Devotee's Humility

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
21 February 2017, Tarakeswar
Bengali evening class, part 4

মায়ারে করিয়া জয় ছাড়ান না যায় ।
সাধু-গুরু কৃপা বিনা না দেখি উপায় ॥

mayare kariya jaya chhadana na yaya
sadhu-guru krpa vina na dekhi upaya

"It is not possible to conquer maya by engaging in maya. I see no other way to get relief except for the mercy of sadhus."

('Ki rupe paibe seva', Srila Narottam Das Thakur)

In Srimad Bhagavad Gita it is also said,

তদ্­বিদ্ধি প্রণিপাতেন পরিপ্রশ্নেন সেবয়া ।
উপদেক্ষ্যন্তি তে জ্ঞানং জ্ঞানিনস্তত্ত্বদর্শিনঃ ॥

tad viddhi pranipatena, pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam, jnaninas tattva-darsinah

You will be able to attain knowledge by satisfying the divine master with submission, relevant inquiry, and sincere service. The enlightened souls who are learned in scriptural knowledge and endowed with direct realisation of the Supreme Absolute Truth will impart divine knowledge to you.

It is necessary to surrender fully, it is necessary to have saranagati. Saranagati means dainyata, humility:

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

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

Humility, mercy, consideration of others, and giving up position are the four qualities needed to perform kirtan.

Humility means,

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.

Bhakti Vinod Thakur writes very nicely. He also says about jealousy:

আমার জীবন সদা পাপে রত
নাহিক পুণ্যের লেশ ।
পরেরে উদ্বেগ দিয়াছি যে কত
দিয়াছি জীবেরে ক্লেশ ॥

amara jivana sada pape rata
nahika punyera lesa
parere udvega diyachhi ye kata
diyachhi jivere klesa

My life is always engrossed in sin. There is not a trace of piety in it. I have caused others so much anxiety and trouble.

নিজ সুখ লাগি' পাপে নাহি ডরি
দয়াহীন স্বার্থপর ।

nija sukha lagi' pape nahi dari
daya-hina svartha-para

I am never afraid to engage in sinful activities for the sake of my own happiness. I am unkind and selfish.

We are not afraid to commit sin for the sake of our own enjoyment.

You know, when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu stayed in Puri, He would dance and chant the whole day. In Puri, there is a place called Gambhira (lit. "a room inside a room"), and Mahaprabhu used to stay there. He was 7'6" tall, His arms reached below His knees (ajanulambita-bhuja), such was His figure. One day, this Chaitanya Mahaprabhu lay in the doorway of His room, His head and upper body facing one side of the room and His legs the other. He also had a servitor called Govinda who would come every day and massage Mahaprabhu's feet after a long day outside. Govinda did not use any oil, he would massage with some water only. When Govinda came to Gambhira that day, he saw Mahaprabhu lying in the doorway. He said,

"Prabhu, please move a little so that I can come inside and massage Your feet."

"I am very tired today, I cannot move."

"But I do this service every day... How will I do it today?"

"That is your matter. What am I to do? I am tired and resting, you go too take rest."

Govinda thought, "I do this service every day, so I must do it today too."

(This is called sincerity, nistha, determination) Three things are necessary: sincerity, acceptance, and chastity. Chastity is the main thing—if you do not have chastity, you do not have anything then. Devotion mean to be firmly fixed in the service of your Guru.)

So, what did Govinda do? He put his uttariya (cloth) on the body of the Lord and crossed Him. He thought, "I am going inside and if some sin comes, I am doing it for the service of the Lord." Inside the room, he massaged the feet of the Lord nicely, and the Lord rested very well.

Later at night, Mahaprabhu woke up and saw Govinda still sitting in the room,

"Govinda, have you not gone to take rest? Have you not taken prasad yet?"

"Prabhu, how will I go? You are lying in the doorway..."

"How did you come inside then?"

"Prabhu, that time I came for Your service, but I cannot cross You for my own food and rest."

You must always remember this. "Nija sukha lagi' pape nahi dari": we are not afraid to commit sin for our own happiness. "Daya hina, svartha para": we are unkind and selfish.

পর সুখে দুঃখী সদা মিথ্যাভাষী
পরদুঃখ সুখকর ॥

para-sukhe duhkhi sada mithya-bhasi
para-duhkha sukha-kara

I always tell lies. I am unhappy when others are happy, and happy when others are unhappy.

Seeing others' happiness I feel unhappy—somebody's child passes all exams and gets a good job; somebody's daughter gets a good husband, marries a high school teacher, and others say something bad, they become envious, etc. "Sada mithya-bhasi", I always lie. "Para-duhkha sukha-kara": I become so happy to see others unhappy.

These are Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur's words.

asesa kamana hrdi majhe mora
krodhi, dambha-parayana

There are unlimited sinful desires in my heart. I am angry and arrogant.

I am angry, I am greedy...

কাম-ক্রোধ আদি ছয় বাটপাড়ে দেয় ভয়
অবসান হৈল আসি বেলা

kama-krodha-adi chaya batapare deya bhaya
avasana haila asi bela

I am attacked by the six highway robbers lead by kama and krodha, and my life is coming to its end.

How beautiful these words are...

— : ○ : —

{ 2001  |   2002  |   2003  |   2005  |   2009  |   2010  |   2011  |   2012 }
{ 2013  |   2014  |   2015  |   2016  |   2017  |   2018  |   2019  |   2020  |   2021 }

• Download (1.7 Mb)