(3/8) Mahaprabhu's Standard of Cleanliness

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Preaching programme in Hooghly district,
28 February 2019, evening, part 3
Translated from Bengali

If we do not study Mahaprabhu's teachings, we will not be able to understand anything. There is Mahaprabhu's conversation with Ray Ramananda that took place on the bank of the Godavari, at the end of which Mahaprabhu showed His Rasa-raja Maha-bhava Chaitanya-svarupa. Ramananda Ray was extremely fortunate to have seen such a form. Ramananda Ray was Visakha, a very intimate devotee of the Lord, that is why he could see the Lord's original form. Not everybody can see it. That particular form of Rasa-raja Maha-bhava (united Sri Sri Radha-Krishna) had never been seen anywhere before. Mahaprabhu showed it only to Ray Ramananda.

Jagadananda Pandit served Mahaprabhu with very much love. When Mahaprabhu first came to Puri, Jagadananda Pandit brought a mattress and a cotton pillow, but Mahaprabhu did not accept them, saying, 'I am a sannyasi, how can sleep on a nice soft bed? No. I will sleep on some banana leaves on the floor.' However Jagadananda Pandit was clever. He spoke to Svarup Damodar and they found a way out. Jagadananda Pandit collected a lot of banana leaves, dried them and then tore them into small pieces and stuffed those pieces into a pillow case that he had sewn lovingly from his own uttariya. Then he made a mattress in the same way, stuffing dry leaves into a cloth casing. Those were still banana leaves, so Mahaprabhu would not be able to object. This is how Jagadananda Pandit served Mahaprabhu. He was very clever. Mahaprabhu knew who he was. Jagadananda Pandit was Satyabhama in Dvapar-yuga. Mahaprabhu appeared in this world together with all His associates from Dvapar-yuga (svaparsada sviya dhama saha avatari).

There was another important pastime that Mahaprabhu showed in this world. It is Gundicha-marjan. He taught in this pastime with His own hands. He personally came and cleaned the temple, sweeping, wiping the dust, washing and cleaning the temple with His own hands. Not only that, He also rewarded those who collected the most dust. Why did He do that? Because He rewards those who can clean and collect the most dust from the polluted people of this age. Before cleaning the Gundicha temple, Mahaprabhu told everybody, 'One who can collect the most dust will get a reward, and those who collect the least dust will get punishment!' What punishment did they get? It is a very important point. I read about it in Srila Prabhupad's writings. Mahaprabhu told those who collected the least dust to make nice cakes and sweets. What does it mean? It means that they had to serve Vaishnavs. In other words, those who are covered with too many offences and bad habits (who cannot practise Krishna consciousness properly) must serve Vaishnavs, then they will be successful. Mahaprabhu taught this Himself, with His own hands – to make sure that everything was absolutely perfect without a tinge of any blemish, He personally, with His own hands, scrubbed the floors and the walls with His own cloth making sure the temple was spotless. The meaning of this pastime is that our hearts are polluted with desires for money, women and fame, with lust, anger, greed, madness, illusion and envy, so we must clean our hearts thoroughly making sure that no filth, no dirt, not even a tinge of any blemish can be found in them. This is what Mahaprabhu taught by His Gundicha-marjan pastime.

I am writing a book now. When we do Sri Puri Dham parikrama, we read from Sri Puri Dham Mahatmya-mukta-mala, and I am trying to complete now Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya-mukta-mala to publish it before Gaura Purnima. I was thinking to take a nap today in the afternoon, but then I realised that if I took a nap, the book would never get finished. So, I proofread about thirty pages today, and there are twenty–thirty pages left, so I will finish tonight or tomorrow. Is there a programme in the morning tomorrow? No? Good, then I can finish the book tomorrow.

So, we must always serve Vaishnavs. Mahaprabhu told all householder devotees that not a single day must pass in their lives without chanting the Holy Name of the Lord. He gave them three instructions: 'Jive daya, Name ruchi, vaisnava-seva. Be kind to other souls, chant the Holy Name and serve Vaishnavs.'

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Size: 25 Mb
Length: 51 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Steer Clear of Offences
2) Disciple's Life
3) Mahaprabhu's Standard of Cleanliness
4) Shift Your Priorities
5) Make No Mistake
6) Non-Negotiable Stance
7) Be Strong and Straight
8) Do Not Run After Knowledge