(2/9) Two Phenomenal Personalities

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Vasanta Panchami, Tarakeshwar,
10 February 2019, evening, part 2
Translated from Bengali

I told you yesterday about Saraswati Puja and also about Sri Vishnupriya Devi.

Vishnupriya Devi sacrificed so much in her life – she threw away her own interest. This is not some material interest but the genuine interest. Our true interest lies in attaining the Lord. Generally, we must be selfish – not to please our senses but to please Krishna's senses. This is what Vishnupriya Devi sacrificed. If she had not made that sacrifice (if she had not given herself up), we would not have Mahaprabhu today. I told you yesterday what her life was like. She would chant the Holy Name every day. She chanted, 'Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare' and kept aside a grain of rice – then, she would offer whatever rice she had kept aside in that way to Mahaprabhu and take prasad. This is how she maintained her life. She was Sanatan Misra's daughter and Mahaprabhu's potency (sakti).

We must pray at her holy feet with all our hearts, 'O Devi, you have got an opportunity to serve Mahaprabhu – please give us your mercy so that we can also get to serve Mahaprabhu and Mahaprabhu's devotees.' This is what we should pray for to Sri Vishnupriya Devi. It is her appearance today.

It is also the appearance day of Srila Raghunath Das Goswami Prabhu today. I have told you about him before many times. He was born in Hooghly District, in a place called Adisaptagram. He lived with his father (Govardhan) and uncle (Hiranya Majumadar), who did not have any sons. The family owned a very big land there, earning twelve lakh mudras (their income was twenty lakh, but they paid eight lakh as the tax). They were very rich, and Srila Raghunath Das Goswami was the only son in the family, so he learned to look after the land.

When Mahaprabhu took sannyas and came to Shantipur, Srila Raghunath Das Goswami's father made some donation. He was a big zamindar, so everybody knew him; and although he was a materialists, he was generally favourable to devotees. When Mahaprabhu took sannyas, Srila Raghunath Das Goswami was very young. His father took him to see Mahaprabhu. Just by getting Mahaprabhu's darshan, he got Krishna-prema, and ever since that time, he lost all interest in his material life and family life. As he grew older, he kept trying to come to Mahaprabhu again and again, but everybody, his father, his uncle, even Mahaprabhu Himself, would send him back home. His family were very unhappy, thinking, 'Gosh, he is the only son in our family. If he becomes a sadhu, who will look after our land? Who will inherit all the property?' But despite all their attempts, they could not keep Srila Raghunath Das Goswami at home. He still kept going to Mahaprabhu, and they would forcefully bring him back every time. In the end, they kept eleven guards with him to make sure he would not run away again. Srila Raghunath Das Goswami did not go to school because their family could afford tutors, so various teachers and brahmans would come to their house and teach him all the subjects.

When he came to Mahaprabhu, Mahaprabhu also told him, 'Do not become crazy. Go back home. Do not show monkey renunciation to impress others. Live using all material facilities but without attachment.'

স্থির হঞা ঘরে যাও, না হও বাতুল
ক্রমে ক্রমে পায় লোক ভব-সিন্ধুকূল
মর্কট-বৈরাগ্য না কর লোক দেখাঞা ।
যথাযোগ্য বিষয় ভুঞ্জ' অনাসক্ত হঞা ॥

sthira haya ghare yao, na hao batula
krame krame paya loka bhava-sindhu-kula
markata-vairagya na kara loka dekhana
yatha-yogya visaya bhunja' anasakta hana

'Be sensible, go back to your home. Do not be crazy. One reaches the shore of material existence gradually. Do not show your false renunciation to people. Serve accepting material things, but without attachment.'

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.16.237-238)

'Use whatever you need to maintain your life and your family but not more than necessary. Do not worry about anything. Use whatever food or clothes you need, but do not be attached to it, do not desire to have more and more. You can live in your family, but do not be attached to it.' This was Mahaprabhu's order to Srila Raghunath Das Goswami. He sent him back home, saying, 'Krishna will reveal everything to you when the time is right.'

সে ছল সেকালে কৃষ্ণ স্ফুরাবে তোমারে ।
কৃষ্ণকৃপা যাঁরে, তাঁরে কে রাখিতে পারে ॥

se chhala se-kale krsna sphurabe tomare
krsna-krpa yanre, tare ke rakhite pare

'When time comes, Krishna will reveal to you how you can manage to come to Him. Who can stop you if you have received Krishna’s mercy?'

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.16.241)

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Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Conquering the Conquerer
2) Two Phenomenal Personalities
3) Srila Raghunath Das Goswami's Pastimes
4) Mukunda's Faith
5) Sri Raghunandan Thakur
6) Remembering Lord's Associates
7) Devotees' Wealth
8) Do As You Please
9) Remember Great Souls