(9/10) Know Where You Belong

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Ganga Sagar, morning class,
Deity Manifestation Anniversary day
12 January 2019, part 9
Translated from Bengali

What is the difference between other missions and us? Other missions say, 'We are devotees of Krishna,' but our aspiration is to become devotees of Mahaprabhu. This is supported by many scriptures. Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur also says, 'Radhara dasira Krsna sarva-vede bole (রাধার দাসীর কৃষ্ণ সর্ব্ব বেদে বলে). Krishna is the property of the maidservants of Srimati Radharani. All the Vedas say this.' Who does Krishna belong to? To the servants of Radharani. Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur also says,

রাধা-ভজনে যদি মতি নাহি ভেলা ।
কৃষ্ণ-ভজন তব অকারণ গেলা ॥

radha-bhajane yadi mati nahi bhela
krsna-bhajana tava akarana gela

'If you did not become devoted to the worship of Srimati Radharani, your worship of Krishna was in vain.'

(Sri Gitavali, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

How can you come to Krishna without service to Radharani? So, first worship Radharani, gurudev, then only can you become a devotee of Krishna. After they opened the temple Chandradaya Mandir in Mayapur, they installed the Deities of asta-sakhis, and only much later, they installed Mahaprabhu's Deity along with the Pancha-Tattva. But it is necessary to first install Mahaprabhu. That is the difference between them and us.

The line of Srila Sridhar Maharaj follows a very high conception. Why do so many devotees come to our temple from other missions? Because we are following a very high conception. Mahaprabhu showed the pastimes of separation (vipralambha-lila) – garbing Himself in Srimati Radharani's mood, Mahaprabhu runs after Krishna, calling, 'O Krishna! O Krishna!' This is the mood that must come to us. So, first become a devotee of Mahaprabhu – becoming a devotee of Krishna comes much later. We are followers of Mahaprabhu, so we do not go directly to Krishna. Krishna Himself says, 'Those who say that they are My devotees are not My devotees. Those who are devotees of My devotees are My devotees.' Is that not so? Then how can one say that they have become devotees of Krishna? Do you agree with this or not? You must try to learn and understand these things. We do not practise Krishna consciousness like Mirabai. Mirabai worshipped Krishna directly. She said, 'I have got the treasure of divine love! Krsna-prema-dhana painu!' But Mahaprabhu said, 'I have not got even a trace of Krishna!' Vraja gopis said, 'We have not got any devotion to Krishna!' And there you have Mirabai who says, 'I have got Krishna-prema!'

They say, 'Become a devotee of Krishna!' but first learn to serve devotees of Krishna's devotees, then only can you think of being a devotee of Krishna. We are all servants (dasa), we are all lowly menial servants, but we forget this and think that we have become devotees of Krishna!

One time a devotee from another mission came to Srila Sridhar Maharaj and asked, 'Can you give me sannyas?' Srila Sridhar Maharaj replied, 'You are a devotee of Krishna. First become a devotee of Radharani, then I can give you sannyas.'

Ours is Mahaprabhu's line, but we forget Him. Being a combined form of Radha-Krishna, Mahaprabhu showed His vipralambha-lila in Puri Dham – He would break His head against the stone in the agony of His search, 'Where am I to go to find Kanu?!' He showed the mood of Srimati Radharani. Krishna comes garbing Himself in the heart and halo of Srimati Radharani:

শ্রীরাধায়াঃ প্রণয়মহিমা কীদৃশো বানয়ৈবা-
স্বাদ্যো যেনাদ্ভুতমধুরিমা কীদৃশো বা মদীয়ঃ ।
সৌখ্যঞ্চাস্যা মদনুভবতঃ কীদৃশং বেতি লোভা-
ত্তদ্ভাবাঢ্যঃ সমজনি শচীগর্ভসিন্ধৌ হরীন্দুঃ ॥

sri-radhayah pranaya-mahima kidrso vanayaivasvadyo
yenadbhuta-madhurima kidrso va madiyah
saukhyam chasya mad-anubhavatah kidrsam veti lobhat
tad-bhavadhyah samajani sachigarbha-sindhau harinduh

'"What is that great glory of Sri Radha's love? What is My extraordinary loving sweetness and charm that Sri Radha enjoys? And what is the joy Sri Radha feels by experiencing My sweetness and charm?" Yearning to taste these three sentiments, the moon—Krishna-chandra—was born from the ocean of the womb of mother Sachi.'

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 1.1.6)

'Why does Radharani cry so much taking My Name? What kind of happiness does Radharani feel when She is serving Me?' – to taste this divine mood, the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna comes in Kali-yuga as Gauranga Mahaprabhu, a combined form of Radha-Krishna. Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur says,

রাধা-ভজনে যদি মতি নাহি ভেলা ।
কৃষ্ণ-ভজন তব অকারণ গেলা ॥

radha-bhajane yadi mati nahi bhela
krsna-bhajana tava akarana gela

'If you did not become devoted to the worship of Srimati Radharani, your worship of Krishna was in vain.'

(Sri Gitavali, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

Then how can you become a devotee of Krishna without worshipping Radharani? Radharani is gurudev, and Mahaprabhu comes garbed into Her mood. So, how can you come to Krishna bypassing Mahaprabhu? And can you ever come to Mahaprabhu bypassing Nityananda Prabhu? Nityananda Prabhu is guru-tattva: if you worship Nitai, you can come to Gaura, and if you worship Gaura, you can come to Radha-Krishna.

(শেষে) বৃন্দাবনে রাধাশ্যামের পাবে দরশন
(গৌর-কৃপা হ’েল হে)

sese vrndavane radha-syamer pabe darasana
(gaura-krpa hale he)

'(In the end,) you will behold Radha-Shyam in Vrindavan (if you get Gaura's mercy).'

So, you will not get anywhere without worshipping Nityananda Prabhu. Always worship Nitai. If you worship Nitai, you will get Gaura. First become a devotee of Nitai and Gaura – you do not become first a devotee of Krishna directly. We all first study at primary school, then high school, then college, and then only university, but if you say, 'I want to go to university skipping all the previous stages,' will you be accepted into a university? First you must get a college certificate, then you can apply to a university.

Forgetting what the conception (siddhanta) of Srila Prabhupad is, they follow a wrong conception (apa-siddhanta) – they create their own conception...

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Length: 50 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Power of Mindful Service
2) Service Is All About Mood
3) Help Yourself and Others
4) Beyond Body and Bondage
5) Do Not Cheat Yourself
6) Your Life, Your Escape
7) Keep Internal Purity
8) Embrace Devotion to Lord Krishna
9) Know Where You Belong
10) Result of Sadhu-Sanga