Reading from Study Guide: 'Doctrines like those of the Nadia-nagaris, a class of so-called devotees, are never presented by authorized persons like Svarupa Damodara or the Six Goswamis. The ideas of the Nadia-nagaris are simply mental concoction, and they are completely on the mental platform.'

HH BVPS Maharaja: Because it's just about enjoyment. It's just about enjoyment because He is a Nagara, so He can do what He likes, so, therefore, He can do this, He can do that, and so then they take their their own part in it. 

Reading from Study Guide: 'Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 4.41 Purport, Footnote further quotes from Srila Prabhupada, ''Therefore my Guru Maharaja did not did not approve the parties. They are called Gauranga-nagari, they accept Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu as Krishna. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna, but they pose Him Krishna as enjoying with the gopis, no. That is called Gauranga-nagari bhava. No, Krishna has appeared now as devotee, so you must help Him how He can become a best devotee, not that pose Him into Krishna position. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu came in Vrindavan, so many people called Him, ''You are Krishna, you are Vishnu,'' He was doing this: ''Don't say like this! Don't say like this!'' to warn future generation who would like to become Krisna's Avatar, so-called Avatar.'' Srila Prabhupada's lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.6, October 17, 1972.'

HH BVPS Maharaja: So it's a matter of their imposing the wrong mood. Then next quote...

Reading from Study Guide: 'There's a class of devotees called Gauranga-nagari who stage plays of Krishna's pastimes using a vigraha or form of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This is a mistake.'

HH BVPS Maharaja: Right? In other words, it's Krishna's pastimes, but Krishna is dressed as Lord Caitanya, so they're showing Lord Caitanya is Krishna, and so therefore He's enjoying in this way. No it's, it's...

Reading from Study Guide: '''This is a mistake that is technically called rasabasa. While Caitanya Mahaprabhu was trying to enjoy as a devotee, one should not disturb Him by addressing Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.' CC Adi 7.10 Purport.' 

HH BVPS Maharaja: Yes?

Prabhu (1): I've heard the same argument applied as to why we shouldn't put a peacock feather...

HH BVPS Maharaja: It's amazing, I was just thinking... I was thinking, 'I hope this one doesn't come up.' [Laughter]

Prabhu (1): Sorry, Maharaja... [Laughter]

HH BVPS Maharaja: It's, it's... I don't want to even get into this big... The point is is that... But because we're worshiping through that Pancharatric element, you know, as the Deity, then the point is is, you're recognizing the element that this is Krishna, right? But it's not a matter of disturbing the mood. And i'll give one example, and, hopefully, that's good enough. Okay, let us say that there's something that the boy likes to wear. Does the girl have any problem, his girlfriend, does she have any problem wearing that? Let's say, he has a favorite jacket, and it's cold, and so then she wears the jacket. Does she have any problem? Does she think, 'Now I've become my boyfriend'? So what is the meaning of it? 

Prabhu (1): Right. 

HH BVPS Maharaja: Right. So, therefore, the tattva is that He is Krishna, but the mood is, He is Radharani. So Radharani won't have a problem wearing a peacock feather. 

Prabhu (1): Okay.

HH BVPS Maharaja: That's one aspect. Two, if you look at the Goswami temples, look carefully at all the pictures of Radha-Govinda and everybody else, most of the time Radhani is wearing a peacock feather. 

Prabhu (1): Yeah.

HH BVPS Maharaja: Right? Why? Because Krishna wears one, so She likes to wear it because it reminds Her of Krishna. So then, again, it doesn't bother Them. Third thing is that how does Krishna wear a peacock feather? Where did that come from? Do you understand? Krishna was sporting, I think, with Kalindi, and Radharani came along, so then she turned back into the river, He turned into a black snake. Now, who catches snakes? Peacock! So She turned into a peacock and defeated Him. So then because of being defeated by Radharani as a peacock then He always wears a peacock feather. So: peacock feathers and Radharani - no problem! [Laughter]

Do you understand? It's not a problem. And if you say, 'Okay, well, then only Lord Caitanya, not Balarama or anybody else, Nityananda,' or this or that. The point is, when the cowherd boys go out with the cows, and they go into the forest, there's peacock feathers laying all over the ground. What do they do with them? They pick them up and put them on. The cows wear them! What's the big deal? The point is, Krishna ALWAYS wears them. The others may or may not wear them. It's not necessary that they wear, but it's not that they can't wear them. But Krishna always wears one. 

So the thing is, it's like this. If when Prabhupada was here there were no peacock feathers on Lord Caitanya, he didn't appreciate it, he didn't... And after he left and somebody was really determined, just thought it looked really good, started putting them on, then this discussion has a real meaning. But if They were always wearing peacock feathers and Prabhupada really didn't care, then what does that mean? It's not that important of a thing. So, in other words, interpret it in that way, then support. So it's not that He has to wear a peacock feather, but there's no problem. I mean, look at all the old pictures, any of the paintings when Prabhupada was here. Vishnu wears a peacock feather, Nrisimhadeva wears a peacock feather, that's why you know it's Krishna. You know what i'm saying? The point is, when the gopis see Krisna as Nrisimhadeva, who are they seeing? Krishna as Nrisimhadeva.

Just like, let's say, there's a drama, and it's put on by people you know. Then part of the fun is figuring out who is what part, right? So it's more soft, it's more gentle. The thing is, if you get all like this and that aspect, then when it comes to the aratik then, you know, 'Hey, it doesn't matter!' You know what I'm saying? So the rules that do matter are where we don't care, and the ones that don't really matter, that becomes the 'make it or break it' deal. So these things, peacock feather, the fall of the soul, these things, these are not actually important issues. But they make them into it, they become.

Prabhu (1): Thanks, Maharaja, I didn't realize that people approached you before...

HH BVPS Maharaja: Oh, i've been been dealing with this one for, you know... I don't know... Yeah, 25 years or something like that, the peacock feather things. I always find this really annoying.

Prabhu (2): I see sometimes He has even two peacock feathers, Madhava.

HH BVPS Maharaja: Two?

Prabhu (2): Two, not only one, he has two.

HH BVPS Maharaja: I mean, they are nice. Any of the things, means, all those things, they are curly like this, those are just made out of single feathers. So those are also peacock feathers. The point is is, He wears peacock feathers. Now whether it's one or whether it's many, or...

Prabhu (2): So we could put a few?

HH BVPS Maharaja: Yeah, you can put a whole bunch, just that they should look nice. The point is, He shouldn't look, you know, stupid. In other words, don't just stick a peacock fan on his head or something like that. The gopis would be laughing about that. So main thing, it looks nice. He should have a peacock feather. Now, if Krishna didn't have a peacock feather Prabhupada would make a comment, but if Lord Caitanya didn't have a peacock feather, he didn't make a comment. But if He did have one, it doesn't matter because Radharani sometimes wears peacock feathers.

(From Lecture on Apasampradayas, Part 21, Bhaktivedanta Academy, Sridham Mayapur)

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