(1/5) Madhava Tithi

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
6 January 2020, part 1

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)

We are present here today, on this holy day of Krishna, ekadasi, by the mercy of Gurudev. We have assembled at the house of Srinivas Acharya Prabhu's house and are sitting among all the devotees. When Mahaprabhu took sannyas, He took prasad for the first time at the house of Srinivas Acharya. Anyhow, today is a very auspicious day because we have got an opportunity to chant the Holy Name (the Hare Krishna maha-mantra) and glorify of our Gurudev, guru-varga, Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. It is our great fortune to be able to glorify them today. Today is also ekadasi, and we were singing:

শুদ্ধ ভকত-চরণ-রেণু
ভজন-অনুকূল ।
ভকত-সেবা পরম-সিদ্ধি
প্রেমলতিকার মূল ॥

suddha-bhakata-charana-renu
bhajana-anukula
bhakata-seva parama-siddhi
prema-latikara mula

"The dust of pure devotees' feet is favourable to devotion. Serving the devotees is the supreme fulfilment and the root of the creeper of divine love."

মাধব-তিথিভক্তি জননী
যতনে পালন করি ।
কৃষ্ণবসতি,বসতি বলি'
পরম আদরে বরি ॥

madhava-tithi bhakti-janani
yatane palana kari
krsna-vasati vasati bali'
parama adare bari

"I carefully observe holy days related to Lord Madhav, for they are the mother of devotion, and I very affectionately accept the holy abode of Krishna considering it my own dwelling."

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

The ekadasi tithi is the mother of devotion, and on this tithi, we always engage ourselves in bhakta-seva: we serve the Lord's devotees, which is more important than even serving the Lord. A 'Madhava tithi' means Krishna's tithi, or lunar day. Actually, all tithis are Krishna's tithis, but the ekadasi tithi is a very special and a very important day because it is the most favourite tithi of Lord Krishna.

There is much glorification of ekadasi written in the scriptures, but we actually do not ask for any result. We follow ekadasi because Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu told us to follow it and because our guru-varga (Prabhupad Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, Srila Guru Maharaj, Srila Gurudev and everybody else) tell us to follow it. Everyone must follow ekadasi from eight to eighty-eight years old. After eighty-eight, people become old and cannot follow many things (most people are going to die at this age), that is why the scriptures give some concession, saying that everyone must fast until the age of eighty-eight.

Before, the rules of following ekadasi were very strict—people would fast on the day before ekadasi, on the ekadasi day and on the day after ekadasi. However, Prabhupad Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur relaxed the rules (sithilita-vidhi), and everyone now fasts until twelve o'clock only. Moreover, if you cannot fast in the morning (you have sickness or health issue), it is not a problem—you can take anukalpa (non-grain prasad) in the morning also.

Every person, even non-devotees, even those who do not follow anything, should fast on ekadasi. Scientists and doctors also say that it is good for health.

Devotees follow ekadasi, but they actually engage themselves in eternal service (nitya-seva), they always do service. They serve the Lord on ekadasi, dvadasi, trayodasi, dasami and any other day—for them, there is no difference between ekadasi and other days. Devotees follow all rules and regulations every day. One time, Gurudev joked, "Everybody likes to follow the niyom-seva rules during the Kartik month, but these rules and regulations (niyom) are actually for those who do not follow any rules and regulations (aniyom)."

It is very important to follow ekadasi and understand its meaning. People always ask about the result of particular ekadasis, what pious benefit (punya) they will get and so on. There are many things written in the scriptures. When Gurudev heard that I read the glorification of Srimad Bhagavad-gita, he told me not to read it—he told me to read only Srimad Bhagavad-gita and not the glorification because what is written in it is karma-misra bhakti (devotion mixed with the pursuit of material benefit). It means you are reading the book and asking the Lord for something in return; it is not good. Actually, most of us serve the Lord and in the meantime ask the Lord for something to fulfil our material desires—this is karma-misra bhakti. When you ask the Lord for something, you turn the Lord into your servant. Sometimes, we give some bananas, some fruit to the Lord and ask the Lord to fulfil our desire—we turn Krishna into a bribe-taker. We do not follow this kind of devotion. We always want to give happiness to the Lord (we always want Krishna's happiness). We will always see how we can make Krishna happy and how we can make devotees happy.

— : • : —

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READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Madhava Tithi
2) The Pride of the Prideless
3) Inconceivable Mercy
4) Learn from Lord's Pastimes
5) Appreciate Service