Tag: Sri Guru

Śrī Guru-Devatātmā

Vishakha Dasi

By Śrīla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Deva-Goswāmī Mahārāj.

In the descriptions of the path of pure devotional service in Srimad Bhagavatam, the phrases Guru-devatatma[1] and Gurv-atma-daivatah[2] have been used. In the explanations of the Acharyas of the bhakti scriptures, we find Gurur eva Devata Atma cha[3], that is, Sri Guru has been ascertained to be the worshippable object of our love. In the Vedas, unwavering bhakti yatha Deve tatha Gurau[4] [“As to the Lord, so to Guru”] has been mentioned. Acharyam Mam vijaniyat[5] [“Known Me to be the Acharya”]: this too is an instruction that has issued forth directly from the mouth of the Lord. Further, in the instructions of the Acharyas of the bhakti scriptures, statements can be seen, such as Mukunda-presthatve Guru-varam[6] and Kintu Prabhor yah priya eva[7], which have directed us in our vision of Sri Guru towards one who is dear to the Lord.

In vision full of unbridled faith (sraddha), variegated spiritual reality (chit-savisesa-tattva) shines brightly. When the aspect of Saktiman’s non-difference from the svarup-sakti is shown, then Sri Guru and the Lord are seen to be one. When, however, the state of eternal distinction between the recipient of service (sevya) and the servitor (sevaka) manifested by the svarup-sakti in the eternal Pastimes is seen, then Sri Guru reveals himself in the form of the greatest servitor. In the service within the four types of spiritual rasa, Sri Guru is recognised as the foremost shelter (asraya) of each respective rasa or the manifestation is seen of his descent into the distinct position of a servant of himself who is nondifferent from himself.

The Lord of His own accord distributes Himself through His sakti—this is indeed truthful and reasonable. Therefore, seeing otherwise gives latitude to mundane conceptions (martya-buddhi[5]). Furthermore, the Lord’s internal energy (antaranga-sakti) is also completely absorbed in Him: Mayi te tesu chapy Aham[8] [Krishna says, “As devotees are attached to Me, so I am attached to them.”]. If we lack vision of the distinction in the Lord between the recipient of service and the servitor, then we must be excluded from the eternal Pastimes. Up until the full purification (bhuta-suddhi) of the endeavouring soul (sadhaka jiva), the pertinence of vision of the Lord in Sri Guru is predominant. Then, in the realised plane, Sri Guru’s eternal manifestation as the highest servitor within the service of a particular rasa becomes established.

Sri Guru has eternal Pastimes. Sri Guru is not simply the liberator of the conditioned soul. Rather, Sri Guru’s primary and complete manifestation is in the realised plane in his Pastimes of giving inspiration for eternal service.

A guide-less and self-centred life is troublesome and unproductive. People given to fruitless speculation, being simply unable to understand the importance of Sri Guru, go on independently making a deceptive show of seeking the Lord. Only when they accept the real form of truth-seeking will the shelter of Sri Guru shine unmistakably as the proven origin of the gift of the highest auspiciousness.

At every level from the material universe up to Goloka and as the singular and complete giver of every rasa up to parakiya madhura-rasa[9], the ultimate manifestation of Sri Guru is Sri Krishna Chaitanyadev. Amidst the wealth of His heart in His Pastimes of magnanimity (audarya-lila), all manifestations of Sri Guru are existent. Therefore, if a soul receives even a trace of a semblance of the fortune of being sprinkled with a drop of His mercy, then they can be bathed in full with the hope of complete perfection. This pervades beyond all else and is fully endowed the highest of all excellences. May Sri Govinda Panchami [the appearance day of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur] and Sri Govinda Purnima [the appearance day of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu], the two greatest well-wishers of every soul, in their Pastimes of distributing Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga, be pleased with us.

guru-rupa-harim gauram radha-ruchi-ruchavrtam
nityam naumi navadvipe nama-kirtana-nartanaih

[“I offer my obeisance to Gaura, the Supreme Lord in the form of Sri Guru, who is adorned with the heart and halo of Sri Radha and dances and chants His own Name eternally in Sri Nabadwip Dham.”]

References

1:

bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād
īśād apetasya viparyayo ’smṛtiḥ
tan-māyayāto budha ābhajet taṁ
bhaktyaikayeśaṁ guru-devatātmā
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.2.37)

“Forgetfulness (of the true self), misconception (of one’s identity—identification with the body and adoption of the mentality of being the rightful enjoyer of the fruits of one’s actions), and fear (suffering, samsara) created by immersion in duality (interest separate from that of the Lord and pride in the body) arise by the influence of the Lord’s illusion for those who are averse the Lord. Thus, the wise, those for whom Sri Guru is one’s worshippable Lord and dearest beloved, should serve the Lord with unalloyed devotion.” 

2:


tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam
śābde pare cha niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam
tatra bhāgavatān dharmān śikṣed gurvātma-daivataḥ
amāyayānuvṛttyā yais-tuṣyed ātmātmado hariḥ
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.3.21–2)

“Therefore (because there is no lasting fulfilment in the material world), those who are in search of the highest good should surrender to a Guru who is adept in Sabda-brahma (revelations of the Divine, the scriptures) and Parabrahma (direct experience of the Divinity), and who is an abode of tranquility (unaffected by anger, greed, etc.). Those for whom Sri Guru is the dearest beloved and worshippable Lord should sincerely and submissively learn from him those practices of devotion whereby Sri Hari, He who gives Himself (to His devotee), is satisfied.” 

3: The phrase Sri Guru-devatatma, originating from Srimad Bhagavatam 11.2.37, is explained by Srila Visvanath Chakravarti Thakur in his Sarartha-darsini-tika as Gurur eva Devata Isvara atma presthas cha yasya tatha drstih sannity arthah: one has vision of Sri Guru as one’s worshippable Lord and dearmost beloved. 

4:

yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ
(Śvetāsvatara-upaniṣad: 6.23)

“The subjects we’ve discussed (all the teachings of the scriptures) are revealed to the great soul who has pure devotion to the Lord, and so also to Sri Guru.” 

5:

āchāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhichit
na martya-buddhyāsūyeta sarva-deva-mayo guruḥ
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.17.27)

[Lord Krishna to Uddhava:] “Know Me to be the Acharya. Never disrespect him, consider him a mortal, or be envious of him. He is the embodiment of all the gods.” 

6:

na dharmaṁ nādharmaṁ śruti-gaṇa-niruktaṁ kila kuru
vraje rādhā-kṛṣṇa-prachura-paricharyām iha tanuḥ
śachī-sūnum-nandīśvara-pati-sutatve guru-varaṁ
mukunda-preṣṭhatve smara padam ajasram-nanu manaḥ
(Śrī Manaḥ–śikṣā: 2)

“O mind! Never engage in the dharma or adharma described in the Vedas. Rather, render full service to Radha and Krishna here in Vraja. Always remember the son of Sachi to be the son of Nanda and your beloved Gurudev to be Krishna’s dearmost.”  

7:

sākṣād dharitvena samasta-śāstrair
uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ
kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya
vande guroḥ śrī-charaṇāravindam
(Śrī Gurvaṣṭakam: 7)

“I offer my obeisance unto the lotus feet of Sri Guru, who is said by all the scriptures and so also considered by the sadhus to be the Lord Himself and yet is the Lord’s dearmost.”  

8:

samo ’haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo ’sti na priyaḥ
ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā mayi te teṣu chāpy aham 
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 9.29)

[Lord Krishna:] “I am equal towards all beings. I have no friend and no foe, but as those who serve Me with devotion are attached to Me, so too I am attached to them.” 

9: parakiya madhura-rasa: madhura-rasa, lit. ‘sweet taste’, is a relationship of conjugal love with the Lord. This most developed of all relationships with the Lord contains within it the qualities of all the other relationships. Madhura-rasa is of two types: (1) svakiya: lit. ‘one’s own’; serving the Lord as one’s husband, and (2) parakiya: lit. ‘another’s’; serving the Lord as one’s paramour. Parakiya madhura-rasa is found only in Sri Vrndavan Dham in relation to Sri Krishna and was given to the world in full as the highest possible spiritual attainment by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. 

Translator’s note: For ease of understanding, the terms ‘Sri Guru-tattva’ and ‘Sri Guru-pada-padma’, which are used synonymously and repeatedly throughout the Bengali text of this article, have been rendered simply as ‘Sri Guru’ throughout this English translation.

Translated from the original Bengali article published in Sri Gaudiya Darsan, Volume 5, Issue 8, on Thursday 11 March 1960 and in the Sri Vyasa Puja Offering edition of Sri Gaudiya Darsan published on 30 October 1983.

Originally published on premadharma.org

The Glories of Śrī Chaitanya Sāraswat Maṭh

Vishakha Dasi

Prepared in honour of the 129th appearance day celebration of His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhar Deva-Goswāmī Mahārāj.

śrīmach-chaitanya-sārasvata-maṭha-vara udgīta-kīrtir jayaśrīṁ
bibhrat saṁbhāti gaṅgā-taṭa-nikaṭa-navadvīpa-kolādrirāje
yatra śrī-gaura-sārasvata-mata-niratā gaura-gāthā gṛṇanti
nityaṁ rūpānuga-śrī-kṛtamati-guru-gaurāṅga-rādhājitāśā

“Displaying the victory flag of its celebrated glory, the great Śrī Chaitanya Sāraswat Maṭh shines near the bank of the Ganges in Śrī Nabadwip Dhām within Śrī Koladwīp, Śrī Gupta Govardhan. There the followers of the conception coming from Śrī Gaurāṅga to Śrīla Saraswatī Ṭhākur, who eternally aspire to serve Śrī Guru, Śrī Gaurāṅga, and Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda in the line of Śrī Rūpa, chant Śrī Gaurāṅga’s glory.”

His Divine Grace Śrīla B.S. Govinda Mahārāj’s expanded Bengali translation:

“In Śrī Nabadwīp Dhām—the divine, wish-fulfilling abode nondifferent from Vṛndāvan—near the beautiful bank of Śrī Bhāgīrathī—Śrī Gaṅgā Devī, the Lord’s river who purifies the fallen—in Śrī Koladwīp, which nondifferent from Girirāj Govardhan, the best of great Maṭhs, the illustrious Śrī Chaitanya Sāraswat Maṭh, shines eternally, displaying the wealth of its glory and astonishing all moving and inert beings with the cooling, affectionate shade of the flying victory flag of its ever-increasing, celebrated renown. In this supremely beautiful divine ashram, the followers of the conception coming from Śrī Gaurāṅga to Śrīla Saraswatī Ṭhākur—the surrendered devotees dedicated to serving Kṛṣṇa according to His desires—constantly glorify the Names and qualities of the supremely munificent origin of all Avatārs, Lord Śrī Śrī Gaurasundar, with hopeful hearts, eternally intent upon the loving service of Śrī Śrī Guru Gaurāṅga Gāndharvā Govindasundar and Their associates under the supreme guidance of the storekeepers of the inexhaustible wealth of sweet, brilliant prema, Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Raghunāth.”

Divine appearance day of Srila Sridhar Maharaj

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A very beautiful, inspired, and flowing discourse by our Gurudev, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Deva-Goswami Maharaj, speaking on the divine appearance day of Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Deva Goswami Maharaj in Soquel, California, 3 November 2007. Continue reading “Divine appearance day of Srila Sridhar Maharaj” →

Villa Govinda Reflections

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It is our good fortune that we were able to participate in the festivals which concluded last week at our Villa Govinda Ashram on the outskirts of Milan, Italy. The focus of the festival was the inauguration of our Gurudev’s, His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj’s, pushpa samadhi, which took place on Sunday 12 August, the day after Srila Param Guru Maharaj’s, His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj’s, disappearance anniversary. Sripad Tyagi Maharaj acted as the priest and performed a fire sacrifice at the start of the ceremony; afterwards Sripad Madhusudan Maharaj spoke for some time in glorification of Srila Gurudev. Finally, with a flower which had been preserved from one of Srila Gurudev’s personal garlands on the day of his departure, Krishna Kanta Didi inaugurated the new pushpa samadhi for His Divine Grace. Munindra Mohan Prabhu then concluded by performing an arati to His Divine Grace, accompanied by the singing of Sri Guru Arati and heartfelt offerings of flowers from the devotees and sincere seekers present who had travelled from Italy, USA, England, Brazil, Venezuela, Portugal, Holland, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, and Ukraine to be a part of this momentous occasion.
We are blessed to have been associated with the Villa Govinda Ashram since its beginnings in 2003, and were present when our beloved Srila Gurudev visited both in 2003 and then again in 2007. On those occasions Srila Gurudev appeared very happy, relaxed, and at home, and many felt that his mercy was flowing very freely there. Srila Gurudev was particularly pleased with the service of the Italian devotees headed by Krishna Kanta DD and Munindra Mohan Prabhu, and was greatly moved by the sacrifice of Krishna Kanta, who manifest the ashram while facing a life-threatening illness. It was there at Villa Govinda that Srila Gurudev revealed his inner heart and pain of separation and openly shed tears on the disappearance day of Srila Param Guru Maharaj in July of 2003. He had also been very specific, when the tour was in the planning stages, about wanting to observe that day with the devotees in Italy.
At Villa Govinda Srila Gurudev had no pressure to give formal lectures or instruction, and rather when he spoke it was when he wanted to, as if with his close friends, and there would be long periods when he would sit in a comfortable silence with the devotees at different places around the ashram. He liked to observe the beautiful panoramic view surrounding the ashram, perched on the corner of a hilltop.
The presiding Deity at the ashram is Sri Giriraj, of whom Srila Gurudev commented, “Bala Gopaljiu is playing inside there”. He is worshipped with natural faith and affection, without much formality, mantras, and so on, as per Srila Gurudev’s direction.
Srila Gurudev would sometimes speak of “the bright future” that is awaiting all the sincere practitioners of this line. One day during his visit to Villa Govinda in 2007, speaking with the devotees about the charm of Sri Krishna’s aprakrita-lila, Srila Gurudev commented, “We give honour to everyone, we must give our full daṇḍavat to everyone, but after that we will go to our playground and with Kṛṣṇa play in śānta-rasa, dāsya-rasa, sakhya- rasa, vātsalya-rasa, and madhura-rasa; parenthood, and servitorhood, friendship, and even paramour love is possible with God. Who can believe it?”
Srila Gurudev himself embodied the aprakrita mood of sweetness, charm, and simplicity.

They are not conscious of their own exalted position. A king, when he is not very conscious of his power, thinks of himself as an ordinary person. It is something like that. Someone may be a great doctor but through affection he may do the work of a nurse for his patient. Out of his love and affection for the patient, he may come down to do such work, but still he is great. This is the beautiful nature of Vṛndāvan life. It is great without the attitude, the air of bigness. Although they are really great, they appear to be simple. Power dressed in affection and love, couched in humility—that is Vṛndāvan. And that is also Nabadwīp.
(Srila Sridhar Maharaj, The Golden Volcano of Divine Love)

As the perfect ambassador of that Goloka plane, Srila Gurudev revealed its sweetness and charming glory, and awakened some attraction within our densely covered hearts for Reality the Beautiful.
At present we cannot begin to properly conceive of what kind of “bright future” is awaiting us, but we are confident that if we can remain, or become, faithful followers of our Srila Gurudev, we must attain it.

We are so fortunate that we have one little thread or rope with His Divine Grace [Srila Sridhar Maharaj]. If we can hold on tightly to that we will have no problem with our spiritual life. That is our good fortune.

When the sincere seeker is trying to get initiation within the line of Guru Maharaj, at that time I am thinking that this boy or this girl does not know what they have got. But one day will come when they will feel this connection and they will understand what they have got. But it is necessary to follow some process, and that is:

tṛṇād api su-nīchena taror iva sahiṣṇunā
amāninā māna-dena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

Tṛṇād api su-nīchena taror iva sahiṣṇunā—humility is the best quality of Vaishnavism—tṛṇād api su-nīchena. And taror iva sahiṣṇunā—tolerance. Tolerance in this material world gives so much benefit. We will be tolerant remembering Sriman Mahaprabhu’s directives. And if we give honour to others then everyone will be my friend. No one will be my enemy. That is the best procedure.

Anyhow, we will at once be qualified if sincerity and chastity is with us, and love and affection will give us the super benefit of our spiritual life.
(Srila Gurudev speaking on Govardhan Puja in Soquel, California, USA, 10 November 2007)

All glories to our Srila Gurudev, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, and all glories to his faithful followers, whom we humbly aspire to serve.
03
A few photos from the pushpa samadhi inauguration, Sunday 12 August 2018:


Video of part of Sripad Madhusudan Maharaj’s talk, and the following ceremony, arati, and pushpanjali:
https://www.facebook.com/villagovinda/videos/10155812813391909/
 
Featured image: Gauranga Prabhu of Sao Paulo, Brazil
Other photos and video: the devotees of Villa Govinda Ashram

The activating principle

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Sincerely, earnestly, desperately, we offer ourselves at the feet of Śrī Guru-Vaiṣṇava, wholeheartedly considering it to be our greatest fortune to be utilised by them, for their divine purpose, in the least way.

“Religion is proper adjustment”—we have been told by our Param Gurudev, Om Viṣṇupad Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhar Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj, that this was a favourite expression of Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswatī Ṭhākur in his final days. In Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa describes this as the art of yoga: yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam (2.50); samatvaṁ yoga uchyate (2.48). The question arises, adjustment to what? What will be that central, fundamental, guiding principle to which moment by moment, day by day, all persons, places, and things will be adjusted and seen in relation to? For the Vaiṣṇavas, that can only be one thing: the sweet will of the Lord.

Why?

yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante,
yena jātāni jīvanti,
yat prayanty abhisaṁviśanti,
tad vijijñāsasva tad eva Brahma

Because He is that source from Whom everything has come, by Whom everything is maintained, and into Whom everything will again enter.

For those attracted to the sweetness of the Rūpānuga line, however, this is not enough. Rather, as told by Śrīla Jīva Goswāmī, bhajanīya guṇa-viśiṣṭa: simply by virtue of His infinitely charming qualities and nature, one is irresistibly bound in absolute, loving adherence to satisfying His least whim. Thus, “Whatever wave has come from that centre of absolute beauty, love, and charm, and in whatever outward manifestation or expression it has assumed and entered my limited sphere of experience—I will take it on my head with full faith and optimism”—such are the feelings of the true Vaiṣṇavas.

But again a question arises: how to ascertain that all-important will of the Lord? The scripture of course, the Lord’s own word in recorded form, comes forward to help in a passive way. The scripture, the holy book, will give us understanding of sambandha-jñāna, what is what and who is who, understanding of how to approach the Lord along with understanding of what is pleasing and not pleasing to Him, and understanding of what we can hope to attain as a result.

As the scripture will also tell us, however, connection with the sādhu, the living scripture, is essential.

tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
(Srimad Bhagavad-gita: 4.34)

If we want to receive a genuine connection with that knowledge which is supersubjective to ourselves, which embodies the Lord Himself, it must come in the proper channel, it must come from one of the Lord’s own.

In the words of our Śrīla Gurudev, Om Viṣṇupād Śrīla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj,

“Only when we hear from the sādhu are we receiving something in the proper channel, receiving something descending down from Goloka Vṛndāvan through the hearts of our paramparā’s Gurus which is perfect and necessary for our spiritual life. Only when we hear in the proper channel from the sādhu is there a transmission of the power which reveals the essence of the scriptures’ words in our hearts.”

That essential ingredient, the activating principle of our spiritual life, is the good will of the Vaiṣṇava, the good will of Śrī Gurudev. The Vaiṣṇava thus assumes the position of that absolute, reliable centre around whom and for whom we will adjust and readjust ourselves in every time, place, and circumstance, large or small, significant or apparently insignificant:

“With humble and prayerful mind if we try to show our allegiance, to surrender to the smallest advices of the Guru-Vaiṣṇava, that is the door through which we can enter that world. Our submissive acceptance of the smallest meanings of the words coming from Guru-Vaiṣṇava—that is the door by which we can enter Vaikuṇṭha and Goloka.” (Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāj)

Thus Śrīman Mahāprabhu, citing Yudhiṣṭhir Mahārāj’s famous conclusion (mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ), chooses to overlook scriptural stereotype and instead follow the precedent set by Śrī Mādhavendra Purī,

dharma-sthāpana-hetu sādhura vyavahāra
(Cc 2.17.185)
“A devotee’s behaviour establishes the true purpose of religious principles.”

Sincerely, earnestly, desperately, we therefore offer ourselves at the feet of Śrī Guru-Vaiṣṇava, wholeheartedly considering it to be our greatest fortune to be utilised by them, for their divine purpose, in the least way.

“Cast yourself wholly at the feet of the Vaiṣṇava proper and try to be utilised by him. Be aloof to your own ego. Take it off and allow a Vaiṣṇava to work in the workshop of your heart, allow him to handle things there.” (Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāj)

Falling down, getting up

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Facing our shortcomings with hope and determination: words of love and wisdom from His Divine Grace.
We have attachment with this mundane world and with our body; it must be, because we are fallen souls. But we promised our Guru, “I must practise Krishna consciousness.” Taking diksa [initiation] means a promise, “I promise Gurudev, I promise Mahaprabhu: yes, any circumstance may come to me, but I will not leave your lotus feet.” And you have still not left: you are running, but only wake up from that illusion. You can see everything, and that is necessary. To always fall down somewhere is not good. Sometimes falling down is a possibility. And what loss is there? There is no loss. When a boy is running on the ground he will fall down on the ground. What loss does he have? He is not going underground; he will take help from the ground, and again he will run. This is the conception of Guru Maharaj, and not only Guru Maharaj: it is the conception of Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu and Srila Sanatan Goswami Prabhu. They are the golden pillars of the sampradaya of Mahaprabhu.

My only shelter is your lotus feet. I may fall down, but will I sleep there?

Rupa Goswami Prabhu said,
bhūmau skhalita pādānāṁ bhūmir evāvalambanam
tvayi jātāparādhānāṁ tvam eva śaraṇaṁ prabho
“Oh Prabhu, you are my shelter. Tad api kila payodah stūyate chātakena. What shall I do? In the future, if I do not have your lotus feet I have no shelter. Then where shall I go? I cannot go to Brahmaloka [plane of non-differentiated spirit] and I cannot go to Svargaloka [plane of heavenly enjoyment]: my satisfaction is not there, my end is not there. My only shelter is your lotus feet. I may fall down, but will I sleep there? It is not possible. I am a living entity, a jiva-soul. I have willing, I have feeling, I have thinking. This is my property, and with that property I shall worship your lotus feet.”

What happened, happened. We don’t care.

Service to the Vaishnavas, and service to Guru is our only life’s goal. Then, what happened, happened. We don’t care. What have we seen? Many big, big rishis and big, big munis are sometimes falling down. But they are not completely attached with that environment. Vishvamitra Rsi also fell down. Sometimes willingly, sometimes unwillingly. Sometimes they willingly fall down. But our shelter is not there, our shelter is the lotus feet of Krishna. That is our only shelter.
You know everything, and that is the problem. That is why your heart is not satisfied with anything else. I have so much love for everybody, especially yourself. You know that love. When you come I feel it is my own atma, my own soul coming. That is how I see you.
It is not necessary to abuse anybody. We will only think, “My fortune gave me that type of environment and I fell down there. But I will not stay there forever.”

Everything belongs to my Gurus, and has been made by them, prepared by them. I can say that I am only mud, and they can make a Deity or make a dog.

I am the example. I am always telling to the devotees, I am the example. You know me. You see me, and what one Guru can do. I am looking at my Guru and I am surprised to see how it has come out. I am a very fallen soul, so how did my improvement come out this way,  and not only in a very small way? When I consider that I get so much strength. That is why I sometimes say, defeat is not in my life. Victory is always with me, because Guru Maharaj is with me.
My body, my mind, my age, everything belongs to my Gurus, and has been made by them, prepared by them. I can say that I am only mud, and they can make a Deity or make a dog. They can make anything, but my position is like soft mud. I did not know anything when I joined with Guru Maharaj’s mission, but after that everybody gave respect, and why? Not for my qualification, but for my Guru Maharaj’s qualification. When everybody is giving me respect I am thinking, “Oh, it is Guru Maharaj’s respect, it is going to Guru Maharaj.”
Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur said,
guru-jana-śire punaḥ, śobhā pāya śata guṇa
When anybody gives some respect, when anybody comes for service to Krishna I am thinking it is because of Guru Maharaj’s quality. By his mercy it is possible. And I have seen Guru Maharaj’s form, and how merciful Guru is.
Srila Gurudev speaking in Govardhan, March 1991
This talk is continued in the post ‘The pillar of success’
References
virachaya mayi daṇḍaṁ dīna-bandho dayām vā
gatir iha na bhavattaḥ kāchid anyā mamāsti
nipatatu śata-koṭir nirbharaṁ vā navāmbhas
tad api kila-payodaḥ stūyate chātakena
(Srila Rupa Goswami)
“O Friend of the needy, whether You chastise me or reward me, in the whole wide world I have no other shelter but You. Whether the thunderbolt strikes or torrents of fresh waters shower down, the chātak bird (who drinks only the falling rainwater) perpetually goes on singing the glories of the raincloud.”
ohe prabhu dayāmaya, tomāra charaṇa-dvaya,
śruti-śiropari śobhā pāya guru-jana-śire punaḥ,
śobhā pāya śata guṇa, dekhi āmāra parāṇa juḍāya
(Gītā-mālā: 1.1.1)
“O merciful Lord! Seeing Your feet become more beautiful atop the heads of the scriptures and a hundred times more beautiful atop the head of my Guru soothes my heart.”

Sri Guru charana-padma

vishakhadasi108


 
Srila Gurudev singing Sri Guru charana-padma during the installation festival for Sri Sri Nitai Chaitanyadev, Sri Puri Dham, 1989.

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śrī guru charaṇa-padma kevala bhakati-sadma
vando muñi sāvadhāna mate
yāhāra prasāde bhāi e bhava tariyā yāi
kṛṣṇa-prāpti haya yāhā haite
[1] I carefully offer my obeisance to Śrī Guru’s lotus feet, which are the only abode of devotion. O brother! By his mercy we cross over this world and reach Kṛṣṇa.
guru-mukha-padma-vākya chitete kariyā aikya
āra nā kariha mane āśā
śrī guru-charaṇe rati sei se uttama-gati
ye prasāde pūre sarva āśā
[2] Make the teachings from Śrī Guru’s lotus mouth one with your heart, and do not desire anything else. Attachment to Śrī Guru’s feet is the best path. By his mercy all desires are fulfilled.
chakṣu-dāna dilā yei janme janme prabhu sei
divya-jñāna hṛde prakāśita
prema-bhakti yāhā haite avidyā vināśa yāte
vede gāya yāhāra charita
[3] He who gave me the gift of vision is my lord, birth after birth. He manifested divine knowledge in my heart. He gives prema-bhakti and destroys ignorance. The Vedas sing of his character.
śrī-guru karuṇā-sindhu adhama janāra bandhu
lokanātha lokera jīvana
hā hā prabhu kara dayā deha more pada-chhāyā
e adhama la-ila śaraṇa
[4] Śrī Guru is an ocean of mercy and the friend of the fallen. He is the lord and life of all people. O master! Be merciful. Give me the shade of your feet. This fallen soul has taken shelter of you.