(1/7) Loud and Loving Call

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Masulipatnam, Andhra Pradesh
6 January 2019, evening, part 1

Jay Om Vishnupad Jagad-Guru Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jay.
Visva-varenya Srila Guru Maharaj ki jay.
Om Vishnupad Jagad-Guru Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jay.
Jay saparikara Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharva Govinda Sundarjiu ki jay.
Om Vishnupad Bhagavan Sri Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur Prabhupad ki jay.
Jay Rupanuga-guru-varga ki jay.
Jay Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad ki jay.
All the assembled devotees ki jay.
All the worldwide devotees ki jay.
Jay samagata Sri Gaura bhakta-vrinda ki jay.
Jay jay Masulipatnam samasta Gaura-bhakta-vrinda ki jay.
Jay bhakta-prabara Prahlad Maharaj ki jay.
Suddha-bhaktir-vighna-vinasakari Bhagavan Nrisinghadev ki jay.
Sri Sada-Siva Gangadhar, Giriraj Govardhan ki jay.
Sri Shyama Kunda, Radha Kunda, Sri Giri Govardhan ki jay.
Sri Vrindavan Dham, Mathura Dham ki jay.
Sri Nabadwip Dham ki jay.
Sri Mayapur Dham ki jay.
Harinam sankirtan ki jay.
Nitai Gaura premanande Hari bol

Say loudly together with me:

hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

When you call your father and mother, when you call your son or daughter, you call them by their names, and if you do not call them in a loving way, they will not answer your call. Krishna lives in Goloka Vrindavan but He sometimes comes when there is some sadhu, some Vaishnav speaking Krishna-katha – at this time, Krishna comes near to you. When you call your son, you must call him loudly; otherwise, your son will not be able to hear you. There are so many jiva souls who are also calling Krishna's Name – unless you call Krishna with heart and soul, with love and affection, Krishna will not give attention to your call. Srila Haridas Thakur chanted the Holy Name loudly. Sometimes, our minds disturb us or there is some problem we are always thinking about, but at this time you must chant loudly, then anartha (all unwanted elements) will be removed from your heart.

Srimad Bhagavatam says that there are sixty-four limbs of devotion (bhakti-anga). These nine of them are the main:

আদৌশ্রদ্ধা ততঃ সাধুসঙ্গোঽথ ভজনক্রিয়া ।
ততোঽনর্থনিবৃত্তিঃ স্যাৎ ততো নিষ্ঠা রুচিস্ততঃ ॥
অথাসক্তিস্ততো ভাবস্ততঃ প্রেমাভ্যুদঞ্চতি ।
সাধকানাময়ং প্রেম্ণঃ প্রাদুর্ভাবে ভবেৎ ক্রমঃ ॥

adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango 'tha bhajana-kriya
tato 'nartha-nivrttih syat tato nistha ruchis tatah
athasaktis tato bhavas tatah premabhyudanchati
sadhakanam ayam premnah pradurbhave bhavet kramah

'First, there is faith; then, saintly association and practising life. After that, unwanted habits gradually go away, spiritual life becomes stable, and spiritual taste comes. Then comes attachment, feeling and finally transcendental love. This is how love for the Lord comes to those who practise Krishna consciousness.'

(Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, 1.4.15-16)

And these five are the highest practices:

সাধুসঙ্গ, নামকীর্ত্তন, ভাগবতশ্রবণ ।
মথুরাবাস, শ্রীমূর্ত্তির শ্রদ্ধায় সেবন ॥

sadhu-sanga, nama-kirtana, bhagavata-sravana
mathura-vasa, sri-murtira sraddhaya sevana

'Associate with sadhus, chant the Holy Name of the Lord, listen to Srimad Bhagavatam, reside in Mathura and worship Deities with faith.'

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.22.124)

And among these five, the topmost practice is Nama-sankirtana.

কোটি জন্ম যদি করে শ্রবণ কীর্ত্তন ।
তবু না পায় ব্রজেন্দ্রনন্দন ॥

koti janma yadi kare sravana kirtana
tabu na paya vrajendranandan

'Even if you practise hearing and chanting for millions of lives, you will not get Krishna, the Son of King of Vraja.'

We chant and chant, but why are we not getting Krishna-prema? Why are we not getting anything? Because we are always making offences to the Holy Name. We are not chanting the proper Holy Name – we chant nama-aparadha (offences to the Holy Name). Sivji Maharaj says that chanting the Holy Name and chanting offences to the Holy Name look the same.

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, Sri Jagadananda Pandit)

You can chant the letters of the Holy Name, but you can never chant the pure Holy Name of Krishna in bad association (asadhu-sanga). So, those who keep bad association chant only the letters of the Holy Name. The pure Holy Name and mere letters of the Holy Name look the same, and Sivji Maharaj explains it with an analogy. Normally, when you drink milk, you get vitamins and strength in your body; but if a snake touches a glass of milk, the milk will look the same as good milk but it is actually poisonous – if you drink it, you will die.

It is necessary to always keep association of saints.

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

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

'All scriptures keep saying, "Good association", "Good association". You can attain all perfection even just by a drop of good, saintly association.'

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.22.54)

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Language: English

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Loud and Loving Call
2) Transcending Bodily Existence
3) Why Do We Suffer?
4) Srimad Bhagavad-Gita's Message
5) Fulfil Your Quest
6) History of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math (1)
7) History of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math (2)