No Other Shelter

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
17 June 2001

We must serve Krishna. You know that we are suffering from three kinds of suffering (adhibhautik, adhidaivik, adhyatmik, আধিভৌতিক, আধিদৈবিক, আধ্যাত্মিক: miseries caused by one's body, by the nature, and other souls). We suffer because of our parents, children, from some insects or beast, etc. We are suffering from all this, and we want to remove this suffering. The only way to remove it is to fully surrender to Krishna. There is no other shelter. Mahaprabhu said,

হরের্নাম হরের্নাম হরের্নামৈব কেবলম্ ।
কলৌ নাস্ত্যেব নাস্ত্যেব নাস্ত্যেব গতিরন্যথা ॥

harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha

"Only chanting the Holy Name, chanting the Holy Name, chanting the Holy Name—there is no other way, no other way, no other way."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi-lila, 7.76)

This is the age of Kali, and our only duty is to chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, except that there is no other shelter. If you take shelter of the lotus feet of Gurudev, take shelter of the lotus feet of Krishna, then all suffering will be removed from you. There is no other shelter.

When Mahaprabhu came to Nabadwip, when He was just born (517 years ago), He was always crying and crying. Somebody recited some poem to Him, but He did not stop crying. Then, one devotee started chanting Hare Krishna and suddenly Nimai stopped crying. This is how Mahaprabhu preached about this Hare Krishna maha-mantra, surrender, and Krishna-bhakti.

One time, when Nimai was three-four years old, He showed He was sick, and was crying so much. It was an Ekadasi day. His mother, Sachi Mata, asked Him, "What has happened?" Nimai said, "I want to go to Hiranya-Jagadish's house! They made sandesh for Krishna, I want to eat it!" How did He know it? Hiranya and Jagadish's house was from away from Nabadwip, it was one kilometre away, and He was just a little boy. But He knew it because He is the Lord Himself, He knows everything. So, Sachi Mata took Him to the house of Hiranya and Jagadish, and they happily gave Him sandesh and some other food. Then, Nimai became very happy and all His sickness and crying was gone.

Another time, it was also on an Ekadasi day, Nimai said to Sachi Mata,

"Mother, I want to ask you for something."

"What is it?"

"Promise you will give Me what I ask."

"OK, I will give You what You ask," promised Sachi Mata.

"Mother, today is Ekadasi. Promise that you will not take any rice this day."

Sachi Mata promised it, and from that day she started doing Ekadasi.

At that time Jagannath Mishra was not alive, so people say that according to the Indian laws of brahman families, only widowed wives (who have no husband) do Ekadasi, but it is not so. Mahaprabhu told everybody, whether they have a husband or not, must follow Ekadasi.

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