(8/11) Follow and Preach

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Ekachakra Dham, evening class
15 February 2019, part 8
Translated from Bengali

You all know that it is ekadasi tomorrow. Please observe it. When you do Durga-puja, Kali-puja, Laksmi-puja or Ganesh-puja [it is a common practice among Hindus, not Gaudiya devotees], do you not fast on these days? If you can fast on all those days, can you not fast until twelve o'clock (noontime) on ekadasi? Or are you going to secretly eat muri (puffed rice)? Hearing it is ekadasi fast tomorrow and knowing that there is not going to be any breakfast tomorrow, are you going to hide some muri in your room?

You must follow ekadasi. If you follow ekadasi, it makes the Lord happy and you will get devotion. The result of following ekadasi is attaining devotion. Apart from this, it is not necessary to know anything. If you read about the glory of various ekadasis, it does not give anything. We do not follow ekadasi because of various results each of the ekadasi is said to give. What sin will come, what piety will come, what will happen or not happen – it is not necessary to think about all this. Gurudev told to follow ekadasi, Mahaprabhu told to follow ekadasi, that is why we follow it. It is not necessary to know all those other things. Do you know what Srila Prabhupad said? Suppose you are thirsty. If you drink a glass of water, your thirst will go away. It is not necessary to think about the water of a whole ocean – you can drink a glass of water and your thirst will be satiated. So, when we have our gurudev, Vaishnavs, the Lord and Nityananda Prabhu, what else do we need then?

When Srila Prabhupad left this world, Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, feeling dejected, came to Vrindavan and stayed at Pavan Sarovar. Then he heard an order from Srila Prabhupad, 'I have kept you in this world to preach about Sri Rupa-Raghunath, but you left everything and came here. Go back to Nabadwip and preach the teachings of Sri Rupa-Raghunath there!' That is why Srila Sridhar Maharaj left Vrindavan and came to Nabadwip to preach the teachings of Sri Rupa-Raghunath. At first, he established a thatched house and called it Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, composing this sloka:

শ্রীমচ্চৈতন্য-সারস্বত-মঠবর-উদ্­গীতকীর্ত্তির্জয়শ্রীং
বিভ্রৎ-সংভাতি গঙ্গাতটনিকটনবদ্বীপ-কোলাদ্রিরাজে ।
যত্র শ্রীগৌর-সারস্বত-মতনিরতা গৌরগাথা গৃণন্তি
নিত্যং রূপানুগশ্রী-কৃতমতি-গুরুগৌরাঙ্গ-রাধাজিতাশা ॥

srimach-chaitanya-sarasvata-mathavara-udgita-kirtir jaya-srim
bibhrat sambhati ganga-tata-nikata-nabadwipa-koladri-raje
yatra sri-gaura-sarasvata-mata-nirata-gaura-gatha grnanti
nityam rupanuga sri-krtamati-guru-gauranga-radha-jitasa

'At this supremely enchanting divine ashram, materially destitute and spiritually loving devotees of Sri Gaura-Saraswati, who are expert at favourable practices of Krishna consciousness, constantly chant within their hopeful hearts the glories of Lord Sri Sri Gaurasundar, the greatly magnanimous source of all incarnations of the Lord, following in strict adherence the line of Sri Sri Rupa-Raghunath, the inexhaustible storehouse of the wealth of divine ecstatic consorthood love, being eternally eager to engage in the loving service of Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharva Govindasundar and Their associates. This effulgent and supremely worshippable king among all temples Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math is situated within Koladwip, which is non-different from Sri Govardhan, the king of mountains, on the enchanting bank of the revered Bhagirathi River, who rescues all fallen souls, in Sri Nabadwip Dham, a holy abode of touchstones that is non-different from Sri Vrindavan. Capturing Jayasri (the Goddess of Victory — Srimati Radharani), it exists eternally, leaving the entire creation of moving and non-moving entities astonished in the extremely cooling and loving shade of the soaring victory flag of its ever-increasing celebrated renown.'

Srila Sridhar Maharaj came to Nabadwip and established his own mission, but he did not take any disciples. Knowing that many of his godbrothers wanted to take sannyas from him (and there were also many devotees who wanted to take Harinam initiation from him), he came here, to Ekachakra, the birthplace of Nityananda Prabhu...

We will go on the parikrama of Ekachakra Dham the day after tomorrow. Please come with us. We will take breakfast and then start out. This year, Varaha-dvadasi and Nityananda-trayodasi have fallen on the same day, but we are fasting for Varaha-dvadasi tomorrow. Actually, ekadasi is today (15 February), but it is viddha, so we are fasting tomorrow, on Varaha-dvadasi (16 February). And paran is the day after tomorrow (17 February), so we will have to eat something (paran means you should take some prasad). Nityananda Prabhu also does not want us to fast again on His birthday...

You all know about the relationship between Nityananda Prabhu and Mahaprabhu. I have just told you that They are one, but They manifest Themselves in two forms, Gauranga and Nitai.

When Srila Sridhar Maharaj came here in Ekachakra to pray for Nityananda Prabhu's mercy, Nityananda Prabhu told him, 'Maharaj, you have come to ask Me for mercy, but you are a recipient of Srila Prabhupad's mercy!' (Jagad-guru Srila Prabhupad is a close associate of Srimati Radharani – in Her pastimes, he is Nayana Manjari.) 'You have got the mercy and blessings of Srila Prabhupad, so whose else mercy do you need in this world? You have got the mercy of Nayana Manjari herself! Please go and distribute to this world the wealth that you have got from her. Why are you keeping it all to yourself, hiding it? Distribute it all over the world!' Receiving this message from Nityananda Prabhu, Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj began preaching and taking disciples.

You know, at the end of his lifetime, during perhaps two or one and a half years, Srila Sridhar Maharaj did not chant the Holy Name on his beads. His servitor would ask him, 'Maharaj, shall I give you your chanting beads?' He thought, 'Maharaj must have forgotten to do his mala.' But Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj replied, 'No, I do not need the beads. I have Nitai. You can give the beads to Govinda Maharaj.' In his last days, he would always chant, 'Nitai Gaura Hari bol, Nitai Gaura Hari bol, Nitai Gaura Hari bol, Nitai Gaura Hari bol, Nitai Gaura Hari bol...'

Nityananda Prabhu gave divine love, took on His lap and then handed over to Mahaprabhu even such souls as Madhai, who had beaten Him! Is it possible for such a lowly soul as myself to ever reach the end talking about Him? But especially in my own case, I must say that I have not got so much attachment to Nityananda Prabhu – I have not even got the qualification and the right to speak about the glories and qualities of Nityananda Prabhu. I have not got an opportunity to serve Nityananda Prabhu or His devotees...

Please always preach about the holy abode of Gaura-Nitai, think about Gaura-Nitai, speak about Gaura-Nitai...

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Length: 111 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Worship Nityananda
2) Immerse Yourself in Exclusive Worship
3) Fill Your Heart with Kirtan
4) Mahaprabhu's Caution
5) Adjust Your Aspiration
6) Meaning and Value of Fortune
7) Have You Found What You Are Looking For?
8) Follow and Preach
9) Our Real Necessity
10) Seek Soul's Fulfilment
11) Stay on Right Track