(6/10) Day for Service, Life for Service

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Midnapore, 24 April 2019, evening, part 6
Translated from Bengali

Sri Nrisingha-chaturdasi is coming soon – it is next month; you can see the calendars for the exact date (Saturday, 18 May 2019). You should fast the whole day on this day. You should offer the usual bhog to the Deities (including grains) but fast the whole day. If you cannot fast the whole day, then you can take some fruit, sorbet, etc. – the same things that you take on ekadasi. In the evening, cook and offer bhog (make some sweets, cakes, whatever you can make), then do arati. After that, everybody should take anukalpa – it is the same as ekadasi prasad. Invite people to the temple and feed everybody. If you want to come to Nabadwip, we will be having this festival in Nrisingha Palli. We always fast on the day of Nrisingha-chaturdasi, and the next day we have a big festival. Follow this process here, too.

Lord Nrisinghadev is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, or Narayan. Lord Vishnu is also called Mul-Sankarsan, from Him come Sankarsan, Vasudev, Aniruddha and Pradyumna. Then, from Aniruddha comes Ksirodakasayi Vishnu, Garbhodakasayi Vishnu and Karanodakasayi Vishnu. Finally, from Karanodakasayi Vishnu come the ten incarnations of the Lord (we sing about them in the 'Dasavatara Stotram'): Matsya avatar (fish form), Kurma avatar (tortoise form), Varaha avatar (boar form), Nrisingha avatar (half-man, half-lion form), Vaman avatar (dwarf brahman form), Parasuram avatar, Rama avatar, Baladev avatar, Buddha avatar and Kalki avatar. These are the form of the Lord, and Krishna is called Sarvesvar – He is the Lord of all Lords, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the source (avatari) of all incarnations (avataras). In the Age of Kali, this Supreme Lord Krishna comes as Gauranga Mahaprabhu, this is His original non-different form (avatari).

Lord Vishnu resides in Vaikuntha. Above Vaikuntha is the Viraja River, beyond which there is Paravyoma and Goloka Vrindavan. Remember these things.

Observe Nrisingha-chaturdasi properly – fast on the chaturdasi day and take paran the next day. The next day is also Buddha Purnima. This year the dates are such that Nrisingha-chaturdasi actually falls on the Purnima. Outside people will be observing Buddha Purnima on this day (Saturday), but we will observe Buddha Purnima the next day (Sunday). Fast only for one day, though. Fast on Nrisingha-chaturdasi from the morning until the evening, and then take some ekadasi prasad (anukalpa, non-grain) in the evening.

[His Divine Grace reads from the chapter 'Questions and Answers' found in Guidance 3.] Who is called a sadhu? If one grows dreadlocks and pretends to be a renunciate or becomes a big grihastha, this is not what is called a sadhu. A sadhu is a person who is constantly absorbed in Krishna consciousness (Hari-katha); a person who is constantly busy with the service of the Lord; a person whose every effort is for Krishna, whose every effort is for the service of the Lord.

A sadhu always thinks about the Lord. You cannot recognise sadhus by their external look – it is not that somebody dresses as a renunciate or behaves like a big grihastha, then they are a sadhu. There are many renounced people in this world – you can see crowds of 'sadhus' at Kumbh Mela or Ganga Sagar Mela. They walk naked and cover their bodies with ash, but they are not sadhus. They do this only for their own sense-gratification. You cannot recognise a sadhu by their external look or behaviour. Those who are always, at every single moment busy serving the Lord are the real sadhus.

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READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Prodigal's Favourite, Miser's Pensioner
2) Material Diseases
3) Master's Property
4) 'I Am My Gurudev's'
5) Disciple Lives in Guru's Shelter
6) Day for Service, Life for Service
7) Foundation of Knowledge
8) Pitfalls and Benefits
9) Temple Life
10) Keep Well