When Does Krishna Appear in the Heart?

Transcript

0:02When We Speak About Krishna

Hello, devotees! Thank you all so much for being here today. Thanks to Gaurasundara Mahaprabhu and His merciful manifestation Sri Nityananda Prabhu, and to all His other merciful manifestations.

And especially to Srila Prabhupada, the founder-acharya, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It is an undeserved fortune and honor for me to speak in your presence about Krishna, this utterly inconceivable Supreme God.

1:12And when we speak about Krishna, Lord Krishna appears in the heart.

Everything inauspicious disappears from the heart when we speak about Krishna. Many thanks to all the organizers. I want to say “of the mantra-yoga”... What’s the right word? Of the kirtan mela. Different words, but the essence is clear. None of this is easy: preparing, welcoming guests, arranging the harmoniums, the drums, a hall that is warm and cool at the same time, arranging prasadam for the devotees, the purple flowers, decorating the altar, making garlands. All of this is the devotees’ love in action.

2:46The Holy Name Dances on the Tongue

And so for three days we have been singing the holy name of Krishna. Rupa Gosvami was enraptured by the transcendental sounds of the holy name — how sweet it was for him to hear the holy names of Krishna!

3:09I want to have millions of tongues, millions of tongues! Why? Tunde tandavini — the holy name dances on the tongue. Ratim vitanute — it expands, it intensifies rati. Rati means bhava, love, emotion, the sweetest emotion of love. The most pleasant thing, the only truly pleasant thing for the soul, is rati, bhava, the loving emotion the soul feels in its relationship with Bhagavan Sri Krishna. And when we chant the holy name, then, in the words of Srila Rupa Gosvami, this holy name dances on the tongue — tunde tandavini. Tandava means “dance.” Ratim vitanute — and it intensifies, expands rati, ecstatic love.

4:13Tundavali-labdhaye — I want to have millions of tongues. Karna-kroda-kadambini ghatayate karnarbudebhyah. Dancing on the tongue, the holy name of Krishna enters my ears, says Srila Rupa Gosvami. Karna means “ear.” Not simply into the ear, but into its very depths. And this sound is so sweet that I want to have millions and millions of ears. Karnarbudebhyah sprham: sprha means “desire.” I want to have endless ears to hear the sweetness of the sound of the holy name.

4:57So the sweetness of the sound of the holy name can be felt both with the ears and with the tongue. Appearing and dancing on the tongue, bringing sweetness to the tongue, the holy name reaches the ears, touches the ears. And this dance of the sound vibration of the holy name fills the ears with bliss. And then — cetah-prangana-sangini... sarvendriyanam kritim: then it enters the cetah. Cetah means consciousness, the depths of our heart. In fact, this is the meeting of Krishna and the soul.

6:00Cetah means consciousness. Consciousness is an attribute of the soul. We say cit-shakti. Cit means consciousness. There is cit and there is acit: cit means “that which is conscious,” acit — “that which is not conscious.” Consciousness is the function of the soul, its attribute.

6:43The Mirror of the Mind and a Thousand Idle Topics

The misfortune of our material existence is that we do not see our real self. We look at ourselves, at our reflection in the mirror of the mind, as the scriptures say. And since the mirror of the mind is covered by the modes of material nature, we do not see our real self. We are deaf to spiritual science. Atma-tattva means spiritual science, the science of the soul, of who we really are. That is why materialists find thousands of topics to discuss.

These grihamedhis live in their grihas — griha means “home.” They live in their homes and find thousands of topics to discuss. (Laughter.) Srotavyadini rajendra: “O king!” These are among the very first words Sukadeva speaks to Parikshit. Raja means “king,” and an emperor was called rajendra. “O rajendra, O great emperor! People who live in their homes find thousands of topics to hear and talk about.”

8:26Santi sahasrasah — sahasra means “thousands.” Thousands of topics, and all so important: the price of tomatoes in Zhytomyr, the political situation, whose dog died, who married whom, who divorced whom — especially if it concerns celebrities, famous people. It’s all so important! Prajalpa, idle talk. Why do they talk about all this? Because they do not see: apasyatam atma-tattvam. Pasyati means “to see,” apasyati — “not to see.” They do not see atma-tattva. They do not know their real self, they do not know who they really are: jivera svarupa haya krishnera nitya-dasa — that they are servants of Krishna, tiny particles of the Lord. They do not understand that they are bound to the Lord, to Govinda, by transcendental love. And so they find thousands of topics to discuss — they talk about anything except Krishna.

9:33Griheshu griha-medhinam. And so they live in their little caves, their burrows called “houses” and “apartments.” And so their life passes. By day they earn money and take care of their family members, and at night they have sex. And that is the only joy in life. Sex is the only joy. Apasyatam atma-tattvam: in this way people do not see their real self. They cannot see their true image in the mirror of the mind.

10:19That is why ceto-darpana-marjanam is the effect the holy name has on a person who begins to chant it: the cleansing of the cetah, the cleansing of the mirror of the mind, as ceto-darpana-marjanam is translated. Darpana means “mirror,” marjanam — “cleansing,” cleaning. The mirror of the cetah must be cleansed. And this is the first effect a practicing Vaishnava encounters: consciousness becomes pure. Bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam — and gradually the very concept of material existence loosens its grip. Everything that seems important now, what people talk about — usually politics and so on — all of it stops being important. Spiritual reality becomes important. Little by little a person breaks free from the claws of maya, of illusory existence. He wakes up, he awakens.

11:46It is so wonderful when everything happens properly! That is why a devotee on the level of Rupa Gosvami, when he chants the holy name, feels the taste, the sweetness of the holy name with his tongue and ears. And through this dance, the holy name, entering the ears, touches the cetah: cetah-prangana-sangini vijayate. Sangini literally means that it unites with the cetah, becomes its companion. That is, the holy name penetrates the depths of the heart. In fact, this means darshan of the holy name. A person beholds the holy name with his ears, with his tongue, and with his eyes. Lord Krishna appears.

12:30Cetah-prangana-sangini vijayate sarvendriyanam kritim. Jaya means “victory”: the holy name conquers the activity of all the senses. In other words, the senses simply fall still from ecstatic emotions. They simply stop. A person loses control over himself because of the sweetness of the holy name. No jane janita kiyadbhir amritaih krishneti varna-dvayi. Rupa says: “I do not know how much sweetness...” — amrita means “nectar” — “how much nectar there is in these two syllables: Krish-na!” How much sweetness there is in these two syllables, “Krishna,” if they produce such an extraordinary effect that all the senses fall still with bliss! This is real spiritual life.

13:59The Jaundice of Ignorance and Krishna’s Mercy

The same Rupa Gosvami says in The Nectar of Instruction that, unfortunately, this is how things are arranged: the conditioned living being who lives in the material world does not feel this sweetness of the holy name — the sweetness of Krishna-katha, of talks about the Lord, of glorifying the Lord, of serving the Lord in the form of the Deity, of serving the devotees as an extension of the Lord.

14:19Krishna-nama-caritadi-sitapy avidya-pitta... Pitta means “bile,” pitta-dosha. Jaundice is a disease of the bile. His Grace Gokulachandra Prabhu already gave this example in the Bhagavatam class: a person sick with jaundice cannot taste the sweetness of cane sugar, he simply has no way to. What is sweet seems bitter to him, and what is bitter seems sweet. What is nectar at first and later turns into poison — that is rajas. And what is poison at first but later turns into nectar — that is sattva for a person who works on himself, for a sadhaka, for someone who practices and is starting out on the spiritual path.

15:28So if it has turned out that we have no taste for the holy name, what advice does Rupa Gosvami give? If this has happened, we should still try to serve the holy name: chant it, sing it, hear it. Serve Krishna by performing nityam bhagavata-sevaya — regular service to the Bhagavatam. “Bhagavata-vicara,” says Mahaprabhu: one should reflect on the meaning of the Bhagavatam. One should read the Bhagavatam and preach — we say “preach,” but in fact it means glorifying the Bhagavatam. Bhagavata also means “the devotees.” One should always remain in the mood of serving the devotees. And in this way, gradually, the taste for the holy name, its sweetness, will be restored. There is no doubt about it.

16:36Rupa Gosvami promises: krishna-nama-caritadi-sitapy avidya-pittopatapta-rasanasya na rocika nu — one whose tongue is inflamed by the jaundice of ignorance feels no taste. Kintv adarad anudinam khalu saiva jushta — but if one chants the holy name every day with reverence, with great respect, with attention... He says anudinam, “every day.” Bhagavata-seva, the service must be regular. Regular means daily. Svadvi kramad bhavati — gradually, gradually, he says, the taste will be restored, because Krishna will appear.

17:19And when Krishna appears in a devotee’s life, life acquires meaning. Until Krishna appears, there is no meaning. When Krishna appears — this is called mercy. Svayam eva sphuraty adah — He appears Himself. We cannot force Him to appear. He is independent — svatantra. The Lord is independent; He makes the decision Himself. We, on the other hand, are a little dependent. (Laughter.)

17:41First of all, we depend on Krishna. But speaking more technically, in philosophical language, we depend on Krishna’s energy — on the internal or the external energy of the Lord. Yet we always depend on the Lord, in everything. When we depend on tamo-guna, in fact it is dependence on the illusory energy of the Lord. When we depend on rajo-guna, in fact it is also dependence on the illusory energy of the Lord. On sattva-guna — on the illusory energy that belongs to the Lord. Everything belongs to the Lord. Any ignorance we become attached to ultimately belongs to the Lord.

18:46Moreover, we ourselves also belong to the Lord and are nothing more than... Hear the truth, O best of humans! (Laughter.) Nothing more than an instrument for the Lord’s enjoyment. Although it is hard for the conditioned soul to accept that it is being enjoyed, that is how things are arranged. The more pleasure you give the Lord, the more you enjoy yourself. That is the sweetness of spiritual life. So many thanks to all the organizers of the kirtan mela. This is a wonderful event.

19:51Worshiping the Lord in Any Circumstances

In our difficult times it is not easy to hold any public event. But these difficult times are nothing more than the consequences of our sinful activities.

20:14Even when we find ourselves in these difficult circumstances, in any hard circumstances of life, we must go on worshiping the Lord with our heart, our words and our body. If a person has reached this level, he is worthy of liberation, says Lord Brahma. Such a person considers every misfortune in his life to be the product of his own sinful karma. Even a very advanced devotee thinks: if troubles come, it is my own “merit,” in quotation marks. I served maya — and I earned it. I served tamo-guna, rajo-guna.

21:18Be that as it may, a person must keep worshiping the Lord. This is the most important thing, whatever happens in life. Whatever happens in life, the most important thing is to worship Lord Sri Krishna with one’s heart, words and body. In no case should we lose faith in God. Shraddha means “faith.” So many things disappoint us in life: first they enchant us, then they disenchant us. But Krishna is beautiful. And His devotees — pure devotees, sincere devotees who are on the path — are beautiful too. Devotees are the very best of people.

22:01Therefore, no matter what, always and everywhere we should try to worship the Lord. As it is said: anvaya-vyatirekabhyam yat syat sarvatra sarvada. Everywhere and always we must worship the Lord. Everywhere and always we must seek our real self. Whatever happens in life, we must build our life so that we come closer to Krishna, truly closer, so that the Lord will reveal His mercy, will reveal Himself by His inconceivable will.

23:03That is why we follow these simple rules and regulations of bhakti-yoga established by Srila Prabhupada. Life in the material world is actually quite hard. Lord Krishna says: duhkhalayam — this is a place of suffering; everything here is temporary, asasvatam. So we should not be surprised at what happens here: troubles, difficult situations. But the most difficult situation begins when we have forgotten the Lord. That is truly a calamity. Let the Lord put us in whatever circumstances He likes. Let maya bring us to our knees in any way she likes — none of that matters. What matters is how much I can be in Krishna consciousness, how much I will feel the Lord’s presence in my life. And as soon as this sense of the Lord’s presence in life is lost, life is over.

24:07Respect for Devotees and the Poison of Criticism

Therefore, staying in the association of devotees, closer to one another, in a mood of service and care — and tolerance and forgiveness are very important — we should try to close our eyes to each other’s shortcomings, drawing closer to those who are sincere on the spiritual path and offering respect from a distance to those who are not so sincere. But still offering respect, because the culture of respect is the culture of Vaishnavism, whatever the case. The same Rupa Gosvami in The Nectar of Instruction, where he advises conquering the jaundice of ignorance by worshiping the holy name daily, says that devotees who chant the holy name should be respected.

Definitely: krishneti yasya giri tam manasadriyeta. But offer respect within the mind, without getting too close, because devotees also come in different modes — that is just how things are. Bhakti-yogo bahu-vidho margair bhamini bhavyate: the different kinds of bhakti-yoga depend on who carries the bhakti. Somewhere there is more ignorance, somewhere more passion, somewhere more goodness. But we must know how to build relationships with devotees: drawing close to some, and keeping a respectful distance from others — not a dismissive distance, we say, not a critical one, but a respectful one. At the foundation of Vaishnava etiquette, of Vaishnava culture — in fact, of the culture of the spiritual world — there is always this principle of respect.

26:00Dikshasti cet pranatibhis ca bhajantam isam. If a person has diksha... Diksha means brahminical initiation, if we speak from the point of view of the scriptures; at least, for some reason Rupa Gosvami uses this word: diksha asti cet — “if there is diksha.” Then pranatibhih — one should bow down. Pranati means “to bow down.” Bhajantam isam — he says not simply “if there is diksha,” but bhajantam isam: the person is engaged in bhajan.

26:44Usually — somehow it has become customary in the society of devotees — we call this sadhana. Sadhana, sadhana, we keep saying “sadhana.” But the more correct word from the point of view of the scriptures of our acharyas is “bhajan.” Bhajan and bhakti are words from the same root. Bhakti and bhajan come from the verbal root, the dhatu bhaj. Bhaj means to worship, to bow before the Lord, to serve the Lord, to chant the holy name, and so on. So if a person practices bhakti very intensely, we offer him respect in every way.

27:29And susrushaya bhajana-vijnam — we should eagerly, passionately strive to gain the association of those who no longer simply perform bhajan but are bhajana-vijna, that is, already realized in bhajan, who have deeply understood Krishna. And Rupa Gosvami gives a very interesting sign: nindadi-sunya. He says: such a person criticizes no one. Above all, we must hold on to the lotus feet of such devotees, who practice intensely and criticize no one. They practice intensely — and criticize no one.

28:11And when I quote this text, meditate on it or hear it, I always remember His Grace Svarupa Damodara Prabhu, who practices intensely and criticizes no one. Thank you so much, dear Svarupa Damodara Prabhu! This is a perfect example. Lord Krishna has given us the chance to be in your association. — It’s from you that I learned it! — Lord, have mercy! (Laughter.)

28:55Usually people criticize because their life is very hard. Actually, not usually — always. Criticism is a poison that comes out through the mouth from the heart’s pain, from envy. Envy causes pain, greed causes pain, lust causes pain. All these negative qualities — all of this causes pain. That is why a person who wants to get rid of these negative qualities, such as lust, anger, envy and so on, wants to attain liberation, moksha. Moksha means freedom precisely from these qualities.

29:38Yet it is amazing: Lord Krishna is so attractive, so beautiful, that sincere, pure devotees do not even strive to get rid of all this. They do not strive for moksha. In other words, they simply want to serve Krishna. Only to serve Krishna — and that’s all. They understand that coping with their shortcomings, such as the poison of envy and so on, is very, very hard, very difficult.

30:43Dear devotees, I wanted to tell a story, but I won’t tell it to you, because I just couldn’t stop in the kirtan — singing the holy name with such wonderful Vaishnavas. It was hard to stop. And then I started speaking about the holy name. And you see — time, oh, how merciless it is!

31:24When the Poison Is Stronger Than Devotion

Would anyone like to add something or ask a question? Please. (From the audience: “A story!”) Ah, yes, a story. They’re trading questions for a story. (Laughter.) Well, and about what I said — do you have any thoughts? O most beautiful ones, O best of humans, O Vaishnavas, who are like wish-fulfilling trees, able to fulfill everyone’s desires, full of compassion for all the conditioned, fallen souls! O you who play the kartals, O you who laugh and rejoice, O enlightened ones! Seryozha Prabhu.

32:07QuestionSeryozha Prabhu: It’s not a question, I just wanted to comment. May I? — You must. — We talk about things we often read and remember. But when we listen to you... You’re like a spiritual hacker: you bypass our mind and go straight to the heart. I don’t know why what we hear and know every day is now perceived so differently. It must be your vijnana at work.

32:28No, I don’t think so. Thank you very much. Hare Krishna! (Laughter.)

32:53QuestionThank you for the lecture. Prabhu, tell me, what should one do if all these qualities are stronger than devotion to the Lord? You just can’t practice, you can’t serve the Lord, you can’t even go to the temple. This poison pours out of you so much that you can’t do anything about it.

33:16Our only hope is the dust of the lotus feet, the charanamrita from the lotus feet, and the food remnants of Sriman Svarupa Damodara Prabhu. (From the audience: “Not his, not his — this one’s!” Laughter.) Aha. I’m speaking quite honestly, because if things are really bad, the only thing that can help is the dust of a Vaishnava’s lotus feet, the water that washed his feet, and also his food remnants. That’s for when everything is really bad. It’s not my invention, devotees. Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami wrote it in the Chaitanya-charitamrita. He says: “Give up all these feelings of disgust and doubt and simply accept this nectar.” He explains this when he tells the story of Kalidasa, who used to eat the food remnants of the devotees.

34:43Only a humble soul can act like this, and in such a way that it is not for show, not as a joke. For show, as a joke — that’s also fine, when devotees fool around and play out lilas with each other. That’s good, it’s fine. But if we are talking about deep spiritual transformations of the heart, then this is done not for show, but very carefully. It’s for those who are really in a bad way: when you can’t chant properly, or read the Bhagavatam, or hear. But better not to get into such a condition. And that means a little bottle of water that washed the feet should always be standing on the shelf — I won’t say whose, you know. And take it periodically — you know, the way a doctor prescribes medicine. (From the audience: “Get in line!” Laughter.) Svarupa Damodara Prabhu is already beaming. (Laughter.) Hare Krishna.

36:06Tolerance and Forgiveness

But the most important thing I wanted to say, dear devotees: thanks to your efforts this dear little yatra exists. “Yatrochka.” “Yatrusik.” “Yatrishechka.” What other versions are there? (The audience offers versions.) “Yatrusenyatko!” (Laughter.) That’s already in the “nightingale tongue,” Ukrainian. Good, what other versions? — “Yatrik.” — “Yatron.” (Laughter.) “Yatron” — that’s what Roman Prabhu and his Mataji Amala Sakhi have. It turns out they have a “Yatron.”

37:17Thanks to your efforts these walls are saturated with devotion. Thanks to your efforts... Different people, different devotees have different natures. And please, let us always keep in focus, above all, tolerance and forgiveness — patience, in other words, tolerance toward one another. We are all very different. There are no two identical people here. Everyone manifests their Krishna consciousness differently. Everyone differently!

38:00Let’s do a meditation. Now remember a devotee, a man or a woman, whom you, well, don’t like — someone who behaves wrongly somehow, regularly. You just don’t like them. You wouldn’t even want to offer them respect in your mind. But try at the same time to accept, at least hypothetically, that this is a soul devoted to Krishna and doing their best. And perhaps someone has a superpower — in Deity worship, in how to decorate this altar, weave a garland, cook prasadam. Someone gives good, inspiring lectures, someone sings, and someone — well, not this, not that, not that... but simply comes, sits, listens. Okay.

39:05Different people show their devotion in different ways, and different people are at different levels of spiritual development. But the most important thing, O Lord, let us treat one another with tolerance. Tolerance means precisely the ability to forgive, to close our eyes to shortcomings. Of course, there are special souls who combine the ability to manage, and to cook, and to give lectures, and to sing kirtans, and to play the drums — like, for example, Anadi Krishna Prabhu. And gentleness, and sweetness, and omnipresence — always, everywhere. And a servant of the servants. And experience of the brahmachari ashram, straight A-plus, and experience of the grihastha ashram, straight A-plus. Everywhere.

40:10But sa mahatma su-durlabhah — such a great soul is very rarely met. By the way, washing his feet, taking the dust of his feet and his maha-prasadam remnants is not just excellent — it’s very dangerous. Don’t go to the bank of the Yamuna, don’t go to the bank of the Yamuna, devotees! (Laughter.) Well, he won’t become proud: he is already in the spiritual world, a jivan-mukta. (Laughter.) Only the body looks somehow similar, you know... (Laughter.)

41:18Of course, when I think about Chernivtsi, I have to admit that what I remember first is not even Anadi Krishna Prabhu, but the divine couple. For some reason I immediately want to sing a song: “Radha-Roman, Radha-Roman...” Roman Prabhu and Mataji Amala Sakhi. They are, of course, persons who received a special instruction about Chernivtsi from our competent masters who govern us: Srila Prabhupada and company, our guru-parampara. Also included there are Lord Sri Krishna Himself, Lord Balarama, Nityananda Avadhuta and Gaurasundara Mahaprabhu.

42:10What Real Humility Is

How they serve, O Lord! So many virtues, so much hospitality, so much humility! Whenever you start talking about humility with Roman Prabhu: “Oh God, this is a sore subject for me. I’m not at all...” He sincerely believes that he is not humble. (Laughter.) But we have to understand: if a person has a kshatriya nature, that does not mean he is not humble. Being humble does not mean always smiling.

42:52Look at Srila Prabhupada. A story comes to mind. Prabhupada was once criticizing the modern world, politicians and so on. And someone asks him — as far as I remember, it was not even one of his disciples but a journalist, I think, an ordinary person: “Then who is worthy of ruling this world now? Tell us, who, in your opinion?” Prabhupada takes his cane, raises his head (laughter) and says: “Only I.” Srila Prabhupada ki jaya! Does this mean that Srila Prabhupada had no humility?

43:35Humility, you know, looks different in different people. It’s just that when a person begins to practice, it seems to him that being humble means being only like Anadi Krishna Prabhu, who always offers respect to everyone and is so sweet. Well, he is certainly humble. (Laughs.) But if a person manages, if he has a certain nature, if he acts — that is also humility. It is humility, because we judge humility not by some external things: we have to see a person’s heart. If a person considers himself deficient, if he thinks, “Oh God, I have so many faults, I’m like this, this isn’t right in me, that’s wrong,” and at the same time serves Krishna very intensely — that is humility.

44:41Humility is when a person feels insignificant. Trinad api sunicena — that is exactly what we say: trinad api sunicena. Nica means “low,” su-nica — “utterly insignificant,” trinad api — “even lower than a blade of grass.” But you cannot see this right away, superficially, in a person immersed in the intense practice of devotional service. Again and again one can see: even spiritual masters are different. Some are more — let’s call it — conservative, and others, on the contrary, more liberal. Different spiritual masters behave differently, and different devotees behave differently.

45:23That is why we have to look at how intensely a person practices. This is very important. And how obedient he is to his authorities — this is overwhelmingly important, because obedience is such a rare thing. A perfect guru is one who is devoted to his own guru, as they say. That is the first qualification.

45:46That is why, when you come to the home of Mataji Amala Sakhi — wherever she is, everything is wrapped in her transcendental, motherly, caring nature, and you immediately feel... To be honest, it was hard for me, especially at first; now I’m used to it, but, you know, I feel very awkward, my heart shrinks. There they are, serving, doing all this, taking care. And I think: humility — among other things, this is how I was taught — shows itself in accepting, in not protesting: “No, no, no, oh please, please!” (Laughter.) Well, all right, that’s it — they’re already fussing over you, so just accept it. They serve — accept that too. I am learning a great deal. Of course, I dream of also becoming so caring and humble and practicing bhakti.

47:12The Lord Is Adorned by His Devotees

This mantra-yoga, or kirtan mela, was organized by many devotees, but unfortunately I don’t know them all by name. To tell you honestly, devotees, I’m bad with names. That’s how my brain works: it’s hard for me to remember what people are called. So please forgive me. But some of you I do know and remember. (Laughter.) And I really like one name that is very fitting for the president of the yatra, for a person who takes on responsibility, cares, service, strategic and tactical development: Mahashakti. Notice: not just shakti, but maha-shakti. Mahashakti Prabhu. An amazing soul, of course.

48:19Every amazing soul weeps for Krishna, waits for mercy, and at the same time outwardly tries very, very hard. Some devotees here play the roles of grihasthas: as if they were attached to money, as if they were preoccupied with their careers and so on. But it only seems that way. They are all precious jewels on the Lord’s chest, adorning the Lord. The Lord is adorned by His devotees.

49:03He is beautiful in Himself, but He is beautiful for the devotees. Notice (laughter): the Lord is not objectively beautiful. That is, objectively He is beautiful too, but He is subjectively beautiful. What does that mean? That only His devotees appreciate His beauty. Non-devotees do not appreciate the beauty of the Lord; it is not even accessible to them. That is why different people saw the Lord and related to Him in different ways. That is why the Lord is adorned by His devotees.

49:49The children told me a story about Vishvapalaka Prabhu. They said to me: “We wanted to check the time on your tablet.” I doubt they wanted to check the time, but anyway — the tablet is locked. Maybe they did. And they look: it says a message has come in Telegram from Vishvapalaka, with his avatar. And then they open this very Vaishnava calendar — and right at the page with the beautiful lotus face of Vishvapalaka Prabhu. And here is Vishvapalaka. They turn a few more pages — and here is Vishvapalaka again.

50:50I thought: well, “Vishvapalaka” means “the one who protects.” Vishva means “universe,” palaka sounds like the Russian word for “stick,” that is, protection. Well, like Gopala: Gopala is literally the one who protects the cows, that is, you understand, who looks after the cows. And Vishvapalaka is the one who looks after the whole vishva, the whole universe. But what’s interesting is this suffix “-ka.” There is the word “putraka.” Putra means “son,” and putraka means... (From the audience: “Daughter?”) No, not daughter. (From the audience: “Little son.”) Yes, it’s, you understand, a more tender form of address. And it’s amazing: not Vishvapala, but Vishvapalaka. All these divine devotees, together with their spouses, do divine things.