Siksa on a Wedding Day – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

His Holiness Indradyumna Swami returned to Mayapur and spoke at the wedding of Syama-vanamali dasa and Keli Kandali dasi, the latter of whom he has known since her early childhood. At the wedding, Indradyumna Swami spoke wonderful instructions related to married life and success in Krishna Consciousness. The letter that he wrote to the two newlyweds is recorded in one of his recent Facebook posts.

He quoted from the Bhagavad Gita in the letter:

“In the beginning of creation, the Lord of all creatures sent forth generations of men and demigods, along with sacrifices for Visnu, and blessed them by saying, ‘Be thou happy by this yajna [sacrifice] because its performance will bestow upon you everything desirable for living happily and achieving liberation.’”

[ Bhagavad Gita 3.10 ]

The yajna for this age, of course, is the chanting of the holy names, specifically the Hare Krsna mantra. Permeate your married life with those holy names and you and your family will bear with dignity the ups and downs we all experience as life goes on. And what’s more important, constant chanting will fill your household with happiness and joy at every moment. It is essential that every day, without fail, you and Keli spend time together chanting the holy names, either in japa, bhajan or kirtan. The golden rule is that you should never be so busy in life that you can’t find time to chant together, read together and peacefully take prasadam together.

By chanting together you make spiritual progress side by side, and such an experience creates a strong bond between you. Yes, there will be moments of discontent, arguments and disagreements. But those differences can be tolerated and overcome when the relationship between husband and wife is rooted in spiritual practice, namely chanting Hare Krsna which Lord Caitanya says, “gives us the taste we are always hankering for”. Such a genuine, deeply spiritually and satisfying relationship can never be broken.

An excerpt from a letter written by Indradyumna Swami and recorded in a Facebook post from March 10, 2018.

“Many are called but few are chosen” – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

In Sri Vrindavan Dhama, His Holiness Indradyumna Swami gave a wonderful class on the glories of Srila Narottama das Thakur at the end of January just before traveling to Mayapur. His other activities in Vrindavan prior to heading to Mayapur are recounted in various Facebook posts but are also now recounted on his Twitter page.

Indradyumna Swami mentions in the class on Srila Narottama das Thakur:

I always lament that I wasn’t there in New York in 1965. Prabhupada said, ‘In the beginning, Krsna sent me a few good men.’ I always pray that in my next birth, I can be one of those men that Prabhupada called.”

He goes on to mention that the Acharya or Spiritual Master takes a group of disciples who help him in his mission. In a very instructive statement, Indradyumna Swami said that better than to go back to the Godhead would be to be part of that traveling roadshow preaching Krsna Consciousness.

This is not unlike what he says in a lecture delivered later on in Mayapur. In that lecture, he mentions that Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur said that he would not be satisfied until all the fourteen worlds were chanting the Holy Names of the Lord. Similarly, Indradyumna Swami said, “We will also not be satisfied until the fourteen worlds are chanting Hare Krishna.”

Spoken by Indradyumna Swami in a lecture delivered in Vrindavan on January 31st, 2018.

“Not only do they hear you, they reply to you.” – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

His Holiness Indradyumna Swami spent much of the month of February in the holy land of Sridhama Mayapur traveling to various places, giving classes, and leading harinam sankirtan through the streets. He recounted all of his adventures in the Dhama in various Facebook posts. In early February, he gave a class in which many children were present and so he recounted many stories for them from his adventures in preaching through the years.

Indradyumna Swami mentioned in the class that he had always felt a connection with Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur. He said that he was shy when he was young, but one of his sankirtan leaders in France told him:

“Whenever you go to a town for the first time, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur accompanies you.”

Indradyumna Swami went on to say that Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur is the original pioneer of the movement. He not only rediscovered the Krishna Consciousness movement in Mayapur but he had the vision of the whole world becoming Krishna Conscious.

Toward the end of the class, Indradyumna Swami mentioned that he read that one time, someone asked Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, “When we pray to previous acharyas and great saintly people who have left this world do they hear our prayers?” As he was reading, Indradyumna Swami said that he was thinking to himself, “What’s the answer?” and covered the answer on the page with his hand.

Then, in order to draw it out even longer, he went and took some prasadam and then came back and revealed the answer:

Spoken by Indradyumna Swami in a lecture delivered in Mayapur on February 7th, 2018.

“Make the instructions of the Spiritual Master one with your heart” – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

His Holiness Indradyumna Swami spent a good part of the month of February in the holy land of Sridhama Mayapur and he recounted the various trips the devotees made while there and the ecstatic kirtans they participated in on his Facebook page in a series of posts. In early February, he gave a class in which a lot of children were present (see picture below). To encourage them in Krishna Consciousness and particularly in preaching, Indradyuma Swami told them enlivening preaching stories from his own experience.

He told them about how he had been going out on sankirtan in France in the early days, but at some point, the Devotees had reached every single town in France. What next? Indradyumna Swami went to Italy, and then to Spain, and then to the Netherlands, and then Europe was finished. So he took a plane to Brazil and went to the Amazon. Meanwhile, he was always remembering the statement his Sankirtan leader had told him in France: “Whenever you go to a town for the first time, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur accompanies you.” After Brazil, Indradyumna Swami went on to Chile, Colombia, and then on to Paraguay, where he and the Devotees were amazed to discover 50 Russian Devotees who had been there for five years and were running a farm community!

In the lecture, Indradyumna Swami said:

We will also not be satisfied until the fourteen worlds are chanting Hare Krishna. This is what it means to make the instructions of the Spiritual Master one with your heart. Yes, we want to go back to Godhead. But the secret of going back to Godhead is to fulfill the desires of the Spiritual Master here, so you can fulfill his desires in the spiritual world.

Spoken by Indradyumna Swami on a lecture delivered in Mayapur on February 7th, 2018.