(7/16) Set Your Heart for Govinda

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Ganga Sagar, evening class,
11 January 2019, part 7
Translated from Bengali

Mahaprabhu told Srila Raghunath Das Goswami:

মর্কট-বৈরাগ্য না কর লোক দেখাঞা ।
যথাযোগ্য বিষয় ভুঞ্জ' অনাসক্ত হঞা ॥

markata-vairagya na kara loka dekhana
yatha-yogya visaya bhunja' anasakta hana

'Do not show your false renunciation to impress people. Use whatever material things you require, but without attachment.'

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.16.238)

Many naga-sannyasis (naked renunciates) come to this Ganga Sagar Mela, but Mahaprabhu called it 'markata-vairagya' (monkey renunciation). They say, 'I have no desires!' but once you come to them, they will expect money from you. What do they want money for? Do you think you become a sadhu by rubbing ashes on your body and growing long dreadlocks? What is there to worry about? You can just live in whatever condition the Lord keeps you. If you surrender to the Lord, if you surrender to Mahaprabhu, then there is nothing left to worry about. We say, 'We are coming to your house to hijack.' What do Gaudiya devotees come to hijack? Your money, wealth, houses or cars? No. They come to hijack you. You are living in illusory environment, so they come to save you from this illusion and give you entrance to Krishna's family. There is a family of Maya, and there is a family of Krishna.

What did Srila Prabhupad say that you cannot give up even after giving up everything? Pratistha (name and fame). You can give up money, you can give up friends and followers, you can give up women, but fame and name cannot be given up. 'They will think I am great', 'They will praise me', 'I will get a good name' – this is all pratistha, pig's stool.

We must think. Devotion has nothing to do with all these things. We sing, 'Bhaktera hrdaye sada govinda-visrama (ভক্তের হৃদয়ে সদা গোবিন্দ-বিশ্রাম). Govinda always rests in the heart of His devotees.' Why does Govinda rest in devotees' hearts? Because devotees want to serve the Lord to bring Him satisfaction, not for their own happiness. They serve the Lord for the Lord's happiness.

দীনেরে অধিক দয়া করে ভগবান্ ।
কুলীন, পণ্ডিত, ধনীর বড় অভিমান ॥

dinere adhika daya kare bhagavan
kulina, pandita, dhanira bada abhimana

'Those who have a high birth, knowledge and wealth are very proud of themselves, but the Lord is more merciful to those who are poor and needy.'

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 3.4.68)

The Lord bestows mercy onto those who are poor. There are many devotees in our Mission whom the Lord is very merciful to – those devotees have no pride or ego towards material wealth. Always remember this.

Always do what is favourable to devotion and reject what is unfavourable. You cannot do both what is favourable and what is unfavourable. One day you drink milk, and another day you drink alcohol or take tobacco – alcohol and tobacco destroy all the benefit that comes from drinking milk. You do something good (you practise Krishna consciousness) and at the same time you also do bad things (gossip about others, criticise others, engage in village talks, discuss village news). Two things cannot go together. Do not gossip, criticise or engage in village talks. I wrote everything very nicely at the end of the calendars – read what is written there. Read what the ten offences of the Holy Name are, what the thirty-two offences of service are, what the ten offences of the holy place are and the four kinds of offences of Vaishnavs. Always think about it and avoid it. We must live thinking about all this.

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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'