FARE WELL ADDRESS --- Australian Tour 20.1.2000. Pm.
Oṁ viṣṇupāda paramahaṁsa parivrājakācārya aṣṭottara-śata Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu to preach His mission:
“You should go door to door with Śrīla Haridās Ṭhākura and beg some alms. You should say:
‘I want you to put something in my bag. Chant one time Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa.’”
From here He began.
Especially Nityānanda Prabhu never went to wealthy persons, nor to very beautiful persons, nor to very learned persons; never. He went to very general, common persons—even to those who were fallen. In India, the brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas do not even take water touched by such fallen persons; but Nityānanda Prabhu preached amongst them. You know Jagāi and Mādhāi. Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu thought:
“They are very good persons to preach to.”
He went from village to village, and He preached amongst those who were fallen. He preached everywhere.
I know that Śrī Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja, my Śikṣā-guru, also did like this. He never went to those who lived in palatial buildings, to very wealthy persons, nor did he go to any king, or minister. He first went to hippies. These hippies were very attracted to him, and he made them happy. Gradually, from there he started his mission, by chanting under a tree in Tompkins Square Park:
“Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsādi, Śrī Gaura bhakta Vṛnda. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma, Ramā Ramā Hare Hare. [All the devotees chanted the maha-mantra with Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja one time, in the same tune that Śrīla Prabhupāda chanted in Tompkins Park]. He never saw who was following him or not, nor did he see who was sitting there or not. Only his karatālas were there. His eyes were closed and he was chanting, [referring to the melody they had just sang] absorbed in that pathetic tune. And sometimes the hippies would dance, taking wine and other things. They would say to him:
“Oh my friend, you should take wine.”
Thus he preached, and so many came and became happy. Young, very beautiful, energetic persons came. Ladies also came, like Jadurāṇī and Vṛndāvana Vilāsinī, and all of them became happy. This was the very beginning, and very soon Śrīla Swami Mahārāja made many preaching centres and established book distribution. He also made so many editions of his magazine. His one magazine, (BTG), became very popular all over the world. He translated so many books, and gradually they were also distributed all over the world. At that time there were very beautiful young ladies. They used to go here and there, to airports, to markets, and everywhere. They knew no shyness. They gave up all these things for preaching, and that is why you are now seeing devotees all over the world. At that time most of the senior Vaiṣṇavas were brahmacārī’s. Davendranātha was at that time a very beautiful, young brahmacāri of 15 years. And Tamal Kṛṣṇa, Jayapatāka, Bhagavan, and all others were like that. After Śrīla Prabhupāda’s departure, however, many became very weak and hopeless.
I also don’t want to go to wealthy persons, to beautiful persons, or to very learned persons. If they will come, oh, they will ruin everything. I know it is very hard to control them. So I want that we go to common people and preach. I am not seeing that same enthusiasm and spirit which was there during Śrīla Prabhupāda’s time. You should have the same spirit—and then you can preach. Go door to door. Don’t be afraid that:
“He will beat me with a wine bottle.”
Never.
Don’t fear.
Nityānanda Prabhu went to Jagāi and Mādhāī and said:
“What are you doing?
You should chant Hare Kṛṣṇa just once.”
”OH, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa”
And they followed.
So I want the same spirit. The books should be distributed everywhere, and preaching should also be in that spirit. Don’t think:
“I don’t know anything, I am so weak.”
Kṛṣṇa will give intelligence. I was also very weak, like dry straw. But then I became so strong to preach and serve my Gurudeva, Oṁ nitya līla praviṣṭa Viṣṇupāda Aṣṭottara-śata Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja. All qualifications are gradually coming and helping me, even though I am now in old age. So you are not weak. The ātmā is not attained by any weak person:
Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhya
A weak person cannot do anything. He cannot give up a single farthing. He cannot give up any of his attachments—because he is weak. I want to make them all strong.
Even ladies should be strong—like Draupadī. Her father Drupada Mahārāja made a pillar, on the pillar he placed a moving cakra, after that was a fish, and on the fish were two eyes. And he then told his assembly:
“I will marry my daughter to that person who can shoot the eye of the fish while looking at its reflection in the oil.”
A date was fixed and everyone came—all the Kauravas, Duryodhana, Karṇa, Bhīṣma Pitāmaha and Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva. Arjuna and the other Pāṇḍavas also came, disguised as brāhmaṇas. All the kṣatriyas were trying but they were not successful. Bhīṣma Pitāmaha took his bow and arrow, and he was ready to shoot. But Draupadī at once came and said:
“Are you willing to marry me?
Why are you doing this?”
He replied:
“I’m doing this for Duryodhana.”
“Oh please sit down”
She was so bold.
Then Karṇa came, and he wanted to shoot, but Draupadī boldly came again and asked:
“Who are you?
What is your name and who is your father?”
Karṇa became upset, but Draupadī continued:
“I don’t want to marry you because you are an unknown person. I don’t even know who is your father and mother. So please tell me. If you are a kṣatriya, and if you are very strong, then tell me who you are. If you do not tell me, then I don’t want to marry you, because you must be a śūdra-putra, the son of a charioteer, or any servant.”
Karṇa became so upset. Nobody had ever spoken to him like this in his whole life. Feeling insulted, he threw down his bow and arrow, became very angry, and said:
”I will take revenge. I must take revenge.”
Kṛṣṇa was looking on. He could have shot the fish. He was a better archer than Arjuna, Bhīṣma Pitāmaha and all others. But He and Baladeva Prabhu were just sitting there and watching. They were giving a chance to that brāhmaṇa boy. When that brāhmaṇa boy came, all the others asked Draupadī:
“Who is he?
Will you marry a brāhmaṇa?”
She said:
“I know that he isn’t a brāhmaṇa”
“How do you know?”
“Oh, there is something a sign”
Arjuna then went to the arena and very easily shot the eye of the fish. All the kings present there began to make war against him. They said:
“We will take Draupadī forcibly.”
But Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva came and said to these kings:
“If you come, we are ready to fight.”
So Draupadī was so bold. Be bold like Draupadī. Don’t think that you are ladies. Preach and go on your path—be very straight and very bold. You should all try to preach and distribute books. By this, we will again very quickly preach all over the world.
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