(1/11) Genuine Relation with Sri Guru

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Adhivas of Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj's tirobhav
Sri Nrisingha Palli, 10 August 2018, morning, part 1
Translated from Bengali

Jay Om Vishnupad Jagad-Guru Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jay
Visva-varenya Srila Guru Maharaj ki jay
Jay Samagata Sri Gaura bhakta-vrinda ki jay
Harinam sankirtan ki jay
Nitai Gaura premanande Hari bol

If you struggle to sit on the floor, we have some chairs – you can sit on a chair.

শ্রীহরি সেবায় যাহা অনুকূল ।
বিষয় বলিয়া ত্যাগে হয় ভূল ॥

sri-hari sevaya yaha anukula
visaya baliya tyage haya bhula

'If something is favourable to the service of the Lord, it is wrong to reject it considering it material or mundane.'

(Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur's translation of verse 1.2.256 from Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu)

If you struggle to sit on the floor, you can sit on a chair at the back, it is not a problem. I also cannot sit on the floor for a long time. Sometimes, I have to sit down though. When they invite us to Mayapur, all the listeners sit on chairs, but the Vaishnavs sit on the floor of a stage in front of them. So, when it comes to such programmes, I sit together with all the Vaishnavs on the stage. When I take prasad, I also sit down on the floor, but it takes me just four–five minutes to take it and then I get up and go. But when you sit with everyone on the stage, you cannot get up after five minutes. Anyway, we shall recite Vandana now.

[Senior devotee]

pujya-sri-guru-varga-vandita-mahabhavanvitayah sada
paurvaparya-parampara-prachalita-prajya-pramurtakrteh
bhakter nirmala-nirjharasya nibhrtam samraksakam sadaram
vande sri-gurudevam anata-sira acharya-varyam nijam

'I bow my head in eternal obeisance to my Gurudev, the best of acharyas, Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj. He is the ever vigilant, stalwart guardian of the current of pure devotion whose highest form flows from our most worshippable Sri Rupanuga Guru-varga in their exclusive dedication to Mahabhav, Srimati Radharani.'

By the mercy of Sri Gurupadpadma, by the wish of Guru Maharaj, we are observing the first festival in honour of Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj's disappearance here at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Nrisingha Palli. This year, the festival is held in Nrisingha Palli, and you are all assembled here since early morning to hear and chant some mahima-kirtan (glorification) of our Param Gurudev, His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj. This is a separation day, so there is nothing happy about this day. When your father leaves, you cannot be happy, and gurudev is even more than a father to us, so there can be no happiness on the day when he leaves. You have heard Srila Prabhupad's kirtan that was composed by Srila Sridhar Maharaj:

কৃপয়া হরিকীর্ত্তনমূর্ত্তিধরং
ধরণীভরহারক-গৌরজনম্ ।
জনকাধিকবৎসলস্নিগ্ধপদং
প্রণমামি সদা প্রভুপাদপদম্

krpaya hari-kirtana-murti-dharam
dharani-bhara-haraka-gaura-janam
janakadhika-vatsala-snigdha-padam
pranamami sada prabhupada-padam

'Bestowing his mercy upon the jiva souls, he is manifest as a worshippable deity of Hari-kirtan personified. He is an associate of Sri Gaura who removes the burden of offences from Mother Earth. I offer obeisance to this very gentle fountainhead of a greater parental affection towards jiva souls than even that of a father. I eternally offer obeisance to the radiance emanating from the toenails of my master.'

(Sri Sri Prabhupada-padma Stavakah, Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj)

Writing these lines, Srila Sridhar Maharaj showed that the guru is far more affectionate than even a father. Therefore, our guru is a very dear, very close and intimate person in our life.

So, today is the disappearance day (tirobhav-tithi) of our Param Gurudev, Om Vishnupad Jagad-Guru Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, who is the founder and the acharya of Chaitanya Saraswat Math.

He left this world on this day in 1988, on 12 August (Bengali: 27 Sravan 1395). Guru Maharaj (Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj) said that on that day, 'On that day, I felt as if the sky had crushed on my head, as I had been struck with lightning. Guru Maharaj has gone today, and I have become guardianless today...' If somebody has a relationship with their guru, if somebody has been able to know and understand their guru, they will never be separated, or detached, from their guru. But tell me, who is able to know the guru? Who can understand the guru? You cannot understand your guru if you do not become a real disciple. Only genuine disciples can understand their guru. What does gurudev want internally? Who does gurudev want us to understand? Who can understand these things?

We always say, 'Gurudev, please give me mercy,' but do we understand the meaning of mercy? Do you understand the meaning of 'Gurudev please give your mercy'? The Hari-katha that I speak will soon come out in a book form. You will be able to get the book at the temple in a week. It is written there about mercy, and I am telling always the same thing. Gurudev's mercy means you pray, 'please engage me in service' and when Gurudev gives you some service, you do it properly to please him. To do this, you will have to face a lot of austerity and pain – many obstacles, dangers and struggles will come. But if you can cross all these dangers and problems and please your Gurudev, then it means you have got mercy. Remember this. You always say, 'Give me mercy', 'Give me mercy' – when you get some service, it means you have got mercy. Gurudev himself says also, 'Those who have no service have no mercy. Those who have service have mercy.'

It is a great fortune to be engaged, to be used in service. Service comes through great fortune, but it can go away with a moment (it takes a mere moment to lose it). Within a moment, Maya can attack us with material desires and bind us. So, we can become removed from Gurudev's service within less than a moment. That is the big problem...

তোমার সেবায় দুঃখ হয় যত,
সেও ত' পরম সুখ ।

tomara sevaya, duhkha haya yata,
seo ta' parama sukha

'Even whatever unhappiness I feel when serving You is a source of great happiness for me.'

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

When you try to do service, it is your greatest joy. What struggle can there be? When you try to serve your Gurudev, you have to work hard.

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Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Genuine Relation with Sri Guru
2) Pleasing Gurudev
3) Giving Gurudev Place In Your Heart
4) Gurudev's Transcendental Care
5) Live In the World of Faith
6) Value Your Service Life
7) Power of Genuine Devotion
8) Give Wholesale Attention
9) Harmonising Wisely
10) Seva-Sprha
11) My Humble Prayer to You