Intelligence has no meaning if it does not connect with fulfillment, or satisfaction, or happiness, or sweetness, prema, love. Everything is meaningless if that aspect is eliminated from life. Fulfillment is in love, in beauty, in sweetness, in charm
Sri Vaishnava Toshani, May–June 1993, Vol 2 #2 is presented here. pdf edition ePub edition Contents: Fulfilment Is In Love by His Divine Grace B.R. Sridhara Dev-Goswami Maharaja Mahaprabhu’s Divine Mercy by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad Passport To The Abode Of The Lord by Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj Are We Elitists? by Bhakti Pavan Janardan Maharaja Acharyya-Charana-Vandana by B.A. Sagar Maharaja Invaluable Friendship With A Saint by Bhakti Sudhir Goswami Spiritual Economics by Sriman Rsabhdev Das Adventures In Paradise by Dinadhama Srutasrava dasa Ramanuja’s Secret Mantra by Sriman Mathuranath Das Previous editions uploaded: Jan–Feb 1992 Vol 1 No 1 March–April 1992 Vol 1 No 2 May–June 1992 Vol 1 No 3 Nov–Dec 1992, Vol 1 #6
Service is making service, and money is making money. And Guru is the service maker, the super service maker.
We have seen many things in our life. From Srila Swami Maharaj’s first life to last life, and also from Srila Guru Maharaj’s first Chaitanya Saraswat Math to the present worldwide mission, we have seen many things. We are looking at everything and have seen many auspicious souls, and many inauspicious things. Many things are coming and going in this mundane world. Watching is necessary. We are watching what is going and what is coming, and in that way we can understand. If it does not come in our lives how will we understand? Everybody does not know what bhakti is. Somebody is hearing something and writing one book. “I am writing a book, Maharaj; give me blessings, give me permission.” I am thinking, “How foolish this man is.” But in another way he is very auspicious, because he is trying in that way. Maybe when he is thinking, “I am a master” that is foolishness, but when he is thinking, “I am student” that is good no doubt. But I am trying in another way: what is in front of me, I am trying with that. Somebody is doing business with a little fund, somebody without capital, somebody with big capital, but everybody is trying to do some business. ‘Business’ word is also a very nice word. I do not know the full meaning, but I know the meaning of ‘busy’. To always have some engagement, that is busy. To always have some engagement with wealth is business. Then he is keeping busy himself with that engagement. And that is also service. You must do something, but it is necessary to choose whether that is good or bad. You must do something; you cannot stop your running. Any way you must run, so when you run, run for your destiny. That will be very good for your life. When we have got something, then there is no cause to be hopeless. Try to do some seva, then you will feel this. Sevā sevā tairī kare: service is making service. When I shall serve, that service will make my service again. Devotee: Like business—money makes money. Srila Gurudev: Service is making service, and money is making money. And Guru is the service maker, the super service maker. Srila Gurudev speaking in Govardhan, March 1991
Your language will go to your mother. Jiva Goswami Prabhu has given this hope. You may be a three-month-old baby, or a one-month-old baby, but through your expression of crying or something your mother will understand whether you are hungry or not.
Question: How can we know whether we are successful or not? Srila Gurudev: When you eat how do you know that your hunger has gone? When you take food satisfaction will come and your hunger will go. This is in Srimad Bhagavatam. bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra chaiṣa trika eka-kālaḥ prapadyamānasya yathāśnataḥ syus tuṣṭiḥ puṣṭiḥ kṣud-apāyo ’nu-ghāsam
Satisfaction will come, you will become stronger, and your attachment with the material world will disappear. You can stay within everything, but you will have no attachment.
Vedavyas has given so much to us [chuckles]. Rsi Vedavyas composed the eighteen Puranas, the Mahabharata, the Vedanta-darshan, and so on. He presented so much knowledge in this material world, and he also gave the gist of that knowledge in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. More recently Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu found the book Brahma-samhita: it is very short but the whole conception of Mahaprabhu is there in gist form. This will all give some association to us; when direct sadhu-sanga is not possible, the holy books will give us some association. We are so fortunate that we have got so many books. Question: What is the meaning of “without offence”? Srila Gurudev: Ten kinds of offences are written in the scriptures, in the Padma-purana. When we are giving Harinam-diksa, initiation, to someone then we are giving them a book listing those offences. Everyone should try to memorise and avoid those offences, and chant the Holy Name.
Offences means obstacles. Srila Jiva Goswami Prabhu, who is the next-generation-leader of the Goswamis, has given a very hopeful assurance, quoting from the scriptures, nāmāparādha-yuktānāṁ nāmāny eva haranty agham (Padma-purāṇa: Svarga-khaṇḍa, 48.49)
Harinam will remove the offences of whoever is making Namaparadha, offences to Harinam. For that reason the scriptures say, “Try to chant continuously as much as possible.” We are saying sixteen rounds, or four rounds, or sixty-four rounds, but actually the scriptures say, “Chant as much as possible, with beads or without beads.”
Your language will go to your mother. Jiva Goswami Prabhu has given this hope. You may be a three-month-old baby, or a one-month-old baby, but through your expression of crying or something your mother will understand whether you are hungry or not. If a baby is crying the mother will understand, “Now she is hungry or he is hungry. Or, his belly is double full, and for that he is crying.” The feelings of the mother always give nourishment to the baby, and the Lord is also like that. When we chant the Holy Name of the Lord, He will understand that we cannot avoid offences, and so He Himself will give His divine help to us, and our offences will go through chanting. This post is a continuation of Cleaning the mirror of the heart.
Spoken by Srila Gurudev in Italy, September 2000, during his Sixteenth World Tour. Further reading: Srila Gurudev’s poetic rendering of the ten offences
Wait and see. You are not getting any solution? Wait and see. Do not react immediately. If it is not palatable, then do not even say the truth. But do not tell a lie.
There are many things that we may not understand in our young age, but when we get experience and old age, then many things will become clear in front of us. Time can give us some consciousness. That is my experience.
Simply, Srila Guru Maharaj said, “Wait and see. You are not getting any solution? Wait and see. Do not react immediately. If it is not palatable, then do not even say the truth. But do not tell a lie.” satyam brūyāt priyam brūyāt ma brūyāt satyam apriyam (Manu-samhita: 4.138)
This is Guru Maharaj’s advice. You must tell the truth, and palatable truth. What is not palatable, do not tell that. This type of realisation will also come through experience and age. Young blood cannot tolerate, but old blood can tolerate so many things. Then, what is necessary is to connect with some fuse, and then the whole line will be activated. It is existing within the hand of Krishna, and He has given that to His representatives. Try to get it in the proper channel, and not in any ‘massacre’ way, but with humility, with tolerance, and giving honour to others. Everyone will be your friend and well wisher. This is the advice of Śrīman Mahāprabhu, Śrīla Guru Mahārāj, our Param Guru Mahārāj, and also Prabhupād A. C. Bhaktivedānta Swāmī. Srila Gurudev speaking in Italy, September 2000, during His Divine Grace’s sixteenth world tour.
Sri Vaishnava Toshani, Nov–Dec 1992, Vol 1 #6 is presented here. pdf edition ePub edition Contents: The Faults You Find May Be Your Own by His Divine Grace B.R. Sridhara Dev-Goswami Maharaja The Real Approach To Fearlessness by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad Letter of appreciation upon completion of the First World Tour by Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj Transactions Of The Heart by His Divine Grace Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaja A Glimpse Into Reality by Bhakti Pavan Janardan Maharaja The Traveler by B.A. Sagar Maharaja The Progressive March of Devotion by B.K. Giri Maharaja Home Sweet Home by Dinadhama Srutasrava dasa Previous editions uploaded: Jan–Feb 1992 Vol 1 No 1 March–April 1992 Vol 1 No 2 May–June 1992 Vol 1 No 3
If I need one glass of water and I say to you, “Give me one glass of water”, you can give it to me no doubt, but that is second class service. You have freedom and you can understand through your realisation, “Now you need a little water.” If you will serve with your full freedom then that will be very good for the Lord.
Download mp3 audio file. 21 mins, with Italian translation by Krishna Kanta Devi Dasi. This audio file starts at the beginning of Srila Gurudev’s talk, which is presented in the article Real Friendship.
When Kṛṣṇa mercifully gives His divine rays of mercy upon us, we will understand what is what. Kṛṣṇa is making harmony for everyone, and everyone’s heart, and everything. To make that harmony He is sometimes destroying a little, sometimes making a little, and sometimes making a little adjustment. yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata abhyutthānam adharamsya tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmi aham (Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 4.7) “When the religious world becomes very disturbed, I Myself manifest there as an incarnation and make harmony as soon as possible, so that it is again running in the line of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”
But Kṛṣṇa has given us freedom, and He will not take back that freedom. That is His great mercy. If I need one glass of water and I say to you, “Give me one glass of water”, you can give it to me no doubt, but that is second class service. You have freedom and you can understand through your realisation, “Now you need a little water.” If you will serve with your full freedom then that will be very good for the Lord.
Everyone has very good qualities: Kṛṣṇa has given everyone fifty qualities, and more qualities can also come by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. If you merge into the rāga-mārga, then more than Kṛṣṇa’s quality will come to you. But that is so far. What is existing in vidhi-mārga is not a little bit. Everything is possible by our freedom if we use it wisely and properly.
Kṛṣṇa consciousness is like that. Here is love, here is affection, attachment, and hankering for service is the inspiration, and always activated with the devotee. It is not necessary to unnecessarily advise others there. Everyone is doing their own duty. Where some deficiency is seen, it is also created by Yogamāyā for the divine Pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. For the happiness of Kṛṣṇa some deficiency is created by Yogamāyā sometimes, somewhere. But the free will of the devotees is always supplying service for the satisfaction of Lord Kṛṣṇa. That type of world is Goloka Vṛndāvan. Even time is waiting for service. Here time is always passing, and whether you do or don’t do time will pass. But there everything is existing within the mood of service, and so time is also not passing without the inspiration from Yogamāyā. It is written in Brahma-saṁhitā, sa yatra kṣīrābdhiḥ sravati surabhībhyaś cha sumahān nimeṣārdhākhyo vā vrajati na hi yatrāpi samayaḥ (Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā: 5.56)
Half a moment is not passing without service, and without giving inspiration to all for service.
That is the target of our Rūpānuga sampradāya. And that wave, by the grace of Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu, by the grace of Mādhavendra Purī, by the grace of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and our Guru-paramparā, has come down as the wave of the spiritual service world. It is necessary to connect with that wave in any way. Rūpa Goswāmī Prabhu said, kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā-matiḥ krīyatāṁ yadi kuto ‘pi labhyate tatra laulyam api mūlyam ekalaṁ janma-koṭi-sukṛtair na labhyate (Padyavali: 14)
[“Purchase ecstatic devotion to Krishna wherever it is available! The only price is hankering. It is not attainable by acting piously (practising vidhi-bhakti) for ten million lifetimes.”]
You can connect with that wave if you have extreme hankering and greed for that. Spoken by Srila Gurudev in Italy, September 2000.
This is a continuation of Real Friendship
They want to know how many hands Mahavishnu has, they want to know how many legs Nrsimhadev has, they want to know how Nrsimhadev is eating. They are reading so many big, big things somewhere, and someone is hearing, “Prabhupad said this, Prabhupad said that”; someone is telling, “This scripture said this, this scripture said that”—but nothing will come for my spiritual benefit!
The following response came in a very particular way: after patiently responding to repeated technical questions regarding the tatastha-sakti and the nature of the jiva’s fall to the material world, His Divine Grace suddenly segued into a discussion about the difficulty some devotees face with drugs and habits of intoxication, and how they can best overcome this. When a listener then asked Srila Gurudev for further advice on this point, Srila Gurudev responded with a strong reprimand on the knowledge-seeking attempt in devotional life—clearly speaking not to the immediate question at hand (which had really already been answered), but rather to the previous persons who had persisted in pressing His Divine Grace for details on the nature of the jiva’s fall.
Download mp3 audio Question: We are living in this Western society and more or less we are all like victims, prone to fall prey of the material environment. What is the remedy? We need some forceful advice, some stronger medicine, to help us become free of this. Srila Gurudev: It is difficult to give forceful advice. I can give that stronger medicine. I know that medicine, but I cannot give that. That is not only your question, it is my question to myself. I need to do good for my friends. Who is taking initiation from me is my disciple and I have responsibility for my disciples. I must try to give relief my disciples first. That is my duty.
The remedy is a very simple remedy, given by Srimad Bhagavat, and I can say it to whoever is under control of me. If he or she will follow me blindly then they will get the remedy. It is very simple. Krishna gave that method to the devotees, and Mahaprabhu Himself happily accepted that remedy. But if I shall say it [publicly] in the meeting no one will learn happily. No one will learn my teachings. My disciples will learn, because I am with them from the beginning; but I also have some general responsibility for others, and their prescription must be another prescription. But actually, the real prescription is what was given by Srimad Bhagavat, what was given by Mahaprabhu. That is the real prescription, but who will learn it, who will hear it, and who will follow it?
They want to know how many hands Mahavishnu has, they want to know how many legs Nrsimhadev has, they want to know how Nrsimhadev is eating. They are reading so many big, big things somewhere, and someone is hearing, “Prabhupad said this, Prabhupad said that”; someone is telling, “This scripture said this, this scripture said that”—but nothing will come for my spiritual benefit! We are publishing so many big, big books, showing our knowledge, “I am doing this, I am doing that”, but I am not taking any instruction from my instructor or any instruction from my friend.
I am living in the ‘higher plane’, that is the egoist temple. But it is first necessary to blast that egoist plane. jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva jīvanti
This sloka is the remedy. Mahaprabhu gave this, and Mahaprabhu accepted this. sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaranaṁ vraja
Even this verse Mahaprabhu did not happily accept. If you read Ramananda Ray and Mahaprabhu’s conversation you will see.
It is not necessary to know everything. It is not necessary to make any confusion with any hazy matter. No benefit will come to us through that. Benefit will come if we are surrendered to the Lord, and not only surrendered, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva
jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām
Mahaprabhu said, “Yes, this is some remedy.” We may have so much knowledge about Bhagavad-gita, about Bhagavat, about Veda, Vedanta, Upanisad, but what is the use of that?
Once a friend of my friend, a magistrate in Puri, was abusing our sampradaya, saying, “If someone has not read Govinda-bhasyam how can he be considered a sannyasi of the sampradaya?” I was very disturbed. In my house he was abusing the Vaishnava sannyasis and I could not tolerate it. I came out from my room and told him, “Oh ‘Mr eligible person’, I read Govinda-bhasyam and how many hands do you see on me? How much hands have you seen on me? You read Govinda-bhasyam, and how many hands have you got? How many hands does your guru, who taught you Govinda-bhasyam, have? Has everyone got chatur-bhuj [a four-handed form]? How much progress have you made after reading Govinda-bhasya? You are a lawyer, you are dealing with material law, and illegally or legally you are doing that. How many hands have you got, that you can abuse the Vaishnavas?”
The fact is this: we may know everything of the scriptures but if we do not know how to swim we will drown in the river. That is the fact in front of us. I am initiating some persons: I want to give them the process through which they can gain liberation from this material world and join in the transcendental world. I am giving them the seeds of what I have heard and what I have received, along with my wellwishes, my blessings, and everything, and they will be promoted with that.
It is necessary to follow a real practising life, and that will come through tṛṇād api sunīchena [being more humble than a blade of grass], taror iva sahiṣṇunā [being tolerant like a tree], amāninā [not expecting respect], mānadena [giving respect].How much are we following that? We need to preach this to them first. Leave your egoistic tendency. jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva jīvanti
Mahaprabhu said it. Srimad Bhagavat said it.
If we want a real practising life it is not necessary to read so many things. It is not necessary to know so many matters. Only how to swim, that is necessary to know! I want to cross the river. But we want to know, “Why is the sun coming out on the east side, and why is it setting on the west side, and why is the air flowing all over the world, why is this star giving that result, and why is that star giving that.” We are trying to collect so much knowledge but we are not trying to collect how to swim.
It is my advice to my friends who are depending upon me, “Be serious for your practising life.” It is not necessary to read so many things. I told you, those three books are sufficient: Srimad Bhagavad-gita, Brahma samhita, and Chaitanya-charitamrta. If someone is a preacher, then under guidance of his Guru, if necessary, he will try to preach something. But always with these three qualities of humility, tolerance, and giving honour to others. Otherwise, the result will not come to us. Srila Gurudev speaking in Italy, August 1999, during the Fourteenth World Tour. Reference jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva
jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām
sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir
ye prāyaśo ’jita jito ’py asi tais tri-lokyām (Srimad Bhagavatam: 10.14.3)
“In whatever position they may be, those who give up the endeavour for knowledge, surrender to the sadhus, and dedicate their lives bodily, verbally, and mentally to their talks of the Lord, can conquer the Lord, who is otherwise unconquerable.” Spoken by Srila Gurudev in Italy, August 1999, during His Divine Grace’s fourteenth world tour.
If we have a body then some order and some disorder must be there. It is a reactionary world, and so reactions always come and we cannot avoid them. nṛ-deham ādyaṁ su-labhaṁ su-durlabhaṁ plavaṁ su-kalpaṁ guru-karṇadhāram mayānukūlena nabhasvateritaṁ pumān bhavābdhiṁ na taret sa ātma-hā (Srimad Bhagavatam: 11.20.17)
[The human body, which can award all benefit in life, is automatically obtained by the laws of nature, although it is a very rare achievement. This human body can be compared to a perfectly constructed boat having the spiritual master as the captain and the instructions of the Personality of Godhead as favourable winds impelling it on its course. Considering all these advantages, a human being who does not utilise his human life to cross the ocean of material existence must be considered the killer of his own soul.]
This body is like a boat floating in the river, and it has given us the opportunity to be guided in the consciousness of Krishna by a good captain. In the river there are so many waves and so many obstacles, and many things are possible, but a good captain can take us the proper way, and we must be submitted to that captain.
We are fortunate that we have this form of open consciousness. Trees have consciousness, but it is suppressed. Plants have consciousness, mountains have consciousness, but it is suppressed consciousness. Animals, insects, and so on have a little open consciousness. But our consciousness is more open and with the three qualities of willing, feeling, and thinking. We can proceed, we can feel, we can think, and through that so many discoveries in this world have happened. We can divide those in two ways: one is spiritual discovery, and another is material discovery.
Scientists are making material discovery, but the rishis and munis have made so much spiritual discovery and that has been recorded. Through them we can understand that a spiritual world is existing, and it is different from this material world. Our form is actually spiritual, it is not material.
We are trying to promote ourselves from the material to the spiritual plane. It is depending upon a person’s devotion or dedication. Through dedication we will get the help of an elevator. Some persons go up step by step and some persons go by elevator, standing in one place. Fortunate souls get that help. In this way everything is moving.
We are fortunate that we have got this human body. We do not know where we will go after death, because we cannot avoid our reactions. If we put too much salt in our food, then we will suffer, and if we put too much sugar that will also be the cause of suffering. Then as proper and as appropriate we will try to proceed. Spoken by Srila Gurudev in Italy, September 2000, during his Sixteenth World Tour.
This may be a very good and very auspicious day but separation of Guru Maharaj is also giving us pain, now and always. We can try to fulfil his desire, and in that way we can serve him and satisfy him. Now that is our only goal.
Download mp3 audio file The following text has been taken from Srila Gurudev’s talk on the occasion of Sri Sri Nitai Chaitanyadev’s installation in Puri Dham, December 1989.
Today is a very auspicious festival day because Guru Maharaj’s Deities have come from Nabadwip to here, and from today they will accept puja and bhoga every day in this Math. We are very happy to tell this, but in the meantime we are also remembering Srila Guru Maharaj.
Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur’s Anubhasya, commentary on Chaitanya-charitamrta, was a very difficult work and it was his topmost writing. When he finished the Anubhasya it was a very glorious and happy day for him, but in the last chapter he wrote, āji ei sukha-dine bhakati-vinoda vine sukha-vārtā jānāba kāhāre ? ‘anubhāṣya’ śuni’ yei parama praphulla ha-i’ uru-kṛpā vitarila more [3]
[“Today, on this joyful day, to whom shall I convey this joyful news without Śrī Bhakti Vinod? He listened to this Anubhāṣya, was extremely pleased, and bestowed great mercy upon me.”]
When Srila Saraswati Thakur had finished and printed Anubhasya, Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur had already disappeared. Bhakti Vinod Thakur had heard Prabhupad Saraswati Thakur’s commentary, but when it became manifest in a book form he had already disappeared. A year or a few months before it was published Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur left. Then, in poetry in the last chapter of Anubhasya Srila Saraswati Thakur mentioned the date and his Guru-parampara, and especially glorified Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur and Srila Gaura Kishor Das Babaji Maharaj. We can read there in his commentary, āji ei sukha-dine bhakati-vinoda vine sukha-vārtā jānāba kāhāre ? ‘anubhāṣya’ śuni’ yei parama praphulla ha-i’ uru-kṛpā vitarila more [3] śrī-gaura kṛpāya dui mahimā ki kaba mui aprākṛta-pāriṣada-kathā [7]
[“They (Śrīla Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākur and Śrīla Gaura Kiśor Dās Bābājī Mahārāj) are manifestations of Śrī Gaura’s mercy. What can I say about their greatness? They are divine associates of the Lord.”]
He also gave his own identification: Sri-Gaura-Kisora-Dasa,yara bhrtya—ei abhajana (verse 1).
On that very happy day and glorious day, without Bhakti Vinod Thakur present, Prabhupad thought, “To whom shall I tell this news? Today I do not see Bhakti Vinod Thakur in front of me. He was always blessing me and he was always merciful to me and distributing mercy everywhere. If he was here today, present in his transcendental body, he would be satisfied to see this, and that would have been more happy for me. But it is not possible.” In separation of Bhakti Vinod Thakur, Prabhupad was feeling both happiness and sadness at the same time.
Today I am feeling great separation from Guru Maharaj
This day is a very happy day no doubt because Guru Maharaj’s Deity has come here. Guru Maharaj was always lying down in his bed, sometimes seated, and would speak only a few words each day—but he was in his seat and in his Math, and through those few words he was distributing his mercy to us. He was always present. Now he is also present, no doubt. He is seeing everything. The ordinary soul is not destroyed. He had a transcendental body and was the dearmost devotee of Krishna, so he can do anything and he can go anywhere at any moment, like Krishna. Then he is listening here no doubt, and he is very happy to see everything, I have no doubt about that—but today I am feeling great separation from Guru Maharaj,
We have been directed by him, however, “Chant Hare Krishna, do service to the devotees, and preach Krishna-nam. In this way you will feel my presence within your heart and in front of you.”
This manifestation, or abhishek, of the Deities is also a part of preaching. You have heard of navadha-bhakti [the nine practices of devotion], śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam archanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam iti puṁsārpitā viṣṇau bhaktiś chen nava-lakṣaṇā kriyeta bhagavaty addhā tan manye ’dhītam uttamam (Srimad Bhagavatam: 7.5.23-24)
These are the nine parts of devotion, and one part is archan [Deity worship].
We are trying to maintain our spiritual lives with these nine kinds of devotion. But the supreme practice is Hari-nam-sankirtan. Mahaprabhu Himself said that if someone cannot do any other practice of devotion, and He can only do Harinam-sankirtan, that will be fully satisfactory for the Lord. Sravanam and kirtanam: hearing and chanting in the proper channel. In Kali-yuga that is enough for the jiva-soul.
Mahaprabhu said, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā (Brhan-Naradiya-purana)
[“The Holy Name, the Holy Name, the Holy Name, is the only way. In this age of Kali there is no other way, no other way, no other way.”]
Also in Srimad Bhagavatam, kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam
yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ (11.5.32)
In many places, supported by the scriptures and Lord Krishna, we find glorification of the chanting of the Hare Krishna mahamantra. mach-chittā mad-gata-prāṇā, bodhayantaḥ parasparam kathayantaś cha māṁ nityaṁ, tuṣyanti cha ramanti cha (Srimad Bhagavad-gita: 10.9) Kathayantaś cha māṁ nityam:this is also showing Harinam-sankirtan. satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś cha dṛḍha-vratāḥ (Srimad Bhagavad-gita: 9.14)
Mahaprabhu Himself said, nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ
If we can do Nam-sankirtan properly, without offence, we will get everything we want through that. Mahaprabhu gave us eight verses for the conditioned souls; the first of those eight verses is, cheto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ śreyaḥ-kairava-chandrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam
[“Sri Krsna-sankirtan cleanses the mirror of consciousness, extinguishes the raging forest fire of material existence, shines moonlight on the evening lotus of good fortune, is the life of paramour love for the Lord, expands the ocean of ecstasy, is the taste of full nectar at every moment, and soothes the entire self. May Sri Krishna-sankirtan be supremely victorious!”]
Sri Krishna-sankirtan is the highest thing in Kali-yuga, and we have no fear, and we are so fortunate no doubt, because we have received the mahamantram from our Gurudev, Srila Guru Maharaj. But we are also bound by his union and separation and we are always feeling that in our hearts. Separation of the Guru, separation of the Vaishnava, is very hard for the auspicious soul.
Separation from the devotee is the greatest pain in this world
In Ramananda-samvad of Chaitanya-charitamrta you can see Mahaprabhu questioning and Ramananda Ray answering. There is one Bengali sloka, duḥkha-madhye kona duḥkha haya gurutara?
“What is the worst kind of pain?” and Ramananda Ray said, kṛṣṇa-bhakta-viraha vinā duḥkha nāhi dekhi para
“Separation from the devotee is the greatest pain in this world.”
Then, this may be a very good and very auspicious day but separation of Guru Maharaj is also giving us pain, now and always. We can try to fulfil his desire, and in that way we can serve him and satisfy him. Now that is our only goal. And if Gurudev is satisfied, then Krishna is automatically satisfied. Gurudev has no separate interest. Gurudev is only seeing Krishna’s interest, and Gurudev is always, twenty-four hours a day, engaging himself in the service of Krishna, and whoever is helping him and serving him will get the supreme benefit in his life.
Gurudev’s position is like water, the disciple’s position is like a lotus, and Krishna’s position is like the sun.
You heard from Guru Maharaj and I think it is also published in the books, the example of the lotus, sun, and water. When the lotus is in water, the sun cannot burn him. The sun gives enthusiasm to the lotus and the sun himself is very happy to mix with the lotus. The lotus is also happy and blossoms nicely. But if we take that lotus from the water and put it in the earth, then the lotus will be burned by the sun. Gurudev’s position is like water, the disciple’s position is like a lotus, and Krishna’s position is like the sun. Without the connection of Guru, Krishna will burn, not help. If we think this way then we can understand what the relationship is with Krishna, the jiva-soul, and Guru. It is a very good example given by Jiva Goswami in his sad Sandarbha, the Bhakti-sandarbha especially. This is our position.
In the scriptures we can also see that when you go to worship the Deity, you must first worship Gurudev and satisfy your Gurudev, and then you can go to worship the Deity. You must first do puja of your Guru. We will get benefit from Krishna in this way. Krishna Himself said, āchāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhichit na martya-buddhyāsāyeta sarva-deva-mayo guruḥ (Srimad Bhagavatam: 11.17.27) Sarva-deva-mayo guruh: all the gods are living in Gurudev’s body.
The scriptures say that Krishna and Guru, Bhagavan and Guru, have the same position, sākṣād dharitvena samasta-śāstrair. Gurudev has his own practice, and that is always within the position of service to Krishna, but I must see Gurudev nondifferent with Krishna. sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya (Sri Gurvastakam: 7)
Here the service of Guru is mentioned: what Krishna wants, Guru is doing that. What is preferable to Krishna, Gurudev is maintaining his service within that. In this way Guru, Krishna, and devotee have their Pastimes.
this humble servant earnestly prays … that this crown-jewel of sacred writings, Sri Sri Prapanna-jivanamrtam, may remain with her merciful presence in every land, in every home, and in every heart.
Srila Gurudev’s eloquent glorification of Sri Sri Prapanna-jivanamrtam, Life-Nectar of the Surrendered Souls, in his Publisher’s Note to the 1988 English edition.
All glory to the Divine Master
and the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya
Publisher’s Note
Sri Sri Prapanna-jivanamrtam, Life-Nectar of the Surrendered Souls, is the crown-jewel of divine literatures as the eternal elixir of life for the exclusively surrendered souls, the bestower of the perpetual relish of full-fledged nectar, and the awakening and sustaining fountainhead of life in divine consorthood. Indeed, who can fittingly portray her holy glory and renown? In the same way we cannot but feel ever inadequate when we attempt to sing the glories of the illustrious author, our most worshipful Divine Master, Om Visnupad Sri Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, the dearmost intimate attendant of the great pioneer pre-eminent among the Gaudiya Acharyas, Sri Gauranga’s transcendental message incarnate—Prabhupad Sri Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur. Even without world itinerancy, the seat of universal Guru (Jagad-guru) of the world’s renowned Gurus has been gracefully won by Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj while presiding in the grand, noble distinction of his venerable years of devotional life at the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math of Nabadwip, his exclusive, personal holy place of bhajan.
Since its first printing, which was in Bengali, this sublime literature has brought heartfelt satisfaction to the stalwart devotees of the highest order, being hailed by them as an essential scripture to be unfailingly sung and cultivated as a daily devotional function in spiritual life, as is customarily practised with the holy scriptures such as the Srimad Bhagavad-gita. In both the Eastern and Western countries, its English publication will doubtlessly be similarly worshipped with the utmost reverence, constantly studied and sung with devotion by the surrendered souls of fine theistic intellect, and by the noble souls engaged in their divine search for the Supreme Lord.
This monumental work was originally composed in the Sanskrit language. The authentic Bengali translation that was sanctioned by the author is extremely developed, profoundly exploring the heart of the book; scholars who know the internal conclusive scriptural purports can alone realise how difficult is its translation and publication into English. However, by the boundless mercy of the most magnanimous Supreme Lord Sri Chaitanyachandra, the fountainhead of all incarnations of Godhead, and by the causeless grace of His most beloved, our Divine Master, and the pure devotees whose hearts are absorbed in divine love—this formidable task has now been fulfilled. Thus, I again and again worship the holy lotus feet of Them all.
For their tireless efforts to usher in the advent of the present edition in its perfectly elegant form, all those godbrothers and godsisters who served in the various facets of the publication have attained the unending graces of our Divine Master and the Vaisnavas. They have bound us in eternal gratitude. For executing the task of the English translation, proofing, and editing, special mention is due to Tridandi Swami Sripad Bhakti Ananda Sagar Maharaj, assisted by Sriman Nimaisundar Brahmachari Vidya Vinod. And for their dedicated effort in securing the necessary funds and assistance for the printing and publishing of the work in a most dignified presentation, special mention is due to Sripad Dayadhar Gauranga Das Brahmachari Bhakti Prabhakar Prabhu and all the good devotees assisting him.
In conclusion, invoking the charming verse of Sri Guru Pada-padma, this humble servant earnestly prays at his holy lotus feet that this crown-jewel of sacred writings, Sri Sri Prapanna-jivanamrtam, may remain with her merciful presence in every land, in every home, and in every heart. And in her gracious acquiescence, may she acknowledge the glorious victory of her goodwill by churning and overflooding the entire living universe with her supramundane wave of ecstatic love, to bless all souls with the supreme good fortune. śrī-śrīmad-bhagavat-padāmbuja-madhu-svādotsavaiḥ ṣaṭ-padair nikṣiptā madhu-bindavaś cha parito bhraṣṭā mukhāt guñjitaiḥ yatnaiḥ kiñchid ihāhṛtaṁ nija-paraśreyo ’rthinā tan mayā bhūyobhūya ito rajāṁsi pada-saṁlagnāni teṣāṁ bhaje
“The bees, intoxicated in the festival
of drinking the honey of the Lord’s lotus feet
busily humming the glories of the Lord
drops of honey from their mouths fall and scatter all around;
for my divine prospect, I’ve carefully collected
some of those drops herein—
and thus do I worship the dust
of the holy lotus feet of those saints, again and again”
I beg to remain most humbly,
Tridandi Bhiksu
Sri Bhakti Sundar Govinda
16 October 1987
On the 93rd Holy Appearance Day
of His Divine Grace
Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj
guided in the consciousness of Krishna by a good captain. In the river there are so many waves and so many obstacles, and many things are possible, but a good captain can take us the proper way, and we must be submitted to that captain.
