(4) Pursuit-Free Devotion

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Ishwarpur, 19 January 2019, part 4
Translated from Bengali

Srila Prabhupad said one more thing. What is it that you cannot renounce even after renouncing everything? Do you know what it is? We can give up money, we can give up women, but it is impossible to give up self-aggrandisement (pratistha). You put tilaks and wear neckbeads, so you think you have become a Vaishnav. Or you come to this line, so you think that you will get something by coming here. Or you serve gurudev and Vaishnavs, so you think that you will get some result by doing that. Such gross and subtle desires, or hopes, are pratistha (desire to establish yourself, to gain something). So, you can give up everything in this world, but this subtle desire is impossible to give up. 'I am a brahmachari!', 'I am a householder, and I am serving the Lord', 'They cannot do so much service as I am doing, I am much higher than them.' Such thoughts can come one's mind, but Srila Prabhupad says that even all such thoughts must be given up. You must do service with the mood that 'I am only a servant, I do not know anything.' And Mahaprabhu spoke of even a higher conception.

I began telling you about the last advice of Srimad Bhagavad-gita:

সর্ব্বধর্ম্মান্ পরিত্যজ্য মামেকং শরণং ব্রজ ।
অহং ত্বাং সর্ব্বপাপেভ্যো মোক্ষয়িষ্যামি মা শুচঃ ॥

sarva-dharman parityajya, mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo, moksayisyami ma suchah

'Give up all kinds of religion and surrender to Me alone. I will liberate you from all sins, do not despair.'

(Srimad Bhagavad-gita, 18.66)

When Ramananda Ray quoted this verse in support of karma-misra bhakti, Mahaprabhu said, 'This is external, go further.' This karma-misra bhakti is more or less what you all do. It means 'Whatever happens, whatever comes, you offer it to the Lord.' For example, a tree bears mangoes, and you take those mangoes, offer them to Lord Govinda and then take prasad. This is karma-misra bhakti, and Mahaprabhu told Ramananda Ray, 'Leave it! Go further.' Then, Ramananda Ray spoke about jnana-misra bhakti (devotion mixed with the desire to know something).

[His Divine Grace takes out Bengali Guidance, Volume 2] You do not have to give me any pranami, buy these books instead. Whatever I say is written in these Guidance books. Read these books and preach what is written in them. Read them during the class. Two more books will come out at Nityananda-trayodasi. So, Lord Brahma says:

জ্ঞানে প্রয়াসমুদপাস্য নমন্ত এব
জীবন্তি সন্মুখরিতাং ভবদীয়বার্ত্তাম্ ।
স্থানে স্থিতাঃ শ্রুতিগতাং তনুবাঙ্মনোভি-
র্যে প্রায়শোঽজিত জিতোঽপ্যসি তৈস্ত্রিলোক্যাম্ ॥

jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva
jivanti sanmukharitam bhavadiya vartam
sthane sthitah srutigatam tanuvanmanobhir
ye prayaso 'jita jito 'py asi tais trilokyam

'Lord Brahma said, "My dear Lord, those devotees who have thrown away the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth and have therefore abandoned discussing empiric philosophical truths should hear from the self-realised devotees about Your Holy Name, form, pastimes and qualities. They should follow all principles of devotional service and surrender themselves fully with their body, words and mind. Thus such persons can conquer You who is known as unconquerable."'

(Srimad Bhagavatam, 10.14.3)

'Those who want to become a genuine devotee (who want to genuinely serve the Lord) leave jnana-marga and listen to Hari-katha from the holy mouths of sadhus.' This is the beginning of jnana-sunya bhakti (devotion without pursuits of knowledge). 'I do not know anything, I do not understand anything, I am only carrying on doing my service to You, and what I will get or not get, I do not need to know anything. Prabhu, I am Your servant. You have given me some service, and that is enough for me. Other than that, You can keep me as You like, do with me whatever You like.' This is devotion without scholarly pursuits – it is not necessary to have any knowledge, scholarship, it is not necessary to study anything so much.

One time, somebody asked me, 'Maharaj, I do not know how to read or write, and I do not know any mantras. How will I worship the Deities?' I told him, 'This is your mantra! You can tell the Deity, "I do not know how to read or write, I do not have any knowledge or good intelligence, I have no strength, no qualification. I do not even know how to cook well. I am offering You whatever I have managed to get – some sak and rice. I am giving you this, please eat it.' This is your mantra.

Accepting such jnana-sunya bhakti as the beginning of devotion, Mahaprabhu asked Ramananda Ray to go on, and then they discussed various devotional moods: santa-rasa (neutral relationship), dasya-rasa (serving the Lord as a servant), sakhya-rasa (serving the Lord as a friend), vatsalya-rasa (serving the Lord as a parent) and madhura-rasa (serving the Lord as a beloved).

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