Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja
WE ARE ONE FAMILY
Part 3 of “From ‘Another’ Group” 
Los Angeles, California: May 30, 2000

[Dear Respected Harikatha Readers,
Please accept our humble obeisances. Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja’s words, being one with the words of Krsna and sastra, are ever-fresh. Therefore, whereas in the following lecture he teaches the ISKCON devotees the real meaning of ISKCON, so in application to his own sanga, he is at the same time teaching its real meaning of the International Pure Bhakti Yoga Society:]
 
I pray to my siksa-guru, my friend, and also my sannyasa guru-bhai (godbrother). I have so many kinds of relations with him – so many. We used to talk, sitting on the same bed, the same chair, joking about so many things. Though I treated him as my siksa-guru, he never saw me as a disciple. He told me, “Our relationship is transcendental.” I was so fortunate that as his last service he told me, “Give me samadhi.” I am so much obliged to him, because he gave me so many services.
  
I know that he has not established anything new. He gave the same Krsna consciousness, but with an English name. It is coming from Krsna Himself; He is the root. In this world, in this ISKCON, Brahma is the first acarya. Then, Brahma’s son Narada, who is also his disciple, is the second ISKCON acarya. And Narada’s elder brothers and teachers, the four Kumaras, are also ISKCON devotees. Whatever is performed by those who love and serve Radha-Krsna conjugal, is performed to please Them.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu are also the real ISKCON. We should try to know that we are all in one family – all. Anyone who is following even a little bit, who is chanting and remembering Krsna in the line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu – they are ISKCON. They may be in saffron cloth and sannyasa apparel, or they may be in the grhastha asrama, with or without family, alone, or anywhere. All are in ISKCON. That is why the follower of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Rupa Gosvami, has instructed us to honor all devotees who are in ISKCON, from top to bottom: kanistha-adhikaris, madhyama-adhikaris, uttama-adhikaris, and also uttama-uttama-uttama-adhikaris. We have to respect everyone; otherwise we are not ISKCON devotees.

krsneti yasya giri tam manasadriyeta
diksasti cet pranitam ca bhajantam isam
susrusaya bhajana-vijnam ananyam anya-
nindadi-sunya-hrdam ipsita-sanga-labdhya
(Nectar of Instruction Text 5)

[“One should mentally honor the devotee who chants the holy name of Lord Krsna, one should offer humble obeisances to the devotee who has undergone spiritual initiation and is engaged in worshiping the Deity, and one should associate with and faithfully serve that pure devotee who is advanced in undeviated devotional service and whose heart is completely devoid of the propensity to criticize others.”]

Srila Rupa Gosvami never said that we should only respect our godbrothers, or that we should only respect those in his own line. Never. Whoever is serving Radha-Krsna anywhere in this world, we should honor him. Even beginners, those who accept that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and who also want to serve Radha and Krsna, are also to be honored. If one is not initiated, but he is not offensive and he is not associating with mayavadis, then he should also be considered as an ISKCON devotee; but as a kanistha-adhikari. Those who have given up all nonsense things, anarthas and misconduct, and who are not criticizing anyone – not even those who are fit to be criticized – and who are always chanting and remembering Krsna, are madhyama-adhikari. There are so many categories in madhyama-adhikari: madhyama-kanistha, madhyama-madhyama, madhyama-uttama, and we should try to respect these madhyama-adhikaris according to their degree of devotion.

We should also honor those who are superior, who are serving Radha-Krsna conjugal in asta-kaliya-lila. They have no time to criticize anyone. Offering pranama to all, paying respect to all, they think that everyone is serving Radha-Krsna conjugal. They are more than Prahlada Maharaja. We should understand that they are maha-bhagavatas.

krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih
kriyatam yadi kuto ’pi labhyate
tatra laulyam api mulyam ekalam
janma-kotibhis sukrtibhair na labhyate
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madya-lila 8.69)

[“‘Pure devotional service in Krsna consciousness cannot be had even by pious activity in hundreds and thousands of lives. It can be attained only by paying one price – that is, intense greed to obtain it. If it is available somewhere, one must purchase it without delay.’”]

We should honor such a devotee, whether or not he is a disciple of my Gurudeva. He may be of the Syamananda-parivara, the family or disciplic succession of Syamananda prabhu, or he may be of the  Narottama-parivara, or he may be of the Birabhadra-parivara, that is, Jahnava-parivara; no harm. Wherever he is, we should understand that he is a maha-bhagavata.

I know personally that Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja, my siksa-guru, used to give proper honor to all. Although I was not initiated by him, oh, how he used to honor me. I was not qualified to sit with him in the same line, but still, he used to take me in his lap like a child. When he would see me, he would say, “O, you should sing, I like your singing.” He used to play the mrdanga. I know he was a first-class singer. You can hear on his cassettes that he used to sing in a pathetic tune (a tune revealing his mood of intense separation from Radha-Krsna), coming from his heart. And the hearts of anyone hearing him sing these songs would be melted. This is real kirtana. “Pasu pakhi jhure pasana vidare, suni jara guna gatha.” Srila Locana dasa Thakura sings, “By the mercy of Gaura and Nitai, even the animals and birds cry and the stones melt. Simply my heart has not melted.”

Srila Rupa Gosvami has given instructions that we should try to properly respect all kinds of Vaisnavas. Rupa Gosvami knows the heart of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and your Prabhupada was a Rupanuga Vaisnava. Only very rare persons know what is a Rupanuga; vary rare. But one day we will have to know. Without knowing what is a Rupanuga, we cannot advance. If we do not know all these things, we cannot even become madhyama-adhikari.

Srila Svami Maharaja came to this world with a mission of ISKCON – Vaisnavism. What was that? It is the same mission as that of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And who is Mahaprabhu? The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna Himself. But He is also more than that; He is not only Krsna. He is the combination of both Srimati Radhika and Krsna, and therefore He is not only Krsna; He has combined with Srimati Radhika, His power.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to always be absorbed in Radha’s mood. Radha’s beauty was there, and Her instrinsic mood, which Krsna did not have. Radhika has adhirudha mahabhava, and even more than that. Krsna’s mood goes up to mahabhava, but after that, how to serve and to please Krsna, He does not know. He will have to learn by going to the school of Visakha devi, and sometimes to Lalita devi. Without the help of Lalita and Visakha, He cannot relish the mood of Srimati Radhika.

So, this was the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu – to give service to Srimati Radhika. Krsna Himself could not do this, but when He took the beauty and the intrinsic mood of Radhika, then He could relish everything in the Gambhira under the guidance of Svarupa Damodara (Lalita) and Ramananda Raya (Visakha). And what was Gadadhara Pandita doing? He was watching to see if Mahaprabhu was playing His role perfectly or not. If He was making some mistake, Sri Gadadhara Pandita, in the mood of Radhika, would ‘twist the ears’ of Krsna, He would say, “Oh, You are doing wrong, You should do it like this.” When Mahaprabhu was singing “barhapidam nata-vara-vapu,” Gadadhara Pandita quickly came and said, “You should do it like this,” and he demonstrated:

barhapitam nata-vara-vapuh karnayoh karnikaram
bibhrad vasah kanaka-kapisam vaijayantim ca malam
randhran venor adhara-sudhayapurayan gopa-vrndair
vrndaranyam sva-pada-ramanam pravisad gita-kirtih
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.21.5)

[“Wearing a peacock-feather ornament upon His head, blue karnikara flowers on His ears, a yellow garment as brilliant as gold, and the Vaijayanti garland, Lord Krsna exhibited His transcendental form as the greatest of dancers as He entered the forest of Vrndavana, beautifying it with the marks of His footprints. He filled the holes of His flute with the nectar of His lips, and the cowherd boys sang His glories.”]

He was perspiring, his heart melting, and his tears were falling like heavy rain. There was some defect in Krsna, and Gadadhara Pandita therefore instructed Him. To think that Krsna had taken away the beauty and intrinsic mood of Radhika and become Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and that Radhika as Rukmini now became Gadadhara Pandita is quite wrong. It is not like this.
 
Pujyapada Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja came for the same object and mission as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu – that the jivas should be given raga-marga. They should know who Srimati Radhika is, and what are all Her moods. When Srila Svami Maharaja came to New Jersey, Boston, and New York, however, he realized that he  had to cut so many jungles. If the land is not fertile, how can give the seed of this bhakti be given? The jungles were very dense and wild, with so many wild beasts, dangerous animals, and poisonous snakes. It took time, but he kept everything reserved in his books. He told his disciples to read about the life and character of Prahlada Maharaja, Citraketu Maharaja, and others.

He had so little time, because the bell rang. Krsna called him, “I cannot be without you. I need your service. Please come at once.” He was then bound to go to his Prabhu. One may say that he has given everything in his books. Yes, he has given everything. But you will have to go deep, through the association of any pure Vaisnava:

yaha bhagavata pada vaisnavera sthane
ekanta asraya kara caitanya carane
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila 5. 131)

[“If you want to understand Srimad-Bhagavatam,” he said, “you must approach a self-realized Vaisnava and hear from him. You can do this when you have completely taken shelter of the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.”]

A so-called Vaisnava cannot give you these truths. If one is not following, what will be the result? He will not understand. No one can remain in the same class for twenty or twenty five years, or for his whole life, or forever. If he is not advancing, improving, then he must fall down; and that is now becoming the fact. Prabhupada’s disciples came with so much honor to serve Krsna. This desire is there, and they are engaged in so many things. However, they don’t have any way to advance, and that is why their whole way is blocked. Where will they go? They are sure to go down.

We should not always remain in the kanistha-adhikari stage. There should be a way to go up to something superior, but our minds will not go there. We should try to make advancement through someone who is superior, through those who are practically serving, whose minds are there, who know Prabhupada’s mood, and who know the very deep process of Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami that Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja has written about in his books. We should try to go very deep.

You can see the sloka:

                                        tan-nama-rupa-caritadi-sukirtananu-
                                        smrtyoh kramena rasana-manasi niyojya
                                        tisthan vraje tad-anuragi jananugami
                                        kalam nayed akhilam ity upadesa-saram 
                                        (Nectar of Instruction, Verse 8)

[“The essence of all advice is that one should utilize one’s full time – twenty-four hours a day – in nicely chanting and remembering the Lord’s divine name, transcendental form, qualities and eternal pastimes, thereby gradually engaging one’s tongue and mind. In this way one should reside in Vraja and serve Krsna under the guidance of devotees. One should follow in the footsteps of the Lord’s beloved devotees, who are deeply attached to His devotional service.”]

                                       
Srila Svamiji Maharaja has explained the mood of Rupa Gosvami so well. If a person has many worldly desires and is full of anarthas, no harm. If he has some greed to serve Radha-Krsna conjugal in the line of Rupa Gosvami, he can do so. He can think of Radha-Krsna conjugal. He can sing, ‘”Radha-Krsna prana mora, yugula kisora’” and also, “’Rupa raghunatha pade haibe akuti, kabe hama bujhabose yugala  piriti.” What is the meaning?

Prema-prayojana dasa: When will I become eager to follow in the footsteps of Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami? Only then will I be able to realize what is the priti, the love and affection between Radha and Krsna.

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: How will this be possible? By the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu. “Ara kabe Nitaicandra.” Nityananda Prabhu’s mercy is essential. I have heard Srila Svami Maharaja sing this song: “Parama karuna, pahu dui jana, nitai gauracandra; saba avatara sara siromani kevala ananda kanda.” Even in the beginning, we realize the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu. But why has Srila Narottama dasa Thakura prayed to Rupa-Raghunatha? Srila Rupa Gosvami is the heart of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sri Rupa-Raghunatha can give the service of Radha-Krsna conjugal. Nityananda Prabhu can also give it, but not in the shape of Baladeva Prabhu or Nityananda Prabhu. He can give it in the shape of Ananga Manjari. Rupa Gosvami is Rupa Manjari. He can give all the moods to serve Srimati Radhika. 
  
We should try to know these truths and advance from kanistha-adhikari to madhyama. Then we will never fall down. A taste will come, and when that taste comes in chanting, remembering, and hearing hari-katha, then Krsna will manifest in the heart and purify it. We will become madhyama-kanistha, madhyama-madhyama, madhyama-uttama, and then mahabhagavata-kanistha. So we should try to know all these things, and try to have all these things.

First we should try to have taste. How will it come? If you are not always associating with high class of Vaisnavas, even your chanting and remembering will not do. Never. Srila Sukadeva Gosvami has therefore given the process: FIRST sravanam, and THEN kirtanam, and then serving and meditating. Sravana, hearing, should be done. Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srimad-Bhagavatam have both told:

dharmah svanusthitah pumsam
visvaksena-kathasu yah
notpadayed yadi ratim
srama eva hi kevalam
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.16.43)

[“Duties (dharma) executed by men, regardless of occupation, are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Supreme Lord.” Following a system of religion that does not awaken one’s Krsna consciousness, or God consciousness, is merely a waste of time and labor.”]  What is the meaning?

Syamarani dasi: If someone is following all the principles of varnasrama, following all the regulations, and following the Vedas, but he doesn’t have any taste for hearing from the topmost sadhus…

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Even if he is chanting and serving in so many ways; even if he is reading the books, but…

Syamarani dasi: If he doesn’t have any taste for hearing from pure sadhus about the sweet lila and glories of Krsna, then all of his activities come to zero.

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Yes. You should always know this. Chanting alone will not do. It will not be first-class, or pure.  If you are hearing hari-katha, then your chanting of the Holy Name will be pure. The Holy Name is always pure. “Purna suddha nitya mukta abhinatvad nama namine.” The Nama is always Krsna Himself. They are not different. But we cannot realize this. We must always be hearing, and hearing, from realized souls.

Narada can tell anyone, any creature, even just by looking at him, “Oh, you should now be a high-class maha-bhagavata.’” Simply by telling someone this, he can make that person become like himself. A madhyama-bhagavata cannot do this. He will give his association and hari-katha. A kanistha-adhikari can only tell that, “You should come to my Gurudeva; you should come to this pure devotee.” He can only tell this much. On one hand all this is mercy, but Narada can at once say, “O, Krsna-prema should come, and you should dance and sing.” He has the capacity to tell that, because he has controlled Krsna in his heart by his services. He is therefore a maha-maha-maha-bhagavata.

I request everyone to remember that we are in the one family of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja’s mission was to give this vision. He came to these western countries where there was no sign of bhakti, where all were engaged in sense gratification. They were always accustomed to take beef and so many things. Mercifully, in a year or two, he changed the whole world. It was a miracle. He translated so many books, and by his mercy he accepted so many disciples who were very powerful at that time. He inspired them and engaged them through his teachings everywhere he went. He made them all so powerful that you cannot imagine it.

I know that in France and other areas Bhagavan prabhu was so famous. He made a big school, New Mayapura, where there were more than three hundred devotees and also a big gosala. You cannot imagine. However, when I went to see that place two years ago, I saw that all the land and trees were weeping. There was no life there; it was like a desert. When Srila Svami Maharaja used to sing there, he was weeping in ecstasy. But what became of it all after he left? So I request him (Bhagavan) also, “You can not be happy in this world, my dear friend Bhagavan prabhu. This world can cheat you. You will never be happy. You should therefore have strong faith in your Gurudeva. He was not any ordinary person; he was transcendental. He came from there, for the enlightenment of all.”

I think it will be better that you remain where you are:

jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva
jivanti san-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam
sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir
ye prayaso ’jita jito ’py asi tais tri-lokyam
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.3)

[”Lord Brahma said, ‘O my Lord Krsna, a devotee who abandons the path of empiric philosophical speculation aimed at merging in the existence of the Supreme and engages himself in hearing Your glories and activities from a bona fide sadhu, or saint, and who lives an honest life in the occupational engagement of his social life, can conquer Your sympathy and mercy even though You are ajita, or unconquerable.’”]

All have seen that in this world there is no happiness. There are so many problems and problems. These problems are like poisonous snakes, and death is like a tiger. We cannot say when we will die. Problems are coming one after another, like very large waves–twelve feet and even twenty feet. So I request you all, not to come down. Try to have a taste in the Name and in hari-katha. And, when you hear that a good, bona fide devotee is coming and giving classes, you should certainly attend. This will bring you a taste in all these devotional activities. All your paths will be thus open, and then you can go up very soon and very easily. You will see that your Guruji is smiling and saying, ”Oh, I am very lucky that you have come. Now we should all serve Radha and Krsna conjugal.”
            
So we should be like a family – not thinking that we are enemies. There should be no fear at all. Why fear? If we want to serve Radha-Krsna conjugal in the same line as our predecessor acaryas, why fear? Helping each other, therefore, we should follow the mission of Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddanta Saraswati Thakura, our Gurudeva, and Srila Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis; and be happy. Then we may see that ISKCON will be changed. I went to so many places in the world, and I saw that nowadays hardly anyone honors ISKCON leaders, nor their godbrothers, nor even third-class devotees. No one honors anyone. That is why they are losing so much. If they properly respect each other, and also chant and remember, they must improve.

Gaura Premanande!

We Have Not Come to Make A Group

Part 2 of “From Another Group”

Berlin, June 25, 1999

[The following are excerpts from the lectures of Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja, who wants the members of his international sanga, the International Pure Bhakti Yoga Society, to come to perfection. To that end, he wants his sanga to be non-sectarian. As he was inspiring members of other spiritual institutions years ago to be non-sectarian and to seek out and hear from any pure devotee in Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s line, no matter what ‘group’ that pure devotee appears to be in, so his words of instruction and inspiration also apply now, to his own society. Last week we sent you Srila Maharaja’s lecture called “From Another Group,” and these excerpts below are called Part 2 of that.] 

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: If you want liberation, you can have that in a moment. If you want Vaikuntha, that is very easy. If you want to be a queen of Krsna in Dvaraka, He has 16,108 and He can make you the 16,109^th or 10^th – very easily. Any devotee in the line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu rejects this, thinking, “Krsna, I don’t want this. I don’t want to see You without Your flute and peacock feather. If You are Yasoda-nandana and Vrajendra-nandana, if You identify Yourself as a gopa, being a cowherd boy and following the cowherds, if You are with Radhika and the gopis, then I can worship You. Otherwise, You can stay in Dvaraka. I have nothing to do with You.

Having a relationship with Krsna of Vrndavana is called diksa. If this relationship is not there, there is no diksa. The aspiring devotee has only been admitted into the course of diksa – to have this diksa – and we should honor him.

Prema-prayojana dasa (reading aloud from Sri Upadesamrta Verse 5, translation by Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja ): “One should mentally honor the devotee who chants the holy name of the Lord. One should offer humble obeisances to the devotee who has undergone spiritual initiation…”

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Suppose one is not honoring a devotee who is initiated and is in Mahaprabhu’s line and in the line of his own bona fide gurudeva, who is always respecting others, and who has so much transcendental knowledge. What will happen if one is not honoring him? It is a very great and dangerous offense. Nowadays we don’t care for this, and that is why they are going to hell and becoming ruined. First thing is to honor all devotees who are chanting, whether or not they are initiated, and more honor to those who are initiated, and more to those… again read.

Prema-prayojana dasa (continuing to read aloud): “One should offer humble obeisances to the devotee who has undergone spiritual initiation, diksa, and is engaged in worshiping the Deity. One should associate with and faithfully serve that pure devotee who is advanced in undeviated devotional service and whose heart is completely devoid of the propensity to criticize others.”

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: We should try to follow this instruction. If you are not following the instructions of Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja, you are actually not his initiated disciple – you are millions of miles away from him. You have actually never seen or related to him. First we should try to do this, and then we can say we are his disciples. Try to realize and practice these things. We should be very humble. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally told Raya Ramananda and Svarupa Damodara:

ye-rupe la-ile nama prema upajaya

tahara laksana suna, svarupa-rama-raya

(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Antya-lila, 20.20)

[Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued, “O Svarupa Damodara Gosvami and Ramananda Raya, hear from Me the symptoms of how one should chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra to awaken very easily one’s dormant love for Krsna.”]

He explained how we can chant in such a way that the love and affection of Vraja will come. We are chanting, but no tears are coming and our heart is not melting. We should see in our heart. Bring a thermometer and see “where am I? How much water am I in? Are we on this path of bhakti or not? If we are really chanting, then a taste will come, our heart will melt, tears will come; a taste will come to hear and to respect all devotees. Easily all can come by this. If they are not in my heart, we should think we have done, and are still doing, so many offenses.

We have not come only to make a group, we have not come to make an institution, nor have we come to manage and control. We have come to be devotees – pure devotees. If Krsna consciousness is found anywhere, we can take it from that place.

kiba vipra, kiba nyasi, sudra kene naya

yei krsna-tattva-vetta, sei ‘guru’ haya

(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 8.128)

[“Whether one is a brahmana, a sannyasi or a sudra – regardless of what he is – he can become a spiritual master if he knows the science of Krsna.”]

It is not essential that the pure devotee from whom we hear is a disciple of my gurudeva. He may be a sudra, he may be a sadhu, he may be a sannyasi, he may be a brahmacari, or he may be like a Muslim, like Haridasa Thakura. Such a pure devotee is guru. There is no impediment by designation.

We have not come to make a group of devotees. We have come to realize all the truths of Krsna consciousness. We have come to honor devotees and to develop our devotion to Krsna.

There was once a well, and someone was thinking, “This well was made by my father, so I must take the water only from this well.” After one or two years, that well became contaminated and infested with many worms. The Ganges River was very near, but that person said, “I won’t go to the Ganges. I will take water from the well made by my father.” [In other words, a bona fide guru gives instructions. If the disciple is stuck on his early conception of a particular instruction and after many years cannot go deeper, if he cannot really understand that instruction in terms of his later spiritual needs, he will not make progress. In fact, he may deviate from the path of bhakti. After his bona fide guru’s divine departure, in order to further advance, that disciple requires the association of pure devotees who know the heart of his guru. Another meaning is that after the divine departure of a bona fide guru, the members of the institution he created may become contaminated if they are bereft of pure devotee association. That pure devotee may or may not be from the same institution or group within the institution. – from the editor, based on Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja’s lecture of May 30, 2000.]

What will happen in such a case? That person will become infected by so many diseases. The Ganges is there. You can go and take bath there, and you can drink water from there.

This is the line.

We have not come for any sectarian concerns. We have come to develop our Krsna consciousness. A real guru does not think that his disciples are his property. [*See Endnote 1]

Someone From Any Group

Australia: January 15, 2000:

“I want a revolution like this: we should come to the real path, in the real sense. Krsna will arrange for someone to come after me; and after that anyone else will come, and this will not be ruined. The world will be ruined, but this line is eternal. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has said that this line is eternal. Someone from any group will come.”

Always a Rupanuga Vaisnava

Translated by the Rays of the Harmonist team, “Jewels from the Ocean of Separation,” Kartika, 2005:

“Performing bhajana with the inclination to serve Srimati Radhika is the best type of bhajana. It cannot be said that no one is qualified to perform this kind of bhajana. In this world there is always a rupanuga Vaisnava who is capable of doing such bhajana. Past, present and future – there will always be someone with this qualification. To say otherwise is incorrect, because the world would face destruction if it lacked the presence of such a qualified person.”

[*Endnote 1:

Isvara Puri dasa: Gurudeva, our indoctrination from ISKCON was that the disciple is the property of theguru. But you just mentioned that the disciple is not the guru’s property.

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: The disciple is not his property. The guru tries to make the disciple a very qualified guru like himself, so that very soon the disciple can attain krsna-prema and serve Krsna.

Brajanath dasa: You often say that everyone is the property of Krsna, and guru brings one to Krsna.

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Yes. Not his property, but Krsna’s property – Krsna’s servant, or maidservant. The bona fide guru thinks, “I must help this person. He should become qualified and be engaged in Krsna’s direct service.” Moreover, there is a service that is very mysterious, and that is radha-dasyam(personal service to Srimati Radhika). To whom Krsna is pleased, He will engage as a maidservant of Srimati Radhika.

Brajanath dasa: You have also said that guru becomes very happy when any of his disciples becomes more advanced by receiving guidance from others.

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Yes. He will not be envious.

The Holy Name and Anti-Pollution 
[Excerpts From a lecture given on August 2, 2000]

[Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja gives the solution to subtle and gross pollution – the pollution of sound, the pollutions of poisons caused by words, thoughts and actions.]

“If you are abusing anyone, criticizing anyone, or quarreling with anyone, these sounds will evaporate in the air and it go throughout the whole universe. If you are speaking any nonsense it will not ‘go in vain.’ It will go throughout the whole world by air. An example may be given of a big pond. If you take a stone and throw it into a pond, some waves will be created, and they will touch all ends of the pond. This universe is like that pond, and air is everywhere in the universe. When one chants Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, this will evaporate and create so many waves of air, and those waves will touch everywhere — up to the ends of the world — moving here and there and purifying the entire universe from all these pollutions.

“Krsna is so powerful. He can create the whole universe in a second and He can destroy it, and again he can create so many worlds. He has invested all His mercy, power, and opulence in His names, and therefore they are so powerful. They will very quickly travel throughout the whole universe, by the help of airwaves, and the pollution will be at once gone. You know that the trees, creepers, animals, and insects cannot speak. They cannot understand our language. Still, everyone — not only humans, but trees, creepers, and insects here and there in this universe — will be touched by this powerful name, whether they know it or not. There is no question of whether they are aware or not. They will be touched. If knowingly or unknowingly you are touching fire it will burn you. Similarly, these names are very powerful. They will inject all and they will purify all, whether they know or not.

“Here the trees are very fortunate, the grass is fortunate, and the persons are fortunate — whether they are coming to our classes or not. The trees, creepers, grass and all others are somehow attending our classes by hearing the sound. Moslems don’t say Hari, Krsna, or Rama, but the sound will somehow go and touch them, even if they are in Arabia or Iran. Even hogs, pigs, bears, and other creatures who are in jungles and forests, attacking persons and eating them, will be also be liberated.

“Kirtana is so powerful that if you are meditating on anything, and we are doing kirtana, you cannot continue to meditate. If you are doing kirtana and someone else is not doing kirtana, he is bound to do kirtana by mind. If you cannot meditate, you should chant Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare. This will engage all your senses. You will forget where you are and what you are doing. If you chant louder and louder, all your senses will be controlled and there will be nothing to criticize, and nothing to remember about your bad activities or anything else. Otherwise, without this, while meditating, all kinds of bogus things will come in your head. You cannot check it by yourself, but by kirtana it will be checked very easily

“In this world someone may think that devotees are very selfish. And I also think that you are engaged in selfishness. Those who are actually high class of devotees are not selfish. You can think, “I should have some money to travel here and there.” This is selfishness. “I should also have some money in my pocket to do this for me, or for this purpose.” This is all selfishness.  However, when you will chant Hare Krsna for yourself and others, there is no self-gain. Gradually your heart will be cleared, ceto-darpana-marjana, and then you will realize that your real self interest — the soul of your soul — is Krsna. Therefore, if you are serving Krsna, the whole world, and you, are benefited.

“Don’t believe in money and wealth. Don’t believe in them. To think that they will help, that we will be benefited and happy by money and wealth, is quite wrong. By chanting the name and serving gurudeva, Radha-Krsna Conjugal, Mahaprabhu, and Nityananda Prabhu, you will be so happy that you cannot imagine, and the world will be benefited by this. So try to do nagara-sankirtana without self-gain. If there is any self-gain, let Krsna be the Self here, and we can do anything for His service. If you have so much money, or even some money, in your pockets, so many problems will come.  Sri Sanatana Gosvami left his one associate, Isana. He told him, “You should take that coin and return home. It is like poison.

“You should try to do nagara-sankirtana and distribute books also, but always chant and remember, hear classes, and be in high-class devotee association. And first of all you should not be selfish. Be guru-centered or Krsna centered. They will manage everything.”

Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja
Calling Us To Govardhana

Sri Giridhari Gaudiya Matha, Govardhana, India

November 3, 2002

[Dear Readers,
We are happy to send you this newly published lecture from 2002, wherein Srila Gurudeva, Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja, speaks about Govardhana after having just arrived there. The 2012 parikrama party is now being called by him to Govardhana again. They will be moving there on November 12th and staying in Sri Giridhari Gaudiya Matha:]

We are very lucky that by the causeless mercy of our Gurudeva, Gauranga, Nityananda Prabhu, and Radha-Vinoda-bihari we have now completed our parikrama of Vrndavana, Madhuvana, Talavana, Kumudavana, and Bahulavana, and then Bhadravana, Bhandiravana, Matavana, Baelvana, Lohavana, and Mahavana under the guidance of Vaisnavas.

Only I was lamenting, because although I invited you all, and you came from all over the world – from East and West, and from South and North – I was not with you. I was lamenting that I was missing your company, your good association. I was lamenting so much for that.

But today, I am so happy to see all of you. I used to meet you when I was traveling throughout the world – from East to West, and everywhere. I used to very easily meet you there. So today I am very lucky that you are assembled here in Govardhana, and that our parikrama is going on well and being managed nicely. So much blessings to you all, and among you I have particular blessings for Premananda, Tirtha Maharaja, Vana Maharaja, Aranya Maharaja (now Prema-prayojana dasa), Rasananda prabhu (now Sripad Sridhara Maharaja),  Padmanabha Maharaja, Sadhu Maharaja, Asrama Maharaja, Purandara prabhu (now Sripad Narasimha Maharaja)… all!

Premanandaji is managing the main thing; everything is in his hand. If he stops, then everything will stop. You are giving so much high-class hari-katha, but if you become hungry you are not able to do anything. He is managing the power – the prasadam – and therefore my special mercy is upon him.

Today we are here in Govardhana, who is very kind; very kind. He is so causelessly merciful. I first came here in 1947 with Gurudeva during our Dvaraka parikrama. Coming from Dvaraka, we briefly did Vraja-mandala parikrama and then returned. Then, after that I came here every year for fifty-five years, and each year I performed Vraja-mandala parikrama.

When we started with Gurudeva, there were so many devotees – about five hundred – walking on foot the entire way. At that time he made me the all-in-all responsible for Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha. Then, after his physical departure from the world, we began with only nine or ten devotees. Tirtha Maharaja was also there.

Now I see that you are more than five hundred, and more will come from Delhi, and Mathura to Govardhana. At least two hundred more will come.

So, I am very lucky. I had felt that I was losing. I was thinking, “What will happen this year? Will I be able to doparikrama, or not?” By the causeless mercy of Giriraja Govardhana, I am now among you. Though I cannot walk so much now, after one month I will be in full strength to do parikrama, to walk more than before, to speak more than before, and also to read and write more than before.

(Applause from audience)

I hope that now I will complete the books that I have begun. Very soon Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Ujjvala-nilamani, Brhad-bhagavatamrta, and so many other books will come. Bhajana-rahasya also will come. I am very happy that Krsna has arranged everything very well.

Manasi-ganga parikrama

Today at about seven, we will do parikrama of Manasi-ganga. First we will go to Harideva, because He is the predominating Deity of Giriraja. Then we will go to Brahma-kunda, where Brahma performed austerities for several years. Then we will take the water of Manasi-ganga at Paranga-ghata. There, Krsna came disguised as a boatman and told the gopis, “Oh, come on! I will very quickly take you to the other side. My boat is very, very good, and new; and also I am very strong and expert boatman.”

Harideva

The gopis were somewhat afraid because it was becoming very late in the evening; so they entered the boat, and Krsna took it in the midst of Manasi-ganga. Then, once there, He told them, “My boat is old and has some holes in it. And I am very weak. I am not a good sailor.”

Then, as His boat began to rock up and down, He told them, “You will have to give up all of your yogurt pots.” And they did this. Then He said, “Your ornaments are very heavy. You will have to throw them overboard as well.” And thus He did so many things.

yatraiva gangam anu navi radham

arohya madhye tu nimagna-naukah

krsno hi radhanugalo babhau sa

govardhano me disatam abhistam

[In the middle of Manasi-ganga, Sri Radha was sitting in Krsna’s boat. When the boat began to sink, She tightly clung to His neck. Together They looked very beautiful. May that Govardhana (who provides the setting for this secret lila) fulfill my desire.]

Sri Govardhanastakam by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, verse 7

As the boat was bobbing up-and-down, Srimati Radhika, out of fear, caught hold of Krsna – and that is what He wanted.

So we will go to Paranga-ghata, where Krsna performed His nauka-vilasa (boat pastimes), then to Cakalesvara Mahadeva, and then on to Srila Sanatana Gosvami’s bhajana-kutira.

[From Vraja-mandala Parikrama book – Cakra Tirtha: This place is situated north of Manasi-ganga. Cakresvara Mahadeva, currently known as Cakalesvara, resides here. When Indra poured torrential rains over Vraja, Mahadeva (who is Sadasiva, and therefore visnu-tattva) served Giriraja and the Vrajabasis by holding his trident up like a cakra and protecting them. (Some devotees declare that it was on Mahadevaji’s request that Sudarsana Cakra protected Giriraja Govardhana and Vraja, and that hence Mahadeva’s name is Cakresvara Mahadeva.) The ghata on which Cakresvaraji presides is also called Paranga-ghata. The gopis used to cross Manasi-ganga from here. Sri Krsna would play the part of a boatman and perform boating-pastimes (nauka-vilasa) and other lilas while ferrying the gopis across Bhagavati Manasi-ganga.

     Sri Sanatana Gosvami’s bhajana-kutira: At Cakra Tirtha, opposite Cakalesvara Mahadeva, is Sri Sanatana Gosvami’s bhajana-kutira. Sanatana Gosvami sometimes resided here to perform bhajana, but being disturbed by its menacing mosquitoes, he considered moving elsewhere. At that time, Cakalesvara Mahadeva arrived there in the guise of a brahmana and requested him, “Babaji, please do not move elsewhere. Stay here and freely perform your bhajana. From today, the mosquitoes will no longer trouble you.” Mosquitoes have not caused a disturbance here since. Sanatana Gosvami remained here for some time, and was able to perform his bhajana untroubled.]

And then we will go to Mukharavinda. There, being your representative, I will perform Govardhana puja with milk, flowers, and other paraphernalia.

It may be that I cannot go with the parikrama party on foot. It may be that I will go by car. I will do some parikrama and speak a little, and then I will return here. For at least one full month, and for one month after that, I will have to take rest – and I think that I will take rest in Hawaii – in Vrndavana, by the side of Yamuna. Kalindi, or Yamuna, is there, and the mountains there are Govardhana. So, I will be staying there.

[Later, at Mukharavinda] Here is Mukharavinda, meaning the lotus face of Sri Govardhana. Govardhana’s form is like that of a sitting cow. His hind part is Puchari, or Punchari. He has turned his neck to place his lotus face near his stomach, which is the town of Govardhana. His two eyes are Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda. If we worship Giriraja Govardhana here and give all this maha-prasadam to him, then he will take it in his mouth here. We have therefore done puja and everything here.

[From Vraja-mandala Parikrama book – There is a beautiful temple here with a sila of Giriraja’s mukharavinda. He is given abhiseka, puja and offerings of bhoga every day, and festivals are also organized on Annakuta and Dipavali.]

Who is Giriraja Govardhana? Very briefly, I will tell you that he is the son of Dronacala Parvata. In order to make a bridge to Lanka from Ramesvaram, Ramacandra sent Hanuman and all the monkeys to collect rocks from different parts of India, and therefore they were bringing mountains and various stones. Hanuman jumped from there to the Himalayas and saw this mountain, Giriraja, the small son of Dronacala. He took Giriraja on his hand and jumped back toward Ramesvaram. As he was flying over Vraja he heard an aerial voice from Ramacandra: “The bridge is completed now, and there is no need of bringing any more mountains. So, leave the mountains where they are.” Thus, Hanuman kept Giriraja here.

But why was Giriraja Maharaja left here? Giriraja knew that in Dvapara-yuga Krsna would come with all His powers – Radhika and the gopis, and all other associates. So he considered, “I must be here.”

[From Vraja-mandala Parikrama book [Part Two; Govardhana; The Appearance of Sri Govardhana in Vraja] – According to the Adi-varaha Purana, during the advent of Rama, the monkeys and bears all brought large rocks and stones from many places to construct a bridge across the ocean. On the order of Sri Ramacandraji, Hanumanji was carrying Govardhana to the ocean, having uprooted him from Uttarancala, when he heard a divine sound that announced, “The ocean bridge is now complete, therefore no more rocks are required.” Hearing this, Hanumanji became sad and put Sri Girirajaji down here, where he stands today. Girirajaji also became very unhappy and said to Hanumanji, “You have deprived me of the touch of Sri Rama’s lotus feet. I will curse you.” Hanumanji replied, “Please forgive me. In the next Dvapara-yuga your desire will be fulfilled. At that time, Svayam Bhagavan Sri Krsna will stop the worship of Indra and worship you instead. Angered, Indra will try to destroy Braja with his vajra (thunderbolt) and by sending torrential rains. At this time, Sri Krsna will hold you on His hand to protect Vraja and thus fulfill your desire.”

      Saying this, Hanumanji leapt into the air and arrived at Sri Ramacandraji’s side by the aerial pathways. After narrating the whole incident to Him, Sri Ramacandraji said, “All these rocks, which have been assembled to build the bridge, have been delivered by the touch of My feet. But I shall fulfill the desires of Govardhana by holding him on My hand and touching him with My whole body. At the close of Dvapara-yuga, I shall take birth in the dynasty of the Yadus and make Govardhana famous as the best Haridasa by herding the cows with My sakhas on his slopes and by performing pastimes (keli-krida) with My beloved gopis in his kunjas.]

There are so many stories, which we will explain this afternoon in class, but there is one very secret thing I want to you know now. Krsna and Radha and the gopis’ very confidential, sweet pastimes are enacted in the caves andkunjas of Govardhana. There are beautiful kunjas everywhere on Govardhana. You cannot see these kunjas at present, but at that time there were so many kunjas and groves here, and Giriraja is witness to these sweet pastimes.

As you know, even Sankara, being male, could not enter rasa-lila. So, if Giriraja Govardhana is male, then he cannot see all the beautiful, sweet pastimes of Radha-Krsna and the gopis. It is thus proven that Giriraja has come from the heart of Radhika – to serve Radhika. So, in one way, he is like a gopi; Haridasi, not Haridasa. He is Haridasi-varya, the best gopi-servant of Radhika and Krsna. It may be that, being a gopi, he may come in the form of a gopi to servein the sweet pastimes of Krsna.

Jaya Giriraja Govardhana!

The Lotus Feet of the Spiritual Master

[An Explanation of the Song, “Sri Guru Carana Padma”]

August 3, 2000

Samadhi’s of Srila Lokanath dasa Gosvami (top) and Srila Narottama dasa Thakura (bottom)

[This year, 2012, the appearance day of Srila Narottama dasa Thakura is on November 4 (in India). In this lecture explaining Srila Narottama dasa’s famous prayer, Sri Guru Carana Padma, Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja discusses how to recognize and take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master, and also how to recognize and reject one who is not bona fide. The transcription of this lecture is being published for the first time.

       The song’s English translation is as follows:

        
The lotus feet of sri gurudeva are the treasure-house of unalloyed prema-bhakti for Krsna.  I very carefully worship and serve those lotus feet.  By his mercy, O brother, we can cross over material existence and attain Sri Krsna.  (1)

        Embrace within your heart the words emanating from sri gurudeva’s lotus mouth, desiring nothing else. Attachment for his lotus feet brings one to the highest goal.  By his grace all desires for spiritual perfection are fulfilled. (2)

        He who gives me the gift of transcendental vision and enlightens my heart with divine knowledge is my master birth after birth.  From him emanates prema-bhakti, divine loving devotion, by which ignorance is destroyed.  The Vedic scriptures sing of his character. (3)

        Sri gurudeva is the ocean of mercy, the friend of the degraded, the life and soul of everyone!  O master, be merciful!  Alas, O Gurudeva, give me the shade of your lotus feet; at your feet I have surrendered. Now your fame shall be spread all over the three worlds. (4)]   

Srila Narottama dasa Thakura is praying unto the lotus feet of his Gurudeva, Srila Lokanatha dasa Gosvami, who is an uttama-maha-bhagavata and an eternal associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Whatever Narada can give, Lokanatha dasa can give more, because he is Manjulali Manjari, a maidservant of Srimati Radhika. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu sprinkled the nectar of radha-dasya (service to the lotus feet of Srimati Radhika) and Lokanatha dasa Gosvami does the same thing. If he sprinkles his mercy upon someone, that person becomes qualified to realize the truths of Sri Radha’s service.

A guru who is really not a guru, but has the false ego that “I am guru,” cannot give what is prayed for in this song. He cannot help us, and after some time he may fall down. He has no realization and no bhajana at all. This song has no relation to such false gurus. It has been written only for maha-bhagavata gurus, like Lokanatha dasa Gosvami.

What is the significance of the phrase “ebe yasa ghusuka tribuvana” in this song?  The meaning is “Your fame will be spread all over the three worlds.” Here, Srila Narottama dasa Thakura is praying.  “I am not a qualified devotee. I have no bhakti.  I am a very fallen person. I am more fallen than Jagai and Madhai. If you accept me and make me qualified to perform bhajana, the whole world will then proclaim, ‘Oh, how glorious is Lokanatha!’ If you do not bestow your mercy upon me, then no one will recognize you. It is better that you sprinkle your mercy upon me. You are patita-pavana, the deliverer of the most fallen, and there is no one more fallen than me.  If you do not deliver me, how will you become famous as the deliverer of the most fallen?”

In this world, if guru has some opulence, if he is preaching throughout the world with vast wealth and a good position, then everyone will know of him. Lokanatha dasa Gosvami always desired to remain very far away from reputation, name, fame, and position. If he sprinkled mercy upon someone, he would always tell that person, “Don’t glorify me. Let me remain calm and quiet. This is my final order.” He told Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, “Don’t write my name in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. Otherwise, all will know me and glorify me.” He feared glorification, while we desire it. This is our drawback.

Srila Lokanatha dasa Gosvami always lived in Vrndavana, in its secluded caves and kunjas. No one could go to him, because he was not giving darsana. He was chanting day and night, twenty-four hours a day, and remembering the pastimes of Krsna.

What is written about Srila Rupa Gosvami and the other Six Gosvamis also applies to Srila Lokanatha dasa Gosvami. He was not less than the Six Gosvamis.

sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih kalavasani-krtau

nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau catyanta-dinau cayau

radha-krsna-guna-smrter madhurima nandena sammohitau

vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau

(Sad Gosvamyastakam 6)

[“I worship the Six Gosvamis, who passed all their time in chanting the holy names, singing songs, and offering dandavat-pranama, thereby humbly fulfilling their vow to complete a fixed number daily. In this way they utilized their valuable lives and conquered over eating, sleeping, and other such pleasures. Always very meek and humble, they became enchanted in divine rapture from remembering Sri Radha-Krsna’s sweet qualities.”]

Srila Narottama dasa Thakura knew his Gurudeva’s heart. He knew that his Gurudeva rejected name and fame.  If Narottama dasa Thakura was not there, no one else could have glorified him. His glories would not have been known. Narottama dasa therefore prayed, “I want your glorification to be spread throughout the entire world. If one can touch your glorification, that person will become a very pure and exalted devotee. People should know how to do bhajana.” Srila Narottama dasa Thakura was also thinking that if he did not show by his own glorification how to glorify Gurudeva, how would the people of the world know how to do so? 

“Guru-mukha-padma-vakya, citte te koriya aikya, ara na koriho mane asa [embrace within your heart the words emanating from Sri Gurudeva’s lotus mouth, desiring nothing else].” If guru is really qualified – if his words and character are not different from the teachings of Krsna, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and all the Vedic literature, if he is quite detached from worldly sense gratification and has some realization – then he is really guru. If you know that all of your gurudeva’s words and character is supported by the Vedas, Upanisads, Bhagavatam, and Krsna’s words, then don’t maintain any hope for anything other than following him. All Vedas, Upanisads, and all the words of Krsna reside in him. We can have strong faith in guru and by serving that guru, krsna-prema will surely come.  By following the process that gurudeva is giving, his mercy and prema-bhakti will come.

On the other hand, if you think that the words and character of your gurudeva are different from the teachings of Vedas, Upanisads, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and Caitanya-caritamrta; that he is so much attached to ladies, to his pockets, to name, fame, and position; that he is not absorbed in chanting and remembering very much but still he has thousands upon thousands of disciples, then you cannot have any strong belief in him. You should reject him at once.  [*See endnote 1]

There is no need to think, “He is my guru.  If I give him up, that will be a big offense.” Rather, if you do not give him up, that will be a big offense. Give him up at once. Srimad-Bhagavatam and Krsna (sastra) tell us, “Give up this person, otherwise you are committing an offense.” Don’t believe his cheating words, saying “If you give me up, that is an offense.” [*See endnote 2]

You can consider one more thing: Hari, guru, and Vaisnava. If the words of Krsna (the Vedic scriptures) and guru are one, we can follow that guru. If the words of guru and Vaisnavas are the same, we can believe in that guru. However, if Krsna’s words and the words of the Vaisnavas are the same but our guru’s words are not the same, then we will have to consider.  We cannot obey the orders of such a gurudeva.  We should ask him, “Why is this?” If his answer satisfies us, then we can follow him; otherwise not.

For example, a guru may have thousands upon thousands of disciples, he may perform very sweet kirtana, he may be loving to all, and he may be very humble.  But then, after some time he decides, “I should marry a lady. All my disciples are householders, so if I am not a householder, how will I understand their problems? To understand their problems and to know their position, I will have to marry.  Otherwise, how can I help them?”   

This is a big bluff. In this case he is marrying his own daughter; accepting her as his disciple and then marrying her. This is an offense. We should be very far away from such artificial gurus. If you believe such persons, then both you and your guru are destined for the darkest hell (narakam ghoram). First you will go to hell, and then your guru will go after you – head down, feet up. Try to understand all these things.

yo vyakti nyaya rahitam anyayena srnoti yah

tav ubhau narakam ghoram vrajatah kalam aksayam

[“One who assumes the dress and position of an acarya, who speaks against the conclusions of Srimad-Bhagavatam and other scriptures, or performs kirtana opposed to the proper glorification of Sri Krsna, certainly goes to hell for countless lifetimes along with his disciples and whoever else hears such non-devotional talks and kirtanas.” (Hari-bhakti-vilasa 1.101)]

Srila Narottama dasa Thakura continues, “Prema-bhakti jaha haite, avidya vinasa jate. Lokanatha lokera jivana.” If guru is very exalted, then all the symptoms of guru that are mentioned in sastra reside in him, as they reside in Srila Lokanatha dasa Gosvami. 

Suppose you are serving and obeying such a guru and he tells something that is apparently not in sastra; this is only apparent.  We should follow that pure, bona fide guru.  An advanced guru may appear to tell something opposite to the sastric conclusion, but it is not actually opposite.  You will have to reconcile his statements. He is telling a very deep meaning of sastra.

If you are serving and obeying a guru like that, like Lokanatha dasa Gosvami, then sadhana-bhakti will manifest in your heart, after which bhava-bhakti, and then prema-bhakti will manifest – and after that all kinds of avidya (the ignorance of forgetting Krsna) will be destroyed. At that time you will attain the service of Krsna in Goloka Vrndavana.

First prema-bhakti comes, and then ignorance goes. Guru first gives the seed of the desire to serve Krsna; this is called sraddha.  That sraddha develops, and when anarthas somewhat leave, then nistha (steadiness), ruci (taste), asakti (spontaneous attachment), bhava or rati (spiritual sentiments), and then prema (pure love) comes.  With the appearance of prema, this physical body will be totally gone. Thus, prema will come, and you will be free from all ignorance.

If there is no bhakti, or even a part of bhakti, ignorance cannot go.  To the degree that bhakti manifests, in the same proportion, ignorance, unwanted desires, and anarthas disappear; otherwise they can never go.  It is absurd to think, “First I should purify my heart, and then I will chant and remember Krsna.”  First the sun should come, and then darkness will go.  Without the appearance of the sun, how will the darkness dissipate? Narottama dasa Thakura is praying to his gurudeva, “Please be merciful. Sprinkle a drop of your mercy, and then I will be able to serve Radha-Krsna Conjugal.” 

If guru is bona fide, it is essential to obey his orders. Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura has said, “If I have to cut, with the sword of sastric knowledge, the arguments of everyone in the universe to obey my gurudeva, I will do so at once.”

Raghunatha dasa Gosvami has prayed (Manah-siksa, verse 2):

na dharmam nadharmam sruti-gana-niruktam kila kuru

vraje radha-krsna-pracura-paricaryam iha tanu

saci-sunum nandisvara-pati-sutatve guru-varam

mukunda-presthatve smara param ajasram nanu manah

[“O my dear mind, please do not perform either the dharma or adharma mentioned in the Srutis, or Vedas. Rather, render profuse loving service to Sri Sri Radha-Krsna here in Vraja, for the Srutis have ascertained Them to be the highest principle of supreme worship and the Supreme Absolute Truth. Always meditate on Sacinandana, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is richly endowed with the complexion and sentiments of Srimati Radhika, as non-different from Sri Nandanandana. And always remember sri gurudeva as most dear to Sri Mukunda.”]

He says to his mind, “I don’t want to follow the dharma or adharma that has been told in Vedas, Upanisads and other Vedic scriptures. I only want to serve Radha and Krsna in Vrndavana.” Lord Ramacandra came here, and Krsna and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu descended from Goloka Vrndavana and came here, only to establish dharma and to destroy adharma.  Yet, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami is telling what appears to be exactly the opposite.  No one has told previously what he is telling.  What is the meaning of this?  Oh, there is a very deep meaning.

The purport of all Vedas, Upanisads, and other Vedic scriptures is to serve Radha-Krsna Conjugal. We should not be entangled in varnasrama-dharma or lokika (material) dharma [A devotee is certainly situated in daivi-varnasrama dharma, but he is not entangled in it. While he executes the duties of his varna (occupation) and asrama, his mind is engaged in service to Radha-Krsna.  Nectar of Instruction (Sri Upadesamrta) states that one of the obstacles to pure bhakti is either not following scriptural rules and regulations or being overly attached to them as all in all (niyamagraha). Material dharma is constituted of what is connected to the body: “This is my family, I am president of this country, so I must give my life for my country. I must fight other countries to protect my country.” – ed]  General persons must do so, but this is not for elevated devotees. We will have to reconcile all these things. A real guru will never tell anything that is opposite to the words of the Vedic literature. 

Today is our last day.  I wanted to give you so many teachings, like Rupa-siksa (the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to Srila Rupa Gosvami) and Sanatana-siksa (Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s teachings to Srila Sanatana Gosvami). I wanted to explain the dialogue between Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Raya Ramananda, and the Ratha-yatra teachings, but I am worried because I could not give these to you.  I wanted to give you the purport of Srila Rupa Gosvami’s instructions in Upadesamrta, and Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami’s teachings in Sri Manah-siksa, but I could not do so during this visit.

I hope that, if I come again, I can try and explain all these things. Here, Urukrama prabhu (now Padmanabha Maharaja, Aranya Maharaja (now Prema-prayojana dasa) Syamarani, and Madhava Maharaja have given classes about Upadesamrta and what I have told about bhakti.  I wanted to give you a true conception of bhakti. If you have no conception of real bhakti, you cannot follow.  There are three types of bhakti: svarupa-siddha bhakti, aropa-siddha-bhakti, and sanga-siddha bhakti.  Try to know all these truths, and then you can understand the constitution of real bhakti.

[Endnote 1 (in chronological order, from the darsanas and lectures of Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja)

June 23, 1999

Heidelberg

       A guru who can fall down so many times is actually not a guru. In order for one to be guru, so many qualifications must be in him. If he has the false ego that, “I am guru,” remembering some slokas and teachings but in his heart he has so many worldly desires, so much lust – but he has covered everything in his heart – then he is not qualified. He may have taken sannyasa, the renounced order, but he is fallen. Third class persons don’t realize that he is fallen. Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja gave some scope even to those who were fallen from the beginning. He told them, “You should preach and become a very high class devotee,” but they fell down.

       In order to be guru, one must be in the stage of madhyama-madhyama or madhyama-uttama. He must be realizing something, knowing the Vedas, Upanisads and all sastra, and he must be able to wash away all kinds of doubts forever. He will have realization of the beauty and sweetness of Krsna and Radhika, he will know what is bhakti and what is prema, and he will be detached from all kinds of worldly, bogus things. Then he is guru.

         If he does not have these qualities, then he is not qualified to make any disciple. He is not allowed to do so. It may be that someone unknowingly accepted an unqualified guru. It may be that at first he was not qualified to recognize a good guru and someone told him to take initiation, so he did so. Then, after some time he may think, “He cannot help me to be a good devotee.” In such circumstance we should give up that unqualified guru and take a new guru.

        That person cannot help us because he cannot help himself. It is like a blind person trying to help another blind person to reach any goal, but there was a pit and both people fell in. How can a blind person help another blind person to find their destination? It is absurd.

         The devotee must have a high caliber of guru. He can help.

December 3, 2002

Murwillumbah, Australia

[taken from the book, Guru-devatatma]

tasmad gurum prapadyeta

jijnasuh sreya uttamam

sabde pare ca nisnatam

brahmany upasamasrayam

[“Any person who is seriously desirous of achieving real happiness must seek out a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of a spiritual master is that he must have realized the conclusion of the scriptures by deliberation and arguments and thus be able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken complete shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, are to be understood as bona fide spiritual masters.”]

        Suppose a person unfortunately took initiation from an unqualified guru who was not at the stage of a mahabhagavata. That guru was not realized in the established truths. The word sabde means sastras like the Vedas, Upanisads, and so on. It also means the holy name. Pare means Krsna. That guru had no realization of Krsna or His names or His glories as told in sastra, and he was only on the level of kansitha-adhikari – but still he thought that he was guru. He had many worldly desires, such as the desire for name, fame, and wealth, and someone unfortunately took harinama and diksa from him.

          Do the verses that glorify the qualifications of guru apply to that guru or not?  Should the disciple obey that guru with the attitude of surrender ordered by all the sastras? Should he follow that guru totally or not? Can a person acquire pure cow’s milk from a male donkey? Can a person get sweet mangoes from a thorn tree? What is the disciple’s duty towards that kind of guru? 

          We must consider that the presence of uttama-adhikari (mahabhagavata), madhyama-uttama-adhikari (those approaching the stage of bhava), and even madhyama-madhyama-adhikari (one at the stage of asakti) devotees are very rare in this world. It is very rare, therefore, to have a guru of this caliber. What should we do under these circumstances? We will have to take a guru.

           If a guru is not “sabde pare ca nisnatam”, if he has not realized the established truths delineated in the Vedas, Upanisads and other sastras, but he has very strong faith in his pure guru and is sincerely following him, then, even if he is a madhyama-adhikari, or even kanistha-madhyama, do not reject that guru. If he is always serving his own mahabhagavat guru and is obedient both internally and externally to him, then do not reject him. We can give up our guru only with the consideration given by Srila Sanatana Gosvami in his Hari-bhakti-vilasa:

avaisnava-mukhodgirnam putam hari-kathamrtam

sravanam naiva kartavyam sarpocchistam yatha paya

[“One should not hear anything about Krsna from a non-Vaisnava. Milk touched by the lips of a serpent has poisonous effects; similarly, talks about Krsna given by a non-Vaisnava are also poisonous.”]

         If a guru is not serving his own gurudeva, and he has left the process given by him, and his guru is not satisfied by his behavior – only in that case can we reject him. However, if the guru is a madhyama-adhikari and sincere, if he is very obedient and following the footsteps of his guru, then he will gradually become uttama-adhikari; so we should not reject him.

          At the same time, if he is not perfect and thus cannot remove all our doubts about Krsna Consciousness, what should we do? We should offer pranama to him and ask his permission to have the association of a mahabhagavata devotee: A disciple may ask, “May I go to Srila Jiva Gosvami”? or “May I go to Srila Rupa Gosvami?” or “May I go to a high class of Vaisnava?”  If the guru says, “No, you cannot go,” then you should give him up.  On the other hand, if he says, “Certainly you can go, and I will also come,” then he is a real guru. A guru who sends his disciple to a superior guru for instruction may also be an uttama-mahabhagavata, as there are various stages of mahabhagavata, and that guru is certainly not to be rejected. 

          Srila Narottama dasa Thakura was a disciple of Srila Lokanatha dasa Gosvami, but he took permission from him to take shelter of Srila Jiva Gosvami; and Srila Syamananda prabhu also took permission from Srila Hrdaya-caitanya dasa Gosvami for that same shelter of Srila Jiva Gosvami.

        There are three levels of devotees who can act as sad-guru, and they are: 1) bhagavat-parsada-deha-prapt, 2) nirdhuta-kasaya, and 3) murcchita kasaya.* This human life is so rare, so do not waste your time. 

labdhva sudurlabham idam bahu-sambhavante

manusyam arthadam anityam apiha dhirah

turnam yateta na pated anumrtyu yavan

nihsreyasaya visayah khalu sarvatah syat

 [“After many, many births and deaths one achieves the rare human form of life, which, although temporary, affords one the opportunity to attain the highest perfection. Thus a sober human being should quickly endeavor for the ultimate perfection of life as long as his body, which is always subject to death, has not fallen down and died. After all, sense gratification is available even in the most abominable species of life, whereas Krsna consciousness is possible only for a human being” (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.9.29).

     Try to follow all these principles, and gradually you will develop your Krsna consciousness.

Gaura Premanande!

April 17, 2007

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Darsana (excerpt)

Brajanath dasa: He took harinama initiation from an ISKCON guru, and he wants to take diksa from you tomorrow.

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: It is best that he first hears my classes and examines whether or not I am a qualified guru. If I am not qualified, he should reject me as guru; and if I am qualified, then he may take initiation.

              This examination period is required because a devotee has to give his entire life to his guru. If the guru is not qualified and thus falls down, the disciple becomes hopeless. It is therefore a rule and regulation in our guru-parampara to test the guru first. The guru should examine the disciple, and the disciple should also examine the guru in order to insure that he is accepting a guru who will never fall down.

April 30, 2008

Alachua, Florida

Morning walk excerpt

Agnideva dasa: You were saying in your istagosthi on Tuesday morning that if one’s guru falls, that disciple should immediately give him up and take shelter of Sri Guru, a real guru. My question is this: In Sri Krsna-bhajanamrta, Sri Narahari Sarkara Thakura says that the disciple should wait one year. If the Guru does not give up his non-Vaisnava activities, then reject him; but if he does, then:

api cet su-duracaro

bhajate mam ananya-bhak

sadhur eva sa mantavyah

samyag vyavasito hi sah

Bhagavad-gita 9.30

Even if one commits the most abominable action, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated in his determination.

This means we should still consider him to be saintly.

You also said to have no relation with such a fallen guru. So, what relation should we have with a guru who reinstates himself in devotional service?

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Nowhere is that written that a bona fide guru will fall down and then re-instate himself, or that the disciple should wait. Can you show me where this is written?

Devotee: I have the book, but I don’t have it here.

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Srila Jiva Gosvami has clearly explained all these truths. (Bhakti-sandarbha, Annucheda 238)

[Endnote 2 (from Gaudiya Kanthahara)

The Injunction to Abandon a Bogus Guru

1.49

guror apy avaliptasya karyakaryam ajanatah

utpatha-pratipannasya parityago vidhiyate

A guru addicted to sensual pleasure and polluted by vice, who is ignorant and has no power to discriminate between right and wrong, or who is not on the path of suddha-bhakti must be abandoned. (Mahabharata, Udyoga-parva, 179.25)

1.50

snehad va lobhato vapi yo grhniyad diksaya

tasmin gurau sa-sisye tat devata sapa apatet

If a guru, disregarding the standard for giving diksa, gives the mantra to his disciple out of greed or mundane affection, he is cursed by the gods along with that disciple. (Hari-bhakti-vilasa 2.7)

1.52

A guru who is envious of pure devotees, who blasphemes them, or behaves maliciously towards them should certainly be abandoned, remembering the verse “guror api avaliptasya” (See 1.49). Such an envious guru lacks the mood and character of a Vaisnava. The sastras enjoin that one should not accept initiation from a non-devotee (avaisnavopadistena… See 1.54). Knowing these injunctions of the scriptures, a sincere devotee abandons a false guru who is envious of devotees. After leaving one who lacks the true qualities of a guru, if a devotee is without a spiritual guide, his only hope is to seek out a mahabhagavata vaisnava and serve him. By constantly rendering service to such a pure devotee, one will certainly attain the highest goal of life. (Bhakti-sandarbha, Annucheda 238)