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"Try to Practise Kirtan"
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Puri Dham, second evening class
21 June 2017, translated from Bengali, part 1
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কিবা মন্ত্র দিলা, গোসাঞি, কিবা তার বল ।
kiba mantra dila, gosani, kiba tara bala "My lord, what kind of mantra have you given Me? What kind of power does it possess? Chanting this maha-mantra made me mad!" (Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi-lila, 7.81)
কবে নবদ্বীপে সুরধুণী-তটে
kabe navadvipe, suradhuni-tate, "When will I wander along the banks of the Ganges in Nabadwip, sincerely calling out, 'Gaura-Nityananda!', while dancing, singing, and running about, without any thinking as though mad? Tell me, when will that day be mine?" (Saranagati) |
"When will I, chanting and chanting the Holy Name, become crazy? When will that day come to me?"—Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur is singing this for us.
When Mahaprabhu went to South India, He saw there one brahman sitting in one of the temples—he was reading Srimad Bhagavad-gita and crying. Many people laughed at him because his pronunciation was not good, he did not read correctly, etc. Mahaprabhu observed him for some time and then asked, "O brahman, you are reading Gita, but what meaning are you getting from it that you are crying?" The brahman replied, "I do not know the meaning, but my Gurudev has ordered me to always read Gita. For as long as I am reading Gita, I can see Krishna driving Arjuna's chariot, but when I stop reading Gita, I can no longer see it. I do not understand what mistakes I make, what wrong pronunciation I have, etc. but because when I read it I can see Arjuna and Krishna my heart does not want to stop reading it."
We too much practise in this way. That is why our society's name is Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Krishna-anusilana sangha ('anusilana' means practice). Practice makes perfect. We must try to practise kirtan. There are sixty-four types of devotional practices, among them nine are the main, and among those nine these five are the best,
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সাধুসঙ্গ, নামকীর্ত্তন, ভাগবতশ্রবণ ।
sadhu-sanga, nama-kirtana, bhagavata-sravana "One should associate with devotees, chant the Holy Name of the Lord, hear Srimad-Bhagavatam, reside at Mathura and worship the Deity with faith." (Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 22.124)
সাধুসঙ্গে কৃষ্ণনামে—এই মাত্র চাই ।
sadhu-sange krsna-nama—ei matra chai I desire only to chant the Name of Krishna in the association of the sadhus. There is no other way to conquer samsara. (Sri Sri Prema-vivarta, 6.13)
সংসার সংসার ক'রে মিছে গেল কাল ।
'samsara' 'samsara' kari' michhe gela kala "Time has passed as I have been busy in my material life, and I have got nothing—only became burdened. What sort of world is this? It is like a trick, a show. While I affectionately take it as my own, days pass by in vain. 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." (Kalyan-kalpataru) |
We never think that our death is so near, we do not know when we will have to leave this body and go away. We have fallen into this material world, but when will Maya Devi be merciful to us and cut this net? When will this bound by Maya jiva soul become detached from the visaya and be able to serve the Lord? When will I be able to serve my Guru and the Vaishnavs?
We must always keep these thoughts within our hearts.
You can give up everything, but it is very difficult to give up yourself. We must give ourselves to the lotus feet of the Lord. You have heard the story of Bali Maharaj—when Vamandev took the entire creation with His two steps, He asked Bali Maharaj, "Bali, you must keep your word. Give Me the third step of land!" Bali Maharaj replied, "Prabhu, I do not have anything else. You have taken everything with Your two steps. I have nothing else to give." Vamandev asked again, "Nothing? Think carefully, think well." Then Vindhyavali (Bali Maharaj's wife) came and whispered to Bali Maharaj, "Prabhu keeps asking you, but you do not understand it—you have given everything, but have you given yourself? Have you offered yourself at the lotus feet of the Lord?"
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ষড়ঙ্গ শরণাগতি হইবে যাঁহার ।
sad-anga saranagati ha-ibe yahara "Sri Krishna hears the prayers of one who surrenders in this six-fold way: (1) humility, (2) self-submission, (3) embracing the Lord's guardianship, (4) maintaining the faith that 'Krishna will certainly protect me', (5) engaging only in activities that are favourable to devotion, (6) rejecting everything unfavourable to devotion. (Saranagati)
দৈন্য, দয়া, অন্যে মান, প্রতিষ্ঠা বর্জ্জন ।
dainya, daya anye mana, pratistha-varjana Humility, compassion, honouring others, and giving up prestige—become qualified with these four qualities and chant the Name. (Sri Siksastakam Giti) |
Who can engage in kirtan [chant the Holy Name, glorify the Lord, serve and practise properly]? Who has the right to do kirtan? Not everybody has such a right, or qualification. Many may have a good tune, a good rhythm, many may be proud of their tune, of their voice ("I sing very beautifully"), but who can do kirtan?
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দৈন্য, দয়া, অন্যে মান, প্রতিষ্ঠা বর্জ্জন ।
dainya, daya anye mana, pratistha-varjana Humility, compassion, honouring others, and giving up prestige—become qualified with these four qualities and chant the Name. (Sri Siksastakam Giti) |
Humility, compassion, honouring others, and giving up pratistha—those who have these four qualities can engage in kirtan. Do you understand? It is not easy to become a Vaishnav.
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কনক-কামিনী প্রতিষ্ঠা-বাঘিনী
kanaka-kamini, pratistha-baghini, "Those who have given up money, women, and fame, are the true Vaishnavs." (Vaishnav Ke? 11) |
I told yesterday also,
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ধন জন আর কবিতা সুন্দরী
dhana jana ara, kavita-sundari, "When will I declare that I do not desire wealth, followers, erudition, beautiful women, or any other bodily pleasure? O Gaurahari! Birth after birth, please give me unconditional devotion to Your feet." (Saranagati)
কনক-কামিনী প্রতিষ্ঠা-বাঘিনী
kanaka-kamini, pratistha-baghini, "Those who have given up money, women, and fame, are the true Vaishnavs." (Vaishnav Ke? 11) |
You can leave money, you can leave women, but pratistha is pig's stool—we run hither and thither after pratistha, but when one becomes a real Vaishnav, pratistha will run behind them.
We must think about all these things.
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| His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj is speaking on the unparalleled gift, mercy, and purity of our Guru-varga. |
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