Sannyāsa and Harināma Initiations – March 16, 1976, Māyāpur

I am this body, and anything belonging to this body, that is mine

Prabhupada: The mantra,

So this purificatory process... According to Vedic system, there is purificatory process. Janmana jayate sūdraḥ: "By birth everyone is born a sūdra." A sūdra means without any knowledge and simply full of lamentation. Socati. So the Vedic process is that from the low-grade position, to bring the human society to the highest, topmost position. Generally it is... The first, topmost position is to become a brahmana in the society. Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasaḥ [Bg 4.13].

Four divisions of the social system are there, according to quality and work. That is very natural in this world. Everyone is accepted on quality and work. If you have got a qualification of a good lawyer and if you have done very nicely your activities, then you are selected as the high-court judge. The high-court judge is selected amongst the lawyers in the court. It is not appointed from outside. The... A lawyer who has done his legal profession very nicely, the government offers him the post, that "You become a high-court judge."

So this quality and work is estimated everywhere and in all circumstances. So Bhagavad-gita recommends-Krsna says personally, the Supreme Personality of Godhead-catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasaḥ [Bg 4.13]. So that process is applicable at all times. And Narada Muni, he also gave description to Yudhisthira Maharaja while they were talking about the varnasrama. So Narada Muni gave different symptoms of different varna: brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sūdra. Then, at the conclusion, he said,

He said that "I have already explained the different symptoms of different varnas-brahmana will be like that; ksatriya will be like that; vaisyas will be like that; sūdras will be like that-so," he says, "if these symptoms are found," anyatra... Suppose one is not born in the brahmana family-he might have taken birth in a lower family-but he has acquired... If he has acquired the qualities of a brahmana, he should be accepted as brahmana. This is the process. Or if one is born in a brahmana family but he has not attained the qualities, neither he is working as a brahmana, then he should be accepted either ksatriya, vaisya and sūdra. So this is the system. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu also wanted to introduce this system.

He never accepted this, that by birth. No. Either he is a brahmana or he is a sūdra, by caste or by birth, kiba vipra kiba sūdra nyasi kene naya; either he's a grhastha or a sannyasi, it doesn't matter. He can become a guru. How? Yei krsna-tattva-vetta. One who knows the principles of Krsna consciousness, one who understands Krsna, he can become a guru. So guru is the post given to the sannyasis, to the brahmanas. Without becoming a brahmana, nobody can become a sannyasi, and sannyasi is supposed to be the guru of both all the asramas and all the varnas.

So the preaching work... We require so many sannyasis. People are suffering all over the world for want of Krsna consciousness. My Guru Maharaja used to say that there is no scarcity; this is false propaganda. The only scarcity is that there is no Krsna consciousness. That is the difficulty. Actually that is the fact. Take some practical example: I have traveled all over the world many times. I have seen America from village to village, Africa, Australia. There is so much land vacant that if we properly utilize them, we can produce so much food grains that we can feed ten times as many population as it is now. That's a fact. We do not utilize the land properly. And Krsna has given us the formula, annad bhavanti bhūtani [Bg 3.14:

"You produce anna." Annad bhavanti bhūtani. Then the animals and the human being will be well fed and they will be happy. If anyone, either animal or man, has his belly filled up with sufficient food, he'll never be dissatisfied. That is the nature. So unfortunately we are not following the instruction of Bhagavad-gita. If we follow the whole social system, political system, economic system of the whole world will be very, very nice, and everyone will live very peacefully and there will be no fight, no "ism," no schism. Everything will be all right. That is the purpose of Krsna consciousness. Don't think that Krsna consciousness is a matter of sentiment. No, it is practical.

The... Just like in America, they produce huge amount of grains. Sometimes they throw it in the sea on account of overproduction. Why overproduction should be given on the sea? It should be utilized. There are so many people starving. But this political situation is there that everyone is thinking, "This is my country. This is my home. This is my land." This is called maya. Aham mameti [SB 5.5.8]. Janasya moho 'yam aham mameti. Everyone is under this impression, "I am this body, and anything belonging to this body, that is mine," or "my nation." This conception should be given up. That is Krsna consciousness. Īsavasyam idam sarvam . Everything belongs to the Supreme Lord. In the Bhagavad-gita also, the same thing is confirmed:

The santi... Everyone is trying to have peace-peace of the mind, peace of the society, peace of the nation. Very good. But you do not know how to get this peace. That is described in every Vedic literatures. Therefore Vedic knowledge is so important. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam [Katha Upanisad 2.2.13]. The Supreme Lord is the leader. He's also a living being like us. He's not a dead stone. He is... Just like Krsna, when He comes, He lives like us, just like human being. So similarly the... Not similarly. Krsna is a living being like us. He has got also two hands, two legs, one head, as you have got. But what is the difference between you and Him? The difference is that eka, that singular number living being. Vidadhati kaman bahūnam, He maintains everyone, and we are maintained. That is the difference. We plural number living entities, we are maintained, and He, the Supreme Lord, being, Supreme Being... In the dictionary, English dictionary, God means Supreme Being. So Supreme Being, He's also living being. He's not a dead stone. The difference is that He is the maintainer, and we are maintained. He is the ruler; we are ruled. This difference we have to understand. And He is the proprietor; we are servants. Caitanya Mahaprabhu's philosophy is this. That is a fact. Jivera svarūpa haya nitya krsna dasa [Cc Madhya 20.108].

So this consciousness, Krsna consciousness, is being spread all over the world for the peace of the world, for the peace of the mind, for the peace of the society. So take it very seriously. It is very authorized. It is not a concocted speculation; it is fact. And it is happening so. Now these American boys and girls who have come, spending thousands of rupees here... And they have no such distinction that "Here is Indian. He is African. He is brahmana. He's ksatriya." Why? Because they have taken to Krsna consciousness. So this movement is so important that everyone from every part of the world, they should take part in this movement, and there will be peace in the world. Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission is this. Caitanya Mahaprabhu's birthday is today. In this land, in this very spot we are sitting now, He appeared for this mission. And He said that,

This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission.

And that is being done. And the people from all parts of the world, they are responding. There is very, very good scope for spreading this Krsna consciousness movement, and learned circle, important men in all parts of the society and world, they are appreciating this mission. Bharata-bhūmite manusya... It was Caitanya Mahaprabhu's desire that especially those who are born in India, and especially in Bengal, because Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in this land of Bengal. So it is the duty to spread this Krsna consciousness movement. But unfortunately they are not coming forward. Anyway, it doesn't matter whether he is Bengali or Hindu or Muslim. Anyone who knows the science of Krsna, he can spread this Krsna consciousness movement. And there is great necessity, great necessity. And the preaching work is meant for the sannyasis.

So we have got some sannyasis who are doing very nicely, so today we shall make a number of sannyasis more to spread Krsna consciousness all over the world. And those who are going to take sannyasa, they should remember how much responsibility they have got. So live like a very strict sannyasi. Caitanya Mahaprabhu took Himself sannyasa at the age of twenty-four years. So it is not that in old age one has to take sannyasa. That is not in the sastra. From brahmacari asrama one can enter into the grhastha-asrama or vanaprastha-asrama or sannyasa-asrama as he thinks fit. There is no such rules and regulation that only the old man without any energy, he'll take sannyasa. No. Rather, the young men.

Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu did personally. He was twenty-four years old. He had beautiful wife, young wife, sixteen years old, at home; very, very affectionate mother; and His position was very great. Not as a brahmana, but still, as young man He could collect 100,000's of men by His order only, to make civil disobedience movement upon the Kazi in this land. So the civil disobedience movement was started by Caitanya Mahaprabhu for a good cause. So there are so many things. I especially appeal to the native of this land to take part in this movement of Caitanya Mahaprabhu for the benefit of the world. And we are trying to construct a very attractive temple here. Let them cooperate. It doesn't matter whether he is Hindu, Muslim. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is for everyone. Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted Haridasa Thakura as His chief disciple. Haridasa Thakura was born in a Muhammadan family, and his mission was to introduce this Hare Krsna mantra chanting. Harer nama harer nama harer nama iva kevalam, kalau nasty eva nasty eva...

Devotees: ...nasty eva gatir anyatha.

Prabhupada: And He made Haridasa Thakura Namacarya, the acarya to introduce Hare Krsna mantra, and Haridasa Thakura was chanting three lakhs, counting daily. That means the whole day and night. So, so nice movement, everyone should take part in it and dedicate to the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And it is not at all difficult. It is very easy. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said,

Anywhere, either you are in this district or that district, it doesn't matter. Either you are at home or outside home, it doesn't matter-you become a guru, everyone. "How shall I become guru? I have no qualification." Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, "You don't require any qualification. You simply require one qualification: that you repeat the instruction of Bhagavad-gita. That's all." Yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa [Cc Madhya 7.128]. That's all. You become a guru. Don't adulterate krsna-upadesa like a rascal or nonsense. Present it as it is, Bhagavad-gita. Then you become a guru. You can become a guru in your family. You can guru your society, your nation, wherever you are. And if it is possible, you go outside and preach this mission of Bhagavad-gita. Therefore our movement's name is Krsna consciousness. Whatever Krsna says, you accept and preach, you become guru.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupada. [break]

Pusta Krsna: Most of the devotees have not put on their sannyasa dress yet.

Prabhupada: Let them sannyasa… Go and come. Take danḍa.

Pusta Krsna: Would you like to give the first initiation?

Prabhupada: Ah?

Pusta Krsna: While waiting would you like to give first initiation?

Prabhupada: Yes. [break]

Pusta Krsna: Srila Prabhupada will give out the first initiation. Devotees, first brahmacaris come forward before the vyasasana and offer obeisances after Srila Prabhupada offers beads to you. [calls:] Alphanso. [to Prabhupada:] Krsnadasa Kaviraja.

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Tamala Krsna: From Gargamuni's party.

Prabhupada: You know what are the regulative principles?

Devotee: No meat, fish or egg, no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling.

Prabhupada: Hmm. So what is his name?

Pusta Krsna: Krsnadasa Kaviraja.

Prabhupada: Hmm. So your name is Kaviraja dasa.

Devotees: Jaya! Hare Krsna! [devotees offer obeisances]

Pusta Krsna: [calls devotee] John Andrew. No, no-Peter, Peter. Peter West.

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Pusta Krsna: Guḍakesa. Guḍakesa.

Prabhupada: You know what are the regulative principles?

Peter West: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication.

Prabhupada: Hmm. No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. Hmm. And how many times you'll chant?

Peter West: Sixteen rounds.

Prabhupada: Minimum. Thank you. Guḍakesa. Your name is Guḍakesa dasa.

Devotees: Jaya!

Pusta Krsna: Harvey. Haridasa Thakura dasa.

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Tamala Krsna: These boys are in Gargamuni's party.

Prabhupada: Hmm. [Transl. Come forward.] [devotees offer obeisances] Hmm. What are the regulative principles?

Harvey: No illicit sex life, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication.

Prabhupada: What is his name?

Pusta Krsna: Haridasa Thakura dasa.

Prabhupada: Hmm. Haridasa dasa.

Devotees: Jaya!

Pusta Krsna: Ken. Sambhu.

Prabhupada: Hmm. What are the rules?

Ken: No meat, fish or eggs, no gambling, no intoxication, no illicit sex.

Prabhupada: Hmm. So your name is Sambhu dasa. Sambhu was one of the sons of Krsna.

Devotees: Haribol!

Pusta Krsna: John Andrew.

Sambhu: Sambhu?

Prabhupada: Hmm. Sambhu

Hrdayananda: Pay obeisances. John Andrew...

Prabhupada: That is wanted.

Pusta Krsna: Gaurasundara.

John Andrew: [offers obeisances]

Prabhupada: You know the rules and regulations?

John Andrew: No meat-eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex, no gambling.

Prabhupada: And what is "yes"?

John Andrew: Chant sixteen rounds.

Prabhupada: At least.

John Andrew: At least.

Prabhupada: Hmm?

Pusta Krsna: Gaurasundara.

Prabhupada: Oh, your name is very… Gaurasundara dasa.

Devotees: Haribol! Haribol!

Subuddhi: [offers obeisances]

Pusta Krsna: Obeisances...

Tamala Krsna: These are all Gargamuni's men.

Prabhupada: Hmm. Where is Gargamuni? [laughter]

Pusta Krsna: His name is Subuddhi Raya.

Prabhupada: What are the rules and regulations?

Subuddhi: No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling and no intoxication.

Prabhupada: Very nice. So your name is Subuddhi dasa.

Devotees: Jaya!

Pusta Krsna: Ian Butler.

Tamala Krsna: Brian Butler.

Pusta Krsna: Brian Butler.

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Pusta Krsna: Raganuga.

Brian Butler: [offers obeisances]

Prabhupada: What are the rules?

Brian Butler: No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling and no intoxication.

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Pusta Krsna: Raganuga.

Hrdayananda: Raganuga.

Prabhupada: Your name is Raganuga dasa.

Devotees: Jaya!

Raganuga: Thank you very much.

Pusta Krsna: Amulya Pal.

Devotee: Who?

Pusta Krsna: Dharma-parayana.

Amulya Pal: [offers obeisances]

Prabhupada: He is very nice boy. He is working nice. He is working nice? Hmm.

[Transl. What are the rules and regulations? Do you know? Then say.]

Amulya Pal: [Transl. Chanting sixteen round, rising early in the morning…]

Prabhupada: [Transl. No, that is there, but what are the prohibitions?]

Amulya Pal: [Transl. Oh Prohibitions? No sex.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. No illicit sex.]

Amulya Pal: [Transl. No illicit sex. No gambling. No intoxication. No… ]

Prabhupada: What is his name?

Pusta Krsna: Dharma-parayana.

Prabhupada: Your name, Dharma-parayana dasa.

Devotees: Jaya! Haribol.

Pusta Krsna: Motilal Talukdar.

Prabhupada: What is his name?

Pusta Krsna: Kamala-nayana.

Prabhupada: Hmm. [Transl. Come forward.] [Prabhupada briefly, softly hums] [Transl. What are our rules?]

Motilal: [Transl. To serve faithfully.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. That is there, but especially what are our prohibitions? No illicit sex etc.]

Motilal: [Transl. No meat, fish. No tea, biḍi, cigarette. Only eat Prasada.]

Prabhupada: What is?

Pusta Krsna: Kamala-nayana.

Prabhupada: Ah, Kamala-nayana dasa.

Devotees: Jaya!

Prabhupada: Caitan...

Pusta Krsna: Vinay Chandra? Obeisances.

Devotees: Danḍavats. Danḍavats.

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Vinay Chandra: [offers obeisances]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Sit down.]

Vinay Chandra: [offers obeisances]

Pusta Krsna: Name is Vijaya dasa.

Prabhupada: Hmm. [Transl. What are the regulative principles?]

Vinay Chandra: Yes, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling, no...

Prabhupada: Hmm, all right. Vijaya dasa.

Devotees: Jaya!

Pusta Krsna: Raj Kumar.

Prabhupada: He's from Gujarat?

Tamala Krsna: Hmm?

Pusta Krsna: Krsnadasa Baidya.

Prabhupada: Baidya?

Pusta Krsna: Baidya.

Prabhupada: [corrects pronunciation] Baidya.

Pusta Krsna: Baidya.

Prabhupada: Hmm. So, what are the rules and...? Eh?

Raj Kumar: [Transl. English I don't know.]

Tamala Krsna: Doesn't speak English.

Prabhupada: Oh, he's Bengali.

Tamala Krsna: You have to speak Hindi.

Raj Kumar: U.P. Hindi.

Prabhupada: Oh, Hindi. [Transl. So tell me what are the rules and regulations?]

Raj Kumar: [Transl. No illicit sex. No meat eating. No intoxication and no gambling.]

Prabhupada: So, Krsnadasa Vaidya dasa.

Devotee: Jaya.

Tamala Krsna: Krsnadasa Vaidya dasa.

Devotee: Haribol.

Pusta Krsna: Ian? Virabhadra.

Prabhupada: Dhirabhadra?

Pusta Krsna: Virabhadra.

Prabhupada: Oh, all right. What are the rules and regulations?

Ian: Ah, no meat-eating, no illicit sex life, no intoxication and no gambling.

Prabhupada: So your name is Virabhadra dasa.

Devotees: Jaya!

Pusta Krsna: Bhadra?

Prabhupada: Virabhadra.

Pusta Krsna: Virabhadra. Joe Davis.

Prabhupada: He was the son of Nityananda Prabhu.

Devotees: Jaya!

Pusta Krsna: Srila Prabhupada, he said that he will shave up, shortly.

Prabhupada: All right. Gargamuni's family?

Tamala Krsna: Ah, I think so. I'm not sure.

Pusta Krsna: Drḍha-vrata, Drḍha-vrata.

Prabhupada: Hmm. So you know the rules and regulations? So your name is Drḍha-vrata dasa.

Devotee (3): Dhira-vrata?

Devotee (4): Drḍha-vrata.

Tamala Krsna: Drḍha-vrata.

Pusta Krsna: Virata!

Prabhupada: [briefly softly hums] What is his name then?

Pusta Krsna: Vaninatha.

Prabhupada: Hmm. What is his language? Is he Indian?

Pusta Krsna: He is from Mayapura. He stays here in Mayapur.

Devotee (3): He's Bengali.

Pusta Krsna: Bengali.

Prabhupada: Ah. [Transl. So what are all the rules?]

Virata: [Transl. No meat and fish eating. No going after girls. No smoking.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. And what about pan?]

Virata: [Transl. And Pan … ]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Pan you can chew? From your teeth it seems you chew pan. Do you? If you do, then stop it.You can't chew pan.] Hmm, what is his name?

Pusta Krsna: Vaninatha.

Prabhupada: Eh, Vaninatha dasa [Transl. is your name].

Devotees: Haribol!

Pusta Krsna: Motilal.

Prabhupada: Hmm. Okay. What is his name?

Devotee (3): [devotees exclaiming in background] That's his great-grandpa.

Prabhupada: What is the name?

Pusta Krsna: Akincana Krsna dasa.

Prabhupada: Hmm. [Transl. Your name is Akincana Krsna dasa. Take this. Will you remember your name? Yes? Akincana Krsna dasa.]

Tamala Krsna: Akincana Krsna dasa.

Prabhupada: [Transl. You will remember?] Akincana...

Akincana Krsna: Akincana...

Prabhupada: ...Krsna dasa.

Akincana Krsna: ...Krsna dasa.

Pusta Krsna: Ananta.

Tamala Krsna: Danḍavats.

Pusta Krsna: Danḍavats. Danḍavats. [background laughter] Ananta.

Prabhupada: [Transl. What are the rules and regulations?]

Ananta: [Transl. No illicit sex. No intoxication.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. What else? No meat, fish eating, no gambling.]

Ananta: [Transl. No kind of intoxication.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Intoxication is different, gambling is different. Anyhow.]

Ananta: [Transl. No gambling. No pan, cigarette, biḍi.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. That's all.]

Pusta Krsna: Sarva-jna.

Prabhupada: Hmm. Sarvajna dasa.

Tamala Krsna: Sarvajna dasa.

Devotee (4): Sarvajna.

Pusta Krsna: John Connelly, Donnelly.

John Donnelly: [offers obeisances]

Devotee (4): Haribol!

Prabhupada: Hmm. Hmm. What are the rules and regulations?

John Donnelly: No meat-eating, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication.

Prabhupada: Thank you.

Pusta Krsna: Sattvika.

Prabhupada: Sattvika dasa.

Sattvika: Sakti?

Prabhupada: Sattvika.

Tamala Krsna: Sattvika.

Pusta Krsna: Sattvika.

Prabhupada: "Goodness."

Pusta Krsna: Girl, Mira. Jala-tala-devi dasi

Prabhupada: Hmm?

Pusta Krsna: Jala-tala-devi dasi.

Prabhupada: Jala-tala... Ja... Jala-tala?

Pusta Krsna: Jala-tala.

Prabhupada: Hmm. So [Transl. What are all the rules?]

Mira: No illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-eating, no intoxication.

Prabhupada: Hmm. Jala-tala dasi [Transl. is your name.] Hmm.

Devotee: Jaya.

Pusta Krsna: Rita? Rasamanḍala-sevya.

Tamala Krsna: [background chatter with other devotees]

Prabhupada: What is name?

Pusta Krsna: Rasamanḍala-sevi.

Prabhupada: Hmm. You know the rules and regulations?

Rita: Only eating krsna-prasadam, no illicit sex life, no intoxication and no gambling.

Prabhupada: And your son?

Rita: He doesn't know.

Prabhupada: See, he is very fond of prasadam. [laughter]

Prabhupada: You want prasada? Take this. Rasamanḍali dasi.

Devotees: Jaya!

Pusta Krsna: Alorani? [background murmuring]

Prabhupada: [coughs] Hmm, is there water?

Pusta Krsna: Water. Alo... Alorani?

Prabhupada: [coughs] Hmm, what is?

Pusta Krsna: Kulina.

Prabhupada: Hmm. Kulina dasi [Transl. your name. Do you know all the rules and regulations?]

Pusta Krsna: Little Krsna Rani? Krsna-candra-priya.

Prabhupada: Krsna-priya dasi.

Devotees: Jaya!

Pusta Krsna: Big Krsna Rani? Kisora-vallabha.

Prabhupada: [Transl. Hmm. Do you know all the regulative principles?]

Krsna Rani: [Transl. Emotional [indistinct]]

Prabhupada: [Transl. Take this.] Kisora-vallabha dasi.

Devotee: Jaya!

Devotee (4): Kisora-vallabha.

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Pusta Krsna: Manjurani? This is the last one, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Pusta Krsna: Rasesvari.

Prabhupada: Rasesvari dasi. Come on now. Hmm. Then?

Pusta Krsna: Sannyasis.

Prabhupada: Sannyasis, that's all. Where is the danḍa?

Pusta Krsna: Where is the danḍa for the...

Prabhupada: So somebody explain. You can chant the mantra conjointly. Etam sa asthaya...

Tamala Krsna: Etam… You want me to chant, Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: And they should repeat it?

Pusta Krsna: Yes.

Prabhupada: Yes, they should repeat.

Tamala Krsna: [chants mantra, with devotees repeating each word]

Prabhupada: You can explain? Hmm.

Tamala Krsna: This...

Prabhupada: No, stand up and explain.

Tamala Krsna: This... This mantra was chanted by brahmanas from Avantipura. And Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, after taking sannyasa, He also chanted this mantra. The meaning of the mantra is that "I shall cross over the ocean of material nescience by following in the footsteps of the previous acaryas and take shelter at the lotus feet of Mukunda, the giver of liberation." Do you want me to explain it, or is that…?

Prabhupada: [coughs] Yes, explain.

Tamala Krsna: So this material world is very dangerous.

Prabhupada: You can give him.

Tamala Krsna: At every single point one can become entangled and remain embedded in material life. In fact it is to be understood that we have been in this material world for millions and millions of lifetimes. By nature, we are pure. We are eternal servants of Krsna, but due to the minuteness of the soul sometimes we have misused our small degree of independence, and so we have been forced to fall down into this material world. Having fallen into this material world we are encountering so many different kinds of sufferings and miseries. Our nature is to be eternal, full of bliss and full of knowledge. But instead we find ourselves having to change body lifetime after lifetime, full of ignorance and full of suffering.

So to get free from this repeated cycle of birth and death is actually the purpose of human life. The animals, the plants, the trees, the aquatics, all other kinds of living entities, they do not have the ability to break free from this repeated cycle of birth and death. But in the human form of life the chance is given that one can once again reawaken his dormant love for Krsna. This love for Krsna, when it is a awakened, enables one to cross over this ocean of material nescience. What is the process? The process is to follow in the footsteps of the previous great acaryas. It is described that by the mercy of the acaryas this vast ocean of material suffering is reduced simply to the amount of water that is contained within the hoofprint of a calf. So it is by the mercy of guru and by the mercy of all the acaryas that one is actually able to break free from this miserable cycle of suffering.

Prabhupada: ...names of Ramanuja, Madhvacarya, all the big sannyasis...

Tamala Krsna: Yes.

Prabhupada: ...and last, Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Tamala Krsna: Yes. This order of sannyasa is not simply a modern-day creation. It is understood from the Srimad-Bhagavatam that sannyasa has been existing…, tridanḍi sannyasa has been existing for a very long time. And recently, in the previous thousand years, the great acaryas, all the great acaryas of the Vaisnava sampradaya, they all took the sannyasa order of life. Sri Madhvacarya, Ramanujacarya and Nimbarka Svami, Visnu Svami, and also even in the, ah, in the Mayavadi sampradaya the sannyasa order is also there, but it is different…, it is ekadanḍi sannyasa. But Sahkaracarya of course also took sannyasa at a very young age. But this sannyasa order recently was taken by Caitanya Mahaprabhu in our sampradaya.

So it is the bona fide process for breaking free from all kinds of material attachments. When one has firmly resolved that his only business shall be to take the order of the guru as his life and soul and to give up all kinds of considerations for bodily comforts, and for any kind of material arrangement, then it is allowed that a person may take sannyasa. The sannyasi has to be very strict in following the principles of strict avoidance of any kind of entanglement with women. This entanglement with woman is described by Sridhara Svami to come in eight different varieties, beginning simply with remembering, then going on to speaking about any kind of relationship, and seeing a woman with lustful eyes, and meeting in a secluded place, and discussing and making arrangement for a relationship, and making firm resolution, and eventually having some kind of relationship of sex life. The sannyasi must be very strict to avoid any kind of association of this nature, because such association can very quickly cause falldown.

So it is a very strict order, but the sannyasi is empowered by all the previous acaryas that by their mercy he will be able to go throughout the world and deliver all of the fallen souls. So it is by the mercy of acarya that one crosses over the difficult ocean of material life and finally comes to the platform of taking shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Mukunda, the giver of liberation.

Prabhupada: Thank you very much. So danḍas, you can take them one after another.

Pusta Krsna: First is Hamsadūta.

Prabhupada: Hamsadūta

Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!

Tamala Krsna: What is his name, Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: Well, Hamsadūta Swami.

Pusta Krsna: Ramesvara?

Tamala Krsna: Hamsadūta Swami.

Devotees: Jaya! Jaya! Haribol!

Prabhupada: [laughs] That is nice. Very good.

Devotees: Haribol! Jaya!

Pusta Krsna: Next is Adi-kesava.

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Tamala Krsna: Prabhupada, if you can give him the name of some Swami or Goswami?

Prabhupada: Swami.

Pusta Krsna: These are all svamis.

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Pusta Krsna: Danḍavats.

Prabhupada: This is sastahga danḍavats, and which means pancama [with five limbs, offering obeisances with hands, knees, head, words and eyes.], sastahga [with eight limbs, offering obeisances with legs, hands, knees, head, chest, eyes, words, and mind]. Both of them are. Hmm.

Devotees: Haribol! Jaya!

Prabhupada: Go and preach all over the world.

Devotees: Haribol! Jaya!

Prabhupada: We are sending our mission to China and Russia immediately.

Devotees: Haribol!

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Pusta Krsna: Pay danḍavats.

Devotee: Danḍavats, danḍavats.

Pusta Krsna: ...South American…

Prabhupada: Ah, that is nice.

Tamala Krsna: He's nice devotee.

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Tamala Krsna: Good, strong.

Pusta Krsna: [indistinct]

Prabhupada: Take. Preach.

Devotees: Haribol!

Prabhupada: Hmm. He is Chinese missionary. Is Chinese missionary.

Pusta Krsna: Yes.

Prabhupada: Come on.

Devotees: Haribol!

Prabhupada: What is his name?

Tamala Krsna: Dhrstadyumna.

Pusta Krsna: Dhrstadyumna.

Prabhupada: So our new Swamiji, Dhrstadyumna Swami, is going to China to preach Krsna consciousness.

Devotees: Haribol! Jaya!

Pusta Krsna: Satadhanya.

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Devotees: Haribol! Jaya!

Pusta Krsna: This is Jagat-guru.

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Tamala Krsna: Africa.

Prabhupada: South Africa? No?

Pusta Krsna: Yes, he was with me in South Africa, and Nairobi.

Prabhupada: Our Jagat-guru Swami is going to South Africa to preach Krsna consciousness.

Devotees: Haribol!

Prabhupada: That's all? Hmm.

Devotee: Jaya Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: Perform begin, I can sit down, there is no other...

Tamala Krsna: No others.

Pusta Krsna: [announces:] The brahmana initiates can see Srila Prabhupada later this afternoon. Personally.

Devotees: [background chatter] The same name.

Tamala Krsna: …do you recommend anyone... [break] [end]