Where I Went and What I Did
For the sixteenth week of 2025, the first day I continued chanting Hare Krishna at the University of South Florida in Tampa with Vivasvan Prabhu and Bhakta Bill. We made videos of two pairs of students participating in the kirtan with us that day, with one student even chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. As before, we met favorable people who joined our Bhakti Yoga Society and accepted a small book for free, one even asking for a Bhagavad-gita. I also led the kirtan at the USF Bhakti Yoga Society in the evening and gave the evening lecture at Vivasvan’s temple. The next day I flew to Islip airport on Long Island, and I chanted with NYC Harinam devotees for almost three hours at Jackson Heights / Roosevelt Avenue.
I stayed in New York City for the rest of the week, chanting with Rama Raya Prabhu’s NYC Harinam in four other venues as well. It was wonderful to be in the association of devotees who are very enthusiastic about kirtan. Sunday we did a walking harinama around Brooklyn with the Gita Life devotees for over an hour.
I share a quote from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam, The Nectar of Devotion, and Perfection of Yoga as well as a few quotes from a Srimad-Bhagavatam lecture in Vrindavan. I share quotes from Sri Caitanya-bhagavata by Vrindavana Dasa Thakura and its commentary by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. I share notes on classes by Hansarupa, Arcita, Uttama, and Partha Prabhus in New York City. I share a point made in a conversation by Maithuna Prabhu. I share a post to a Hare Krishna Facebook humor group.
Thanks to Vivasvan Prabhu for letting me stay at his temple, for coming on harinama on Wednesday, for giving me a hat, and for his kind donation. Thanks to Bhakta Bill of Tampa for driving me to and from the University of South Florida to Vivasvan’s temple and for chanting with me at the campus. Thanks to Dustin for his ride to the Tampa airport. Thanks to Hari Vilasa Prabhu for getting me at the Islip airport and giving me lunch and a place to rest before harinama.
Itinerary
April 26: King’s Day in Amsterdam
April 27: Liège market harinama
April 28–May 1: Paris harinamas
May 2: Sarcelles market harinama
May 3–4: Amsterdam Kirtan Mela and Sacinandana Swami seminar
May 5: harinama in Amsterdam
May 6: harinama in Rotterdam
May 7: Flight from Amsterdam to New York City
May 8–June 15: NYC Harinam
mid June–mid August: Paris?
– June 22: Paris Ratha-yatra?
– July 11: Amsterdam harinama?
– July 12: Amsterdam Ratha-yatra?
– July 13: Netherlands harinama?
Chanting Hare Krishna in Tampa
I was having interested students scan the QR code to sign up for our Bhakti Yoga Society club at University of South Florida, and as a promotion, I would give a small book to any who did.
Sahasra said she was just thinking of starting to read Bhagavad-gita and wondered if we had one. Bhakta Bill had brought one, and I had encouraged him to save it for a special person.
Sahasra appeared to be that special person so we gave it to her, and she happily received it. A bull, the mascot of USF, appears behind her.
Vivasvan Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at USF, and I play the drum. The recording ends when the wind blows the phone off the tripod onto the sidewalk (https://youtu.be/hDW9KfkWyO0):
Vivasvan Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at USF, and Bill plays the drum (https://youtu.be/Nkec3Sn75L4):
Just as on the previous day, students were happy to participate in our harinama. This guy and girl were doing interviews with students about saving Tampa’s historical buildings, but they took a break to play the shakers and dance with us (https://youtube.com/shorts/JB_Q7kcWXRQ?feature=share):
Later the girl chanted the mantra (https://youtube.com/shorts/1cpe2eW0Fxs):
Two guys, who were advertising the bands they were performing in, were happy to see us doing music. When we stopped to talk to them, they said, “Keep playing.”
Later they also played the shakers and danced with us (https://youtube.com/shorts/xZCQ-ygxmTQ?feature=share):
Vivasvan Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at the Wednesday evening program at his place (https://youtu.be/8VKmWsmzWbw):
Chanting Hare Krishna in New York City
Several young devotees from India, or places nearby, led the chanting at Jackson Heights / Roosevelt Avenue.
Hrith chants Hare Krishna at Jackson Heights / Roosevelt Avenue (https://youtu.be/Tnbtyt_JI6g):
Aniruddha chants Hare Krishna at Jackson Heights / Roosevelt Avenue (https://youtu.be/WiQcggUTUXk):
Druti chants Hare Krishna at Jackson Heights / Roosevelt Avenue (https://youtu.be/GMEaMDz2KcU):
Hadai Prana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Jackson Heights / Roosevelt Avenue (https://youtu.be/qW8M4ycVxPE):
Kishan chants Hare Krishna at Jackson Heights / Roosevelt Avenue (https://youtu.be/KS9BqqmunBA):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Jackson Heights / Roosevelt Avenue (https://youtu.be/Ec2juHUQmNM):
While Rama Raya was chanting there, a guy danced (https://youtube.com/shorts/LhoavzL6a7E?feature=share):
Narada Muni Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Columbus Circle (https://youtu.be/kw4VnLBfufs):
Sevika Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Columbus Circle (https://youtu.be/bR0MrEK332Y):
Braja Sakhi Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Columbus Circle (https://youtu.be/oMsH04w36TE):
Vraja Mohan Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Columbus Circle (https://youtu.be/37Aw1zW1GwE):
I also chanted at Columbus Circle (https://youtube.com/shorts/YY5H2K1l-dI?feature=share):
While I was singing, a student from Florida State University, who was visiting home for the weekend, recognized me from chanting on Landis Green, behind the main FSU library. I shared with him the details of our Krishna Lunch at FSU, and he took a selfie of us with both his camera and mine. He was the most recent of three students from FSU who remembered me singing there that I encountered in Washington Square Park in the last two years.
Later as Jayananda Prabhu continued to chant Hare Krishna, others also began to play the shakers and dance (https://youtu.be/3h__Y0bKhBs):
Maya Cabrinha chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square (https://youtu.be/u7XxTGC3Fj8):
Hrith chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square (https://youtu.be/F_IirSTH4Ow):
Meru came by the harinama at Washington Square Park. He has a fascination for selfies. He is on the left of this selfie, next is me, then Janmastami Prabhu, who taught me book distribution forty-five years ago when I was Bhakta Chris, and finally Bhakta Conner, a new book distributor on NYC Harinam.
Narada Muni Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park, and two women play shakers (https://youtu.be/o4b4G8zRjF0):
Jaya Goracand Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square Park, and many play shakers and dance (https://youtu.be/djA1kSUBFg8):
Srikar chants Hare Krishna at Washington Square, and onlookers play shakers and dance (https://youtu.be/PaFXDZ2rKHA):
Ananta Govinda Prabhu and friends chant Hare Krishna at Washington Square and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/VTHGc75POyc):
Aditya Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna on Brooklyn walking harinama on Sunday afternoon (https://youtu.be/7uYMc9q1TWA):
Later Abhay chanted Hare Krishna along Court Street (https://youtu.be/E9j78fCMfas):
For the first time Hadai Prana Prabhu was inspired to bring the harinama party through Carroll Park, and many children and a few adults were attracted (https://youtu.be/cH4WcVcX2x4):
Nityananda Chandra Prabhu and friends chant Hare Krishna at ISKCON NYC Sunday Gaura Arati (https://youtu.be/36olVe9S4kg):
Conner swings a Jew as Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Fulton Street Station in Manhattan (https://youtube.com/shorts/unxjeRC_I9g?feature=share):
Nityananda Chandra Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Fulton Street station in Manhattan, and a kid plays shakers (https://youtu.be/Owq36J1_8iA):
Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Fulton Street Station in Manhattan (https://youtu.be/Q0wZWZjxkHQ):
Nimai Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Fulton Street, and kids play shakers and dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/rnysgQCnkoc?feature=share):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Fulton Street Station in Manhattan (https://youtu.be/kq8Q9wisTwU):
Sometimes Radha Govinda look more beautiful than usual, like Tuesday morning.
Hadai Prana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Union Square (https://youtu.be/btiW_B3hZmo):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Union Square (https://youtu.be/kf12KZ23YK4):
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.7.53:
“A person with average intelligence does not think the head and other parts of the body to be separate. Similarly, My devotee does not differentiate Vishnu, the all-pervading Personality of Godhead, from any thing or any living entity.”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 21, Religious:
“Simply professing a kind of faith is not a sign of religiousness. One must act according to religious principles, and by his personal example he should teach others. Such a person is to be understood as religious.”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 22, Liberal:
“A statement by Uddhava after the Syamantaka jewel plundering confirms that Krishna is so kind and favorable that if a servitor is accused even of great offenses, Krishna does not take this into consideration. He simply considers the service that is rendered by His devotee.”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 22, Protector of Surrendered Souls:
“Some enemy of Krishna’s was enlivened with the thought that he needn’t fear Krishna, because if he simply surrendered unto Him, Krishna would give him all protection.”
From The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 22, Happy
“Any person who is always joyful and untouched by any distress is called happy.”
From Perfection of Yoga:
“As explained in the Bhagavad-gita [2.20], na jayate mriyate va: ‘The living entity never takes birth, nor does he ever die.’ Similarly, God is also eternal. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam (Katha Upanisad 2.2.13): ‘God is the supreme living entity among all living entities, and He is the supreme eternal person among eternal persons.’ So, by practicing Krishna consciousness, by purifying our senses, we can reestablish our eternal relationship with the supreme eternal person, the complete eternal person. Then we will see God.”
From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.25 in Vrindavan on August 6, 1974:
“The topmost atma-rucih, topmost means that is real atma-rucih, to be attracted by the self or Superself. That is atma-rucih.”
“Just like father and son: however there may be misunderstanding, but if the father and son come together and their affectionate dealings begin, immediately original relationship is revived. It does not take much time. Similarly, we are already related with Krishna, because Krishna says, mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg 15.7]: ‘All living entities, they are My part and parcel.’ Aham bija-pradah pita [Bg 14.4]: ‘I am the seed-giving father.’ So how this relation can be broken? That is not possible. That is already there, eternally.”
“We are eternally related with Krishna, nitya-siddha krishna-bhakti, and we’re eternally very affectionate and obedient servant of Krishna. That is our position. Somehow or other, it is covered. So that garbage that’s covering has to be moved. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc Antya 20.12].”
“This Krishna consciousness movement means cleansing the heart of all the dirty things that is accumulated life after life. It is not an artificial thing we are learning to become devotee of Krishna. We are already devotee of Krishna, but we have forgotten, or the consciousness is covered. Now, by this process, devotional process, especially by kirtana, by chanting, glorifying the holy name of the Lord, the cleansing process is accelerated. Very soon it takes place.”
“Something belongs to somebody, and if you make a plan to possess that thing, is it not criminal? . . . Actually Krishna is the proprietor of everything, He is the enjoyer of everything. Then why I shall desire to enjoy and own the property? This is criminal.”
Vrindavana Dasa Thakura:
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 13.349:
“Advaita and Nitai again engaged in water fighting. They are one, but for the purpose of sporting They have become two.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 13.387–88:
“Gauracandra will deliver everyone except those sinful persons who blaspheme Vaishnavas. According to the Srimad-Bhagavatam (5.10.25), even if someone on the level of Lord Shiva blasphemes a devotee, he will soon be destroyed.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 13.392–93:
“One who honors the following confidential words of the Padma Purana will attain ecstatic love of God. To blaspheme the great saintly persons who are preaching the glories of the Hare Krishna is the worst offense at the lotus feet of the holy name. The Nama-prabhu, who is identical with Krishna, will never tolerate such blasphemous activities, even from one who passes as a great devotee.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 13.394:
“One who hears this narration regarding the deliverance of the two rogues [Jagai and Madhai] will be delivered by Sri Gauracandra.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 13.396:
“The Lord’s supreme mercy is as vast as a thousand oceans. He sees the good qualities of others and never finds fault in them.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 14.40:
“Lord Shiva danced without clothing, which he forgot in his ecstatic love for Krishna. He is the foremost Vaishnava; he makes the entire universe glorious by chanting the name of Rama, which delivers one from material bondage.”
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 14.34, commentary:
“The phrase suryera nandana refers to Yamaraja, the son of the sun-god. From the material point of view, he gives reward and punishment to the uncontrolled and materialistic persons. As he heard the ecstatic kirtana, he had the opportunity to forget his mundane position as a demigod. He thus became intoxicated with love of God and began to dance emotionally in the loving mellows of sankirtana.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 15.7, commentary:
“Harmony is inevitable when everything is considered enjoyable to Krishna.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 15.19, purport:
“Sri Nityananda Prabhu was full of ecstasy and most gentle. He concealed His actual glories as He visited the houses of all classes of persons in the city. On seeing His ideal character, many persons in this world gave up their duplicity and attained the good fortune of becoming prideless.”
Mukunda Goswami:
From Miracle on Second Avenue, Chapter 33 (“London is Hell”):
“When they’d asked him if the chanting got monotonous after a while, Gurudas gave a memorable answer that ended up as the interview sound bite on the news that night.
“‘What’s nice about these words,’ he’d said, ‘is that you can chant them over and over again, and you’ll never get tired of hearing it. But if you chant Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth, over and over again, you’ll get disgusted!’”
Jayadvaita Swami:
From a class on Srimad-Bhagavatam at ISKCON NYC on April 18, 2025:
Srila Prabhupada makes the point that when you want to build a house you hire a contractor and when you want to tear it down you hire a contractor, but maintaining it you do yourself.
The volume of sound is measured in decibels, which is a measure of pressure. The wind is also pressure.
Even the words that we use to describe things are also Krishna.
In the mode of passion we divide the living entities according to their characteristics and fail to see the oneness in quality of all living entities.
We do not see the one world as Krishna’s property. We divide it. This is my part of the world. This is your part of the world.
The Mayavadis only speak of the oneness, and the dualists only speak of the difference, but we speak of both the oneness and the difference.
The madhyama, the devotee in the middle position, sees that the living entities are one, but they are manifest with different characteristics.
Kevala advaita, absolute oneness, is hard to make sense of because there are real differences like the difference between an open door and a closed door. You can only walk through one of them, not both.
Individually, corporately, nationally, and internationally, we are all claiming proprietorship over what is actually Krishna’s.
Your boss gives you money, and you give him your body and your mind.
Q (by Abhay Prabhu): When we offer food to Krishna, it appears the same, so how can we understand that it has been transformed?
A: You can tell by the effect. If people eat the offered food, they become devotees.
Hansarupa Prabhu:
If one maintains doubt, he will not get the full benefit of reading the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
All Krishna’s paraphenalia is not different from Krishna. When we treat it in that way, we can realize it.
To understand the future of this movement, you have to know its history. This movement is going on by the strength of what Srila Prabhupada gave us.
Some people are disturbed by the book changes, but the essence always remains the same.
Some people say they cannot participate in the mission for this reason or that reason. That is what people call whining.
In all the old temples in Bhubanesvar, the doors are so low so you have to bow down and thereby show humility to get in.
The yogi realize paramatma after meditating for thousands of years, but the devotees surpass that in a few years simply by serving the deity in the temple.
Maya intrudes by introducing doubt.
There was a ghost on the fourth floor of the Henry Street temple. Srila Prabhupada gave us some rituals to deal with the situation.
Why don’t ghosts leave the haunted houses? Because they can’t. That is why they try to take over your body.
Srila Prabhupada has given us everything. Our challenge is if we can keep it.
We are making history even now.
This ISKCON NYC is the headquarters of Lord Caitanya’s mission, from 26 Second Avenue till now.
Srila Prabhupada said personal ambition will kill your spiritual life, and if it spreads, it will destroy the society.
We should think, “My only reason to be here is to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead and our spiritual master.”
An instrument does not have its own independent activities. It is used by the expert carpenter.
Our daily prayer should be: “I am Your servant. Please engage me in Your service.”
We have to be honest with ourselves, with others, and with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Comment by Janmastami Prabhu: Bhaktivinoda Thakura says the desire for fame is the root cause of all other anarthas. He says that we do not have the strength to remove our anarthas, but if we cry out to the holy name for several days, He will free us from them.
Arcita Prabhu:
Just like every good Muslim visits Mecca at least once in their life, every devotee should visit 26 Second Avenue and Tompkins Square Park.
You cannot put rascals in charge and hope to get good results.
If someone offers you a gift, accept it. It is not Vaishnava behavior to reject gifts.
The prasadam at Henry Street was fantastic, and there was always plenty for the hundred brahmacaris.
Devotees would eat prasadam left over by the guests. A devotee asked Srila Prabhupada about this. Prabhupada said we should stop because our motivation was not transcendental realization but lust.
People say I am attracted to this guru, but I am also attracted to that guru. I tell them to go to the deity and ask who you should accept as guru.
Do not tell everyone about your problems. Bhakti Tirtha Swami likened that to pulling up to someone and dumping your garbage in front of him. Tell a senior devotee you respect and follow his advice.
Devotional service means concentrating on whatever service you have been given at the moment. By doing that you will come to the bhava stage.
Navayogendra Swami says if there is no emotion, there is no devotion, simply commotion.
If you are a neophyte devotee, how are you going to tell who is a pure devotee?
Humility means doing what your guru told you.
One devotee used to say, “Seva will save yah.”
If you can get into kirtan, it will help you in your japa. It takes a while to get into japa.
Srila Prabhupada said, “Chanting, dancing, feasting, and philosophy.” All four of them should be there.
Uttama Mataji:
Lord Caitanya’s acintya-bheda-abheda tattva is a real contribution.
Some traditions consider only men have souls or only humans have souls.
As a little kid, I heard that if you didn’t act as they told you to, God would send you to hell forever. I thought, ‘My mother is not so bad. She would not punish me to that extent.’ Thus I became atheistic.
Bhagavad-gita tells us that every living creature is a soul of equal value.
Because of Daksa’s inability to understand this, he thought himself superior to others, and thus committed offenses.
That Daksa had the same personality although given the head of a goat shows that our personality is different from our body.
If we become rote followers, we will not understand how to apply the philosophy in different situations.
It is possible to interpret the Srimad-Bhagavatam according to a worldview coming from our study of history and not grasp the actual philosophy.
Srila Prabhupada honestly respected everyone.
Anuttama Prabhu, the car salesman, tells how he felt such gratitude that he was being engaged in taking care of tulasi that he sent Srila Prabhupada some tulasi leaves as a gift. Srila Prabhupada replied profusely thanking him for his simple present.
Comment by Prabhu: I felt that I was a dog chasing his tail, but I found Srila Prabhupada’s presentation of acintya-bheda-abheda-tattva satisfying.
We have the association of Srila Prabhupada in the book, Bhagavata, so we always have the association of a self-realized soul.
It is interesting to me that Ramanujacarya wanted to take initiation from Yamunacarya, but wasn’t able to. He decided to associate with different disciples of Yamunacarya who manifested different qualities of Yamunacarya.
Comment by pujari mataji: A lot of people do not understand that going to hell forever means that if we do not take God consciousness, we take another birth, but because of our lack of God consciousness in that birth, we will continue to take another birth. Just like a prisoner may get out of prison, but then commit another crime, and thus return to prison.
Comment by Janmastami Prabhu: Srila Prabhupada was asked by a devotee how they could increase their desire for book distribution. Srila Prabhupada said after a long pause, with emphasis, “Chant all your rounds at one time.” Thus the book distributors started getting up at 2:00 a.m., and chanting all their rounds.
Partha Prabhu:
Lord Vishnu told Laksmi not to give His remnants to anyone. Narada pleased Laksmi and she offered to give him a benediction. He made her promise to give him whatever benediction he asked for. She agreed. Then Narada asked for the maha-prasadam from Lord Vishnu. Laksmi was worried because she wanted to follow her husband, but she also wanted to keep her promise to the sage. Vishnu said she could take some of His maha-prasadam when He was not looking, and so she did. When Narada took the maha-prasadam, he experienced intense spiritual bliss. He shared his experience with his brother, Lord Shiva, and Lord Shiva asked him for some of the maha-prasadam. Narada said he ate it all. Lord Shiva was upset that Narada did not share any with Him. Narada found a little piece stuck under his fingernail, and he gave it to Lord Shiva who went into ecstasy. When Shiva’s wife Parvati saw the ecstasy of her husband, she inquired about the cause of it. He explained he had tasted the maha-prasadam of Lord Vishnu. When she asked for some, Shiva told her there was not any more. Parvati was upset, and worshiped Lord Vishnu, who appeared, and she requested the maha-prasadam of the Lord for not only herself but all living entities. That request was filled in Jagannath Puri, where the maha-prasadam of Lord Jagannatha is offered to Bimala, a deity of Goddess Durga, and she distributes it to all others.
One man who looked to be a big burly redneck became a devotee from prasadam. He got an orange from the Jagannatha cart. When he started to peel it, he started to cry.
I noticed that as the years go by the crowd waiting for the Vancouver Ratha-yatra free feast grows.
We can learn from the Daksa sacrifice the dangers of Vaishnava aparadha.
Comment by Janmastami Prabhu: Srila Prabhupada, as a guru, in some cases, would severely reprimand his disciples to correct them. Some leaders followed that, but it was counterproductive in most cases.
Yes. That is when people act out of their personal anger instead of compassion for the person.
Comment by Janmastami Prabhu: I found that when I am angry with someone, I just tell them I will talk with them later, after my mind is not affected with anger.
Comment by me:
A British neurologist, John Lorber, studied patients with hydrocephalus. In some several cases where over 90% of the patient’s head was filled with cerebrospinal fluid, the patient had an amazing IQ and many talents. That indicates there is more to consciousness than just the brain.
Regarding attaining the platform of goodness, Srila Prabhupada writes:
“In all spiritual affairs, one’s first duty is to control his mind and senses. Unless one controls his mind and senses, one cannot make any advancement in spiritual life. Everyone within this material world is engrossed in the modes of passion and ignorance. One must promote himself to the platform of goodness, sattva-guna, by following the instructions of Rupa Gosvami, and then everything concerning how to make further progress will be revealed.” (The Nectar of Instuction, Preface)
In the Gita the mentality of criticism is considered to be a symptom of the mode of ignorance.
Arcita Prabhu mentioned that Srila Prabhupada said the superior must continue to give guidance according to the direction of the scripture even if his subordinates are unable to follow them. As far as I recall, Srila Prabhupada also mentioned that that should be done without becoming angry.
Prabhupada would speak with an angry voice with one person to correct him and then immediately continue to speak with others normally.
A friend was moved to anger by a comment from his ex-wife. Before he could reply to her, the conch shell blew, signaling the beginning of the evening arati. After the kirtan, we were both amazed to see that all the anger my friend was going to unleash toward his ex-wife was completely gone.
Maithuna Prabhu:
From a conversation:
One of the advantages of the Krishna consciousness movement and the Gaudiya Vaishnava path is we have an actual method by which we can attain realization not just some interesting philosophy and some great quotes.
Krishna Kripa Das:
From Official Hare Krishna Humor:
“There are vans and there are ashrams, but there is no varnashram.”
[This attempt at humor is not meant to denigrate varnashram but to remind us that varnashram is an important part of Srila Prabhupada’s plan that is unfortunately too much neglected.]
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In Bhagavad-gita 13.25 Krishna tells how karma-yogis and the jnani-yogis come to realize the Supersoul. Then in the next verse He describes how the bhakti-yogis attain perfection, by hearing from authority.
anye tv evam ajanantah
srutvanyebhya upasate
te ’pi catitaranty eva
mṛtyum sruti-parayanah
“Again there are those who, although not conversant in spiritual knowledge, begin to worship the Supreme Person upon hearing about Him from others. Because of their tendency to hear from authorities, they also transcend the path of birth and death.”
What do they hear? That is described in the purport: “Lord Caitanya, who preached Krishna consciousness in the modern world, gave great stress to hearing because if the common man simply hears from authoritative sources he can progress, especially, according to Lord Caitanya, if he hears the transcendental vibration Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”
