Eternal Values

By His Divine Grace
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj,
3 November 2010, Sri Nabadwip Dham

'কৃষ্ণ-নিত্যদাস'—জীব তাহা ভুলি' গেল ।
এই দোষে মায়া তার গলায় বান্ধিল ॥

'krsna-nitya-dasa'—jiva taha bhuli' gela
ei dose maya tara galaya bandhila

"When the jiva soul makes the mistake of forgetting that it is an eternal servant of Krishna, Maya captures the soul by its neck."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 22.24)

We cannot run our own self—everything is happening under the control of the Lord.

Where does the Lord stay? It is said that the Lord stays in the kitchen of Sachi Mata (Sachi Mata randhanasalaya), where Nityananda Prabhu dances (Nityananda nartane), in the house of Srivas Pandit (Srivas angane), and in the house of Raghav Pandit (Radhava bhavane). The Lord appears wherever there is service to the Lord, wherever there is Bhagavad-katha going on.

This is the line, the current you are in; this is our Guru-parampara. If you can stay within this line, it is good. Love for service is such a high conception.

One way or another we must engage ourselves in the service of our Guru—we must engage ourselves and engage others also. Whatever service you can do, any service, but you must engage yourself in service.

Ahara, nidra, bhaya, maithunam cha (আহার, নিদ্রা, ভয়, মৈথুনং চ)—life should not be wasted on eating, sleeping, fearing, and mating. Even if you live as a householder, you can still wake up early in the morning, do arati, and so on.

যে দিন গৃহে ভজন দেখি ।
গৃহেতে গোলোক ভায় ॥

ye dina grhe bhajana dekhi
grhete goloka bhaya

On the days when I see devotional service taking place in my home, I feel that Goloka has manifested there.

('Suddha-bhakata-charana-renu' by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur)

What a beautiful kirtan this is.

উদিল অরুণ পূরব-ভাগে
দ্বিজমণি গোরা অমনি জাগে ।
ভকত-সমূহ লইয়া সাথে
গেলা নগর ব্রাজে ॥

udila aruna purava-bhage
dvija-mani gora amani jage
bhakata-samuha la-iya sathe
gela nagara-vraje

The sun arises in the east, and the jewel of the brahmans, Sri Gorachand, awakes. Taking His devotees with Him, He goes out about the town.

If you explain this one kirtan, you can easily spend one-two hours like that.

'তাথই তাথই' বাজল খোল
ঘন ঘন তাহে ঝাঁজের রোল ।
প্রেমে ঢল ঢল সোনার অঙ্গ
চরণে নূপুর বাজে ॥

'tathai tathai' bajala khola
ghana ghana tahe jhanjera rola
preme dhala dhala sonara anga
charane nupura baje

The mrdangas resound 'tathai tathai' to the beat of the cymbals as Gaurasundar's golden form sways with ecstatic love and His footbells jingle.

মুকুন্দ মাধব যাদব হরি
বলেন বল রে বদন ভরি' ।
মিছে নিদবশে গেল রে রাতি,
দিবস শরীর-সাজে ॥

mukunda madhava yadava hari
balena bala re vadana bhari'
michhe nida-vase gela re rati
divasa sarira saje

He calls out, "Chant aloud Mukunda, Madhava, Yadava, Hari! Uselessly you pass the night asleep and the day decorating your body.

How many days will you be alive in this world? Even then, half of the day is night and you sleep. If you are alive for thirty more years, then you will sleep for fifteen years, and the other fifteen you have other things to do—you take prasadam, go to the bathroom, take shower, and so on—and the time is gone. How many days do we have to do Hari-bhajan, how many days do we have for the service to the Lord? You must count it.

জীবন অনিত্য জানহ সার
তাহে নানাবিধ বিপদ-ভার ।
নামাশ্রয় করি' যতনে তুমি
থাকহ আপন কাজে ॥

jivana anitya janaha sara
tahe nana-vidha vipada-bhara
namasraya kari' yatane tumi
thakaha apana kaje

"Understand the essence: life is temporary and filled with all sorts of adversity. Carefully taking shelter of the Name, engage in your work."

How nice Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur writes and explains it. "Life is temporary and there is so much danger..."

কৃষ্ণনাম-সুধা করিয়া পান
জুড়াও ভকতিবিনোদ-প্রাণ ।
নাম বিনা কিছু নাহিক আর,
চৌদ্দ ভুবন মাঝে ॥

krsna-nama-sudha kariya pana
judao bhakati-vinoda-prana
nama vina kichhu nahika ara
chaudda-bhuvana-majhe

Drink the nectar of Krishna's Name and soothe Bhakti Vinod's soul. There is nothing to be had but the Name in all the fourteen worlds.

The only benefit for the soul is Harinam sankirtan, there is no other way, no other solution, and this is what Mahaprabhu has taught: Krishna Nama sankirtana.

জীবের কল্যাণ সাধনকাম,
জগতে আসি' এ মধুর নাম ।
অবিদ্যা-তিমির-তপন রূপে,
হৃদ্ গগনে বিরাজে ॥

jivera kalyana-sadhana-kama
jagate asi' e madhura nama
avidya-timira-tapana-rupe
hrd-gagane viraje

Desiring to bless all souls, the Lord's sweet Name comes to this world and arises like the Sun within the sky of the heart to dispel the darkness of ignorance.

The Holy Name of Krishna is so sweet! But if you think about it,

দিন যায় মিছা কাজে নিশা নিদ্রাবশে ।
নাহি ভাবি মরণ নিকটে আছে বসে ॥

dina yaya michha kaje nisa nidra-base
nahi bhavi marana nikate achhe base

My days are passed in useless work and nights are wasted on sleeping. It never occurs to me that there is death sitting next to me.

('Durlabha manava janma labhiya' by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur)

We do not think that any time we can leave this body...

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