Firm Faith in the Holy Name

16 May 1996 Radlett
Firm Faith in the Holy Name

[Hari-katha spoken by Nitya Lila Pravista Om Visnupada Astottara Sata Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja – Srila Gurudeva]

To listen to the audio file of this class, please click on this link:

Srila Gurudeva: First of all, I want to glorify my Gurudeva, Nitya Lila Pravista Om Vishnupada Astotara satta Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, who is the Sannyasa guru of Svamiji. I also offer my heartly honor to the lotus feet of Svamiji. He was a very powerful Acharya. He came to the Western countries where there was no previous background or platform made for the cultivation of Krishna consciousness. All the people there were absorbed in eating, drinking, and making merry. But, despite his old age, Svamiji came to the Western countries having no money with him. He came by a ship. All of you know how Svamiji came to the West. I have explained Svamiji’s visit to America in a detailed way in Holland. So, I am not going to repeat the explanation.

[Srila Gurudeva speaks to a devotee from the Bhaktivedanta Manor.]

What will be a suitable time to go?

Devotee: We would like to go at 7’o clock.

Srila Gurudeva: Will it be convenient for you all to come at this time?

Devotee: Maharaja, I spoke with Brajanatha Prabhu, and he will speak to you a little later.

Srila Gurudeva: Hare Krishna.

Devotee: Thank you so much.

Sripada Madhava Maharaja: Gaura Premanande! Haribol!

Srila Gurudeva: So, the Western countries had no background or even a smell of Krishna consciousness. I know that is very hard to sow the seed of devotion in the Western countries. But, Svamiji mercifully gave this seed of bhakti. If this seed is properly watered, tended to, and nourished, then leaves will gradually unfurl and this seed will take the form of a very, big tree. It may also take the form of a beautiful creeper. This tree or creeper will cross the heavenly realms and enter the spiritual sky. It will also cross the abodes of Vaikunta, Ayodhya, Dvaraka, Mathura and will finally find shelter at the lotus feet of Krishna in Vrindavana. So, it is very difficult to sow this seed of devotion in anyone, especially in someone who has a dry heart. The vairagyamana purusha, or the heart of he who has no attachment to worldly desires or anything is like a desert. No seed will germinate there. The heart of someone who is excessively attached to this world is also like a desert. The heart of someone who is excessively detached is also like a desert. The heart of an excessively attached person is like a cold desert where no seed can be sown, while the heart of an excessively detached person is like a hot desert filled with sand. Even a powerful seed sown here will not sprout.

So, Srila Svami Maharaja miraculously made these two kinds of desert like hearts, very fertile. He made them fertile by his harikatha, by his exposition on the pastimes of Krishna and by his own practice of bhakti. If you aren’t practicing bhakti and have not established yourself in the line of devotion, then you may chant harinama ten lakh times, but no change will manifest. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and all our disciplic Acharyas have practiced devotion to Krishna themselves, and then they have preached what they have practiced. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has ordered His devotees to practice and then preach.

yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna’-upadesa
amara ajnaya guru hana tara’ ei desa

–Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 7.128

[Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Sri Krsna as they are given in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.”]

First, practice devotion in your lives. Your behavior must reflect your devotion. And then, if you have realized something; preach to others. They will also become devotees. Being trained by its master, a parrot repeats, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna.” But, if a cat comes and attacks the parrot, the parrot forgets to repeat Hare Krishna, and instead, shouts for its master. So, we should not be like a parrot that only repeats what it has been told.

We just sang the bhajan, “Sri Guru carana Padma, kevala bhakti sadma,” that has the excerpt, “Divya jnana hrde prakasito.” What is the meaning of this excerpt? We should realize the import of this bhajan. If you are chanting like a parrot, you will not have prema bhakti. The chanting will create some good impressions, impressions that karmis (materialists) and yogis seek, acquiring which they will be very happy in this world. You can also get salvation by this nonchalant chanting, but you will not get Vraja prema for which Caitanya Mahaprabhu, our Guruvarga, and Svamiji came to give to the conditioned souls of this world. You will not be able to attain this prema.

“Divya jnana hrde prakasito,” what is divya jnana? You will have to try to know what divya jnana is. “Caksu dana dilo jei, janme janme prabhu sei, divya jnana hrde prakasito,” chanting, chanting, and also engaging in kirtana to the accompaniment of the playing of the harmonium, mrdingas, karatalas, and dancing; but not knowing anything of this divya jnana, transcendental knowledge, then what will be the effect? You should try to know the deep underlying moods of this kirtana. “Caksu dana dilo jei,” what is caksu dana?

It is the vision by which you will realize that you are not this physical, mortal body. You may manage to have all worldly requirements and facilities like how Hiranyakasipu did, he had many boons that made him nearly invincible or like Ravana, who ruled over the city of Lanka, which was made entirely of gold. He didn’t have only son. He had one lakh sons and one hundred, twenty five thousand grandsons. Each son had a golden palace. Their kingdoms were far more advanced that any scientist could ever imagine. Scientists have made many countries like—England, France, Germany, and America very advanced, but yet, the citizens of these countries are not satisfied. Ravana could not be satisfied, he was killed with all his brothers, sons, and grandsons. The golden city of Lanka was burnt to ashes. Material facilities and advancements cannot help us. “Divya jnana hrde prakasito,” we are all the servants of Krishna, His part and parcels. We are not of this material world. We have come like refugees here for some days. We should realize this by divya caksu, transcendental eyes. We should come to the conclusion that we cannot live in this world as refugees for more than hundred years. Out of those allotted hundred years, half of the time, is spent in sleeping. And those who are not Jitendriyah, who haven’t conquered their senses, they will sleep even more. They will sleep for more than twelve hours a day.

So, one half of a person’s life is spent entirely in sleeping. And then, out of the remaining fifty years, twenty years or more will be spent during one’s childhood upbringing, and education, where the student wants to become a doctor, engineer, business man or a leader. By spending time in getting educated this way, they will be qualified to earn more and more, and thus, they will aim to fulfill their worldly requirements. So, a lot of time is spent in earning money. And in the age between eighty to hundred, you will become so old that you will not be able to move without the help of a stick. Your hair will become dry and your eyes will lose their power of sight. Your teeth will fall out. When the age of forty comes, your hair will start turning white, but being undeterred, you will have them removed. But after single strand of hair is removed, on the next day, you will see that many strands of hair have turned white. After some time, you will see that half the hair on your head has turned white. Then you will think, “What to do?” At that time, you will not be able to do anything, you cannot do anything. You will be old, and after that, you will die.

Therefore, out of hundred years; fifty years is spent in sleeping; twenty years is spent in an upbringing and on one’s education. Old age will conquer twenty years. This way, ninety years is lost. For the remaining ten years, you will plan and think, “I have to marry. I have to raise children and make them qualified. I have to earn enough money to buy a television, car, and many other things.” Sitting within your living room, by the medium of the television, you will see all that is happening around the world. Sitting and lying down in your home, you especially want to see football and cricket.

[Laughter]

So, the remaining ten years will also pass this way. When will you realize, “I should serve Krishna.” But, even if you desire to serve, you will have no time. You should try to serve Krishna from your boyhood. And to aid you in your service to Krishna, you must have the association of bona fide Guru and Vaisnavas. If you don’t follow the instructions of Sri Guru and Vaisnavas, you will not be able to proceed an inch in the realm of bhakti. “Krishna bhakti janma mula hoya sadhu sanga,” sadhu sanga is the mother of Krishna bhakti. If there is no sadhu sanga, there is no bhakti. But, sadhu sanga is rarely found in this world. Sadhu sanga is very rare indeed. There are many people who don the guise of a sadhu, they will wear red cloth and claim that they are of the renounced order. But they have no divya caksu, transcendental eyes. So, many problems come. Hence, it is stated here that a person should be in sadhu sanga from the beginning of his life and accept the shelter of a real guru. But how to accept the shelter of a real guru? You cannot manage to find a bona fide guru by yourself. If you have past samskaras, where you have rendered any service to Krishna, Krishna bhakti, the devotees, Vrindavana, Yamuna, and Ganga, then as a fruit of this service, Krishna will very easily manage a bona fide guru and sadhu sanga for you. Otherwise, it is very hard to find a bona fide guru and the association of devotees.

So, if you have performed these activities that are conducive for devotion for lakhs and lakhs of births, then sadhu sanga will be obtained. But, if you don’t have the necessary samskaras, impressions from previous lives, then on coming across a sadhu, you may associate him with a couple or more days and then leave his association. By leaving his association, your heart will be dry. I think when Svamiji returned to serve his Divine Couple, many of his disciples’ hearts became dry. The devotees having these dry hearts left ISKCON, re-married, and returned to their previous materialistic ways. Many persons in the renounced order of life re-married or without being married, they left their renounced order and went to various places. So, you will always need the association of a high class of Vaisnava. This Vaisnava should be more advanced and qualified than you. By his association, bhakti will come. But, in Caitanya Caritamrita, Sri Raya Ramananda Prabhu stated:

krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih
kriyatam yadi kuto ‘pi labhyate
tatra laulyam api mulyam ekalam
janma-koti-sukrtair na labhyate

—Sri Caitanya-caritamrita Madhya 8.70

[‘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.’]

You can have the association of a devotee by the sukriti accrued from over a thousand lifetimes. But, to have the association of a bona fide and Rasik Vaisnava who is in the line of Rupa Gosvami, is extremely rare. All our Acharyas were bona fide and Rasik Vaisnavas. By the causeless mercy of Krishna, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, or the by the mercy of any rasik, tattva-vit Vaisnava, whose transcendental eye has opened and hence, is conversant with all the tattvas; by his association, you can have Krishna bhakti. Raya Ramananda Prabhu clearly explained to Caitanya Mahaprabhu in their dialog, of how important it is to seek the association of a rasik, tattva-vit Vaisnava. By this Rasik Vaisnava’s association, greed to serve Krishna in Vraja will arise. The devotee will want to serve Krishna as a friend, or as His parents-Nanda and Yasoda, or like the gopis. This is called Ragunuga bhakti.

Devotion from the beginning is characterized by two kinds of shraddha. Do you know what shraddha is?

Devotee: Faith.

Srila Gurudeva: The word, ‘faith,’ doesn’t cover all the meanings of shraddha. But there is no other word from the English language that can be used to translate this word. Do you know what the root or seed of bhakti is? Some say, “Shraddha is the seed of bhakti.” But no, shraddha is the external and internal symptoms of bhakti. The seed of bhakti is the desire to serve Krishna.

“I should serve Krishna, if my life is going to end, no harm; but I will never abandon this desire,” this conviction is called, “Krishna seva vasana,” in Sanskrit. Guru sows the seed of devotion to Krishna in the heart of the surrendered disciple. Those who don’t want anything worldly; who don’t want to go to the heavenly realms or to the Vaikunta planets; who don’t want any kind of salvation—then Gurudeva blesses this kind of disciple by firstly bestowing divya jnana. Guru tells the disciple, “You are not this body. You are a part and parcel of Krishna; a servant of Krishna. Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Srimati Radhika is His hladini sakthi, His pleasure potency. You should serve Them.” Guru gives the mood of service to his disciple by the medium of his harikatha—his exposition on the pastimes of Krishna, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and Nityananda Prabhu. Thus, the seed of devotion is sown in the pure heart of a disciple. The heart of the disciple may also be impure, but the disciple will have some faith in his Gurudeva, Vaisnavas, and in scriptures like the Srimad Bhagavatham, and the Bhagavad Gita. These are the external symptoms of shraddha.

The internal symptoms of the bhakti of a devotee is characterized by the mentality, “If any difficulties or troubles affect me, I will remain undisturbed and I will never leave Krishna bhakti.”

khanda khanda hai’ deha yadi jaya prana
tabu ami vadane na chadi harinama

–Sri Caitanya-bhagavata Adi 11.91

[Even if you cut my body into pieces, I will never give up chanting the holy name.]

Srila Haridasa Thakura had this unflinching determination in chanting harinama. He told his tormentors, “Even if my body is cut into lakhs of pieces, I will be the first person to take a stand and never leave bhakti.”

So, “Shraddha sabde visvas kohe sudrda niscaya, Krishna bhakti koile sarva karma krta hoya,” if a devotee listens to his Gurudeva saying, “You must serve Krishna. You must receive and exchange gifts with devotees.” After listening to his Gurudeva speak, the disciple will have so much faith in the words of his Gurudeva, good devotees, and in our bhakti books like Srimad Bhagavatham, Sri Bhagavad Gita, and Sri Caitanya Caritamrita. The three—Sri Guru, Vaisnavas, and scriptures, are one. If there is something that you do not understand or follow, you must carefully reconcile. Sastra may state one meaning, while Sri Guru and Vaisnavas may state another meaning. To reconcile this conflicting situation, you will have to place your faith wholeheartedly in the words of Sri Guru and Vaisnavas. If a guru speaks something else, while Sastras and Vaisnava are of one opinion; then we will have to reconcile. If a guru is unable to reconcile this apparent misunderstanding, then instead of following him, you should follow the words of Sastra and Vaisnavas. You must have the preliminary understanding that a guru will never speak something that is contradictory to the words of sastra and Vaisnavas. But you may not understand the intentions behind guru’s words, so you will have to place your faith in the Bhagavat, Bhagavad Gita, and in all the sastras written by Rupa Gosvami and our Acharyas.

A person may be very sinful, he may be a drunkard, and he may be very fallen; but if he has the desire, “I must serve Krishna, I have so much faith in Guru, Vaisnavas, and sastra,” then this person is shraddalu, faithful. Guru doesn’t initiate this person, rather, he sows the seed of devotion in this person and speaks harikatha again. By this harikatha, the seed of devotion is nourished. Harikatha is like water that propels the growth of the seed of devotion. We should nourish the seed of devotion and it will gradually sprout. But this seed of devotion will not sprout in a day or two, you will have to wait. You may sow a seed, but being impatient, if you remove the seed from the earth within a day or two to see if it has sprouted, then what will be the result? The seed will wither and dry itself out. We should have the faith that in time, the seed will sprout and grow into a very good tree that will bear many fruits and flowers. These fruits will mature and ripen, and on being eaten, they will produce a beautiful, sweet taste. But the seed will grow into a tree and produce succulent fruits at an appropriate time.

We know that Ajamila was a bad person. At first, he was a good person. He was the son of a Brahmin, and of good character. He diligently served his parents, his wife was very chaste and good. His children were educated. But despite having a good family, he fell in the trap of a prostitute and he could not change his mind. He started living with the prostitute, and bore many sons from her. He named his last son as Narayana. Srila Vishvanatha Cakravarthi Thakura tells us that the first time Ajamila called his son, “Narayana,” he got out of maya’s influence. But, he was unaware of this fact. He would often call his son and say, “Narayana, Narayana, come and sit on my lap.” By repeatedly calling for his son, Ajamila practiced chanting harinama. But, he was oblivious of this unintended chanting. When death came for Ajamila represented by Yamadutas, the messengers of Yama Maharaja, who tried to separate him from his body; then he naturally called out for his youngest son and cried out, “Narayana! Narayana!” At that moment, three effulgent personalities descended in front of him. Who were they? When you commit any sin or pious activities by your thoughts, words, or actions—tan, man, vachana…

[Break of audio]

Sita-devi was applying sindhur (vermilion) at the parting of the hair, according to Vedic custom. Do you know what sindhur is? Married Indian ladies apply this reddish vermilion at the parting of the hair. So, Sita-devi was applying this sindhur.

Seeing this sight, Hanuman asked her, “Mother, what are you doing? What is this that you apply?”

Sita-devi replied, “By applying this sindhur, Rama will never die. He will always be in good health and He will be glad and satisfied. I will be sauhagini—a chaste lady who controls her husband.” Hanuman was satisfied by this answer. As soon as Sita-devi went out of the room, Hanuman emptied the entire pot of sindhur and covered his entire body with this reddish powder. Entirely covered by this powder, Hanuman entered the royal assembly of Rama. On seeing Hanuman, all the members of the assembly started laughing and told each other, “What has Hanumana done?” Mother Janaki was also laughing.

One of the members asked Hanuman, “What have you done? Have you manifested your monkey nature?”

Hanuman replied, “I saw Mother Janaki applying this powder on the parting of her hair, so that Rama will have a long, happy life. So, mother applied this powder only on the parting of her hair, but I decided to cover my whole body with it, because Rama will then always be happy and He will never die.”

So, Hanuman’s service to Rama was incomparable, but he cannot go to Vrindavana. He cannot go. Why? If he sees Mother Yasoda disciplining her son, Krishna, Hanuman will think, “My Lord is being disciplined?” Thinking so, he will be upset. With his club, he might do something wrong. If he will see that in the groves of Vrindavana, Srimati Radhika and the gopis order Krishna and tell Him, “Come on! Come on! The colors painted on our feet has been washed away, so You should paint our feet.” Hanuman will also see Krishna praying to the gopis. Hanuman will think, “What is my Prabhu doing?” And he will again be upset. So, Hanuman never goes to Vrindavana because he is of dasya-rasa (the mood of being the servitor of the Lord). Dasya-rasa is not to be considered lowly, it is achieved only after liberation. Dasya-rasa is of two kinds. In the Vaikunta realm, there are four kinds of liberation—sarupya (having bodily features that resemble the Lord’s), samipya (equal association with the Lord), sarsti (equal possession of opulence like that of the Lord), and salokya (equal facility to live on the same planet of the Lord). Sayujya-mukti, to become one with the bodily effulgence of Krishna must be discarded. This kind of impersonalistic liberation is a great curse. But the other four kinds of liberation may be accepted by the lower class of devotees. Being four handed like Lord Vishnu or Narayana, and embellished with the conch, discus, club, and mace, they are situated in the lower half of Vaikunta. Residing there, they are liberated and experience some happiness.

But, those devotees who proceed to the higher regions of Vaikunta, can serve the Lord there like His associates—Jaya and Vijaya. This form of devotion is called prema-seva-uttara. But, the servants of Krishna like Chitraka and Patraka, whose mood of servitorship is mixed with the mood of friendliness; they are so much more superior and liberated.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu is asking Raya Ramananda Prabhu questions, and He is gradually giving the devotees the culmination of the highest forms of love and affection to the Lord. After glorifying dasya-rasa (the mood of servitorship), Raya Ramananda Prabhu will speak on sakhya-rasa (the mood of friendship), and he will gradually speak on vatsalya-rasa (the mood of parenthood), and madhurya-rasa (the mood of considering Krishna as the beloved).

So, I want to stop here because I have been advised by the doctors to not speak for long. Now, harinama should be chanted and sung. You should try to have a very regular and good association of bona fide devotees. The seed of devotion has been planted in your hearts, but if you don’t water this seed of devotion with the water of harikatha; it may dry and be destroyed. You should carefully and diligently tend to this seed of devotion. You should always be in good association and you must also sincerely study scriptures like Srimad Bhagavatham, Srimad Bhagavad Gita, and all other books of Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Svamiji, and our Guruvarga. Thus, we should gradually advance in our Krishna consciousness.

Gaura Premanande! Hari Haribol!

 

A Bosom Friend of ISKCON

15 May 1996 Radlett

 

A Bosom Friend of ISKCON

 

[Hari-katha spoken by Nitya Lila Pravista Om Visnupada Astottara Sata Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja – Srila Gurudeva]

 

To listen to the audio file of this class, please click on this link:

 

 

Srila Gurudeva: Sukadeva Gosvami was the most obedient disciple. He employed many means that kindled everyone’s loving devotion to Krishna. He would sometimes speak crookedly, and not openly. He would not speak in a prominent way. He would speak on a topic that would specifically apply only to the householders; the message to the householders would carry a very deep meaning.

 

Krishna told the gopis, “You should return to your homes now that you have seen the beautiful scenery of this Vrindavana forest. The moon is shining radiantly, the water of the Yamuna is sparkling. All the peacocks and parrots are making such enchanting, sweet sounds! You have seen how lovely the forest is, but now you should return and serve your husbands.”

 

“You should serve your husbands even if they are crooked, lame, and ugly. They may also be very poor and bereft of all good qualities, but still, you should serve your husbands.” Do you know what the gopis’ reply was?

 

They replied, “We are ready to follow what You say, You are our teacher. You are the best of all teachers. We will follow exactly what You have to say, but You will also have to follow what You say. Or else, sin will touch You.”

 

“You have said, ‘Sarva dharmam parityajna mam ekam saranam vraja,’ You proclaim to be the husband and brother of all. You say, ‘I am all-in-all.’ The two slokas, ‘Isvarah parama Krishna, satcitananda vigraha, anadir adir govinda sarva karana karanam,’ and, ‘Ye yatha mam prapadyante, tams tathaiva bhajam aham,’ were also spoken by You. You say, ‘Those who serve Me, I reciprocally serve them. If they serve me by only a fraction of their hearts, I also serve them by only a fraction of My heart.’”

 

The gopis continued, “Now, You are going back on Your words, You should not do so. You must follow what You have proclaimed. Now, You are our guru, and guru must be worshiped before anyone else. So, we will worship and serve You first, and You must accept our service. Otherwise, You will be guilty of committing sin and You will face difficulties. We know that You are the husband of all. Hence, You are our husband also. So, we should serve You even if you are lame, ugly, or black. We must serve You.”

 

So, Krishna was defeated by the gopis’ arguments.

 

Krishna told the yajna-patnis (the wives of the brahmanas of Mathura), “Return to your husbands,” and the yajna-patnis went away. But, the gopis did not return to their husbands.

 

So, Sukadeva Gosvami has spoken directly at times, and indirectly at other times. Only the bona fide devotees who sincerely serve their holy master and Rasik Vaisnavas, can understand and follow the import of his statements. Or else, they will be unable to understand. And for many lives, they will be in the same class of devotion and their bhakti will turn dry. Consequently, they will give up the line of devotion. Bhakti is like a current, if a dam is made and placed before this current, the current will be checked and stopped. So, our bhakti should always flow like a forceful current and this current should not be stopped by any obstacles. Svamiji and our Guruvarga embody this dynamic current of bhakti. This current originated from Krishna who passed it down to Brahma and this current culminates in the presence of our guru. If we want to control this current by many rules and regulations, then the current will be stopped. Bhakti is not bound by any artificial rules and regulations. Bhakti is bound by her own rule and regulation—love and affection. By control, everything will be spoiled. Bhakti is not controlled by any artificial rules and regulations, she is controlled by her own transcendental rules and regulations. If this current of bhakti is unchecked, it will flow and reach the lotus feet of Srimati Radhika and Krishna. We see in the pastimes of Krishna that no one could control the gopis. People think that the gopis went in the opposite direction of morality, because they left their husbands, children, and Vedic dharma. They even gave up their shame. But, no rules and regulations could control them. They were determined to meet Krishna and although the forest had no path; they found their way through and reached the spot where Krishna was present.

 

So, bhakti should never be controlled. We should only be careful to not let any water of misconceptions adulterate this pure flow of bhakti. There is nothing else there for us to control. We will only need to facilitate this flow of bhakti. What is this water of misconceptions that we should protect our bhakti from? This bad water symbolizes the misconceptions of karma, jnana, and other false ideologies. These detrimental ideologies should never be entertained by the devotees. Srila Rupa Gosvami and Jiva Gosvami have done marvelous seva. They never checked bhakti, but rather, protected her embankments. Srila Vishvnatha Cakravarthi Thakura, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvathi Thakura, Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja, and our Guruvarga are so generous! Before he took Sannyasa, Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja was often residing in Mathura. There, he would sit with me, and engage in kirtana with me. We would engage in many services together.

 

He told me once, “If I go to the Western countries, I will build boarding houses. There, I will accommodate students and I will allow them to do anything, but they should engage themselves in Harinama-sankirtana also. If they want to consume eggs, meat, and wine, or anything else; they may do so, but I know surely that by the transcendental effects of harinama, after some days, very soon, after a two or three days, they will forsake these deplorable habits. They will quit these habits by their own accord; there will be no need to order them around or control them. They will join the Krishna consciousness movement and they will all be very good devotees.”

 

Svamiji was so liberal! These are some of the specialties of bona fide Acharyas. You cannot have these transcendental qualities if you try to control everyone. You try to control your divine master also. You tell your Gurudeva, “Oh don’t go there! You should be situated here and do this. You should not associate with those devotees.” These are not the services of a bona fide disciple. A pure devotee has not come to make a sectarian group, he has only come to strengthen the Krishna consciousness of the devotees that will enable them to go to Goloka Vrindavana. He has only come to help them. He has not come to impose rules and regulations over devotees and to rule over them. It has been written in Sri Caitanya Caritamrita:

 

Guru sevaka hoye manya…

 

A devotee should think, “Anyone who serves Gurudeva, even if a dog serves him, I am indebted to it. I will try to serve these servants of my Gurudeva in all respects.” You have forgotten this Vaisnava etiquette and that is why many problems are coming and you are in a crisis. You should try to follow proper Vaisnava etiquette. If a person chants the names of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Radha-Krishna, and he has a little bit of shraddha, faith, to Svamiji or any Vaisnava; he should be honored so much. If you want to serve Radha-Krishna, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, you must follow this Vaisnava etiquette and if you don’t want to serve Them, you should artificially follow the rules and regulations. By this, you will get money and some devotees to control over. But, you will not develop your divine love for Radha-Krishna. If you want divine love, you should certainly follow what has been written in Caitanya Caritamrita. You should follow Rupa Gosvami and our Guruvarga.

 

You should not think, “I will only follow my Gurudeva. I will only serve him and I will cut the head of all others.”

 

[Laughter]

 

These devotees will stop other devotees from entering the temple.

 

Today, I have spoken more than I ever did during my stay in Holland.

 

Devotee: It is very warm in here. Are you still feeling cold?

 

Srila Gurudeva: No. Here, I don’t want to go outside.

 

The devotees inspire me. Whenever I see any Vaisnava, I am inspired.

 

Devotee: You inspire our hearts.

 

Sripada Madhava Maharaja: This is Govinda-bhakta.

 

Srila Gurudeva: Oh you are Govinda-bhakta? Are you a disciple of Gaura Govinda Maharaja?

 

Sripada Ashrama Maharaja: Yes.

 

Srila Gurudeva: I wanted to meet you.

 

Sripada Madhava Maharaja: And she is Anandini-devi.

 

Srila Gurudeva: Yes, I have met her. Any order for me?

 

[Laughter]

 

We should go downstairs for ten or fifteen minutes. I am coming in some time.

 

Gaura Premanande! Haribol!

 

[Break of audio]

 

[Srila Gurudeva begins class]

 

Srila Gurudeva: First of all, I want to offer my entire love and affection at the lotus feet of my spiritual master, Nitya Lila Pravista Om Vishnupada Astotara sata Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja and to the lotus feet of my Siksha Guru, Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja. I also want to glorify Parama Gurudeva, Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Thakura, by whose mercy the glorification of Sri Radha and Krishna and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has manifested everywhere in this world. I also offer my respects to all the assembled devotees. There was no prior program arranged to give a class here today, but I see that many devotees have come here. So, I must speak some harikatha. My main objective in coming to the Western countries is to take the lotus foot dust of Svamiji. I want to visit and take the foot dust of those places where Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja arrived, and began his preaching services. I want to take the holy foot dust of his lotus feet and offer my obeisance to all these holy places. Then I would like to speak harikatha. My first mission in coming to the Western countries is that I go to all the places of the world where Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja preached and imprinted the foot dust of his lotus feet. He wanted me to accompany him when he first came to the Western countries. He repeatedly requested me to accompany him everywhere. But, I requested and told him, “My holy master is here. I am serving him. So, after some time I will join your mission and try to serve and help you in every respect.”

 

I am realizing how Svamiji himself has managed for me to come to all the places he preached in. He wanted that I help in his preaching services, and because he was a satya-sankalpa purusha, his words had to come true. Do you know who a satya-sankalpa purusha is? He never speaks lies, and what he has decided upon, must become true and factual. Krishna is satya-sankalpa, all incarnations, and bona fide, realized devotees are satya-sankalpa. Any decision they make or any thought they give due consideration on, must become true. Svamiji’s words can never be false. He told me at first to come and his words must become true and bear fruit. That is why, it is going to be proved that by my holy master’s grace, especially by Svamiji’s grace, and by the wish of Radha-Krishna Conjugal and Caitanya Mahaprabhu, I am going to many countries and engaging in my services to my Lordships.

 

So, my first business in coming here, is to take the lotus foot dust of Svamiji, from all the countries he visited in the course of his preaching. By visiting all these countries, I want to see how in a very short time, Svamiji preached the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and his Gurudeva. If I touch the foot dust of Svamiji, I will have so much energy to do the same and fulfill his mission. So, I have come to these places to fulfill this mission of mine. I also want to thank all the devotees who have come here to attend the festival. I wish to thank all the devotees who are going to leave soon to their own countries, to those devotees who are new; I wish to extend my gratitude to all. I want all the devotees to be as energetic as the devotees were during Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja’s time. If some devotees have lost their faith in Svamiji or in his mission, they can outwardly chant, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna,” but their chanting will be of no use. Devotees should not be fearful of each other. They should also not try to control the other devotees.

 

So, I have come to give some energy to the devotees, because Svamiji has ordered me to do so. For those devotees who don’t know of this order of Svamiji’s, they can listen to the tape that was recorded during Svamiji’s final days, when Svamiji was readying himself to depart from this world and going to serve his dearest, beloved Lordships—Sri Radha and Krishna. At that time, he called me and told me many confidential, deep truths. He told me to always help the leaders and devotees. I always glorify Svamiji, but I don’t know why the leaders fear from me. In a relationship based on love and affection among devotees, fear has no place. I see in all epics, especially in the Gita and Bhagavat, that those who serve Radha and Krishna and chant harinama, should be fearless like Haridasa Thakura. Haridasa Thakura had no fear when he was attacked by his tormentors at 22 market places, he knew that the body was mortal and the soul was immortal. Why should you fear? Why should we fear when the hands of Krishna and Gurudeva are on our heads? So, they should not fear, rather, they should see and understand the situation.

 

In this whole world, ISKCON has no bandhu like me. Do you understand?

 

Devotee: Friend of ISKCON.

 

Srila Gurudeva: Not friend, a bandhu means someone who is much more superior to a friend. Bandhu means a bosom friend. ISKCON has no father or mother like me. You should understand this. Whether they respect me or not, I will always have full love and affection for ISKCON. I care for them like their father and mother and as a Siksha-Guru. If a disciple abandons the beneficial path and resorts to an unbeneficial one, even though the disciple abandons the guru, the guru can never leave his disciple. So, I can never leave ISKCON, I will have to follow what Svamiji has ordered me to do, whether the leaders like it or not. I will follow Svamiji’s orders whether they are favorable or not. I will always think of how ISKCON can be benefited. If a child doesn’t want to take medicine, which is very bitter, a mother will not relent. For the benefit of the child, she will open the child’s mouth and make him swallow the medicine. She also makes him drink a glass of water so that he swallows it. Whether they realize how dear I am to them or not, I have realized how dear ISKCON and the devotees are to me.

 

Devotee: You are not a bitter medicine Gurudeva, you are very sweet.

 

Srila Gurudeva: I pray to Svamiji that he makes a strong impression on their minds, by which they will change their attitudes. They should realize this fact that any Vaisnava who has come to the stage of a Madhyama-adhikari (an intermediate devotee), cannot envy or perform acts of evil intent to anyone. He will not harm even an ant. So, we should always follow the teaching of Caitanya Mahaprabhu:

 

Trnad api sunicena…

 

We should not forget this verse. We are not devotees, we are not even Kanistha-adhikaris (novice devotees). You should try to understand all these truths and go on practicing Krishna consciousness. I haven’t come to quarrel or inhibit their preaching. I haven’t come to create any problems to them. I have only come to help them. In Holland, I saw many prominent, senior, and sincere devotees who had left ISKCON. These devotees were inspired again to take to the practice of Krishna consciousness. I became so glad to see them, and I embraced them all. When I was preparing to leave Holland, all the devotees were crying and telling me to return soon. So, I want that all the devotees here, regardless of belonging to ISKCON or not, combine together and serve Prabhupada with their combined efforts.

 

I pray to Krishna and Svamiji, that the leaders fulfill this desire of mine. I think I will be successful in uniting all devotees, if not today, then in three or four days, or in some time, my plan of uniting all devotees will be successful. If it is not successful, then those that are not following will be ruined. Some devotees think that their Gurudeva and me belong to separate lines of devotion. But we follow the same line of devotion, there is no difference at all. If any difference is perceived, it is due to the fault of the devotees who understand as such. In Caitanya Caritamrita, it has been stated that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the Lord of lords, possessing the six opulences—beauty, strength, knowledge, renunciation, wealth, and fame to an infinite degree. He is the primordial Lord.

 

isvarah paramah krishnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahaha
anadir adir govindaha
sarva-karana-karanam

 

–Sri Brahma-samhita 5.1

 

[Krsna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]

 

 

 

But yet, it has also been stated in Caitanya Caritamrita and Srimad Bhagavatham, that the devotee should develop his love and affection to the Lord in such a way that he forgets Krishna to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If you cannot forget Krishna’s Godhood, you cannot enter Vrindavana and serve Krishna as a friend, son, or a beloved.

 

[End of audio file]

 

[Transcribed by the Bhaktabandhav Team]

I Will Always Glorify Srila Prabhupada

15 May 1996 Radlett

 

I Will Always Glorify Srila Prabhupada

 

[Hari-katha spoken by Nitya Lila Pravista Om Visnupada Astottara Sata Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja – Srila Gurudeva]

 

To listen to the audio file of this class, please click on this link:

 

 

Srila Gurudeva: Srila Narottama das Thakura prays, “When will the hair on my body stand on end upon chanting, ‘Gauranga’? When will my eyes overflow with tears upon chanting, ‘Hari Hari’?” “Gauranga bolite ha’be pulaka sarira,” there will be no consideration of offenses while chanting Mahaprabhu’s name. A person only needs to chant Mahaprabhu’s name with a pure, melting heart. A sadhaka should pray, “When will I weep and chant, ‘Ha Gauranga! Ha Gauranga!’?” Who is Gauranga? He is Krishna Himself, but whose entire being is permeated by the moods of Srimati Radhika. Krishna’s dark complexion is covered by the golden color of Srimati Radhika. The mood of Srimati Radhika is predominating in Him.

 

Srila Narottama das Thakura prays, “Gauranga bo’lite ha’be.” In this bhajan, Srila Narottama das Thakura prays, “When will call I out the name of Gauranga and roll on the ground? I will forget all my senses and I will be completely unaware of the world around me while I chant, ‘Ha Gauranga! Ha Gauranga!’ ”

 

On listening to His dear devotee Srila Narottama das Thakura sing, Gauranga manifested Himself with all His associates before Srila Narottama das Thakura and the assembled devotees who heard him sing. Moods of the highest love and affection are embodied in this bhajan. As Srila Narottama das Thakura cried and sang, “Krishna! Krishna! Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare,” all the assembled devotees saw how Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu-Gaurachandra, Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Haridasa Thakura, Sri Srivasa Thakura, Sri Gadadhara Pandit, and all His associates were dancing and singing with boundless joy and love.

 

Beholding this sight, Narottama Thakura gave up on playing the mridanga and ran towards Mahaprabhu and His associates. But on reaching that spot, Narottama Thakura wondered, “Oh Gauranga is not here! Where is Gauranga? Where is Nityananda Prabhu? Where is Haridasa Thakura? Where are all the associates of Mahaprabhu?” Lamenting, Narottama Thakura rolled on the ground and bitterly cried.

 

Narottama Thakura cried and said, “Oh Caitanya Mahaprabhu has left me! He has gone out of my sight because I have committed many offenses.”

 

A devotee should prayerfully regret, “I have committed so many sins that the knowledge of what the atma, soul is, and what the body is, has eluded my grasp. I am only engaged in committing sins continuously. I work hard to maintain my body and to satisfy my desire for sense gratification. But I refuse to serve my Gurudeva and Mahaprabhu.”

 

Narottama das Thakura then cries out to Nityananda Prabhu, the root of all Gurus. Without the help of a bona fide Gurudeva, we cannot reach out to Caitanya Mahaprabhu and realize who He is. We will not understand the purpose of Mahaprabhu’s advent. Mahaprabhu has only come to bestow His divine mercy, and divine love of God. Those who lack love for the Divine Couple are spiritually blind. They should die at once, if they haven’t died already. So, Nityananda Prabhu must manifest Himself and be merciful. He should send His representative, the bona fide Gurudeva.

 

Without His help or His representative’s help, no soul can reach the stage of divine love of Godhead. You have love for worldly things and for sense gratification, but you lack divine love for Krishna. This misplaced love for worldly things or people is not real love; it is a cheating form of love. This form of love will certainly cheat you. So, you should try to know who you really are. You should chant in such a way that all desires for worldly requirements will go away and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu will at once appear in your heart. You should chant loudly and sincerely.

 

You should always pray for the mercy of Rupa-Raghunatha, beseeching them, pray, “When will Rupa-Raghunantha manifest themselves to me and shower me with their boundless, causeless mercy? By their mercy, I will know what Vrindavana is.” You go to Vrindavana, but you don’t realize the transcendental beauty of Vrindavana. Vrindavana is filled with pure love for Krishna. If you go to the pastime places of Vrindavana like Nidhuvana, Seva-kunja, Vamsi-vata, under the guidance of a bona fide guru, you will realize the transcendental love and beauty of Vrindavana. All worldly requirements will go away at once.

 

You cannot know what Vrindavana is without the mercy of Rupa and Raghunatha; you will only see Vrindavana as any other place. Nowadays, the population of the forest animals has decreased in Vrindavana. When Rupa-Raghunatha bestow their causeless mercy on us, we will see how sweet and fragrant Vrindavana is. We will see the most beautiful flowers blooming everywhere. In this transcendental setting of Vrindavana, the Yamuna is flowing in a crooked form, Krishna is standing in a threefold bending, crooked form. He is playing on His Vamsi, flute. He is charming all the animals like the deer, parrots, peacocks, cuckoo birds, and everyone. Everyone in Vrindavana sings, “Radhe Radhe!” This scene is so incredibly beautiful!

 

If a person goes to Vrindavana and even glances at this beauty, he will be totally amazed.

 

So, Srila Narottama das Thakura prays, “Rupa Raghunatha pade rahu mora asa, prarthana koroye sada narottama dasa.” Narottama Thakura prays, “Oh Rupa! Oh Raghunatha! You are not worldly personalities, both of you are the associates of Sri Radha and Krishna. Oh Rupa and Raghunatha, you are Rupa-manjari and Rati-manjari respectively. Both of you should be affectionate to me, by which I will realize this transcendental beauty. By your causeless mercy, I will cross this endless ocean of birth, sufferings, and death.”

 

When you are old, your teeth will weaken and fall out. Your eyes will gradually become blind, and your hair will turn white. Holding a stick to support yourself, you will pray, “Oh God, please bring death upon me for I cannot tolerate this suffering.” So, always pray to Rupa-Sanatana, Rupa-Raghunatha, Nityananda Prabhu, and Mahaprabhu with the aid of these bhajans. Knowing the meaning, sing, weep, and roll on the ground. You should think, “Who am I?” You are not this body, the body is always changing. When you have left the body, your parents or your children will take this rotten body away and either burn it, or leave it in a place where the birds and dogs will feed on it. So, you should try to develop your Krishna Consciousness and become bona fide devotees. You don’t know when death will come, so you should be devotees from the earliest. You should have been a devotee from the age of five or since the time you have had the association of a bona fide devotee. Try to become a devotee without any delay and come in the line of pure devotion, then Krishna will listen to your prayers. If you are not saranagat, surrendered, can you sweetly chant Hare Krishna in a such a way that Krishna will listen to you? Hence, chant in a surrendered, sweet way.

 

I give my heartly blessings to you all, that you become bona fide devotees and quickly find yourselves in the assembly of Radha and Krishna. You will find yourself sweetly dancing there. Now, a kirtana should be sung.

 

[Gurudeva leads the devotees in singing, “Radha Krishna prana mora Yugala Kisora.]

 

[Break of audio.]

 

Srila Gurudeva: During the final days of his manifest stay in this world, Svamiji called me. After embracing me, he wanted me to sit by his side. But I offered him pranama, obeisance and respectfully sat on a chair placed next to him. Svamiji told me many things and he specifically told me, “You should help all the devotees.”

 

When I wanted to speak to Svamiji’s disciples, Svamiji called all his sincere disciples including the GBC members and told them, “Come here and listen to what Narayana Maharaja has to say.”

 

I told Svamiji’s disciples, “You should continue to develop his mission after he goes to Goloka Vrindavana. I know of many instances where quarrels arise among disciples after their Gurudeva departs. These disciples fight for the post of their guru. All of you should not repeat these actions of quarrel and infighting. Be careful to not fight among yourselves and make every effort to collectively serve Svamiji’s mission. Otherwise, you will commit mistakes.”

 

We gave so many instructions to the assembled devotees. I told Svamiji that I will try to fulfill his order. But if the disciples don’t wish to listen from me, then nothing can be done. Svamiji told me, “You should put me in Samadhi.” But they have forgotten Svamiji’s instructions to them and me. I have heard that they have allowed me to go to the Bhaktivedanta Manor, but only under restricted conditions. They want to place me under a lock and key situation, with the key in their hands. Svamiji never placed any such restrictions. Anyhow, I will go there and pray to the lotus feet of Svamiji. I want to place his lotus feet on my head. Every particle of Svamiji’s foot dust is sacred for me. If they tell me, “Don’t enter,” I will offer my obeisance from outside and return. I see Svamiji everywhere, so there is no problem for me at all. But, these restrictions will cause some bad effect on them. Their guru will not be satisfied by such behavior. I pray that by their Gurudeva’s influence, they don’t engage in such transgressions of Vaisnava etiquette. They should be inspired to preach everywhere with renewed energy and enthusiasm. I am always there for them, helping them like I always do. They shouldn’t fear from me. They fear that I will take all their disciples away. But, I don’t want to make any disciples. I only accepted a few devotees as my disciples because a wall was made that forbid them from entering the temples. Otherwise, there was no need of me accepting them as my disciples. I would have sent them to the GBC members like Tamala Krishna and the others.

 

Devotee: I tell them that actually. I was telling some devotees this morning, of how I recorded you in Mathura only a week ago where you said that you were specifically coming to the West, only to inject life into the devotees who have left the movement. You want to re-inspire them in their Krishna Consciousness. When we hear you speak this way, we think, “That is so nice.” But when we hear a rumor or a scandal from ill-motivated people, we all become confused. They used to think that everyone was wearing sarees and practicing Raganuga bhakti.

 

[Laughter]

 

Srila Gurudeva: I never speak like this. Never listen to these rumors.

 

Devotee: This morning, a devotee told me, “You have some big misconceptions.”

 

I replied, “Is that because I am with Narayana Maharaja?”

 

I told him, “I have no time for chanting and hearing.”

 

He said, “Everything is perfect in Krishna’s management. Serve Svamiji and in the future, when Krishna thinks that you have the adhikara, you will have all of the time.”

 

Srila Gurudeva: Yes. But, I don’t wish that the devotee is in one stage of devotion for his whole life, or for all eternity. Bhakti is a current that cannot stagnate in one place. Otherwise, the Bhakti of a devotee will dry.

 

Devotee: And we will all leave.

 

Srila Gurudeva: Yes. They should realize all these truths.

 

Devotee: When I was preaching vigorously from the society, we condemned Christians, because they could not go beyond the fundamental principles of Christ. They could not follow the basic teaching that guru gave them.

 

Srila Gurudeva: Yes. This ideology prevalent among certain devotees is the same as that of the Christians.

 

Devotee: But we preach against it, but yet, we follow the same thing. We preach against caste brahmanas but then, we see that all the children born in ISKCON are Vaikunta children.

 

Srila Gurudeva: It has been stated everywhere in all our epics like Srimad Bhagavatham, Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, and in the books of Srila Rupa Gosvami, that the elder godbrothers and the senior devotees must be respected. But, despite these injunctions, they are pulling the feet of senior devotees. This is very bad.

 

Brajanatha Prabhu: We can get a very nice hotel for you to stay in Gurudeva.

 

Srila Gurudeva: We can stay there?

 

Brajanatha Prabhu: Yes.

 

Srila Gurudeva: But can Mahaprasadam be cooked and distributed there?

 

Brajanatha Prabhu: We cannot cook there.

 

Srila Gurudeva: We cannot cook there? Then we should cook in devotees’ houses and honor Mahaprasadam. Is there a big room for the devotees to sleep?

 

Brajanatha Prabhu: Yes. There will be a very nice room there for the devotees.

 

Srila Gurudeva: Some devotees will be visiting, so good arrangements must be made for them. Can many devotees sleep there?

 

Devotee: It is a public hotel Maharaja. Maharaja, but in this hotel, they will be drinking wine and eating meat.

 

Srila Gurudeva: The room must be separate for the devotees.

 

Devotee: The rooms are separate, but in the hotel, they will be drinking wine..

 

Srila Gurudeva: Only twenty devotees can go with me? Are there any hotels nearby for the rest of the devotees?

 

Devotee: We should also be certain about the maximum limit inside a room. With Gurudeva, Pundarika Prabhu and a few others can stay with him. You cannot have more than three in a room.

 

Srila Gurudeva: One person can go with me. Anyhow, in Holland, the devotees are so marvelous. I want that much preaching be done there. I came to the West to take the foot dust of Svamiji. This is my most main priority in coming to the West. Secondly, I came to meet all the senior devotees who have left ISKCON. I have come to the Western countries to renew their faith. I want to tell them to never give up the guidance of Svamiji. They should again start afresh and practice Krishna Consciousness. I want all the devotees to converge and combine together in ISKCON. But, if the leaders are not allowing the devotees to enter the temples, then separately, they should all combine together. They should have a good relationship with ISKCON and they should preach. They should not go anywhere else, giving up harinama. All the senior devotees who have left ISKCON, are now dancing and preaching everywhere! This is so marvelous! I spoke in Hindi in certain places, and the Hindi speaking audience became so happy! The Mayor of Birmingham also came and listened to my discourses. I spoke on—the Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatham, the history of Prahlada Maharaja, and other pastimes.

 

Many devotees who had left ISKCON and resumed to their previous ways of eating meat, smoking cigarettes, and other habits, took an oath on meeting me that they will end these habits and continue with their practice of Krishna consciousness. Many devotees had lost faith in ISKCON and left, these devotees should be helped and inspired to serve, the same way they did during Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja’s manifest presence. Unfortunately, certain leaders are not prepared to accept my help. About ten years back, I suggested to all the ISKCON leaders like Tamala Krishna, Bhavananda, Bhagavan dasa, Jayapataka, and all others that those devotees who under certain circumstances have gone to Srila Sridhara Maharaja and to other devotees should not be considered to have left ISKCON. I told them, “Don’t consider these devotees to be false. You should consider these devotees to be younger brothers or your sons. Give them energy to follow Svamiji.” But they did not accept my advice. I think that many senior devotees and good followers of Svamiji, who have served Svamiji so much, are now out of ISKCON. There are many junior devotees and the senior devotees have left. I have come to take the dust of Svamiji’s lotus feet, but they are not calling me to their temples. Many people like Christians invite and welcome me, but not these devotees. I have served Svamiji much more than these disciples who bar me from entering the temples ever could. They cannot serve Svamiji like the way I do.

 

But anyhow, I am very pleased to see that all the senior devotees who had left the devotional line, have now resumed their practice of Krishna consciousness. They cannot tell what offense I have committed to Svamiji or to anyone else. Can anyone tell me what offense I have committed? No one can tell. I challenge them to state what offense I have committed. But they say that I initiate everyone who comes to me. Why should I initiate those devotees who consider me as a Siksha-Guru? In Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti, I don’t initiate. Many devotees come to me to get initiated, but I refuse to initiate them. But now, I initiate devotees because of the wall of restriction created. Otherwise, I would not accept any disciples.

 

So, we have a program to go to Bhaktivedanta Manor, whether they will call or not. If they close the door on me, I will take the dust of the place, offer my obeisance, circumambulate Bhaktivedanta Manor, and leave.

 

After my meeting with Brajanatha Prabhu, all the devotees from Holland should meet me.

 

Devotee: For our Sunday feast class, many devotees come from outside. So maybe you can give class Maharaja.

 

Srila Gurudeva: Very good. I will glorify Prabhupada. If they don’t ask, then I will have a black patti here. Karatalas and mridangas will be there, but no sound will come from them. Because, they (the leaders) have told to not speak. If they will be like Kamsa, Jaghai-Madhai, and Hiranyaksha-Hiranyakashipu, and have a lock and key on the door of their temples, then I will play the karatalas and mridangas. We have nothing to worry.

 

Devotee: Many of the devotees in their hearts, want to meet and talk with you. But they cannot state this desire. They read your books.

 

Srila Gurudeva: I know they want to meet me. To increase their divine love, they will have to read.

 

Devotee: But the way we get chained, is that we identify so much with our institution. They are worried that they will be seen as disobedient and independent. They will be seen as not surrendered to Svamiji. They have been trained as such for ten-fifteen years, so they are afraid to do anything.

 

Srila Gurudeva: What is this devotee’s name?

 

Devotee: Chris, short for Christopher. He was in Bhuvanesvara for some time.

 

Srila Gurudeva: What is his sister’s name?

 

Devotee: Angela.

 

[Srila Gurudeva to the brother and sister devotees]: Try to develop your divine love for the Divine Couple.

 

Srila Gurudeva to a devotee: Are you okay?

 

Devotee 2: Yes Gurudeva.

 

Srila Gurudeva: I am so glad to meet you. Will you be in England for a month?

 

Devotee 2: Yes. Right before I left Vrindavana, there was a very big storm. The wind was blowing the trees down. There was so much dust and rain.

 

Srila Gurudeva: Also a political storm is going on there.

 

Devotee: The BJP party are storming.

 

Srila Gurudeva: If they will come, it will be very good for devotion.

 

Pundarika Prabhu: The devotee is saying that the BJP party wants to build nuclear weapons.

 

Srila Gurudeva: This is propaganda only.

 

[To some devotee children]: I think these flowers are like your beautiful, sweet, and small hearts.

 

Before, I used to have a devotee who I would regularly talk to in English.

 

Devotee: Pundarika Prabhu?

 

Srila Gurudeva: This was during the time that Tamala Krishna and the others wanted to hear Srimad Bhagavatham from me. Now, there is no need for me to converse in English to gain a better understanding of the language. My language may be poor, but yet, it works. There is no need of an interpreter.

 

Devotee: Also, the Western devotees like to hear from you directly. When you say such and such, there is no need for any translation.

 

Devotee 2: Gurudeva, we were talking about how we cannot understand your Hindi. So, Radhakantha Prabhu and I were joking that if Navadvipa Prabhu teaches you high, high English, then we will also not understand your English.

 

[Laughter]

 

Srila Gurudeva: I am also thinking like that. I don’t want to make my English extremely ornamental.

 

[To a devotee]: I wanted to meet you and I am so pleased to have met you now. I wanted to go to your residence.

 

Devotee: You are most welcome Maharaja.

 

Srila Gurudeva: I will come in some time.

 

[To another devotee]: How are you? Where is Prabhu? Have you lost him? They told me that you were more bona fide than me. Do you understand?

 

Devotee 3: You are more bona fide Gurudeva.

 

Srila Gurudeva: Why do you say this?

 

[To the assembled devotees]: She is so sincere and bona fide. Her desire to develop Krishna consciousness is greater than mine.

 

[To a devotee]: You should help her to develop her Krishna consciousness.

 

The devotees are worried about managing everything. Hari-katha classes should always be organized.

 

[To a devotee]: Please tell me your name.

 

Devotee : My name is Ali, Maharaja.

 

[On hearing that the audience of a festival are very receptive to the message of Krishna consciousness, Gurudeva replies]

 

Srila Gurudeva: I want to join you all. I will join. If they will call me, I will go and stay there. Is the audience Hindi speaking?

 

Devotee: I don’t think so. But, it is going to be a public rally, so there will be a lot of Indian people.

 

Srila Gurudeva: I will speak in Hindi and English.

 

What did this devotee say?

 

Devotee: He said his name is Ali and he wrote you some letters.

 

Srila Gurudeva to the devotee: When I was in Mathura, I answered your letters.

 

Devotee: You did Maharaja.

 

Devotee 2: It is good that he received them, because in India things get lost in post sometimes.

 

[Srila Gurudeva referring to some devotees]: They are also making arrangements to save cows in England. They are doing something.

 

Devotee: This ‘save the cow’ campaign is beginning to take off.

 

Srila Gurudeva: When all the senior devotees come I will be especially happy. Those who don’t show proper respect to their Gurudeva, to senior Vaisnavas, who haven’t left their anger and lust behind, who want more and more; they are not qualified to hear all these truths of devotion. But, there will be some devotees who these truths can be told to. In an assembly of one lakh sadhus, there were many Maharsis and Rsis. Where did these sadhus assemble? They assembled to listen to the recital of Srimad Bhagavatham from the lotus mouth of Sri Sukadeva Gosvami. Out of those assembled sadhus, very few were qualified. The rest of the audience were Brahma-jnanis, karmis, yogis, and tapasvis. But yet, very cleverly and prudently, Sukadeva Gosvami spoke on the Srimad Bhagavatham for the entire audience.

 

During the initial parts of his discourse, he imparted the same teachings as stated in the Bhagavad Gita. The dialog between Kapila Muni and Devahuti, the history of Ajamila, the history of Citraketu Maharaja and Bharatha Maharaja, and other numerous histories comprise the first nine cantos of Srimad Bhagavatham. Gradually, Sukadeva Gosvami explained the tenth canto, consisting of Krishna’s birth, Gopi-gita, Venu gita, and other spellbinding pastimes of the Lord. Thus, Sukadeva Gosvami made everyone devotees.

 

Then, Sukadeva Gosvami spoke on the five life airs of Srimad Bhagavatham—Gopi-gita, Venu gita, Brahmara gita, Yugala gita, and Pranaya gita.

 

[Transcribed by the Bhaktabandhav Team]

 

 

 

 

The Summit of Selfless Love

14 May 1996 Den Haag

 

The Summit Of Selfless Love

 

[Hari-katha spoken by Nitya Lila Pravista Om Visnupada Astottara Sata Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja – Srila Gurudeva]

 

To listen to the audio file of this class, please click on these links:

 

http://sbnmcd.org/all_mp3/1996/19960514DEN_HAAG_T14A.mp3

 

 

Srila Gurudeva: . . .if you promise, “I will never practice what my Gurudeva has not bought and told.” This promise signifies that that you have not completely understood your Gurudeva’s mood. Your Gurudeva has never said, “You should be strict in only chanting sixteen rounds.” This instruction is for beginners. So, in a step by step manner, you should advance in your devotion. If you are not doing so, it is niyamagraha (abandoning the rules prescribed for one’s eligibility or adopting those rules that are meant for others). By making up your mind, you may have arrived at the conclusion, “I will chant 32 rounds of harinama every day. I will offer obeisance to all the Vaisnavas and to the personalities related to Krishna, Srimati Radhika, our Guru-parampara, and to all the places where Krishna has performed His pastimes. I will offer my obeisance 1, 008 times. I will also read a chapter each of Caitanya Caritamrita and Srimad Bhagavatham.” But later, you think, “I am not completing my vows. Sometimes I do complete them and sometimes I also observe upavasa, I fast from taking food. But I do not chant harinama, while I fast. I may externally chant Hare Krishna but internally extraneous thoughts captivate me.” This is niyamagraha. You should try to complete performing all your devotional services, otherwise it will be niyamagraha. Did all of you understand what I just said?

 

Devotee: If you make a certain vow to complete a number of rounds, or to perform certain devotional services, you should duly perform them with devotion and not externally.

 

Srila Gurudeva: Sometimes you gallop past these important services, and sometimes you observe them with caution. Sometimes you worship, sometimes you neglect. Sometimes you listen to hari-katha and sometimes not. These irregularities constitute niyamagraha. So, you should not do like this. You should perform all these devotional services in a regular, chain like manner.

 

Jana sangas ca—you should not be bound by bad association. Never accept any food or water from the hands of those people who do not engage in the worship of Krishna. Don’t accept anything from them; in their association your intelligence will be destroyed. In their proximity, your bhakti should be kept confidential. Never be engaged in prolonged conversations with them, even if one of the persons happens to be your son, brother, or husband. You can meet and cheat them by speaking on worldly subject matters. But never speak on the confidential truths of bhakti. This way, you should behave accordingly. You should always be engaged in sadhu-sanga. What is the meaning of sadhu-sanga? It means associating with a high class of a devotee who is in the line of our guru, and especially in the line of Srila Rupa Gosvami and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. On finding such a sadhu, you should try to follow his association and listen to his katha. Don’t be entangled in the association of worldly people. The association of people who have no devotion must be avoided at all costs, or else your devotion will be destroyed. This applies even to a godbrother. The godbrother may be chattering here and there, so even your godbrother’s association must be avoided. Rather, you should associate with a devotee absorbed in the devotional services of Krishna. This devotee weeps while he continuously chants the holy name, and he is much more advanced than us.

 

Laulyam ca- you should have greed for the service of Krishna. Don’t be controlled by greed for acquiring worldly things. You should try to follow all these instructions. I should refrain from speaking more, as the doctors have advised me to take rest. I will feel much separation from the devotees. So, all of you should be satisfied. Maha-prasadam should be distributed to all.

 

[Break of audio]

 

[Srila Gurudeva starts his class]

 

Srila Gurudeva: First of all, I bow down at the lotus feet of my spiritual master, Nitya lila pravista Om Visnupada Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja. I also bow down to the lotus feet of my siksha guru and sannyasa godbrother, Nitya lila pravista Om Visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja. I also bow down to Jagad-guru Nitya lila pravista Om Visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Thakura. I am very happy to have come to Holland. I have met many devotees here. By their good association, I have become very inspired. Before going to the Western countries like Holland, and England, I thought, “My usage of the English language is not as proficient as the native languages of India. How will I speak wonderful hari-katha and converse with the devotees there?” But by the association of the devotees here, I felt very inspired. My Navadvipa Prabhu helped me so much. He is my English tutor. He has helped in so many ways. He has translated many books. His help will also continue in the future. I want that my books that are published be as authentic as Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s and Srila Prabhupada’s books. But my English is poor and lame, so I will not be able to do this by myself. I cannot do this by myself. I will have to ride on his shoulders. My English is lame, but he is not blind like the person mentioned in the analogy, even so, he will take me on his shoulders. I am very happy to have come here. I think my mission in coming here, has been so successful. I become so glad to see the senior devotees of Svamiji because he had ordered me during the final days of his manifest pastimes to help his disciples. Svamiji told me, “You should help my disciples develop in their Krishna Consciousness. You should encourage and inspire them.”

 

Svamiji also used a specific word to describe certain disciples of his, which I don’t wish to say. I hope that the devotees will not misunderstand me when I repeat this word that Svamiji used. Svamiji told me, “I have collected so many monkeys. They are prone to fight with each other. In preaching my mission, they may be misguided. I need your help. The devotees must be helped and nourished, so that they can proceed on the right path. They should not be misguided.”

 

But, unfortunately, only a few devotees are following Svamiji. During my stay here, I wanted to visit a center of devotees, but unluckily, the door was closed for me. So, it was very painful. A mayavadi (an impersonalist) can come and enter the temple premises, so can a karmi (materialist). They will also be duly invited and honored, but the devotees are not allowed. How painful this is! I want these transgressions of etiquette to be done away with and they should learn to properly respect devotees. Though I am not a pure devotee, I consider myself to be a dog of Svamiji, so I should be treated well and honored because I have served him so much. I think no one has served Svamiji as much as I did from the beginning of his preaching. Perhaps some of you don’t know how I have served him but Svamiji has liked my service from the beginning even before he took the renounced order. I have served Svamiji from the early days up until the last days of his manifest stay in this world. But some devotees say that I should be avoided. Such false propaganda is not harmful for me, but it is harmful for the devotees who insinuate these baseless allegations. I pray to Prabhupada, Sri Radha-Krishna, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu that they should be forgiven for this and that they learn to honor each and every Vaisnava. The Vaisnava may be a disciple of any bona fide Guru, and if he has sincerely taken shelter of the lotus feet of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu, and the Divine Couple—Sri Radha-Krishna; we should honor him. We should try to honor the devotee even if he is not initiated. So you should not follow the devotees who are involved in these transgressions of Vaisnava etiquette. You should try to honor all Vaisnavas who are chanting harinama, regardless of them having accepted first or second initiation. Anyone, who has served Svamiji; we can give our heads for them, our lives for them. We should always try to serve them. If a dog claims, “I am related to Svamiji, and I want to continue my service,” on listening to this dog speak, I will embrace and honor the dog. If you want to progress in the chanting of harinama, and are striving to attain pure bhakti; then you will have to learn to give respect to all Vaisnavas.

 

trnad api su-nicena

taror iva sahisnuna

amanina mana-dena

kirtaniyah sada harih

 

–Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 17.31

 

[“One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.”]

 

I don’t know what fault I have committed at the lotus feet of Svamiji, that certain devotees are disgruntled with me. Anyhow, I am very glad to meet you all. I wanted to give my many moods of love and devotion to you all, but lack of time made me unable to do so. I wanted to explain the instructions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana Gosvami, I also wanted to explain the dialog between Sri Raya Ramananda Prabhu and Caitanya Mahaprabhu, these topics are so high class. Without knowing all these discussions on bhakti, you cannot be a bona fide Vaisnava. So if you want to be a bona fide Vaisnava and if you wish to sincerely serve the lotus feet of Prabhupada, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Rupa Gosvami, especially Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu, and most especially the Divine Couple—Sri Radha and Krishna; you will have to know all these facets and discussions on pure, unadulterated bhakti.

 

There are those who say, “You are not qualified to listen to these discussions.” Then for whom are these discussions written? Those who propagate this notion of ineligibility are misguiding other devotees. By listening to these pastimes, a greed will manifest in you to serve like the associates of Sri Radha and Krishna. But how will greed arise in you if choose to not listen to these pastimes? How will you learn to serve? When you are young, you go to school to learn, but if you rather say, “I am not qualified to go to school and learn the different alphabets,” will your teacher relent?

 

She will say, “Write a, b, c, d.”

 

But what will you learn if you say, “I am not qualified to learn a, b, c, or d. I am not qualified.” How will you advance in your education? We should try to follow in the footsteps of Svamiji and practice what he has said. Svamiji has never said, “You should dishonor Vaisnavas.” Has Svamiji written this anywhere? Never. Svamiji was a bona fide Guru and Vaisnava. We should follow exactly what he has said. Svamiji may have spoken something that externally may appear wrong to the doubting mind, like Svamiji discouraged certain disciples of his from approaching some devotees. That is why, Svamiji told me during the last days of his physical stay that, “I only did this from the viewpoint of preaching.”

 

I replied, “You have done any wrong. You did what you were supposed to do at that time. You are a pure Vaisnava. You are a very bosom friend of my Gurudeva. Though he gave you the renounced order, the intimacy of your relationship with him only befits that of bosom friends. You are a dear friend of my Gurudeva. In my heart, you are my Siksha-guru. Moreover, you are my bosom friend.” So, try to follow Svamiji deeply and internally, not externally. I desire that the devotees who left Iskcon, because of their bad behavior, return again. They should be inspired in their services like how they were during Svamiji’s time. The assembled devotees here should broadcast my message of bringing back and helping the devotees who have left Iskcon. They should be helped to progress in their Krishna Consciousness. You should give honor and respect each other. All of you should have love and affection for each other. Those who are chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, should especially be respected. These are my instructions and the essence of my message to you all.

 

Try to know the dialog between Raya Ramananda Prabhu and Caitanya Mahaprabhu. I have many priceless treasures to give you all, but there is no time. I wanted to explain one sloka of Srimad Bhagavatham. I cannot finish my exposition of the dialog between Raya Ramananda Prabhu and Mahaprabhu, so I will explain this sloka of Srimad Bhagavatham instead.

 

tasam rati-viharena
srantanam vadanani sah
pramrjat karunah premna
santamenanga panina

 

–Srimad Bhagavatam 10.33.20

 

[Seeing that the gopis were fatigued from conjugal enjoyment, my dear King, merciful K???a lovingly wiped their faces with His comforting hand.]

 

This sloka is from the tenth canto of Srimad Bhagavatham. The meaning is that when Krishna danced with the Gopis, He gave them much respect. He told each of the gopis, “Oh, you are so tired. Pearls of sweat are rolling down your lotus faces.” Telling this, Krishna took His Pitambara, upper cloth, and with His own hands wiped the drops of sweat that had collected on the gopis’ faces.”

 

During His entreaties to the gopis, Krishna also said, “Are you tired? May I massage your feet? I see that your ankle-bells have loosened while we danced.” Krishna then fastened the ankle-bells with His own hands. He danced with each gopi, He didn’t dance with Srimati Radhika alone. While dancing with Krishna, the gopis thought, “We are saubhagini.” What is the meaning of saubhagini? There is a special meaning to this word. When the husband is controlled by the wife, the wife is called saubhagini. Now, Krishna is controlled by all the gopis. Krishna gave immense respect to the gopis, so all the gopis are ‘saubhagini,’ they are most fortunate. Thus, each gopi began to think, “I am most dear to Krishna. I am His most beloved. None are like me.” So, the gopis became mad in their pride.

 

Every single gopi thought, “Krishna loves me so much. His love for me is unequalled and unsurpassed.” The gopis were very proud of themselves. Srimati Radhika saw this scene and thought, “Krishna is dancing with Me and also with each gopi. He is dancing with everyone. But everyone thinks that Krishna is dancing with them alone.” So, Srimati Radhika was in maan. Krishna had promised to Srimatiji, “None of the gopis are equal to You. Perfectly and solely, I only want You.” But Krishna went back on His word; He was dancing with Srimati Radhika and the gopis at the same time. So, Srimati Radhika stopped Her dance and became maanvati. The other gopis being prideful thought, “Krishna loves me more than anyone else.” They became exceedingly prideful. Srimati Radhika became maanvati and thought, “I don’t want this. I don’t want to share with anyone.” But it is a fact, that Srimati Radhika wants all the gopis to meet with Krishna. But Srimati Radhika was in maan now. After Srimati Radhika left the dance arena, Krishna thought and realized, “If Srimati Radhika doesn’t take part in this rasa-dance, there is no use of rasa-lila.”

 

“What should I do to please Srimati Radhika?”

 

After Srimati Radhika disappeared, Krishna anxiously thought, “Where is Radha? Where is Radha?”

 

Not seeing Srimati Radhika, Krishna placed the flute on His lips and called out, “Radhe! Radhe!” None of the gopis heard Krishna calling out to Srimati Radhika. None of the gopis noticed that Srimati Radhika has left the dance arena and Krishna also left the arena, intently searching for His dear most beloved. All the gopis began to search desperately for Krishna, the only thought presiding their minds was, “Where is Krishna? Where is Krishna?” They began to weep bitterly and became totally mad in separation from Krishna. In their transcendental madness, they asked the trees around them, “Have you seen my beloved?” But the trees didn’t reply.

 

The gopis approached Tulasi-devi and said, “Oh you are Krishna-priya, very beloved to Krishna. You know where Krishna is present, because you are so happy by His touch! Your manjaris wave in delight and your bliss knows no bounds. Please tell us where Krishna went.”

 

On not listening to Tulasi-devi reply, the gopis said, “She is overjoyed by the touch of Krishna. In her state of transcendental madness, she is unable to reply.”

 

The gopis next approached the creepers and saw many flowers strewn on them. The gopis told one another, “Oh they are laughing because they have met Krishna. Krishna has also plucked some flowers from them.”

 

The gopis asked the flowers, “Oh Juhi! Oh Malati! Oh Mallike! All of you are so happy! You have certainly met with Krishna. So, please tell us where Krishna went. He has certainly gone past you.” The creeper and the flowers also didn’t reply.

 

The gopis said, “The creepers are not favorable.”

 

They then approached the trees like the Kadamba trees, mango trees, Bakula trees, and many other big trees. These trees were full of succulent fruits and beautiful flowers. Seeing the trees, the gopis thought, “Oh the trees are so tall! So, he must have seen which way Krishna went.” The gopis asked the trees about Krishna’s whereabouts, but the trees didn’t reply. The gopis became more and more morose. They then began to imitate Krishna’s movements. One of the gopis thought, “I am Krishna,” while another sakhi thought of herself as the demoness, Putana. The gopis enacted the pastime of Krishna sucking out Putana’s life airs by suckling on her breasts. One gopi thought, “I am killing Putana.” The sakhi who was enacting the pastimes of Putana was not a real sakhi, but rather, a manifestation of Yogamaya-devi. They continuously enacted all of Krishna’s pastimes. The pastimes performed by the gopis constitute a very high kind of mahabhava. These moods are rarely exhibited.

 

At last, the gopis saw the footprints of Krishna. They took quick notice and started to follow the footprints. After the following the footprints for a while, they saw another pair of beautiful footprints of a very gentle and good Lady. These footprints belonged to a very beautiful Lady. The gopis thought, “Whose footprints are these?”

 

anayaradhito nunam
bhagavan harir isvarah
yan no vihaya govindah
prito yam anayad rahah

 

–Srimad Bhagavatam 10.30.28

 

[“Certainly this particular gopi has perfectly worshiped the all-powerful Personality of Godhead, Govinda, since He was so pleased with Her that He abandoned the rest of us and brought Her to a secluded place.”]

 

“Oh this Gopi has certainly worshiped the Supreme Lord, Narayana and by His grace, She has become so near and dear to Krishna, that Krishna is following Her.” But, Lalita, Visakha, and the other gopis of Srimati Radhika’s group knew that these footprints belonged to their Mistress, Srimati Radhika. They became so glad to see these footprints, while the followers of Candravali became very distressed. They thought, “Who is this Lady?” They couldn’t determine who this Lady was. Now, their pride was dissipated.

 

The gopis thought, “This Lady who is with Krishna is certainly superior to all other gopis. What can we do as we are not fortunate as this Lady? Who is this Lady?” Lalita, Visakha, and the gopis belonging to Srimati Radhika’s group were very glad.

 

The gopis then came across some strewn flowers. They also noticed that the footprints of the gopi had disappeared. But at that spot, Krishna’s footprints were imprinted deeply on the ground. Seeing these imprinted footprints, they thought and understood, “The Lady was tired, so Krishna carried the gopi in His arms.”

 

After coming across these footprints, they came across another scene. Seeing the scattered petals of the flowers, the gopis thought, “Krishna decorated Srimati Radhika here.” This place is called Sringara-vata, a pastime place in Vrindavana. But as they treaded the path, they didn’t see anybody except for Srimati Radhika, who was rolling on the ground and crying bitterly. Piteously weeping, Srimati Radhika fainted. All the gopis rushed to Srimati Radhika and consoled Her. Assisting Srimati Radhika by the side, all the gopis collectively assembled on the banks of the Yamuna. Their cries there in separation of Krishna are known as Gopi-gita.

 

ayati te ‘dhikam janmana vrajah
srayata indira sasvad atra hi
dayita drsyatam diksu tavakas
tvayi dhrtasavas tvam vicinvate

 

–Srimad Bhagavatam 10.31.1

 

[The gopis said, “O beloved, Your birth in the land of Vraja has made it exceedingly glorious, and thus Indira, the goddess of fortune, always resides here. It is only for Your sake that we, Your devoted servants, maintain our lives. We have been searching everywhere for You, so please show Yourself to us.”]

 

As the gopis sang in separation from Krishna, tears rolled down their lotus faces. Listening to their songs of intense separation, Krishna could not check Himself and He appeared in front of the gopis. On seeing Krishna, some gopis were angry, while some took Krishna’s lotus feet on their laps and gently massaged them. Some gopis placed Krishna’s hands on their shoulders and some gopis served Him in different ways. Some of the gopis who were angry with Krishna, unleashed sidelong glances from the corners of their crooked eyes. And who was the foremost of these gopis who unleashed sidelong glances of jealous pique on Krishna? She was Srimati Radhika Herself. Who was the gopi who gently massaged Krishna’s lotus feet, while placing them on her lap? She was Candravali. Srimati Radhika and Her group of gopis are of a left-wing mood (Vamya-bhava). Srimati Candravali and her group of gopis are of a right-wing mood (Dakshina-bhava). Krishna wants to especially taste the moods of the left-wing gopis. After all the gopis assembled on the banks of the Yamuna, they arranged a seat for Krishna, which was colored with kunkum. Krishna duly sat on that seat.

 

Seeking forgiveness, Krishna told the gopis, “I have done wrong.” A slight smile of shame embellished His face.

 

The gopis told Krishna, “We have some questions to ask of You. Will You reply?”

“Yes.”

 

The gopis told Krishna, “Someone has a lot of love for another person. The person to whom the love is directed will also love that person and repay him from the same coin. They love each other. Their love is based on mutual reciprocation. This is one kind of love.”

 

“The second kind of love is characterized by selflessness; a person will love another person regardless of that person accepting or rejecting their love. This person will have affection for a person even if there is no appreciation or honor from the recipient’s side.”

 

“The third kind of love is symbolized by personalities like the Four Kumaras. These personalities are indifferent to your outpour or lack, of love and affection. Whether you love or not, you will not be able to elicit a response from this person.”

 

“These are the three kinds of recipients of love and affection in this world. We request You to please tell us that in which category of love You belong to.”

 

The gopis wanted to defeat Krishna by His own words. On listening to the gopis speak, Krishna began to smile. Smiling, He told the gopis very gently, “I don’t belong to any of these categories of love. I transcend all these categories. Those who love a person and desire the repayment of their love from that person’s side—are just engaging themselves in business dealings.” For instance, you may give a dollar to a person who readily accepts it. But after this transaction of give and take, no relationship of love and affection is formed between the benefactor and beneficiary. This is banaya-giri, business exchanges. A relationship based on selfishness and not selflessness, stands between the two.

 

Defending Himself, Krishna said, “I am not of this category because it is not a religion of unrestricted love and affection.” Our love and affection should not be of this class. You should be of the unflinching mentality, “Krishna can give me up, but I cannot give Him up.” Ramachandra can forget Sita and tell her, “You should go away from here and never return.” But Sita can never give up Ramachandra. The disciples or devotees should be of this nature—they should not expect any repayment of love for their services, if they do, then they are not bona fide devotees.

 

So, Krishna tells the gopis, “I am not of this selfish class of love and affection.” He then said, “There are those people who don’t want to be repaid for their love and affection, even if they not being served or honored by anyone, but yet, they continue loving another person with all their love and affection, so who are these personalities? They are one’s father, mother, and Gurudeva. If a daughter or son are ungrateful to their parents, dishonor them, don’t render service to them, and don’t love them with all their affection, but yet, the parents will have unrequited love and affection for their children. Gurudeva will also have unbroken love and affection for his disciples. But the guru must be bona fide and the parents must be ideal parents. So, this love is very commendable, and is highly religious. This is real love and affection, but I am also not of this category.”

 

But, Krishna indicated to the gopis, “You are all of this class. You are religious minded and have much honor for Me. Your love and affection for me is unparalleled. All of you belong to this category, but I am not of this category.”

 

Krishna next spoke on the third category of love where a person is indifferent to one’s love or lack of love. Who are the personalities who belong to this category? They are the atmaramas’ (those who are self-satisfied) and aptakamis’ (those who are satisfied in their self). Guru-drohis (those who betray their guru), and ungrateful people are also of this category. You should know all these categories of the different grades of love and affection. I am explaining all these different categories of love and affection, so that you understand these categories correctly and behave accordingly. What are the symptoms of the highest class of devotees, the Mahabhagavats? You cannot even imagine the stage of the love and affection they are situated in. But, by the association of a Rasika and Tattva-jna Vaisnava, you can develop your Krishna Consciousness and by the mercy of this highest class of Vaisnava, you can realize his exalted nature. If you only pray, “Give me bread and butter Krishna!” “My son is dying, You should save him, otherwise I will throw You in the sea.” Some devotees are of this nature. They would have engaged in the worship of Krishna for ten to twenty years, and when their child is sick, they pray, “Oh Krishna, save my child.” But if the child dies, they throw the deities of Radha and Krishna, Laddu-Gopala in the sea. Along with the deities, they also throw their love and affection for the Lord, their practice of chanting, remembering, and everything else they imbibed in their devotional lives, into the sea. Thus, they become atheists. You should not be like this.

 

So, Krishna hints at how exalted the nature of the gopis’ love is. Atmarama—even if you have much love and affection for personalities like Sri Sukadeva Gosvami, the Four Kumaras; they will not reciprocate with your love. They will always be absorbed in thoughts of Krishna and they will not entertain any desire of reciprocal love. They have no love and affection for anyone, except Krishna. Aptakama—these personalities have all their desires fulfilled, there is no desire of theirs that is unfulfilled. A personality of this category will never try to fulfill his desires. If a person claiming to be aptakama wants something from you, how can he be aptakama? He is not aptakama. The Four Kumaras are aptakama, all their desires are fulfilled.

 

Do you know who a guru-drohi is? A guru-drohi doesn’t respect his Gurudeva and he disobeys his Gurudeva. The persons belonging to this category have left their Gurudeva, they are not engaged in his service anymore. They only follow their Gurudeva outwardly, to fulfill their self-interests. But they don’t follow their Gurudeva deeply and internally, these duplicitous persons who only externally follow their Gurudeva are called guru-drohis.

 

What is the meaning of akratyagna? It means being ungrateful. If a person doesn’t honor his father, mother, and Gurudeva, but doesn’t do anything against them, then he is being ungrateful. Krishna told the gopis, “I am not among any of these categories. Why? If I was aptakama, then why did I weep for bread and butter from Mother Yasoda? I would even weep when she wouldn’t breast-feed Me. If I was really aptakama, why did I call the names, ‘Radhe, Lalite, Visakhe,” on My Vamsi (flute). Listening to your names being called out, all of you have assembled here. So, I am not an aptakama. I want something from you, and you can quench My thirst, so I have called you all here. Hence, I am not an atmarama or an aptakama. I have many desires to taste your moods of love and affection for Me. Without your love, I cannot live for even a moment. I can never forget you all. Therefore, I am not aptakama.”

 

In His efforts to please the gopis, Krishna further told them, “I want to dance and sing with you all. I want to be favored by you all. I have much honor for you all, and I want to serve you all. That is why, I invited you all here. During the rasa dance, I wiped the drops of sweat that had collected on your lotus faces. So, how can I be aptakama? Sometimes, in My childhood, I would be greatly angered and throw a tantrum wherein I would break many vessels. I would also engage in stealing butter. There is not a single house in Vraja where I have not stolen from. [Laughter] Hence, how can I be aptakama or atmarama? I am also not a guru-drohi or an ungrateful person. Why?” First, we should know who a guru-drohi is. A guru-drohi disobeys and even tries to kill his Gurudeva. He gives pain to his Gurudeva and to his parents.

 

Krishna told the gopis, “I am not such an abominable person. You will realize this gradually. I am not an ungrateful person, because I have come to your side now. Sitting beside you all, I joke and engage in many conversations with you all. We also dance with each other. Therefore, I am not an ungrateful person. I have appeared before you all. Why did I go away from you all? I only did this to increase your prema to Me. While all of you sang in separation from Me, I watched you all while hiding behind the trees and realized how all of you have become mad in separation from Me.”

 

[Break of audio]

 

Srila Gurudeva: … So, Krishna is instructing the entire world, “You should serve the gopis and be like them, then I can be controlled, otherwise not.”

 

Krishna tells the gopis, “Na paraye ham niravadya samyujam—I am so indebted to you all, in lakhs and lakhs of births, I will not be able to repay My debt to your spotless service. All of you have given up your husbands, and everyone else. You have all also forsaken your shame, which is the wealth of a woman. Giving up everything, you have all assembled here. I cannot requite My debt to you all. I cannot leave any of My devotees, but all of you have renounced everyone and have come to see Me alone. So, I can never repay you all.”

 

“If I tell you gopis, ‘You should have any benediction from Me,’ I will not be able to fulfill it, if you all say, ‘You should only love me, and not anyone else.’ I cannot leave Rukmini and Satyabhama; I cannot leave Arjuna; I cannot leave even an ant, what to speak of My devotees? Hence, I will always be indebted to you all.”

 

The gopis replied, “You have conquered us by admitting Your indebtedness to us. We cannot repay You.”

 

Krishna tells the gopis, “I cannot repay you.” And the gopis tell Him, “We cannot repay You.” After their conversation, rasa-lila resumed.

 

So, you should try to realize these pastimes by the strength of your bhajan and try to follow this line.

 

If anybody says, “We will not hear these pastimes,” how can they conceive of transcendental love? I have only described a little of the glories of the gopis’ love to Krishna. By explaining the glories of the gopis’ love, you will realize how marvelous and sweet their love is. If you listen to these pastimes, your heart will jump in joy. These glories of the gopis will lead you to Goloka-Vrindavana and you will find yourself serving Krishna there under the guidance of the gopis for eternity.

 

Gaura Premanande! Hari Haribol!

 

[Transcribed by the Bhaktabandhav Team]

RAMA-NAVAMI

Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja
RAMA-NAVAMI
Bangkok, Thailand: April 11, 2003

Khon Dance

[Dear Readers,
Please accept our humble obeisances.
April 15 (in India) is the divine appearance day of Lord Ramacandra. Please accept this lecture given by Srila Gurudeva in Thailand, in 2003:Listen]

Do you know the history of Ramayana? Maharaja Dasaratha had three hundred-sixty queens, but no sons. One day he went hunting, and in the evening he met a friend of his who was also a king. That king had a very beautiful daughter named Kaikeyi, and he engaged her in serving Maharaja Dasaratha, who was very pleased with both her services and beauty.

Maharaja Dasaratha requested his friend, “Please give me your daughter in marriage.” The king replied, “My daughter is very precious to me. Only if you promise that the son born from her womb will become king after you, will I give her to you in marriage.” Maharaja Dasaratha began to laugh and said, “I have so many queens, but no sons. Therefore, I would be very happy if the son born by her becomes the next king.” The king then arranged for their marriage, after which they returned to Ayodhya.

Many years passed, and still no son was born from any queen. The sage Vasistha told Maharaja Dasaratha, “There is no son in your destiny. However, if you perform a sacrifice called putresthi-yajna, a son may come.” A fire sacrifice for begetting a son was then performed by a very great sage named Srngi Rsi. Agnideva, the demigod of fire, soon appeared from that fire with some very delicious sweet-rice in his hand. He told the king, “If you give this to any of your principal queens, she will at once become pregnant and soon have a son.” King Dasaratha became very happy, and gave half the sweet-rice to Kausalya and half to Kaikeyi. The two queens saw that Sumitra had nothing, so they each divided their parts in half and gave that half to Sumitra. Kaikeyi, Kausalya and Sumitra thus gave birth to four beautiful sons – Rama, Laksmana, Bharata and Satrughna.

What is the deep meaning of this sacrifice, wherein the demigod of fire came and gave sweet-rice to them? It means that when the Supreme Lord or His manifestations come down to Earth, they don’t come through ordinary, mortal persons. Agnideva brought the power of Krsna in the form of Rama, Laksmana, Bharata and Satrughna via the sweet-rice, and thus They descended. Rama appeared four-handed, not two-handed, holding a conch-shell, disc, lotus and club, and everyone present began to pray to Him at that time.

Later, when the boys became about five years of age, they were sent to the Gurukula of Vasistha Muni. After a few years in Gurukula they became very expert in all subjects, and then they returned home. After some time, a saint named Visvamitra Muni came to the palace and requested Maharaja Dasaratha, “Please give me Rama and Laksmana. I want to take them to my asrama, because there are many demons disturbing me and the other sages our performances of sacrifices for the world’s welfare.”

Maharaja Dasaratha replied, “They cannot go with you. I will go instead, with all my soldiers. Rama and Laksmana are just young boys. How will it be possible for Them to guard your sacrifices?” Visvamitra replied, “You will not be able to help in the matter, but your sons, Rama and Laksmana, are qualified to guard and kill all the demons.” Maharaja Dasaratha was still not ready to give Them, but his guru, Vasistha Rsi, told him, “You should give your sons to Visvamitra at once. This will benefit you, Rama and Laksmana. They are very fortunate to have the opportunity to be with Visvamitra; later on you will realize this.

Following the order of his guru, the king sent his two sons. Later, when the sage began his sacrifices, a lady demon along with her two sons named Marici and Bahu came and began creating great disturbances. Lord Rama took hold of his bow and arrow and shot them. The mother and one of her sons were killed, but the other son escaped and fled to the island of Lanka in the ocean. After killing several demons, Rama and Laksmana crossed the Ganges River with Visvamitra Rsi and went to Janakapura, the kingdom of King Janaka.

King Janaka was a very learned and advanced spiritualist; He realized the impersonal aspect of God, and also the Supreme Lord Himself. He had a very beautiful daughter named Sita. He vowed and announced, “I will marry my daughter to anyone who can lift the bow of Lord Siva, which is in my possession, and shoot an arrow from that bow.

Many princes and kings came from various parts of the world and tried to lift the bow – but they could not do so. That bow was so heavy that even thousands upon thousands of soldiers could not lift it. Even Ravana, the powerful king of Lanka, came and tried; and even demigods could not lift the bow. Visvamitra brought Rama and Laksmana to that place, and Rama very easily lifted the bow. He wanted to shoot an arrow from that bow, but the bow broke in pieces as He tried to do so. 

Rama was now victorious and thus won the hand of Sita devi, the daughter of Janaka Maharaja. She put a garland on His neck, He also garlanded Her, and Their marriage was performed. Maharaja Dasaratha came from his kingdom in Ayodhya with his other sons to attend the function, and his three sons also got married there. After that, the newly married couples returned to Ayodhya, all looking very beautiful.

Maharaja Dasaratha had long before given two boons to his wife, Kaikeyi, and she had said at that time that she would ask for them at a later date. Now, after it was announced that Rama would be crowned as the next king, by the will of God She ordered, “My son Bharata should be king, and Ramacandra should be sent to the forest in exile.” Hearing this, Maharaja Dasaratha became very afflicted by the anticipated separation, and soon after Rama’s departure from the palace, he left the world.

While in exile, Rama, Laksmana, and Sita went to Citrakuta and other places. Satrughna and Bharata had not been present in Ayodyha at the time of the exile. They were at their maternal uncle’s house. When they returned to Ayodhya and found out what had happened, they went to Citrakuta and Bharata told Rama, “Please return home. I will not be king. I am your younger brother.” All the inhabitants of Ayodhya had also gone there to appeal to Rama to return, but He refused. He said that He wanted to follow His father’s orders. Bharata replied, “Then please give me Your sandals. They will act as Your representative. You will be the king, and until Your return I will be like a minister and manage everything for You.”

Lord Ramacandra, Laksmana, and Sita then traveled to Dandakaranya forest. Ravana later went there and kidnapped Sita devi. Rama became maddened in separation from Her, calling out, “Where are you, where are you?” Ravana took Her to Lanka, to a very secret place, and practically nobody knew where he had taken Her. 

Rama then made friendship with the monkeys headed by Sugriva. Sugriva assured him, “I will discover Sita devi’s whereabouts.” He sent his messenger, Hanuman, to find Her. Hanuman went to Lanka by jumping over the ocean – about a one hundred-mile jump.  He discovered Sita and returned to Rama with the news. All the monkey soldiers then came to the ocean, but they did not know how to cross it. The presiding deity of the ocean told Rama, “In your army there are two monkeys, Nil and Nal, who know how to build bridges.”

These monkeys were very expert. They wrote Rama’s names on the innumerable stones, mountains and trees and threw them in the ocean. A very long bridge was soon constructed without pillars, and that bridge can still be seen today. It is still seen, about a million years later, though it is lying under the water. It has been discovered by American scientists. [An article about this has been written by Sripad Madhava Maharaja in “The Rays of the Harmonist” magazine.]

By the order of Rama, the monkeys led by Nal and Nil made a bridge to Sri Lanka. They brought mountains and large stones. They wrote Rama’s name on them, threw them in the water, and the stones floated. When half the bridge was completed Rama began to think, “What a powerful name this is! The monkeys are writing My name on the stones and throwing them in the water – and the stones are floating! I should also take a stone and throw it in the water, and I should see if it floats or sinks.”

Hanuman began searching for Sri Rama, and finally he saw Him from a distance and thought, “Rama is hiding in a grove.” He went there and asked, “Why are You here?” Rama replied, “I took a stone and threw it in the ocean, but it sank. When the monkeys write “Rama, Rama” on these stones and throw them in the water, they float. Why is that?” Hanuman said, “There is a secret. The monkeys utter Your name and then the stones float, but whose name will You call?” What was used in the service of the Lord floated, and what the Lord threw away became dead-weight, or useless.

The holy name is more powerful then Lord Rama or Lord Krsna Himself. Chanting of the name will do everything. Nothing else can save you. If you want to be happy in your life, chant Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. This is more powerful than Rama. Rama is very powerful, but these names are more powerful.

Lord Rama then crossed the ocean with His monkey army and killed all the demons under Ravana’s leadership. He only spared Vibhisana, because Vibhisana was a devotee and favorable to Rama. Ravana and all his sons were killed. 

When Sita was presented to Rama, He said, “I will not take Sita with Me. I am a ksatriya king. I did not come here to take Sita back. I came to destroy all of Lanka because Ravana kidnapped Her, but because She was in the house of Ravana I cannot accept Her.” He ordered Laksmana to build a fire in order to test Her chastity. Sita prayed, “O Agnideva, O demigod of fire, I will enter the fire, and if I am pure I’ll not be burned.” She entered the fire and Agnideva came out with Her and said, “She is pure.” The Air-god, the demigod of air, then appeared and said, “I am everywhere. I know Sita is pure.”

Rama then took Sita and returned to Ayodhya with His new associates like Vibhisana and Hanuman, and He was given the kingdom on that day, Rama Navami, which happened to be the day He was exiled and also happened to be the same day as the anniversary of  His birth. The residents of Ayodhya performed an abhiseka ceremony to install Him as king.

Sita had a desire to see the rsis and maharsis – to give Her merciful darsana. In the meantime, some of the inhabitants of Ayodhya began to say that although She was not pure, Rama still took Her back. They concluded, “This is a very bad thing.”

Rama then sent Sita into exile, although She was pregnant at that time. She went to the asrama of Valmiki, where She gave birth to two sons named Lav and Kush. Her sons were very strong and powerful.

Valmiki was very expert in archery, and under his tutelage the boys became even more expert than Sri Rama. Valmiki also trained them in singing the Ramayana, which he had written in his mystic trance before the pastimes of Rama were manifest in this world.

In the meantime, Rama was very distressed in separation from Sita. He was always lamenting and there was no one to console Him. Like Sita, He ate only fruits and did not sleep on a bed. Sri Rama told Visvamitra Muni, “I want to perform an asvamedha-yajna (horse-sacrifice).” Visvamita said, “You cannot do this, because You have no wife. The wife must be present in order to perform this ceremony. You should bring Sita here.” Rama said, “I cannot, but I still want to perform this sacrifice.” Visvamitra said, “Then you should marry another lady.” Rama replied, “I cannot do this – Sita will be My only queen.”

A golden statue of Sita was then made and installed, seated on Rama’s left, and Rama began to perform the sacrifice. In the morning He arranged for the performance of the fire-sacrifice, and at midday there was hari-katha and recitation of scriptures like the Puranas.

In the meantime, Valmiki told Lav and Kush, “You should sing my Ramayana there.” The boys were about nine or ten years old, very beautiful and strong, and, as previously mentioned, expert at archery. It has been told that they defeated Hanuman and many other powerful personalities in archery; and even Rama once came and they defeated Him. The boys knew that Rama was a king, and they knew that His wife was Sita, but they did not know that Sita was their mother. They only knew of their mother as “Vana-devi”.

When they arrived at the sacrifice, they began to sing in such a sweet and melodious way that everyone present in the assembly was attracted. All began to weep by hearing that Ramayana. Rama told Laksmana to find out the name of their father, and to give them nice gifts of cloth and golden ornaments. Laksmana told them, “Maharaja Rama wants to know the name of your father and mother.” Lav and Kush replied, “We cannot tell. You are supposed to be learned. You should know that brahmacaris do not tell the name of their mother and father; they should only tell the name of their guru. Valmiki is our guru.”

Laksmana became very ashamed and said, “I want to present you these gifts from Rama.” They said, “What will we do with these? Please keep them. In the asrama we eat fruits and wear the bark of trees made into cloth. Return these and tell Rama we don’t want them.” This made Rama still more impressed.

Rama later came to know that Sita was in the asrama of Valmiki and the boys were His sons. He called Valmiki and said, “It seems that they are My sons, and that my wife, Sita, is there with you. Please bring Her. I want to accept Her again. The demigods confirmed it in Lanka, and My father also confirmed it, but She will also personally have to give some evidence that She is pure.”

Sita came the next day with Her two sons. All were weeping and lamenting for Sita when they saw Her, and they were discussing amongst themselves that Lav and Kush were the sons of Rama. They said, “The boys are just as beautiful as Rama. The only difference between them and their father is that they are younger.”

Rama told Sita, “I know that You are pure; I realized it in Lanka. But I want You to give personal evidence that You are pure.” Sita said, “Still,You want evidence? All right, I will quickly give You evidence.” She prayed to Mother Earth, “I’ve come from your womb. Please open up and take Me on your lap. If I have not touched anyone in this world by mind except for Rama, then come and take Me.” After She said this three times, the Earth at once divided, a beautiful golden throne came out, and upon that throne was Prthivi-devi, Mother Earth. She took Sita on Her lap and they both went back into the ground. Weeping loudly, Rama called out, “O Sita, where are You? I cannot survive without You.”

He took out His bow and arrow and said to Mother Earth, “You are the mother of Sita and you are also my mother. But if you do not return My wife, I will shoot and destroy you.” Valmiki told Rama, “I have written up to this point, and not after that. Sita has gone to Your abode. Go there and see that She is waiting for You. This is only Your pastime. The entire world will hear it, weep, and remember it. Now the time has come. Please go at once, taking all those with whom You came.

They all went to the river bank, took bath, and all assumed four-armed Visnu forms. All the inhabitants went to Ayodhya with the four brothers, in the realm beyond this world.

Listen to Hari-katha as much as you can

 

14 May 1996 Den Haag
 
Listen to Hari-katha as much as you can

10320602_900787236652351_9205160283888034805_n
[Hari-katha spoken by Nitya Lila Pravista Om Visnupada
Astottara Sata Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami
Maharaja – Srila Gurudeva]
 
To listen to the audio file of this class, please click
on this link:
 http://sbnmcd.org/all_mp3/1996/19960514DEN_HAAG_T13B.mp3

Srila Gurudeva: . . .Srila Rupa Gosvami is engaged in
all the services of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. There is no
need to order Rupa Gosvami for performing a service.
Srila Rupa Gosvami will not wait for the order of Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So, this is the symptom of a very
qualified disciple. We should behave like this.
Otherwise, a person gives mantras to the prospective
disciple and later, falls down. What is to be done in
such a situation? You certainly cannot take his moods,
conceptions, and behavior. You cannot follow him, as he
is not a guru anymore. But, if you follow the path,
actions, teachings, and behavior of a bona fide guru,
and as a result, you are gradually developing your
bhakti, then the personality you follow is indeed your
guru. He may be a siksha guru (instructing spiritual
master) or a diksa guru (initiating spiritual master).
Siksha guru is not less than diksa guru. Sometimes, the
siksha guru may be superior to the diksa guru. For
example, I say that Gaura Govinda Maharaja is the diksa
guru of someone. But like us, the disciple’s siksha
gurus are Srila Rupa Gosvami, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu,
Krishna, Lalita, Visaka, and the acharyas of our
disciplic order. Who is superior between Srila Rupa
Gosvami and Srila Gaura Govinda Gosvami Maharaja? Srila
Rupa Gosvami is superior, because Srila Gaura Govinda
Maharaja also follows Srila Rupa Gosvami. His Gurudeva,
parama Gurudeva, paratpara Gurudeva, paramesti Gurudeva,
and the entire Guruvarga follows Srila Rupa Gosvami. So,
Srila Rupa Gosvami is superior to all, he is the
greatest siksha guru. But mercifully, Gaura Govinda
Maharaja took you in this devotional line. So, you must
worship him first and then offer your worship to Srila
Rupa Gosvami, the Guruvarga, and Krishna. But, Srila
Rupa Gosvami is so merciful. We should try to follow
this line.
 
Don’t commit offenses to any Vaisnavas. You should be of
a sweet demeanor.
 
trnad api sunicena
taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih
 
–Sri Siksastakam 3
 
[One can chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble
state of mind, thinking himself lower than the straw in
the street. One should be more tolerant than the tree,
devoid of all sense of false prestige and ready to offer
all respects to others. In such a state of mind one can
chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.]
 
Gurudeva told his disciple, “Don’t commit offenses to
anyone and never become angry.”
 
The disciple replied, “What if someone misbehaves with
my mother or speaks ill of her? Should I not be angry?”
 
“You should not be angry, even when you are incited. To
remain undisturbed when there is no reason to be
undisturbed or angry, is not very laudable. But it is
very commendable on your part to remain undisturbed and
not become angry, when there is every reason and cause
to become angry. This is a very good quality.”
 
But if anyone abuses or speaks against your Gurudeva,
siksha guru, Krishna, Bhagavat, Gita, and other related
paraphernalia, then you must become angry. But you must
not become angry if an abuse is hurled at you or when
any similar disregard is meted out. If Krishna,
Gurudeva, bonafide Vaisnavas, Tulasi-devi, Gita, Srimad
Bhagavatham, and the Vedas are abused, then you must try
to cut his criticism, and silence him. But what will you
do if he silences you? Then you are not so powerful, so
you should try to cheat him by your arguments. And if
you still not competent to defeat him, then close your
ears and rush to any sacred river like the Ganges and
take a full bodied bath without removing your clothes.
After emerging out of the river, chant Hare Krishna.
Don’t return to quarrel.
 
Now, time is over and we should end today’s class. Gaura
Premanande! Haribol! After taking rest, I will speak on
Sri Raya Ramananda samvad in the evening for half an
hour. When I spoke on Raya Ramananda samvad earlier, it
took me a month to complete it in summary.
 
[Laughter]
 
I will try to explain Raya Ramananda samvad during the
evening class. If I have time in England and America, I
will enunciate on my explanations of Sri Raya Ramananda
samvad. There are many truths manifested in Sri Raya
Ramananda samvad that we ought to know if we want to
progress in our Krishna Consciousness. I again appeal to
you all that after I leave, you should all assemble
together every week or two, or at least every month.
Assembling together, try to hear harikatha from a
bonafide Vaisnava and engage yourselves in kirtan. If
you are of the same level, then speak harikatha to each
other. You should read the purports of Svamiji in Sri
Caitanya Caritamrita to each other. You should read the
explanations and other books of Svamiji and read my
books also. You should also read the Srimad Bhagavatham
and Sri Bhagavad Gita. This way, your relationship as a
congregation will be sweet and all of you will progress
in your Krishna Consciousness.
 
I will never forget the services you have rendered to
me. You have helped me so much. I will never forget you
all. If Krishna wishes and my health permits, I will try
to come to Holland again and speak more harikatha.
 
Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!
 
Srila Gurudeva: I see so many devotees here! In Holland,
there are many Indians also. If you will listen to my
discourses in Hindi, I know for certain, that the
audience will change and become devotees. The priest
will not appreciate.
 
[Laughter]
 
Anyhow, my visit to Holland is fully successful. I
wanted to unite all the devotees who have left Iskcon
for any reason. They should be helped and united. I
think this purpose has been served. I pray to Krishna
that Iskcon’s leaders also have their mentalities
changed. One day, they will surely feel, they are bound
to feel regret if they want to progress in bhakti.
Otherwise, committing offenses and offenses, they will
displease Krishna.
 
Gaura Premanande! Haribol!
 
[Break of audio]
 
Srila Gurudeva: That is why, Shyamarani is so qualified.
If I tell her to speak harikatha, she will speak
marvelously. Sometimes, I will send her here as my
representative and she will come here and speak
harikatha.
 
Amongst you, Shyamasundara and Sashikala are also there.
Krishna is the moon being referred to here and sashi
here means Srimati Radhika. And what is your mother’s
name?
 
Sashikala dasi: Ananga-manjari dasi.
 
Srila Gurudeva: Oh Ananga-manjari dasi! Sometimes,
Srimati Radhika leads Her younger sister—Ananga-manjari
by Her hand and gives her, Her own seat that is next to
Krishna.
 
Try to develop your moods of devotion by chanting the
Hare Krishna maha-mantra. I don’t think you can
understand, should I speak in Hindi?
 
Devotee: But we will not understand.
 
Srila Gurudeva: I will speak in Hindi and English. One
day, you will have to learn Vraja bash (the dialect of
Vrindavana) here or there. “Maiyari, Maine makhan nahi
kaya (Mother, I did not eat butter),” “Maiyari, Mainehi
makhan kaya (Mother, I did eat butter).”
 
Yasoda replied, “Tumne hi makhan kaya (Indeed, You ate
the butter!)”
 
“When did I eat butter? At dawn, you sent Me to graze
the cows in Madhuvana. Throughout the day, I ran behind
the cows. I would wander here and there with the cows. I
would return home in the evening.”   
 
“Mother, I have not stolen butter. But repeatedly, you
claim otherwise. Perhaps, I am not your son. I am your
adopted son, so you accuse Me of thievery. I should
leave home as you claim I am a thief every day. I am
leaving now as I have realized I am not your son.”
 
On listening to her Kanhaiya speak, Yasoda changed her
stance. Weeping, she told Krishna, “Tu nahi makhan kayo
(You did not eat butter). I spoke without due
consideration. Touching the Narayana sila, I swear that
You are my son. You are not an adopted son.”
 
Krishna replied, “Maiya, Maine hi makhan kayo (Mother,
indeed, I ate the butter).”
 
“Nahi, Tune makhan nahi kayo (No, You didn’t eat the
butter),” speaking in this way, Yasoda embraced Krishna
and began to weep.
 
So, you will have to learn Vraja-basha when you go to
Vrindavana. You should try to learn the language from
where you are presently situated. Vraja-bhasha is a very
sweet language. The dialog between the gopis and
Krishna, and between Nanda baba and Krishna, were spoken
with these moods of Vraja.
The language resembles Sanskrit. Vraja-bhasha and Bangla
(Bengali) are the daughters of Sanskrit.
 
What more should I speak on?
 
In the Western countries, I only speak in English. But
in India, I can speak in many of her native languages.
Yadurani, Vrindavana-Vilasini, and many other devotees
were not happy there, but now they are so happy because
I speak only in English.
 
Devotee: Your Hindi is more relishable.
 
Srila Gurudeva: Yes. I can speak so fluently in Hindi. I
cannot express all my thoughts in English. My English is
lame.
 
Devotee: Only one word is enough to express your moods
Gurudeva.
 
Srila Gurudeva: Gaura Govinda Maharaja was a very
learned person. I am not learned.
 
Devotee: He would say the same thing.
 
[Laughter]
 
He would say, “Please help me baba. My language is
defective. How can I explain? I don’t know.”
 
[Laughter]
 
[Break of audio]
 
Devotee: Sometimes, it’s only the head.
 
Srila Gurudeva: For worship, you should consider the
whole body. For any reason, you may have the passport
and visa.
 
[Laughter]
 
Devotee 2: It is our passport to Goloka Vrindavana.
Maharaja is always dancing in ecstasy, so it is very
hard to get him on a picture frame.
 
I think it is better to link the whole body. Don’t keep
half things for worship on the altar. Keep the whole
figure on the altar. Now, you should try to listen to
something.
 
Srila Rupa Gosvami has said in the first sloka of
Upadesamrita. What is the meaning of Upadesamrita?
 
Devotee: Nectar of Instruction.
 
Srila Gurudeva: It is like nectar. It is not like
nectar, but it is the same as nectar. The instructions
are like a flow of nectar. Or it may also be called as
the platform to obtain nectar. You can realize what
nectar is, by following these books.
 
The first sloka of Upadesamrita states:
 
vaco vegam manasah krodha-vegam
ihva-vegam udaropastha-vegam
etan vegan yo visaheta dhirah
sarvam apimam prthivim sa sisyat
 
[A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the
minds demands, the actions of anger, and the urges of
the tongue, belly, and genitals is qualified to make
disciples all over the world.]
 
You should learn all these slokas. You cannot enter the
realm of bhakti by bypassing these slokas. You
must always remember these slokas. I think
kanista-Vaisnavas want to gallop past these slokas. But
you should not try to avoid these slokas, you must
follow them. Of the six kinds of urges—vaco vega (the
impetus to speak), mano vega (the agitation of the
mind), krodha vega (onset of anger), jiva vega (the
vehemence of the tongue), udara vega (the urge of the
belly), and upastha vega (the agitation of the
genitals); mano vega (the agitation of the mind) is the
root of all evils for grihastha bhaktas (householder
devotees) and for the bhaktas who have left their homes.
Sometimes, you cannot control this urge. This drawback
is the reason for fall down. By quarrelling with family
members like husband, wife, and children, the mind
becomes disturbed and you cannot concentrate on being
Krishna conscious. Anything besides divine love for the
Divine Couple—Sri Radha and Krishna, should not come
within your mind. Whatever you do, do for the benefit of
your Gurudeva and to please the Divine Couple—Sri
Radha-Krishna, Sri Gaura-Nityananda Prabhu, and Sri
Gaura-Gadadhara Prabhu. Don’t concern yourself with many
requirements and desires to obtain worldly things. If
you have any worldly desires, then surely something
against will enter and disturb your mind. With your mind
disturbed, anger will accost you and everything will be
spoiled. If you have no worldly requirements and desires
for sense gratification, you will have no reason to
become angry. So, try to follow Rupa Gosvami. At the
onset of anger, you will duly contemplate on how to
react. No one can be controlled by exercising anger on
them. To conquer your enemies, behave with them in a
manner infused with love and affection. The servants
will dance and all evils will abandon their nature and
become favorable. You should try to conquer this
formidable enemy. Also, if you have anger and no control
over your tongue, then this unrestricted tongue will
speak much nonsense. This is shown in Mahabharatha:
 
Draupadi told Duryodhana, “The sons of a blind father
are also blind.”
 
Listening to these words of Draupadi, Duryodhana became
furious. And he took a vow to avenge this insult. With
this intention in mind, he tried to have Draupadi
disrobed in front of the royal assembly.      
He also made lewd gestures to her. This was the terrible
fruit of anger. Draupadi did not think twice before she
spoke the way she did to Duryodhana. So, you should
control the waggle of your tongue. The tongue has no
backbone and is extremely restless. It will speak in an
unrestricted manner, so it should always be controlled.
Don’t tell anything, which is not favorable for
Krishna’s service and Guru’s service.
 
[Srila Gurudeva speaks in Hindi]
 
If you seek your auspiciousness, the tongue must be
controlled under all circumstances. By controlling the
tongue, anger will subside and the mind will be
conquered. I think the tongue is the root of all kinds
of evil. Don’t give chance for idle gossip to enter your
fold. At all times, control your tongue. Use your tongue
for promulgating the glories of Krishna and your
spiritual master. Use due discretion while using your
tongue, otherwise it will cause mayhem.
 
This is a brief delineation of jiva vega (urge of the
tongue).
 
What is udara vega? It is the desire to taste delicious
food. If delicious food is not eaten, anger will arise.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu told Raghunatha das Gosvami, “Bhalo
na kaibe bhalo na paribe….”
 
Mahaprabhu instructed Raghunatha das Gosvami, “Don’t run
after delicious food and other luxuries. Be far away
from them. Adopt those practices that are favorable for
Krishna’s and Guru’s service.”
 
Excessive intake of food can lead to a person becoming
extremely overweight. In that condition, the person will
not be able to move an inch and will be unable to walk
entirely. He will also have many bodily disorders. That
person who eats less will have a long duration of life,
while he who eats excessively will die earlier as he
will be beset with diseases. Over eating will lead to a
person becoming ugly and his stomach will bulge out. He
will go here and there and waste his life. So, it
depends on your will.
 
One may also be of the conception, “I cannot live for a
moment without the association of the opposite sex.
Whether Krishna is served or not, I want that
association.” So, everything will be spoiled by such
mentalities. If you want to serve Krishna to His full
satisfaction, then follow in the footsteps of Srila
Raghunatha das Gosvami. If that is not feasible, then
serve Him at least a little. Live and eat in a simple
fashion. Always speak with caution and don’t become
angry. Purity and love should be the defining
characteristic of your behavior. Control your tongue and
never speak anything that is unfavorable to Krishna and
His service. We should completely control these six
urges and follow the following slokas of Upadesamrita
with all enthusiasm.
 
Sripada Madhava Maharaja: Atyahara prayasas ca
niyamagrah…
 
Srila Gurudeva: Do you remember this sloka? You should
try to remember all the slokas of Upadesamrita.   
   
Atyahara prayasas ca niyamagrah…
 
What is atyahara?
 
Devotee: Over-collecting.
 
Srila Gurudeva: Eating and collecting things, which are
more than necessary is atyahara. Don’t ever accept any
object that is not favorable to your bhakti. Money,
expensive clothes, pride, inclination to see beautiful
things, listening to melodious music, and watching
movies are detrimental to your bhajan. Don’t run after
movie stars, or lady movie stars, it will ruin your
bhakti. Don’t entangle yourself in these actions. Listen
to hari-katha, Krishna-katha as much as you can. You
should also see the lotus feet of the deities, and the
lotus feet of Gurudeva for all the time you want. But
don’t see the faces of beautiful ladies and men or else,
these mundane faces will make you nonsensical. If you
see any lady, think, “She is my mother,” or “She is my
daughter,” or “She is my sister.” But never look at the
lady as an object of your enjoyment, as worldly persons
do. If you see a beautiful lady, think, “My sister is so
beautiful; she is the beloved of Krishna.” When you come
across any beautiful lady or object, think, “Oh how
beautiful this person is! This person must be engaged in
the service of Krishna. Oh how beautiful this object is
also! It must be used in the service of Krishna.” Always
think of ladies as your mother, sister, or daughter.
 
If a young beautiful person is seen, think, “Oh he is
the friend of Subala, Sridhama, Madhumangala, and the
other sakhas. They are all serving Krishna.” No worldly
lust should be there.
 
What is prayasas ca?
 
Devotee: Over-endeavor.
 
Srila Gurudeva: Don’t over-endeavor for the worldly
things of this world. Don’t engage yourself in these
futile activities. You may go to an astrologer who will
tell you, “Oh I will see what is written in your hand.
Let me see your hand, I am extremely good at palmistry.”
 
Sensing the weak nature of this person, the astrologer
will say, “I know that you are very poor. Also it is
written on your hands that you have a stomach problem
and Shani-deva’s glance of misfortune is on you.” Don’t
go. Only go to the very good doctors—the good devotees.
By harinama and hari-katha, they will have your
well-being assured. They are the best doctors and
astrologers. I can tell anything here, I can predict and
forecast the future of every person in this assembly,
but I don’t do so because it is against Vaisnava
etiquette. I know every person’s previous births, which
number in the millions. Sometimes, you were pigs and
hogs. Sometimes you were also dogs and sometimes
demigods.
 
Devotee: My Guru Maharaja told me that I am still a hog.
 
[Laughter]
 
Srila Gurudeva: So, I know everything, really I know. By
the pulse of the patient’s hands, the doctor knows the
cause of the disease and the disease itself. So, don’t
try to meet an astrologer or a palmist. Don’t be naïve
to the beguiling tricks of a magician. Don’t be
overpowered by enthralling displays. I know so many
devotees of Iskcon who come to an astrologer; this
astrologer is a prominent disciple of mine in Mathura.
They all come to see him, when I see them I think that
they are not actually devotees. They are going in the
opposite direction. You should not go to these
astrologers and palmists. Our astrologer is Shyama
Vaidya. Do you know who Shyama Vaidya is? He resides in
Vrindavana. Vaidya means an ayurvedic doctor. Who is
this ayurvedic doctor? He is Shyama Himself. So, we will
go there and He will clear all our problems. Without
feeling our pulse, He will give many good medicines and
you will be all right. Don’t go anywhere, especially to
an astrologer or a palmist. They will only tell you,
“The eye of Shani has fallen on you, you will have to
bring ten grams of gold and many articles. Also, bring a
hundred dollars with you and I will perform a ceremony
by which the eye of misfortune will be spurned.”
 
[Laughter]
 
The astrologer will take the ten grams of gold, the
money and duly place it in his pocket. So, don’t succumb
to the thoughts of going to an astrologer.
 
Devotee: Gurudeva, I know of many people who make lots
of money from this.
 
Srila Gurudeva: I know that most devotees go to these
beggars. They are beggars. If, they can make anyone
rich, then why are they themselves poor? All the
palmists and astrologers are so poor, that they cannot
feed their wife and children. But they promise, “I will
make you rich, I will make you like Indra! I will stop
Shani’s glance from falling on you.”
 
“But have you stopped Shani’s glance from falling on
you?”
 
[Laughter]
 
Have a very strong belief in bhakti. Srila Rupa Gosvami
has said and it has also been stated in many scriptures
that:
 
madhura-madhuram etan mangalam mangalanam
sakala-nigama-valli-sat-phalam cit-svarupam
sakrd api parigitam sraddhaya helaya va
bhrguvara nara-matram tarayet krsna-nama
 
[[“Lord Krsna’s holy name, which is the sweetest of
sweet things, the most auspicious of auspicious things,
and the transcendental fruit of the vine of all Vedic
literature, delivers, O best of the Bhrgus, anyone who,
either with faith or contempt, chants it even once.”
(Sri Skanda Purana)]
 
If you are not chanting bona fide name, yet, you only
chant nama-abhasa; but this semblance of the holy name
(nama-abhasa) will relieve you of all sins, offenses,
anarthas, worries and troubles of this world. Ajamila is
an example of this fact. Ajamila was a notorious
personality. He was a drunkard who abandoned his wife
and children and went to a prostitute. But, he named the
last son he bore of her as Narayana. And by calling out
“Narayana,” he crossed the ocean of birth and death and
he had the service of Narayana. The name he chanted was
abhasa (a semblance of the holy name). What will be the
result if you chant suddha-nama (the pure holy name)? I
have never showed my hands to any palmist or astrologer.
On the contrary, many astrologers and palmists come to
me; to become my disciples, but I reject them. I tell
them, “First leave this profession and then come to
me.”   
 
atyaharah prayasas ca
prajalpo niyamagrahah
jana-sangas ca laulyam ca
sadbhir bhaktir vinasyati
 
–Sri Upadesamrta
 
[Ones devotional service is spoiled when he becomes too
entangled in the following six activities: (1) atyahara,
eating more than necessary or collecting more funds than
required; (2) prayasa, overendeavoring for mundane
things that are very difficult to obtain; (3) prajalpa,
talking unnecessarily about mundane subject matters; (4)
niyamagraha, practicing the scriptural rules and
regulations only for the sake of following them and not
for the sake of spiritual advancement, or rejecting the
rules and regulations of the scriptures and working
independently or whimsically; (5) jana-sanga,
associating with worldly-minded persons who are not
interested in Krsna consciousness; and (6) laulyam,
being greedy for mundane achievements.]
 
Don’t engage yourselves in prajalpa, idle gossip. Other
than Krishna-katha, all talks are maya-katha. This idle
gossip should be given up. Always chant, “Haribol!
Haribol! Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare
Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.” If you
want water, tell, “Hare Krishna, can you please bring
water?” “Hare Krishna, I am going outside.” Never speak
of anything that has no connection with Krishna-katha.
Always speak of topics that are favorable to Krishna,
Gurudeva, and our Guruvarga. We should serve our
Guruvarga by our words.
 
atyaharah prayasas ca
prajalpo niyamagrahah
jana-sangas ca laulyam ca
sadbhir bhaktir vinasyati
 
–Sri Upadesamrta
 
[Ones devotional service is spoiled when he becomes too
entangled in the following six activities: (1) atyahara,
eating more than necessary or collecting more funds than
required; (2) prayasa, overendeavoring for mundane
things that are very difficult to obtain; (3) prajalpa,
talking unnecessarily about mundane subject matters; (4)
niyamagraha, practicing the scriptural rules and
regulations only for the sake of following them and not
for the sake of spiritual advancement, or rejecting the
rules and regulations of the scriptures and working
independently or whimsically; (5) jana-sanga,
associating with worldly-minded persons who are not
interested in Krsna consciousness; and (6) laulyam,
being greedy for mundane achievements.]
 
We should try to understand what niyamagrah is. When I
am engaged in the worship of the Lord, the rule and
regulation is that I should not speak to anyone and I
should not forsake the service to go anywhere else until
I have completed the worship. But what if, at the time
of your worship, your Gurudeva comes? What should you do
in such a situation? You may have taken an oath that you
will not give up the worship of the Lord (archana),
until you have completed it. But at the same time, your
Gurudeva came and he saw that there was no one to
receive or honor him. What should the disciple do in
such a situation? He should stop his worship immediately
and duly receive his Gurudeva. Only by Gurudeva’s grace
is he engaged in the worship of the Lord, so it is his
foremost duty to receive his Gurudeva, see to his needs
and obediently serve him. After pleasing his Gurudeva,
he should take his permission and resume his worship. If
you are not doing so, it is niyamagrah (excessive
attachment to rules and regulations). Don’t do like so.
When you are a kanista-adhikari (third class devotee),
Gurudeva tells you to chant sixteen rounds, to engage in
archana, and in other forms of worship. These
instructions are for the novice. As the kanista-adhikari
gradually develops in his Krishna Consciousness, he will
want to chant sixty four rounds or even more. The
disciple may think, “If I chant sixty four rounds, I
will neglect the order of my Gurudeva because he has
told me to chant sixteen rounds and not sixty four.”
This is also an instance of niyamagrah. We should
advance in our Krishna Consciousness. When we are
matured and advance from the kanista-adhikari stage…


[Audio file ends]

 

What Would You Like

14 May 1996 Den Haag

 

What Would You Like?

 

[Hari-katha spoken by Nitya Lila Pravista Om Visnupada Astottara Sata Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja – Srila Gurudeva]

 

To listen to the audio file of this class, please click on this link:

 

 

[Srila Gurudeva addressing the audience]

 

Srila Gurudeva: Would you like to ask some questions or would you like to listen to the dialog between Sri Raya Ramananda Prabhu and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu? What do you want?

 

Devotee: We would like to ask some questions Gurudeva, and then if you may, you can give class.

 

Srila Gurudeva: You can ask some questions and after having finished answering them, I will proceed with Sri Raya Ramananda Samvad. It is so beautiful. Now, you have come for what Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has descended to give. Firstly, you can ask some questions and then I will proceed.

 

[Devotee asks a question, which is unclear, so Srila Gurudeva has another devotee explain the question to him]

 

Devotee: Maharaja, he is saying that Srila Gaura Govinda Maharaja made a statement that the Acharyas come from Bengal and Orissa. So he is asking to..

 

Srila Gurudeva: So his question is why he made this statement?

 

Devotee: Yes.

 

Srila Gurudeva: He has said this because Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was born in Bengal. He also spent most of His time in Sri Jagannatha Puri dhama. So, he has said, “All Gaudiya Vaisnavas are from Bengal and Orissa.” Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Acharya, Gadadhara Pandit, Svarupa Damodara, and Jagadananda Pandit, these and most of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s associates were from Bengal. The rest of Mahaprabhu’s associates like Sri Raya Ramananda Prabhu, Sri Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya, Maharaja Prataparudra, Sikhi Mahiti, and Madhavi-devi, were from Orissa. They were all always following Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. For this reason, he may have said like this. You will have to consider in what connection and mood, he has said this. Everything depends on the mood.

 

For instance, Krishna told the gopis, “Don’t come here alone. And if you have come alone, you should return to your homes at once because it is so dark. Wild beasts are also here. So you should return.”

 

But, when the gopis and Krishna met in Kuruksetra, the gopis asked Krishna, “When we came to meet You in the forest of Vrindavana, You told us to not stay and return to our husbands. Why did You speak like this?”

 

Krishna replied, “I have never spoken like this! Indeed, I have never spoken like this! I told you all to return to your husbands, but I am your husband. So, you should stay with Me. That same night in Vrindavana, I told you that you were surrounded by dense darkness. But the forest was lit by the rays of the full moon, and the darkness was dissipated, so how could darkness exist?”

 

“The only wild beasts found in Vrindavana are peacocks, deer, and other beautiful animals. These animals were very helpful and favorable to us.”

 

On listening to Krishna speak, the gopis began to laugh. So, all statements depend on the mood of the speaker.

 

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu spent twenty four years in Navadvipa, playing and performing His pastimes as a boy and a teacher. He performed His human-like pastimes in Navadvipa. In Jagannatha Puri, He tasted the three special characteristics of the love of Srimati Radhika.

 

So, he has said like so. Vaisnavas from Vrindavana are also to be included in the group of Vaisnavas from Navadvipa and Jagannatha Puri. But this was hidden. Those who love Navadvipa and Jagannatha Puri must also love Vrindavana, because all is centralized in Vrindavana. Wherever you live in Navadvipa, you will have to remember the pastimes of Krishna and the gopis. If you live in Jagannatha Puri dhama, especially in the Gambira, you will only remember the pastimes of Krishna in your heart. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, playing the role of Srimati Radhika, only thought of Vrindavana during his residence in the Gambhira.

 

So, he has made this statement. You should not have any doubt in his words. Do you have any more questions?

 

Devotee: [Indistinct]

 

Srila Gurudeva to Pundarika Prabhu: You should stay close to me. Then the question can be translated into Hindi. What will you do sitting there?

 

Pundarika Prabhu: I am trying to make way for people.

 

Srila Gurudeva: You are like a mad man.

 

[Laughter]

 

What is his question?

 

Devotee 2: He said some Maharaja is coming to Holland and he is supporting this idea that devotees should not go to you. So he is asking how he should approach this person or how he should disregard him.

 

Srila Gurudeva: You should not disregard or discard anyone. It is their (the devotees who are discouraging other devotees from seeing Gurudeva) duty to disregard. But your duty is to honor all, with a very broad mind, and to be liberal like Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu. Sri Nityananda Prabhu approached Jaghai-Madhai and told them to chant Hare Krishna, despite the obstinacy of the two brothers. They were ready to kill Sri Nityananda Prabhu. Madhai attacked Sri Nityananda Prabhu with a clay pot and Nityananda Prabhu’s forehead started to bleed. Despite being attacked, Nityananda Prabhu pleaded to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and said, “You should please forgive them.”

 

So, you should pray to Nityananda Prabhu. They have affection for Krishna, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and the devotees but their heart is not clear. There may be something undesirable in them, but you should tolerate and forgive them.

 

I pray to Krishna and Caitanya Mahaprabhu that they be rectified. And mercy should be bestowed on them, by which they will honor all Vaisnavas. A day will come when they will realize, and they will weep for this. Otherwise, they cannot proceed an inch in the realm of bhakti.

 

So, you should pray, “Oh Prabhu! Oh Krishna! Oh Caitanya Mahaprabhu! Oh Nityananda Prabhu! You should have mercy on them.”

 

Don’t try to take revenge, or dishonor others. A man can only be conquered by love and affection. Their hearts cannot be conquered by anger, and ill-treatment. If certain individuals bound by the lower modes of nature are engaged in committing offenses, then you should offer your pranamas (obeisance) from a distance. You should not associate with them. Wait until they are turned and their natures change.

 

Do you have any more questions?

 

Devotee: Maharaja, you explained that we should not worship Dvarakadisa Krishna, that we should worship Nanda-Nandana..

 

Srila Gurudeva: No. I have not told like so. I have said, “Those who are qualified to engage in arcana of Dvarakadisa, must worship Him accordingly. Those who are qualified to worship Krishna as Brahma (the Supreme Spirit) must worship Him as such. Those who are qualified to serve Ramachandra must worship Ramachandra. You should not hate them. You should not engage in any ill behavior towards them. We should give proper honor to them. But when we will be tatasta (neutral) and deeply reflect, we will realize that the service of the Divine Couple is the topmost of all services. We should help them like how Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Rupa Gosvami helped. How did they help?

 

Among the three brothers—Srila Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, and Anupama Prabhu—Anupama Prabhu was the youngest. But he was attached to Rama. He would always worship Rama. One day, Rupa Gosvami told him, “Krishna is Svayam Bhagavan, and He is the root of all incarnations. He is sarves-varesvara. The manifestation of Krishna is Rama. There is no difference at all between Rama and Krishna. Krishna is also Rama. When Krishna is seen by the eyes of maryada (reverence) and opulence, then He is seen in the form of Rama.” On certain days like the astami (eighth day), navami (ninth day), dasami (tenth day), portions of the moon are seen. But the “moons” seen on different days are not separate. The shadow of the earth covers the moon and as a result, different phases of the moon are seen. If you pierce through the coverings of the sky, you will see the moon standing still in its position with no diminution of size. Likewise, when a man has regard for Krishna and wants to serve like Hanuman; he will see Krishna in the form of Rama. When Hanuman will see Srimati Radhika and Krishna, he will not see Them as They are. He will see Krishna as Rama, having the bow and arrows. And on His left side, Hanuman will see Sita. Many similar examples have been given in Sri Brihad Bhagavatamrita.

 

If anyone is qualified, then coupled with the degree of his devotion mixed with maryada (reverence or veneration), he will see Krishna as Rama. Krishna is seen as Rukmini-Dvarakadisa, when the degree of maryada is lessened, but is coupled with a mood that predominates over madhurya (sweetness). The devotee of this qualification will see Krishna seated on the chariot with Arjuna. He is bound to see Krishna in this way.

 

So, Srila Rupa Gosvami told Anupama Prabhu, “Rama has no rasa. He cannot dance. In his entire life, Rama has never danced, even in His home. He cannot dance with His brothers—Lakshmana, Bharatha, and Shatrugna. He does not know how to dance.” Krishna can fight and vanquish many demons like how Rama did, but Krishna can dance sweetly with His sakhas like Subala, and Sridhama and especially with the gopis. Krishna can sing so sweetly but we have not heard of Rama singing sweetly. Rama has no bosom friends. He cannot embrace anyone. He will not embrace Vibhisana, or even Lakshmana. If He will embrace Sita, He will do so in a quiet, lonely place, within any room during the night. But He will never do so within the sight of others. Rama has no bosom friends like the friends of Krishna in Vraja. On seeing Rama, Vibhisana will pay his respects, and say, “Oh Prabhu!” Sugriva and Rama made a fire sacrifice and took a vow that said, “Now we are friends.” But Sugriva never sat on Rama’s throne or bed. Sugriva is a dasa (servant) of Rama.

 

Similarly, in the pastimes of Dvarakadisa, His associates like Akrura and Uddhava are also servants. Moreover, he is the sakha (friend) and prime minister of Krishna, who gives advice to Him. He is Krishna’s everything but He cannot sit with Krishna and embrace Him. He cannot give his remnants to Krishna. He is bound to have some maryada. He cannot transgress the mood of dignity that Krishna, the Lord of lords has. The Lord of Dvaraka knows everything, He never forgets anything. But in Vraja, Krishna’s omniscience is forgotten by everyone—including Krishna. The Vrajavasis like the sakhas play with Krishna and tumble on each other in their frolicsome games. They will give their remnants to Krishna. They are always like this. If Krishna is sleeping, Madhumangala and Subala will go and address Krishna as, “O Sale!” Do you know what this means? It is a gali, an abuse of Vraja. If Krishna is still sleeping, He will be shook from His slumber by His dear friends. They will exclaim, “Get up! Hurry! The cows are waiting.” Any of the residents of Dvaraka cannot behave with Krishna in this way. In their Krishna dasya (the inherent nature of servitude to Krishna), every soul has a special relationship with Krishna. By their svarupa (intrinsic nature), every soul is a servant of Krishna. Subala and Sridhama are also a special kind of servants. So are Yasoda Maiya and Nanda Baba. The gopis are the dasis (maidservants) of Krishna. Though Garga rsi, Sandilya rsi, and Sandipani muni are the gurus of Krishna in His pastimes, they are His eternal servants. All are the servants of Krishna. But, in the dictionary of Goloka Vrindavana, the word “dasa” (servant) and “dasi” (maidservant) do not exist. There, everyone is addressed as, “Sakhi, sakha, mother, and other names filled with sweetness.”

 

If anyone is the servant of Dvarakadisa by his constitutional position, then he will be fixed in the worship of Dvarakadisa. We should not interfere with his worship. We should duly regard them, like how Gopa-kumara did. We have so much regard for Uddhava, but we don’t want to be like Uddhava. We want to be the maidservant of Srimati Radhika and serve Her under the guidance of Rupa-manjari, Rati-manjari, Lalita, and Visaka. According to the constitution of their atma (soul), some souls may be the servant of Rama. You should not deter them from their worship.

 

So, Rupa Gosvami told Anupama Prabhu, “Rama cannot dance. He has no sakha (friend). In the relationship to Rama, Vatsalya bhava is reduced to half. It is not full. So, you should try to serve the Divine Couple—Sri Radha and Krishna.”

 

Anupama Prabhu replied, “You are my guru and my elder brother also. From tomorrow, I will worship Sri Radha and Krishna.” Anupama Prabhu then proceeded to take rest. Contemplating on the object of his worship, he began to weep.

 

He tearfully thought, “How can I leave the lotus feet of Rama? If I do so, I will die at once.”

 

Anupama Prabhu spent the entire duration of the night—sleepless. In the morning, he went to Srila Rupa Gosvami and fell flat at his lotus feet. He said, “You are my Gurudeva and elder brother. I want to always obey you, but I cannot obey this order of yours. I cannot leave the service of Rama. If I forsake His seva, I will die at once.” Anupama Prabhu then began to weep loudly.

 

Rupa Gosvami embraced him and said, “You are the best and bonafide devotee. You should not give up the service of Rama. You should continue serving His lotus feet.”

 

After some time, when the brothers were on their way to Jagannatha Puri to meet Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Anupama Prabhu thought, “In this life, I cannot abandon the worship of Sri Rama. So, I must die and through sadhu sanga, I will cultivate the worship of Sri Radha and Krishna from the beginning of my next life.”

 

Determined to fulfill this resolve, Anupama Prabhu left his body in the middle of the way. After performing the last rites of his brother, Rupa Gosvami went to meet Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu alone.

 

A similar pastime also manifested between Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Murari Gupta. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu told Murari Gupta, “Krishna is the root of all manifestations. Krishna is Svayam Bhagavan. Rama is a manifestation of Krishna.”

 

Mahaprabhu said:

 

isvarah paramah krsnah

sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah

anadir adir govindah

sarva-karana-karanam

 

–Sri Brahma-samhita 5.1

 

[Krsna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.]

 

Mahaprabhu also quoted the sloka of Srimad Bhagavatham:

 

ete camsa-kalah pumsah

krsnas tu bhagavan svayam

 

–Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.28

 

[All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Sri Krsna is the original Personality of Godhead.]

 

On listening to Mahaprabhu’s instructions, Murari Gupta replied, “Yes, I will engage in the service of Krishna.”

 

But after making this decision, Murari Gupta did not bat an eyelid for the entire night. A sleepless night was coupled with the continuous flow of tears from his eyes. The next day, on meeting Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Murari Gupta said, “I promised to serve the Divine Couple—Sri Radha and Krishna, but I cannot engage in Their service, so I will die at once. Please excuse me and let me know on what should be done. Or else, I will go to the Ganga, jump in her waters and give my life up.”

 

Mahaprabhu replied, “No, no! I was simply testing you. You are Hanuman himself. You have descended to serve your Prabhu—Sri Rama, who is in Me. Your service to Your Lord is incomparable. You should never contemplate on giving up your life. I am greatly satisfied by your steadfast devotion to Rama. You should continue your service to Rama.”

 

Srivasa Pandit was the servant of Narayana. Vasudeva Vipra of Navadvipa was the servant of Varahadeva. The devotees of different incarnations and the incarnations Themselves collectively gathered in the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Everyone was serving Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So, we should honor the devotees of different incarnations, but we should not try to associate with them. May I tell a story about this?

 

Devotees: Yes!

 

Srila Gurudeva: But is the time over?

 

Devotee: You have enough time Gurudeva.

 

[Laughter]

 

Srila Gurudeva: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates like Srila Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami left this world and entered their unmanifest pastimes. Shortly after their departure, Srila Raghunatha das Gosvami also left this world. Mahaprabhu’s disciples were not like you. For you to become a disciple a fire sacrifice needs to be arranged and mantras have to be spoken into the ear. These disciples do not require the external formalities of initiation to be considered as disciples. So, who is a disciple? What is the criterion for a devotee to become a disciple? Srila Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami were the disciples of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. And Rupa Gosvami was the disciple of Srila Sanatana Gosvami. There was no fire sacrifice conducted, and no mantras given. So how is Rupa Gosvami considered a disciple? Those who follow their Gurudeva’s actions and services to Krishna by all their hearts—are certainly the real disciples of Gurudeva. The disciple who follows Gurudeva by all his heart is a vidvad-rudhi disciple. His acceptance and service to Gurudeva is factual. Rupa Gosvami is vidvan (learned). All the Acharyas of our disciplic order are vidvad, they practically know all the services and perform them with all their hearts. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura is not a diksa sisya (initiated disciple) of Srila Jagannatha das Babaji Maharaja. But he is the only disciple of Srila Jagannatha das Babaji Maharaja because he actually followed all his instructions and the process of loving service to Krishna.

 

If you genuinely follow a personality’s personal conduct and line of thought, then you are truly his disciple. If you have taken initiation from someone, but you are not following him, then you are not worthy of being called that personality’s disciple. Formally or externally, you will be called his disciple. Those who are foolish, ignorant, or kanista (the novice) will tell, “Bhaktivinoda Thakura is not a disciple of Jagannatha das Babaji Maharaja. Neither were Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami the disciples of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.”

 

You should know what constitutes real initiation. Is reciting the mantras into the ear, real initiation? A person who is externally initiated, but is not heartily adopting the principles, activities, teachings, and behavior of his guru, is not really a disciple. Who was the guru of Sri Haridasa Thakura? Who has he taken initiation from? But Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu made him “Namacharya” (Preceptor of the holy name). Who was the Gurudeva of Sri Svarupa Damodara Gosvami? The foolish cannot tell. But, those who know the fact, they can tell. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is really the guru of Sri Svarupa Damodara Gosvami. And in another sense, Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the disciple of Visaka who is Sri Raya Ramananda Prabhu in Caitanya lila. Actually, Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the guru of Raya Ramananda Prabhu. Sri Svarupa Damodara took vesh (sannyasa cloth) from a mayavadi sannyasi. Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Madhvacharya took sannyasa from mayavadi sannyasis. But these personalities were not mayavadis (impersonalists). They only took the sannyasa dress from mayavadis. Svarupa Damodara Gosvami took all the instructions and personal conduct of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in his heart. So, he is indeed a disciple of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Accordingly, Rupa-Sanatana took initiation from Caitanya Mahaprabhu, not outwardly, as seen by the eyes of the foolish. But actually, Uttama bhagavats can realize all these truths. We should try to understand all these considerations.

 

I told my Gurudeva once, “If I want to be the disciple of Srila Rupa Gosvami, then is there any harm?”

 

Srila Gurudeva replied, “Very good! Very good! Madhvacharya appeared five thousand years after Sri Vyasadeva. But despite this gap of five thousand years between them, Madhvacharya became the disciple of Vyasadeva. So, why can’t we be the disciple of Srila Rupa Gosvami? Rupa Gosvami has never died. We can follow his instructions and behavior—external and internal. By following him in both ways, we can be the disciple of Srila Rupa Gosvami.”

 

So, we should pray to realize all these devotional truths. We should understand them fully, from the core of our hearts.

 

Srila Raghunatha Gosvami was initiated by Yadunandana Acharya. But he has many gurus. He is the disciple of Sri Haridasa Thakura. Do you know why? Sri Haridasa Thakura gave his association to Srila Raghunatha das Gosvami, since Raghunatha das Gosvami was a small boy. Haridasa Thakura inspired Raghunatha das Gosvami to chant harinama like him. Later, Raghunatha das Gosvami went to Svarupa Damodara. Caitanya Mahaprabhu took the hands of Raghunatha das Gosvami and placed it in the hands of Svarupa Damodara and told Raghunatha das Gosvami, “Now you are of Svarupa Damodara.” Srila Raghunatha das Gosvami imbibed all devotional moods from Svarupa Damodara and he became a disciple of Svarupa Damodara. But he did not leave his original gurus—Yadunandana Acharya and Haridasa Thakura. He added their moods, conceptions, and personal conduct to his own bhajan and this is not wrong. When he came to Vrindavana, he followed Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s instruction where Mahaprabhu stated, “After I enter My unmanifest pastimes, you should go to Vrindavana and stay under the guidance of Rupa-Sanatana. Especially go to Rupa, he is your Gurudeva.” Srila Raghunatha das Gosvami always treated Srila Rupa Gosvami as his Gurudeva. Srila Raghunatha das Gosvami has glorified Rupa Gosvami as his guru in Vilapa Kusumanjali and many other books. He could forget everyone, but he would never forget Srila Rupa Gosvami.

 

In one of his prayers of Vilapa Kusumanjali, Srila Raghunatha das Gosvami has prayed, “Sri Rupa manjari prathita kurusmen…”

 

The meaning of this prayer is very deep, mysterious, and confidential. It is not to be told openly. Because if the leaders of Iskcon listen to the meaning, they will say, “Oh he has committed an offense because in this world, there is no one qualified to hear.”

 

“Then why have these confidential pastimes been manifested. These pastimes have been mentioned in Sri Caitanya Caritamrita and other scriptures, so why did they write these pastimes in their books? They have committed an offense, and not us.”

 

[Laughter]

 

“Rupa Gosvami has committed an offense; Srila Krishna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami has committed an offense, so have Vyasadeva and Sukadeva Gosvami. You can ask them and not us!”

 

[Laughter]

 

Everyone is qualified to listen to these pastimes, if they have some greed. How will a devotee progress in his devotional life, if none of these pastimes are spoken?

 

There is a very sweet, succulent mango hanging from the branch of a tree. It is matured and rasa (juice) is coming out. A parrot can taste and relish this mango; not camels and crows. They will instead go to a neem tree and chew the bitter neem leaves instead of the juicy, succulent mangoes. They are bound to go there. So, it has been said in Caitanya Caritamrita that devotees like these mangoes of sweet devotion. They should be told and by aural reception, a taste will arise to listen to these pastimes. Otherwise, unqualified camel and crow like people will certainly not come to listen to these pastimes. They will be far away, in the forest of neem and babul trees. Do you know what a babul tree is? It is a thorny tree.

 

[Laughter]

 

tvam rupa-manjari sakhi prathita pure’smin
pumsah parasya vadanam na hi pasyasiti
bimbadhare ksatam anagata-bhartrkaya
yat te vayadhayi kim u tac chuka-pungavena

 

–Sri Vilapa-kusumanjali 1

 

[“My dear friend Rupa-manjari! You are well known in Vraja for your chastity; you don’t even look at the faces of other men. It is therefore surprising that although your husband is not at home, your lips, which are as beautiful as red bimba fruits, have been bitten. Has this perhaps been done by the best of parrots?”]

 

Srila Raghunatha das Gosvami prays, “I bow down to Srila Rupa Gosvami. He is my Gurudeva. Actually, he is not Rupa Gosvami, he is Rupa-manjari. She is famous in the entire land of Vraja, for her chastity. Her chastity is never broken. Except for her husband, she doesn’t see anyone’s face. She duly engages in service to her husband. But presently, her husband has gone to buy some cows and he has been out of the village for many days. But I see a bite mark on her lips, how did this come to be? Perhaps, a parrot has falsely understood Rupa-manjari’s lips to be a bimba fruit.”

 

This fruit is very reddish. It resembles the lips of a beautiful lady. So, he must have come and bit her lips.

 

On listening to this prayer, Rupa Gosvami became astonished and overjoyed. A smile decorated his moon like face. This is the best pranama mantra to Srila Rupa Gosvami. This sloka doesn’t imply to Yadunandana Acharya or Haridasa Thakura. Haridasa Thakura cannot reach there. He should stay up to Vaikuntaloka. And he should engage in the act of creation. Uddhava cannot come here. Srila Raghunatha das Gosvami’s first guru, Yadunandana Acharya was a very good devotee of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Haridasa Thakura is also like that. Svarupa Damodara was in the category of the asta-sakhis (eight principle friends of Srimati Radhika), and a very dear friend of Srimati Radhika. Svarupa Damodara is Lalita sakhi in Krishna lila and she is like a nayika (heroine). So, Srila Raghunatha das Gosvami does not think of him as a guru. He only thinks of Srila Rupa Gosvami as his guru—guru-sakhi. And he prayed like this.

 

If anyone adopts the sweet moods of a higher personality, and whole heartedly follows his moods and conceptions; he is really a bonafide disciple. But despite being initiated a hundred times, or even a lakh times, but without knowing the mood of the guru, diksa is incomplete and in vain.

 

[Transcribed by the Bhaktabandhav Team]

A Radio Phone Interview

Patita Pavana Srila Gurudevaji

January 1, 2005: Hawaii

[A Radio Phone Interview]

(Listen)

Interviewer: May I ask you some questions?

Srila Gurudeva: Yes.

Interviewer: I understand that people call you an ambassador of peace. Can you tell me why?

Srila Gurudeva: Oh, yes. I am an ambassador of peace because wherever I go in the world I teach everyone that God is everywhere. We are all part and parcel of God. This body is nothing but a bag of stool, urine, blood, and other such things; so we should not quarrel in relation to this body. We see that God pervades everywhere, so we should have love and affection for all. This is the best service of God.

By telling this wherever I go, people throughout the world are attracted to me. And wherever I go, I tell everyone to read our [translation and commentary on] Bhagavad-gita, which was originally spoken by Krsna Himself. He has given this message. Understand?

Interviewer: I do.

Did someone give you the title “Ambassador of peace?”

Srila Gurudeva: Yes. In America, the Mayor of Houston gave it to me. Leafy Brown by name.

Interviewer: And how long ago was that?

Srila Gurudeva: Two years ago.

Interviewer: Panchali told me that you are credited with keeping thousands of children away from drugs.

Srila Gurudeva: Yes.

Interviewer: How did you do that?

Srila Gurudeva: Oh, it was a miracle, by the mercy of Krsna. Also, it is because I myself follow, and then teach the same thing to others. Thus, by my teachings, people become very much inspired, and everywhere in the world, including India, they follow me. The children are especially very attracted to my instructions.

If anyone wants to instruct another person, he himself should first follow – and then teach that to others. I follow all the rules and regulations, and then I give that instruction to others.

Interviewer: What kind of instructions do you give to children?

Srila Gurudeva: I tell them, “Your life will be ruined if you take drugs and all related things. You should not take drugs, smoke, drink alcohol, take marijuana, and other such things; otherwise your life will be spoiled and come to nothing.

“You should be careful, from childhood, and you should chant the holy name of God. By such chanting, a strong belief will come in you, and then you will be able to give up all these things.” Thousands of children from America and other places follow me. We have schools. The children are very, very good there. They are following all of these instructions.

Interviewer: Do you have success talking to American children about this?

Srila Gurudeva: We have a school in the hills of California, in Badger, and in other places we also have schools where we are giving these teachings.

Interviewer: How many children are in that school?

Srila Gurudeva: More than thirty, or forty.

Sripad Madhava Maharaja: Fifty.

Interviewer: Is it an orphanage?

Srila Gurudeva: No.

Interviewer: The children go home to their families?

Srila Gurudeva: Yes, they come from families, and they live in the houses of devotees.

Interviewer: So it’s like a boarding school of sorts?

Srila Gurudeva: Yes.

Interviewer: Okay, I understand.

Srila Gurudeva: Thank you.

Interviewer: How can we lay people, holding down jobs, do something like that for our children?

Srila Gurudeva: By following these teachings. If people do not follow the teachings of ancient scriptures like the Vedas, Gita, Bible, and other such literature, they cannot be of good character. They should follow the teachings therein, and we should also inspire them to do so.

Interviewer: What is bringing you to Hawaii?

Srila Gurudeva: I am coming only to teach everyone the message of God; “We are all in one family. We should not quarrel amongst ourselves. We should see God in each and every one, and we should try to help others improve their lives and remember God. Thus, they will be happy in this life and in other lives also.

Interviewer: Sounds like very good advice.

Srila Gurudeva: Thank you.

Interviewer: And you travel throughout the whole United States?

Srila Gurudeva: Yes.

Interviewer: Hawaii is a far distance from California. What caused you to come here?

Srila Gurudeva: This place is very favorable for me. The air coming from the ocean gives me so much energy that I am able to read and write (translate and write commentaries to the ancient Vedic scriptures), and my health improves. I also do bhajan (devotional chanting and meditation) here.

After I preach here, I will go to other Hawaiian islands, and from Hawaii I will go to Houston and other places in America.

The main point is that in this world, a minister, a king, a president, or any other person, despite being in a good material position, is not happy. They are all unhappy.

One day old age is bound to come and embrace you all, and after some time you will have to go. Whatever money you are earning, you cannot take a farthing of that with you. So why are you doing so much labor – like donkeys? You should try to realize this. If you cannot take anything from this world, so why are you doing all these useless things? We must remember God, and by His mercy we will be happy. This is our message.

Interviewer: Do you find that all the different religions of the world carry the same message?

Srila Gurudeva: No, no, no; it is not that all the religions carry all these truths. If it was so, then how is it that Muslims are quarreling among themselves and others?

Interviewer: I was going to ask you.

Srila Gurudeva: And others are also quarrelling. They don’t follow [their religious principles].

Why are they slaughtering cows? The cow gives milk to all, without seeing any difference.

Sripad Madhava Maharaja: Gurudeva means to say that she doesn’t distinguish between caste and creed. She is like a mother to everyone.

Interviewer: How can we cause other religions to unite and stop quarrelling?

Srila Gurudeva: We can stop all this nonsense only if the message of God is spread everywhere, as we are doing. Then we can give love and affection to all.

Interviewer: Okay, I think there is just one more question, or maybe two.

What do you recommend we do to help those people who are victims of the terrible tsunami, the tidal wave, in India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia?

Srila Gurudeva: We are helping them with money, and also by praying to God. God has not done this; their past activities have caused all these things.

Interviewer: I’m sorry, say that again? How did it happen? I missed that part.

Brajanatha dasa: Due to their past activities, these things are happening by the law of karma [the law of “as you sew, so shall you reap”].

Interviewer: Oh, okay, okay. So God did not cause this?

Srila Gurudeva: He is causelessly merciful, so we are praying to Him to give calmness and peace in the hearts of those who have died – because the soul is not dead. The soul never dies. Wherever the souls are now situated, we want that they will be happy. Their body is gone. We should not lament for the body. We should lament for the soul, which is now covered with maya {Krsna’s potency that deludes those who have forgotten Him into identifying with dull matter]. We are praying that Krsna will be merciful, and that where their atmas, souls, are now, He should give peace and calm to them. The soul never dies. He simply leaves the body, at which time this bag (body) becomes soul-less, and thus rotten and useless.

Interviewer: Where does the soul go?

Srila Gurudeva: Oh, you will have to come to me, and I will help you.

Interviewer: (laughing) Okay.

Srila Gurudeva: Not only come to me, but follow me. You will have to be my darling daughter.

Interviewer: (laughter) Oh, you’re funny. Well, I look forward to meeting you tomorrow evening at Panchali’s house.

Srila Gurudeva: Yes, I will also…

Interviewer: I will also be taking a couple of photographs, so I will introduce myself when I come in.

Srila Gurudeva: Yes. Thank you.

The Son of Nanda Maharaja

01 March 1997 Singapore
 
The Son of Nanda Maharaja


 
[A translation of Hindi Hari-katha spoken by Nitya Lila Pravista Om Visnupada Astottara Sata Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja – Srila Gurudeva]
 
Srila Gurudeva: Who is He? He is the primordial Lord, the essence of all incarnations, the Creator of the universe, and the cause of all causes. The son of Nanda Maharaja­­—­Nanda Nandana Krishna is that Lord. He (Brahma) is offering pranamas to Krishna, but how is he offering them? You should note this in your heart. By hearing this, Srimati Radhika will be so pleased. Except for Srimati Radhika, no one can bestow full-fledged service to Krishna. Only performing Krishna’s bhajan will not do; if Srimati Radhika is not there alongside Him. But if we worship only Srimati Radhika alone, She will at once call Krishna. So it is imperative that we worship Srimati Radhika, otherwise Vraja bhajana will go dry.
 
[Referring to the devotee who sung a bhajan:] She is very dear to the Vrajavasis, and she is a Vrajavasi who lives in Seva kunja, Vrindavana. So she is singing the song of Vrindavana. She is originally from Vrindavana, but she comes to Delhi occasionally. The song she sung is so sweet and it seems that it has been told by Mirabhai. Do you know who Mirabhai is? She is a very good, chaste devotee. In India, all know who she is. She has given her heart at the lotus feet of Krishna. From her childhood, she was not involved in material hankering, desires and all these things. Her father was also like her.
 
He got his daughter married to a king from Rajasthan. Do you know where Rajasthan is? It is a state that is in India. They are all warriors by nature, and they belong to the dynasty of Rama; Surya-vamsha. So she came to live with her husband, but her husband was of an opposite tendency. He would warn her again and again, “Don’t be in the association of sadhus. You are not a girl now; but a queen. So if naked sadhus come here, it will be against our aristocracy.” But she was singing this song, “Mero to Giridhara Gopal, dusro no koi.” When she would sing this song on her Vina, Krishna would come and play on His flute very melodiously.
 
Her husband would stand guard outside and wonder, “Oh who has come here?” He would knock on the door, but Mirabhai was internally observed and unaware of her surroundings. Totally oblivious of her body and mind, being absorbed in prema, she would sing, “Mero to Giridhar Gopal, Mero to Giridhar Gopal.”
 
Her husband would sternly question, “Where is that person? Is your boyfriend here?”
 
“No boyfriend is here. But Shyamasundara is here, can you see?”
 
But her husband could not see. Anyone cannot see Him, especially those bound by a physical body. Those bound think, “I am this body, this material body.” Having many material desires, he cannot see and realize Krishna. Krishna is not far away, He is present in every atom. But it is our misfortune that we cannot see Him.
 
When we go to take darshana of Krishna in Vrindavana, all the paths reverberate with the names, “Radhe Radhe!” Indeed, the leaves and creepers also sing, “Radhe Radhe.” The watchmen who stand guard at night also chant, “Radhe Radhe.” But in Mathura, the state of affairs has taken a turn to the worse. In Mathura it is not as before, but in Vrindavana to this day, everyone chants, “Radhe Radhe.”
Everyone sings, “Radhe Radhe.” Krishna’s name is not sung as much.
 
[Laughter from audience.]
 
They know that Krishna is a cheater, who always steals hearts, keeps them in His pocket, and never returns them. But Srimati Radhika is so simple hearted. Being simple hearted, Srimati Radhika can steal the heart of even Krishna and keep Him in Her pocket.
 
So in this song, she has sung, “Shyama, I am Yours, whether this world knows or not. I don’t care for this.” What does this world know? How will the world understand the moods of our hearts? Instead, the world is absorbed in false beauty and in trying to fulfill their mundane desires. How can those trying to further their stance of considering this body of flesh and bones as their all in all ever understand Krishna?
 
“Shyam I have become Yours whether this world knows or not. I don’t care for anyone.” All the devotees are of this conviction, especially those whose hearts are suffused with Krishna prema. Vrindavana is such a wondrous place where young, beautiful princes of India and abroad…
 
[Pointing to his entourage]: Even these young boys accompanying me have left their parents, siblings, and everyone else and have become engrossed in chanting, “Krishna Krishna! Radhe Radhe!” They have no worries about their homes and relatives. What is Vrindavana? It is the abode of those who have given up their parents, spouses, children, wealth, and everything else and who have become street beggars. They wander, without even asking anything from anyone. They have no hut even. They sleep on the streets or anywhere else. They don’t get any sleep, for they are always chanting, “Krishna Krishna, Radhe Radhe.” Their lives are blessed with such extreme degrees of bliss that the grandeur of infinite universes will wither in comparison with what they cherish in Vrindavana. They engage in madhukari and obtain rotis. There are many mothers in Vrindavana, whose service is to distribute rotis to the sadhus.
 
Do you know what madhukari is? It means to beg pieces of chapatti, like a quarter but not an entire chapatti. The sadhus are satisfied with what they receive. They are content with their chanting and remembering. They don’t sleep at all. The words, “Radhe Radhe,” always dance within their hearts.
 
So Mirabhai sings, “I have become of Shyama whether the world knows or not. I don’t care for anyone. My husband may keep me in his house or kick me out; I don’t care.”
 
So she sang a very beautiful kirtana of Mirabhai. Now you should do maha mantra kirtana and then we will start our class.
 
[Break of audio.]
 
Gaura Premanande! Haribol!
 
Jaya Jaya Sri Radhe! Shyam! 
 
[Srila Gurudeva begins the class.]
 
By the mercy of Bhagavan, with the aim of preaching, we left Mathura Vrindavana and went to Holland and England first. We also went to America, Canada, and many other places in the West. After our preaching in the West, we have come here to the East. We have already visited Australia, Malaysia, Bali, and now in the course of our preaching; we have reached Singapore. Do I have to translate or speak in Hindi? But I think all the members of the audience know English. When I speak some parts of the lecture in Hindi, someone may translate the katha to English.
      
What is the aim of our preaching? The object of my preaching in the Western countries is to tell you how you can have that happiness you want in life. We all want peace and happiness. There is no living entity within this world who can claim otherwise. In the entire universe, not a single person, what to speak of a single person, even creepers, trees, and all the insects also want peace and happiness. Everyone wants to be happy and peaceful. So everyone wants peace and happiness in this world, but, it is the highest truth that one cannot get peace and happiness just by desiring it. We try, we want happiness, but only wanting happiness will not do. No one in this world is really happy. In this world, no one lives their life happy and content. One always desires and desires, “I want more, I want more.” One will not understand this while he is young, as old age dawns on him; he will realize.
 
I have half an hour to finish my class, so everyone should listen. Even thirst should not deter one from listening. Parikshit Maharaja abandoned the desire to even drink water. He wasn’t concerned with eating also, while we cannot sit still for even five or twenty minutes. Parikshit Maharaja left all desire for eating and drinking water, so we should also be of the same conviction.
 
Just by desiring happiness and peace, a person will not get it. During your childhood and youth, you will not understand this truth. But, anguish is necessary. Old age will come and afflict you despite you being unrelenting. Old age will definitely love you, regardless of you being a man or a woman. Your hairs will turn white, eyesight will be weakened, teeth will fall, and despite having a desire to sumptuously eat; the fire of digestion would have slackened. The juice of fruits will also not be digested. It is true—that you will be old. You may not know if God is true or not, but it is true that impending death awaits. Death is certain. Death will set on us and we will surely die. It is mandatory that we should suffer from anguish. If we escape from the sadness of old age; still, we will have to suffer. Different countries are engaged in fighting each other. Though it was non-existent before, now, even husbands and wives incessantly fight. This is especially seen in the Western countries. Time had barely passed, but Prince Charles divorced Diana. So no one is happy here. That is why; no commodity of this world can give us happiness and shield us from death. Lakhs and lakhs of doctors, scientists, engineers, cannot check our death, sufferings, and sorrows. Also, we can never check old age. All the doctors, scientists, and members of the U.N.O.…cannot solve anything. So deeply contemplate what you will be forced to taste. Death and sufferings will come. No facilities of this world can save us from old age. Think about this, tomorrow, old age will come running towards you. Despite a thousand endeavors, we do not obtain happiness and peace, why? This is the problem in all the universes. What is the problem? This problem has been plaguing mankind since time immemorial.
 
These problems were existent during the time of Prahlada Maharaja, during the time of Sri Ramachandra. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared five hundred years ago, but even to this day people are beset with problems. This world is like a prison with maya-devi as its warden. Those who don’t perform bhajan, despite Bhagavan giving them human bodies, will be jailed in this prison. And what are the shackles that bind one there? It is mamata, where one is possessive about his wife and children. These relationships constitute ‘mamata.’ These shackles bind one, not letting him break free. This ‘my-ness,’ characterized by statements like, “This husband is mine. I am his wife. These are my children.” These conceptions are the shackles that bind us. There is no need of ropes to bind us for we are already bound by mamata. We have been wandering aimlessly for lakhs and lakhs of births, not only one birth. This human life is a form of life that affords one the chance to realize the atma, paramatma, and bhagavan. This way we can develop a relationship with Krishna based on spontaneous love, and affection. If we lose this chance in the human form of life, then we will have an uncertain fate, and will be oblivious of the form of life that we will be forced to take birth in. Understand that the acts we are engaged in at present will not guarantee us a human form of life in the future.
 
What are you doing? You are engaged in eating, drinking, and making merry. Sometimes you eat meat and eggs, but have you petitioned the Lord at least once with the following prayer, “Prabhu, You have benefited me so much. I have a responsibility to You.” Sometimes, you perform a kirtana, and sometimes not. Krishna has given you this body, and only by this body can you know what atma, paramatma, and Bhagavan is. You will know what is real love and affection. But if you have uselessly spent your time, then it is not certain if you will get a human form of life in your next birth. This truth must be deep-rooted in your consciousness.
 
So make your human form of life a success. I have just heard from my son, Dau Dayal Gupta, that the government here places a special emphasis on health. So much so, that a special ministry has been created for this purpose. In this way, to make this world a happy place, present day society with its legion of the intellectuals has united to achieve this purpose. Great advancements have been made from the kitchen to the medical department. The advancements scale from replacing a defective heart and curing blindness of the eyes by transplanting them from the dead. They can even change a mentally challenged person. Great strides have also been made in the field of communication and travel. We can travel from America to here in less than twenty four hours. Sitting at home, we can see the president of another country and listen to what he speaks. We can see cricket and football being played in random countries. In the flash of a second we can know who has won the game.
 
It seems we have the clenched the entire world in our fist. The world is not like before, when it would take a person six months to travel to another country. The world is not like how it used to be during Columbus’ time or when Clive came to India. Travelling in a ship, it would take a person six months or a year to travel to another country. Now we can see what is happening in another country within minutes. The world has become one. There is no department in this world where advancement hasn’t taken place. But why have such advancements been made? Only to make us happy and peaceful. But is anyone happy and peaceful? Conversely, problems have been on the rise. Today, I cannot come to your country without a passport and a visa. What is the problem? Is it a spiritual problem? They are fighting like dogs, which are territorial. This problem is not just in this country but in all countries. But I wonder what these problems are? Can we be happy and peaceful by a problem prone situation? What is the problem, which makes us unhappy in this world? There is only one problem. The only problem is that we have been forgetting Bhagavan that in turn has led to the incessant rise of problems. And this problem is the root cause of lakhs and lakhs of problems. Sukadeva Gosvami has no cloth, nor does he have a home to host anyone. His body is naked. What is the use of clothing a naked body? The atma is covered by the subtle body of mind, intelligence, and false ego. This subtle body is covered by a gross body that is, “Panca racita ya adhama sarira.” The atma is already covered by two bodies, so what is the use of covering it with another? This is atma-jnana. So Sukadeva Gosvami has no concern with covering himself with clothes. So there is no problem for Sukadeva Gosvami, he has bhagavat darshana from any place he is in. He has no need for any things of this world. He is happy as he is. So, the more we distance ourselves from Bhagavan, the sadder we will be. Having left the country of our birth for another will not make us happy. One day, a predicament will befall on us and old age will victimize us. Then, your children will tell you, “Father please leave to your country. Now we will manage.” Your children would have become adults and if you don’t accept their request; a situation will arise where you will be forcibly sent back to your country. This will surely happen. This world is crippled with problems, only to tell you this have I come from Bharath-varsha. Wherever I went—Holland, England, America, this was the message I conveyed.
 
While giving a discourse, I would say, “I have not come from impoverished India for your pounds or dollars. I have come from such a greatly respected, highly honorable, culturally enriched India, that if a person has tasted even a particle of her glories; his life will certainly become auspicious.”
 
My dear sons and daughters, you have also come from that selfsame transcendentally opulent India, where her residents bow their heads in respect. Don’t consider yourself to be ‘daridra,’ or having come from an impoverished household. You are indeed very wealthy.
 
Lord Sankara is naked. Anything you wish from him, he will fulfill. He will be ready to even give you renewed life. Hanumanji is always absorbed in the service of Rama. He has no home, wife, sons or daughters, or any opulence. But he can give you all things. Sankaraji wears a garland of skulls, only to show us that this is the fate of this world. Don’t run after this illusion. The golden city of Lanka was reduced to ashes in a moment by the kick of Hanuman’s leg. There was no resident of Lanka whose house wasn’t constructed of gold. Ravana had one lakh sons and one hundred and twenty five thousand grandsons who were as strong as a thunderbolt, even so, his stomach wasn’t full and he kidnapped Sita. This way, he garlanded himself with a snake (nagina)??? And what happened to Kamsa? The riches of this world cannot give us happiness. Only bhakti to Bhagavan can give us happiness. Understand these facts. When Lanka was burnt to ashes, only Vibhisana was happy as he was engaged in bhajan to Bhagavan. Being Indians, never forget your roots. Think of yourself as Indians whose heritage and culture is so exalted. Don’t forget that Shyama who comes and plays the flute in Mathura. Just pray once in your mind that, “Krishna, You are mine.” This is enough. There should never be a day where you forget to remember Vamshidhari Krishna in the morning. Srimati Radhika can control Krishna, so remember Her also. Wherever you are, whether you are in your country or abroad; no misfortune will affect you. But save yourself from meat, fish, and wine. By saving yourself from these things, you will attain peace and happiness at the snap of your fingers. But engaging in bhajan is foremost.             
 
[To a devotee]: What did I say?
 
Devotee: You spoke of how we must not take wine, fish, and meat.
 
[To Sripada Madhava Maharaja]: What did I say?
 
Sripada Madhava Maharaja: Gurudeva is telling us to not forget Krishna at any moment. You are from Mathura and Krishna plays His flute in Mathura, in Vraja Mandala. Gurudeva told us to remember Krishna every morning and if we do so, we will never have to face any problems. We will be beyond problems. But we shouldn’t take meat, fish, eggs, onion, garlic, or wine. We should leave all these things. Just like your forefathers would never take any of these things. So don’t follow western culture. Then you will be happy forever.
 
Srila Gurudeva: So I was speaking about the dilemma we are in. What is the predicament we are in? We will have to become old and leave this world. If you don’t leave, your children and grandchildren will force you to leave. So we will have to understand from where we have come? Why have we come here? Why are all these problems coming and where will we have to go?
 
Saints tell us, “Our dharma is prema. This truth stands regardless of us belonging to the Hindu, Christian, Muslim, or Buddhist religions. These religions are different facets of social convention. In reality, our religion is prema.” These religions serve as rules and regulations to help us come towards Krishna.
 
Krishna and Rama descended to this world to give us this prema and solve all our problems. They tell us, “Make Us the recipients of your love, and We will shower you with love. When Krishna would play the flute in Vraja, all the animals, birds, leaves, creepers, trees, and deer would direct their gaze entirely on Krishna and beg for love from Him. Krishna loved everyone. There was no one who wasn’t the recipient of His love. All loved Krishna and that is why He came for this.
 
The followers of the Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, and other religions don’t do anything. But all of them have the tendency to love. There is no living entity that doesn’t love his parents, wife, and children. The lion also loves the lioness and its cubs. The monkeys and ants also love their fellow beings. The ants are always in a group. We have seen in Vrindavana of how tight knit monkeys are. Teasing or harming one of theirs’ would draw the ire of the entire group and they would instinctively attack.
 
The constitutional nature of this world is to love. If you want peace and joy in this world, then treasure this love. What is the problem of this world? None believe in each other and atma-dharma has ended. Only selfishness reigns. Why do we educate our daughters? So that they can be married to good men and end our predicament of not getting them married yet. There is a heavy burden on the heads of the parents until the girl remains at home. To relieve ourselves of this burden, we get them married. In this world priti is extremely rare, while selfishness reigns supreme. Today, all the members of the family like the father, mother, son, and daughter have their separate bank accounts. We don’t believe in our family members, that is why; there are separate bank accounts for everyone­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­—daughters, sons, wife, mother, father, father-in-law, son-in-law etc. It wasn’t like this before, during the ancient days. They had faith in Krishna and in each other. Atma-dharma is being distanced and selfishness is vigorously being brought into the fray. How can this selfishness be in turn; distanced? If we have love for Krishna, love is automatically distributed to everyone. Then we can trust and love each other. If we don’t have love for Krishna, despite lakhs of endeavors, peace and tranquility will not be attained. By understanding Krishna, all knowledge will be attained. A person’s heart is filled with love, and he becomes magnanimous. He will be filled with transcendental qualities.
 
Now I will explain these truths by the authority of Srimad Bhagavatham. In Srimad Bhagavatham, a pastime is spoken of by Sukadeva Gosvami to Parikshit Maharaja. Do you know Vyasadeva and Narada rsi? Vyasadeva divided the Vedas into four, manifested the Mahabharatha, Upanishads, Vedanta-sutra, 18 puranas, upa-puranas, and sakha-puranas. In these scriptures, Vyasadeva explained what our dharma to our parents, family, Bhagavan, and society should be.
 
One day, Vyasadeva sat in deep contemplation in his “Shyamya-prakasha” ashram on the banks of the Ganges. He was not happy. The entire knowledge of this world finds its place in Vyasadeva. He was in no want of anything. With a grave sense of introspection, he thought, “Why don’t feel peaceful at heart and that there is something lacking in my life?” You have come from India to earn money. Here, you pay your maid servant twenty five thousand rupees. How much do you pay your maid-servant here?
 
Devotee: Eighteen thousand.
 
Srila Gurudeva: Eighteen thousand with all facilities for food, cloth, and lodging? I don’t know if even our President gets paid 18 thousand rupees.
 
[Laughter from audience.]
 
And if the maidservant’s salary is finished, will you pay her more? There is no question of this???? ***
 
By the strength of his bhajan, Vyasadeva can give you innumerable touchstones, golden houses, and even the darshana of Krishna, if you so desire. Just by his benedictory words; your wishes will be fulfilled. But today, Vyasadeva was grief-stricken; he was dissatisfied, despite having the power to see Krishna also.
 
Vyasadeva knows everything, and he can do anything because he is like God­­; a sakthyavesha avatara. He can do anything, but he was dissatisfied. Sitting on the shore of the Ganges, he thought, “Why am I not satisfied? What is lacking in me? But he could not determine the reason for his sadness. Are you all listening? My dear daughter, do you understand my words? If you contemplate on this; then you are indeed a daughter of Mathura and India.
 
Devotee: Forty minutes have passed Gurudeva.
 
Srila Gurudeva: In the meantime, Vyasadeva’s guru Naradaji came. After receiving his guru, Vyasadeva offered an asana to his Gurudeva and offered puspanjali at his lotus feet. After Naradaji was comfortably seated, with folded hands Vyasadeva politely offered him his services.
 
Naradaji said, “What services can you perform? You are crestfallen and your mind is flickering. I can sense the lacking in you. So how can you serve me?”
 
Vyasadeva replied, “Guruji, you are right. There is something in me that triggers a sense of emptiness in me.”
 
When you return home, all of you should think if all your desires have been fulfilled or not? When you reflect, you will realize that none of your desires have been fulfilled. You should ask your hundred year old mother, “Dear mother, you have much opulence, children, and grandchildren; are you happy?”
 
“O dear daughter, I can barely walk, eat, or see. I am greatly anguished.”
 
So what has she done her whole life? This is the problem that haunts this world.           
 
Vyasadeva told Naradaji, “Guruji, I don’t know the lacking in me. What should I do? How can I be happy forever?”
 
The children think that they will study well, get a good job, become content, and finally do business. After being trained in college, they start earning money. But they think, “The house is devoid of a wife.”
 
Women also think, “Everything is all right, but I wish I can find a good husband.” After being married, she longs for a son. She is greatly anxious for a son or a daughter. She begets a son, but he turns out to be rascal number one. Or he may even die an untimely death. So there great dilemmas everywhere and at all times.
 
Similarly, Vyasadeva was in a great dilemma. But he couldn’t find the solution by himself. When a man is diseased, he cannot be cured by himself. He has to go to an expert doctor. So Vyasadeva told Naradaji, “Guruji, I have surrendered at your lotus feet. Now please tell me what it is that is lacking inside me; I cannot determine this lacking by myself.”
 
Naradaji replied, “You have done everything. There is no lacking inside of you, except one­­­­­­­–you haven’t mentioned anything about Vamshidhari Krishna and Srimati Radhaji. Krishna is the Lord of Lords, the incarnations of Rama, Nrsingha, Narayana, have their origin in Him. All incarnations are His manifestations. But you have not mentioned His Vrindavana rasa-mayi lilas. If you do this, your life will be fulfilled.
 
What did I say?
 
Sripada Madhava Maharaja: Naradaji told Vyasadeva, “You have done everything, but you haven’t described in your spiritual books that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You haven’t mentioned this. If you mention that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and that Ramachandra, Narayana, and everyone have come from Krishna, then all problems will be solved. Then why will you be unhappy? If you describe all these things, then you will be immediately happy. No problems will ever bother you in the future.
 
Srila Gurudeva: Naradaji also said, “You have not explained Vraja-lilas. You have not explained how Krishna after having taken His birth as the son of Nanda and Yashoda; engaged in many pastimes. Krishna would go cow herding with His Gopala-sakhas, play with the Gopis and sometimes gives His head at the lotus feet of Srimati Radhika. You have not mentioned these pastimes. To pacify the Gopis’, despite being the Supreme Lord Himself, Krishna submits to their lotus feet by bowing His head. Krishna is the possessor of all potencies but in Vrindavana, prema makes everyone dance. In Vrindavana, prema predominates, making Radha-Krishna, the devotees, and indeed everyone dance. Prema makes the whole of Vrindavana dance. Leaving that prema, we are wandering here and there. Peace, joy, and tranquility will not be obtained by this way. If you want to attain love at the lotus feet of Radha and Krishna, then serve Krishna by considering Him to be your friend, son, or a beloved. Then you will see for yourself; that all problems have been solved. Don’t consider Krishna to be an ordinary son of a cow herd or a mundane flute-player???and offer all the love of your heart at His lotus feet; if you want happiness and peace.
 
So Naradaji told Vyasadeva, “If you want to be happy in this world and to be complete in knowledge and in everything, then you will have to make Krishna the repository of all your love and affection. And you will have to describe it any book.”
 
Vyasadeva replied, “I don’t know anything about this. I don’t know how Krishna took birth in Vraja and performed His pastimes there. So how can I elucidate on this?”
 
“Okay, by Bhakti yoga you will.”
 
bhakti-yogena manasi
samyak pranihite ‘male
apasyat purusam purnam
mayam ca tad-apasrayam
 
—Srimad Bhagavatam 1.7.4
 
[Thus he fixed his mind, perfectly engaging it by linking it in devotional service [bhakti-yoga] without any tinge of materialism, and thus he saw the Absolute Personality of Godhead along with His external energy, which was under full control.]
 
Situated in bhakti yoga, Vyasadeva prayed, “O Krishna I have surrendered at Your lotus feet. The pastimes You have performed in Vrindavana with the Gopis and Gopas; the pastimes of Brahma, Indra, Sankara, Vayudeva, being illusioned by You; may I have the darshana of all these pastimes. Making his mind and heart steady, Vyasadeva established himself in Samadhi. This Saranagati is the start of bhakti.
 
One should pray, “I don’t know anything. But I am taking shelter at Your lotus feet. If we become surrendered like this, Krishna???
 
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah

–Bhagavad Gita 18.66

[“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.”]
 
The formula for happiness and peace has been stated in the Bhagavad Gita. “I am nothing, I am like zero, but I am offering myself at Your lotus feet.” Listening to this prayer, Krishna will be happy and mercifully fill the heart with prema. There will be no shortage of anything. Practice this by yourself and see the results. Even if you don’t know anything; just chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and offer pranamas to Krishna. Beseech Him with prayers like, “Krishna, You are my dear friend. You are the support of my life. You are my all-in-all.” Is any money spent in reciting such prayers? Is there any loss at all? You should remember Krishna while cooking, walking, sleeping, sitting, being awake; even while falling down, you should chant, “Rama, Rama, Krishna, Krishna.” There is no need of anything else while chanting. Ajamila was liberated by chanting Bhagavan’s name despite being an abominable sinner. Ajamila was an unqualified, lusty, and a bad person, but by chanting, “Narayana, Narayana” once, he crossed the insurmountable ocean of birth, sorrows, sufferings, and death, forever.  Then why can’t we be delivered? So we should also chant.
 
Now fifty minutes have passed, and the doctors have advised me to not speak as much. Now you should do kirtan. Tomorrow, we will go to the temple.
 
Gaura Premanande! Hari Haribol!

We Should Cry Out

29 June 1996 New Vraja

 

We Should Cry Out

 

[Hari-katha spoken by Nitya Lila Pravista Om Visnupada Astottara Sata Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja – Srila Gurudeva]

 

[Srila Gurudeva begins the class by explaining the verses of Srila Narottama das Thakura’s song—“Radha Krishna Prana mora Yugala Kishora” that had previously been sung by the devotees.]

 

Srila Narottama das Thakura prays, “When will that day come when by the mercy of Sri Gaura Nityananda Prabhu, I will go to Vrindavana? And when by the mercy of Sri Rupa Raghunatha will I behold the pristine beauty of Vrindavana and serve the Divine Couple—Sri Radha Krishna Yugala? “Radha Krishna Prana mora Yugala Kisora—Radha and Krishna are my life and soul.” When will this day come?”

 

Without the mercy of Srila Rupa Gosvami we cannot have the mercy of Sri Gaurachandra and without the mercy of Sri Gaurachandra; we cannot see Vrindavana ‘as it is.’ Now when we go to Vrindavana, we don’t see the real beauty of Vrindavana. We go, sit, and leave. So, Srila Narottama das Thakura prayerfully sings this bhajan while weeping bitterly. Tears cascade from his eyes accompanied with the melting of his heart. We should try to follow in the footsteps of Srila Narottama das Thakura. If these moods of devotion are not churned within our hearts, then we must know that our offenses are preventing this cascade of tears. Different kinds of aparadha like nama aparadha, seva aparadha, vaishnava aparadha are deterring us from reaching our cherished aspiration. So how will these different kinds of offenses go? By chanting, remembering, and engaging in services more and more. We should especially pray to Sri Radha Krishna, Vrinda-devi, Yogamaya, and especially to Sri Radha kunda and Shyama kunda. Radha kunda and Shyama kunda are not merely ‘ponds.’ They are the melted forms of Krishna and Srimati Radhika.

 

Then will we see this beautiful Vrindavana, where Yamuna is flowing with the beautiful lotus flowers blooming on her surface. Bees are humming around the flowers. Big, big cows are present with milk pouring from their udders. Calves are jumping here and there, searching for Krishna. So when will a day come when I will be purified and qualified to serve Radha and Krishna Conjugal? And They will be my life and soul. When will a day come when I will have so many good varieties of kunkum, mrgamadha (musk), and kesar (saffron)? By grinding them together, I will make a very beautiful ointment and apply them as a thilak on the forehead of Sri Radha and Krishna. When will this day come? We should also have a little greed and this greed will take us to Vrindavana. Otherwise chanting, remembering, and archana for lakhs and lakhs of births will not take us to Vrindavana.

 

Krishna bhakti rasa bhavatah matih..So we should know that this greed can take us to Vrindavana, but what kind of greed am I speaking about?

 

“When will I serve Srimati Radhika? When will I see Vrindavana? When will I have the mercy of Radha kunda?”

 

So Srila Narottama das Thakura is weeping and praying to Krishna, and Srimati Radhika, while praying, “I long for the day when I will serve Srimati Radhika and Krishna with divine love and affection.”

 

[Srila Gurudeva instructs the devotee to continue singing Radha Krishna prana mora Yugala Kishora]: So go on.

 

[Srila Gurudeva resumes speaking after a couplet is sung]: When will that day come when I will collect the flowers beli, chameli, and malati? These are very beautiful flowers. Taking seven kinds of flowers like juhi, beli, champak; I will make a four feet long garland. The name of this garland is Vaijayanthi mala. I will also string some tulasi manjaris and leaves with the flowers of the garland. Tulasi manjaris have so much honey that bees hover around them. With the garland in hand, I will go to Lalitha and tell her, “O Lalitha, I have made this beautiful flower garland. I wish that you garland Radha Krishna Conjugal with this garland.” They will come and order and we will make a beautiful garland. And this garland will be given to the Divine Couple.

 

Srimati Radhika will ask Lalitha, “Who has made this beautiful and fragrant garland?”

 

Lalitha will reply, “Oh this new bona fide gopi girl has strung the garland.”

 

“Indeed, this garland is so beautiful. I like garlands like these.”

 

When will a day come when Krishna and Srimati Radhika will speak like this?

 

“Adhare tuliya dibo karpura tambule,” when will that day come when Visakha will tell me:

 

“O come on and make a beautiful tambula (betel nut) preparation.” Adding karpura and other beautiful spices, the tambula will be very beautiful. And I will give this preparation in the hands of Srimati Radhika. Srimati Radhika will take it and place it in the mouth of Krishna. Krishna plays on the flute, slightly smiling. Looking eagerly from the corner of His eyes, Srimati Radhika will smile a little at that time. And Krishna will give His heart solely. When will this day come?

 

So we can daily pray like this. This will increase our greed, and Radha-Krishna’s heart will melt. Krishna will then manage everything. Very soon, He will take us. Then He will give us a taste in chanting and hearing His name and pastimes described in Srimad Bhagavatham and Caitanya Caritamrta. He will instill in us much honor for Gurudeva and Gurudeva will be seen in many forms. Then we cannot imagine the magic that has been performed.

 

So I am praying for this. Srila Narottama das Thakura is a very beloved associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He is praying. All our disciplic order after Srila Narottama das Thakura think, “We are so fortunate to be in the line of Srila Narottama Thakura, Shyamananda Prabhu, Srinivasa Acharya, Srila Vishvanatha Cakravarthi Thakura.” Srila Vishvanatha Thakura is a very renowned, merciful, sweet, rasika, bhavuka, and a special kind of bhavuka bhakta. After, came a bona fide guru whose name is Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. He is in their line. He is called Saptham Gosvami, the title given to him after the Sad-Gosvamis. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has done marvelous works. He has penned sweet literature. He was also in Krishna lila. Srimati Radhika has sent him to this world.

 

So Srila Narottama das Thakura prays..

 

[Devotee continues singing the bhajan.]

 

“Lalitha Visakha adi jata sakhi vrnda, ajyaya koribe seva caranaravinda.”

 

Srila Gurudeva: Srila Narottama das Thakura is again praying: “O when will that day come when I will see Radha and Krishna sitting on a golden throne? Where? On the banks of the Yamuna under the shade of the kadamba tree, having sweet smelling flowers decorating Their bosom. I will see that all are serving Radha Krishna Conjugal, while I wait for their order. When will that day when they will tell me, “O bring a golden glass of water, mixed with karpur, kevada, and other spices.’”

 

I will offer this glass to Them, and They will smile and remark, “O very good water! Very good water!”

When will this day come? This is bhajan. This is bhajan. By this we can go there, otherwise not. By worshipping and chanting for lakhs and lakhs of births without the right mood, hearing hari-katha without a melting heart, committing offenses at the feet of Vaishnavas by criticizing them. By such acts we cannot proceed an inch further even in lakhs and lakhs of births.

 

So we should pray like Srila Narottama Thakura, and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

 

Again.

 

[The devotee continues the bhajan.]

 

“Sri Krishna Caitanya Prabhu dasera anudasa, seva-abhilasa kore narottama dasa.”

 

Srila Gurudeva: Srila Narottama das Thakura prays, “I am praying to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, I am His dasanudasa, the servant of the servant of His servant. I pray to the dust of the lotus feet of the dasanudasa of this line. Then I may be the anudasi of the anudasi. And, I will be the lotus foot dust of the last dasi. When will this day come? Without the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu we will not have this occasion.

 

So pray to Nityananda Prabhu. But Nityananda Prabhu is not easily accessible. So we should pray to the followers of Nityananda Prabhu. Our Gurudeva is bona fide, Svamiji is bona fide. By his mercy we can attain the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu. And then, Rupa-Raghunatha, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy will be showered down on us. So we should try to develop our Krishna Consciousness. This is bhajan-sadhana. Sadhana is not only about managing and being worried about the day’s sustenance. There will be no problem. What is to be done will be done, we cannot check anything. So we should not be worried. A person having some detachment from this world, was about give up his family and all others, and wanted to go to Vrindavana. He was young, had children, wife, and a home. As he reached the border of the village and was on the verge of crossing it, he thought, “I am giving up my home. None are helpful to me. I do not know where I will go. I don’t know who will support, clothe, and feed me. No one in Vrindavana knows who I am. What to do?”

 

At once he saw a bird’s egg fall from the branch of a tree. A strong wind was blowing, and when the egg fell to the earth, it cracked open. A fledgling emerged from the egg. It had no wings to fly, nor could it see. She was about to die. She was so hungry, but her mother was not there. The baby bird was not mature and alone. The mother had flown elsewhere. She was so hungry that it seemed she would die the next moment. An insect appeared and entered the egg. It was soft and had little wings. It sat on the yolk of the egg. The insect tried to fly away, but was enmeshed within. The baby bird chirped in delight and ate the insect. She was then satisfied.

 

Afterwards, the mother of the bird came and saw her helpless little one. How did Krishna maintain and support her? So why will He not support and look after me? Will He not make the necessary arrangements for me? If He has given me a mouth to eat and a stomach to digest, will He not do everything for me? Indeed, He will do everything for me. So he became desperate, left his home and went on his way to Vrindavana. And he was so happy. But we think, “I will have to manage everything. If I go, who will support my children?”

 

He has false ego and thinks, “I am supporting and nourishing. I have given birth to the children.”

 

But actually, he has not done anything. He only has false ego. So we should not concern ourselves and think, “What will come today?” We should not have any problems. Who has seen tomorrow? Who knows whether we will die or be saved? So we should develop our Krishna Consciousness from whatever position we are in. So these are the teachings of our holy guru, Acharyas’ and Vaishnavas. This was the mission of Svamiji also, who took the essence of devotion to Krishna from India and our disciplic orders and came here and to all other places. So we should try to develop in our Krishna bhakti.

 

Don’t think, “I am alone. I will die. How to arrange?” We cannot do anything. Krishna has given us intelligence, a beautiful body, strength, good eyes etc. We are not lame or blind. We are not foolish like an ass. Krishna has mercifully given us these faculties; not anyone’s mother or father.

 

I see that many couples have no children, why are they unable to yield any children? They cannot do anything. Krishna arranges everything. We know that not all women have milk in their breasts. Only the mothers who have given birth have milk. How is it that a cow eats grass, and the blood in its body becomes milk? So Krishna has arranged everything. We should realize and have very strong faith on Krishna. Without this faith we cannot progress. So you will have to sing a prayer like this.

 

Also, we should pray to Nanda-nandana.

 

[Srila Gurudeva leads the devotees in singing Sri Nanda-Nandanaastakam.]

 

Srila Gurudeva: We should see that we are in Nanda bhavana, in Nandagaon. Krishna has turned ten years of age. He has become a kisora, and He is very beautiful. He is black and so beautiful, more than golden color. His everything is sweet, if He tells something; it is so sweet. If He looks towards anyone, it is so sweet. His dancing is sweet, His walk is sweet, His cries are sweet. His weeping is so beautiful. If He is so angry, then it is so sweet. And seeing this scene, we sing Namami Nanda nandanam.  

 

You should see, “I am in Nanda bhavana, in the palace of Nanda and Yashoda. Krishna is there playing on His beautiful flute. Seeing me, He is smiling. All should see how beautiful Krishna is! He has a pitambar on His shoulders, and His dhoti is also pitambari (yellow in color). He has betel nuts in His mouth, and is searching for someone. He has a peacock feather adorning His head, and He is so beautiful and marvelous. If anyone sees Him, Krishna will take her heart. And never return it.

 

So how beautiful Krishna is! You should think, “Oh yes, Krishna is standing before me!”

 

So pray like this.

 

[Devotees continue singing Sri Nanda-Nandanaastakam.]

 

Krishna is standing on the bank of the Yamuna under the shade of the Kadamba tree. And He has become three folded. He is very beautiful! Stags come with their mates towards Krishna, desiring some prema, love and affection from Him.

 

Seeing them, Krishna tells them, “Come on, come on.”

 

He calls them like friends. He distributes His love and affection to all. No one returns from Krishna, no one. Even Putana cannot return. Kamsa cannot return. Krishna will take all hearts. Krishna will take your heart even if you perpetrate evil acts to Him. If we have pure devotion then He will surely take our hearts. He is an expert pickpocket.

 

[Laughter from audience.]

 

He is a very good cheater. So He will pick our pockets, take our hearts and never return them. Then you will have to cry and weep. So envisioning this beautiful scene, you should be with Krishna.

 

Go on.

 

[Devotees continue singing Sri Nanda Nandanaastakam.]

 

There was a beggar, he was totally blind. But he used to go to take alms. One day, with a stick in his hand, he went to a town to beg something. But being blind, he entered a courtyard. Standing before the fence, he requested, “Please give me something, please give me something.” But no answer reached his ears. So he thought, “Where have I come?” He tried to cross the fence, but he could not do so. Because the fence was 8,400,000 miles long. Many years passed, but he could not get past the fencing.

 

After many years passed, he reached the door. The door was three feet wide and six feet long.

When the door was about to come, he had some itches that agitated him. He thought, “Many years have passed but I have not across the door. So it is very far away.”

 

So taking the stick in his hand, he began to scratch his body. In the meantime, the three feet wide door went past him.

 

Devotees: Oh!

 

Srila Gurudeva: And he again began to move about for lakhs and lakhs of years and births. So we are in the same position. This world is like a fence, and we have been trapped since the world was created. Births and deaths, sorrows and sufferings, have constantly afflicted us. Now we want to go out, but some ‘scratches’ are making us some stumble. Krishna has mercifully given us the door of this human body. But if you miss this chance and go past the door, then you may become a dog, an ass, or any other animal your next life. You may even become a demigod or a demigoddess, but without this human body you cannot have this chance. So don’t lose this chance. This chance is very beautiful. So don’t be engaged in eating, drinking, and making merry. Or else we will lose our human body and lose everything. Donkeys, hogs, tigers, trees, creepers, animals, and insects cannot associate with Vaishnavas. The demigods cannot engage in sadhu-sanga because they are engrossed in sense enjoyment. In this world, those surrounded by luxuries strive hard to maintain those very luxuries, so they have no time to meet with Vaishnavas. The Vaishnava will come to his door, but he will say, “I have no time. Come back tomorrow.” Don’t lose this fortunate human body. Through the services we perform by the medium of the body, we should anyhow go to Krishna, otherwise we will lose everything.

 

So, it has been told in Srimad Bhagavatham.. Where is my Caitanya Caritamrta? Labdha sudurlabha idam bahu sambhavanthe…Who is speaking this shloka? Sri Sukadeva Gosvami is reciting it to Parikshit Maharaja and to the listeners in the audience. The purport of this shloka is that the human body is very auspicious and invaluable. You should at once try to devote your whole life and thus make it successful. But how will this come to pass? It will happen if you can serve Radha and Krishna. Chant Harinam and remember the pastimes of Krishna in this life. Begin from today, because you may die tomorrow. Don’t lose this chance. If you turn deaf or go blind, or die tomorrow, what will be? So don’t wait for tomorrow. You should follow Rupa-Sanatana, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Svamiji, and our entire Guruvarga. You should not think, “I am not qualified for all these things.” Krishna has planted the seed in the heart, everything is there. Instead, you should think, “I am qualified.” How I am qualified? I am qualified because I am the son of Krishna, the beloved of Krishna, and I have anyhow come here. Though I have committed many offenses, I am qualified to serve Him. He is my beloved, master, friend, and son. We have the potentiality of everything in a seed like form, so we are qualified for this. The lack of sat-sang is the only shortcoming. If you hanker to Krishna for sadhu-sanga—the association of bona fide Vaishnavas, He will surely manage everything. Without any reason, out of His causeless mercy, Krishna sent sants (saints) like Svamiji, like Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Prabhupada to this world.       

So I think He will also help us and manage to give further sadhu-sanga. So we should try for this. What can we do? We can do something, but how? We should try like a child. If he will begin to cry and weep, father, mother, and the whole family will come there.     

 

All will collectively ask the child, “What do you want? What do you want?” But the child is only crying and weeping. To pacify the child, they will give him a toy. But the child will take and throw it away. Then if the mother will give anything more like sweets, the child will just throw it away.

 

Then the mother will think, “He wants my breast milk.” Then he will suckle on his mother’s breast with the utmost delight. The mother kisses her son and with tear-filled eyes thinks, “Oh how beautiful my boy is!” We should cry like this.

 

We should cry out, “Oh Krishna! Oh Srimati Radhika!”

 

“You want to give me salvation?” Then we will express our discontent, like the child who threw away the toy. [Laughter from audience.]

 

If He wants to give you the service of Lakshmi-Narayana,? Oh! Then you should throw it away like the toy.

 

Krishna may entice you, “Oh come on, come on! I will make you My beloved like Rukmini.”

 

“I don’t want.” And we will continue crying and weeping.

 

Krishna will say, “Be My friend.”

 

Crying and weeping, we will say, “No.”

 

“You want to be My father and mother?”

 

“No.”

 

“Then what do you want?”

 

Krishna is also weeping and waiting for our reply. He will ask us, “Oh you want to be the servant of the maidservant of My beloved Srimati Radhika?”

 

“Yes, Yes I want that service.”

 

Then He takes and gives this milk, otherwise He will not give. This is priceless. He wants to give many things, but if you want nothing, remain one-pointed and stay fixed, “I want this and nothing else. I will throw and give everything up.” Then Krishna will give us this precious, valuable benediction; otherwise not.

 

So, two considerations are there—Yashoda is binding Krishna and His waist is very slender—only twelve fingers long. Yashoda has decorated Krishna’s waist with a golden chain. Yashoda tried binding Krishna with many ropes, which extended for miles and miles. But this chain of ropes could not encircle Krishna even once. Krishna’s waist was small and thin, while the rope went longer and longer; in a bid to encircle His waist. At that time, all the friends of Yashoda Ma were clapping and mocking in unison, “O you cannot tie your own son?”

 

On being teased, Yashoda’s face became reddish. The colors of yellow and white also flashed on her face. She became so ashamed that her friends were clapping and teasing her, “Oh you cannot tie your son who has come from your own womb?”

 

She then prayed to her household deity—Salagrama Thakura, Narayana.

 

“O Narayana, I have worshipped You for many years. All are clapping and laughing, so save me. Why can’t I tie my own child?”

 

Praying thus, Yashoda was weeping. Then Krishna thought, “My mother is making many efforts and pearls of sweat are rolling down her face. Her braid has been untied and the flowers have been scattered. Her face has become reddish and changing colors.”

 

So Krishna saw the effort of Yashoda and He became so merciful. She took a woolen rope and finally bound Krishna. Krishna’s waist became little, Yogamaya vanished and He was bound at once. He was bound by Yashoda’s love and affection and not by a rope. No one can tie Krishna, nor was He ever bound before. So there are two considerations—our efforts should be so sincere and secondly, the mercy of Krishna. If Krishna sees our sincere efforts, He will surely be merciful and His maya will come. At that time, while being bound, Krishna was thinking, “Oh if My mother ties Me, I cannot play with my friends. Cows are mooing, because they cannot give milk without Krishna. Their calves were there but …

 

[Break of audio.]

 

So Yogamaya came at once and performed this wonderful pastime. Krishna remained the same while the rope went longer and longer. The rope went on for miles and miles but it was always two fingers short. Another measure of rope was taken and joined; but the same thing happened again. Why was the rope two fingers short? How does it apply to the sadhakas?

 

We don’t perform sincere efforts for Krishna, unlike Yashoda Ma. Seeing our efforts, Krishna’s heart will melt. Krishna saw Yashoda Ma’s efforts— how beads of sweat were rolling down her face, and how nervous she was. She had taken a vow, “I will take water only when I bind Krishna. I am ready to undergo hundreds and thousands of births to bind Krishna. But I will have to bind. I will never give this endeavor up.” So she began to try again and again, Krishna became merciful at once and His heart melted. So we should engage in performing the same efforts in our sadhana-bhajana. We should resolve, “I will not take water; I will not take anything, until I chant half a lakh (32 rounds) of Harinama in one sitting during the morning. After that, I will complete all my services and finish the remaining 32 rounds during the day or the night. And then I will take anything. I will have to do this even if I have no taste. I will offer my dandavat pranamas 1,008 times, but to whom? To all the pastime places of Krishna, to Yashoda Ma, Nanda baba, Lalitha, Vishaka, Chitra, Champalaka, Rupa-manjari, Rati-manjari, Nandagaon, Varsana, Radha kunda, Shyama kunda, Kusuma sarovara, Manasa ganga, Pavana sarovara, and to all these pastime places. I will offer my dandavat pranamas 1,008 times. I will hear some katha from my bona fide Guru and Vaishnavas. So performing these limbs of devotion and following Rupa-Sanatana, who made no efforts to secure clothing and other necessities…Krishna is supporting all, so will He leave me alone by myself? He will arrange everything. So have strong faith like Rupa-Sanatana.

 

Sankhya purvaka nama gana natabhi kala vasani…

 

Perform bhajan like this, being in Vrindavana. Where? Sometimes near Govardhana, sometimes in Nandagaon, sometimes in Radha kunda.

 

Radha kunda tate kalindi tanaya…

 

Svamiji Maharaja used to sing this kirtan beautifully with tears in his eyes. Those who heard him sing, and those, who to this day listen to him sing from the tape recording, will see how beautifully and coupled with a pathetic, melodious tune he sung.

 

So we should try to do all these things.

 

Radha kunda tate kalindi tanaya…he radhe he vraja devike…

 

This is called Krishna Consciousness, and this is sadhana and bhajana. I know that only very rare, rare devotees can follow this process. And if you will not follow this process, you cannot go to Vraja. Having many worldly desires and all its concomitant elements, we cannot go to Vraja. We may in householder life; no harm. But situated in that social stratum, we can do all these things. Srivasa Pandit, Raya Ramananda, were all householders. All the Gopis were householders; no harm. But we should try to follow the process. Then our bhakti will grow.

 

What is the time?

 

Devotee: 8:45, Gurudeva.

 

Srila Gurudeva: So you should try to follow. I wished to explain what I began. But I think that we will have to come again and explain.

 

Devotees: Haribol!

 

Srila Gurudeva: If you will pray to Krishna sincerely, He may call me. You know that I am like a beggar, having nothing; roaming here and there. I am only cheating all others.

 

[Laughter from audience.]

 

So if He will arrange, I may come and help you in this way. I don’t know harikatha, I cannot do all these things. I am unable to do, I am unqualified. I only know that all the things I am telling to you all.. I cannot worship, I cannot do archana, I cannot sing so much. I cannot do tyaga (austerities) and vairagya (renunciation). I am not a vairagi, I have no qualifications. The only qualification I have is this—speak some harikatha. And I want to recite all these pastimes, to remember all these pastimes. So, you should all know that I am so glad to meet you and to have been here for five days. You may have realized that I am the servant of Svamiji, having no opposite mood towards him. I cannot have an opposite towards him. So you should think of me as a servant of Svamiji, and you should also help me. If you to pray to Krishna for me, then He will be merciful to me. Because you are all bona fide Vaishnavas and Vaishnavis.

 

Gaura Premanande! Hari Haribol!

 

I will never forget you all. When I go to Mathura Vrindavana, I will remember that I had gone to Badger and I was in the home of Nirguna Prabhu. His wife, children, all friends, their wives and children met me. Very beautiful classes were arranged and they have much honor for me that I cannot forget them. But please, you should all not forget me also.

 

Nirguna Prabhu: Hare Krishna Maharaja, thank you for coming for these five days, it has been so beautiful. It has transformed my home into an atmosphere of Vrindavana. I take the dust of your feet on my head over and over again. It has been so wonderful with all your disciples. I like to give special thanks to all the mathas’ who have cooked for all the devotees.

 

Srila Gurudeva: Certainly.

 

Nirguna Prabhu: I would like to say, “I take the dust of all your feet on my head. I am eternally indebted to you all. Thank you so much.

 

Devotees: Gaura Premanande! Haribol!

 

[Srila Gurudeva leads the Hare Krishna maha-mantra kirtan.]

[Transcribed by the Bhaktabandhav Team]

 

« Older posts
Newer posts »