All Glories to Sriman Mahaprabhu! - the hidden Avatar of Kali-yuga who has mercifully descended to distribute love of God.
Every last Sunday of the month, a Bhagavad-Gita class is being held at the Ladies Ashram at 269 E. St James Street in San Jose, California. The program begins with a brief introduction given by Pusta Krishna Prabhu, followed by arati, the class, and prasadam. At each meeting, which is from 12-2pm, Pusta Krishna Prabhu reads a chapter of the Bhagavad-Gita and gives a very nice explanation for each verse. The flyers that we hand out invite people to discuss Sri Bhagavad Gita. I like this part the best: "A Practical and Tangible Approach to Divinity in the Modern Age." This program is meant to not only enliven us, but to attract the Indian community as well as students to this particular approach towards divinity.
The Gita class began on chapter 3, Karmma Yoga, hence it was the third class having been held. There were several guests: One couple from India that Brajamohini Devi Dasi invited from a Bengali festival, a student, who was invited by his uncle Syama Gopa Prabhu...
...sweet Dr. Banerjee...
...and his wife Alpona...
...and several devotees from Berkely, Santa Cruz, and the community
in San Jose.
Left to right: Dharubrahma Devi Dasi, (Pusta Krishna Prabhu's wife) Kalindi
Devi Dasi, (my mom) and Madhavananda Prabhu (Sachi's father).
I had never attended before but thanks to Gurudev's mercy I got my chance this week. Anupama Devi Dasi, who currently lives in Berkely, volunteered to help with the Deity worship this Sunday, and I tagged along to help her with the cooking. There were of course many other cooks and helpers: Jivana Devi Dasi, Devapriya Devi Dasi, Ananta Rupa Prabhu and Lilashakti Devi Dasi, and Ramananda Prabhu and Nandarani Devi Dasi.
Attentively listening and asking very good questions.
Looking through the pictures in Srimad Bhagavad-Gita.
At the end of the reading, Pusta Krishna Prabhu told us a little story about the Bhagavad Gita and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and he answered several questions:
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came upon a devotee who was seated with Bhagavad-Gita
upside down in his hand. Seated as he was, Mahaprabhu came and said: "You
are seated with Bhagavad-Gita upside down in your hand and crying." The
devotee then said: "Yes, I am simply meditating on Krishna, acting as
Arjuna's charioteer, coming onto the battlefield..." and like this this
discourse is taking place. In this way, he is meditating on Krishna and
Arjuna's discourse and Mahaprabhu says: "You are a real knower of Bhagavad-Gita."
Why? Because he has love for Krishna and that is all he needs to understand.
Comment from guest: He doesn't have knowledge but he has love and
that is how he understands? So Krishna and Arjuna, were they friends?
Pusta Krishna Prabhu: They were friends, but, when Arjuna finally
became too much illusioned with suffering, he said: "Now I am surrendering
to You as my guru." They were friends but their relationship changed from
friendship to guru-disciple. That happens in the second chapter of Bhagavad-Gita
and the first thing Krishna said to Arjuna was: "What you are lamenting
for is not worthy to lament over. It is 'anarya.' It is not meant for
people of progressive culture. You are acting like a common fool." Krishna
chastised him.
Comment from guest: Who is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu? Is he a demigod?
Pusta Krishna Prabhu: Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is predicted in the
Srimad Bhagavatam as a full-fledged Avatar. He is the yuga-avatar coming
in this age of Kali. He will come with His associates, and His associates
are his weapons.
Comment from guest: You know, the Hindus don't believe in that.
We are waiting for Kalki Avatar. He will be that yuga-avatar of Kali-yuga.
Pusta Krishna Prabhu: Kalki is 427,000 years from now. He is at
the end if Kali-yuga.
krishna-varnam tvisakrsnam
sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair
yajanti hi su-medhasah
'Krishna varnam,' He is not coming with black color in Kali-yuga. In
this age He is coming with golden color. Kalki Avatar is to appear 432,000
years after Lord Krishna's appearance, after Krishna-lila. That is the
length of Kali-yuga. At that time, people will be so low and so debauched,
that Kalki Avatar will be coming on a white horse with a sword to kill
the people because they are so low, but that is 427,000 years from now.
Then after that will come Satya-yuga, the age of enlightenment.
Comment from guest: And then pralaya? After Kali-yuga comes pralaya.
Pusta Krishna Prabhu: No, no. Not pralaya. Pralaya is the destruction
of the universe. But at the end of Kali yuga it is only the killing of
the sinful souls. So the special role that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has, you
have to study Chaitanya-Charitamrta to understand Chaitanya Mahaprabhu,
but Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has two roles. He has come to inaugurate
the sankirtan movement, but also He has come in a golden form because
He is taking on the mood of Srimati Radharani who is golden. In His last
years, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu stayed in Jagannath Puri and He revealed His
hidden side; that God, Himself, is an enjoyer, He is purusa.
He cannot understand why He is so attracted to Srimati Radharani, why
He is so attracted to others. He is God, He has created all of this. His
very being is enjoyment. But He wonders: "Why am I so attracted?" In this
mood of curiosity, He took on the form of golden color and the mood of
devotion. He is God the supreme enjoyer but now He is acting as supreme
devotee. This is the hidden side of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Very sweet and
esoteric.
We shall now chant a little bit and then we take prasadam. (Karatals)
Chang chang chang, chang chang chang: Jaya Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu
Nityananda...
The program ended with the guests and devotees happily honoring mahaprasad
and further discussing the topics of the Bhagavad-Gita class.
All Glories to Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev Goswami Maharaj ki jaya!
Glories to the devotees of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math ki jaya!
Sankirtan ki jaya!
Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Seva Ashram
269 E. Saint James Street
San Jose
Ca 95112, U.S.A
Phone: (408) 288 6360 and (408) 287-6360
Sri
Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Nabadwip
http://scsmath.com