(5/5) Live Riveted to Service

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Preaching programme in Hooghly district,
28 February 2019, noon, part 5
Translated from Bengali

We must worship Nityananda Prabhu. If we worship guru-tattva and take shelter at the holy feet of a bona fide guru, he will show us the right path and take us to the Lord. If we want to know where to find the Lord, we must approach those who know His address – we must find somebody who lives in His house. Such a person is the Lord's close associate, or gurudev. The Lord personally comes to this world as a guru – He comes to teach us how to come to Him. He says, ‘Acharyam mam vijaniyan (আচার্য্যং মাং বিজানীয়ান্). Know that the guru (acharya) is non-different from Me’ (Srimad Bhagavatam, 11.17.27). These words of the Lord are recorded in Srimad Bhagavatam.

It is necessary to study Srimad Bhagavatam and practise what is written there. It is necessary to practise Krishna consciousness. We must think about guru-vandana every day. We must pray to our guru, to Vaishnavs, Pancha-tattva. We must chant the kirtan of Nitai and Gauranga. After that, we must chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Actually, when you chant the kirtan of Nitai-Gauranga or chant Vaishnav-vandana, you automatically chant the Holy Names of the Lord. All those prayers are also the Holy Name. Even when you serve the Deity, this is also the Holy Name. You cannot practise all sixty-four kinds of devotion at the same time, but you can serve the Holy Name by chanting the Holy Name, by chanting Nitai-Gaura's glories, by cooking for the Lord, even by going to work for the Lord. There are different ways how you can chant the Holy Name.

Gurudev says that you must chant sixteen rounds every day, and if you cannot do that, then chant at least four rounds. We must do this. We must never forget this. Even if you chant only four rounds a day, you must chant the Holy Name at all other times ('sevonmukhe kaha Krsna Nama'; সেবোন্মুখে কহে কৃষ্ণনাম). It means that when you do some service with your hands, you must chant the Holy Name with your mouth. Always remember this. This is the prescription of scriptures. If you follow this, you will get supreme benefit.

We can see many things in this world. We can get much gain, worship and fame in this world, but we should throw all this away and try to pursue spiritual life (Krishna consciousness). This is what Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur told us. All our guru-varga spoke about this. Whatever your situation is, wherever you are, always live cultivating God consciousness, never forget the Lord. Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur said:

গৃহে থাক, বনে থাক সদা হরি বলে ডাক
সুখে দুঃখে ভুল না ক বদনে হরি-নাম কর রে

grhe thaka, vane thaka, sada ‘hari’ bale’ daka
sukhe duhkhe bhulo naka, vadane harinama kara re

'Whether you live at home or in a forest, always call out to the Supreme Lord. In happiness and in sadness, do not forget it: loudly chant the Lord’s Names.'

জীবন হইল শেষ, না ভজিলে হৃষীকেশ ।
ভক্তিবিনোদ-উপদেশ, একবার নামরসে মাত রে

jivana ha-ila sesa na bhajile hrsikesa
bhaktivinod-upadesa ek-bar nam-rase mata re

'Your life has come to an end, but you have not served Lord Hrsikes. Here is Bhaktivinod’s advice: let the nectar of the Holy Name take over you just once.'

(Gitavali, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

This life will finish – you can leave this world at any moment. Your body will be taken to the crematorium with the chant, 'Hari bol!' But what is the use? You must chant the Lord's Name before it is too late. You delay thinking you will practise spiritual life when you get old, but how many years will you get when you get old? Teach your children to chant the Holy Name from childhood, from a very young age. Teach them to offer obeisances to the guru, to the Lord, to the Deities, to do parikrama. Just as you teach your children all the other things, you must teach Krishna consciousness to them in the same way. Teach your children, grandchildren in this way, it will bring benefit to them, to you and to the whole world as well. This is how you can help other souls as well as your own soul, too. Everybody can then come back to the Lord. Teach others and do not forget it yourselves.

Always practise spiritual life, always practise Krishna consciousness. Live following your guru and Vaishnavs with chastity. Sri Nabadwip Dham parikrama is coming soon, everybody must come and join. We have many other festivals at our temples. Try to come. You will get some sadhu-sanga and can listen about the Lord. Live in this way, and you will get supreme benefit. Do not forget this.

This is what I wanted to say to you...

Tell your minds, 'Practise Krishna consciousness! O mind! Be always riveted to Krishna! Be always riveted to service.' Be always deeply attached to service and always give priority to service. This is how we must live. Give priority to service, serve Vaishnavs. This is our life. We aspire to become Vaishnavs' dogs.

কীট জন্ম হউ যথা তুয়া দাস
বহির্ম্মুখ ব্রহ্মজন্মে নাহি আশ

kita janma hau yatha tuya dasa,
bahir-mukha brahma-janma nahi asa

'May I be born even as an insect, as long as I can be Your servant – I have no wish to be born as Brahma, averse to You.'

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

'I do not want to be born as Brahma or Indra! Let me be born as some bug or insect, as long as I can be a servant of Krishna's devotees.' This should be our heartfelt hankering. We pray to have such devotion that we could serve Lord Krishna's devotees. We must pray to devotees for such devotion. Let us chant one more kirtan before we finish. After that, we will chant 'Bhaja bhakata' and finish the programme.

[His Divine Grace chants 'Sarvasva tomara'.]

sarvasva tomara, charane sapiya,
padechhi tomara ghare
tumi ta’ thakura, tomara kukura,
baliya janaha more [1]

'Submitting everything at Your feet, I have come to Your home. You are my Master, so please consider me Your dog.'

bandhiya nikate, amare palibe,
rahiba tomara dvare
pratipa-janere, asite na diba,
rakhiba gadera pare [2]

'Please keep me – tie me up near Your home and I will stay at Your doorstep. I will not let anyone who is against you enter – I will keep them on the other side of the moat.'

tava nija-jana, prasada seviya,
uchchhista rakhibe yaha
amara bhojana, parama-anande,
prati-dina habe taha [3]

'Whatever remnants Your devotees leave behind after honouring Your prasad, I will eat that very happily every day.'

basiya suiya, tomara charana,
chintiba satata ami
nachite nachite, nikate yaiba,
yakhana dakibe tumi [4]

'Sitting or lying down, I will always think about Your feet. As soon as You call me, I will come to You, dancing.'

nijera posana, kabhu na bhaviba,
rahiba bhavera bhare
bhakativinoda, tomara palaka,
baliya varana kare [5]

'I will never think about my own welfare – I will live immersed in thoughts about You. Bhaktivinod embraces You as his guardian.'

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Length: 28 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Purity Comes From Within
2) Sadhus' Protection
3) Highest Internal Ideal
4) Transcendental Transformation
5) Live Riveted to Service