That evening Srila Gurudeva returned to the house he had stayed at during his previous visit to Singapore to speak, where he had been invited by Elangovan.

Srila Gurudeva started his class by talking about the nature of the material world. However much one has, one is never satisfied, and always hankers for something more. To illustrate this, he told the story from the Srimad-Bhagavatam about Citraketu Maharaja.

"He was an unlimitedly wealthy king, possessing everything a man could desire. He had more than one lakh beautiful and qualified wives. But there was one problem. All of them were barren. One day the great sage Angirah Rsi who was travelling all over the universe came to visit Citraketu. Angirah Rsi was self-satisfied. He had not come to beg. Citraketu received him with great honor and Angirah Rsi, being pleased, asked him if his life was happy in all respects. Citraketu then said that he had no son, and he begged Angirah Rsi to bless him with one. Angirah Rsi told Citraketu that he did not have the karma to get a son, no matter how many wives he might have. But Citraketu persisted with his request: 'Yes, but by your blessings it can still happen.' Angirah tried to persuade him to do bhajana and in this way become truly happy. Citraketu answered him: 'Yes, I will do this, but will you please bless me with a son first?' Because Citraketu was so attached to this desire, Angirah Rsi performed a yajna on his behalf. When it was complete, the sage told Citraketu to give the offering from the yajna to his most qualified wife, whose name was Krtadyuti. Although it was not possible for Citraketu to have a son since he did not have the necessary karma, Angirah was still able to arrange it. Being more powerful than lakhs and lakhs of Sankaracaryas, he retained his form as a sage, and simultaneously entered the womb of Krtadyuti to become her son. This is not written in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Angirah Rsi only wanted to teach Citraketu a lesson. He told the king that he would have a son, who would be the cause of both happiness and misery. Hearing this, the king thought: 'Oh, maybe he won't obey me, but at least I can go to the forest, and leave my kingdom to him.' Citraketu was very anxious to have a son, because he wanted his lineage to continue so that his son and their descendents would offer pinda to him and his forefathers in his afterlife, thus saving him from hell. In this world we commit so much sin, such as eating flesh. Even unknowingly, we kill so many insects and worms, simply by walking, simply by breathing. So, besides some rare exceptions, everyone is going to hell. Therefore it is the Vedic custom to offer prasada to one's forefathers. The offering is called sraddha, oblations. It is necessary.

"Citraketu thought that he could not exist without a son, but Angirah Rsi told him that it was no solution. Even lakhs of sons could not help him, but only give more problems.

"In due course of time Citraketu's son was born, and he was extremely beautiful. Citraketu and Krtadyuti became excessively attached to him, and Citraketu now completely neglected his other wives. Receiving no attention from Citraketu, they began to think that they were better off before this child had been born. Plotting together, they decided to kill Citraketu's son. When the child was alone they gave him poisoned milk. By the effect of the poison the boy began to convulse, his body became black and within a short time he was dead. When his parents discovered him, their grief was unlimited. Just as they were weeping wretchedly, so did all the rest of their subjects, yet none cried so loudly as the guilty queens. Upon this pitiful scene, Angirah Rsi and Narada Muni descended. Seeing Citraketu and Krtadyuti weeping, Narada Muni told them to stop, saying that he would bring their son back to life. He invited their son to return to his body, to now enjoy his father's kingdom in the company of friends, family and parents. As soon as he had spoken, the young boy sat up, and Narada Muni urged him to speak to his parents, who had given him so much love and affection. When he heard this, Citraketu's son, said to them: 'Why should I accept these people as my parents? I have traveled in so many births, and have had so many parents. Krsna is everything to me, but, forgetting Him for five years I came and took birth as their son.' By hearing the boy speak, Citraketu and Krtadyuti became free from illusion, and gave up their excessive attachment for their son, who was in fact Angirah Rsi.

"Citraketu wanted to receive mantra so he begged this from the two rsis."

Devotee: "Who gave the mantra - Angirah Rsi or Narada Muni?"

Srila Gurudeva: "Narada Muni. He gave the Sankarsana-mantra to both Citraketu and Krtadyuti. Narada Muni and Angirah Rsi both humbly requested each other to initiate the king and his wife.

'You should give them mantra.'

'No, I am so unqualified, you should do it'.

Not like today when so-called gurus fight over followers instead.

'He is my disciple'

'No, he is mine!'

Bogus gurus are changing their moods twenty, thirty times a day. When they leave Krsna consciousness we think

'Oh, he has fallen down'

but it is not that they fell, they were always fallen. Guru must at least be a madhyama, liberated. We see that sannyasis say you should not go to hear from any qualified person. But if one is without vaisnava sanga he cannot develop his Krsna consciousness. So if a leader is saying to the devotees that they shouldn't go to hear from any vaisnava, then it means that he's doing all kinds of nonsense. It is the most serious offence.

"If a man decorates himself to look like a beautiful woman, and another man becomes attracted, then he will be horrified when he sees his beautiful consort without clothes and realizes his mistake. Similarly, for a self-realized soul it is quite hilarious to see conditioned souls marrying one another thinking themselves to be men and women. Really we are all female, and Krsna is the only object of love. Even Baladeva and Nityananda are the asraya of love to Him. Krsna has come with his hladini-sakti as a mantra Hare Krsna. The meaning of this is Radha Krsna. Don't remember only Krsna. Without light the sun is zero, so similarly Krsna without Srimati Radharani is also zero, nirvisesa-brahma. You can only know these things from bonafide guru. Without such guru, you cannot make progress. Although you may be chanting and remembering the only result you will get will be wealth, reputation, maybe heaven or mukti, but not more than that. So those who don't have such a guru should very quickly take shelter of such a person, otherwise lakhs and lakhs of lifetimes may pass before another chance."

The next day, most of us left for Bali, while Srila Gurudeva remained in Singapore until 17th December. His short visit to Singapore was most successful, at the end of which he gave harinama to five new disciples.

end

Many thanks to Pundarika prabhu who patiently read through this after I had finished it and corrected any mistakes.

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