Guidance 3:
"Get This Book and Read It Always"

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Nrisingha Palli, morning class
16 March 2019, translated from Bengali, part 5

One of the chapters in the book 'Sri Upadesh,' Tritiya Khanda (Third Volume) (translated into English as 'Guidance,' volume 3) is called 'Samsara and Bhakti.' I have explained there what is bhakti (devotion) and what is samsara (material life). Another chapter is 'Home-interest vs. Math-interest': explaining these two notions, I wrote there about our late Sripad Santosh Prabhu, my godbrother whom Guru Maharaj had given to me. Read about it.

Another chapter there is about hell, I explained there what is called hell. There are so many types of hell—Tamisra, Andhatamisra, Raurav, Maharaurav, Kumbhipak, Kalasutra, Asi-patravan, Sukaramukha, Andhakupa, Krimibhojana, Sandamsa, Taptasurmi, Vajrakastaka-salmali, Vaitarani, Puyoda, Pranarodha, Visasana, Lalabhaksa, Sarameyadan, Avichi, Ayahpana. Besides these twenty-one kinds of hell, there are also seven more hellish planets called Ksarakardama, Raksogana-bhojana, Sulaprota, Dandasuka, Avata-nirodhana, Paryavartana and Suchimukha. In total, there are these twenty-eight hellish planets—places of various sufferings. In this chapter, I wrote what Kapiladev had told his mother Devahuti about hell. It is recorded in the third canto of Srimad Bhagavatam. Srimad Bhagavatam is a very big book, there are more than ten volumes, and not everybody can get it, but I searched about hell in Srimad Bhagavatam and wrote about it here in Sri Upades 3: I wrote there how the conditioned souls suffer in hell, how and in what condition they leave the body, etc. Read it carefully and remember what is written there. If you read it, it will make your hair stand on end.

Another chapter in this book is 'Provincialism and Service to the Lord.' Do you know why I wrote this? When you read it, you will understand. Some think, "I am from Mednipore, so I will stick to the Mednipore folk, and when I serve prasadam, I will serve the Mednipore folk very nicely." Others think, "I am from Howrah, so when I see my folk at prasadam, I will give them nice prasadam." This is what is called provincialism. Some also think, "If Gurudev builds a temple in our area, it would be nice because it is near us and we can go there, otherwise if the temple is in another area we cannot go so far." Originally, Srila Prabhupad wrote about this—I searched in the books, found it, and wrote about it.

I also wrote in this book about sahajiya. Many say, "It is better to be a grihastha." But: "Thinking that there is no fear of falling down in the grihastha life, and letting the fire of married life sacrifice go ablaze is not an example of spiritual life." Many say, "I live in the house and my family is Krishna's family, so I produce servants and maidservants of Krishna." But: "If one lives in his house and on the pretence of being a member of Krishna's family creates(?) servants and maidservants for Krishna—such prakrita-sahajiya hypocrisy will never lead to spiritual benefit." This is hypocrisy, and it can never bring any benefit to the soul. Always read about this.

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur also gave advice: many householders and renunciates fight among themselves, "You are householders, and we live in the temple—we are brahmacharis, renunciates!" I wrote about this too, read it. If you read this book, you will get everything. Many say, "Oh, he is a grihastha, he has no right to chant kirtans! We live in the temple, so we will chant the kirtans!" Or, "I wear saffron, and you wear white, so you are a bad person!" Many fight like this, and I wrote about it here: "Those who do not possess single-minded dedication to the service of the Lord always waste time debating who should be called a 'householder' (grihi) and who a 'renunciate' (tyagi). 'Who is greater, a householder or a renunciate?'—this designation argument possesses the hearts of people who have strayed from the service of the Lord."

I also wrote about the householders here, not only about the renunciates. Householders say, "You are sadhus living in the temple, but you cannot live without us—you always come to beg at our house, we give you rice, money, etc. and you sustain yourself on that, so we are the great ones!" The renunciates say, "You live in your house and enjoy and we have given everything up and live in the temple, so we are the great ones!" Read these things! I went to great pains to write it, it took me two-three months of working day and night to write all this for you.

There is also another chapter here—some people say that this world is destroyed by religion, many say that Mahaprabhu and His people brought about the downfall of the nation. Read about it. There is a chapter about astakaliya-lila also: there is nisanta-lila (pre-dawn pastimes), pratah-kal lila (early morning pastimes), purvahna-lila (pre-noon pastimes), madhyahna-lila (noon pastimes), aparahna-lila (afternoon pastimes), sayam-lila (dusk pastimes), prados-lila (evening pastimes), ratri-lila (night pastimes).

Another chapter is about proper renunciation (yatharha-vada) based on the sloka of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad,

কনক-কামিনী প্রতিষ্ঠা-বাঘিনী
ছাড়িয়াছে যারে সেই ত বৈষ্ণব

kanaka-kamini, pratistha-baghini,
chhadiyachhe yare sei ta vaisnava

"Those who have given up money, women, and fame, are the true Vaishnavs."

(Vaishnav Ke? 11)

[Addressing English-speaking devotees:] This book is coming in English in three-four days. You can read it, it is a very nice book.

Another chapter here is about 'The Unrenounceable.' What is that you cannot renounce after having renounced everything? Pratistha. "I will become a guru," "I will become the manager of the temple"—this is pratistha. I wrote about it here too. Pratistha is what is not renounced...

I also wrote here about Janmastami. If you celebrate Janmastami at home, you can read it or read it during the class. "If Lord Sri Krishna had not appeared, the life of the jiva souls would be useless." This chapter is called 'Without Lord Krishna Life Is Meaningless' and there is also a chapter about Radhastami. Listen to these things, read these things during the class. It will not do if only I go everywhere and preach:

করিতেছ উপকার যাতে পর উপকার
লভে জীব শ্রীকৃষ্ণ-সেবায়

karitechchha upakara yate para upakara
labhe jiva sri-krsna-sevaya

"You [Srila Prabhupad] are giving great benefit by helping other souls get service of Lord Krishna."

Read this book, buy this book and take it home! I have told you—you do not have to give me any money; it will be better if buy this book and take it with you. Read this book—what this book contains is not my words; these are Gurudev's words, Prabhupad's words, Bhagavatam's words, I wrote many examples from Bhagavatam, Chaitanya-charitamrita, I give the examples of what Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj says, what Srila Prabhupad and Srila Gurudev say, what Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur says. I wrote all this based on their examples and words. These are all not my words. I am only taking the remnants of what Gurudev has chewed and giving it to you, writing about it for you.

Devotee: What is the name of the book?

Sri Upadesh, third volume. This is the third book, there are also the first and second volumes. This book is also coming in English soon. Read it.

While you are here, always, all day listen to Hari-katha. Sripad Tyagi Maharaj will speak now shortly in English and Bengali, listen to everything attentively, otherwise your mind will start roaming around. If you start going to this shop, that shop, to this house, that house, you will be doing eye-exercise. This is Srila Sridhar Maharaj's expression—eye-exercise. Always stay here at the temple, do not go roaming anywhere. We will be walking much tomorrow and you will see much then. You must walk and do the parikrama—please, everybody must get ready. Tomorrow is the parikrama of Godrumdwip and Madhyadwip.

[His Divine Grace requests Sripad Tyagi Maharaj to speak about the glories of Naimisa forest in Madhyadwip and gives the summary of it in English and Bengali:]

A long time ago, before Mahaprabhu appeared here, when rishis were reading Srimad Bhagavatam (they were doing parayan, a complete reading of the treatise, from beginning to end), the Lord Himself appeared before them at the place called Naimisavan in Madhyadwip. The Lord said to them, "I have come before you now, but I will come here again in Kali-yuga in the form of Mahaprabhu." Jay Naimisavan ki jay. Also, suddha-bhaktir vighna vinasankari Lord Nrisinghadev (the destroyer of all obstacles on the path of unalloyed devotion) is here nearby—you all know the glories of Lord Nrisinghadev, and if you do not, I will tell it next time. OK?

[His Divine Grace chants 'Hari Haraye Nama Krishna' and finishes thus the morning class.]

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