(11) Subsisting on Mercy

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Krishna Janmastami, Tarakeswar
23 August 2019, evening, part 11
Translated from Bengali

Although Srila Sukadev Goswami was established in the consciousness of nirguna Brahman and had advanced to the liberated stage, when he heard about the sweetness of the Lord's pastimes, the sweetness of the Lord's personality, the sweetness of the Lord's beauty, the sweetness of the Lord's associates, He became irresistibly drawn to Him.

You must read these things properly. Take books, read them and apply what is written in them in your lives. You will get everything in them. To be able to speak Hari-katha, you must read; otherwise how can you speak Hari-katha? You can read the books that I wrote. I always notice what books people read. If you only throw books at others, no Krishna-katha will come out through that. You must read and be able to preach properly.

When Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur was in Godrumdwip, he sang,

শ্রদ্ধাবান্ জন হে, শ্রদ্ধাবান্ জন হে,
প্রভুর আজ্ঞায়, ভাই, মাগি এই ভিক্ষা ।
বল কৃষ্ণ, ভজ কৃষ্ণ, কর কৃষ্ণ শিক্ষা ॥

sraddhavan jana he, sraddhavan jana he,
prabhura ajnaya, bhai, magi ei bhiksa
bala krsna, bhaja krsna, kara krsna siksa

'I am appealing to those who have faith: brother, on the order of Mahaprabhu, I beg this from you – chant "Krishna", serve Krishna, learn about Krishna.'

(Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

Why must people give me alms? I am not fit to be given anything. But if I go begging on the order of my Lord (my gurudev), then nobody stands a chance – they must give me something! So, searching for mercy and then welcoming mercy, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur chanted in that way: 'I am appealing to those who have faith: brother, on the order of Mahaprabhu, I beg this from you – chant "Krishna", serve Krishna, learn about Krishna.' Why must people listen to what I have to say? If I think about my Lord and tell people to chant the Holy Name, then they have to chant the Holy Name. But if I go and do it of my own accord, without an order of my guru, then it will not work.

I always read these things. I have extracted the most important things and served these things to you all in these books.

[A devotee has lost her bag, His Divine Grace inquires] Has she got her bag back? [The devotees say that no] See? Sadhus come here to do parikrama, but it is necessary to become a sadhu, not just dress as one. If you find a bag, you must give it back. What religion is it to steal other people's things? Such 'sadhus' are not sat (pure) but sap (snaky). Some come here to steal, but some come to take the Lord's darshan. If you have no shoes, come and tell me, I will buy you shoes – it is not necessary to steal others' shoes.

[Much clamour] Do not talk, do not talk! When it is time to chant the Holy Name, no Holy Name comes out of your mouths, but when you talk, you are unstoppable. I told you, 'Do not speak village talks, do not listen to village news.' You have got your mouths to speak about the Lord, but instead of that you speak about anything and everything but the Lord.

It is written here that 'loving service to the Lord is the only necessity for the jiva soul.' What do we need? Our only need is to attain some service to the Lord. Some people need money, some people need things, but we say that our only need is to attain loving service to the Lord. Loving service means serving with love, out of love. It is necessary to serve with love. Why is Srimati Radhika called this Name? Because She worshipped (aradhana) Lord Krishna the best and the most.

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