HH LOKANATHA SWAMI’S GLORIFICATION OF GURU MAHARAJA ON HIS 70TH VYASA PUJA CELEBRATION
Thank you for being with us. As soon as Bhakti Charu Swami is present and so many devotees have gathered here. Vyasa puja celebration ki Jai! Maharaja calls it Srila Prabhupada Memorial Festival. I feel so honoured there was an invitation and I was remembered. Bhakti Charu Maharaja is a very special Maharaja. In a very few months he had first, second and Sanya’s initiation three in one! Srila Prabhupada’s only disciples from India were a few. I was from Maharastra but from the land of Gauranga and Srila Prabhupada’s birthplace Bengal was Bhakti Charu Maharaja who joined Srila Prabhupada. I remember seeing you in Kumba Mela in 1977, you were seeking God and a spiritual master, you were born a Maharaja.
HH Bhakti Charu Swami: Maharaja was a big Maharaja that time.
HH Lokanatha Swami: Soon after contact with Srila Prabhupada Bhakti Charu Maharaja became a confidential associate of Prabhupada, servant of Prabhupada, Bengali correspondent of Prabhupada. Bhakti Charu Maharaja was on the side of Srila Prabhupada moving like a shadow of Srila Prabhupada for the remaining days. He joined us a little later but once he joined up, he made up for all the time. He loved Srila Prabhupada and Srila Prabhupada loved him so much. He is a Prabhupada’s man in Krishna Consciousness and Srila Prabhupada consciousness it’s not separate in all services he is rendering. During Srila Prabhupada’s centennial all the books Srila Prabhupada translated in English Bhakti Charu Maharaja translated in Bengali. It went through Bhakti Charu Maharaja’s heart and consciousness and mouth. Vaishnava songs that was Maharaja’s offering for Prabhupada’s 100th birth anniversary. Each devotee wanted to do a significant offering. Bhakti Charu Maharaja’s offering was to translate ALL books in Bengali. His Prabhupada consciousness is so amazing.
Bhakti Charu Maharaja wanted to do the life of Srila Prabhupada and that is “Abhay Charan” such a major undertaking. Introducing Srila Prabhupada to the whole world in a medium where everyone likes to sit back, relax and watch. Bhakti Charu Maharaja gives many many courses like Srila Prabhupada the founder acharya around the world he gave. After Srila Prabhupada’s departure he joined the managers of Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON 28 years on the GBC, a very big responsibility. So much Prabhupada consciousness executing the will of Srila Prabhupada. Rupa Goswami was the one, he knew the mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Sri Caitanya, mano 'bhéñöam fully understood by Rupa Goswami and the will of Gauranga similarly Bhakti Charu Maharaja being with Prabhupada he imbibed the qualities of Prabhupada and realized the mission and the rest of life he continued the mission of Srila Prabhupada. Nothing else but that he is doing with every move he makes in service of Srila Prabhupada. To preserve, protect and propagate Hare Krishna movement far and wide by his life and teaching. Bhakti Charu Maharaja ki Jai! Your glories are Prabhupada’s glories. Prabhupada is glorious because of personalities like Bhakti Charu Maharaja. I could go on and on. He looks like Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur. I thought of it many times and it is the first time I said it.
HH BHAKTI CHARU SWAMI’S GLORIFICATION OF HH LOKANATHA SWAMI IN LOVE AND APPRECIATION
Lokanatha Maharaja is like Lokanatha Goswami Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s assistant. He was so humble when he was writing the Chaitanya-caritämåta he told not to even mention his name and that is what we are seeing in Lokanatha Maharaja. This is sankirtan yajna and who is recognized as the sankirtan yajna samrat? It is Lokanatha Maharaja. Last night Lokanatha Maharaja led such a fantastic kirtan it went on for 3 hours! He is not seeking recognition; he is leading with his most wonderful kirtan. The world harinaam programme was started by Lokanatha Maharaja. Harinaam sapta. He went all over India to every town and village and who is still going all over the world organizing the most vibrant kirtans. In this way his wonderful chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra involved everyone to get into this movement. Please tell us about your days with Srila Prabhupada?
HH LOKANATHA SWAMI ON HIS DAYS WITH SRILA PRABHUPADA
When Srila Prabhupada was travelling all over India in 1971 Amritsar, Delhi no more than 10 cities at a time he selected Surat as one of those cities for the Hare Krishna festival. Prabhupada went to Kumba Mela in 1971 and came to Bombay Hare Krishna festival that is where I saw Srila Prabhupada. I did not meet him face to face but I met his followers most were foreigners. In Bombay I saw the Hare Krishna kirtan performance and that left a deep impression on me with all their hearts and strength they were jumping up and down round and round. I come from a family with a kirtan background but nothing like Prabhupada’s followers. I got converted right there and then. As a student of chemistry, biology and botany. European and American sadhus were in town. American scientists are ok but American sadhus were never heard of by the Indian people in Bombay. I was a curious Indian of Bombay and this perfomace of kirtan I was convinced they were sadhus and took up the chanting seriously and continued my college.
When my roommates were gone, I used to close the curtains and doors and chant exactly like the Hare Krishna sadhus by myself like a madman. Radhanatha Swami was in the same audience and came into contact with Srila Prabhupada also at that very same festival. I was delighted to see Srila Prabhupada on Jaladutta boat here. Devaduta on Jaladuta messenger of Krishna. Prabhupada never thought small he was thinking big. He didn’t just do for Bengal but he was always thinking of the whole world, thinking like Krishna. Simple living and high thinking. What is high thinking? It is thinking like God. Thinking what is on Krishna’s mind. High thoughts Prabhupada thought like Krishna for Bhagavad Gita and then presented it as it is. High thinking is thinking for the whole world. To propagate Krishna Consciousness for the welfare of everyone on this planet like how Krishna would think. Vasudevkootambhakam, these are my people, that’s small thinking, narrow or low thinking when you say other people these people.
Srila Prabhupada and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had magnanimous and broad thinking for the welfare of everyone no one should suffer. God thinks like this for His children säkñäddharitvena samasta-çästrair uktas tathä bhävyata eva sadbhiù A Pure devotee is a true representative of Krishna excluded no one and founded International Society for Krishna Consciousness for the benefit of the entire world. He didn’t only preach in big countries but small islands like Mauritius and Fiji presenting Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, namaste sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine nirvisesa-sunyavadi-pascate-desa-tarine. He protected Eastern countries also, Srila Prabhupada protected the whole population of the whole world gaura-vanipracarine with the message of Gauranga. GAURANGA!!! In India Bengal is the best it’s the top of the list and Srila Prabhupada was born in Bengal Calcutta not far from Mayapur. He represented Gauranga like anything, sambhavämi yuge yuge Lord appears and returns to His own abode. Achryas are sent by Krishna from time to time to do the work of the Lord. Sadhus dealings are meant for dharma stapana, he is meant to establish principles of dharma.
When Srila Prabhupada was on this plant, he was senapati bhakta of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s army a representative of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu propagating Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. We cannot imagine Prabhupada ne hoite, Gauranga ne hoite. Radharani, Madhurya rasa, the world would have missed out on this. If Srila Prabhupada did not appear then there would be no Bhakti Charu Maharaja. We all would not be here, no tilaks, no neckbeads, this assembly would not have taken place. We thank Gauranga for sending Srila Prabhupada and making him an instrument in the hands of Sri Krishna and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. We thank God also that we were brought into contact with Srila Prabhupada. tomära karuëä—sära whatever we are we are the makeup of kindness of Srila Prabhupada we thank Gauranga for sending Srila Prabhupada, Your Bhakti Charu Maharaja, Our Bhakti Charu Maharaja, My Bhakti Charu Maharaja to come into contact with Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada is the cause of contact. Thank you, Maharaja, for your friendship and kindness to my lowness
HH Bhakti Charu Swami: Our Lokanatha Maharaja, My Lokanatha Maharaja, Srila Prabhupada’s Lokanatha Maharja. Can you give just 5 minutes kirtan?
HH BHAKTI CHARU SWAMI
I am sure you all are so happy we had the association of HH Lokanatha Swami Maharaja. That is the effect of association of a sadhu. When a sadhu comes powerful Krishna katha and kirtan, it drowns our hearts in an ocean of ecstasy; we become free from materialistic way of life. We also have two very wonderful sadhus His Grace Vasugosh Prabhu who joined ISKCON at a very young age and Sankirtananda Prabhu I mean Sanskritananada prabhu. Vasugosh prabhu was brought up in Chicago and was the brightest boy in his school it was a loss for the Chicago community but a great gain for ISKCON. We can see how brilliant he is by the way he has accepted the lifestyle of Krishna Consciousness. What India rejected he has accepted whole heartedly. He does not only speak Sanskrit and Hindi fluently but he is showing the richness of the Indian culture as well because His father is Srila Prabhupada and his mother is the Vedas and the language of the Vedas is his mother. Thank you all very much. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
HG Vasugosh prabhu then gave a beautiful class and Sanskrit and then in Hindi which was appreciated so much by Guru Maharaja and all the devotees. HG Sanskritananada prabhu also spoke in Hindi and recited some slokas in Sanskrit which pleased Guru Maharaja very much.
MY BRIEF REPORT OF THE FESTIVAL
The 70th Vyasa puja celebration in Surat was done with so much of love for Guru Maharaja. The devotees went out of their way to offer the very best to Guru Maharaja and Guru Maharaja reciprocated in such a beautiful way by describing how indebted He was to all of them and so humbly offered his service to them and asked them how he could serve them in any way.
They took wonderful care of all the devotees who visited around the world with nice prasadam and comfortable accommodation. The decor was very beautiful and Srila Prabhupada was in the Jaladuta boat, GaurNitai was in an oyster and the theme was ocean with smiling fishes to represent Srila Prabhupada’s 50th anniversary arrival to America. They welcomed Guru Maharaja and HH Lokanatha Swami and HG Vasugosh prabh and HG Sanskritananda prabhu with such grandeur. What was unique was that they had different uniforms for the different groups like the youth groups and the ladies had the same colour saris and the prabhus all had blue kurtas. Guru Maharaja appreciated this the unity with which they served was an inspiration to us all. We developed such nice relationships and Guru Maharaja said we are all one big happy family.
One highlight was HH Lokanatha Swami’s kirtan it was extremely extremely ecstatic. It was so wonderful to see how Guru Maharaja loves and treats his Godbrothers and we should treat each other like this. Guru Maharaja would get off his Vyasasan to personally welcome them and embrace them.
The main highlight was the TOVP project and HG Jananivas prabhu and HG Radhajivan were there from Mayapur bringing Lord Nityananda’s paduke (shoes) to go door to door and to give everyone an opportunity to take part in building this Vedic planetarium in Mayapur. Guru Maharaja requested that he did not want garlands rather the money should go to TOVP and Guru Maharaja generously gave all his guru dakshin to this TOVP project. We should all get involved in this wonderful project and give as much as we can towards TOVP. A substantial amount was raised for this project. In the next few editions of Ocean of Nectar, I will be sharing with you all Guru Maharaja’s wonderful lectures given at this unforgettable festival.
(The content of this E-magazine is based on Srila Prabhupada Memorial Festival and Guru Maharaja’s 70th Vyasa Puja celebration in Surat at the Vijaya Laxmi Hall on 19th September 2015)
(Compiled and Edited by Hemavati Radhika Devi Dasi)