Gurudāsa Sannyāsa and Harināma Initiations

Prabhupāda:

Etām, sa āsthāya, parātma-niṣṭhām, upā, sitām, pūrva, tamaiḥ, mahardibhiḥ, aham, tariṣyāmi, duranta, pāraṁ, tamo, mukundāṅghri, niṣevayaiva [SB 11.23.57]. Three times.

[I shall cross over the insurmountable ocean of nescience by being firmly fixed in the service of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa. This was approved by the previous ācāryas, who were fixed in firm devotion to the Lord, Paramātmā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.]

Etām, sa āsthāya, parātma-niṣṭhām, upā, sitām, pūrva, tamaiḥ, mahardibhiḥ, aham, tariṣyāmi, duranta, pāraṁ, tamo, mukundāṅghri, niṣevayaiva.

Etām, sa āsthāya, parātma-niṣṭhām, upā, sitām, pūrva, tamaiḥ, mahardibhiḥ, aham, tariṣyāmi, duranta, pāraṁ, tamo, mukundāṅghri, niṣevayaiva

Devotees: Jaya! Haribol! [japa]

Prabhupāda: A garland?

Devotee: Garland? [calls for garland] [exclamations by devotees]

Prabhupāda: So the mantra means etām, "by accepting this daṅḍa or sannyāsa order"; sam-āsthāya, "taking shelter of it"; parātma-niṣṭhām... This accepting of this daṅḍa means full faith in the Supreme. There are four rods within this bundle. One rod is representing himself, and the other three rods means his body, mind and word. So the person who is accepting sannyāsa order, he is dedicating from this moment his personality, his body, his mind and his words. Why? Now, parātma-niṣṭhām, simply for service of the Supreme.

So, "Am I accepting something new?" No. Upāsitāṁ pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ. All the great personalities in our guru-paramparā system, all the four ācārya system, they have done it. Rāmānujācārya, Viṣṅu Svāmī, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka—there are four Vaiṣṅava sampradāyas—so they were all sannyāsīs. Now, directly, our sampradāya is Madhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya. Gauḍīya-sampradāya means the Vaiṣṅavas of the Bengal. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu is accepted as the supreme guru of this sampradāya. So His guru was Īśvara Purī, and his guru was Mādhavendra Purī. And this Mādhavendra Purī belonged to the Madhva-sampradāya; therefore our sampradāya, this disciplic succession, is called Madhva-Gauḍīya sampradāya.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu also accepted sannyāsa in very young age, when He was only twenty-five years. So why? Tyaktvā tūrṅam, rājya-lakṣmīṁ dharmiṣṭha ārya-vacasā yad agād araṅyam [SB 11.5.34]. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very, very well situated. He was born in a very respectable high brāhmaṅa family, Jagannātha Miśra, and mother's side, the Nīlāmbara Cakravartī, he was very respectable brāhmaṅa. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu's learning, nobody could excel Him, He was so learned scholar. And when He was sixteen years old, He defeated one of the most learned scholar of India, Keśava Bhāratī. So learning, family... And wife? Personally goddess of fortune, Lakṣmīpriyā and Viṣṅupriyā, most beautiful and young. Viṣṅupriyā was His second wife; so faithful, so beautiful, personally goddess of fortune, such wife. And mother, most affectionate. There is no comparison with Śacī-mātā. So this was... And influence? When He was twenty years old, He could, by His command, gather 100,000 people to protest against Kazi, He was so popular. So popularity, born in high family, having good wife and good mother, everything complete—still, He took sannyāsa. Therefore it is said, pūrvatamair mahadbhiḥ. Why? Now, just to show mercy to the fallen souls. Māyā-mṛgaṁ dayitayā [SB 11.5.34]. Just to show mercy to the fallen souls. This is the meaning of sannyāsa. One must be very merciful. Vaiṣṅavas, they are merciful. All devotees of God, Vaiṣṅava, they are merciful. You know Lord Jesus Christ, how he was merciful.

So this human life is meant for paropakāra, for doing good to others. So therefore sannyāsa order means one that dedicates his whole life by word, by body and by mind, everything. So the result is that because he is sacrificing his all material connection—sannyāsa means all material connection—so the result will be, ahaṁ tariṣyāmi duranta-pāram. Result will... Because he is sacrificing everything for dedicating life for the service of Kṛṣṅa, and Kṛṣṅa wants that all these rascals should give up everything and surrender to Him. So you have to teach this, that's all. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha kṛṣṅa-upadeśa [Cc Madhya 7.128].

[Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṅa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.]

What Kṛṣṅa desires? He comes personally, and He instructs rascals like us, "You rascal, give up all these things, material engagement. Come to Me, back to home, back to Godhead." This is Kṛṣṅa's desire.

So we have to preach that. We haven't got to manufacture anything. Kṛṣṅa says everything. We have to simply bear the message, "Kṛṣṅa says like this. You do like this." That's all. You become a perfect sannyāsī and you perfect. And by doing this, result will be, ahaṁ tariṣyāmi duranta-pāram. This material world, the ocean of nescience, it is very, very difficult to cross it over, but by doing this service to Kṛṣṅa, one can easily... Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām [SB 10.14.58].

[For those who have accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Murāri, the enemy of the Mura demon, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf's hoof-print. Their goal is paraṁ padam, Vaikuṅṭha, the place where there are no material miseries, not the place where there is danger at every step.]

Bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padam. Bhavāmbudhiḥ, the great ocean, becomes just like a water spot in the hoofprint of an calf. There is hoofprint, and there is some water. So there is no difficulty to cross over it. So the bhavāmbudhiḥ becomes like that. Duranta-pāram. Why it is duranta? Tama, darkness. So mukundāṅghri-niṣevaya. Mukunda means Kṛṣṅa. Muk means liberation, mukti. So Mukunda, "one who gives liberation." That is Kṛṣṅa's name. Mukundāṅghri. Anghri means His lotus feet.

So this is our life. Everyone should take sannyāsa. But because it is Kali-yuga, it is restricted because it is very difficult. But as far as possible, we have to preach the Kṛṣṅa consciousness. So although it is little difficult, so we should practice it, especially those who are in Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, and for preaching work should take sannyāsa, particularly of our Gurudāsa. Now he is Gurudāsa Swami, his name is. So his particular life is: since the beginning of Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, he is my faithful disciple, and from 1965 or '6, he is with me. And he is very innocent boy, and I got him married. His wife is also great devotee, you know, Yamunā. So now Yamunā has taken a very nice path. She has also become sannyāsīnī. Although there is no sannyāsīnī for women, but she has voluntarily taken. She is doing very nice; therefore I advised her husband that "You also take sannyāsa." Because wife's affection is very, very tight knot. It is stated, puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etad tayor mitho hṛdaya-granthim āhuḥ [SB 5.5.8]. Naturally there is tendency—a man wants woman; a woman wants man. This is the material world, puṁsaṁ striyā mithunī-bhāvam, sex impetus. That is natural. But when they are united, that impact becomes very, very tight. It is very difficult. It is very difficult to give it up. But Kṛṣṅa is so kind that his wife has voluntarily has become like sannyāsīnī. So it is very good fortune. Therefore I advised him that instead of accepting another wife, you also become sannyāsī. So he is my faithful disciple. He has accepted. And all of you Vaiṣṅavas, give your good wishes that he can keep the sannyāsa order very nicely and preach Kṛṣṅa through the rest of the life. His life will become successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. [break]

Prabhupāda: Next? Your spiritual name, Kavirāja dāsa.

Nitāi: Ramyaka dāsa.

Prabhupāda: Ramyaka dāsa. Ramyaka means very beautiful. That is Kṛṣṅa. Nobody is more beautiful than Kṛṣṅa. Asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam [Bs 5.30].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept in playing on His flute, with blooming eyes like lotus petals with head decked with peacock's feather, with the figure of beauty tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and His unique loveliness charming millions of Cupids.]

Although He is blackish, but nobody is more beautiful than Kṛṣṅa. You are all white. [laughter] Hare Kṛṣṅa.

[next devotee approaches]

Ālambana dāsa. Ālambana means reference to the context. Just like there was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya, Murāri Gupta. He was a physician of the Nawab. So he was going on the back of the elephant with the Nawab, and he saw one peacock. So as soon as saw the feather of peacock, immediately he fell down. How? Because the peacock feather is on the head of Kṛṣṅa, he immediately remembered Kṛṣṅa. This is called ālambana, "with reference to the context."

[next devotee approaches]

Meru-devī, yes. Hare Kṛṣṅa.

Nitāi: Next, Tom... Gohita dāsa.

Prabhupāda: So Gohita dāsa, yes.

Nitāi: Mahākrama.

Prabhupāda: Mahākrama dāsa.

Nitāi: Pravāla-devī.

Prabhupāda: Pravāla-devī. Sundarī-dāsī. Darpada dāsa. Hare Kṛṣṅa. Dānakelī dāsī. Vaiyāsaki dāsa. Vaiyāsaki means Śukadeva Gosvāmī's another name. So Badarāyaṅi dāsa. Sadārtheya dāsa. Samapriya dāsī. That's all? So, I shall go?

Devotees: Śrīla Prabhupāda ki! Jaya! Śrīla Prabhupāda ki! Jaya! Śrīla Prabhupāda ki! Jaya! [end]