(12/16) Surrender and Learn

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Ganga Sagar, evening class,
11 January 2019, part 12
Translated from Bengali

When Srila Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya was teaching Mahaprabhu Vedanta, Mahaprabhu sat quietly, and although He is the Lord Himself, He did not ask any questions. After seven days, Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya asked Him, 'O new sannyasi, You said that You did not know any Vedas or Vedanta, but I am reading Vedanta to You and You are not saying anything to me, You are not asking me any questions... How will I know if You understand anything or not?' Mahaprabhu replied, 'Prabhu, when you are reading it, I can understand everything, but when you explain the meaning, I cannot understand anything.' Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya's explanation was based on mayavadi teachings. Then, Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya explained a verse, and Mahaprabhu explained it after him. In the end, Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya said, 'Whom have I been teaching these seven days?!' But even then he still did not have faith. In the end, Mahaprabhu showed His six-armed form to him. Seeing that form, Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya fell flat on the ground and did not get up. Mahaprabhu told him, 'Get up, Sarvabhauma, get up!' Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya asked Him, 'Prabhu, where am I? Whom have I just seen? I have just seen You in one form, and now You are showing me another form. What is this?' This is how Mahaprabhu rescued Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya. He was a mayavadi before. According to mayavadi teachings, the soul must merge into Brahman – and after Brahman is dissolved, nothing remains.

We should know these things. When Mahaprabhu was talking to Ramananda Ray, He rejected even what Srimad Bhagavad-gita says. 'Reject' means that He said, 'It is superficial, go deeper.' Gita's advice is primarily karma-misra bhakti: devotion mixed with material interests (dedicating everything you do to the Lord).

Everything that is created in this world is created for the Lord, but we forget the Lord and think out of pride, 'I am doing everything', 'I am doing the farming', 'I am running the business'. We want to enjoy that which belongs to the Lord, so we become enjoyers. But we are neither enjoyers (bhogi) nor renunciates (tyagi). We must renounce even renunciation. What is left after giving up enjoyment and renunciation is called service. Always remember this, then you will get supreme benefit.

If you are to listen about these matters, you must listen from Vaishnavs. 'Bhagavata pada Vaisnavera sthane, ekanta asraya kara Chaitanya-charane (ভাগবত পড় বৈষ্ণবের স্থানে, একান্ত আশ্রয় কর চৈতন্য-চরণে). Read Bhagavatam under the guidance of bona fide Vaishnavs and take shelter at Mahaprabhu's lotus feet.' You cannot attain anything without Mahaprabhu's lotus feet and gurudev's lotus feet. 'Guru bade Gauranga bhaje, sei papi raurave pade majhe (গুরু বাদে গৌরাঙ্গ ভজে সেই পাপী রৌরবে পড়ি মজে): the sinner who worships Gauranga without the guru will fall into a terrible hell.'

You have heard this kirtan also:

তব নিজ-জন কোন মহাজনে
পাঠাইয়া দিলে তুমি ।
দয়া করি' মোরে পতিত দেখিয়া
কহিল আমারে গিয়া ।

tava nija-jana kona mahajane
pathaiya dile tumi
(ekbara) daya kari more patita dekhiya
kahila amare giya

'You have sent a great soul, Your associate (to rescue me). Seeing me so fallen and being merciful, he came and spoke to me.'

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

'O Lord! You have sent Your own associate as a guru to teach me.' Therefore, we must surrender to such a guru and learn from him. Surrender is the main qualification. Unless you surrender, you cannot attain anything. It is necessary to take shelter, to surrender yourself to Sri Gurupadapadma. Surrender means:

দৈন্য, আত্মনিবেদন, গোপ্তৃত্বে বরণ ।
'অবশ্য রক্ষিবে কৃষ্ণ'—বিশ্বাস পালন ॥
ভক্তি-অনুকূল মাত্র কার্য্যের স্বীকার ।
ভক্তি-প্রতিকূল ভব—বর্জ্জনাঙ্গীকার ॥

dainya, atma-nivedana, goptrtve varana
'avasya raksibe krsna'—visvasa palana
bhakti-anukula matra karyera svikara
bhakti-pratikula bhava—varjanangikara

'(1) Humility, (2) self-submission, (3) accepting that the Lord is your maintainer, (4) keeping faith that “Krishna will certainly protect”, (5) engaging only in what is favourable to devotion, (6) rejecting what is unfavourable to devotion.'

Lord Krishna looks after us and takes care of us. If you think that your mother and father take care of you, that is a misconception.

তব নিজ-জন কোন মহাজনে
পাঠাইয়া দিলে তুমি ॥
এক বর দয়া করি' মোরে পতিত দেখিয়া
কহিল আমারে গিয়া ।
ওহে দীনজন শুন ভাল কথা
উল্লসিত হবে হিয়া ॥
তোমারে তারিতে শ্রীকৃষ্ণচৈতন্য
নবদ্বীপে অবতার

tava nija-jana kona mahajane
pathaiya dile tumi
(ek bar) daya kari' more patita dekhiya
kahila amare giya
ohe dina-jana suna bhala katha
ullasita ha'be hiya
tomare tarite sri krsna-chaitanya
navadvipe avatara

'You have sent a great soul, Your associate (to rescue me). Seeing me so fallen and being merciful, he came to me and said, "O humble soul, listen to this wonderful message and your heart will rejoice. Sri Krishna Chaitanya has appeared in Nabadwip to deliver you."'

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur says that the Lord sends His own associate to this world as a guru, so we must come to him, surrender to him and learn everything from him. We must always remember this. We must live in this way.

— : • : —

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Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Keep Trying
2) Highest Realm of Devotion
3) Bribing and Increasing Stool
4) What Is a Soul?
5) Service with Faith and Love
6) Core of Devotion
7) Set Your Heart for Govinda
8) Think and Learn
9) Think about Your Soul
10) Sadhya-Sadhan-Tattva
11) With Faith and Surrender
12) Surrender and Learn
13) Bhakta-Seva Pravritti
14) See Good and Do Good
15) See Through It
16) 'Lord Exists for Those Who Have Devotion'