Precious Human Form

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Krishna Janmastami, evening, Tarakeswar
23 August 2019, part 1, translated from Bengali

মূকং করোতি বাচালং পঙ্গুং লঙ্ঘয়তে গিরিম্ ।
যৎকৃপা তমহং বন্দে শ্রীগুরুং দীনতারণম্ ॥

mukam karoti vachalam pangum langhayate girim
yat krpa tam aham vande sri-gurum dina-taranam

"The dumb can speak, the lame can climb a hill—all it takes is mercy from Gurudev."

(Bhavartha Dipika)

First, I am offering my full obeisance onto the lotus feet of my Gurupadpadma Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj begging him for his causeless mercy, then I am offering obeisance to all Guru-varga, to all godbrothers and sisters and the devotees and all those present here asking you all for your mercy to this low soul.

Today is a very auspicious day, the appearance day of Lord Sri Krishna.

Sivji Maharaj said, "Aradhananam sarvesam visnor aradhanam param—of all types of worship, the worship of Lord Vishnu is the best." This Lord Krishna Himself says, "I have many pastimes in this world (there is Nrisingha avatar, Kalki avatar, Buddha avatar, etc.), and of all these pastimes, My pastimes in the human form is the best."

Therefore, it is a greatest fortune for a jiva soul to get a human body. We too have got this human body by a great fortune. One does not get this kind of body all the time. You can see yourself—there are cremation places everywhere in front of you, and every day so many people are burnt there, so many people die and are buried, burnt, etc. every day! People leave this world all the time—not just 'people', but the jiva souls. What is a jiva soul? This who we all are—I am a jiva soul, you are all jiva souls too, even all mosquitos are jiva souls too. Those in a mosquito's body get a mosquito body, those in a cow's body get a cow's body, goats get a goat's body, and so on. Every single soul gets its own body. After many births, as a result of a great fortune, you have now got this human body.

This human birth is not attained all the time, but we have got it now and we must understand what the purpose this human body is. If you get this human body but live just like a cow, goat, sheep, or dog—only eating, sleeping, fearing, and enjoying, it is a waste of life. All animals live like this, then what is the different in human birth? Mosquitoes drink blood, snakes eat frogs, cows eat grass, humans eat rice and dal, and in many countries people eat cats, dogs, sheep, etc. Here in India you eat vegetables, but some people love eating pigs and dogs! But you are born in Bharata-bhumi:

ভারত-ভূমিতে হৈল মনুষ্য-জন্ম যার ।
জন্ম সার্থক করি' কর পর-উপকার ॥

bharata-bhumite haila manusya janma yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara

"One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India should take advantage of his birth and bring benefit to all other people."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi-lila, 9.41)

We have got a human birth in this land of India, and not only in India, we were born in West Bengal—what is so special about it? Gaura Hari appeared in Nabadwip Dham (Mayapur) in this West Bengal! Mayapur is in Antardwip. Nabadwip means "nine islands," and Antardwip is one of them. Our main temple is in Koladwip. So, there is Antardwip, Koladwip, Rudradwip, Madhyadwip, Simantadwip, Godrumdwip, Ritudwip, Jahnudwip, and Modadrumdwip. These nine islands represent nine types of devotion (nava-vidha bhakti).

You may have heard that people do 'nauka-vilas' pastime (sahajiyas get into a boat and do kirtan while playing or swirling in the boat). I saw it when I was small—at that time I did not understand that what they were doing is sahajiya (gross imitation), but I understand it now. What is its real meaning? Krishna was waiting once in a boat and all the Vraja gopis were carrying butter, yoghurt, etc.—Krishna stopped them and they had to keep everything in His boat. What did Krishna say to them? You know how the song goes, "সব সখিরে পার করিতে নেব আনা আনা তোমার বেলায় নেব সখি তোমার কানের সোনা: Everybody must bring on their tax to cross the river, but from you, My friend, this time I will only take your golden earring as the tax!" [His Divine Grace laughs.]

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