Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura- The Interactions of Krishna’s Energies

By the influence of the Lord’s three energies (spiritual,
marginal, and material), the spiritual world, the living
entities, and the material world have been created.
Within each of the three energies we find three separate
propensities called sandhinī, samvit, and hlādinī.
By the interaction of the spiritual potency and the
sandhinī propensity, all kinds of spiritual opulences
such as the spiritual abode, spiritual forms, and spiritual
paraphernalia manifest. The names, forms, qualities,
and pastimes of Krishna are the work of sandhinī. By
the interaction of the spiritual potency with the samvit
propensity, all spiritual sentiments manifest. By the
interaction of the spiritual potency with the hlādinī
propensity, the cultivation of ecstatic love manifests.
By the interaction of the marginal potency and
the sandhinī propensity, spiritual existence and the
names and abodes of the living entities manifest. By
the interaction of the marginal potency with the
samvit propensity, impersonal knowledge manifests.
By the interaction of the marginal potency with the
hlādinī propensity, happiness derived from merging
into Brahman manifests, as well as the happiness
of trance attained through aṣṭāṅga-yoga or the
happiness of being one with the Lord.
By the interaction of the material potency with the
sandhinī propensity, the material universes (consisting of
fourteen worlds, the gross and subtle bodies of the conditioned
souls, their attainment of the heavenly planets,
and their material senses) have been created. The material
names, forms, qualities, and activities of the conditioned
souls are also the result of this interaction. By the interaction
of the material potency with the samvit propensity,
the conditioned souls’ thoughts, desires, imaginations, and
concepts are manifest. By the interaction of the material
potency with the hlādinī propensity, gross material pleasures
and subtle heavenly pleasures manifest.
— Bhaktivinoda-vāṇī-vaibhava, translated by Bhumipati Das.
Published by Ishwar Das and Touchstone Media. Vrindavan. 2003.

Bhagavatam 1.2.9

dharmasya hy apavargyasya

nartho 'rthayopakalpate

narthasya dharmaikantasya

kamo labhaya hi smrtah

SYNONYMS

dharmasya -- occupational engagement; hi -- certainly; apavargyasya -- ultimate liberation; na -- not; arthah -- end; arthaya -- for material gain; upakalpate -- is meant for; na -- neither; arthasya -- of material gain; dharma-eka-antasya -- for one who is engaged in the ultimate occupational service; kamah -- sense gratification; labhaya -- attainment of; hi -- exactly; smrtah -- is described by the great sages.

TRANSLATION

All occupational engagements are certainly meant for ultimate liberation. They should never be performed for material gain. Furthermore, according to sages, one who is engaged in the ultimate occupational service should never use material gain to cultivate sense gratification.

PURPORT

We have already discussed that pure devotional service to the Lord is automatically followed by perfect knowledge and detachment from material existence. But there are others who consider that all kinds of different occupational engagements, including those of religion, are meant for material gain. The general tendency of any ordinary man in any part of the world is to gain some material profit in exchange for religious or any other occupational service. Even in the Vedic literatures, for all sorts of religious performances an allurement of material gain is offered, and most people are attracted by such allurements or blessings of religiosity. Why are such so-called men of religion allured by material gain? Because material gain can enable one to fulfill desires, which in turn satisfy sense gratification. This cycle of occupational engagements includes so-called religiosity followed by material gain and material gain followed by fulfillment of desires. Sense gratification is the general way for all sorts of fully occupied men. But in the statement of Suta Gosvami, as per the verdict of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, this is nullified by the present sloka.
One should not engage himself in any sort of occupational service for material gain only. Nor should material gain be utilized for sense gratification. How material gain should be utilized is described as follows.

Bhagavatam 1.2.10

kamasya nendriya-pritir

labho jiveta yavata

jivasya tattva-jijnasa

nartho yas ceha karmabhih

SYNONYMS

kamasya -- of desires; na -- not; indriya -- senses; pritih -- satisfaction; labhah -- gain; jiveta -- self-preservation; yavata -- so much so; jivasya -- of the living being; tattva -- the Absolute Truth; jijnasa -- inquiries; na -- not; arthah -- end; yah ca iha -- whatsoever else; karmabhih -- by occupational activities.

TRANSLATION

Life's desires should never be directed toward sense gratification. One should desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one's works.

PURPORT

The completely bewildered material civilization is wrongly directed towards the fulfillment of desires in sense gratification. In such civilization, in all spheres of life, the ultimate end is sense gratification. In politics, social service, altruism, philanthropy and ultimately in religion or even in salvation, the very same tint of sense gratification is ever-increasingly predominant. In the political field the leaders of men fight with one another to fulfill their personal sense gratification. The voters adore the so-called leaders only when they promise sense gratification. As soon as the voters are dissatisfied in their own sense satisfaction, they dethrone the leaders, The leaders must always disappoint the voters by not satisfying their senses. The same is applicable in all other fields; no one is serious about the problems of life. Even those who are on the path of salvation desire to become one with the Absolute Truth and desire to commit spiritual suicide for sense gratification. But the Bhagavatam says that one should not live for sense gratification. One should satisfy the senses only insomuch as required for self-preservation, and not for sense gratification. Because the body is made of senses, which also require a certain amount of satisfaction, there are regulative directions for satisfaction of such senses. But the senses are not meant for unrestricted enjoyment. For example, marriage or the combination of a man with a woman is necessary for progeny, but it is not meant for sense enjoyment. In the absence of voluntary restraint, there is propaganda for family planning, but foolish men do not know that family planning is automatically executed as soon as there is search after the Absolute Truth. Seekers of the Absolute Truth are never allured by unnecessary engagements in sense gratification because the serious students seeking the Absolute Truth are always overwhelmed with the work of researching the Truth. In every sphere of life, therefore, the ultimate end must be seeking after the Absolute Truth, and that sort of engagement will make one happy because he will be less engaged in varieties of sense gratification. And what that Absolute Truth is is explained as follows.

Bhagavatam 1.2.11

vadanti tat tattva-vidas

tattvam yaj jnanam advayam

brahmeti paramatmeti

bhagavan iti sabdyate

SYNONYMS

vadanti -- they say; tat -- that; tattva-vidah -- the learned souls; tattvam -- the Absolute Truth; yat -- which; jnanam -- knowledge; advayam -- nondual; brahma iti -- known as Brahman; paramatma iti -- known as Paramatma; bhagavan iti -- known as Bhagavan; sabdyate -- it so sounded.

TRANSLATION

Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramatma or Bhagavan.

PURPORT

The Absolute Truth is both subject and object, and there is no qualitative difference there. Therefore, Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan are qualitatively one and the same. The same substance is realized as impersonal Brahman by the students of the Upanisads, as localized Paramatma by the Hiranyagarbhas or the yogis, and as Bhagavan by the devotees. In other words, Bhagavan, or the Personality of Godhead, is the last word of the Absolute Truth. Paramatma is the partial representation of the Personality of Godhead, and impersonal Brahman is the glowing effulgence of the Personality of Godhead, as the sun rays are to the sun-god. Less intelligent students of either of the above schools sometimes argue in favor of their own respective realization, but those who are perfect seers of the Absolute Truth know well that the above three features of the one Absolute Truth are different perspective views seen from different angles of vision.
As it is explained in the first sloka of the First Chapter of the Bhagavatam, the Supreme Truth is self-sufficient, cognizant and free from the illusion of relativity. In the relative world the knower is different from the known, but in the Absolute Truth both the knower and the known are one and the same thing. In the relative world the knower is the living spirit or superior energy, whereas the known is inert matter or inferior energy. Therefore, there is a duality of inferior and superior energy, whereas in the absolute realm both the knower and the known are of the same superior energy. There are three kinds of energies of the supreme energetic. There is no difference between the energy and energetic, but there is a difference of quality of energies. The absolute realm and the living entities are of the same superior energy, but the material world is inferior energy. The living being in contact with the inferior energy is illusioned, thinking he belongs to the inferior energy. Therefore there is the sense of relativity in the material world. In the Absolute there is no such sense of difference between the knower and the known, and therefore everything there is absolute.  Srimad--Bhagavatam translations and purports by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

A New Year’s Greeting

Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja

Hilo, Hawaii: January 1, 2007

  I wish you all a happy New Year.  The New Year we are now celebrating is according to Western calculation. This mainly affects our physical body and mind, because those in the Western world are very concerned about their physical health and mind – not more than that. Very few persons in the Western world know about the soul. They don’t even know where they will go after death. They work at jobs, but they don’t know of their goal after retirement, and they become crazy.

We have to celebrate the New Year in such a way that our devotion will increase day by day. We have to know that we are not this gross or subtle body – our mind, ego, and intelligence. We are beyond all these things; we are spirit souls, part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. We have to leave what happened last year, and start anew this year. Our devotion must increase.
The question may arise: “If my devotion must increase, how will I maintain my life?” For maintaining your life, you will continue what you are doing. Whether you want to or not, you must perform some karma.

Bhagavan Sri Krsna told Arjuna in the Gita (3.5):

na hi kascit ksanam api
jatu tisthaty akarma-krt
karyate hy avasah karma
sarvah prakrti-jair gunaih

["Everyone is forced to act helplessly according to the qualities he has acquired from the modes of material nature; therefore no one can refrain from doing something, not even for a moment."]

No one can stay alive without performing some activity. Whether you want to or not, you have to breathe. Whether you are breathing, or holding your breath, this is also karma. If you are standing, sitting, walking, or talking, all these are in the category of karma. So, to maintain our lives, we are forced to engage in some karma.

But this will not give you eternal happiness, or peace and tranquility of mind. For happiness, you must engage in some devotional service, and to cultivate devotion successfully, you must first of all surrender at the lotus feet of a bona fide guru. In good association, under the guidance of Gurudeva, you can progress in devotional life. If you do this, your New Year’s celebration will be successful.

In this world there are eight million four-hundred thousand species of life, and among them four-hundred-thousand are human beings. Most of the human population does not know about God. They think they know God, but who is God? What are His qualities? What is His form? They do not know at all. They only want to say “God;” that is enough for them. They don’t know more than this. In America the government writes on its dollar bill “In God we trust,” but they do not have any conception of God. So, who is God? G is for generator, He who can create this world. O is for operator, He who can nourish and protect us. And D is for destroyer. He who is the owner, creator, and destroyer is Bhagavan, or God.

It is mentioned in the Vedic scripture (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1.3.28), “Ete camsa-kalah pumsah, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam.” Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead; so, we must serve Him, taking a vow from this very day, the New Year’s Day. Whatever happened happened . We have to forget all these material things and start afresh our Krsna consciousness. Then our celebration of New Year’s Day will be successful.

nr-deham adyam su-labham su-durlabham
plavam su-kalpam guru-karnadharam
mayanukulena nabhasvateritam
puman bhavabdhim na taret sa atma-ha
(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 favorable winds impelling it on its course. Considering all these advantages, a human being who does not utilize his human life to cross the ocean of material existence must be considered the killer of his own soul.

Nr-deha means the human body. We have received a human body, which is very rare, and now it is easy for us to do bhajana. However, we can see that other living entities do not create weapons of mass destruction, so many arrangements to maintain their lifestyle. If anything happens they will quarrel with each other by their claws and teeth, but at the next moment they forget their quarrelling. But we humans take revenge, and we become more ferocious than the tigers, bears, lions, and other wild animals. Nowhere in the world do we see problems in other living entities. Only humans have problems.

How can we become calm and quiet and peaceful with each other? It is possible only if we do bhajana. So, nr-deham adyam su-labham su-durlabham, plavam su-kalpam guru-karnadharam. This human body is like a boat going from one place to another, in one direction or another. A captain is needed for the boat. Who is that captain? The bona fide guru is the captain of this boat – this human body. We are situated by the ocean in Hawaii. We see every day there are some boats floating on the Pacific Ocean. These boats have sails, and when the sails catch the wind, the boats move very fast. In the same way, sadhu-sanga is the favorable wind. By sadhu-sanga we can advance very quickly in Krsna consciousness. Then our lives will be maintained very easily, and we can be calm and quiet and in harmony with each other. Then our celebration here will be successful.

Generally, people understand the meaning of happiness in terms of the body and mind, health and money, and good sons and daughters. They consider that if they have these, they will be happy. But everyone becomes unhappy in spite of having these things. For a long time – since the creation of this world – we have been coming and going, taking birth and dying, but still we are not happy.

We have forgotten Krsna. We are part and parcel of Krsna, and we have forgotten Him. That is why His illusory maya took us and threw us into this world, and covered our constitutional body, form, and qualities with two bodies – the physical body and the subtle body.

We are trying so hard, here and there, to be happy, but really everyone is unhappy. Only a truly qualified guru can teach us by what process Krsna’s service can be achieved. Then, by practice and maturity of bhakti-sadhana, we will become happy.

My blessing is that I am praying to Krsna that He will sprinkle His mercy upon you all, so that you will be happy in every way – by body, mind, and soul.

Are there any questions?

Haladhara dasa: What is the meaning of the name Radha, or Radharani?

Srila Gurudeva: Radha means ‘always serving Sri Krsna.’ Radha means ‘to please Krsna.’ Also, She is pleased by Krsna. Radha means ‘She runs towards Krsna to serve Him.’ Radhika means ‘Krsna searches for Her and pleases Her.’ Also Krsna means ‘very beautiful, with having so many good qualities.’ Rupa-madhuri: He is very, very beautiful. Venu-madhuri: His flute playing is very, very sweet. Guna-madhuri: He is full of very sweet qualities. Lila-madhuri: His pastimes are so sweet. By these qualities Krsna attracts all beings in the world and delivers them. All living beings, namely birds, animals, and all other creatures, are attracted to Him, and therefore He is Krsna.

Krsna is the ocean of rasa, the ocean of transcendental relationships, and Radha is the main power of Krsna and the embodiment of maha-bhava. By sweet service to Krsna, She attracts Krsna and controls Him. Though Radha and Krsna are not two bodies, only one, Krsna is the one Supreme Person and Radha is the sakti, or power, within Him. For lila-vilasa, or sweet pastimes, They have become two bodies, but They are one soul.

Caitanya Caritamrita Adi 3.19

Srila B.V. Narayana Maharaja and Srila B.V. Vamana Maharaja  

“I shall personally inaugurate the religion of the age—nama-sankirtana, the congregational chanting of the holy name. I shall make the world dance in ecstasy, realizing the four mellows of loving devotional service.” – Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Come to the Light.

The Vedas instruct us to get out of the existence of darkness and go forward on the path of light (tamasi ma jyotir gama). The path of light is therefore to satisfy the senses of the Lord. Misguided men, or less intelligent men, follow the path of self-realization without any attempt to satisfy the transcendental senses of the Lord by following the path shown by Arjuna and other devotees of the Lord. On the contrary, they artificially try to stop the activities of the senses (yoga system), or they deny the transcendental senses of the Lord (jñāna system). The devotees, however, are above the yogīs and the jñānīs because pure devotees do not deny the senses of the Lord; they want to satisfy the senses of the Lord. Only because of the darkness of ignorance do the yogīs and jñānīs deny the senses of the Lord and thus artificially try to control the activities of the diseased senses. -Excerpt from purport to Bhagavatam 2.5.30 by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Bhagavatam 1.2.10

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

kāmasya nendriya-prītir

lābho jīveta yāvatā

jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā

nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ

 Life's desires should never be directed toward sense gratification. One should desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one's works.

How Did You Become a Hare Krishna Devotee?

This is how superlativemoon answered the question in 2006 :   My mom ran away from home and took initiation from Srila Prabhupad. My dad also left home and took initiation from Srila Prabhupad. They met in the temple and chanting on the streets. They married....and they had me! Automatic Hare Krishna! LUCKY and Fortunate ME!     

A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja

North Shore, Hawaii: December 25, 2006

Today is Christmas Day, the birthday of Jesus Christ. In Europe and other countries, hardly anyone knows what Jesus Christ was doing in his youth, at around fifteen years of age. Nothing is seen. Indian history shows that he was in India, where he visited Vrndavana, Ayodhya, Jagannatha Puri, and other pilgrimage places.

In Vrndavana he heard the name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, and when he went to Jagannath Puri he heard how the local persons pronounce Krsna as Krusna, and in his language it became Christah, and then Christ. The change in name is actually only a difference in language. 

When Jesus returned to Galilee from India, he preached the same devotion he had learned in India. By his mercy, his followers preached the mission of God everywhere, and it was therefore gradually distributed in Western countries.

There are not many Gods – there is only One. In the Bible it has been written: “God created man after His own image.” If the Supreme Lord, God, has no form, then how can He create so many worlds and so many forms? God has form. He has all qualities.

‘Christ’ means ‘Krsna,’ the one-without-a-second, the Supreme Lord. In the Bible we see that God has a transcendental form. Jesus has called him father, so there is some relation. We are refined Christians, because we totally follow this understanding. Many of those who call themselves Christians don’t truly follow Christianity, because they say that God is formless, but the Bible actually tells that God has a form and that form is transcendental.

Today, on the birthday of Jesus, we are giving honor to him. He was a manifestation of God called saktyavesa-avatara. God has empowered him, and that is why he was able to preach everywhere.

Krsna is very merciful – very, very merciful. He is so beautiful, His qualities are transcendental, and the song of His flute is so sweet that it attracts everyone. We have forgotten Him. We are His part and parcel; that is, we are His servants or maidservants, whether we accept this or not. We have forgotten Him, and that is why maya (the Lord’s material, deluding potency) has taken us to this world.

No one can be happy in this world, which is like God’s prison. Sri Krsna’s deluding potency maya keeps those who have forgotten Him in this jail. Anyone who wants happiness here is a foolish person, for no one can be happy in jail. Only the watchmen – police of the jail – can be happy, and they are devotees. Only devotees can be happy in this world.

Sri Krsna has mercifully given this human body, which is like a very strong boat. He has placed a captain in this boat, and that captain is Sri Gurudeva. The strong, favorable winds (the instructions of scriptures) are blowing the sails, and the resultant high speed of sailing is sadhu-sanga, the association of devotees. For example, while you remained in your homes, we came from India.

One of God’s messengers was Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja. Srila Swami Maharaja went door to door, to islands in the midst of oceans, on the top of hills, and in the depths of forests. He went everywhere and preached. How merciful are Krsna and His associates!

Having all these facilities, if you do not take the opportunity to realize yourself, to realize that you are soul and that the Supersoul, Krsna is present with you, then you are committing spiritual suicide.

So don’t waste a minute’s time without worshiping Krsna. Always be engaged in this way. The money, houses, dogs, cats, cars, and so many other things you are collecting cannot give you any help at the time of death. You will have to go alone, and where you will go, you don’t know. So don’t waste time.

All facility is available, so you are very fortunate. The only aim and object of this life should be this: ‘How can I realize myself and Krsna, and engage in the performance of pure bhakti.’

Krsna is causelessly merciful. He has all powers, and He has invested all His powers and qualities in harinama, His holy names:

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Krsna’s names are more powerful than Krsna Himself. These names can stop your pain of endless birth and death, and give you love for Krsna. Chant and remember the sweet pastimes of Krsna with great honor and strong belief.

Krsna lives in Goloka Vrndavana with His associates – Nanda Baba, Mother Yasoda, Sridama, Subala, Madhumangala, and the gopis, including Srimati Radhika. He always plays there.

He thinks, “My servants and maidservants have forgotten Me.” In order to deliver them, He therefore descends with all of His associates in this material world and performs so many sweet pastimes here. He is unlimited, He is beyond the limitation of length and breadth, inside or outside; He is everywhere.

All worlds are within His belly, and yet Mother Yasoda binds Him with the silken rope which holds her hair in a braid. He kindly picked up the great mountain Govardhana and held it for seven days on His left pinky. At that time He told all the Vrajavasis, “Come under Govardhana. I will save you from the rains arranged by Indra.”          

In Vrndavana He killed so many demons, like Aghasura and Bakasura. He killed Kamsa, who was as strong as 10,000 elephants. He also killed numerous demons in Dvaraka, through Bhima and Arjuna; He killed so many in the Mahabharata War, such as Dronacarya and Bhisma. All the warriors had unparalleled strength, but they were all killed by Krsna. Paundraka Vasudeva, Sisupala, Kalayavana, and many other demons were also killed by Him.

At the end of His manifest pastimes, He took with Him His associates from Dvaraka as they were in the guise of their fighting and killing each other. Thus He removed the burden of the Earth, and then ascended with His eternal associates to His Goloka Vrndavana. He performed such sweet pastimes. How merciful He is!      

He came as Lord Ramacandra, with Sita, Laksmana, Bharata, Sratrugna, and Hanuman, and in that form He performed very heart-rending pastimes. Ravana kidnapped Sita-devi, and Hanuman later discovered her whereabouts. With the help of monkeys and bears Ramacandra built a bridge over the ocean, and He killed Ravana and Ravana’s entire army. Sita is Rama’s eternal spiritual energy, but He sent her away. This is a very sad pastime, so why did He do this? He thought: People will hear or read My pastimes, and thus engage in bhakti (devotional service) to Me. Bhakti is so powerful that it is able to take out all the malice from their heart, and manifest pure love (suddha-prema-bhakti) in their heart. They will be liberated, and thus they will join Me in My service and become happy.

Bhakti is a very easy method to reach God. There is no need to do exercises like the Mohammedans – sitting or standing and doing namaj. If you cannot pray, then simply offering respectful obeisances will do: “O Prabhu, namaskara.” If you sing God’s names and dance, or even chant loudly while walking, or even if you chant softly in the mind, or even if you name your dog or cat or cow Narayani, Narayana, Krsna, or any of God’s names, you will be liberated at once, like Ajamila. 

My request is that you do not waste this human life. Don’t be always engaged in money-making. Even if you become more wealthy than Bill Gates, you cannot be happy. So try to engage in this very easy method of bhakti. Then you will be liberated from all unhappiness, and you will be happy forever.

Gaura-pramanande! -From Harikatha Newsletter

Disappearance Day of Srila Jiva Gosvami

Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja

For the Disappearance Day of Srila Jiva Gosvami

[This year, 2014, Srila Jiva Gosvami's disappearance day is December 24th. Below is a lecture Srila Gurudeva gave in the 1990s:]

Srila Jiva Gosvami’s father, Anupama, was the brother of Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana Gosvami. His exalted father and uncles were employed by the Muslim ruler, Srila Sanatana Gosvami as prime minister, Srila Rupa Gosvami as the private secretary, and Anupama as treasurer. All three of them met Caitanya Mahaprabhu when He came to Ramakeli where they lived.

As the only son of the three brothers, Jiva received abundant affection. Srila Rupa Gosvami was always especially affectionate towards him and treated him as if he were his own son. When Jiva was still very young, Srila Rupa Gosvami took him to Mahaprabhu, who blessed him by placing His hand on his head.

During childhood, Jiva studied and soon learned all logic, Sanskrit grammar, and theistic philosophy from the books in his father’s home. Before Srila Rupa Gosvami and Anupama left household life to retire in Vrndavana, they divided all the family’s wealth and property, allocating sufficient funds for Jiva to continue his studies. All three brothers realized that he was the only son in their dynasty, so they nurtured him with great affection and ensured he had whatever material facility he required.

Jiva had a very soft nature, and as he grew, he gradually began worshipping Deities of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna. Making garlands for Them and offering puja to Them, he would become immersed in meditation, preferring these activities to playing with other children. When he was about fourteen years old, he went to Navadvipa. By then, Mahaprabhu had returned to the spiritual world and all the devotees of Navadvipa had left and gone elsewhere. Because Navadvipa now brought them all great sadness, Srivasa Pandita, Advaita Acarya, and everyone else had left, and Navadvipa was deserted.

A few days before Jiva’s arrival, Nityananda Prabhu had arrived at Srivasangana from Khardaha. When Jiva Gosvami arrived, Nityananda Prabhu was very pleased to meet him. Nityananda prabhu placed His feet on Jiva’s head and said, “I came here just to meet with you; otherwise I would have stayed in Khardaha.” He showed Jiva all the places of Mahaprabhu’s pastimes in Navadvipa, and then showed him great mercy by ordering him to go stay with Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana Gosvami in Vrndavana.

On the way to Vrndavana, Jiva stopped in Varanasi, where he met a disciple of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya named Madhusudana Vacaspati who was teaching Vedanta, but not the commentary of Sankaracarya, which was famous at that time. Mahaprabhu had refuted that commentary when Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya tried to teach it to Him. Madhusudana Vacaspati was a great scholar and, having studied and understood everything which Mahaprabhu had taught to Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya and Srila Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis, was teaching it there. Jiva Gosvami went to his home and learned all bhakti-vedanta from him. He also learned Sankaracarya’s commentary, because without learning it, he would have been unable to refute it. After studying all of this and fully understanding it, he proceeded to Vrndavana. There in Vrndavana, Sanatana Gosvami placed him in the care of Rupa Gosvami, and he stayed near Rupa Gosvami’s hut at the Radha-Damodara temple.

Rupa Gosvami would read everything he was writing to Jiva Gosvami. One day while they were in the midst of reading together, an effulgent, elderly brahmana arrived there. This was most likely, judging from his age and his scholarship, Sri Vallabhacarya, who knew Rupa Gosvami from the time Mahaprabhu was in Prayaga. He was approximately the same age as Advaita Acarya, so Rupa Gosvami would have been the appropriate age to have been his son. He asked, “Rupa, what are you writing these days?”

Hesitating a little, Srila Rupa Gosvami replied, “I am writing a book entitled Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu.” Vallabhacarya then picked up the book and, turning the pages, said, “Very good, I will look through it and correct any errors.”

At that time Jiva Gosvami was fanning Rupa Gosvami with a leaf from the tala tree, but when he heard Vallabhacarya say this, he felt disturbed; according to him, his Gurudeva was being criticized. Later when he went to the river to fetch water, he met Vallabhacarya, who was just finishing his midday bath. Jiva Gosvami said, “Gosai, you said before that you would proofread the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu which Rupa Gosvami is writing. If you have found any errors, precisely where are they?”

Vallabhacarya replied, “How can you understand, child? Have you studied Sanskrit grammar?”

“Yes, a little.”

            “Then what could you possibly understand?”

“Still, please just show me any errors you have detected.” When Vallabhacarya showed him an apparent error, a fierce debate commenced between them. Eventually Jiva Gosvami established the point so convincingly that Vallabhacarya could neither refute it nor give any answer.

When Vallabhacarya returned to Rupa Gosvami’s hut, he asked, “Who was that boy who was fanning you? He is very intelligent and extremely learned in the scriptures.”

Very humbly and with folded hands Rupa Gosvami replied, “He is the son of my younger brother and is also my disciple. He does not know how to behave.”

“No, he is a genius, and in the future he will be very famous.”

Soon afterwards, Vallabhacarya left. When Jiva Gosvami arrived with the water, Srila Rupa Gosvami said to him, “You are so intolerant that you quarrel with an elderly, scholarly brahmana who kindly proofread something for my own good? Your behavior is unacceptable; leave now.”

Being obliged to obey his guru, Jiva Gosvami left Vrndavana. He went to the village of Bhayagaon to live in a cave infested with crocodiles. There, for some days, he remained in the cave doing bhajana and crying, feeling bereft of his guru’s affection. He stopped eating and taking water, and within a short time he became emaciated. After some time, Sanatana Gosvami happened to visit that village as he was wandering around Vraja. The local people said to him, “Baba, we always considered you to be a great bhajananandi (one who is absorbed in bhajana), but a young boy who is even more of a bhajananandi than you has come to our village. Day and night he calls out the names of Radha-Krsna and weeps. We take him food but he refuses it, and he never sleeps either. Day and night he remains immersed in bhajana; we have never seen anything like it.”

Srila Sanatana Gosvami could understand that this was Jiva, and immediately went to him. Reunited, they both wept. Sanatana Gosvami then took him back to Vrndavana, where he said to Rupa Gosvami, “The duty of Vaisnavas is to be compassionate to others, yet you renounced this young disciple of yours who is adorned with so many extraordinary qualities. You should be merciful to Jiva, but instead you banished him. This was a mistake and you should correct it. I am ordering you to quickly call him back.”

Hearing this, Rupa Gosvami began crying for Jiva, whom he loved so much. When Sanatana Gosvami brought Jiva there and placed him in the lap of Rupa Gosvami, both guru and disciple wept. Rupa Gosvami arranged for Jiva to be treated by the best doctors from Mathura, and gradually Jiva became strong again. From then on, their former practice resumed with Rupa Gosvami giving whatever he wrote to Jiva to proofread.

Later, Srila Jiva Gosvami expanded upon and enhanced the writing of other acaryas. One such acarya, Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, had heard hari-katha directly from Srila Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis, who he considered to be his siksa-gurus. While studying the writings of ancient Vaisnava acaryas such as Madhva and Ramanuja, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami selected different points in relation to sambandha (establishing one’s relationship with Krsna), abhidheya (acting in the dealings of that relationship), and prayojana (achieving life’s ultimate goal), and compiled everything in a notebook.

Srila Jiva Gosvami learned all of this tattva from Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. Then, he took the volume which contained all the information on sambandha and enlarged it. He also took from the conceptions given in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Ujjvala-nilamani, Brhad-bhagavatamrta, and the other books composed by Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis, and composed the first sandarbha.

The word sandarbha means ‘a chest of valuable jewels.’ Of the Six Sandarbhas, the first four – Tattva-sandarbha, Bhagavat-sandarbha, Paramatma-sandarbha, and Krsna-sandarbha – all expound sambandha-jnana. They include knowledge of the jiva, the illusory energy, and the objective of the jiva; all of this was explained in the first four sandarbhas.

In the Tattva-sandarbha, the conception of pramana (the body of evidence) and prameya (evidence) is given. What is the meaning of pramana? In any issue, whose words will we accept as authoritative? Suppose a young boy reports that a large fire has ravaged a holy place and everything has been burned. An elderly gentleman, however, reports that a small fire started in a tea shop there, but was easily contained. From these conflicting stories, whose words will we accept as authoritative? Certainly, the man’s words are more authoritative because he is older and more mature than the boy.

This conception of pramana relates to many things. Different people may assert their beliefs that this world is real, their status as human beings or brahmanas is real, or that they are masters of their property. All this false identification and proprietorship causes so much fighting and quarreling. Another man will say, “These things are all temporary, so do not bother fighting over them. Instead, do something for your soul and for the Supreme Personality of Godhead; they are permanent.” Which of these two opinions will we accept? Analyzing the relationships between the Supreme Lord, the jiva, and material existence, Srila Jiva Gosvami explained where we should place our faith. He wrote that the Vedas are the sole authority, and that any other, so-called authority lacks credibility. That which we perceive with our limited senses and mind may be defective, but the words of the Vedas cannot be so.

In his Bhagavat-sandarbha, Srila Jiva Gosvami writes that everything we see has the same source. The Absolute Truth is one, and He is naturally endowed with inconceivable potency. By the power of this potency, He exists within four forms: svarupa (His original form), tad-rupa-vaibhava (all incarnations, beginning with Baladeva Prabhu), jiva (the living entity), and pradhana (the illusory energy). He is like the sun which also exists in four forms: its original form, the sun disc, its rays, and its reflected light which is compared to maya.

Jiva Gosvami took parts from Brahma-sandarbha and wrote his own Bhagavat-sandarbha, in which he analyzes brahma-tattva (the established truth about the Supreme Spirit Whole) and refutes the opinions of Sankaracarya. The jiva is not brahma (an impersonal God). If brahma is the Absolute Truth, which is full in knowledge as some say, then how did it separate into billions of living entities and become bound within material existence? Sankaracarya states that it was covered over by maya, but then where did this separate entity he calls maya come from? If there is no separate entity known as maya and all is the one brahma, where could this other object known as ignorance have come from? Refuting all of Sankaracarya’s concepts, Srila Jiva Gosvami proved that Krsna is Parabrahma, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the source of brahma.

He also analyzed paramatma-tattva, and in the Krsna-sandarbha he explained how Krsna alone is the original Personality of Godhead. He explained how Krsna is all-powerful (sarva-saktiman), how He is an ocean of rasa, how from Him the jivas and all else emerge, and how the jivas can achieve His eternal association. He refuted the concept that Krsna is an incarnation of Narayana. Using evidence from the Vedas, Upanisads, and Puranas, he established that Krsna is the original Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and that all other incarnations are His plenary or partial expansions. On the basis of scriptural evidence, he reinforced Mahaprabhu’s conception, which had been established in the literatures of Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami. In doing so, he established our sampradaya upon a firm philosophical foundation. He protected the flowing river of rasa by placing large rocks of siddhanta on both its banks; in that way no contaminated water of misconceptions could ever enter it.

In his Bhakti-sandarbha, he explained many subtle aspects of bhakti. He delineated the sixty-four types of bhakti, and he expertly explained guru-tattva. He also described guru-padasraya, the process of taking exclusive shelter of the guru, how it should be done, what are its rules and regulations, and so on. If the guru carefully evaluates the prospective disciple and the disciple carefully considers the guru, then a circumstance will never arise where the disciple will have to abandon his guru. He taught that one should not accept a guru whimsically; one should accept a guru in whom he will never lose faith, otherwise there will be a problem. One should make sure that he only accepts a sad-guru, who is detached from sense enjoyment, who is conversant with all tattva and siddhanta, who is rasika, who is spiritually realized, and who is affectionate towards him. One should examine the guru carefully, even if this process takes as long as a year,

Srila Jiva Gosvami also explained that all bhakti is not the same, just as all varieties of water are not one and the same – there is clean water, purified water, contaminated water, sewage water, and so forth. Jiva Gosvami examined all these issues in depth in his sandarbhas, which one must read in order to understand the true nature of bhakti. Thus, by regularly hearing the knowledge delineated in these books and by associating with advanced Vaisnavas, one’s bhakti will gradually become uttama-bhakti. Srila Jiva Gosvami described at length the five types of prema (santa (neutrality), dasya (servitorship), sakhya (friendship), vatsalya (parental love), and madhurya (amorous love), especially emphasizing gopi-prema and explaining the sadhana for achieving it.

Much of this came in his Gopala-campu, which is a very philosophical book. Srila Jiva Gosvami wrote that book in Goloka Vrndavana and then gave it to this world. He composed so many literatures that we could spend this entire birth immersed in reading them. Moreover, in practicing the sadhana prescribed by them, who knows how many lives we could spend?

If we endeavor to enter into these books, and if we examine both the personal conduct and conceptions of Jiva Gosvami and try to personally follow them, our spiritual lives will certainly be successful. May Srila Jiva Gosvami be merciful upon us so we can learn all the instructions he gave, in order to perform bhajana purely. -From Harikatha Newsletter

Bhagavatam 2.3.19

Men who are like dogs, hogs, camels and asses praise those men who never listen to the transcendental pastimes of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the deliverer from evils.

PURPORT:

The general mass of people, unless they are trained systematically for a higher standard of life in spiritual values, are no better than animals, and in this verse they have particularly been put on the level of dogs, hogs, camels and asses. Modern university education practically prepares one to acquire a doggish mentality with which to accept the service of a greater master. After finishing a so-called education, the so-called educated persons move like dogs from door to door with applications for some service, and mostly they are driven away, informed of no vacancy. As dogs are negligible animals and serve the master faithfully for bits of bread, a man serves a master faithfully without sufficient rewards.

Persons who have no discrimination in the matter of foodstuff and who eat all sorts of rubbish are compared to hogs. Hogs are very much attached to eating stools. So stool is a kind of foodstuff for a particular type of animal. And even stones are eatables for a particular type of animal or bird. But the human being is not meant for eating everything and anything; he is meant to eat grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, sugar, etc. Animal food is not meant for the human being. For chewing solid food, the human being has a particular type of teeth meant for cutting fruits and vegetables. The human being is endowed with two canine teeth as a concession for persons who will eat animal food at any cost. It is known to everyone that one man's food is another man's poison. Human beings are expected to accept the remnants of food offered to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and the Lord accepts foodstuff from the categories of leaves, flowers, fruits, etc. (Bg. 9.26). As prescribed by Vedic scriptures, no animal food is offered to the Lord. Therefore, a human being is meant to eat a particular type of food. He should not imitate the animals to derive so-called vitamin values. Therefore, a person who has no discrimination in regard to eating is compared to a hog.

The camel is a kind of animal that takes pleasure in eating thorns. A person who wants to enjoy family life or the worldly life of so-called enjoyment is compared to the camel. Materialistic life is full of thorns, and so one should live only by the prescribed method of Vedic regulations just to make the best use of a bad bargain. Life in the material world is maintained by sucking one's own blood. The central point of attraction for material enjoyment is sex life. To enjoy sex life is to suck one's own blood, and there is not much more to be explained in this connection. The camel also sucks its own blood while chewing thorny twigs. The thorns the camel eats cut the tongue of the camel, and so blood begins to flow within the camel's mouth. The thorns, mixed with fresh blood, create a taste for the foolish camel, and so he enjoys the thorn-eating business with false pleasure. Similarly, the great business magnates, industrialists who work very hard to earn money by different ways and questionable means, eat the thorny results of their actions mixed with their own blood. Therefore the Bhāgavatam has situated these diseased fellows along with the camels.

The ass is an animal who is celebrated as the greatest fool, even amongst the animals. The ass works very hard and carries burdens of the maximum weight without making profit for itself. Footnote. The ass is generally engaged by the washerman, whose social position is not very respectable. And the special qualification of the ass is that it is very much accustomed to being kicked by the opposite sex. When the ass begs for sexual intercourse, he is kicked by the fair sex, yet he still follows the female for such sexual pleasure. A henpecked man is compared, therefore, to the ass. The general mass of people work very hard, especially in the age of Kali. In this age the human being is actually engaged in the work of an ass, carrying heavy burdens and driving ṭhelā and rickshaws. The so-called advancement of human civilization has engaged a human being in the work of an ass. The laborers in great factories and workshops are also engaged in such burdensome work, and after working hard during the day, the poor laborer has to be again kicked by the fair sex, not only for sex enjoyment but also for so many household affairs.

So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam's categorization of the common man without any spiritual enlightenment into the society of dogs, hogs, camels and asses is not at all an exaggeration. The leaders of such ignorant masses of people may feel very proud of being adored by such a number of dogs and hogs, but that is not very flattering. The Bhāgavatam openly declares that although a person may be a great leader of such dogs and hogs disguised as men, if he has no taste for being enlightened in the science of Kṛṣṇa, such a leader is also an animal and nothing more. He may be designated as a powerful, strong animal, or a big animal, but in the estimation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam he is never given a place in the category of man, on account of his atheistic temperament. Or, in other words, such godless leaders of dogs and hoglike men are bigger animals with the qualities of animals in greater proportion. -Translation and purport by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

The Boatman and the Scholar

The boatman and the scholar are crossing the Ganges river together.  
Scholar: My dear boy, tell me, do you know anything about grammar? You know, rhetoric, composition, poetry, similes, synonyms, antonyms, hyperboles, prepositional phrases, metaphors, nouns, verbs, adjectives etc., etc...
Boatman: Oh no. My dear sir, all I know is how to take this boat across the river. This is all I have ever done my whole life.
Scholar: Goodness gracious! My dear boy, you have wasted 25% of your life.
 As they continued on their journey across the river the scholar started thinking, then eventually asked the boy another question:
Scholar: Dear boy, you certainly must know something about mathematics? Surely, you couldn't possibly mean to say that you know absolutely nothing about arithmetic. Are you not even, in the least bit aware of the basic fundamental principles involved in higher mathematics, like, let's say for example, geometry, trigonometry or calculus, algebra even, or what to speak of percentages and square rooting? [The boy keeps shaking his head to indicate that he is not, while the scholar continues to quiz him.] Oh. come now, do you truly expect me to believe that you don't even know anything about basic arithmetic, exclusively consisting of simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division?
Boatman: No. Dear sir (The boy states as he starts to get a little visibly irritated), I told you, all I know is how to get this boat across the river. This is all I have ever done. This is all my father ever did. This is all his father, and his father, and his father's, father's father has ever done.
Scholar: Oh, dear lad, you have certainly wasted 50% of your life.
This scholar, who was literally amazed and astonished by the lack of education this boy, he had just encountered, apparently possessed, began to ponder the situation further, and then yet another question arose in his mind:
Scholar: Alright then, I understand that you have never had the opportunity to learn anything about grammar or mathematics, but what about science, the law of physics for example, or chemistry, biology, and what about Darwin's theory of evolution, or perhaps, somewhere along the road of life, have you, per-chance, come to know, let's say, at least a little something about the scientific field of nuclear physics or quantum mechanics? Haven't you ever, even learned anything taught in any of these subjects?
Boatman: Look sir, as I have been trying to explain to you over and over, all I know is this boat, this river and how to get people like your good self across this river. This is the family business. It always has been, and I suspect it always will be. This is what I consider to be my profession and I'm quite happy with it.
Scholar: Ah! (The scholar retorts in aghast) My dear child, you have obviously wasted 75% of your life.
 All of a sudden, a big wave came along and tipped the boat over. The scholar then began to cry for help:
Scholar: Dear boy! Help me! Save me, I'm drowning!
Boatman: Oh my dear sir, don't you know how to swim?
Scholar: No! Save me! Please boy, hurry!
Boatman: Oh my dear scholar of almost every type of mundane knowledge there is, it would appear as though you have wasted 100% of your life.     
 *****                                                                                                      The moral of the story: Any progress we make in Devotional Service to Lord Krishna (Bhakti-yoga), in this lifetime is permanent. A person who begins the process is guaranteed at least a human body in his/her next birth. Then the soul begins progress from the point of advancement in his/her previous life. When sufficient progress is made (after many lives of practice if neccesary), a person transcends material misery and also attains unlimited transcendental  happiness. At the end of life such a fortunate soul is promoted to Krishna-loka or the Vaikuntha planets never to return to the material world. This opportunity is wide open to any human being whom, their faith awakened, accepts this path. On the other hand if a person performs no service to Krishna during his/her lifetime then everything is lost at the time of death.                                                                                             

Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 6.254

vairāgya-vidyā-nija-bhakti-yoga-

śikṣārtham ekaḥ puruṣaḥ purāṇaḥ

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-śarīra-dhārī

kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye

 

"Let me take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who has descended in the form of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu to teach us real knowledge, His devotional service and detachment from whatever does not foster Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He has descended because He is an ocean of transcendental mercy. Let me surrender unto His lotus feet.

Disappearance Day of Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja

SRI GURVASTAKAM
Meditation Center, Germany
December 2, 2000 (am)

[Dear Readers,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga.
This year, 2014, we are celebrating the disappearance day of our Srila Gurudeva, Sri Srimad Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja on December 15th. The following is a discourse that he gave on Sri Guruvastakam, the eight prayers glorifying Sri Guru and his symptoms.
(This is a link to the kirtans that were sung to Srila Gurudeva at his door in Delhi, in September, 2010 https://soundcloud.com/srila-bv-narayan-maharaja/sets/delhi-bhajans-by-srila)]

Symptoms of Sri Guru

First of all, I offer my heartly dandavat pranamas unto the lotus feet of my Guru Maharaja, nitya-lila pravista om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja and also my dandavat pranamas unto the lotus feet of my siksa-guru, nitya-lila pravista om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja. I know that I'm neither qualified nor intelligent, but by the causeless mercy of my siksa and diksa gurus, you have all come from around the world to be with me here. I'm especially very happy that many of you from the various parts of the European countries have assembled here to hear harikatha in the line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Rupa Gosvami, our guru-parampara, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada, my Guru Maharaja and also nitya-lila pravista om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja. Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja, my siksa-guru, had especially inspired me to come, and he engaged me in his service so that I can preach. Otherwise I could not have done so. If anyone is coming to me, it means that he has inspired you and you are coming, by reading his books, by hearing his glories and by his preaching here and there. I have come only to remind you of his glories, and that we should know that he is eternal. His presence is everywhere.

Today I want to give an explanation of Sri Guru – what are the symptoms of a bona fide guru – and to show you examples that have been given in the epics [Vedic scriptures]. You can apply this to your own guru. Our Sri Guru is akanda-guru-tattva, Sri Baladeva Prabhu or Sri Nityananda Prabhu, so all teachings should be applied to him and to others who are following this:

samsara-davanala-lidha-loka
tranaya karunya-ghanaghanatvam
praptasya kalyana gunarnavasya
vande guroh sri caranaravindam
(Sri Guruvastakam 1)

[“Just as a raincloud extinguishes a blazing forest fire by showering its rain upon it, Sri Guru, by his rain of divine mercy, delivers the people burning in the fire of material existence, suffering the three fold miseries—adhyatmika, adhibautika, adhidaivika. I offer prayers unto the lotus feet of Sri Guru who manifests when Krsna’s mercy becomes very thick and who is an ocean of auspicious qualities.”]

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has written this Sri Gurvastakam. He has taken the view of Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Narottama dasa Thakura, and he has explained all these things. He has written these verses for his gurudeva, but these are actually meant for akanda-guru-tattva, the principle of undivided guru. Srila Narattoma dasa Thakura came from the disciplic succession of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the line of Gadadhara Pandita. First came Srila Svarupa Damodara, then Srila Raya Ramananda, then came Srila Rupa-Sanatana Gosvamis; and from Srila Rupa-Sanatana Gosvamis, came Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. After that, in this line, came Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami and Srila Narottama dasa Thakura. 

There was one disciple of Srila Narottma dasa Thakura named Sri Ganga-Narayana Cakravati Mahasaya. He lived in Balucara Gambhila within the district of Mursidabada. He had no sons and only one daughter, whose name was Visnupriya. Srila Narottama dasa Thakura had another disciple named Ramakrsna Bhattacarya from the brahmana community of Varendra, a rural community of West Bengal. The youngest son of Ramakrsna Bhattacarya was named Krsna-carana. Sri Ganga-Narayana Cakravati accepted Krsna-carana as an adopted son. The disciple of Sri Krsna-carana was Sri Radha-ramana Cakravarti, who was the spiritual master of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura was so humble that he never allowed anyone to call him ’Gosvami’ – Cakravati Thakura was like a family name.

“Samsara-davanala-lidha-loka tranaya karunya-ghanaghanatvam.” We have forgotten Krsna. First of all, we must understand that we are parts and parcels of Krsna. We are eternal servants of Krsna. But somehow, by chance, we have exercised our independence and intelligence or free will in such a way that we are now in jail.

We have forgotten that we are eternal servants of Krsna, and who is Krsna. Now you are recognizing that, "She's my sister, she's my daughter, and he’s my husband, my wife, and all this." But everything transcendental we have forgotten. We are so much attached to this world. Maya, illusion, is pulling us very far away from Krsna to this world, into a burning fire. This world is a burning fire from which we cannot escape. She has bound us with iron chains, and what are these chains? They are attachments to this world, to this body, to our relatives and others. We cannot move here and there. We have been thrown into the fire, a hot blazing fire.

“Samsara davanala.” What is samsara? It is like a forest fire. We once saw in America, in Alachua, a very big fire. It could not be controlled. Even the government could not control it. The fire in the ocean of material existence is worse than a forest fire. We are burning in that, and now we are senseless [unconscious]. If a man is senseless and doctors are cutting here and there, he cannot realize that the doctors are operating. If you are senseless in a fire, you cannot realize that you are in a fire. And that is the pitiful condition, very pitiful.

All in this world, except transcendental persons such as guru, are burning in this fire. That is why Krsna sent His associates, very high class of associates. Who are these associates?

Sri Krsna’s causeless mercy has taken the shape of guru, real guru. And this guru, by coming into this world, showers his mercy. In this way, Krsna's mercy is showered everywhere so that the forest fire or ocean fire is subdued; otherwise it will not be subdued. Thereafter, some sense may come to that person who has received the guru’s mercy. And the guru, out of pity, will go everywhere to shower his mercy, just like Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja. He went everywhere, out of his own accord – even though nobody called him.

As for me, devotees are calling me and giving me so many invitations, so much money also – air fare, air tickets and everything, and managing everything for me, but who managed for Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja? Who invited him and who gave him money? He wanted money, but who gave him? Perhaps he got some by begging. And still he came. Why did he come?

‘Samsara-davanala-lidha-loka tranaya karunya.’ It is only out of karunya, causeless mercy. Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja went everywhere, all around the world. He knew that he might die at anytime or anywhere, especially during his journey to America in a cargo ship where he suffered two heart attacks, but he never cared about himself, and he came out of India. This is guru-tattva.

If a guru is not like this, very merciful to us who are burning in the ocean fire or this forest fire, he cannot be a real guru. He may be kanistha [a neophyte devotee] or madhyama [and intermediate devotee], a somewhat low guru who cannot realize all these things.

Our guru-parampara, disciplic succession of gurus, all the acaryas, spiritual masters, have realized this. Sri Vyasadeva wrote all the epics, he divided the Vedas into four, and then he wrote Vedanta-sutra. He was not satisfied, and then he wrote all the Puranas, but still he was not satisfied. Ordinary women, so-called brahmanas, and those who had no qualification to enter into Vedic literature could not understand the very deep meaning of all the truths in scripture. Therefore he wrote Mahabharata, so that anyone can read and be very enthused. They can [mentally] take up swords and fight like Bhima, Arjuna, Duryodhana and all others like them. And in that Mahabharata he gave a jewel. What was that jewel? The Bhagavad-gita, where Krsna states:

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
(Bg. 18.66)

[“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.”]

Vyasadeva wrote this to show that we are not the doer, and that only Krsna will protect and save us from our past sinful reactions. Still, he was not satisfied, and he was trying to figure out the reason why he felt this way. And at once, Krsna's mercy in the shape of Narada Muni came. This is ‘karunya-ghanaghanatvam.’ Narada Muni came, and what did he do?

He asked Sri Vyasadeva, "Why are you not satisfied? I thought you were satisfied, but I can see that you are not. What have you done? Can you tell me?"

Sri Vyasadeva replied, "O Gurudeva I don't know. I have written so many things, and I am practicing all these things, but still I'm not satisfied. I'm taking your shelter. You are an ocean of causeless mercy, so please shower your mercy. I don’t understand anything. Why am I unsatisfied?"

Narada Muni smiled and said, "Oh, you have given everything, but you are not satisfied. I know why. You have not told what is the reality. You have not written anywhere that ‘krsnas tu bhagavan svayam – Krsna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead.’ The gopis, mother Yasoda and others control Krsna. And most of all, He is controlled especially by Srimati Radhika. Have you written this?"

"Oh, I don't know all these things."

"You know that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. You have written it, but not directly. You must write down all these things, and you should realize all these things.

"Have you written that mother Yasoda runs faster than Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead?"

"Oh, I don't know all these things."

"Then what have you written, and how can you be satisfied? Have you written that mother Yasoda twisted Krsna’s ears? Has anyone twisted the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s ears before? Has Kausalya, Aditi or anyone else done this?"

"Never."

"Have you written that mother Yasoda bound Krsna with a rope and it could not be untied by any of His sakhis and friends? Even Sridama, Subala, Madhumangala and others could not untie the rope. Then Nanda Baba came, and with vatsalya-rasa, parental love, the knot was opened by him. Have you written this?"

"No."

"Then what you have written? Have you written that Krsna performed the rasa dance with the gopis? Have you written this? And in that rasa dance, the gopis became tired and Krsna asked, ’Oh, are you tired?’ Then He took His pitambara, yellow shawl, and wiped their faces [of the perspiration]. And He tightened their ankle bell that had fallen down. He was ready to massage their feet also. Then Krsna said:

na paraye ’ham niravadya-samyujam
sva-sadhu-krtyam vibudhayusapi vah
ya mabhajan durjara-geha-srnkhalah
samvrscya tad vah pratiyatu sadhuna
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.32.22)

[“I am not able to repay My debt for your spotless service, even within a lifetime of Brahma. Your connection with Me is beyond reproach. You have worshiped Me, cutting off all domestic ties, which are difficult to break. Therefore please let your own glorious deeds be your compensation.”]

“So have you written all these things?"

"Never."

Then Narada Muni said, "You should realize all these things."

Sri Vyasadeva said, "How I can realize all of it?"

"Oh, by the mercy of Krsna."

And then he gave his mercy.

bhakti-yogena manasi
samyak pranihite 'male
apasyat purusam purnam
mayam ca tad-apasrayam
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.7.4)

[“Thus he fixed his mind, perfectly engaging it by linking it in devotional service (bhakti-yoga) without any tinge of materialism, and thus he saw the Absolute Personality of Godhead along with His external energy, which was under full control.”]

Taking Shelter of Bhakti-devi

”You should take shelter of Bhakti-devi. Who is Bhakti-devi? She is Srimati Radhika. Srimati Radhika is the incarnation of bhakti to the highest degree. Her mood is called bhakti. Her behavior, Her activities and everything is bhakti, mahabhava, mohana and madana. Understand? We know only sadhana-bhakti, devotional practice, but there is sadhya-bhakti, the goal. We have no idea what the goal is. Srimati Radhika is the embodiment of that sadhya-bhakti.”

"Have you seen this?"

"Never."

"Then you should take shelter of bhakti-yoga."

Then Narada Muni gave some outlines on how to do bhakti, which Sri Vyasadeva did. By doing so, what did he see? He saw Krsna with His power, all the sakhis, girlfriends, all the pastimes, and how Krsna came out of the womb of mother Yasoda. He saw all His sakhis – Lalita, Visakha and others with Srimati Radhika. He saw all of Krsna’s sweet pastimes.

Finally, Sri Vyasadeva became very happy and manifested Srimad-Bhagavatam. Srimad-Bhagavatam is eternal, and yet it manifested here from his pen.

So, this is ‘samsara-davanala-lidha-loka tranaya karunya-ghanaghanatvam.’

And then Sri Vyasadeva became perfect. He saw that his son, Sukadeva Gosvami, was a nirvisesa-vadi, an impersonalist, and he wanted to always be in samadhi, trance of brahma – “Aham brahmasmi, aham brahmasmi, I am spirit.” He became very worried, and he wanted to save him.

He sent so many messages to catch the ‘parrot’ who was actually Sukadeva Gosvami, and somehow he came, automatically, by hearing these two slokas of Srimad-Bhagavatam:

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

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

And the other sloka was:                                               

aho baki yam stana-kala-kutam
jighamsayapayayad apy asadhvi
lebhe gatim dhatry-ucitam tato ‘nyam
kam va dayalum saranam vrajema
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.2.23)

[“Alas, how shall I take shelter of one more merciful than He who granted the position of mother to a she-demon (Putana) although she was unfaithful and she prepared deadly poison to be sucked from her breast?”]

These slokas attracted Sukadeva Gosvami At once, he came to Sri Vyasadeva and fell flat at his lotus feet. For whom Sri Vyasadeva had been calling, "O putra, putra, putra – Oh, my dear son, me dear son, my dear son," now he is coming automatically. Sri Vyasadeva was not calling directly, rather he was calling by the slokas (verses). And he told him, "You should read Srimad-Bhagavatam with me here."

In this way, Vyasadeva taught his son Sukadeva Srimad-Bhagavatam. Srila Sukadeva Gosvami became perfect by hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam from Sri Vyasadeva. Then, out of pity, to save Pariksit Maharaja, Sukadeva Gosvami went to him, even though no one had invited him. This is guru-tattva.

Kali-yuga gurus are not like that. They can repent, but after some time they will fall down. First they will wear wooden sandals and be very renounced, not wearing any clothes, going about in their naked bodies. But after some time, they will fall down with their so many seva-dasis, lady servants, and all others. So these are not gurus. They will fall down.

Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja did not come to make disciples like these. We should understand that his mercy distributed itself throughout the world. Although he was old, he was still going everywhere.

You can see the mercy of Sri Vyasadeva, Srila Sukadeva Gosvami, and you can see the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu – how He traveled throughout India here and there. You can also see how merciful Srila Narottama dasa Thakura was. There are so many stories. You know Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura; how merciful they were. This is ‘samsara-davanala-lidha-loka tranaya karunya-ghanaghanatvam.’ Only to save these burning persons are they traveling here and there.

‘Kalyana-gunarnavi.’ Karunya-ghanaghanatvam praptasya kalyana gunarnavasya.’ If one is really guru, he will have all the qualities that Sri Nityananda Prabhu and Baladeva Prabhu have. There is no chance, not even in his dreams, that he will fall down. Never. He will have all these qualities – very merciful, very humble, very sweet behavior, having all kinds of knowledge. The abode of all transcendental qualities will be there.

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura is offering his obeisances to that very guru, and to Srila Narottama dasa Thakura, and to the entire guru-parampara. He has told that we should take this as a symptom of a bona fide guru.

Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja used to play on mrdanga, drums, and he used to weep when he was singing “Sri Sad-Gosvami Astakam,” “Gauranga-bolite habe pulaka sarira”, and so many other songs. “Gaura pahun na bahjiya.” He has all the qualities that have been mentioned here. We should try to accept such a bona fide guru like this; otherwise we will be cheated and we will repent again and again.

Those who have taken initiation from Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja are lucky. We, the disciples of Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Maharaja, are very lucky, very lucky. What are the qualities that a guru needs?

mahaprabhoh kirtana-nitya-gita
vaditra-madyan-manaso rasena
romanca-kampasru-taranga-bhajo
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam
(Sri Gurvastakam 2)

[“Sri Guru is inspired by Mahaprabhu’s sankirtana and is always dancing, singing, and playing musical instruments. Because he is tasting Mahaprabhu’s prema rasa in his heart, like a madman, he sometimes he exhibits ecstatic symptoms—his hairs stand on end, he shivers, and waves of tears flow from his eyes. I offer prayers unto Sri Guru’s lotus feet.”]

Very Expert in Everything

A guru must have all these qualities. “Mahaprabhu kirtana nitya-gita.” You know that he used to sing very sweet and very powerful kirtanas, playing on mrdanga. Have you seen him dancing? I have seen him, so much. I am lucky to have seen him.

I have never seen a dancer like my Guru Maharaja. I have heard that Srila Narottama dasa Thakura and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also used to dance so much. I have heard and I have read in sastra but I have never seen. But I have seen my Guru Maharaja, holding his danda [staff of the renounced order], at the age of 50, and dancing. And Mohini-mohana prabhu, and Satyavigraha prabhu were very good mrdanga players. In the whole of Bengal, they were the most qualified for playing mrdanga. On the sound of ’tik tik dan,’ they used to jump here and there. My Guru Maharaja was also a very good singer. He used to play on the mrdanga also. “Kirtana nitya gita” – he was very expert not only in doing kirtana, but he was also expert in composing and writing. Did you know that Srila Narottama dasa Thakura was expert in all arts? He discovered new tunes on the mrdanga and kirtana.

Srinivasa Arcarya has done mano-harasayi. Srila Syamananda Prabhu gave tunes such as raneti; so many different tunes, raga and raginis. All gurus should be like this. If your guru is not like this, then he is not complete guru; something is lacking. And unmada, mad with ecstasy, when dancing during kirtana – they used to be absorbed in doing all these things. Then romanca, hairs standing on end; kampa, trembling; asru, melting heart; and then tears flowing from their eyes. If you are not seeing all these things in your guru, then either you are wrong or he is wrong. If we can have a guru like this, we are very fortunate.

I have seen my Guru Maharaja when he was remembering his Guru Maharaja, he could not even utter 'Prabhupada.' There would be tears in his eyes, his heart melting and voice choking. Then he used to tell me, "Oh, you should speak something."

I have seen all these things. I am so lucky to see the symptoms in so many of Prabhupada's disciples. Perhaps you have not seen the tears and all these other symptoms in the eyes of Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja. I am lucky to have seen his dancing also. I'm doing pranama [offering obeisances] unto the lotus feet of our guru-parampara, my Guru Maharaja and siksa-guru.

A so-called guru cannot do all this. If a guru somewhat tries to copy or imitate, but his heart is not melting, then he is not a real guru. If even for one day, for one moment, his heart has melted, then he can never fall. In his whole life, he can never fall down.

sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana
srngara-tan-mandira-marjanadau
yuktasya bhaktamsca niyunjato ’pi
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam
(Sri Guruvastakam 3)

[“Always worshiping Sri Vigraha and absorbed in srngara rasa, Sri Guru daily dresses Them with beautiful clothes and ornaments designed to enhance Their meetings. He cleans the temple and performs other services for Them. He also engages his disciples in these services. I offer prayers unto the lotus feet of Sri Guru.”]

Sri Guru is Always Absorbed

‘Sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana.’ He is doing  aradhana, devotional service, of sri vigraha. There are two types of vigraha. Krsna is Himself vigraha, transcendental vigraha. And His vigraha, the Deity, in this world which has been manifested as Radha-Govinda, Radha-Gopinatha, Radha-Madana-mohana, Radha-Syamasundara, Radha-ramana and Radha-Damodara – these are vigraha.

Nitya vigraha is Krsna Himself. When guru is in an internal mood, he's serving Radha and Krsna, doing aradhana – but in what way? ’Sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana, srngara tan mandira-marjanadau.’ He is doing kirtana; this is also aradhana. There are so many various types of worshiping, aradhana. He is doing all these things. If anyone is doing arati and worship of the Deities, it is not sufficient. It should be with romanca (hairs standing on end), kampa (trembling), and asru (tears). He is doing this always.

Srngara – there are so many kinds of ornaments and clothes of Sri Radha-Krsna and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Don't apply the same thing that has been given to Sri Radha-Krsna Conjugal to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Don't decorate Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with peacock feathers and flute. Don't give Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu the ornaments and the cloth of Srimati Radhika just because Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taken the beauty and the shape of Srimati Radhika, the mood of Srimati Radhika. We should not give Him Her clothes. Don't do all these things. Try to remember this. So what our guru-parampara acaryas have given; we should try to do that; not anything else. Don't do concoctions.

‘Yuktasya bhaktams.’ They engage their disciples, all the bhaktas – in what? They will say, “Oh, you should dance, you should do this, you should write these things, you should sing all the songs, write and speak bhakti-grantha (Vedic scritures], worship sri vigraha, the Deities, and other services.”

‘Niyunjato 'pi vande.’ Sri Guru is not only doing this himself, but engaging thousands and thousands of devotees in these things. Yet, they are actually doing it.

But when a guru falls down, you can know the heart of that disciple. You can also know that his guru has left his guru and he has also left bhakti, his chanting and everything. Then what will be the disciple's condition? He will weep and weep. I think that if you are sincere, then Krsna will be also sincere by giving you a sincere guru. But if you are not sincere, then you may be cheated.

catur-vidha-sri-bhagavat-prasada-
svadv-anna-trptan hari-bhakta-sanghan
krtvaiva trptim bhajatah sadaiva
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam (3)

[“Sri Guru is always satisfied to see Sri Krsna’s devotees relishing four kinds of foodstuffs that have been offered, namely, those which are chewed, sucked, licked, and drunk. Thus the devotees become satisfied by tasting mahaprasada. (That is, by accepting prasada in the mood of service, material life is destroyed and the bliss of divine love is awakened in the heart.) I offer prayers unto the lotus feet of Sri Guru.”]

Sri Guru Serving Others First

Who takes and tastes the four kinds of mahaprasadam? Sri Guru is first giving to all others, and then taking the remnants. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu distributed mahaprasadam to all associates with His own hands. He Himself did not take mahaprasadam first. Srila Svarupa Damodara said to Him, "O Prabhu, if You are not sitting and taking mahaprasadam, then nobody can take." (Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila, 11.202-208). Then He became bound, and thus, the others distributed the mahaprasadam.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Nityananda Prabhu always wanted others to have very sweet and delicious preparations. For themselves, they only wanted laphra (boiled mixed vegetables); not very tasty preparations. They used to take like Srila Rupa-Sanatana Gosvamis. They never even took salt, what to tell of other things. A guru should be like this.

Sometimes Srimati Radhika Herself would come to cook for Rupa and Sanatana. Srila Sanatana Gosvami was repenting, but Srila Rupa Gosvami was not repenting. So many mysterious things are there. How?

maha-prasade govinde
nama-brahmani vaisnave
svalpa-punya-vatam rajan
visvaso naiva jayate
(Mahabharata)

[“O King, despite a little amount of pious activities, one’s faith in Lord Govinda will never be born unless one takes shelter of foodstuffs offered to Him, the Holy Name and the Vaisnavas”]

I am reminding all of you that you should not take prasadam; don't eat, instead you should serve. You should not chant nama, you should serve nama. You should not hear harikatha, you should serve harikatha. A bona fide guru will be like this.

First he will satisfy all the Vaisnavas, and by their remnants, somehow he will maintain his life – just like Srila Rupa-Sanatana Gosvamis and others like them. I am doing vandana, prayers, to a guru like this.

sri-radhika-madhavayor apara-
madhurya-lila-guna-rupa-namnam
prati-ksanasvadana-lolupasya
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam  (5)

[“At every moment Sri Guru is experiencing intense greed in his heart to taste the unlimited sweetness of the holy names, forms, qualities, and pastimes of Sri Sri Radha-Madhava in Vrndavana. I offer my prayers unto the lotus feet of Sri Guru.”]

Sri Guru Always Relishing Sri Radha-Krsna’s Sweet Pastimes

‘Sri-radhika-madhavayor-apara-madhurya-lila-guna-rupa-namnam,’ Srimati Radhika and Madhava have so many very sweet, tasteful pastimes. Their names have so much madhurya. For example 'Hare' comes from 'Hara.' What is 'Hara'? Srimati Radhika’s beautiful qualities are serving Krsna by Her prema-mayi-seva, Her loving service.

She can take the heart of Krsna and control Him. All these are sweet pastimes of Krsna. Apara means unlimited. Unlimited names such as Radha-Damodara, Radha-Madhava, Radha-Syamasundara, Radha-Ramana, Radha-Giridhari. Sri Guru is always tasting, always relishing all these things. We are not relishing. Why? We have no realization of all these things.

You are not qualified, but Sri Guru has come to make you qualified like him. What is Sri Guru doing? Internally, he is always relishing all the pastimes of Krsna, and that is why for this world he has become senseless. When you see anyone like Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the stage of being senseless, what is He is doing? Or Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Sanatana Gosvami, and Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami – what are they doing? They have realized their constitutional forms as Rupa-manjari, or other manjari forms, and what are they doing? They are relishing so many sweet pastimes of Krsna internally.

‘Lolupasya.’ What is the meaning of ’lolup’?  A bona fide Sri Guru is always lolup. Lolup is bad for worldly things, but for transcendental things, it is the opposite – it is a very, very attractive thing, and it is a very, very sweet thing. We worldly persons are so much lubdhah, greedy in sense gratification especially in the three W's: wine, women and wealth. But a qualified guru will always have lolya (greed) for the pastimes of Krsna; dancing and relishing all these things. A bona fide guru should be so much qualified in these things, otherwise he is not actually guru. Rather, he may be an abhasa, a shadow or semblance, of guru-tattva.

You should try to go very deep. Srila Visvanatha Cakravati Thakura has taken the unlimited ocean of bhakti-rasa, and he has given it in a nutshell. When we realize this, then an ocean of rasa may come [into our hearts]. Try to read like this, on a much bigger scale. If you are humble and sincere, then all the rasa can come. When you read, offer pranama to whoever has written the book, think that he's there, and then pray that you may understand. In this way, very shortly it will come, and then you can realize all the truths within.

My heartly blessings to all. I'm praying to Krsna that your coming here will be successful. I want to speak to each and every one of you. I want to speak with all those who have come. I know that you have come with very great hope. I want to speak personally with you. Gradually I will speak with all of you, so that you can try to realize my classes.  -From Harikatha Newsletter