Serve, Chant, Remember

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
22 January 2012, Nandigram (Andhra Pradesh, South India)

ব্রহ্মাণ্ড ভ্রমিতে কোন ভাগ্যবান্ জীব ।
গুরু-কৃষ্ণ-প্রসাদে পায় ভক্তিলতা-বীজ ॥

brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija

"Having travelled throughout the universe and got the mercy of Guru, Krishna, a fortunate soul receives a seed of the devotional creeper."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 19.151)

We keep coming and going, we are always changing our address—sometimes we are born in Russia, sometimes in India, sometimes in Japan, sometimes in some other place. We always change our address, but now that we have got a human body:

ভারত-ভূমিতে হৈল মনুষ্য-জন্ম যার ।
জন্ম সার্থক করি' কর পর-উপকার ॥

bharata-bhumite haila manusya janma yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara

"One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India should take advantage of his birth and bring benefit to all other people."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi-lila, 9.41)

Why are we born here in India, in a religious country? What is our duty? Now we are actually not different from cows and dogs—they all eat, sleep, enjoy and we do the same thing, we do not worship the Lord, we do not chant His Holy Name... That is why Krishna sends Guru-varga, His associates, to distribute His message all over the world.

Mahaprabhu said that it is not necessary to leave your family, it is not necessary to leave your job, etc. When you are cooking, you can chant the Holy Name (or when your mother is cooking, she can chant the Holy Name); when you are working, you can chant the Holy Name. It is not necessary to leave your country, to leave your family life. You can live in a family, but you must understand that your family is Krishna's family and when you work, you should work for the Lord.

Service and duty (karma) are not the same. For example, a cat takes a rat into its mouth and another cat takes its baby into its mouth—both actions look the same, but one is service and one is karma. The scriptures say, "Sevon mukhe kaha Krsna Nam (সেবোন্মুখে কহে কৃষ্ণনাম). You can do service with your hands and chant with your mouth."

In this world, Krishna is the only enjoyer, but because we have ego we enjoy with His property. Everything in this world is created and exists for the service of the Lord. Moreover, Krishna says in Srimad Bhagavad-gita (9.30),

অপি চেৎ সুদুরাচারো ভজতে মামনন্যভাক্ ।
সাধুরেব স মন্তব্যঃ সম্যগ্ব্যবসিতো হি সঃ ॥

api chet suduracharo, bhajate mam ananya-bhak
sadhur eva sa mantavyah, samyag vyavasito hi sah

"If even a very sinful person serves Me exclusively with devotion, he should be regarded as saintly, for his resolve is perfect."

Krishna says, "Somebody is doing some bad things or did many bad things in his previous karma, but if such person surrenders to Me, I remove his offence and engage him in the service to My lotus feet."

You know also that after taking sannyas Mahaprabhu first went to Puri. There, He met with Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya. Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya, who used to have so much ego, told Mahaprabhu to come to the bank of the Godavari River and see Raya Ramananda. When Mahaprabhu met with Ray Ramananda, He brought him back to Puri with Him. This was when Mahaprabhu came here and preached to all South Indian people. He said, "If you have love and affection for Me, then say 'Krishna', worship Krishna, do not forget Krishna, always remember Krishna."

So, you all know who our Guru-varga is. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj, the founder of ISKCON, our Param Gurudev Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, our Gurudev Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj—they are all our Guru-parampara. This Guru-parampara originates from Krishna, from Krishna it came to Brahma, from Brahma to Narad, from Narad to Vyasadev, from Vyasadev to Madhva Acharya—in this way it came to Madhavendra Puri, Ishwar Puri, and finally Mahaprabhu Himself. This is how, through Guru-parampara, this Holy Name comes. If some fortunate soul can take this Holy Name and chant the Holy Name, they can go to their real home, and it will not be necessary for them to come and go again, it will not be necessary to suffer all kinds of suffering any more.

When I went to Turkey, I saw so many Muslim people who wanted to chant this Holy Name. They are many restrictions in their country because of their religion, but when we tell them not to kill anything, that there is a jiva soul existing in every body, that we must be humble, tolerant and give honour to others, they liked our conception—they think, "Why kill cows, goats, etc.? This is a very nice conception." They start to follow it, they begin to chant the Holy Name. Even in Mahaprabhu's time also, there was Chand Kazi (Muslim ruler) who broke a mridanga but later became a devotee (Mahaprabhu rescued Him); there was Jagai and Madhai who also became devotees through chanting of the Holy Name. These are just a few example of the power of the Holy Name. It is said in the scriptures that even a crore (million) of fire sacrifices performed in Dvapara-yuga is not equal to chanting just one Holy Name.

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