Main Teaching

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
20 July 2013, part 1

Jay Om Vishnupad Jagad-Guru Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jay
Visva-varenya Srila Guru Maharaj ki jay

Question: From so many slokas, why did Srila Gurudev make so much emphasis on 'trnad api sunichena'?

This is Mahaprabhu's teaching.

তৃণাদপি সুনীচেন তরোরিব সহিষ্ণুনা ।
অমানিনা মানদেন কীর্ত্তনীয়ঃ সদা হরিঃ ॥

trnad api sunichena taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih

One who is humbler than a blade of grass, more forbearing than a tree, who gives due honour to others without desiring it for himself, is qualified to always chant the Holy Name of Krishna.

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Antya-lila, 6.239)

It is Mahaprabhu's teaching that we must be humble, tolerant and give honour to others. If you are humble, tolerant and give honour to others, then you can easily conquer devotees' hearts. In this age of Kali, people will not easily take to Krishna consciousness—sometimes they will criticise you, but if you are humble and you have tolerance, it is good for you.

In this age of Kali, everybody has an ego. Somebody says, "I am very beautiful," somebody says, "I am very rich," somebody says, "I am very wise"—everybody has some ego. In Dvapar-yuga, Krishna met with Kubja—she is an ugly-looking lady and because everybody teased her she was not happy; but when Krishna told her, "Oh, you are so beautiful!" she was very happy. Krishna used politics, but Mahaprabhu did not take to politics—Mahaprabhu wants to give it as it is. Mahaprabhu shows audarya-lila. Audar, or udar, means an open heart (lit. magnanimous). So, Mahaprabhu's conception is that we must be humble, tolerant and give honour to others—then you can easily convert people. For example, when somebody's heart goes to mix with bad people, bad association, you can say something to them humbly and they will listen to it otherwise if you want to say something forcefully, people will not listen to you.

Therefore, Mahaprabhu advised us to be humble, tolerant, and to give honour to others.

দৈন্য, আত্মনিবেদন, গোপ্তৃত্বে বরণ ॥
'অবশ্য রক্ষিবে কৃষ্ণ'—বিশ্বাস পালন ॥

dainya, atma-nivedana, goptrtve varana
'avasya raksibe krsna'—visvasa palana

Humility, self-submission, embracing the Lord's guardianship, maintaining the faith that 'Krishna will certainly protect me.'

(Saranagati, 1, by Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

দৈন্য, দয়া, অন্যে মান, প্রতিষ্ঠা বর্জ্জন ।
চারিগুণে গুণী হই করহ কীর্ত্তন ॥

dainya, daya, anye mana, pratistha-varjana
chari gune guni hai karaha kirtana

Humility, compassion, honouring others, and giving up prestige—become qualified with these four qualities and chant the Name.

(Sri Siksastakam Giti)

In this age of Kali, "dinere adhika daya kare Bhagavan" (দীনেরে অধিক দয়া করে ভগবান্)—Krishna will give mercy first to those who have humility. It is the humble who will get mercy first.

Therefore, dainya, daya, anye-man—be humble, kind, give honour to others, and pratistha-varjan—you have some name and fame, but you must reject it. If you follow this, if you have these qualities, then you can chant the Holy Name, otherwise you will chant the Holy Name but it will not work. That is why one of the eight teachings of Mahaprabhu is

তৃণাদপি সুনীচেন তরোরিব সহিষ্ণুনা ।
অমানিনা মানদেন কীর্ত্তনীয়ঃ সদা হরিঃ ॥

trnad api sunichena taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih

One who is humbler than a blade of grass, more forbearing than a tree, who gives due honour to others without desiring it for himself, is qualified to always chant the Holy Name of Krishna.

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Antya-lila, 6.239)

Because Mahaprabhu taught this, our Guru-varga, our Gurudev mainly taught these things as well. These are the main things. If you learn it, then you can teach others. First you must be humble yourself, then you can tell others to be humble. Simply speaking also, suppose there are two people fighting, and both are equal in their fighting—if one of them is humble, he will give in, then the fighting will stop.

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