committing sinful activities that is simply by chanting. Any other process of atonement or purification will not work because the desire will keep returning and a person will again do the same things over and over again unless that propensity is itself finished. The only way that can be finished is by this process of bhakti-yoga by chanting Hare Krsna and engaging in these principles. Then that whole propensity to commit sinful activities will be finished for good. There is no other way, no other process.

Seven, "Instructing the glories of the Lord's name to the unfaithful."

We do not care to argue with atheists, you do not care to argue with an intoxicated person. Rather we will approach them and nicely ask them to say Hare Krsna and if there is some resistance we do not have to stay and argue and fight with them. The devotee sees that there are four different classifications of reality. Krsna, his devotees, the innocent (those who don't know about Krsna) and the atheist. And mostly he is preaching to the innocent person and the atheist he is also sought after but in order for a person to make advancement as Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught Jagai and Madhai.

They must give up their sinful activities, they must give up those intoxications and illicit sex gratification. Those things which are required to make advancement. They must first become at least moral men. If they can do that then they can be accepted into the family of the holy name. And everyone today is Jagai and Madhai so we are all certainly qualified to join this family but we have to qualify ourselves by following some simple rules and regulations.

Nine, I'm sorry, eight. "Comprising, or rather comparing the holy name with material piety."

No amount of religious activity, no amount of impersonal prayer in a church or mosque or temple without the Deity. No amount of these things will bring us to the point of love of God. If they can execute it perfectly we can come to the point of executing devotional service if we become perfect in our practice. But today the first commandment of the Bible is, "Thou shalt not kill." In order to be a Christian one has to follow the 10 Commandments, so who can follow that first commandment, "Thou shalt not kill." So many things, so many animals are being killed for the taste, for the palate.

That is not required, sure we kill vegetables also. The point is that the vegetables and the fruits and the grains are allotted to us by Krsna for our eating and the milk from the cow and there is no need to kill the cow to get the milk any more than to get to kill the tree to get an apple. But because of the palate we do these things, we commit these sinful activities and then we wonder why there is Vietnam, why there is earthquake, why there is this kind of reaction, why there is that kind of reaction.

We must give up our attachment, we must raise our taste to the spiritual platform by engaging in this higher taste of Krsna consciousness. As young people it devolves upon us to do this thing because the older we get the more conditioned we get. Now is the time in the human form of life, as it is stated by the Vedanta-sūtra. Now is the time while we are young to understand with our intelligence what is this movement and to join and push on it.

So Krsna consciousness is the postgraduate study of religion and it includes all the goals of religion and one who understands the purpose of the Vedas, engages in this Krsna Consciousness.

Nine, "To become inattentive while chanting the holy name."

Sravanam kirtanam-hearing and chanting, one has to hear nicely and if he hears nicely then he can speak nicely. But we must practice hearing so much time... So many times this chanting, it is not so nice, it's slurred, it's unclear, no. We are not trying to be fast, we want to hear and we should worship the holy name when we utter it. We should worship the holy name. So we should be attentive because it's Krsna. The supreme person we are addressing, no one less. So we should be conscious of that holy name on our lips and hear as carefully as we can.

Ten, "Attachment to material things in spite of chanting the holy name."

With a little advancement we are expected not to keep making mistakes. But if a person falls down from chanting the holy name what is the process of rectification? No purificatory process is there, no special rituals, no return to the Vedas, like that. Simply continuing once again chanting nicely, that is the way that we can rectify ourselves.

But we should avoid all fall downs, we should realize that eating sleeping and mating and defending are the demands of the body and not the soul. The soul is not required to eat sleep mate and defense. Therefore we must minimise these things by taking prasadam and controlling our senses and so on. So if we are able to understand the basic principle of this philosophy there is no question of continuing to be attached to our material miseries.

Thank you very much-Hare Krsna.

Devotees: [japa]

Rūpanuga: Please repeat each prayer after me.

Hare Krsna.

Devotees: [japa]

Prabhupada: It is not complete... So change your cloth. You help him. You help him. Go and change. That I am doing. Come on.

Rūpanuga: Beads? Whose beads are these?

Devotee (2): Jaya.

Rūpanuga: Please accept the beads with your right hand. Hare Krsna.

Prabhupada: Conch... Hare Krsna.

Devotees: [japa]

[60:41]

Aravinda: Narayana dasa.

Prabhupada: Narayana dasa. You know the rules and regulation? Thank you. Take this. Hare Krsna. Come on. Hmmm. This Deity photograph, this?

Aravinda: Pompa dasi.

Prabhupada: Pompa dasi. Pompa is the sacred river. Flow with Krsna consciousness. Hare Krsna.

Prabhupada: [japa]

Aravinda: Madhupuri dasi.

Prabhupada: Madhupuri. Madhupuri is Mathura, Krsna's birthplace. So you have to serve Mathura and be associated with Radharani. Hare Krsna. You know the rules and regulation? What are they?

Madhupuri: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication...

Prabhupada: No gambling. She is not married? Hmm.

Prabhupada: [japa]

Aravinda: Varanasi.

Prabhupada: Varanasi dasi. Varanasi, the sacred conjunction of two rivers, Varuni and Asi. Varuni is Ganges, and Asi. So combination of two sacred rivers flowing from the lotus toe of Krsna.

Prabhupada: [japa]

Aravinda: Prayag.

Prabhupada: Spelling?

Aravinda: P-r-a-y-a-g.

Prabhupada: Prayag. Prayag dasi. Prayag is the chief holy place in India, where we held our... That is Allahabad. That is Prayag. Another name is Prayag. Real name is Prayag. Tirtha-raja, the king of pilgrimage. So you have to serve. Come on. You know the rules and regulation?

Candanacarya: Do you know the rules and regulations?

Prayag: Yes. No illicit sex, no intoxicants, no meat, fish or eggs, and no gambling.

Prabhupada: [japa] Next. Come on.

Aravinda: Sita-Rama dasa.

Prabhupada: Oh. Sita-Rama. Raghupati raghava. Lord Ramacandra, husband of Sita. You are servant of Sita-Rama. Very high position. Come on. Hare Krsna. You know the rules and regulation? All right. Thank you. Next.

Prabhupada: [japa]

Aravinda: Puspavana.

Prabhupada: Eh?

Aravinda: Puspavana. P-u-s-p-a-v-a-n-a.

Prabhupada: Puspavana?

Aravinda: P-u-s-p-a-v-a-n-a.

Prabhupada: Yes. Puspavana. Puspavana is the name of Cupid. He throws the arrow of flower. And Krsna is the supreme Cupid. You know the rules and regulation? Yes. Come on.

[japa] [sings softly] Radhe jaya jaya madhava dayite, gokula taruni manḍala... Hmm?

Aravinda: Puskara.

Prabhupada: Puskara dasa. There is a sacred lake in India, Puskara-tirtha. Puskara-tirtha. So anyone who takes bath in that lake, he becomes a devotee. So you try to bring all people of the world to take bath in Puskara. [japa]

Aravinda: Tapas.

Prabhupada: Tapas. From tapasya. You have to perform severe austerity. Without severe austerity, nobody can achieve Krsna. Krta-punya-punjaḥ [Bg 7.3]. Siddhanam, those who have attained perfection, out of many of them, one can understand Krsna. So by Lord Caitanya's grace we are distributing freely such thing, Krsna. Krsna-prema-pradaya te [Cc Madhya 19.53], Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Hare Krsna. You know the rules and regulation? Then you come. [break]

[sannyasa initiation]

Open. You take this and... Yes. First of all take this. Then care of... Stand up. This side. Now where is that mantra? You chant this mantra. [Trivikrama repeats]

What is this? It is not properly... Oh.

Yes.

Etam sa asthaya paratma-nistha. This vow-today you are taking sannyasa-so keeping oneself steady and fixed up in this position, etam sa asthaya paratma-nistha... Paratma, the Supreme Lord... Jiva, living entities, they are atma, and Krsna is paratma. Paramatma and paratma. So paratma-nistham, to serve Krsna. So "Taking sannyasa, from this day my vow to serve Krsna is more fixed up, steady."

Upasitam pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ: "This practice, this process was accepted by my previous acaryas." Your spiritual master, his spiritual master, his spiritual master, they all accepted this. Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted at the age of twenty-four years. Therefore it is not a new introduction. Pūrvatamaiḥ. Pūrvatamaiḥ means previous acarya, they accepted it, sannyasa asrama. That is Vedic civilization.

Everyone has to accept sannyasa asrama at a certain period, generally at the end. But one who is advanced, he can take sannyasa even at young age. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa, Ramanujacarya took sannyasa very young age. My Guru Maharaja took sannyasa at very young age. So it is not that only old men should take sannyasa, but there are many instances. Why?

Now, paratma-nistha. Etam sa asthaya aham tarisyami: "I shall cross over." Tarisyami means cross over. Duranta-param: "which is very difficult to overcome." Tamo: "this darkness." This material world is dark. Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya. Vedic injunction is, "Don't remain in this darkness. Go the other side, jyoti, where there is..." Na tad bhasayate sūryaḥ.

There is another nature, where there is no need of sun, no need of moon, no need of electricity. There, jyoti... Jyoti means effulgent light, only light. So we have to cross over this ocean of darkness and reach that jyotir dhama. Jyotirmaya dhama, brahma-jyoti.

Tamo mukundahghri. How it will be possible? Mukunda. Mukunda means... Muk means mukti, or liberation. So one who gives liberation and gives ananda... Unless one is liberated, one cannot understand what is ananda, or pleasure. Here in the material world we are trying to be happy by false pleasure. Actual pleasure... Krsna is the reservoir of all pleasure.

When we serve Krsna, mukundahghri... Ahghri means lotus feet, leg. When we appoint ourself, engage ourself in the service of the lotus feet of Mukunda, who can deliver liberation and transcendental bliss... Tamo mukundahghri nisevayaiva: "Only by serving Him I shall be able." This mantra you shall take copy. Also Kirtanananda Maharaja, you can read this portion and... [break]

Kirtanananda: "...they misunderstand the purpose of tridanḍa, and by such deviation..."

Prabhupada: Our this danḍa, there are four sticks. One stick is representing the jiva soul, another stick is representing body, another stick is mind and another stick, speech. Kaya mana vakya. So the jiva engages himself with his body, mind and words for preaching work. Go on. So there is another sect of sannyasi, Mayavadi sannyasi. They take one stick, eka.

Kirtanananda: "They misunderstand the purpose of tridanḍa, and by such deviation..." [indistinct]

Prabhupada: Siva Swami? What is that?

Kirtanananda: S-i-v-a?

Prabhupada: Siva Swami. All right.

Kirtanananda: "...accepted ekadanḍi sannyasa order, but His acceptance of tridanḍi-sannyasa is understood. This mantra was first chanted by a learned brahmana of Avantipur after being too much disturbed with the materialistic way of life. [reads sannyasa speech-very faint]"

Prabhupada: The ekadanḍi sannyasi and Mayavadi sannyasi, they think that accepting sannyasa, they become one with Narayana, or the Supreme Lord. But our process is different. Our process is that we give up everything material and simply engage ourself in Krsna's service with body, mind and speeches, and as I am, soul. This is the difference. So we should not mix up this ekadanḍi sannyasi and tridanḍi sannyasi.

Kirtanananda: "They have no inclination to render service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Being very much disgusted with the materialistic way of life, they do not understand the purpose of the sannyasa order. But those who are strictly followers of the Vaisnava principles, they do not accept Mayavadi way of sannyasa. In the sect of Lord Caitanya..." [indistinct]

Prabhupada: Bas. So you'll get a copy of this. So from this day your only business is to preach and collect alms for Krsna. Give me that mango. So I give you first of all. Take this flower. And where is your...? Yes. Give him that flower garland.

Trivikrama: All glories to you, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: Heh? What is that?

Devotee: It's something for Your Divine Grace.

Prabhupada: All right. Oh. Chant govindam adi-purusam. Go on. Hare Krsna.

Devotees: All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

[initiation begins] [end]