Devotional Nectar,Vol.

5,2007
Initiation Lecture (Evening Class)
H.H.Radhanath Swami Maharaj.
8th May 2008.
Mumbai.

THE ASPIRING DEVOTEES ARE TAUGHT THE ACHAMAN VIDHI:

Achaman: Om Keshavaya Namaha.

oà apavitraù pavitro vä sarvävasthäà gato 'pi vä

yaù smaret puëòarékäkñaà
sa bahyäbhyantaraù çuciù
çré-viñëu çré-viñëu çré-viñëu.
Achaman: Om Madhavaya Namaha.

oà apavitraù pavitro vä sarvävasthäà gato 'pi vä

yaù smaret puëòarékäkñaà
sa bahyäbhyantaraù çuciù
çré-viñëu çré-viñëu çré-viñëu.

Achaman: Om Narayanaya Namaha.

oà apavitraù pavitro vä sarvävasthäà gato 'pi vä

yaù smaret puëòarékäkñaà
sa bahyäbhyantaraù çuciù
çré-viñëu çré-viñëu çré-viñëu.

RADHANATH SWAMI RECITES THE MANGALA CHARAN:

oà ajïäna-timirändhasya jïänäïjana-çaläkayä
cakñur unmélitaà yena tasmai çré-gurave namaù

çré-caitanya-mano-'bhéñöaà
sthäpitaà yena bhü-tale
svayaà rüpaù kadä mahyaà
dadäti sva-padäntikam
vande 'haà çré-guroù çré-yuta-pada-kamalaà çré-gurün vaiñëaväàç ca
çré-rüpaà sägrajätaà saha-gaëa-raghunäthänvitaà taà sa-jévam
sädvaitaà sävadhütaà parijana-sahitaà kåñëa-caitanya-devaà
çré-rädhä-kåñëa-pädän saha-gaëa-lalitä-çré-viçäkhänvitäàç ca
 nama oà viñëu-pädäya kåñëa-preñöhäya bhü-tale
çrémate bhaktivedänta-svämin iti nämine
namas te särasvate deve gaura-väëé-pracäriëe
nirviçeña-çünyavädi-päçcätya-deça-täriëe

nama oà viñëu-pädäya kåñëa-preñöhäya bhü-tale

çrémate bhaktivedänta-svämin iti nämine

çré-värñabhänavé-devé-dayitäya kåpäbdhaye
kåñëa-sambandha-vijïäna-däyine prabhave namaù

mädhuryojjvala-premäòhya-çré-rüpänuga-bhaktida
çré-gaura-karuëä-çakti-vigrahäya namo 'stu te

namas te gaura-väëé-çré-mürtaye déna-täriëe

rüpänuga-viruddhäpasiddhänta-dhvänta-häriëe

namo gaura-kiçoräya säkñäd-vairägya-mürtaye

vipralambha-rasämbhode pädämbujäya te namaù

namo bhaktivinodäya sac-cid-änanda-nämine

gaura-çakti-svarüpäya rüpänuga-varäya te

gaurävirbhäva-bhümes tvaà nirdeñöä saj-jana-priyaù

vaiñëava-särvabhaumaù ñré-jagannäthäya te namaù

väïchä-kalpatarubhyaç ca kåpä-sindhubhya eva ca

patitänäà pävanebhyo vaiñëavebhyo namo namaù

namo mahä-vadänyäya kåñëa-prema-pradäya te

kåñëäya kåñëa-caitanya-nämne gaura-tviñe namaù

païca-tattvätmakaà kåñëaà bhakta-rüpa-svarüpakam

bhaktävatäraà bhaktäkhyaà namämi bhakta-çaktikam

he kåñëa karuëä-sindho
déna-bandho jagat-pate
gopeça gopikä-känta
rädhä-känta namo 'stu te

jayatäà suratau paìgor mama manda-mater gaté

mat-sarvasva-padämbhojau rädhä-madana-mohanau

dévyad-våndäraëya-kalpa-drumädhaù
çrémad-ratnägära-siàhäsana-sthau
çrémad-rädhä-çréla-govinda-devau
 preñöhälébhiù sevyamänau smarämi

çrémän räsa-rasärambhé vaàçé-vaöa-taöa-sthitaù

karñan veëu-svanair gopér gopénäthaù çriye 'stu naù

tapta-käïcana-gauräìgi rädhe våndävaneçvari

våñabhänu-sute devé praëamämi hari-priye

çré-kåñëa-caitanya prabhu nityänanda

çré-advaita gadädhara çréväsädi-gaura-bhakta-vånda

Hare Krishna Hare Krishan Krishan Krishan Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishan Krishan Krishan Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishan Krishan Krishan Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

Lecture begins:

oà apavitraù pavitro vä
sarvävasthäà gato 'pi vä
yaù smaret puëòarékäkñaà
sa bahyäbhyantaraù çuciù

Purified or unpurified or even having passed through all situations of life, one who
remembers the beautiful lotus eyed personality of god head is purified both within and
without.

BRINGING OUR CONSIOUNESS BACK TO THE NATURAL STATE:

Krishna is Pavitrah. He is all pure. When our consciousness associates with Krishna by
remembering Krishna it becomes purified. Srila Prabhu Pad gave a very simple example
that when water falls from cloud it is pure. When it comes in contact with the dirt of the
earth it looses its transparency and becomes muddy. Dirt is not water, water is not dirt.
The inherent quality is purity but something else is mixed in it. Unalloyed means nothing
mixed in it. When the consciousness is polluted with the association in this material
world. Our consciousness all we concave is those desires, those attachments, and those
misconceptions. However when you filer water , you take away its inherent quality and it
brings back its original natural transparency. When Srila Prabhu Pad made that very
famous tape, it was the record album actually. It was that record album when George
Harrison heard and it changed his life. He was longing to live with devotes. Srila Prabhu
Pad is chanting Hare Krishna and he explains originally we are all Krishna conscious.
Krishna consciousness is not an artificial imposition mind, it is the essential nature of our
consciousness, and it has simply become contaminated due to association of the desires
of this world. The purpose of human life is to purify our consciousness and bring us back
to our natural state. All religions all Spiritual paths, this is the purpose.

harer näma harer näma

harer nämaiva kevalam
kalau nästy eva nästy eva
nästy eva gatir anyathä

In this age of Kali the only process that can really bring our consciousness to its most
pure stare is the chanting of the lords name the lord Hari. Essentially we are strangers in
the foreign land in this world, the more we get accustomed to it the more we are polluted,
the more we are comfortable in it, and the more we are diluted. Our real home is with
Krishna our god. Srila Prabhu Pad taught to go back home, back to godhead. That place
gives real shelter, real comfort and especially real love.
That bode is within the heart of all. It is not somewhere we have to go, it is something we
must experience within our selves. If you cannot see Krishna within your self, you cannot
see Krishna anywhere.

nitya-siddha-kåñëa-prema 'sädhya' kabhu naya

çravaëädi-çuddha-citte karaye udaya
(Caitanya-caritämåta Madhya 22.107):

The love for Krishna is within every one. It is our nature. By chanting the names of the
lord and by associating with the devotees of the lord, that love is awakened. Lord
Chaitanya is saying,
jév jägo, jév jägo, gauracända bole
kota nidrä jäo mäyä-piçäcéra kole

Wake up sleeping souls, wake up. Do you not see you are sleeping on the lap of the
witch of Maya?
enechi auñadhi mäyä näçibäro lägi'
hari-näma mahä-mantra lao tumi mägi'

But I have got a medicine, the perfect medicine, to cure all the ills. The medicine wakes
you up, the Hare Krishna Maha mantra.

REAL RELIGION IS TO LOVE GOD:

Srila Prabhu Pad said, that religion which teaches his flowers to love god is real religion.
He was not concerned with Hindu or Muslim or Christian or Jewish or Jain or Parse or
anything else. You can call anything: after all the word Hindu is not in Vedas but
Hiranyakashipu, Bakausra, Ravan they were all followers of Vedas. Hare Krishna! Many
killers in the mafia in the west they are followers of Christianity. There are terrorist they
are the followers of Islam. We are just calling them by name and even there are people
who call themselves Hare Krishna’s who act very demoniac. It’s not about joining a club
and you will be saved. Real religion is that which awakens the love of god within the
heart of the followers. Because there is so much sectarian identity amongst people which
divides causes hatred. Srila Prabhu Pad would sometimes say, “Do not talk; we are not
talking religion we are talking about science. The science of the soul and the science of
god. What ever you want to call our inherent need is to love god. It is the purpose of
human life. With out striving to love god human life is if no higher quality than a lower
species.

OUR PURPOSE OF CHANTTING:

So we are chanting the holy names that Hari das Thakur explained in that famous
conference in Chandrapur, not because we want a better economic situation.
catur-vidhä bhajante mäà
janäù sukåtino 'rjuna
ärto jijïäsur arthärthé
jïäné ca bharatarñabha
(Bhagavad-gétä 7.16)

Krishna tells in Gita there are four types of people who approach God. Those who are
impoverish, they want wealth, those who are suffering, they want relief, Those who are
inquisitive they want something more and those who are seriously seeking the absolute
truth. Those who are seeking the absolute truth, which is the highest .Many are seeking
liberation. Thakur Haridäsa said we are not chanting Hare Krishna for any material
benefits , not for elevation to heavenly planets, not for a better life in this world, we are
not chanting Hare Krishna for liberation, salvation from suffering. The real blessing that
one achieves when chanting Krishna’s names is Prem Pur ataman naha, love of god, the
ultimate goal. Sri Chaitanya Mahäprabhu he embodied the teachings of Srimad
Bhagvatam which kicks out any other aspiration except unmotivated, unconditional
loving service to the supreme lord.

sa vai puàsäà paro dharmo

yato bhaktir adhokñaje
ahaituky apratihatä
yayätmä suprasédati
(Çrémad-Bhägavatam 1.2.6)

Because that is the supreme occupation Of all humanity and it is the only way to be
satisfied. Lord Chaitanya taught it by his example by his words and especially he spoke
this message to Rupa Gosvämé and Sanatan Gosvämé at Prayag and Varnasi
respectively. He told these two great Äcärya to expand his simple teachings on basis of
logic science and supported by the Vedic literatures, to show there is no higher purpose
than to love god. And the only process by which one can achieve that is Bhakti. The
highest most treasured of all lovers of god are the inhabitants of Braj Bhumi, in
Vrindavan.
RAMANANDA ROY TELLS THE WAY FOR PERFECTION.

Today is the disappearance day of Srila Ramananda Roy, Lord Chaitanya Mahäprabhu on
the banks of Godavari in Kavurd in Vidyanagar, which is today Rajmundri, he revealed
through the mouth of his own devotee the highest truth all found within the few chapters
of Chaitanya Charitamrita. Lord Chaitanya asked Ramananda Roy, what is they essence
of perfection. And Ramananda Roy spoke the truth that the best way of attaining
perfection is to follow ones duties according to Varnashram and offer it to Krishna. Lord
Chaitanya said,” That is external. Tell me something internal.” In this way Ramananda
Roy, was speaking one subject higher of each question of Chaitanya Mahäprabhu. To
offer the results of all duties to Krishna,

yat karoñi yad açnäsi

yaj juhoñi dadäsi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
tat kuruñva mad-arpaëam
(Bhagavad-gétä 9.27)

Krishna said, “That is external, tell me something more.” To abandon the fruits of ones
activity.
sarva-dharmän parityajya
mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja
ahaà tväà sarva-päpebhyo
mokñayiñyämi mä çucaù
((Bhagwat Gita. 18.66)

Lord Chaitanya said, “That is alright but I want to know something more. What is the
essence of perfection?” And ultimately lord Chaitanya was not satisfied until Ramananda
Roy reached to the state of Unmotivated and unconditioned love of the inhabitants of
Vrindavan which is free even if the condition that Krishna is god. To love god as a pure
unalloyed servant, as a friend and as a parent and ultimately congenial love. When
Ramananda Roy described the gopis love for Krishna. How they abandoned every thing
and every body just to be with Krishna on that night of Sharad Poornima. Lord Chaitanya
said,”Yes that is good, that is good but tell me something more.” Ramananda Roy said,
“Nobody has ever asked for something more than that.” But of all the gopis the most
beloved is Srimati Radha Rani and he explained Radha’s love for Krishna. Then lord
chaitanya was perfectly satisfied. “That is what I have come to hear form you.” And who
knows better than Sri Chaitanya Mahäprabhu who is rädhä-bhäva-dyuti-suvalitaà naumi
kåñëa-svarüpam Krishna with the loving sentiments of Radha. Sri Chaitanya
Mahäprabhu has come to give s that connection into the Lila of Radha Krishna as the
associate of Srimati Radha Rani’s servants assisting in her loving devotional service to
Krishna. That is why,

namo mahä-vadänyäya
kåñëa-prema-pradäya te
kåñëäya kåñëa-caitanya-
 nämne gaura-tviñe namaù

No other incarnation has ever given that level of ecstatic love so freely to every one. Lord
Chaitanya and his associates they broke open a store house of love of god. They tasted
the contents and distributed profusely not concerning who is fit or unfit. And he is
distributing it through the benediction that he has bestowed on you, the congregational
chanting of the holy names, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

NAAM CHINTAMANI.

The name of Krishna is not different than Krishna all the opulence’s of Krishna are
present within his names. By chanting Hari Naam offenselessly we can clear all the sins
that we have ever committed from our heart. By chanting purely the name reveals
himself. We can experience the form of the lord, the qualities of the lord, the abode of the
lord, the associates of the lord, the pastimes f the lord and our own eternal relationships
with the lord. It is all revealed only by chanting the Krishna’s name, it is no need of any
other process. . But we must know chanting the names in such a way that Krishna is
pleased to reveal himself. And really this is the basis of why Srila Prabhu Pad has given
us volumes and volumes and volumes of literatures. To convince us, that we will never
be happy in our very pursuit in this world, that our real treasure is in loving devotional
service to god. What is Maya? What is Krishna? We must philosophically understand
these concepts otherwise we will be distracted. And how to develop a proper service
attitude? Because unless we are chanting with this attitude Krishna doesn’t have to come
in his name.

ye yathä mäà prapadyante

täàs tathaiva bhajämy aham

In the chaitanya Bhagwat the lord says, “I am not different than my name. If you are
chanting my name and offending my devotees then, I will punish you.” Hare Krishna!
“You chant my name with the spirit of serving my devotees; I will come in my name to
deliver you, to give you everything.”

TAKING WOWS AND GUARDING ONES SELF.

So we must guard against these ten offenses. The purpose of Hari Naam initiation is to
take wows, wows which facilitate the development of pure chanting of Krishna’s holy
names. When we take wows, if we are serious people we take life very seriously. Wows
give people a spiritual strength, a sense of urgency and importance. We take wows before
the deities, before the Viashnava, before the spiritual master, before the lord in our heart,
before the sacred fire. It is very serious. You have to be very careless, very reckless, and
very insincere to break these wows. The more seriously we take responsibility, the more
we make advancement. Srila Prabhu Pad said, “You make advancement according to how
you take responsibility in Krishna consciousness.” Taking wows means a big
responsibility. No, no mater what, no matter what temptations of what I can gain, or no
matter what fear of what I may loose, I will not compromise. No illicit sex, no
intoxication, no gambling, no meat eating. No matter what my mind an every thing
around me is saying, I must invest the time to cleanse my heart every day by chanting at
lest sixteen rounds of the Hare Krishna Maha mantra. Its serious, I have given my word. I
must.
But these are all just preliminary, the real spirit of taking the wows of initiation is
life long dedication like a husband and wife when they take wows of marriage there are
many things that are not spoken necessarily in the ceremony but they are understood. To
remain faithful to one another, no matter what through out ones life. And in order to do
that it takes a tremendous amount of forgiveness tolerance, patience and many of you
know better than me what else we have to do. When we take initiation it’s like a marriage
but beyond this life we are committing our soul, to Krishna, to the guru paramapara, that
I will be faithful, I will not betray. It is a very serious commitment the most serious
commitment of life. The more you take it seriously, the faster you go back to Godhead.

TAKING INITIATION AND CONTEND OF THE HEART.

Yes, initiation is a joyous occasions but it’s simultaneously a very serious and grave
responsibility. But in Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu Rupa Gosvämé explains that accepting a
spiritual master and taking initiation is a very principle prominent aspect on the path is
Bhakti. Sri Chaitanya Mahäprabhu himself accepted initiation and didn’t exhibit his
ecstasies of love of god and nor did he start his Sankirtan movement until after he took
initiation form Ishvarah Puri. Why? He is Jagad Guru. Because he wanted to teach the
principle. Initiation isn’t about sitting and speaking some wows, initiation is about
following those wows. Any one can talk. The beginning is to speak them but you make
progress no just by speaking, its not that you are going to make great advancement form
today. You are going to make great advancement by doing what we say toady. By
following what you commit yourself to today, through out your life. A devotee once took
the wows, sat at the fire Yajna and few days later left. Srila Prabhu Pad said, “He was
never initiated.” The real initiation is he contended. Krishna is in your heart. Krishna
sees and accepts the purpose in which every thing is offered. He is Bhava Grahi, he
accepts our intend. Today the real question is,”Do I honestly honestly intend to be faith
full to Srila Prabhu Pad’s mission, to the guru paramapara and their teachings for my
whole life? No matter what. Will I make the orders of my spiritual master my life and
soul?

vyavasäyätmikä buddhir
ekeha kuru-nandana
bahu-çäkhä hy anantäç ca
buddhayo 'vyavasäyinäm
(Bhagwat Gita 2.41)

This purport to this verse by Vishwanath Chakraworthy Thakur really inspired Srila
Prabhu Pad. One must really take the orders of his spiritual master his life and soul. It’s
not something casual; it’s something very real and serious.
RECEIVEING THE MERCY FROM PARAMPARA.

At the time if initiation we are committing our selves and we are also, receiving the
blessings to the degree we really commit or selves, while and after taking these wows we
are connecting our souls eternally to the flow of mercy descending form Krishna and
Radha Rani herself, to the Paramapara of great Achrya’s, Brahma, Narada Muni, Vyas
dev, Madhava Äcärya, Mädhavendra Puri, Ishvarah Puri, Sri Chaitanya Mahäprabhu,
Swaroop Damodar Gosvämé and Ramananda Roy and the six Goswami’s, Narrotam Das
Thakur, Srinivas Äcärya, Shyamanand Prabhu and the great Äcärya, later on Vishwanath
Chakraworthy Thakur, Baldev Vidya Bhushan, Jagannätha Das babaji Maharaj , Bhakti
Vinod Thakur, Gaurkishore Babaji Maharaj, Bhaktisiddhänta Sarswati Thakur and then
our own beloved , founder Äcärya, Srila Prabhu Pad. All their mercy all their blessings,
their guidance, their protection, their love if with us, at all times, if we are faith full.
They are the ones who will lift us and bring us back to godhead despite of our falls and
our weaknesses. That is our faith but we must co operate, that’s all!
Initiation is beautiful; it is such a beautiful experience. To see devotees opening their
hearts to receive the flow of mercy of all the great Achrya’s, and to be lifted up by that
mercy to the lotus feet of Sri Radha and Gopinath. What is our duty? To live in such a
way that we can chant the holy names, purely. The power of the holy name is the power
that Srila Prabhu Pad transformed so many people’s hearts and the power has brought us
all here together today. So we must very seriously understand the ten offenses and guard
against them.
I request every one to recite at this time the ten offenses towards the holy names.

SHORT CUT GIVEN MY LORD CHAITANAYA.

Lord Chaitanya is so kind he gave us so many short cuts. He gave us one verse. Just
follow this and automatically, spontaneously and simultaneously all the ten offenses
cannot come up on you.
tåëäd api sunécena
taror api sahiñëunä
amäninä mänadena
kértanéyaù sadä hariù
(Çré Çré Çikñäñöaka 3)

To be humble like a blade of grass, tolerant like a tree, ready to offer all respect to others
and expect none in return and this way you can chant the names of Krishna constantly.
Thank you very much!

RADHANATH SWAMI’S EXPECTATIONS FROM THE DEVOTEES.

It is our expectation, that all the peoples who are taking initiation and all those who have
taken initiation and all those who are thinking of taking initiation, to understand the spirit
of Prabhu Pad’s mercy, which is our mission. I am a very small and unqualified soul.
What ever I am doing is to assist my beloved guru maharaja Srila Prabhu Pad in his
service to his guru dev. Srila Prabhu Pad sacrificed so much as a puppet in the hands of
Krishna. All those who are honestly, honestly serving Srila Prabhu Pad, whether they are
properly Prabhu Pad disciples, his grand disciples, grand grand disciples, they are our
real family. We should honor them, we should respect them, we should learn to love them
and we should be enthusiastic to serve them. We do not want sectarian boundaries.
amäninä mänadena We want to respect. We must respect all the living beings but
amongst Prabhu Pad’s followers not only do we respect but it is the family that we want
to build and grow and develop. It is the association we ant to work together with to
expand Prabhu Pads dream of giving Krishna to the world. This is only possible when we
are humble in the spirit of servant of servant of the servants of lord. What will please me
is to the degree you are dong what Srila Prabhu pad wants. Because in my life that’s all I
have and that’s all I really want is just to make sure that Prabhu Pad is happy. ISKCON
means we are all together, to make Prabhu Pad’s dream a reality of spreading love of god,
through out the world.

Thank you very much!

End of the document.