Wedding of Śyāma dāsī and Hayagrīva , Los Angeles , 1968-12-25
[fire sacrifice]
Prabhupāda: [devotees chant responsively:]
sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā
yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ
sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ
śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu
[Either pure or impure, or having passed through all conditions of material life, if one can remember the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa, he becomes externally and internally clean.]
Yes. Chant. [japa]
sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā
yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ
sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ
śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu
[japa] Yes get them. Get [indistinct] That is that...
That mantra? Thank you.
Govinda dāsī: There's more, if you want to give more. I didn't know what you had in mind, so I made two, three of each.
Prabhupāda: Three? You have got three?
Govinda dāsī: Yes, I have three.
Prabhupāda: [devotees chant responsively:]
sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā
yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ
sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ
śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu
śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam
sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ
śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the Six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.]
bhūtale śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]
śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]
kṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ
I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayita dāsa [another name of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is favored by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and who is the ocean of transcendental mercy and the deliverer of the science of Kṛṣṇa.
mādhuryojjvala-premāḍhya-śrī-rūpānuga-varāya te
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, the personified energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy, who delivers devotional service enriched with conjugal love of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, coming exactly in the line of revelation of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]
rūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, who are the personified teachings of Lord Caitanya. You are the deliverer of the fallen souls. You do not tolerate any statement against the teachings of devotional service enunciated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]
vipralambha-rasāmbhode pādāmbujāya te namaḥ
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja [the spiritual master of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is renunciation personified. He is always merged in a feeling of separation and intense love of Kṛṣṇa.]
gaura-śakti-svarūpāya rūpānuga-varāya te
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda, who is the transcendental energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is a strict follower of the Gosvāmīs, headed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]
vaiṣṇava-sārvabhaumaḥ ṣrī-jagannāthāya te namaḥ
[I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, who is respected by the entire Vaiṣṇava community and who confirmed the discovery of the place where Lord Caitanya appeared.]
patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.]
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ
[O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmātī Rādhārāṇī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.]
bhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ namāmi bhakta-śaktikam
[I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, who is nondifferent from His features as a devotee, devotional manifestation, devotional incarnation, pure devotee and devotional energy.]
gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te
[O my dear Kṛṣṇa, O ocean of mercy, O friend of the distressed and the source of creation, O master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.]
mat-sarvasva-padāmbhojau rādhā-madana-mohanau
[Glory to the all-merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana! I am lame and ill advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me.]
śrīmad-ratnāgāra-siṁhāsana-sthau
śrī-śrī-rādhā-śrīla-govinda-devau
preṣṭhālībhiḥ sevyamānau smarāmi
[In a temple of jewels in Vṛndāvana, underneath a desire tree, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, served by Their most confidential associates, sit upon an effulgent throne. I offer my humble obeisances unto Them.]
karṣan veṇu-svanair gopīr gopīnāthaḥśriye 'stu naḥ
[Śrī Śrīla Gopīnātha, who originated the transcendental mellow of the rāsa dance, stands on the shore in Vaṁśīvaṭa and attracts the attention of the cowherd damsels with the sound of His celebrated flute. May they all confer upon us their benediction.]
vṛṣabhānu-sute devī praṇamāmi hari-priye
[I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.]
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
[O Śrīmāti Rādhārāṇī (the divine energy of the Lord Kṛṣṇa), O all-attractive reservoir of pleasure, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, please engage me in Your loving devotional service.]
So today's wedding ceremony between Śrīman Hayagrīva brahmacārī and Śrīmatī Śyāma dāsī is practically negotiated by me. I am the marriage maker and I am the negotiator also. How? Because I have started this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in this country to make people happy: happy in this life, happy in next life. This is not temporary sense happiness. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated that,
duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ
[Bg. 8.15]
[After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.]
"Anyone who comes back to Me," Kṛṣṇa says, "anyone who goes back to Godhead, then he does not require to come back again to this place, which is full of miseries." Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam. Duḥkhālayam means it is a place of misery, this material world. And aśāśvatam. Aśāśvatam means temporary. Even if I agree, "All right, it is a miserable place.
Let me live here perpetually," no. That also will not be allowed. As soon as there will be order, "Please get out," you have no power to remain. Suppose... We are Indian. We are poverty-stricken, or we are not very happy materially. You American people, you are very happy. But the nature of law is stringent both for the Indians and Americans equally.
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is particularly to go back to Godhead, giving up this material world, which is full of miserable life. It is actually full of miseries, but those who are thinking that "I am happy," or "We are happy," they are under illusion, māyā. That is called māyā. Actually, there is no happiness, because the Supreme Personality of Godhead says it is a place of misery. How you can make it comfortable place? So this is one side.
Another side, that some way or other, since I have begun this movement in this country, generally, the youngsters, they come to me. Maybe to some other reasons. But my disciples up to date, they're all from twenty to thirty years old. Those who are thirty, thirty-two years, they're old.
They're amongst the elder generation. But I see the boys and girls, they come to me as friends. [sound of something falling] But according to our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we do not allow boys and girls living without any marriage bondage. Illicit sex life we don't allow.
We prohibit four things: illicit sex life, intoxication, and meat-eating and gambling. Those who become our student, we prohibit first of all these four things. And if we find some of the girls and some of the boys, they are strictly following, and if they are agreeable, then we arrange for their marriage.
So there are many instances of marriage like this. They were living very irresponsibly in the former life. Now they are preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Some of my students, they are married couples, young men; six of them have gone to England. They are preaching very nicely. Very nicely. They have attracted the attention of respectable gentlemen like Lord Mountbatten, Lord Sorensen, and the High Commissioner of India, Mr. Dhawan. So they're doing very nicely.
So our principle is to make people God conscious; thereby they will be happy. And the method is very simple. Just like we do not deny anything. We give nice wife, we give nice husband, we give nice foodstuff, we give nice philosophy and, at last, we give the nicest thing: Kṛṣṇa. So our program is very nice. Any gentleman come and discuss with us, we shall prove this is the nicest program at the present moment.
So I am very happy that Professor Howard Wheeler, he is very obedient student. And by God's grace, Kṛṣṇa's grace, we practically met on the street. You see? When I first started my class in New York, 26 Second Avenue, I was just going out after entering the storefront, and this boy met me. He asked me, "Swāmījī, you are coming from India?" And I told him, "Yes, my dear boy." So that was our first acquaintance, and I think that is eternal.
Devotees: Jaya!
Prabhupāda: That is eternal. Similarly, this girl also met me in San Francisco, and she is very faithfully living with this Society. She is very mild. So I have selected, "Śyāma dāsī, you should marry Hayagrīva." So they have agreed. And there is no separation. Our relationship is eternal. There is no separation. And this marriage is primarily for advancing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Bodily relationship is secondary. That is not a very important thing. Our first engagement is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So in this happy ceremony, I have got my heartfelt blessings upon you. You be happy. Your parents are present here. It is very nice arrangement. And forget... In any circumstances... This material world, we have to pass through many circumstances, but sometimes, even it is intolerable, we have to tolerate.
So according to Hindu conception of life, even there is some misunderstanding between husband and wife, it is not taken very seriously. Never taken very seriously. But in your country, in the name of liberty and freedom, there are so many things. I do not wish to discuss all those things. But according to Vedic system, husband and wife, united together, there cannot be any separation.
Perhaps you have heard the name of Mahatma Gandhi. He was married when he was student, sixteen years old, and his wife was also of the same age. Later on Mahatma Gandhi became a very famous man. So one day there was husband and wife quarrel.
So Mahatma Gandhi, he has written in his own biography, he drove away the wife: "You get out from my house." So the wife got out of the house and was crying in the street, "Where shall I go?" And again Mahatma Gandhi went there, "Come on." So even there was quarrel between Mahatma Gandhi and his wife.
So this quarrel of husband and wife is not very serious thing. So I'll request you, even there is some misunderstanding, forget it. Don't take it seriously. Simply you concentrate on Kṛṣṇa consciousness business. You have got nice business now, both of you, conjointly working for editing my Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
You consult in that business and live peacefully. You are educated, she is also educated. If there is any misunderstanding, don't take it seriously. That is my request. Besides that, I am always at your service, I am always [here] to help you. So this marriage ceremony is very happy occasion. I shall request all friends, relatives, parents to give their blessings to this nice couple, and let us perform.
Now I shall request Mr.... What?
Mr. Morris: Morris.
Prabhupāda: Morris. So you say that "Howard, this girl was in my charge so long. Now I give you in your charge." You say and...
Mr. Morris: Howard, this child was mine for so long, and now I give her care to you.
Prabhupāda: You say that "I take charge Śyāma dāsī, of you, throughout your whole life." You say.
Hayagrīva: I take charge of you, Śyāma dāsī, throughout your whole life.
Prabhupāda: And Śyāma dāsī, you say that "I promise I shall serve you to my best capacity throughout my life."
Śyāma dāsī: I promise that I will serve you to my best capacity throughout my life.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Now you change your garland. All right. So somebody go and bind this cloth. Yes. Some girl may do that. Yes. [chuckling] Yes. Now chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. [japa] So it is very nice combination.
Devotee: Kīrtana?
Prabhupāda: Yes. You can take photograph of this nice picture. Come here in the front.
[24:40]
[kīrtana]
[31:12]
sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā
yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ
sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ
śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu, śrī viṣṇu
You can keep that. You can keep that.
śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam
sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ
śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇavas and unto the Six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.]
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]
śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]
kṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ
I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayita dāsa [another name of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is favored by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and who is the ocean of transcendental mercy and the deliverer of the science of Kṛṣṇa.
śrī-gaura-karuṇā-śakti-vigrahāya namo 'stu te
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, the personified energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy, who delivers devotional service enriched with conjugal love of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, coming exactly in the line of revelation of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]
rūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, who are the personified teachings of Lord Caitanya. You are the deliverer of the fallen souls. You do not tolerate any statement against the teachings of devotional service enunciated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]
vipralambha-rasāmbhodhe pādāmbujāya te namaḥ
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja [the spiritual master of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is renunciation personified. He is always merged in a feeling of separation and intense love of Kṛṣṇa.]
gaura-śakti-svarūpāya rūpānuga-varāya te
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda, who is the transcendental energy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is a strict follower of the Gosvāmīs, headed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]
vaiṣṇava-sārvabhaumaḥ śrī-jagannāthāya te namaḥ
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, who is respected by the entire Vaiṣṇava community and who confirmed the discovery of the place where Lord Caitanya appeared.]
patitānāṁ pāvenebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.]
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmātī Rādhārāṇī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.]
bhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ namāmi bhakta-śaktikam
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, who is nondifferent from His features as a devotee, devotional manifestation, devotional incarnation, pure devotee and devotional energy.]
gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[O my dear Kṛṣṇa, O ocean of mercy, O friend of the distressed and the source of creation, O master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṇī, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.]
mat, sarvasva, padām, bhojau, rādhā, madana, mohanau
[Sambandhādhideva Praṇāma]
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[Glory to the all-merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana! I am lame and ill advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me.]
śrīmad, ratna, agāra, siṁha, asana-sthau
śrī śrī, rādhā, śrīla, govinda, devau
preṣṭhā, devī, sevya, mānau, smarāmi
[Abhidheyādhideva Praṇāma]
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[In a temple of jewels in Vṛndāvana, underneath a desire tree, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, served by Their most confidential associates, sit upon an effulgent throne. I offer my most humble obeisances unto Them.]
karṣan, veṇu, svanair, gopīr, gopī, nāthaḥ, śriye, astu, naḥ
[Prayojanādhideva Praṇāma]
svāhā, svāhā, svāhā
[Śrī Śrīla Gopīnātha, who originated the transcendental mellow of the rāsa dance, stands on the shore in Vaṁśīvaṭa and attracts the attention of the cowherd damsels with the sound of His celebrated flute. May they all confer upon us their benediction.]
Now stand up with one banana each.
go, brāhmaṇa, hitāya ca
jagad, dhitāya, kṛṣṇāya
govindāya, namo, namaḥ
[Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.19.65]
[I offer my respectful obeisances to the Supreme Absolute Truth, Krishna, who is the well-wisher of the cows and the brahmanas as well as the living entities in general. I offer my repeated obeisances to Govinda [Krishna], who is the pleasure reservoir for all the senses.]
Just put like this, slowly. Yes. Thank you.
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
[My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.]
Bow down. Bow down.
śrīmate bhaktivedānta svāmin iti nāmine
Jaya. Go on. Be happy. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
So? Next. Come on. You have no dress? You have no dress? All right.
Devotee: Kīrtana, Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Go on, kīrtana.
[Prabhupāda gives first line of Gāyatrī, devotee repeats word for word]
oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur vareṇyam bhargo devasya dhīmahi dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt
[44:20]
Now, your Godbrothers will teach you how to... Who is next? Who is next? Who is next?
[kīrtana] [indistinct conversation with Prabhupāda during kīrtana]
...otherwise they will go away. Little, little. Very little, little. There are so many varieties. [indistinct] [kīrtana] [end]