Explanation of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada's Pranama Mantra
53:31Topics
- Glorification of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada on his appearance day.
- Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is one of prominent acarya of Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya and has all the qualities of all the previous acaryas like Ramanuja, Madhva, Nimbaditya, Vishnuswami, etc.
- Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura wrote & published many books. He called this 'brhad mrdanga'.
- Srila Prabhupada was a famous astrologer and hence got the title - 'Sarasvati'.
- Explanation of the pranam mantra of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.
- Explanation of the verse 'he krsna karuna sindho' and 'anyabhilasita sunyam'.
- By aisvaryamayi bhakti, one can go only upto Vaikuntha or maximum, to [the outermost realm of] Goloka.
- Worship in the paramour mood was never given by anyone before Sri Rupa Gosvami.
- Difference between raganuga & rupanuga.
- We should try to have rupanuga association.
- Meaning of 'krsna-sambandha vijnana dayine prabhave namah'.
- If one doesn't have krsna-prema, he can't give it.
Transcript
[This class was spoken by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja on February 5, 1999 in Manila, the Philippines.
Note: This transcript has the following editors’ inputs: the language has been slightly edited at some places, and additional text has been included in square brackets to facilitate the flow and understandability of the content. The verbatim transcript is available below the edited version.
If you are inspired to participate in the transcription sevā, please register at https://www.audioseva.com/register.]
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja:
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya ācārya-siṁha-rūpiṇe
śrī-śrīmad-bhakti-prajñāna-keśava iti nāmine
(I offer praṇāma to the lion-like ācārya, oṁ viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja)
atimartya-caritrāya svāśritānāṁ ca pāline
jīva-duḥkhe sadārttāya śrī-nāma-prema-dāyine
(His character and activities are transcendental to the modes of nature, and he protects and nurtures those who take shelter of him. He is always aggrieved to see the suffering of the living entities, and he bestows love for śrī nāma)
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhūtale
śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti-nāmine
(I offer praṇāma to oṁ viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda, who, in this world, is most dear to Kṛṣṇa)
śrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhaye
kṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ
(I offer praṇāma to Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-dayita dāsa, the manifestation of an ocean of mercy, who bestows realization of our eternal relationship with Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
mādhuryojjvala-premāḍhya-śrī-rūpānuga-bhakti-da
śrī-gaura-karuṇā-śakti-vigrahāya namo ’stu te
(O Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, you deliver śrī rūpānuga-bhakti, which is enriched with ujjvala-mādhurya-prema. You are the embodiment of the mercy potency of Śrī Gaurāṅga. I offer praṇāma unto you.)
namas te gaura-vāṇī-śrī-mūrtaye dīna-tāriṇe
rūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe
(I offer obeisances to you, the embodiment of Śrī Gaurāṅga’s message. You deliver the fallen and remove the darkness of philosophical misconceptions that are opposed to the precepts taught by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī)
vāñchā-kalpa-tarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca
patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ
[I offer praṇāma again and again to the Vaiṣṇavas, who are the saviors of the fallen, who are just like wish-fulfilling desire-trees, and who are oceans of mercy.]
namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ
[I offer praṇāma to that greatly munificent Lord who bestows kṛṣṇa-prema. He is Kṛṣṇa Himself, who has assumed a golden complexion and accepted the name Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya.]
nārāyaṇaṁ namaskṛtya
naraṁ caiva narottamam
devīṁ sarasvatīṁ vyāsaṁ
tato jayam udīrayet
[Before reciting this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is the very means of conquest, one should offer respectful obeisances unto the Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, unto Nara-nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi, the supermost human being, unto mother Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning, and unto Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the author.]
(Talking in Hindi)
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: We are very fortunate to observe the very pious day, the birthday of Jagad-guru Nitya-līlā Praviṣṭa Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura. He is one of the prominent ācāryas in the line of Brahma Mādhva Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Sampradāya – our guru-paramparā. He was one of the prominent ācāryas. He has all the qualities which we see in all our ācāryas, previous ācāryas. He has the qualities of Rāmānuja, Madhva, Viṣṇusvāmī, Nimbāditya – all. Also, he has the qualities of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī and Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī. He has the qualities of Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūsaṇa, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura – all previous ācāryas [seem to have been] included in him [embodied by him]. So, he was a very prabhāva-śālī ācārya, very…
Devotee: Influential
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: …influential ācārya. We see that our guru-mahārāja used to tell that, you know Śaṅkarācārya, from very, very beginning, at the age of twelve, he conquered…he defeated all the karmī-smārta gurus at that time, [the] learned scholars at that time. He has also controlled so many kings and by their help, by the help of sword, he conquered all, defeated all. So, very quickly, he preached over the whole of India. He also defeated Buddhism and he dragged away Buddhism from India to China and other countries – Japan and other countries. We see that Rāmānuja Ācārya also was very influential; Madhvācārya also; they also have taken the help of kings and powers.
But this Śrīla Prabhupāda Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura, he never took any help from any king or very influential persons. He initiated some strong devotees, brahmacārīs, made them tridaṇḍa-sannyāsīs very quickly and then he sent them all door-to-door to preach, and to preach by what process? Having one box, little box, [he told them:] “Go to all and tell our message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that ‘you are all transcendental parts of Kṛṣṇa, you are servants of Kṛṣṇa, you have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. So, you must chant, remember and serve Kṛṣṇa.’ Go door to door. In trams, in railway buggies, buses, in markets – everywhere, and only take one paise.” You know one paise? Very little fragment; it may be [a] thousandth part of one dollar, more than…[or even] less than that and easily one can give. [Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda told his preachers:] “Don’t take more, and tell from where you have come, what you want to tell, the message of Caitanya Mahāprabhu – ‘jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’ [the living entities constitutional position is as a servant of Kṛṣṇa].’ You should tell them [this], and from them [you should ask], ‘Oh, you should speak one Kṛṣṇa nāma.’”
And thus, very soon, he preached over the whole world, not only Bengal, but all over India and soon his arms [disciples] came to Western countries, Eastern countries and preached everywhere, so distant places. Śaraṇāgati, you know? In Canada, in [the] forest. Badger, [across] the lands…and lands of so many towns, New York City, here, there. Very, very…so many places. He wrote so many books. He established [a] press and he used to call it “Bṛhad-mṛdaṅga”. This is little mṛdaṅga, small, the sound of which we can see [extends only] here. And the sound of press – Bṛhad-mṛdaṅga means big…biggest mṛdaṅga. Even the whole world, everywhere [it will go], out of [the] world, [across] so many worlds, it will go. And by this, He made so many periodicals: Gauḍīya, Harmonist in English, in Sanskrit, in Bengali, in Hindi, in Asamiya, in so many languages.
Devotees: Daily newspaper also, Dainika Nadia Prakāśa
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: And my guru mahārāja was editor [printer, publisher] and he was manager and everything of that. So, very qualified, learned boys, brahmacārīs, joined his maṭha mission and without the help of any king or without any help of [the] powerful [he preached]. He never went to very wealthy persons and kings, and anywhere – never, and that is why he became so successful. He went and touched the hearts of pure devotees, whether they were poor or especially middle-class persons. And they took his mission and very soon, throughout the whole world they preached the name of Kṛṣṇa, the name of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu, and we see – and I become so happy to see you – that in very distant place, far away from India, [on an] island…and I’m seeing that so many devotees are here, chanting and remembering: “Nitāi Gaurāṅga Jaya Nitāi Gaurāṅga…” [Devotees follow and start singing kīrtana. When the kīrtana dies down, Gurudeva starts up the next chorus:] “Rādhā Ramaṇa Hari Govinda Jaya Jaya” [Devotees sing for a short while.]
Like so, everywhere he preached, whether he [the people he was preaching to] may be poor, may be of middle-class, or whether so wealthy. And he kept [preaching] everywhere. If Prabhupāda was not there, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was not there, from where your Prabhupāda Śrīla Bhaktivedanta Svāmī Mahārāja has come?
Nowadays there is going [on] the attempt to cut away this line and be Ritvik and so many bad bogus things. You should not be influenced by that. What he adopted, you should adopt the same thing, his teachings. So, if there is no guru-paramparā, only bogus paramparā like Ritvik, what will be done? Only bogus persons will be attracted. They will eat meat, fish, and eggs and everything; they will take wine, cigarettes, and smoke and do all these things, and they will think, “We are not fallen down.” Because they are fallen down. Simple. Where to fall down more? And instead they will be Ritvik, whether or not qualified even, so where will that go – “tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [Therefore one must take shelter of a bona fide guru and inquire about the ultimate attainments.]” [ŚB 11.3.21]? Where it will go? Then no [one] will be expert. Who will do bhajana like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Gaura-kiśora Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, like Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmīi, like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, like Prabhupāda? Who will do? Only bogus persons will come, and they will control, and they will be ruined.
So he is the root cause of preaching [across the] whole world. He made so many preaching centers everywhere in the world. He began and after, Bhaktivedanta Svāmī Mahārāja, followed the same process, and he preached all over the whole world and made so many centers. But now I’m seeing that all of his centers are now going to dry. Because no [one] is such a qualified person to [nourish] it, to waterize it. We pray that he should send one very bold and strong devotee, ācārya, not like all these bad things.
So, our guru-mahārāja used to tell [us] that he [Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda] had all the qualities of the previous ācāryas. He was a rasika vaiṣṇava in the line of Rūpa Gosvāmī, He was in the line of Sanātana Gosvāmī. You know Sanātana Gosvāmī made [written] Bṛhad-Bhāgavamṛtam. It is the root of all the literatures of Rūpa Gosvāmī even. And in that he has prayed to Rūpa Gosvāmī like śikṣā-guru. He [Sanātana Gosvāmī] was the guru of Rūpa Gosvāmī, but even Sanātana Gosvāmī prayed to him like śikṣā-guru. How tṛṇād api sunīcena [humbler than blades of grass] they were! So, Śrīla Prabhupāda also was like Jīva Gosvāmī in siddhānta establishment. Like Baladeva [Vidyābhūṣaṇa] Prabhu, he was Gauḍīya Vedantācārya. He was rasika as Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. If he had not come to this world, [there would be] no preaching in this world – nothing! So, we are all indebted to Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. He, under the guidance of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, published so many books. We will try to explain all these things in the evening also. [For now] I want to explain something to you.
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhūtale
śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti-nāmine
[I offer praṇāma to Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda, who, in this world, is most dear to Kṛṣṇa]
You should try to understand all these things. Namaḥ. What is the meaning of namaḥ? Namaḥ means to give up worldly false ego. First, “na” – “na” means niṣedha [a prohibition]. Give up all worldly false ego: “I'm learned, I'm qualified, I'm this and that.” Giving up all false [ego] and offenses, unwanted things, anarthas...anartha, you know? What is anartha? Anartha means “I'm not this body, yet still I'm thinking that I'm this body.” I am a servant…eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, but we don't know. We only know that “Oh, I'm this and that. I'm wealthy, I'm rich, I'm beautiful, I'm ugly, I'm black, I'm golden colour and this. I'm American, I'm Indian. I am this.” But we are not. Because Caitanya Mahāprabhu has told, “nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir nāpi vaiśyo na śūdro…” [CC Madhya 13.80]. We are not all these things. So, giving up all these false egoes [is the meaning of “na” in “namaḥ”].
“Maḥ” [means what]? We are offering, surrendering at your lotus feet, please be merciful to us. This is the meaning of namaḥ or svāhā. To give up our self, our soul, our all prāṇas – selfless; we should give up everything at the lotus feet of gurudeva here.
Namaḥ oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya. What is the meaning of viṣṇu-pādāya? Viṣṇu-pada. Pada means? Lotus feet. Also, viṣṇu-pada…pada means dhāma. Dhāma means…what is the meaning of dhāma? Just like Goloka Dhāma.
Devotee: Transcendental abode
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Transcendental abode of Viṣṇu. Pada means lotus feet. [So Viṣṇupāda means to be] at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, or [have a position in] Goloka Vṛndāvana Dhāma. He will give the lotus feet of Viṣṇu; he can give Goloka Vṛndāvana Dhāma, eternal abode. And the best meaning of Viṣṇu is:
vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ
śraddhānvito ‘nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ
bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ
hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ
[Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 10.33.39]
[Anyone who faithfully hears or describes the Lord’s playful affairs with the young gopīs of Vṛndāvana will attain the Lord’s pure devotional service. Thus, he will quickly become sober and conquer lust, the disease of the heart.]
Who is Viṣṇu? “Vyāpnoti iti viṣṇo – [He] who is here and there, everywhere.” And who is He? Who is He? Himself Kṛṣṇa, with Rādhā, everywhere. So, Kṛṣṇa, who became lakhs and lakhs Kṛṣṇas among lakhs and lakhs gopīs in Rāsa-sthalī. He is everywhere. In atoms, He is, hmm? So He is Viṣṇu. Really Viṣṇu [is] He, and this Viṣṇu – Mahā-viṣṇu, Kāraṇābdhi [-śāyī] Viṣṇu, etc. – oh they are part of part of part of part of that [Kṛṣṇa]. So Viṣṇu is Himself Kṛṣṇa.
So, who is the feet of Viṣṇu [viṣṇu-pāda], by which Kṛṣṇa – that Kṛṣṇa, Nanda-nandana, Vrajendra-nandana, Śyāmasundara – can walk? Hmm? [How do they (Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu) walk?] By their feet. And he can give the service of this Kṛṣṇa, this very Kṛṣṇa. He can give. Because this wealth of Kṛṣṇa, who is the root treasurer of it? He is the treasurer, so he is Viṣṇupāda. He can give the transcendental service, the prema-sevā, vraja-sevā, of Kṛṣṇa to all. So he is Viṣṇupāda. Hmm?
Namaḥ oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhūtale. Kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhūtale. What is the meaning of kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya? Kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya means very near and dear, beloved of Kṛṣṇa. That is kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya. Who is the best lover of Kṛṣṇa? Śrīmatī Rādhikā. So, the maidservants of Rādhikā, the mañjarīs of Rādhikā, the servants of [Rādhikā], they are most dear to Kṛṣṇa. We came to [learn] that the Pāṇḍavas are so near and dear to Kṛṣṇa. But from them Uddhava is more, and from Uddhava who? All gopīs. [Uddhava said:] “āsām aho caraṇa-reṇu-juṣāṁ ahaṁ syāṁ, vṛndāvane kim api gulma-latauṣadhīnām…” Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.47.61). Like this, Uddhava wants to be a tree, a creeper, a grass to have the footdust of gopīs, because gopīs have controlled Kṛṣṇa in their heart. So, he wants to be a grass of Vṛndāvana on which the dust of the gopīs’ lotus feet may come. So, gopīs are most dear.
Among them, Lalita and Viśākhā are most, but even from them, Rūpa Mañjarī and his [her] dāsīs are so much more beloved of Kṛṣṇa. Why? Because they are serving day and night to Rādhikā. And among them Rūpa Mañjarī is most favorite to Kṛṣṇa. And he [Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda] is one of the dāsīs named Nayana Mañjarī. Who is Nayana Mañjarī? Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda is Nayana Mañjarī. So he is kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhā, by being Nayana Mañjarī. But in this bhūtale, in bhūtale [the earthly platform]? She is Nayana-maṇi Mañjarī there, the most beloved of Rādhikā and Kṛṣṇa. She has come down to this world and here, he has taken the name of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda Gosvāmī Ṭhākura, or Prabhupāda. Some maybe can tell that, “Oh he was very proud that he took the name of Prabhupāda. “Prabhupāda” what means? Oh, like “Jagad-guru [teacher of the world]”. But they don’t see, that how tṛṇād api sunīca he was. Tṛṇād api sunīca means?
Devotee: Humble, lower than a blade of grass.
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: In [the] transcendental world, in Vṛndāvana, he is Nayana Mañjarī. But he has covered that designation, and he has come like a sannyāsī only, in varṇāśrama-dharma, like a conditioned soul, like a sādhaka. How tṛṇād api sunīca is he that he has covered this [Śrīla Gurudeva checks that “covered” is correct], that he is Nayana Mañjarī, very beloved of Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā, and he came from Goloka Vṛndāvana here in this world and told that I’m Prabhupāda. Is this [a] very high title for him? If what? President of America, Clinton, in this line comes and he tells that I’m a chowkidar? Chowkidār means?
Devotee: Watchman
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Like, is it that he will tell some villagers that, “I’m [the] watchman of this village. Oh, you should obey me.” Is this a very high thing? So Prabhupāda, how he was so beloved of Kṛṣṇa in Goloka Vṛndāvana, Nayana Mañjarī. And he came here and covered that thing and he told that: “I’m Prabhupāda. I’m like a guru, having tridaṇḍa, like in varṇāśrama-dharma.” So degraded, so degraded [this position is]. So how he was tṛṇād api you cannot imagine, if you have no realization of this transcendental thing. No. So, mercifully he came in this world and took this [identity] that “I’m tridaṇḍi-svāmī,” which is a very bogus [degraded] thing in this for that [someone of that exalted, divine caliber], but yet he did. But some don’t know all these things. That is why [they say] “Oh he has become svāmī?” Svāmī means?
Devotee: Prabhu, master.
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Master. [They say] “Oh, he is telling that I’m svāmī, tridaṇḍi-svāmī. Oh this is such false ego!” But him, for him, it was not at all [boastful]. He has come from the transcendental world here and took the [garb of a sannyāsī]. Why? To sprinkle his mercy to all jīvas, he came, and then door-to-door sent his messengers, tridaṇdi-svāmīs and brahmacārīs everywhere. He was so compassionate to give this thing to [the] whole world, to every jīva who has forgotten Kṛṣṇa. And we should always know that we are very third-class messengers to give this thing to the whole world. So why should false ego will come? [It should] Never. But nowadays we see that so many hundreds of renounced order sannyāsīs are falling down. Because really they are not realizing all these things.
Namaḥ oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhūtale śrī śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatī. Here he has come, descended to this world, and he has called himself as Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. We know that in very early age, at the age of twelve, he was so [great a] scholar of Sanskrit and especially of astrology that the whole group of Bengal at that time, in Sanskrit and especially in that astrology department, they gave this name, title, of Sarasvatī. What is the meaning of Sarasvatī? I am telling.
He is Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. What is the meaning of Bhaktisiddhānta? Very brief, I will tell; now it is going to be twelve. So very little, I wanted to explain, so [that] elaborately all these things, you should know. Anyone cannot tell you all these things, never, I know, but this is bhakti line; you should try to know all these things. Swāmījī came, but he had no time so much. His time was wasted in cutting jungles; he wanted to give all these things, and also at that time in this country, there were no qualified persons to take all these things. But you are serving him, so you must be some[what] qualified to take all these things now.
So, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. Bhakti means? “Parānuraktir īśvare [supreme loving attachment to God].” What is the meaning? Parā (supreme) anurakti (attachment) in īśvare—īśvara means Kṛṣṇa here. Who [which] Kṛṣṇa? Vrajendra-nandana Śyāmasundara. Not Nārāyaṇa, not Rāmacandra, not Dvārakādhīśa Kṛṣṇa, not Mathureśa Kṛṣṇa. Who then? Kṛṣṇa, the shelter of Vṛndāvana? No. The son of Yaśodā and Nanda? No, no, no. Don’t think. Who? Who is He? What is the praṇāma-mantra of Kṛṣṇa?
he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate
gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo ’stu te
[O Śrī Kṛṣṇa, You are an ocean of mercy, the friend of the fallen, Lord of the universe, master of the cowherds, beloved of the gopīs, and [above all] the beloved of Śrī Rādhā. I offer praṇāma unto You.]
Those who are doing this prayer, He is not satisfied by telling that: “He kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho.” Never, He is not. What is [the devotee] telling? Dīna-bandho. Dīna-bandho means? You know Dīna-bandhu?
Devotee: The friend of the fallen.
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Jagat-pate, Prabhu [Lord] of whole world. But He is not satisfied. Then he [devotee] again is telling, “Gopeśa.” Who is He? Īśvara of gopas or gopīs, but [Kṛṣṇa is] never satisfied [with this]. Again he [the devotee] says: “Gopeśa….” What? “Gopikā-kānta….gopeśa gopikā kānta?” Oh, still something is remaining and then what? “Rādhā-kānta!” Oh, He is Rādhā Kānta. What is the meaning of Rādhā Kānta? Controlled by Rādhā, not controlling Rādhā; controlled by Rādhā. This is Bhaktisiddhānta – so, parānuraktir īśvare – so much love and affection for Vrajendra-nandana Śyāmasundara Rādhā Kānta. This is bhakti. In other words:
laukikī vaidikī vāpi yā kriyā kriyate mune
hari-sevānukūlaiva sā kāryā bhaktim icchatā
[Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.200]
[A devotee may act as an ordinary human being or as a strict follower of Vedic injunctions. In either case, everything he does is favorable for the advancement of devotional service because he is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.]
Laukikī. All the…what? Laukikī-kriyā means?
Devotee: Our worldly duties
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Our activities, worldly – laukikī, vaidikī – the activities that have been told in Vedas and other epics [Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa] – “laukikī vaidikī vāpi yā kriyā kriyate mune”. Whatever you are doing, it should be related to Kṛṣṇa, for Kṛṣṇa. Then all endeavours will be called bhakti. If you are doing [anything], if you are going to market for Kṛṣṇa, to please Kṛṣṇa, if you are sleeping for Kṛṣṇa, if you are doing anything, going to market to please Kṛṣṇa, to bring something for Kṛṣṇa, if you are serving the dear devotees for Kṛṣṇa, if you are worshipping, all [your activities] are bhakti. More than this:
sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati
[ŚB 1.2.6]
[The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.]
Taila-dhārā-vat avichinna-gati se (like a continuous, unbroken stream of oil) – continuous, day and night, twenty-four hours, our all endeavors by our all our senses, mind and also by mood, if you are serving Kṛṣṇa without any receipt, without having any fruit for yourself, not covered by knowledge and karma, then it is bhakti; [It is a] very high thing and it is in Śrīmatī Rādhikā, in mahābhāva stage. More than that – modana, mohana, and more than that: mādana, especially in Rādhikā, for which Kṛṣṇa comes in the shape of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, taking the beauty and intrinsic mood of Rādhikā, in the shape of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So, this is called bhakti. So, Rūpa Gosvāmī, he knew that, the paribhāṣā of this bhakti. Paribhāṣā? Definition. And all of what I told is told in epics, Vedas, Upaniṣads, everywhere; he collected and everything was kept in this śloka; in his śloka, every – all the definitions – were what? Combined:
anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā
[CC Madhya 19.167]
[‘‘When first-class devotional service develops, one must be devoid of all material desires, knowledge obtained by monistic philosophy, and fruitive action. The devotee must constantly serve Kṛṣṇa favorably, as Kṛṣṇa desires”.]
What is the meaning? Try to hear very patiently.
Prema Prayojana Prabhu: [provides the definition of uttamā-bhakti]
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: So, this is bhakti – bhakti-siddhānta. So, what is bhakti-siddhānta? He was Bhaktisiddhānta, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. What is the meaning of Sarasvatī? The Vāk-devī [the Goddess of Speech], adhiṣṭhātrī-devī…adhiṣṭhātrī means?
Devotees: Presiding, predominating deity…
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Pro…dominating deity of bhakti, and knowledge – everything. So Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī is this. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī – he is the master of all. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. So we can know that from Śikṣāṣṭakam: “ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-davagni-nirvāpaṇaṁ, śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhu-jīvanaṁ….”
There are two kinds of vidyā: vidyā and avidyā. In this, parā-vidyā is parā-bhakti, uttamā-bhakti. And aparā-vidyā: going to colleges, schools, universities, and reading all these things and knowing what is this, what is what, and to be happy in this world – this is aparā-vidyā. Up to Brahma-loka, everything is aparā-vidyā. And parā-vidyā? Bhakti, serving Kṛṣṇa, devotees of Kṛṣṇa and serving Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, Goloka Vṛndāvana, and the services of mañjarīs [are] most highest. So he is one of them. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. Bhaktisiddhānta…
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhūtale
śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti-nāmine
In Bhū-tala, in this world, he has come as Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, but really he is who? Nayana Mañjarī. Who is she? After this [the next praṇāma-mantra explains who he is]:
śrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhaye
kṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ
[I offer praṇāma to Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-dayita dāsa, the manifestation of an ocean of mercy, who bestows realization of our eternal relationship with Śrī Kṛṣṇa.]
Who is Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-devī? Vṛṣabhānu. The daughter of Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja is Vārṣabhānavī Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Dayitāya. Dayitāya means? Beloved. Doing so much service to please Rādhikā. So Nayana Mañjarī is doing like this in the guidance of Rūpa and Rati Mañjarī. So, he has come to sprinkle that transcendental thing, vraja-prema, to the whole world. …bhānavī dayitāya – He is so near and dear, so beloved of Śrīmatī Rādhikā. If anyone wants to have the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and if he is taking shelter of Rādhikā, then Kṛṣṇa automatically will be happy. If you are serving Kṛṣṇa [for] lakhs and lakhs of births, He will not be so happy. But if you are taking shelter of the lotus feet of Śrīmatā Rādhikā, Kṛṣṇa will give Himself completely. So, Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, in Goloka Vṛndāvana-dhāma, is like this. So, dayitāya kṛpābdhaye. What he does there? In transcendental Goloka Vṛndāvana, what he does? What is his duty?
nikuñja-yūnoḥ rati-keli-siddhyaiḥ
yā yālibhir yuktir apekṣanīya
tatrāti-dākṣyād ati-vallabhasya
vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam
[Continues to sing last line:] Vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam, vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam…. Not only selling books and distributing books, not being any maṭha commander, or superintendent of maṭha, doing here and there, and filling the pockets. Even sometimes one person took the authority and taking all these things and after that, oh taking any girlfriend and quickly going here and there. Not like this. What kind of [leader] he was? He was [a] transcendental being. So, śrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhaye – ocean of mercy. What is that? To sprinkle that rādhā-dāsyam in West. There is no word like this in the whole world. And he came [to teach] that, “Oh you are Rādhā’s dāsī,” like Caitanya Mahaprabhu has come to give this thing:
anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau
samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam
hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandīpitaḥ
sadā hṛdaya-kandare sphuratu vaḥ śacī-nandanaḥ
[CC Ādi 1.4]
[May the Supreme Lord who is known as the son of Śrīmatī Śacī-devī be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation has ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant mellow of devotional service, the mellow of conjugal love.]
It was never given in a day of Brahmā, for lakhs and lakhs years. But mercifully Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself, being Kṛṣṇa, He took the golden beauty of Rādhikā and intrinsic mood of Rādhikā and came for what thing? Unnatojjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam. To give unnatojjvala. What is unnatojjvala? Śrī means the beauty of that. The service of Śrīmatī Rādhikā, rādha-dāsyam. So, in this line, he [Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura] has also come only to sprinkle his mercy, to give this thing, rādha-dāsya to all. He did this not for anything else. For which [reason] he preached, doing, nagara-saṅkīrtana, publishing books, giving sannyāsa, cutting the jungles, establishing varṇāśrama-dharma? You know varṇāśrama-dharma? He did, but his main purpose: to give rādha-dāsya.
Mādhuryojjvala-premāḍhya. What is mādhuryojjvala? This is unnatojjvala-rasa, that rādha-dāsya. Bhakti is of two kinds. First which are given by Rāmānuja, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇusvāmī, Nimbāditya and previous ācāryas, by Rāmacandra Himself and that was opulence bhakti, aiśvarya-mayī bhakti. By this, we cannot please Kṛṣṇa so much. He can’t be controlled so much by this aiśvarya-mayī bhakti. You know the words “aiśvarya-mayī”? What is aiśvarya-mayī? “Oh Kṛṣṇa is my father, he is so much superior and I’m inferior So He is prabhu (master), I’m dāsa (servant).” Like: “He is my husband, I am His wife. ” Like this. Oh, He is so high, I’m so low. He has so much opulence, I have nothing. Aiśvarya-mayī. By this you can go to Vaikuṇṭha and to Goloka also you may go. But you cannot go to Vṛndāvana, Vraja, and serve Kṛṣṇa. So, mādhurya bhakti, like that of Rūpa Gosvāmī, vraja-bhakti, like upapati mood. Upapati mood means? [Devotees: paramour mood]...which was never given by anyone. Caitanya Mahāprabhu came and He gave through His associates….
So, Svāmī Mahārāja himself, your Prabhupāda, never come only to cut jungles and to give only these [secondary] things [like varṇāśrama-dharma]. He has come to give these things [unnatojjvala…] in the guidance of Nayana Mañjarī. He was also like anything, by his what? Constitutional form. He was not of this world, and very few can realize him in this way. So, Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī came to give this and sprinkle his mercy – mādhurya-mayī bhakti, rūpānuga. This is rūpānuga. Rāgānuga and rūpānuga. Rāgānuga means to follow dāsya, sakhya, and vātsalya – all. You can be rāgānuga, but rūpānuga – only to follow what Rūpa Gosvāmī was and how he was serving and how he was doing in this world, practicing bhakti-yoga, only for Rādhikā.
tavaivāsmi tavaivāsmi na jīvāmi tvayā vinā
iti vijñāya devi tvaṁ naya māṁ caraṇa antikam
Śrī Raghunātha Dāsa, Vilāpa Kusumāñjali (96)
[I am Yours, I am Yours. I cannot live without You. Knowing this, please keep me close to Your lotus feet.]
This is a very high-class of donation that he came to give, Śrīla Prabhupāda. So, you can imagine how he was a high-class of preacher, jagad-guru and of Goloka Vṛndāvana, how dear and near, beloved of Kṛṣṇa and Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Today we are going to observe his…
Devotees: appearance day…
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: No appearance day. He has any appearance day in this world? Nothing. But he has made it only to help us, that: “By this, they will remember my activities and who am I.” And [so we will remember] how he sprinkled his mercy to whole world. We will remember all these things and very quickly, you will be sincere and will follow him; otherwise not. So, he has given this sacred day for us, though he has no appearance day and death day or anything. But mercifully he has given. So, we should try to realize. This is bhakti. This is association. We should try to know all these things.
A guru who cannot give all this, a Vaiṣṇava who cannot give this, then how he can be developed, [how] we can develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness? We should try to have this association, otherwise our life will be ruined. A guru must be in this line, having some realization; otherwise, if a man has no money, no money, not a single dollar and he has a false ego that he can give lakhs and lakhs dollars; then he is cheating you all. He cannot. So if a man, a devotee, has not realized all these things, how he can give kṛṣṇa-prema? Our object. There should be some object. Our object is to serve Kṛṣṇa, to have prema. Without prema, we cannot serve. A guru must be like this.
It has been told: “kṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ.” He is prabhu, he is master of all that, he is master of that prema-mayī [?]. What? Kṛṣṇa sambandha. He can give a relation to all jīvas, relation to Kṛṣṇa, this relation of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine. We know that we are servant of Kṛṣṇa, eternal servant. But what kind of servant? What is in your constitution? That must be your name, your form, your qualities to serve Kṛṣṇa everything is there. Those who relate it to Kṛṣṇa from that jīva, he is really guru. And if he is not himself having relation with Krsna, how he can give these relations to others? So, he should have all the relations that he can give relation purely; otherwise not. Today now we should worship him with puṣpāñjali, and then preparation should be offered to him. Ārati should be done and then you can take prasādam and in evening from 5:30 or 4:00, we should try to come and [speak] more. Everyone should come six to nine. Six to eight, I’ll be available, six to eight and half.
VERBATIM:
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja:
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya ācārya-siṁha-rūpiṇe
śrī-śrīmad-bhakti-prajñāna-keśava iti nāmine
(I offer praṇāma to the lion-like ācārya, oṁ viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja)
atimartya-caritrāya svāśritānāṁ ca pāline
jīva-duḥkhe sadārttāya śrī-nāma-prema-dāyine
(His character and activities are transcendental to the modes of nature, and he protects and nurtures those who take shelter of him. He is always aggrieved to see the suffering of the living entities, and he bestows love for śrī nāma)
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhūtale
śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti-nāmine
(I offer praṇāma to oṁ viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda, who, in this world, is most dear to Kṛṣṇa)
śrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhaye
kṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ
(I offer praṇāma to Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-dayita dāsa, the manifestation of an ocean of mercy, who bestows realization of our eternal relationship with Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
mādhuryojjvala-premāḍhya-śrī-rūpānuga-bhakti-da
śrī-gaura-karuṇā-śakti-vigrahāya namo ’stu te
(O Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, you deliver śrī rūpānuga-bhakti, which is enriched with ujjvala-mādhurya-prema. You are the embodiment of the mercy potency of Śrī Gaurāṅga. I offer praṇāma unto you.)
namas te gaura-vāṇī-śrī-mūrtaye dīna-tāriṇe
rūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe
(I offer obeisances to you, the embodiment of Śrī Gaurāṅga’s message. You deliver the fallen and remove the darkness of philosophical misconceptions that are opposed to the precepts taught by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī)
vāñchā-kalpa-tarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca
patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ
[I offer praṇāma again and again to the Vaiṣṇavas, who are the saviors of the fallen, who are just like wish-fulfilling desire-trees, and who are oceans of mercy.]
namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ
[I offer praṇāma to that greatly munificent Lord who bestows kṛṣṇa-prema. He is Kṛṣṇa Himself, who has assumed a golden complexion and accepted the name Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya.]
nārāyaṇaṁ namaskṛtya
naraṁ caiva narottamam
devīṁ sarasvatīṁ vyāsaṁ
tato jayam udīrayet
[Before reciting this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is the very means of conquest, one should offer respectful obeisances unto the Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, unto Nara-nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi, the supermost human being, unto mother Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning, and unto Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the author.]
(Talking in Hindi)
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: We are very fortunate to observe the very pious day, the birthday of Jagad-guru Nitya-līlā Praviṣṭa Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura. He is one of the prominent ācāryas in the line of Brahma Mādhva Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Sampradāya – our guru-paramparā in this line, Brahma Mādhva Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Sampradāya. He was one of the prominent ācāryas. He has all the qualities which we see in our all ācāryas, previous ācāryas. He has the qualities of Rāmānuja, Madhva, Viṣṇusvāmī, Nimbāditya – all. Also, he has the qualities of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī and Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī. He has the qualities of Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūsaṇa, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura – all previous ācāryas [seem to have been] including in him [embodied by him]. So, he was a very prabhāva-śālī ācārya, very…
Devotee: Influential
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: …influential ācārya. We see that our guru-mahārāja used to tell that, you know Śaṅkarācārya, from very, very beginning, at the age of twelve, he conquered…he defeated all the karmī-smārta gurus at that time, [the] learned scholars at that time. He has also controlled so many kings and by their help, by the help of sword, he conquered all, defeated all. So, very quickly, he preached over whole India. He also defeated Buddhism and he dragged away Buddhism from India to China and other countries – Japan and other countries. We see that Rāmānuja Ācārya also, very influential, Madhvācārya, they also have taken the help of kings and powers.
But this Śrīla Prabhupāda Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura, he never took any help from any king or very influential persons. He initiated some strong devotees, brahmacārīs, made them tridaṇḍa-sannyāsīs, very quickly and then he sent them all door-to-door to preach, and to preach by what process? Having one box, little box: “Go to all and tell our message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that ‘you are all transcendental part of Kṛṣṇa, you are servant of Kṛṣṇa, you have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. So, you must chant, remember and serve Kṛṣṇa.’ Go door to door. In trams, in rail…railway buggies, buses, in markets – everywhere, and only take one paise.” You know one paise? Very little fragment; it may be [a] thousandth part of one dollar, more than…[or even] less than that and easily one can give. [Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda told his preachers:] “Don’t take more, and tell from where you have come, what you want to tell, the message of Caitanya Mahāprabhu – ‘jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’ [the living entities constitutional position is as a servant of Kṛṣṇa].’ You should tell them [this], and from them [you should ask], ‘Oh, you should speak one Kṛṣṇa nāma.’”
And thus, very soon, he preached over whole world, not only Bengal, but all over India and soon his arms [disciples] came to Western countries, Eastern countries and preached everywhere, so distant places. Śaraṇāgati, you know? In Canada. In [the] forest. Badger, [across] the lands…and lands of so many towns, New York City, here, there. Very, very…so many places. He wrote so many books. He established [a] press and he used to call it “Bṛhad-mṛdaṅga”. This is little mṛdaṅga, small, the sound of which we can see [extends only] here. And the sound of press – Bṛhad-mṛdaṅga means big…biggest mṛdaṅga. Even the whole world, everywhere [it will go], out of [the] world, [across] so many worlds, it will go. And by this, He made so many periodicals: Gauḍīya, Harmonist in English, in Sanskrit, in Bengali, in Hindi, in Asamiya, in so many languages.
Devotees: Daily newspaper also, Dainika Nadia Prakāśa
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: And my guru mahārāja was editor [printer, publisher] and he was manager and everything of that. So, very qualified, learned boys, brahmacārīs, joined his maṭha mission and without the help of any king or without any help of [the] powerful. He never went to very wealthy persons and kings, and anywhere – never, and that is why he became so successful. He went and touched the hearts of pure devotees, whether they are poor or especially middle-class of persons. And they took his mission and very soon, whole world they preached the name of Kṛṣṇa, the name of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu, and we see and I became so happy to see you, that very distant, far away from India, [on an] island…and I’m seeing that so many devotees are here, chanting and remembering: “Nitāi Gaurāṅga Jaya Nitāi Gaurāṅga…” [Devotees follow and start singing kīrtana. When the kīrtana dies down, Gurudeva starts up the next chorus:] “Rādhā Ramaṇa Hari Govinda Jaya Jaya” [Devotees sing for a short while.]
Like so, everywhere he preached, whether he [a person] may be poor, he may be of middle-class, whether he is so wealthy, and he kept [preaching] everywhere. If Prabhupāda was not there, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was not there, from where your Prabhupāda Śrīla Bhaktivedanta Svāmī Mahārāja has come?
Nowadays there is going [on] the attempt to cut away this line and be Ritvik and so many bad bogus things. You should not be what? ...influenced by that. What he adopted, you should adopt the same thing, his teachings. So, if there is no guru-paramparā, bogus paramparā like Ritvik, what will be done? Only bogus persons will be attracted. They will eat meat, fish, and eggs and everything; they will take wine, cigarettes, and smoke and do all these things, and they will think, “We are not fallen down.” Because they are fallen down. Simple. What to fall down more? And instead they will be Ritvik, whether or not qualified even, so where will go that – “tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [Therefore one must take shelter of a bona fide guru and inquire about the ultimate attainments.]” [ŚB 11.3.21]? Where it will go? Then no [one] will be expert. Who will do bhajana like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Gaura-kiśora Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, like Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmīi, like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, like Prabhupāda? Who will do? Only bogus persons will come, and they will control, and they will be ruined.
So he is the root cause of preaching [across the] whole world. He made so many preaching centers everywhere in world. He began and after, Bhaktivedanta Svāmī Mahārāja, following the same, and he preached over the whole world and made so many centers. But now I’m seeing that all of his centers are now going to dry. Because no [one] is so qualified person to [nourish] it, to waterize it. We pray that he should send one very bold and strong devotee, ācārya, not like all these bad things.
So, our guru-mahārāja used to tell [us] that he [Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda] had all the qualities of the previous ācāryas. He was a rasika vaiṣṇava in the line of Rūpa Gosvāmī, He was in the line of Sanātana Gosvāmī. You know Sanātana Gosvāmī made [written] Bṛhad-Bhāgavamṛtam. It is the root of all the literatures of Rūpa Gosvāmī even. And in that he has prayed to Rūpa Gosvāmī like śikṣā-guru. He [Sanātana Gosvāmī] was the guru of Rūpa Gosvāmī, but even Sanātana Gosvāmī prayed to him like śikṣā-guru. How tṛṇād api sunīcena [humbler than blades of grass] they were! So, he was, Śrīla Prabhupāda also…he was like Jīva Gosvāmī in siddhānta establishment. Like Baladeva [Vidyābhūṣaṇa] Prabhu. He was Gauḍīya Vedantācārya, like Baladeva Prabhu. He was rasika as Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. If he has not come to this world, no preaching in this world – nothing! So, we are all indebted to Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. He…in the guidance of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, so many books he published, so many books. We will try to explain all these things in evening also. I want to explain something to you.
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhūtale
śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti-nāmine
[I offer praṇāma to Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda, who, in this world, is most dear to Kṛṣṇa]
You should try to understand all these things. Namaḥ. What is the meaning of namaḥ? Namaḥ means to give up worldly false ego. First “na” – “na” means niṣedha [a prohibition]. Give up all worldly false ego: “I'm learned, I'm qualified, I'm this and that.” Giving up all false [ego] and offenses, unwanted things, anarthas...anartha, you know? What is anartha? Anartha means “I'm not this body, yet still I'm thinking that I'm this body.” I am servant…eternal servant of Krsna, but we don't know. We only know that “Oh, I'm this and that. I'm wealthy, I'm rich, I'm beautiful, I'm ugly, I'm black, I'm golden colour and this. I'm American, I'm Indian. I am this.” But we are not. Because Caitanya Mahāprabhu has told, “nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir nāpi vaiśyo na śūdro…” [CC Madhya 13.80]. We are not all these things. So, giving up all these false egoes.
“Maḥ” [means what]? We are offering, surrendering in your lotus feet, please be merciful to me. This is the meaning of namaḥ or svāhā. To give up himself, our soul, our all prāṇas, selfless, we should give up everything in the lotus feet of gurudeva here.
Namaḥ oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya. What is the meaning of viṣṇu-pādāya? Viṣṇu-pada. Pada māne [means]? Lotus feet. Also, viṣṇu-pada…pada means dhāma. Dhāma means…what is the meaning of dhāma? Just like Goloka Dhāma.
Devotee: Transcendental abode
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Transcendental abode of Viṣṇu. Pada means lotus feet. In the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, or [position in] Goloka Vṛndāvana Dhāma. He will give the lotus feet of Viṣṇu; he can give Goloka Vṛndāvana Dhāma, eternal abode. And the best meaning of Viṣṇu is:
vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ
śraddhānvito ‘nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ
bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ
hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ
[Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 10.33.39]
[Anyone who faithfully hears or describes the Lord’s playful affairs with the young gopīs of Vṛndāvana will attain the Lord’s pure devotional service. Thus, he will quickly become sober and conquer lust, the disease of the heart.]
Who is Viṣṇu? “Vyāpnoti iti viṣṇo – [He] who is here and there, everywhere.” And who is He? Who is He? Himself Kṛṣṇa, with Rādhā, everywhere. So, Kṛṣṇa, who became lakhs lakhs Kṛṣṇas among lakhs and lakhs gopīs in Rāsa-sthalī. He is everywhere. In atoms, He is, hmm? So He is Viṣṇu. Really Viṣṇu [is] He, and this Viṣṇu – Mahā-viṣṇu, Kāraṇābdhi [-śāyī] Viṣṇu – oh they are part of part of part of part of that [Kṛṣṇa]. So Viṣṇu is Himself Kṛṣṇa.
So, who is the feet of Viṣṇu [viṣṇu-pāda], by which Kṛṣṇa – that Kṛṣṇa, Nanda-nandana, Vrajendra-nandana, Śyāmasundara – can walk? Hmm? [How do they (Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu) walk?] By their feet. And he can give the service of this Kṛṣṇa, this very Kṛṣṇa. He can give. Because this wealth of Kṛṣṇa…this…who is the root treasurer? He is treasurer, so he is Viṣṇupāda. He can give the transcendental service of…prema-sevā, vraja-sevā of Kṛṣṇa to all. So he is Viṣṇupāda. Hmm?
Namaḥ oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhūtale. Kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhūtale. What is the meaning of kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya? Kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya means very near and dear, beloved of Kṛṣṇa. That is kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya. Who is the best lover of Kṛṣṇa? Śrīmatī Rādhikā. So, the maidservants of Rādhikā, the mañjarīs of Rādhikā, the servants of [Rādhikā], they are most dear to Kṛṣṇa. We came to [learn] that the Pāṇḍavas are so near and dear to Kṛṣṇa. But from them Uddhava is more, and from Uddhava who? All gopīs. [Uddhava said:] “āsām aho caraṇa-reṇu-juṣāṁ ahaṁ syāṁ, vṛndāvane kim api gulma-latauṣadhīnām…” Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.47.61). Like this, Uddhava wants to be a tree, a creeper, a grass to have the footdust of gopīs, because gopīs have controlled Kṛṣṇa in their heart. So, he wants to be a grass of Vṛndāvana on which the dust of the gopīs’ lotus feet may come. So, gopīs are most dear.
Among them, Lalita and Viśākhā are most, but even from them, Rūpa Mañjarī and his [her] dāsīs are so much more beloved of Kṛṣṇa. Why? Because they are serving day and night to Rādhikā. And among them Rūpa Mañjarī is most favorite to Kṛṣṇa. And he [Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda] is one of the dāsī named Nayana Mañjarī. Who is Nayana Mañjarī? Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda is Nayana Mañjarī. So he is kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhā, by being Nayana Mañjarī. But in this bhūtale, in bhūtale [the earthly platform]? She is Nayana-maṇi Mañjarī there, the most beloved of Rādhikā and Kṛṣṇa. She has come down to this world and here he has taken the name of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda Gosvāmī Ṭhākura, or Prabhupāda. Some maybe can tell that, “Oh he was very proud that he took the name of Prabhupāda. “Prabhupāda” what means? Oh, like “Jagad-guru [teacher of the world]”. But they don’t see, that how tṛṇād api sunīca he was. Tṛṇād api sunīca means?
Devotee: Humble, lower than a blade of grass.
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: In [the] transcendental world, in Vṛndāvana, he is Nayana Mañjarī. But he has covered that designation, and he has come like a sannyāsī only, in varṇāśrama-dharma, like a conditioned soul, like a sādhaka. How tṛṇād api sunīca is he that he has covered this [Śrīla Gurudeva checks that “covered” is correct], that he is Nayana Mañjarī, very beloved of Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā, and he came from Goloka Vṛndāvana here in this world and told that I’m Prabhupāda. Is this [a] very high title for him? If what? President of America, Clinton, in this line comes and he tells that I’m a chowkidar? Chowkidār means?
Devotee: Watchman
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Like, is it [like this]? And he will tell to villagers that I’m [the] watchman of this village. Oh, you should obey me. Is this very high thing? So Prabhupāda, how he was so beloved of Kṛṣṇa in Goloka Vṛndāvana, Nayana Mañjarī. And he came here and covered that thing and he told that: “I’m Prabhupāda. I’m like a guru, having tridaṇḍa, like in varṇāśrama-dharma.” So degraded, so degraded [this position is]. So how he was tṛṇād api you cannot imagine, if you have no realization of this transcendental thing. No. So, mercifully he came in this world and took this that I’m tridaṇḍi-svāmī, which is a very bogus [degraded] thing in this for that [someone of that exalted, divine caliber], but yet he did. But some don’t know all these things. That is why [they say] “Oh he has become svāmī?” Svāmī means?
Devotee: Prabhu, master.
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Master. [They say] “Oh, he is telling that I’m svāmī, tridaṇḍi-svāmī. Oh this is very false ego!” But him, for him, it was not at all [boastful]. He has come from transcendental world here and took the [garb of a sannyāsī]. Why? To sprinkle his mercy to whole jīvas, he came, and then door-to-door sent his messengers, tridaṇdi-svāmīs and brahmacārīs everywhere. He was so…voh bahut duḥkhī the.
Devotee: Compassionate
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Compassionate…to give this thing to [the] whole world, to every jīva who has forgotten Kṛṣṇa. And we should always know that we are very third-class of messengers to give this thing to the whole world. So why should false ego will come? [It should] Never. But nowadays we see that so many hundreds of renounced order sannyāsīs are falling down. Because really they are not realizing all these things.
Namaḥ oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhūtale śrī śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatī. Here he has come, descended to this world, and he has called himself as Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. We know that in very early age, at the age of twelve, he was so [great a] scholar of Sanskrit and especially of astrology that the whole group of Bengal at that time, in Sanskrit and especially in that astrology department, they gave this name, title of Sarasvatī. What is the meaning of Sarasvatī? I’m telling.
He is Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. What is the meaning of Bhaktisiddhānta? Very brief, I will tell now it is going to be twelve. So very little, I wanted to explain, so [that] elaborately all these things, you should know. Anyone cannot tell you all these things, never, I know, but this is bhakti line; you should try to know all these things. Swāmījī came, but he had no time so much. His time was wasted in cutting jungle; he wanted to give all these things and also at that time in this country, there were no qualified persons to take all these things. But you are serving him, so you must be some[what] qualified to take all these things now.
So, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. Bhakti means? “Parānuraktir īśvare [supreme loving attachment to God].” What is the meaning? Parā (supreme) anurakti (attachment) in īśvare—īśvara means Kṛṣṇa here. Who [which] Kṛṣṇa? Vrajendra-nandana Śyāmasundara. Not Nārāyaṇa, not Rāmacandra, not Dvārakādhīśa Kṛṣṇa, not Mathureśa Kṛṣṇa. Who? Kṛṣṇa, the svarūpa of…the servant of Vṛndāvana? No! The friend of…Kṛṣṇa, no here. The son of Yaśodā and Nanda? No, no, no. Don’t think. Who? Who is He? What is the praṇāma-mantra of Krsna?
he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate
gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo ’stu te
[O Śrī Kṛṣṇa, You are an ocean of mercy, the friend of the fallen, Lord of the universe, master of the cowherds, beloved of the gopīs, and [above all] the beloved of Śrī Rādhā. I offer praṇāma unto You.]
Those who are doing this prayer, He is not satisfied by telling that: “He kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho.” Never, He is not satisfied. What is [the devotee] telling? Dīna-bandho. Dīna-bandho means? You know Dīna-bandhu?
Devotee: The friend of the fallen.
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Jagat-pate, Prabhu [Lord] of whole world. But He is not satisfied. Then he [devotee] again telling, “Gopeśa.” Who is He? Īśvara of gopas or gopīs, but never satisfied. Again he [the devotee] went: “Gopeśa….” What? “Gopikā-kānta….gopeśa gopikā kānta?” Oh, still something is remaining and then what? “Rādhā-kānta!” Oh, He is Rādhā Kānta. What is the meaning of Rādhā Kānta? Controlled by Rādhā, not controlling Rādhā; controlled by Rādhā. This is Bhaktisiddhānta – so, parānuraktir īśvare – so much love and affection to Vrajendra-nandana Śyāmasundara Rādhā Kānta. This is bhakti. In other words:
laukikī vaidikī vāpi yā kriyā kriyate mune
hari-sevānukūlaiva sā kāryā bhaktim icchatā
[Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.200]
[A devotee may act as an ordinary human being or as a strict follower of Vedic injunctions. In either case, everything he does is favorable for the advancement of devotional service because he is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.]
Laukikī. All the…what? Laukikī-kriyā means?
Devotee: Our worldly duties
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Our activities, worldly…laukikī, vaidikī – the activities what has been told in Vedas and other epics [Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa] – “laukikī vaidikī vāpi yā kriyā kriyate mune”. Whatever you are doing, it should be related to Kṛṣṇa, for Kṛṣṇa. Then whole endeavours will be called bhakti. If you are doing, if you are going to market for Kṛṣṇa, to please Kṛṣṇa, if you are sleeping for Kṛṣṇa, if you are doing anything, going to market to please Kṛṣṇa, to bring something for Kṛṣṇa, if you are serving dearly devotees for Kṛṣṇa, if you are worshipping… all are bhakti. More than this:
sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati
[ŚB 1.2.6]
[The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.]
Taila-dhārā-vat avichinna-gati se (like a continuous, unbroken stream of oil). Continuous, day and night, twenty-four hours, our all endeavors by our all our senses, mind and also by mood, if you are serving Kṛṣṇa without any receipt, without having any fruit for yourself, not covered by knowledge and karma then it is bhakti. Very high thing and it is in Śrīmatī Rādhikā, in mahābhāva stage, more than that – modana, mohana, and more than that: mādana, especially in Rādhikā, for which Kṛṣṇa comes in the shape of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, taking the beauty and intrinsic mood of Rādhikā, in the shape of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So, this is called bhakti. So, Rūpa Gosvāmī, that he knew, the paribhāṣā of this bhakti. Paribhāṣā? Definition. And if, whole what I told, is told in epics, Vedas, Upaniṣads, everywhere, he collected and everything was kept in this śloka; in his śloka, every, all the definitions were what? Combined:
anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā
[CC Madhya 19.167]
[‘‘When first-class devotional service develops, one must be devoid of all material desires, knowledge obtained by monistic philosophy, and fruitive action. The devotee must constantly serve Kṛṣṇa favorably, as Kṛṣṇa desires”.]
What is the meaning? Try to hear very patiently.
Prema Prayojana Prabhu: [provides the definition of uttamā-bhakti]
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: So, this is bhakti – bhakti-siddhānta. So, what is bhakti-siddhānta? He was Bhaktisiddhānta, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. What is the meaning of Sarasvatī? The Vāk-devī, adhiṣṭhātrī-devī…adhiṣṭhātrī means?
Devotees: Presiding, predominating deity…
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: Pro…dominating deity of bhakti, and knowledge – everything. So Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī is this. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī – he is the master of all. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. So we can know that from Śikṣāṣṭakam: “ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-davagni-nirvāpaṇaṁ, śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhu-jīvanaṁ….”
There are two kinds of vidyā. Vidyā and avidyā. In this, parā-vidyā is parā-bhakti, uttamā-bhakti. And aparā-vidyā: going to colleges, schools, universities, and reading all these things and knowing what is this, what is what, and to be happy in this world. This is aparā-vidyā. Up to Brahma-loka, everything is aparā-vidyā. And parā-vidyā? Bhakti, serving Kṛṣṇa, devotees of Kṛṣṇa and serving Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, Goloka Vṛndāvana, and the services of mañjarīs [are] most highest. So he is one of them. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. Bhaktisiddhānta…
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhūtale
śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti-nāmine
In Bhū-tala, in this world, he has come as Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, but really he is who? Nayana Mañjarī. Who is she? After this [the next praṇāma-mantra explains who he is]:
śrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhaye
kṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ
[I offer praṇāma to Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-dayita dāsa, the manifestation of an ocean of mercy, who bestows realization of our eternal relationship with Śrī Kṛṣṇa.]
Who is Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-devī? Vṛṣabhānu. The daughter of Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja is Vārṣabhānavī Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Dayitāya. Dayitāya means? Beloved. Doing so much service to please Rādhikā. So Nayana Mañjarī is doing like this in the guidance of Rūpa and Rati Mañjarī. So, he has come to sprinkle that transcendental thing, vraja-prema, to whole world. …bhānavī dayitāya – He is so near and dear, so beloved of Śrīmatī Rādhikā. If anyone wants to have the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and if he is taking shelter of Rādhikā, then Kṛṣṇa automatically will be happy. If you are serving Kṛṣṇa [for] lakhs and lakhs of births, He will not be so happy. But if you are taking shelter of the lotus feet of Śrīmatā Rādhikā, Kṛṣṇa will give Himself completely. So, Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, in Goloka Vṛndāvana-dhāma, is like this. So, dayitāya kṛpābdhaye. What he does there? In transcendental Goloka Vṛndāvana, what he does? What is his duty?
nikuñja-yūnoḥ rati-keli-siddhyaiḥ
yā yālibhir yuktir apekṣanīya
tatrāti-dākṣyād ati-vallabhasya
vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam
[Continues to sing last line:] Vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam, vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam…. Not only selling books and distributing books, not being any maṭha commander, or superintendent of maṭha. Doing here and there, and filling the pockets. Even sometimes one person took the authority and taking all these things and after that, oh taking any girlfriend and quickly going here and there. Not like this. What kind of he was? He was [a] transcendental being. So, śrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhaye – ocean of mercy. What is that? To sprinkle that rādhā-dāsyam in West. There is no word like this in the whole world. And he came that, oh you are Rādhā’s dāsī, like Caitanya Mahaprabhu has come to give this thing:
anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau
samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam
hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandīpitaḥ
sadā hṛdaya-kandare sphuratu vaḥ śacī-nandanaḥ
[CC Ādi 1.4]
[May the Supreme Lord who is known as the son of Śrīmatī Śacī-devī be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the Age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation has ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant mellow of devotional service, the mellow of conjugal love.]
It was never given in a day of Brahmā, for lakhs and lakhs years. But mercifully Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself, being Kṛṣṇa, He took the golden beauty of Rādhikā and intrinsic mood of Rādhikā and came for what thing? Unnatojjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam. To give unnatojjvala. What is unnatojjvala? Śrī means the beauty of that. The service of Śrīmatī Rādhikā, rādha-dāsyam. So, in this line, he [Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura] has also come only to sprinkle his mercy, to give this thing, rādha-dāsya to all. Not anything else for which he preached, he did this, nagara-saṅkīrtana doing, publishing books, giving sannyāsa, cutting the jungles, establishing varṇāśrama-dharma. You know varṇāśrama-dharma? He did, but his main purpose: to give rādha-dāsya.
Mādhuryojjvala-premāḍhya. What is mādhuryojjvala? This is unnatojjvala-rasa, that rādha-dāsya. Bhakti is of two kinds. First which are given by Rāmānuja, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇusvāmī, Nimbāditya and previous ācāryas, by Rāmacandra Himself and that was opulence bhakti, aiśvarya-mayī bhakti. By this, we cannot please Kṛṣṇa so much. He can’t be controlled so much by this aiśvarya-mayī bhakti. You know the words “aiśvarya-mayī”? What is aiśvarya-mayī? Oh Kṛṣṇa is my father, he is so much superior and I’m inferior So He is prabhu (master), I’m dāsa (servant). Like: He is my husband, I am His wife. Like this. Oh, He is so high, I’m so low. He has so much opulence, I have nothing. Aiśvarya-mayī. By this you can go to Vaikuṇṭha and to Goloka also you may go. But you cannot go to Vṛndāvana, Vraja, and serve Kṛṣṇa. So, mādhurya bhakti, of like Rūpa Gosvāmī, vraja-bhakti, like upapati mood. Upapati mood means? [Devotees: paramour mood]...which was never given by anyone. Caitanya Mahāprabhu came and He give His associates…. So, Svāmī Mahārāja himself, your Prabhupāda, never come only to cut jungles and to give only these things. He has come to give these things in the guidance of Nayana Mañjarī. He was also like anything, by his what? Constitutional form. He was not of this world, and very few can realize him in this way. So, Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī came to give this and sprinkle his mercy – mādhurya-mayī bhakti, rūpānuga, this is rūpānuga. Rāgānuga and rūpānuga. Rāgānuga means to follow dāsya, sakhya, and vātsalya – all. You can be rāgānuga, but rūpānuga – only to follow what Rūpa Gosvāmī was and how he was serving and how he was doing in this world, practicing bhakti-yoga, only for Rādhikā.
tavaivāsmi tavaivāsmi na jīvāmi tvayā vinā
iti vijñāya devi tvaṁ naya māṁ caraṇa antikam
Śrī Raghunātha Dāsa, Vilāpa Kusumāñjali (96)
[I am Yours, I am Yours. I cannot live without You. Knowing this, please keep me close to Your lotus feet.]
This is very high-class of donation that he came to give, Śrīla Prabhupāda. So, you can imagine how he was high-class of preacher, jagad-guru and of Goloka Vṛndāvana, how dear and near beloved of Kṛṣṇa and Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Today we are going to observe his…
Devotees: appearance day…
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: No appearance day. He has any appearance day in this world? Nothing. But he has made it only to help us, that by this, they will remember my activities and who am I and how he sprinkled his mercy to whole world. We will remember all these things and very quickly, you will be sincere and will follow him; otherwise not. So, he has given this sacred day for us, though he has no appearance day and death day or anything. But mercifully he has given. So, we should try to realize. This is bhakti. This is association. We should try to know all these things.
A guru who cannot give all this, a Vaiṣṇava who cannot give this, then how he can be developed, [how] we can develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness? We should try to have this association, otherwise our life will be ruined. A guru must be in this line, having some realization; otherwise, if a man has no money, no money, not a single dollar and he has a false ego that he can give lakhs and lakhs dollars; then he is cheating you all. He cannot. So if a man has, a devotee has not realized all these things, how he can give kṛṣṇa-prema? Our object. There should be any object. Our object is to serve Kṛṣṇa, to have prema. Without prema, we cannot serve. A guru must be like this.
It has been told: “kṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ.” He is prabhu, he is master of all that, he is master of that prema-mayī. What? Kṛṣṇa sambandha. He can give a relation to all jīvas, relation to Kṛṣṇa, this relation of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine. We know that we are servant of Kṛṣṇa, eternal servant. But what kind of servant? What is in your constitution? That must be your name, your form, your qualities to serve Kṛṣṇa everything is there. Those who relate it to Kṛṣṇa from that jīva, he is really guru. And if he is not himself having relation with Krsna, how he can give these relations to others? So, he should have all the relations that he can give relation purely; otherwise not. Today now we should worship him with puṣpāñjali, and then preparation should be offered to him. Ārati should be done and then you can take prasādam and in evening from 5:30 or 4:00, we should try to come and more. Everyone should come six to nine. Six to eight, I’ll be available, six to eight and half.
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