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Door to door grace

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“The anger-less, prideless, supremely joyful Nityānanda Rāy wanders throughout the towns. Going from door to door to the homes of the lowly and fallen souls, He distributes the Hare Krishna mahāmantra.”


 
Srila Gurudev singing Akrodha paramananda, in the year 1989.
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akrodha paramānanda nityānanda rāya
abhimāna-śūnya nitāi nagare beḍāya [1]
The anger-less, prideless, supremely joyful Nityānanda Rāy wanders throughout the towns.
adhama patita jīver dvāre dvāre giyā
hari-nāma mahāmantra dena bilāiyā [2]
Going from door to door to the homes of the lowly and fallen souls, He distributes the Hare Krishna mahāmantra.
yāre dekhe tāre kahe dante tṛṇa dhari’
āmāre kiniyā laha bhaja gaurahari [3]
With straw between His teeth, He says to whoever He sees, “Purchase Me: simply serve Gaurahari.”
eta bali’ nityānanda bhūme gaḍi yāya
sonāra parvata yena dhūlāte loṭāya [4]
Saying this, Nityānanda rolls on the ground like a golden mountain rolling in the dust.
hena avatāre yāra rati nā janmila
lochan bale sei pāpī ela āra gela [5]
Lochan Dās says of one who has not developed attachment to this Avatār, “Such a sinner simply came and went.”
ekabar bhaja bhaja bhai
Oh brothers, just once serve.
prema-data gaura-nitai bhaja bhaja bhai
Oh brothers, serve Gaura-Nitai, the givers of prema.
saparsada gaura-nitai bhaja bhaja bhai
Oh brothers, serve Gaura-Nitai and Their associates.
nitai gaura haribol, haribol, haribol, haribol
Chant Nitai, Gaura, Hari.

The easiest thing

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Krishna consciousness is a very easy thing because it is everybody’s religion. It is not the religion of Hindus, it is not the religion of Muslims, or Christians, or Buddhists, or followers of the Shankar sampradāya. They have some sampradāya [group], but we do not really have a sampradāya. Krishna consciousness is the religion of the jīva-soul.
jīvera ‘svarūpa haya—kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’
kṛṣṇera ‘taṭasthā-śakti’, ‘bhedābheda-prakāśa’
(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 20.108)
[“The soul is by nature an eternal servant of Krishna. The soul is Krishna’s tatastha-sakti (marginal potency); a manifestation both distinct and non-distinct from Krishna.”]
kṛṣṇa bhuli’ sei jīva anādi-bahirmukha
ataeva māyā tāre deya saṁsāra-duḥkha
(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 20.117)
[“When souls outside the realm of time and space turn away from Krishna and forget Him, Maya subjects them to the various miseries of worldly existence.”]
And how can we get relief from this environment? That has also been given by Kavirāj Goswāmī very clearly and in a very simple way:
brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 19.151)
[“While wandering throughout the world, a fortunate soul obtains the seed of the creeper of devotion (faith) by the mercy of Guru and Krishna.”]
mālī hañā kare sei bīja āropaṇa
śravaṇa-kīrtana-jale karaye sechana
(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 19.152)
[“When a person receives the seed of devotional service, he should take care of it by becoming a gardener and sowing the seed in his heart. If he waters the seed gradually by the process of śravaṇ and kīrtan [hearing and chanting], the seed will begin to sprout.”]
upajiyā bāḍe latā ‘brahmāṇḍa’ bhedi’ yāya
‘virajā’, ‘brahmaloka’ bhedi’ ‘paravyoma’ pāya
tabe yāya tad upari ‘goloka-vṛndavāna’
‘kṛṣṇa-charaṇa’-kalpa-vṛkṣe kare ārohaṇa
(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 19.153–4)
[“As one waters the bhakti-latā-bīja, the seed sprouts, and the creeper gradually grows to the point where it penetrates the walls of this universe and goes beyond the Virajā River, lying between the spiritual world and the material world. It attains brahma-loka, the Brahman effulgence, and penetrating through that stratum, it reaches the spiritual sky and the spiritual planet Goloka Vṛndāvan.
“Being situated in one’s heart and being watered by śravaṇ-kīrtan, the bhakti creeper grows more and more. In this way it attains the shelter of the desire tree of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, who is eternally situated in the planet known as Goloka Vṛndāvan, in the topmost region of the spiritual sky.”]

We must search for Śrī Krishna, and it will easily come to us. And who is Krishna? If we go to the sādhu, they will say and show us Reality the Beautiful.

That is all. It is a very easy thing: it is only necessary to have mercy from Sādhu, Guru, and Vaiṣṇava. Through that we will get some sukṛti, and sukṛti means our fortune-maker. We must search for Śrī Krishna, and it will easily come to us. And who is Krishna? If we go to the sādhu, they will say and show us Reality the Beautiful.
You will see God consciousness all over the world, everywhere, under different names. But who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead? That is found in Krishna consciousness. Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and why? That explanation is very simply given in the scriptures. Then we can understand easily that Krishna-bhajan, worship of Krishna, and practising Krishna consciousness is our life’s goal. That has been given by Śrīla Swāmī Mahārāj and Śrīla Guru Mahārāj, and now the day has come when it is continuing [in this world] in a non-stopping way. Maybe somewhere some disturbance comes, and it will come, because that is the nature of this mundane world.  We are always living within a disturbing environment, and so it must be with us, but we shall cross over all  disturbance and proceed to our destiny, and that destiny is, Kṛṣṇa-charaṇa’-kalpa-vṛkṣe kare ārohaṇa, service to Krishna.

Leaving the plane of exploitation, and leaving the plane of renunciation, we must try to establish ourselves in the plane of dedication.

Leaving the plane of exploitation, and leaving the plane of renunciation, we must try to establish ourselves in the plane of dedication. And dedication to whom? We shall surrender to whom? That is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is Krishna. Śrīmad Bhāgavat said clearly, Kṛṣṇas tu Bhagavān Svayam. In Brahma-saṁhitā it is told,
īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sachchidānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
(Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā: 5.1)
We must worship Krishna, because Krishna is Īśvar [the Lord], and He is Parameśvar [the Supreme Lord], and He is sach-chid-ānanda-vigraha, the eternal form of consciousness and bliss. Anādir ādiḥ: He is the beginning and beginningless. His name is Govinda, and sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam, He is the cause of all causes. We can see this very clearly in Brahma-saṁhitā.
With the mood of devotion that is within us and within everybody’s heart we can worship Kṛṣṇa very easily. We have affection, love, and beauty, and through that we can worship Him. Krishna is the ocean of nectar and when we come in touch with Him we will get everything. This is Mahāprabhu’s conception and Śrīla Swāmī Mahārāj and Śrīla Guru Mahārāj, both world Gurus, preached this conception in this world.
Mahāprabhu Chaitanyadev appeared in this world five hundred years ago with His paraphernalia and associates, and through Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s associates the six goswāmīs we have got that Krishna conception, and that is the supreme conception of our lives. Everywhere there is some fearful environment, but in Krishna consciousness the  environment always gives us ecstasy, hope, and happiness. That is the wealth of Krishna consciousness.
kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā-matiḥ
krīyatām yadi kuto ‘pi labhyate
tatra laulyam api mūlyam ekalaṁ
janma-koṭi-sukṛtair na labhyate
(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 8.70)
[“Pure devotional service in Krishna 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.”]

The Vedic knowledge differentiates in many ways, but in Krishna consciousness everybody has the same position

Everywhere there are some rules, regulations, and restrictions, many things which discourage us. In the Vedic knowledge also we can see many things to discourage us: ladies cannot worship the deity, and there are many different types of positions for gents: brāhmaṇ [priestly class], kṣatriya [warrior class], vaiśya [agricultural/trading class], śūdra [worker class], and also brahmachārī [celibate students], vānaprastha [persons retired from worldly work], sannyasī [renunciants], gṛhastha [a person who engages in the duties of family and worldly work]. The Vedic knowledge differentiates in many ways, but in Krishna consciousness everybody has the same position: if they have attraction and hankering for Krishna consciousness then they can enter into that world. There is love, beauty, ecstasy, charm, and laulyam, hankering, is the only wealth. You can buy that only through your hankering.
This is Mahāprabhu’s conception, and we have got that through our Guru Mahārāj and Śrīla Swāmī Mahārāj, and now all over the world people are chanting the Hare Krishna mahāmantra. The Hare Krishna mahāmantra is nondifferent with Krishna, and if we can chant the Hare Krishna mahāmantra, we will get everything that we need and that we want in our lives. We will get everything.
Spoken by Srila Gurudev on 16 July 1992, in Miami, USA

Appearance Day of Srila Saraswati Thakur

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Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati started the cleansing process, like Gundicha Marjan, the cleansing of the Lord’s Temple. This was his first work in this world.

anera hṛdaya — mana, mora mana — vṛndāvana,
‘mane’ ‘vane’ eka kari’ jāni
tāhāṅ tomāra pada-dvaya, karāha yadi udaya,
tabe tomāra pūrṇa kṛpā māni
(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta: 2.13.137)
[Speaking in the mood of Srimati Radharani, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, “For most people, the mind and heart are one, but because My mind is never separated from Vrndavan, I consider My mind and Vrndavan to be one. My mind is already Vrndavan, and since You like Vrndavan, will You please place Your lotus feet there? I would deem that Your full mercy.”]
The illusory environment is always attacking and disturbing the jiva-souls in so many ways. But Prabhupad Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati started the cleansing process, like Gundicha Marjan, the cleansing of the Lord’s Temple. This was his first work in this world.
The heart must be made like Vrndavan. It won’t do to keep a jungle in the heart. Many disturbing elements are in the jungle, but there is nothing like that in Vrndavan. Everything in Vrndavan is perfectly pure. So, we must worship the Supreme Lord purely. To mix with maya for our sense pleasure and invite God into our heart is gross hypocrisy. With great force, Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur and Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur did everything in their power to smash such hypocrisy.

Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami once again revealed to the world that which is eternal and ever-fresh. Before his appearance, people might have been chanting the Name of God, but how did they chant it? In his time, he was the inaugurator of the genuine chanting of Hari-nam.

Their first work was to preach the Name. In Bengal, so many would chant the Name, but in a hashish-smoking party. Some would chant for hours on end. There was no dearth of such Hari-nam in Bengal, but the qualification of real purity was absent. Because of this, Mahaprabhu’s sampradaya or religious succession became completely adulterated. People uttered the name ‘Vaisnava’ with hatred. The groups known as Neda, Darabesa, Sani, Aul, Baul, Kartabhaja, and so on—they all made such a hodgepodge of Mahaprabhu’s high and confidential teachings of divine perfection that Mahaprabhu was no longer respected by the people. If anyone said, “A Vaisnava is at the door”, the head of the family would say, “Oh, give him a little rice and send him off.” Such was the conception the common people had of Vaisnavas.
But the real Vaisnava-dharma is jaiva-dharma, the nature of the soul, the divine life of the soul. Bhakti Vinod Thakur wrote his book Jaiva-dharma to bring genuine Vaisnava religion out to the world.
jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’
kṛṣṇera ‘taṭasthā-śakti’ ‘bhedābheda-prakāśa’
(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta: 2.20.108)
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has taught, “The real identity of the soul is as an eternal servitor of Krishna. He is Krishna’s marginal potency, simultaneously distinct yet non-distinct from Krishna.”
And it was this type of transcendental knowledge that Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami brought here. That was already present but hidden in the scriptures or holy books, and he revealed it. Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami’s unique contribution was the daiva-varnasram-dharma, or Godly socio-religious society, according to the proper interpretation of the scriptures: daiva-varnasrama-dharma, Hari-bhakti yara marma, sastra-yukte karila nischaya. The so-called ‘religion’ that goes on in the material world is demonic or asura-varnasram, but the daiva-varnasram-dharma always strives to worship the Lord. There are many devotional duties, but their aim is exclusively the satisfaction of the Lord.

Prabhupad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur showed us that genuine socio-religious organisation of varnasram-dharma must worship the Lord, and above varnasram-dharma is Vaisnavism or jaiva-dharma, the divine life or religion of the soul.

Sravanam kirtanam Visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam, or hearing, chanting, remembering, and so on, are all duties for no other purpose but worshipping the Lord. The execution of these functions is known, in its primary stage, as daiva-varnasram. The bodily calculation of considering a brahman’s son a brahman, or a sudra’s son a sudra, and so on, is false.
chātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ
(Srimad Bhagavad-gita: 4.13)
“The four social divisions are created by Me, and divided according to man’s qualities and works.”
Prabhupad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur showed us that genuine socio-religious organisation of varnasram-dharma must worship the Lord, and above varnasram-dharma is Vaisnavism or jaiva-dharma, the divine life or religion of the soul. This is the line by which Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami established real Vaisnavism in the world. A Vaisnava is never inferior to a brahman. A Vaisnava is always superior to a brahman. That is his real position. The position of a Vaisnava is never merely ‘next’ to a brahman. The Vaisnava lives in the other world—the transcendental world of service, seva-maya-bhumika, or nirguna-bhumika, the transcendental plane. And varnasram-dharma is in the saguna-bhumika, the plane of mundane qualities. But the attempt to rise above the mayik plane comes within the purview of varnasram-dharma.
varṇāśramāchāra-vatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān
viṣṇur ārādhyate panthā nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam
(Visnu-purana: 3.8.9)
“Almighty Visnu is worshipped by the person whose practices conform to the social and religious duties [varna-dharma, asrama-dharma]. In this world, there is no other way to propitiate Him.”
Such a teaching guides the world toward the worship of Lord Krishna. But the Vaisnavas live in the transcendental world. For example, if you take prasadam, you are not taking mere rice, vegetables, water, and so on. You are taking what was offered to Krishna. You cannot be responsible for any sin. The devotee offers everything for Krishna’s pleasure.
tvayopabhukta-srag-gandha-vāso-’laṅkāra-charchitāḥ
uchchhiṣṭa-bhojino dāsās tava māyāṁ jayema hi
(Srimad Bhagavatam: 11.6.46)
“Adorned with the garlands, scents, and clothing enjoyed by You, and partaking of Your remnants, O Lord—we, Your servitors, can conquer Your maya.”
In this way, the eternally living and ecstatic (sach-chid-ananda-maya) element that is present within is again fully manifest. Similarly, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami once again revealed to the world that which is eternal and ever-fresh. Before his appearance, people might have been chanting the Name of God, but how did they chant it? In his time, he was the inaugurator of the genuine chanting of Hari-nam.

Totalitarian war against maya. What passes in this world in the name of religion—everything is false.

pṛthivīte yata kathā dharma-nāme chale
bhāgavata kahe saga paripūrṇa chhale
Totalitarian war against maya. What passes in this world in the name of religion—everything is false. You are jiva-soul. Krishna is like the great sun, and you are like a sun-ray. The sun-ray must always be ‘attached’ to the great sun. That is his nature. Krishna is like a big exalted magnet, and you are like iron. Therefore, He is called Krishna, meaning Krish: to attract, and na: to give joy. He attracts us, and gives us ecstasy (karsan venu-svanair gopir Gopinathah sriye ’stu nah).
This is Prabhupad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur’s gift. Many acharyas, such as Sankar Acharya, Buddha, Ramanuja, Nimbaditya, and Madhva Acharya, came and distributed the mercy of the Lord, but the supreme position was given by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. That was suppressed by the illusory environment, and Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami came, cleansed, and revealed that divine gem. He clarified to the world the real position of Vaisnava-dharma. Now nobody can accuse Vaisnava-dharma of being a lower-class religion or conception. It can only be admitted to be greater than the greatest.
Excerpt from Chapter Twenty-two of Affectionate Guidance, compiled from Srila Gurudev’s talks.
Note: This particular talk was originally spoken by Srila Gurudev on the appearance day of Srila Saraswati Thakur, 13 February 1990, in both Bengali and English; thus some parts of this article were translated from Bengali.
Hear the original, full lecture here.

“Without You, who do I have?”

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Srila Gurudev singing Hari Hari viphale janama gonainu, in Caracas, Venezuela, 1993.
Download mp3 audio.
hari hari!
viphale janama goṅāinu
manuṣya-janama pāiyā rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā
jāniyā śuniyā viṣa khāinu [1]

O Lord! My life has passed uselessly. I attained a human birth, but I did not serve Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Knowingly I drank poison.
(jene śune viṣa khelam)
(rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, jene śune viṣa khelam)
golokera prema-dhana hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana
rati nā janmila kena tāya
saṁsāra-viṣānale divā-niśi hiyā jvale
juḍāite nā kainu upāya [2]
Why didn’t I develop attachment to Hari-nām-saṅkīrtan, the wealth of Goloka’s divine love? My heart burns day and night in the poisonous fire of saṁsāra, yet I have not sought any way to relieve it.
vrajendra-nandana yei śachī-suta haila sei
balarāma ha-ila nitāi
dīna-hīna yata chhila hari-nāme uddhārila
tāra śākṣī jagāi mādhāi [3]
Vrajendra Nandan became Śachī Suta and Balarām became Nitāi. They delivered all the fallen souls with the Holy Name. Jagāi and Mādhāi are evidence of this.
hā hā prabhu nanda-suta vṛṣabhānu-sutā-yuta
karuṇā karaha ei-bāra
narottama-dāsa kaya nā ṭheliha rāṅgā pāya
tomā vine ke āchhe āmāra [4]
O Rādhā! O Lord Kṛṣṇa! Be merciful to me this time. Narottam Dās says, “Please don’t push me away from Your reddish feet. Without You, who do I have?”
(Śrīla Narottam Dās Ṭhākur)
(ei bār āmāy dayā kara)
Give Your mercy to me this time.
(ha ha prabhu nanda-suta, ei bār āmāy dayā kara)
Oh Lord, son of Nanda Mahārāj, give Your mercy to me this time.
(vṛṣabhānu-sutā-yuta, ei bār āmāy dayā kara)
Oh Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, give me Your mercy this time.
(śrī charaṇe śaraṇ diyā ei bār āmāy dayā kara)
Give me the shelter of Your feet; give me Your mercy this time.

(śrī charaṇe sevā diyā ei bār āmāy dayā kara)

Give me the service of Your feet; give me Your mercy this time.
(śrī charaṇe sevā diyā ei bār āmāy dayā kara)

Give me the service of Your feet; give me Your mercy this time.
(patita pāvan gaurahari ei bār āmāy dayā kara)
Saviour of the fallen Gaurahari, give Your mercy to me this time.

(hari he, hari he, hari he, hari he)

Oh Lord!
(gaurahari he, hari he, hari he, hari he)
Oh Gaurahari! Oh Lord!

Descent of divine love

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Srila Gurudev chanting Sriman Nityananda Dvadasakam in 1988. Download mp3 audio here.
Receiving inspiration from Nityananda Prabhu, Srila Guru Maharaj wrote the Nityananda-dvadasakam. And there very nicely Guru Maharaj expressed his heart’s desire and glorified Nityananda Prabhu. I can remember one sloka now,
śrī-kṛṣṇa-premanāmā parama-sukhamayaḥ ko ’pyachintyaḥ padārtho
yad gandhāt sajjanaughā nigama-bahumataṁ mokṣam apy ākṣipanti
(Verse 5)
[“He distributes the inconceivable substance made of the highest ecstasy known as Sri Krishna-prema, by finding just the fragrance of which the sadhus throw away with disdain the liberation of oneness with Brahman described by the Vedas.”]
Something has appeared in this mundane world, and that is Sri Krishna-prema. We can see a little appearance of that, and that thing is parama-sukhamaya [supremely ecstatic] and achintya padartho [inconceivable]. We cannot guess what kind of thing Krishna-prema is, but it gives us six kinds of property and wealth. That is,
kleśa-ghnī śubha-dā mokṣa-laghutā-kṛt su-durlabhā
sāndrānanda-viśeṣātmā śrī-kṛṣṇākarṣiṇī cha sā
(Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu: 1.1.17)
[“Pure devotion is the destroyer of affliction, the bestower of goodness,  utterly trivialises liberation, is extremely rarely obtained,  is extreme ecstasy itself, and is the attractor—subjugator—of Sri Krishna Himself.”]
It can attract Krishna directly. That is Krishna-prema. Krishna may be sleeping, Krishna  may be eating, Krishna may be doing many things, but anywhere that Krishna is, the devotee can attract Him with the highest devotion, which is called Krishna-prema. And that has appeared a little bit in this world and the whole world is dancing in the name of Krishna. And that parama-sukhamayah achintyah padartho was distributed by Nityananda Prabhu. That is Krishna-prema.
yad gandhāt sajjanaughā nigama-bahumataṁ mokṣam apy ākṣipanti  
And getting a little essence of that scent of Krishna-prema many big, big religious stalwarts are throwing the moksa-vanchha, desire for liberation.
Sukadev Goswami himself said,
pariniṣṭhito ’pi nairguṇye uttamaḥśloka-līlayā
gṛhīta-chetā rājarṣe ākhyānaṁ yad adhītavān
(Srimad Bhagavatam: 2.1.9)
Sukadev-Goswami-1760-painting“I was the greatest saint of this world who did not care for anything of this mundane world, or even for mukti; who left dharma [mundane piety], artha [wealth], kama [sense pleasure], moksa [liberation] from his mother’s womb and who with full consciousness of Brahma was living in the supramental plane. I was that type of saint, but I was attracted by the scent of the Gopis’ Krishna-prema. And I ran to my father Vedavyasa who distributed many things in this world through his scriptures, who exposed the Vedas in this world. I learned from him this Krishna-lila, and I want to tell that in this meeting. Please give your fine attention to this discussion.”
pariniṣṭhito ’pi nairguṇye uttamaḥśloka-līlayā
“No deviation can come from nirgun-brahma [the transcendental realm beyond the modes of material nature], and I was that type of man, but I was attracted by that Bhagavat-lila, and now I want to speak about that.”
Without the mercy, without the blessings of Nityananda Prabhu we will never get that type of Krishna-prema.
Spoken by Srila Gurudev on 4 December 1989.
nityanandaprabhuekachakra.jpg

The only source of joy

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Srila Gurudev singing Parama-karuna, in the year 1989.
Download mp3 audio
parama karuṇa pahūn dui jana
nitāi gaurachandra
saba avatāra- sāra śiromaṇi
kevala ānanda-kanda [1]
Nitāi and Gaurachandra are the two most merciful Lords. They are the crest-jewels of all Avatārs and the only source of joy.
bhaja bhaja bhāi chaitanya nitāi
sudṛḍha viśvāsa kari’
viṣaya chhāḍiyā se rase majiyā
mukhe bala hari hari [2]
O brothers! Serve! Serve Śrī Śrī Chaitanya-Nitāi with firm faith! Leave aside worldly affairs, merge into this rasa, and chant aloud, ‘Hari! Hari!’
dekha ore bhāi tribhuvane nāi
emana dayāla dātā
paśu pākhī jhure pāṣāṇa vidare
śuni yāra guṇa-gāthā [3]
O brother! Look! There are no benefactors in the three worlds as merciful as Them. Hearing of Their glory, birds and animals cry and stones melt.
saṁsāre majiyā rahili paḍiyā
se pade nahila āśa
āpana karama bhuñyāya śamana
kahaye lochana dāsa [4]
“Fallen and immersed in saṁsāra, I never aspired for Their feet. Now Yamarāj subjects me to my karma.” So says Lochan Dās.
(Śrīla Lochan Dās Ṭhākur)
ekabār gaurahari haribolo
Just once chant ‘Gaurahari’ and ‘Hari’.
jaḍa-viṣay-kathā parihari gaurahari haribolo
Giving up mundane talk chant ‘Gaurahari’ and ‘Hari’.
sapārṣada gaurahari bhaja bhaja bhaja bhai re
Oh brothers, worship Gaurahari and His associates.
haribol haribol haribol haribol
Chant ‘Hari’!
nitāi gaura haribol haribol haribol haribol
Chant ‘Nitāi’, Gaura’, and ‘Hari’!

Near, far

0jayasri0

Within ten years Srila Swami Maharaj Prabhupad spread Krishna consciousness  all over the world. Now some cover has come and it has covered many of the practitioners’ hearts. That cover is ego and attachment. Ego is the greatest cover and we cannot easily remove that cover, but it is necessary to remove it, and then we will see that Krishna is very near to me.
ahaṅkāra-nivṛttānāṁ keśavo nahi dūragaḥ
ahaṅkāra-yutānāṁ hi madhye parvata-rāśayaḥ
(Brahma-vaivarta-purāṇa: 3.9.9)
[“The Supreme Lord Keśava remains in the company of persons who are free from a mundane conception of life; but there appears to be a great mountain range between the self-asserting egotists and the Lord.”]
Gurudev-Nabadwip-Nat-Mandir-070226
That is the main thing, and our practising life is following the nine kinds of bhakti, that is sravanam [hearing], kirtanam [chanting], visnoh smaranam [remembering], pada-sevanam [serving the Lord’s feet], archanam [worshipping], vandanam [praying], dasyam [servitude], sakhyam [friendship], atma-nivedanam [self-surrender].
Srila Gurudev speaking in Govardhan, March 1991
 
 
 
 

“Abandoning everything, I have come to Your feet”

vishakhadasi108


Srila Gurudev singing Ki jani ki bale in the year 1989.
Download mp3 audio.
ki jāni ki bale tomāra dhāmete
ha-inu śaraṇāgata
tumi dayāmaya patita-pāvana
patita-tāraṇe rata [1]
I do not know by what force I have taken shelter within Your abode. Surely it is by Your mercy alone, for You are ever seeking the purification and deliverance of the fallen souls.
bharasā āmāra ei mātra nātha!
tumi ta’ karuṇā-maya
tava dayā pātra nāhi mora sama
avaśya ghuchāre bhaya [2]
O Lord! You are merciful. This is my sole hope. There is no one who needs Your mercy more than I. Certainly You will dispel all my fear.
āmāre tārite kāhāra śakati
avanī-bhitare nāhi
dayāla ṭhākura! ghoṣaṇā tomāra
adhama pāmare trāhi [3]
There is no one on earth who has the power to deliver me. O merciful Lord! It is Your declaration that You deliver the lowest, most sinful persons.
sakala chhāḍiyā āsiyāchhi āmi
tomāra charaṇe nātha!
āmi nitya-dāsa tumi pālayitā
tumi goptā, jagannātha! [4]
Abandoning everything, I have come to Your feet, O Lord! I am Your eternal servant, and You are my maintainer and protector, O Lord of the universe!
tomāra sakala āmi mātra dāsa
āmāra tāribe tumi
tomāra charaṇa karinu varaṇa
āmāra nahi ta’ āmi [5]
Everything is Yours. I am only a servant. Certainly You will deliver me. I have embraced Your feet and no longer belong to myself.
bhakati-vinoda kādiya śaraṇa
la’yechhe tomāra pāya
kṣami’ aparādha nāme ruchi diyā
pālana karahe tāya [6]
Weeping, Bhakti Vinod takes shelter at Your feet. Forgiving his offences and giving him a taste for the Name, kindly maintain him.
(Śrīla Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākur)

Chanting, chanting, chanting

vishakhadasi108

Indra’s illusion

There is a story about Lord Indra: once he was cursed by some rishis and he got a hog’s body. He was enjoying in this material world, and then the curse finished and Lord Brahma came and said, “Oh Indra, come back to your abode.” Because of the illusory environment Indra had forgotten everything and was thinking, “I am a hog father and I have so many of my children and grandchildren here, so why shall I go there? And who is this man with such a big beard who is telling me what to do?” And he wanted to hit Brahma. Then Brahma thought, “Oh, he is completely in illusion” so he threw  all his children and grandchildren in the pond and told Indra “You also jump here and you will leave your body.” But Indra would not do that. Finally he and his wife were going to run away, but then Brahma took his wife and threw her. Then Indra thought, “Oh what happened, now I have nothing.” Then he gave some hearing to Brahma, “What you are telling, nonsense man?” Brahma said, “You are Indra, you have an abode in heaven and you are the master of heaven. You come here. Why are you suffering? Now your curse has finished. You jump in the pond and then you will see what you get.” Then Indra thought, “What shall I do with this body? My wife has gone and everything is gone, so I shall jump.” He jumped in the pond and left his body and saw his own form as Indra. Then he thought, “Oh ho I was in such a bad situation” and he paid dandavat to Brahma and said, “Prabhu, you rescued me. Please take my obeisances.” And Brahma said, “If you like you can take some of your children.” Indra said, “Don’t make me shy. I am very shy.”
Srila-Govinda-Maharaj-Initiation-Russia

“Please appear, please give your mercy”

In this way,
rasa-varjaṁ raso ’py asya, paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate
(2.59)
It is stated in Srimad Bhagavad-Gita by Krishna Himself, that when we get some real sense, when we get a connection with the transcendental world, then we will immediately feel that and we can immediately leave everything. Before that, it is necessary to do some sadhana. It will not be possible to chant the Holy Name without offence immediately. We will become habituated with chanting, chanting, chanting, chanting, and we will chant with the mood of calling, “He Hare, he Krishna, please appear, please give your mercy.” This is the calling mood, and we will not ask for anything.
nāmāparādha-yuktānāṁ nāmāny eva haranty agham
(Padma-purāṇa: Svarga-khaṇḍa, 48.49)

Whatever obstacles we have to chant will go through chanting and the Name will reveal in our heart. This is the prescription for the conditioned souls of this material world. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared for this as a yugavatar and bestowed His mercy through giving this mahamantra, and we are trying to follow in His footsteps.
040806-today-SGovM-japa-550xThis advice is for everyone, not only for this Vaisnava society. We can see some indication of chanting the Holy Name of the Lord in all religions. The Muslims are chanting  their Lord’s name, “Allah, Allah, Allah” and we have seen that they also do japa. The Christians also do japa. Everywhere they are chanting the Holy Name of the Lord. They know at least the transcendental vibration form of the Holy Name and they are chanting that, and it is very properly and efficiently revealed in this Vaisnava society. Vaisnava means, Visnur devata yasya sa Vaisnava: who is feeling that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Krishna is a Vaisnava. He is not brahman, he is not sudra, he is not Australian, he is not American, he is not Indian, but he is a servitor of the Lord. That is his identity. He will chant the Hare Krishna mahamantra and he will get back his own identity.
Srila Gurudev, speaking in Byron Bay, Australia, 24 April 1999

Good news

vishakhadasi1081 Comment


 
Srila Gurudev singing Emana durmati, in the year 1989.
Download mp3 audio.
(prabhu he!)
emana durmati saṁsāra bhitare
paḍiyā āchhinu āmi
tava nija-jana kona mahājane
pāṭhāiyā dile tumi [1]
O Lord! I am very wicked-minded and have fallen into this material world, but You have sent a great soul, Your associate (to rescue me).
dayā kari more patita dekhiyā
kahila āmāre giyā
ohe dīna-jana śuna bhāla kathā
ullasita ha’be hiyā [2]
Seeing me so fallen and being merciful, he came to me and said, “O humble soul, listen to this wonderful message and your heart will rejoice.
tomāre tārite śrī-kṛṣṇa-chaitanya
navadvīpe avatāra
tomā hena kata dīna-hīna jane
karilena bhava-pāra [3]
“Śrī Kṛṣṇa Chaitanya has appeared in Nabadwīp to deliver you. He has brought many humble souls just like you to the shore of the ocean of material existence.
vedera pratijñā rākhibāra tare
rukma-varṇa vipra-suta
mahāprabhu nāme nadīyā mātāya
saṅge bhāi avadhūta [4]
“To fulfil the prophecies of the Vedas, He has appeared with a golden complexion as a brāhmaṇ’s son bearing the name ‘Mahāprabhu’ and driven all of Nadia mad with divine love in the company of His brother Nityānanda.
nanda suta yini chaitanya gosāñī
nija-nāma kari’ dāna
tārila jagat tumi-o yāiyā
laha nija paritrāṇa [5]
“Śrī Chaitanya, who is Kṛṣṇa Himself, has distributed His own Name and delivered the world. Go also and accept your deliverance.”
se kathā śuniyā āsiyāchhi, nātha!
tomāra charaṇa-tale
bhakati-vinoda kādiyā kādiyā
āpana-kāhinī bale [6]
O Lord, hearing this message, Bhakti Vinod has come to the soles of Your feet. Crying, he tells his story.
(Śrīla Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākur)
(prabhu) ei bār āmāy dayā kara
O Lord, give Your mercy to me this time.
patita pāvan nitāi-gaura ei bār āmāy dayā kara
O Saviours of the fallen Śrī Nitāi and Śrī Gaura, give Your mercy to me this time.
(tomār) śrī charaṇe śaraṇ nilām ei bār āmāy dayā kara
I have taken shelter at Your feet; give me your mercy this time.
tava dāser anudās kari’ ei bār āmāy dayā kara
Make me the servant of Your servant; give me Your mercy this time.
sapārṣada gaurahari ei bār āmāy dayā kara
O Gaurahari with Your associates, give Your mercy to me this time.
sapārṣada gaurahari ei bār āmāy dayā kara
O Gaurahari with Your associates, give your mercy to me this time.
hari he hari he hari he hari he
O Lord!
nitāi gaura hari he hari he hari he
O Nitāi, Gaura, Hari!