Chapter Ten

Sri Jayananda, the Perfect

Receptacle of Sri Guru's Grace 

Lord Krishna told Arjuna,

“Those who are My direct devotees

are actually not My devotees,

but those who are the devotees of My servant

are factually My devotees.”

(Adi Purana)

The thing that enchanted everyday ordinary people who met Jayananda was how he had this big huge body. He was a really big man, and yet he was so childlike and innocent with youthful exuberance. He was buoyant and carefree, and unfettered by the heavy weight of troubles and woes that everybody usually carries on their shoulders throughout the day. He was bubbling with enthusiasm and optimism. At a glance, people usually think that a childlike innocence in a big grown-up body means that the person is childishly naive or grossly immature, or even has a touch of lunacy. But after they talked with Jayananda, they understood that his gaiety and spirit sprang from a deep lake of philosophy and conviction, built upon the foundation of a profound gravity. Thus they were doubly amazed and charmed by his acquain­tance.

I found the following verse of Srimad Bhagavatam very descrip­tive of Jayananda: 

Therefore I do not find a greater person

than he who has no interest outside of Mine

and who therefore engages and dedicates

all his activities and all his life – everything –

unto Me without cessation.

(Srimad Bhagavatam 3.29.33)

This pegs Jayananda to a tee, in that he was always giving everything – his life, his energy, all his activities – unto Krishna and Sri Guru. He had absolutely no interests outside of Krishna. Therefore we cannot find a greater person, as Sri Krishna says in this verse.

He always turned the situation into Krishna Consciousness

I also found the following verse of Srimad Bhagavatam very descriptive of Jayananda: 

As the chariot of air carries an aroma from its source

and immediately catches the sense of smell,

similarly, one who constantly engages in devotional service,

in Krishna Consciousness, can catch the Supreme Soul,

who is equally present everywhere.

(Srimad Bhagavatam 3.29.20)

Here again, Sri Jayananda was constantly engaged in service, devotional service to Krishna, in Krishna Consciousness, and in this mood, he could always catch the supreme soul everywhere. In other words, he could always turn the situation into Krishna Consciousness, no matter who was there or what was happen­ing.

Don't sleep but hear

Jayananda told me one time how back in the Frederick Street temple devotees would sometimes bring their sleeping bags to class and they'd be sleeping there while Jayananda was the only one listening to Srila Prabhupada. Here is where we can see Jayananda's success in spiritual life. He was eager to hear from his spiritual master. In this way Jayananda pleased his Guru­deva, and was thus empowered to perform extraordinary devotional service.

Jayananda always thinking of Srila Prabhupada

Jayananda was telling me another time about how Srila Prabhu­pada came to California for some rest and recovery. Srila Prabhupada had just been through a health crisis and was very weak, and he came to see the devotees at the time of the 1967 Ratha-yatra in San Francisco. Jayananda was still lamenting, eight years later, over how he felt that he made the mistake of finding Srila Prabhupada a place to stay in Stinson Beach, which was so many miles up the coast from San Francisco. Jayananda and the devotees thought that the beach would be sunny and healing, but it turned out that the sun was always behind the clouds, and every morning the early rays were blocked by the easterly mountains. Consequently Srila Prabhupada was feeling cold all the time and not getting any sun, and thus he was not getting any better. This was eight years later and Jayananda was still feeling bad and thinking about Srila Prabhupada's inconve­nience, and how he picked the wrong place for him to rest. This caused Srila Prabhupada to make the serious decision to return to India for more sun and warm weather. This in turn caused major apprehension for the devotees, as they didn't know if they would ever see Srila Prabhupada again.

Now it all makes perfect sense

As Dasaratha-suta Prabhu told me, so many people have said to him that life makes no sense, that the Movement often makes no sense, but when they hear the life of Jayananda, then everything makes perfect sense. Jayananda had this power, he always had this supreme enthusiasm, or in Greek, en thios, meaning “in God.” Empowered devotees have a power coming directly from God. Jayananda had an energy like a powerful electric current coming straight from the power plant of Krishna. Srila Prabhu­pada talks about this in his purports of the Eighth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam.

That section narrates the pastime of Bali Maharaja and the wars between the demons and demigods. The demons were getting severely beaten, and many were killed, including Bali Maharaja. But his guru, Shukracharya, knew the mystic art of sanjivani, or raising the dead, and he brought Bali back to life. Bali was very grateful to his guru, and served him faithfully. As a result, the brahmana descendants of Bhrigu were very pleased with Bali, and they helped him perform a sacrifice known as “Vishvajit.” Out of this sacrificial fire came a heavenly chariot covered with gold, and yellow horses like those of Indra, and a flag marked with a lion, and a bow and arrows and a quiver, all celestial.

Only by Guru's grace

Then Bali marched upon Indra's city with such power and confidence that Indra could tell, just by looking at him, that he was undefeatable. Indra's guru, Brihaspati, confirmed that Bali was indeed unbeatable due to his service to his guru and by receiv­ing his grace. Brihaspati told Indra that Bali possessed the power of brahma-tejas, and no one could conquer him. At that, all the demigods fled and Bali captured the heavenly realm. But before that happened, Brihaspati told Indra, “Not to worry, for Bali will lose his power later when he criticizes the Vaishnavas.”

In his purports to this narration, Srila Prabhupada tells us that an advanced devotee never claims to have his own strength, but always knows that it is only by the guru's grace and favor that he has any shakti at all. This was totally Jayananda, through and through. He never took credit for anything; he always gave all the credit to Srila Prabhupada. We sing in the morning, “yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado...”

“By the mercy of the spiritual master one receives the benediction of Krishna. Without the grace of the spiritual master one cannot make any advancement. Therefore I should always remember and praise the spiritual master. At least three times a day I should offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master.”

It is only by the mercy of guru and by pleasing the guru that we get any success in spiritual life. Srila Prabhupada says in his purport: “By the pleasure of the spiritual master, one can get extraordinary power, especially in spiritual advancement. The blessings of the spiritual master are more powerful than one's personal endeavor for such advancement...” And later in the purport: “By the parampara system, one can thus be en­dowed with the original spiritual power coming from the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”

Plugged into the original source of power

This we could definitely see in Jayananda – he possessed a great power, he had that power of brahma-tejas, which could only be coming down through the parampara system, which was endowed to him by the grace of Srila Prabhupada. The sanjivani mystic power is another gift of guru. Srila Prabhupada saved us all, we were all dead men before he came to America. Likewise, Jayananda was practically dead before he met Srila Prabhupada. Jayananda had lost all will to continue to live, and then one day he read a newspaper article about Srila Prabhupada and said, “Let me give this a chance.” And in this way, Srila Prabhupada raised him from the dead.

The last part of this Bhagavatam pastime is also a lesson, in which Bali lost his power in the end due to offenses he commit­ted to Vaishnavas. Jayananda knew this truth so very well. He was extremely careful not to criticize devotees or engage in any fault-finding or gossip. He knew that all power would be withdrawn if he ever transgressed this rule of spiritual life. As a result, he never waned in spiritual power, he was fully strong spiritually up to the end of life.

Therefore, we should all obey Srila Prabhupada and follow the example of Jayananda. By following in his footsteps, then we may also please Srila Prabhupada and receive his mercy, thus getting plugged into the original power house, the current coming through parampara directly from Krishna. Oh, my dear Jayananda, please give me a spark of your power and devotion, so as to get me out of maya someday ... and then I will see you and be with you again.

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Jayanandanugas – lower-than-straw devotees give tribute to Jayananda Thakur

Jayananda was very eager to see everyone engaged in Krishna's service. He once wrote, “When I reflect on my consciousness had I not had association with devotees and Srila Prabhupada, I shudder to imagine the nightmare I would be in. If we could become a little dedicated to distributing the mercy, so many could be saved so much suffering.” – from Remembering Jayananda by Kalakantha Dasa

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I especially appreciate your inclination to notice that Srila Prabhupada has bonafide disciples, thus authenticating his position as Jagat Guru. In the kanistha rush to find new gurus, many forget to approach his disciples to find his life still intact, as well as the lives of all the acharyas and Vaishnavas still intact. His disciples are often hidden by their Vaishnava qualities and their adherence to the principles given in Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's Siksastakam. Not chair grabbers, they are content to always remain at His feet, birth after birth. To sing the names, pastimes, and glories of such disciples of Sri Vaishnava Acharya is pure nectarean transcendental activity, and is the thoroughly recom­mended process to instill and maintain memory of the sankirtan Movement. All glories to Sriman Jayananda Prabhu, whose very life is always spent in the service to Vaishnava Thakur. Where would any of us be without the instructions of Sri Shiksha-gurudeva? Hari-bol, friend, keep the sweetness of your page going. – Your servant, Mahaksha Dasa

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 By his example, Jayananda Prabhu exemplified the term godbrother. He was just so kind and unpretentious. His motiva­tion was Prabhupada. The verses I read to learn the qualities of true devotional sainthood remind me how fortunate I am to have Srila Prabhupada and Srila Prabhupada's Jayananda in my life continuously. – Dhanistha Dasi 

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Yes, your dear teacher, Jayananda Thakur, writes so nicely. The “real” Vaishnavas can do this, they have the ability to write from other worlds for our benefit. Just meditate on his ability to take away all party spirit, demonstrate parampara as disciplic succes­sion, to enable children to be happy in Krishna Consciousness simply by the attempt to follow in his footsteps. Srila Prabhupada enables his disciples, headed by the likes of Jayananda Thakur, to give this love, and the giving just increases on its own and spreads around to all who come into contact with it. – Your friend, Mahaksha Dasa

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