2/2014

Sri Sri Radha Govinda Gaudiya Math

For Sincere Seekers Of The Truth

The Basic IdeaSrila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar

Dev-Gosvami Maharaj

Pure means God-interested. In one’s innate nature God’s interest is present. Only God’s interest is the innate tendency and when that is uncovered we can see everything as it is. There

everything is doing the service of the Absolute and everything is all right. The only anomaly arises when we want to see the Absolute as my servant or I want to non-cooperate with Him (bhuki-mukti-sprha). These are two kinds of misconceptions but really everything is meant for serving Him, and I am also a servant included within that jurisdiction. I am a servant. My duty is to use myself cent-per-cent to serve Him. Service is the truth. Service, not of the nation or society or family or land or country, but service of the Absolute: that is truth. Only misconception has come to deviate us from that vision and so cause our suffering. It is something like disease. We are attacked by a disease of exploiting tendency or renouncing tendency. The duty of every jiva soul is to be an inseparable organic unit to serve and to work for the interest of the organic whole. That is the basic idea.

All Glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!

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Editorial Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur

If one does not realize that he has a spiritual body, then he will remain forgetful of Krishna and consider his body the self.

The Absolute Truth is beyond material sense perception. Krishna is the master of the senses,

and one must serve Him with all one’s senses. Service to Krishna is rendered through service-inclined senses, spiritualized senses. One revives one’s spiritual body only by Guru’s mercy. The soul serves the Supersoul, who is sat-cit-ananda, through its spiritual senses.

People devoid of service inclination toward the transcendental Lord are compared to the animals. It’s better if one always associates with saintly persons. The Lord’s devotees are constantly engaged in His service. If we associate with devotees, we will also develop the propensity to give the Lord pleasure. Simply by associating with devotees we can come to understand that we possess a spiritual body. Then we will no longer consider the material body the self, and our desire for material happiness, which is all-destructive, will be destroyed forever.

A devotee desires neither material enjoyment nor liberation. Rather, a devotee is always eager to please the Supreme Lord by engaging constantly in His service. A materialist thinks,

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Saranagati – SurrenderSrila Bhaktivinod Thakur

Atma-nivedana – Self Surrender (Third Prayer)

with

Sri Laghu-candrika-bhasya Gentle Moonlight CommentarySrila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Gosvami Maharaj

emana durmati, sańsāra bhitare,paďiyā āchhinu āmi

tava nija-jana, kona mahājane,pāţhāiyā dile tumi [1]

I am a most sinful-hearted person and have fallen into this material world, but You have sent a great soul, Your own associate (to rescue me).

dayā kari’ more, patita dekhiyā,kahila āmāre giyā

ohe dīna-jana, śuna bhāla kathā,

“I will enjoy by cheating the Lord.” An impersonalist thinks, “I will become the Lord myself by cheating Him.” Devotees do not possess such sinful mentalities. Rather, their devotional practices situate them in their original constitutional position as the Lord’s servants.

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ullasita habe hiyā [2]Seeing my fallen condition and being merciful to me, he

came to me and said, “O humble soul, listen to this wonderful message and your heart will rejoice.

tomāre tārite, śrī-kŗşņa-chaitanya,navadvīpe avatāra

tomā hena kata, dīna-hīna jane,karilena bhava-pāra [3]

‘Sri Krishna Caitanya has descended in Nabadvip to deliver you. He has safely conducted many humble and fallen souls like you across the ocean of material existence.

vedera pratijñā, rākhibāra tare,rukma-varņa vipra-suta

mahāprabhu nāme, nadīyā mātāya,saňge bhāi avadhūta [4]

To fulfil the prophecies of the Vedas, He has appeared with a golden complexion as a brahman’s son bearing the Name ‘Mahaprabhu’ and driven all of Nadia mad with prema in the company of His brother Nityananda.

nanda-suta yini, chaitanya gosāñi,nija nāma kari’ dāna

tārila jagat, tumio yāiyā,laha nija paritrāna [5]

Sri Caitanya Gosani, who is Nanda Suta Himself, has delivered the universe by distributing His Name. You too should go and accept your deliverance.’”

se kathā śuniyā, āsiyāchhi, nātha!

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tomāra charaņa-talebhakati-vinoda, kādiyā kādiyā,

āpana kāhinī bale [6]O Lord! Hearing this message, I have come before Your

feet. Crying incessantly, Bhaktivinod tells the story of his life.

Commentary by Srila BR Sridhar Maharaj(2) śuna bhāla kathā: “Listen to this wonderful message.” Krishna prefaces His final teaching in Srimad Bhagavad-gita (18.64) similarly:

sarva-guhyatamań bhūyaģ śŗņu me paramań vacaģişţo 'si me dŗďham iti tato vakşyāmi te hitam

“Now again hear from Me My supreme teaching, the most hidden treasure of all. I tell you this for your benefit as you are most dear to Me.”

Sriman Mahaprabhu also alludes to a wonderful message while narrating a parable to Srila Sanatan Gosvami Prabhu in Sri Caitanya Caritamrta (Madhya-lila, 20.127–8):

'sarvajña' āsi' duģkha dekhi' puchaye tāhāre'tumi kene duģkhī, tomāra āche pitŗ-dhana

“Coming to the house of a poor man (a fallen soul) and observing his suffering, Sarvajña (the personification of the revealed scriptures) questioned him, ‘Why are you so miserable? You have a great inheritance!’”(3) śrī kŗşņa caitanya: “Sri Krishna Caitanya.” This Name of the Lord is mentioned in the Padma Purana:

nāma cintāmaņiģ kŗşņaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaģ

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pūrņaģ śuddho nitya-mukto 'bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoģ“The Name ‘Krishna Caitanya’ is a wish-fulfilling jewel

and an embodiment of rasa. He is complete, pure, eternally liberated, and non-different from whom He Names.”navadvīpe avatāra: “Descended in Navadvip.” This is described in the Ananta-samhita:

avatīrņo bhavişyāmi kalau nija-gaņaiģ sahaśāchī-garbhe navadvīpe svardhunī-parivārite

“In the Age of Kali, I will descend in Navadvip with My eternal associates beside the banks of the Ganges, taking birth from the womb of Saci Devi.”bhava-pāra: “The shore of the ocean of material existence.” In Srimad Bhagavatam (11.5.34), Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is described as the deliverer of the fallen souls from the ocean of material existence:

dhyeyań sadā paribhava-ghnam abhīşţa-dohańtīrthāspadań śiva-viriñci-nutań śaraņyam

bhŗtyārti-hań praņata-pāla bhavābdhi-potańvande mahā-puruşa te caraņāravindam

“O Mahaprabhu! I offer my obeisance unto Your lotus feet, which are the ultimate object of eternal meditation; which destroy illusion and fulfil all desires; which are the supreme place of pilgrimage; which are worshipped by Sadasiva and Brahma; which are the shelter of everything; which dispel the suffering of Your servants; which maintain all who surrender unto them; and which are the boat to cross the ocean of material existence.”

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(4) vedera pratijñā: “The prophecies of the Vedas.” This refers to the promises made in the Vedas that the Supreme Lord would appear as Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu.rukma-varņa: “Golden complexion.” That the Lord would appear with a golden complexion is prophesied in Sri Mundaka Upanisad (3.1.3):

yadā paśyaģ paśyate rukma-varņańkartāram īśań puruşań brahma-yonim

tadā vidvān puņya-pāpe vidhūyanirañjanaģ paramań sāmyam upaiti

“When a soul sees the golden Lord, who is the supreme controller and the source of Brahma, they become wise, free from the reactions of both pious and impious activities, pure, and they attain supreme equanimity.”

The Vishnu-sahasra-nama of the Mahābhārata (Dāna-dharma-parva, 189) has also prophesied the divine form and pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu:

suvarņa-varņo hemāňgo varāňgaś chandanāňgadīsannyāsa-kŗch chhamaģ śānto nişţhā-śānti-parāyaņaģ

“His complexion is golden, His limbs appear like molten gold, His beautiful body is adorned with sandalwood paste and flower garlands, He accepts sannyās, He is equanimous and peaceful, and He is the supreme abode of steadfast devotion (mahabhava).”mahāprabhu: “Bearing the Name ‘Mahaprabhu’.” That the Lord would be known by the Name ‘Mahaprabhu’ is prophesied in Sri Svetasvatara Upanisad (2.12):

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mahān prabhur vai puruşaģ sattvasyaişa pravartakaģsunirmalam imań prāptiń īśāno jyotir avyayaģ

“Sri Mahaprabhu, the supreme master, is verily the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the originator of existence, the eternally effulgent Lord. By His grace one attains ultimate purity.”avadhūta: “Nityananda.” An avadhut has been described by Srila Sridhar Svami in his commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam as avajñayā-janais tyakto yaģ, one who is abandoned by general people with disregard (because his ecstatic, purely devotional behaviour is incomprehensible).(5) nanda-suta: “The son of Nanda.” Srila Jiva Gosvami Prabhu has described the identity of Sriman Mahaprabhu in his Tattva-sandarbha (2):

antaģ kŗşņań bahir gaurań darśitāňgādi-vaibhavamkalau saňkīrtanādyaiģ sma kŗşņa-chaitanyam āśritāģ

“Sri Krishna Caitanya is internally Krishna Himself and outwardly golden. He has manifest in the Age of Kali in all His glory, accompanied by His entourage. We take shelter of Him by performing Hari-nama-sankirtan and related devotional services.”Sriman Mahaprabhu is also described in the Kapila-tantra:

premāliňgana-yogena chāchintya-śakti-yogataģrādhā-bhāva-kānti-yutāń mūrtim ekāń prakāśayet

“By the loving embrace of His inconceivable potency, Krishna has manifested a form enriched with the heart and halo of Sri Radha—the divine form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.”

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Amrta VaniSrila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur

How is it possible to actually serve Krishna?

Actual service to Krishna is rendered simply by serving the spiritual master and the Vaisnavas. The sahajiyas

(imitators) cannot understand this. They think that one who worships Krishna is great, and therefore they proudly consider themselves Vaisnavas, accept service from others, and renounce their guru-seva and vaisnava-seva.

Those who have heard the teachings of Sri Caitanyadeva and the Gosvamis, however, know well that it is possible to serve Krishna only by serving the Guru and the Vaisnavas, who are all Krishna’s dear devotees. What is the point in making a show of serving Krishna while neglecting to serve His devotees?

Those who renounce their subordination and service to the spiritual master pretend to serve Krishna and chant the Holy Name, but they commit offenses at every step. As long as one continues to commit offenses he cannot serve Krishna or chant His Holy Names purely. Only the surrendered devotees engaged in guru-seva and vaisnava-seva attain pure devotion by their mercy. Sri Caitanyadeva and the Gosvamis bestow mercy on those who serve Guru and the Vaisnavas with love

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“Actual service to Krishna is rendered simply by serving the spiritual master and the Vaisnavas. The sahajiyas

(imitators) cannot understand this. They think that one who worships Krishna is great, and therefore they proudly consider themselves Vaisnavas, accept service from others,

and renounce their guru-seva and vaisnava-seva.“Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur

and devotion.I used to think of myself as a learned scholar in mathematics

and philosophy, but by my good fortune I met my spiritual master. When he shocked me by pointing out that my great qualities—my truthfulness, my pure moral life, and my vast learning—were insignificant, I realized how great he must be

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to consider such qualities insignificant. By his push I could understand that there was no person as fallen and wretched as myself. I understood my actual position.

Here was a great soul who placed no value on qualities such as learning and moral character—qualities I esteemed highly. I understood what an invaluable object this great personality must possess! I concluded that he was either extremely merciful or extremely proud. Thereafter I took shelter of the Supreme Lord with humility. By the Lord’s mercy I realized that without the service and mercy of such an akincana, I could not achieve spiritual success. When I developed that good intelligence, I received the shelter and unlimited mercy of my spiritual master and my life became successful. Here I am speaking about that most auspicious personality whom I have realized by the mercy of the Supreme Lord, my own spiritual master.

Srila Gaura Kishora Das Babaji Maharaj – spiritual master of Srila Prabhupad

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati

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The shock I received from my spiritual master made me realize that unless people are similarly shocked they will not come to their senses. Therefore I declare that I am the most foolish person in the entire world. Do not become foolish like me! Do not try to measure the spiritual master or Krishna. Discuss kŗşņa-kathā and you will certainly become a great personality.

Learn To DieSrila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Gosvami Maharaj

In maya, illusion, it is difficult for us to digest the truth that, “I am small.” We don’t like to digest this, to accept this: and that is the rub.

Our inner evil tendency is to capture the right of others, but we are to understand what is freedom. Here we really are accustomed to think that we can encroach over the freedom of others in the environment. That is the disease. Alternatively, the reactionary tendency is to think, “I shall commit suicide, that is, let us enter the tomb, samadhi. If I cannot exercise my freedom on the environment outside, then rather I shall enter the tomb, the grave, but I won’t accept slavery, the serving attitude to the environment.” We are frightened to become a servant: “I want to be an exploiting unit, but not a serving unit, that I shall give my freedom to another superior hand.” It is there that we shrink away and that is the inner defect. By freedom

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“We are frightened to become a servant: 'I want to be an exploiting unit, but not a serving unit,

that I shall give my freedom to another superior hand.'"Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Gosvami Maharaj

we understand that we have freedom to exercise right over the environment. But why should we not accept service for the environment? Why? We think that we shall be reduced to the minimum position. But to do for others, to become a servant, is healthy for us and there we can thrive. We can thrive by serving the environment, and especially the Lord of the whole. We think that if we render service then we

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are dying. That temperament, false temperament, has grown within us, and that is a foreign element which has covered the jiva proper. It is a bitter pill to swallow.

So what is service proper? Hegel’s philosophy is “Die to Live” dissolve your ego as it is at present. Dissolve it mercilessly: die! Die means to dissolve, mercilessly. Throw yourself into the fire and you will come out with a bright self. Learn to die as you are: that mental concocted body, that concocted energy. Take the Name of the Lord and die. Bhakativinoda aj apane bhulila (Saranagati 2.7). Forget yourself as you are at present and you will find your proper self there that does not die. Death is ordained for our existence so give to the death that part of you that is ordained to die, and the eternal part of you will remain.

But Mahaprabhu has discouraged the physical death. He told Sanatana Gosvami,

“sanātana, deha-tyāge kŗşņa yadi pāiyekoţi-deha kşaņeke tabe chāďite pāriye”

(Caitanya Caritamrta, Antya 4.55)“I am ready to die millions and crores of times in a second

if that would give me Krishna, but that dying is nothing.” This physical death is tamasik, it is a very much lower bait. Not only physical death, but real death, the wholesale death, is necessary. Then also I may only get that tatastha, boderline stage. But Mahaprabhu says, “Die or not die, go on cultivating Krishna consciousness with the company of a sadhu. Go on with the company of a devotee of Krishna. Try to accumulate that

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internal wealth by whatever means it is possible.”The internal capital can be had only from the sadhu.

Wherever you can get it and with whatever price you must pay, try to secure that innermost wealth. Not mere physical death or mental death has the reach to take you to that higher stage. You are to dive deep into Krishna consciousness. Wherever and whenever you find someone with such strong attachment for Krishna you must try to secure it from him at any price and that will be the best utilization of your life and energy. You are to purchase the higher thing and that is also at the sacrifice of the higher type of substance within you. You are to have innermost hankering and the transaction will be by the surrendering of your innermost existence.

The encasements: the physical encasements and mental encasements of different types are many: Bhur, Bhuvah, Svah, Mahah, Janah, Tapah, Satya. There are so many varieties and types of physical and mental encasements. The many subtle encasements from gross to finer do not end only in Viraja and Brahmaloka but even consciousness has its gross portion in Vaikuntha. But more subtle within you is that Krishna consciousness where the dedication is intense to its highest capacity, and that is dedication to the Autocrat. Dedication there is to the Autocrat, not to a constitutional king where there is justice, but dedication to Krishna, to that Autocrat: anything can happen!

The highest degree of dedication is necessary there. The gain is also similar: it is of the highest type. As much as you can risk,

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so much you can expect to gain. That is, Mahaprabhu gives the direction: “Don’t be a miser, but surrender yourself to the Autocrat, the Absolute Good, and you will be the best gainer!” That is His recommendation. So don’t be too calculative and don’t be a miser. If you find a proper place then give yourself totally (atmaniksepa).

“Throw yourself into the fire and you will come out with a bright self. Learn to die as you are: that mental

concocted body, that concocted energy. Take the Name of the Lord and die.”

Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Gosvami Maharaj

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Jīvera 'svarūpa' haya — guru 'nitya-dāsa'

Srila Bhakti Kumud Santa Maharaj

During the British regime, I went to Rangoon, Burma, for preaching. Then Sripad Yajak Maharaj and I were companions. One day I read:

jīvera 'svarūpa' haya — kŗşņera 'nitya-dāsa'kŗşņera 'taţasthā-śakti' 'bhedābheda-prakāśa'

“The constitutional position of a jiva (individual soul) is that he is an eternal servant (nitya-dāsa) of Krishna. He is Krishna's marginal potency (tatasthā-śakti) and manifestation of the Lord simultaneously different from and identical with Him (bhedābheda-prakāśa).”

(Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, Madhya 20.108)I told Yajak Maharaj, “Maharaj, I do not accept this.” He

said, “What are you saying? This was written by Srila Krishna Das Kaviraj Gosvami. Who are you to not accept it?”

I then wrote an essay explaining my realization called Bhrtya paricaya (The Signs of a Servant) and send it to the daily Nadiya Prakasa. At that time Sri Pranavananda Brahmacari (later Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Maharaj) and Krishna Kanti Brahamacari (later Srila Bhakti Kusum Sraman Maharaj) were the editor and publisher respectively of this daily newspaper.

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In my article, I wrote, “It is true that the individual soul’s eternal identity is to be the servant of Lord Krishna. Never-theless, it is impossible for me to accept this. Why? Because

I have no aquaintance with Krishna. I have never seen Him. I do not know Him, I do not understand Him and I have not attained Him.” At the conclusion of my article, I wrote, “My qualifications can be known from the service I render to my Guru. If I have any identity, it is that I am a servant of My Guru.”

P r a b h u p a d (Bhakt i s iddhanta Sarasvati) read the essay and said with tears in his eyes, “What a great thing has been written down by such a little

“My qualifications can be known from the service I render to my Guru. If I have any identity, it is

that I am a servant of my Guru.”Srila Bhakti Kumud Santa Maharaj

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boy!” He said to Krishna Kanti Prabhu, “Please, write to this boy that his Gurudev blesses him after reading his article.”

This is the truth. Where have we seen Krishna? We have seen a stone statue. It is Sri Gurudev who takes away my material understanding; he removes the cataract from my eyes. I shall be able to see the Lord by his grace. To whom, therefore, shall I give most importance? How can I give the same degree of importance to anyone else? I shall only offer respect to other sadhus with a view of getting the mercy of my Guru, for in this life I am not ready to admit any other person, whoever he may be, if it means losing the mercy of my spiritual master (guru-kripa).

Mahaprabhu and sabda-NamaOm Visnupad Sri Srimad

Bhakti Vaibhav Puri Gosvami Maharaj

We have never heard of anyone who embraces tigers. Is there any record of a man who can control all of the world’s wild beasts? Mahaprabhu

is controlling them. He is embracing and patting them. He reunited them all and they are following Him. He is throwing water at the elephants and they are dancing. You cannot imagine. No one can imagine this! The jnanis cannot imagine it. What to speak of the ordinary people. There are no records of what Mahaprabhu did in the western philo-sophy. These animals were actually walking around Him and

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when he said, “Krishna!” they repeated, “Krishna!” This was not a circus where animals are tamed. He did not train them, He gave them Nama.

“This was not a circus where animals are tamed.He did not train them, He gave them Nama.

That force, that power, that energy entered into their hearts and they realized it, because they are the atma.”

Om Visnupad Sri Srimad Bhakti Vaibhav Puri Gosvami Maharaj

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Śrī Caitanya BhāgavataAdi-khanda 2nd Chapter (71-79)

by Vyasa Avatar Srila Vrndavan Das Thakur

Only the most pious people would recite the Names of Pundarikaksa and Govinda at the time of taking bath.Commentary by Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati: Before the Lord inaugurated the sankirtan movement, so-called pious and religious persons chanted the Names of Govinda and Pundarikaksa only at the time of taking bath in order to cleanse their sins with water. They considered this a traditional social custom. Otherwise these people never chanted the Names of Vishnu even by mistake. Rather, they believed that chanting the Names of Govinda and

That force, that power, that energy entered into their hearts and they realized it, because they are the atma. This sound is related to the atma. But the atma-jnanis cannot do that. They cannot convert all these beasts. They have no power. They can perceive some happiness within themselves, but now this same happiness was distributed to the beasts and the birds. Not to human beings, but to beasts and birds. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has done it through the sabda-brahma. Hare Krishna is sabda-brahma. Mahaprabhu has united and mobilized everyone. Can this stage be obtain by any jnani at any time? A jnani can practise some jnanam for his own benefit. But here Mahaprabhu did not apply this, He did only Nama-kirtana.

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Pundarikaksa by everyone at all times is prohibited. They thought that the Names of Govinda and Pundarikaksa should not be chanted by unqualified persons or at improper times. This is how unfortunate and averse to Lord Hari the communities of so-called followers of the Vedas were. Ultimately this consideration was checked by the namnam akari Siksastaka verse of the most magnanimous friend of the living entities, Sri Caitanyadeva.

namnam akari bahudha nija-sarvasaktistatrarpita niyamita smarane na kalahetadrsi tava krpa bhagavan mamapi

durdaivam idrsam ihajani nanuragah"O my Lord, Your Holy Name bestows auspiciousness

upon all. And You have unlimited Names such as Krishna and Govinda by which You reveal Yourself. In Your many Holy Names You have kindly invested all Your transcendental potency. And in chanting these Names, there are no strict rules concerning time or place. Out of Your causeless mercy, You have descended in the form of divine sound, but my great misfortune is that I have no love for Your Holy Name."(Illumination of the Siksastaka verse by Srila BR Sridhar Dev-Gosvami Maharaj: In the second Siksastaka verse is said, "O my Lord, You have revealed the chanting of Your Holy Names, and all Your power has been invested within those Names." Both the Holy Name of Krishna and its potency are eternal. All potencies or energies are found within the

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Holy Name of Krishna. And there is no particular time or place which has been fixed for chanting the Name. It is not that one can only chant in the morning, or only after taking bath, or only after going to a holy place-there are no such conditions. One may go on chanting the Holy Name of Krishna anytime, anywhere, in any circumstance.)

Even when someone explained the Bhagavad-gita or Srimad Bhagavatam, they would not mention anything about devotional service to the Lord.Commentary by Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati: At that time those who studied pure devotional literatures like Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam never explained that worshiping the Supreme Lord is the only duty of the living entities. Their recitation and teaching of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam was meant for achieving immediate sense gratification, and they thus twisted the meanings of these two books to make them appear like the ordinary book, which is meant for satisfying one’s senses. And the non-devotee communities presently recite Gita and Bhagavata in this way. Such recitation of Gita and Bhagavata by conditioned souls who are simply interested in sensual happiness is an obstacle for one’s advancement and simply leads one to hell, because that is never recitation of Gita and Bhagavata. Rather, such recitation is a collection of ordinary mundane words for gratifying the senses. Sri Bhagavad-gita and Srimad

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Bhagavatam are the crest jewels of all scriptures, they are as great and as worthy of taking shelter of as Krishna, and they are the transcendental manifestations of sri-krsna-kirtana. They are neither mundane philosophical books nor ordinary poetry that are accessible to the mundane ears and tongues of materialistic people. This class of speakers and listeners who are interested in sensual happiness are ever bereft of the merciful glance of magnanimous Mahaprabhu.

Seeing the entire world illusioned by the Lord’s external energy in this way, all the devotees felt unlimited distress. [They thought:] “How will these people be delivered? The whole world is simply absorbed in material enjoyment. “People will not chant the Names of Krishna even if they are instructed! Rather, they constantly glorify their education and good birth.” The great devotees, however, followed their prescribed duties like worshiping Krishna, bathing in the Ganges, and discussing topics of Krishna. They all bestowed their blessings on the people of the world and prayed, “O Krishnacandra, please quickly bestow mercy on these people.”

Residing in Navadvip at that time was Advaita Acarya, the topmost Vaisnava, who is glorified throughout the world. Sri Advaita Acarya was the most respected teacher. He was as expert as Lord Siva in explaining the devotional service of Lord Krishna with knowledge and renunciation.

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Commentary by Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati: As the greatest teacher of the science of Krishna, devotional service to Krishna, and renunciation of everything unrelated to Krishna, Sri Advaita Acarya preached the glories of pure devotional service to the Lord. He manifested pastimes like those of Sri Rudra, who is the principle acarya for broadcasting devotional service and the inaugurator of the Visnusvami-sampradaya. Just as Sri Sankaracarya, the incarnation of Sankara, scattered and covered the devotional service of the Lord through his philosophy, arguments, and scholarship in order to bewilder the demoniac people, Sri Advaita Prabhu exhibited the true identity of pure knowledge, devotional service, and renunciation in the course of explaining the devotional service of Krishna by His uncommon endeavors and activities. The acaryas of the Sri Rudra-sampradaya are known as Visnusvami, because they preach pure devotional service. A few disciples of the Rudra-sampradaya gave up subordination to their spiritual master, or the process of accepting knowledge through aural reception, and practiced adulterated devotional service. They then created a new sampradaya known as the Sivasvami-sampradaya. Sri Sankaracarya appeared in this Sivasvami-sampradaya and vigorously preached adulterated devotional service in this world. Since less intelligent people considered both pure and adulterated devotional service as the same, they were cheated from achieving eternal benefit.

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Śrīmad BhāgavatamSārārtha-Darśini-tikā

Commentary bySrila Visvanath Cakravarti Thakur

Srimad Bhagavatam 11.14.13

akiñcanasya dāntasyaśāntasya sama-cetasaģ

mayā santuşţa-manasaģsarvāģ sukha-mayā diśaģ

One who does not desire anything within this world, who has controlled his senses, who has fixed his intelligence in Me, who regards heaven and hell equally, and whose mind is completely satisfied in Me finds only happiness wherever he goes.

Srila Visvanath Cakravarti Thakur: Two verses describe the happiness of bhakti and the realization of that happiness. The devotee’s mind and all his senses are satisfied by Me, who possess great sweetness of astonishing sound, touch, form, taste, smell, pastimes and mercy, attained through meditation. Wherever he goes becomes full of happiness. When a person with great, indestructible wealth bound in his cloth goes to a place, that place becomes filled with happiness, wealth and enjoyment. He has nothing, because he has attained Me,

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the great indestructible treasure. He has rejected enjoyment of temporary material wealth and followers represented by the word kiñcana, “something,” since the senses absorbed in external or internal objects give no taste. Thus he has control of the senses (dāntasya). His intelligence is fixed in Me (śāntasya). This is the definition of sama given later. Śamo man-nişţhatā buddher: sama means having the intelligence fixed in Me. (SB 11.19.36) Thus he sees heaven, liberation and hell equally (sama-cetasaģ).

Srimad Bhagavatam 11.14.14

na pārameşţhyań na mahendra-dhişņyańna sārvabhaumań na rasādhipatyamna yoga-siddhīr apunar-bhavań vāmayy arpitātmecchati mad vinānyat

One who has fixed his consciousness on Me desires neither the position or abode of Brahma or Indra, nor an empire on the Earth, nor sovereignty in the lower planetary systems, nor the eightfold perfection of yoga, nor liberation. Such a person desires Me alone.

Srila Visvanath Cakravarti Thakur: The devotee is without desire for any object indicated by the word kiñcana. He does not desire the position of Brahma or the happiness of merging in Brahman (apunar-bhavań). He has offered his atma to Me. Because of the rule yathā māń prapadyante tāńs tathaiva bhajāmy aham: as they surrender to Me, I respond (Bhagavad-

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Don't Deceive Yourself(Second Part)

Srila Bhakti Sadhak Muni Maharaj

We have to advance in our spiritual life. Krishna consciousness means to be connected 24-hours a day, to not be for even one second disconnected.

We have no eyes to see, we have very limited vision. Therefore, whenever we approach a pure devotee, we pull him down to the mundane level. We see him with our eyes as ordinary, like anyone else.

How much can we see? How much have we realized Krishna and Supersoul or soul consciousness? Soul consciousness, Supersoul consciousness, means that we are conscious of everything. Now we do not have this consciousness. Our consciousness is just engaged with our problems, with our tiny mundane cultivation of our whatever. And we are arguing.

Imagine what kind of sacrifice such devotees as our Gurudev and his godbrothers and Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati are doing. What we read in the Amrta Vani (Nectar of Instruction for Immortality) about the spiritual master is a standard for how the spiritual master himself has to speak.

gita 4.11), I offer my atma to them as well. The devotee does not desire anything except Me, for I remain always perceivable by all his senses. For a person who has tasted continuous, sweet juice, mud is not attractive.

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He has to speak like this so that others may understand the position of spiritual master. When Svami Maharaj came, he had to teach his devotees how to worship, how to respect Vaisnava and Guru. He himself had to do this because all of these newcomers were thinking, “He is the same as me.” Ignorant people will think like this, “He is just like me.” We should be very careful, because as long as we think in this way, all we understand about him is that which we are projecting on him – our level, our vision, is making him like this.

What realization do we have? How can we realize something

“As long as we think we know something, that weare close to Him, that we are Krishna conscious – we will be

deceived by maya.” Srila Bhakti Sadhak Muni Maharaj

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if we approach him from our level? We have to be very careful. If we want to get the real benefit, we have to follow the teaching of our Guru Maharaj, of our Param Gurudev.Devotee: How to uproot this attitude towards pure devotees?Srila Muni Maharaj: When we hear these things, we should do more then just hear it, and then go out and do speak all kinds of nonsense, concerning only the external world – the weather, our bodily conditions, all discussed in detail. We must think, “What is the interest of Krishna in these things? Is He pleased if I talk to Him like this?”

There are many topics being discussed, but there is no topic concerning what we have read – for example, about Mahaprabhu’s pastimes. In this way there is not a continuous flow, you know? After hearing hari-katha we leave the temple room, and the flow is interrupted. Why is it like this? Because actually we don’t have any taste for hari-katha. We have the taste for it only if we are speaking about it, because we like to hear our speaking, and we like the attention others give us, “Oh, he is speaking so nicely!” We get taste for these things: pratistha. We like to be in the position of speaker. But this is not pleasing to Krishna. This is for our pratistha. Very subtle impurity.

When I am speaking I have to also take a lot of sacrifice. When I speak that Krishna consciousness is a 24-hours process, then I have to practice it, I have to live it as much as possible. Spiritual consciousness is something different from mundane consciousness – it is beyond mundane. So if we come from these

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high spiritual talks and immediately jump into the material topics, talking all kinds of nonsense, then we are committing offense actually.

We have no faith in what Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, sastra and Mahaprabhu said. We have no faith. We are egocentric and so much involved in our “I and my” thinking that we are not able to let the universal consciousness work in us. We are not able to meditate about Krishna, because it is always contaminated with this “I and my”. Basically we are

“We find various ways for how to cheat ourselvesand think it is Krishna consciousness. But what is Krishna

consciousness will be decided by Krishna, and those who aremore advanced then we are.”

Srila Bhakti Sadhak Muni Maharaj

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only doing things that are for us, for our comfort. Deceptively we put up a big billboard and write Hare

Krishna on it, but our real interest is only in ourselves. When this habit changes, we become a real devotee – there is no “I and my”, there is only “my Lord, let me do something for Your satisfaction. What can I do? I am not able to manage “I and my.” I offer my everything to You.” And then when He comes a little closer to test us, we get scared and start crying.

We should understand that we are very far away from Krishna. As long as we think we know something, that we are close to Him, that we are Krishna conscious – we will be deceived by maya. Our interest is only “I and my” interest. And we sell it very expertly, with many tricks. We try to fulfill our interest and sell it as Krishna’s interest. We cheat ourselves very expertly. We find various ways for how to cheat ourselves and think it is Krishna consciousness. But what is Krishna consciousness will be decided by Krishna, and those who are more advanced then we are.

So, real surrender, real Krishna consciousness means big sacrifice. We have to cross this border, otherwise we will only live in the imitation of Krishna consciousness.

To make it easy, to make compromises, doesn’t mean this is the real thing. Our Guru Maharaj did not make any compromise. Many times he reacted like a thunderbolt. Half-truth is more dangerous than falsehood. So either you tell the truth or don’t, but never half, otherwise you will be cheated. Srila Gurudeva ki jay!

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We think that if we render service

then we are dying.

That temperament,

false temperament,

has grown within us,

and that is a foreign element

which has covered the soul proper.Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Gosvami Maharaj

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