Highest Benefactors

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
8 February 2017, Sri Ekachakra Dham
Translated from Bengali

A Guru takes a disciple so that the disciple can serve the Lord. So, we must ask ourselves and judge it for ourselves, "How much service have I done?"

প্রতিষ্ঠা লাগিয়া শাঠ্য-আচরণ
লোভ-হত সদা কামী ।
এ হেন দুর্জ্জন সজ্জন-বর্জ্জিত
অপরাধী নিরন্তর ॥

pratistha lagiya sathya-acharana
lobha-hata sada kami
e hena durjana sajjana-varjita
aparadhi nirantara

"I always do bad things for my own name and fame. I am ruined by greed and constantly covetous. Devotees avoid such a sinner as I am. I am a constant offender."

We always make offences and the Holy Name never comes to the mouth of an offender:

'কৃষ্ণনাম' করে অপরাধের বিচার ।
কৃষ্ণ বলিলে অপরাধীর না হয় বিকার ॥

'krsna-nama' kare aparadhera vichara
krsna balile aparadhira na haya vikara

There is a consideration of offences when one chants Krishna Nam—offenders to the Name get no effect from their chanting.

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi-lila, 8.24)

অসাধুসঙ্গে ভাই কৃষ্ণনাম নাহি হয় ।

নামাক্ষর বাহিরায় বটে তবু নাম কভু নয় ॥

asadhu-sange bhai krsna-nama nahi haya
namaksara bahiraya bate tabu nama kabhu naya

"Brother, the Name of Krishna never appears in bad association: the letters of the Name may appear, but the Name never does."

(Sri Sri Prema-vivarta, 7.1)

The Name of Krishna never appears in bad association. If you want to chant the Holy Name, then

'সাধুসঙ্গ', 'সাধুসঙ্গ'—সর্ব্বশাস্ত্রে কয় ।
লবমাত্র সাধুসঙ্গে সর্ব্বসিদ্ধি হয় ॥

'sadhu-sanga', 'sadhu-sanga'—sarva sastre kaya
lava-matra sadhu sange sarva siddhi haya

"Good association", "good association," all the scriptures keep saying. Only by good association can you get all perfection.

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.22.54)

You must keep good association. Who can chant the Holy Name (do kirtan)?

তৃণাধিক হীন দীন অকিঞ্চন ছার ।
আপনে মানবি সদা ছাড়ি অহঙ্কার ॥
বৃক্ষসম ক্ষমাগুণ করবি সাধন ।
প্রতিহিংসা ত্যজি অন্যে করবি পালন ॥

trnadhika hina, dina, akinchana chhara
apane manabi sada chhadi' ahankara
vrksa-sama ksama-guna karabi sadhana
pratihimsa tyaji' anye karabi palana

Give up your false ego, and always consider yourself lower than grass, poor, needy, and mean. Practise tolerance like a tree. Give up vengeance and nurture others.

জীবন-নির্ব্বাহে আনে উদ্বেগ না দিবে ।
পর-উপকারে নিজ-সুখ পাসরিবে ॥
দৈন্য, দয়া, অন্যে মান, প্রতিষ্ঠা বর্জ্জন ।
চারিগুণে গুণী হই করহ কীর্ত্তন ॥

jivana-nirvahe ane udvega na dibe
para-upakare nija-sukha pasaribe
dainya, daya anye mana, pratistha-varjana
chari gune guni hai karaha kirtana

"Live without causing anxiety to others; do good unto others without considering your own happiness. Humility, compassion, honouring others, and giving up prestige—become qualified with these four qualities and chant the Name."

(Sri Siksastakam Giti)

You must do kirtan with these four qualities. Who has the right to do kirtan? Those who have humility, tolerance and who can give honour to others.

Once, a sadhu was sitting and chanting the Holy Name on the bank of the Ganges. Suddenly he saw a scorpion moving towards the bank of the Ganges. The sadhu thought, "If the scorpion comes to the Ganges, he will be washed away and die. I must do something." He put his mala on his neck, picked the scorpion and put it far from the bank of the Ganga so that it could not go to the water again, but after a while the scorpion again went towards the water. The sadhu again picked it up and kept it aside. It repeated many times. One boy was passing that place and, having seen what sadhu was doing, he asked the sadhu, "Sadhu, what are you doing? Do you have nothing to do? What is it to you if this scorpion is saved or not?" The sadhu replied, "Even if this scorpion cannot change his character—if he is going to die, I must try to save it."

There are people in this world who are heading towards death, and those who really want their benefit are merciful to the jiva souls—and to give mercy to the jiva souls they tolerate abuse just like Nityananda Prabhu did! "Mar kheyeo nam prema yache: Nitai endures being beaten yet gives His aggressors divine love."

Madhai hit Nityananda Prabhu, but Nityananda Prabhu said, "You can beat Me, it is not a problem, but only chant the Holy Name!" When blood fell from His head, Haridas Thakur ran to Mahaprabhu to tell Him the news. Mahaprabhu called Sudarshan, and Sudarshan came at once, but Nityananda Prabhu said, "What are You doing, Prabhu? I am begging You for Madhai—please give him Your mercy!"

Is there anyone in this material world except this Nityananda Prabhu? Is there anything in this world worth living for without His mercy? To get this Nityananda Prabhu it is necessary to give up material attachment:

কৃষ্ণভক্ত—নিষ্কাম, অতএব 'শান্ত' ।
ভুক্তি-মুক্তি-সিদ্ধি-কামী—সকলি 'অশান্ত' ॥

krsna-bhakta—niskama, ataeva 'santa'
bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kami—sakali 'asanta'

"A devotee of Krishna has no desires and is always peaceful. Those who have material desires, desire for liberation or desire for some perfection are always lusty and never know any peace."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 19.149)

So, that sadhu said, "If the scorpion cannot change its character, why should I change my character?" Sadhus always want to save the jiva souls.

শক্তিবুদ্ধিহীন আমি অতি দীন
কর মোরে আত্মসাথ ॥

sakti-buddhi-hina ami ati dina
kara more atma-satha

"I am devoid of ability and intelligence, and greatly distressed. Please accept me."

We pray to Gurudev, "Please hijack me! Take me!" Sadhus do not come to take your money, your wealth. Those who take the disciple's money can never be a sadhu; those who take away the disciple's suffering and misery are the highest sadhu. It is written in Padma Purana that the number of vitta-harankari gurus (who come to take your wealth and money) is great, but the number of santap-harankari gurus (who come to take your misery away) is very small...

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