Devotion Is Not Cheap

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Ekachakra Dham, evening class
Sri Varaha Dvadasi, 6 February 2020, part 2
Translated from Bengali

Anyhow, I will speak tonight about Nityananda Prabhu, there is much to be said. Many of you do not know the history of Nityananda Prabhu's holy dham—many of us do not know the glory of Nityananda Prabhu.

সংসারের পার হই’ ভক্তির সাগরে ।
যে ডুবিবে, সে ভজুক নিতাইচাঁদেরে ॥

samsare para hai' bhaktira sagare
ye dubibe, se bhajuka nitaichandere

May those who desire to cross over samsara and dive in the ocean of devotion serve Sri Nitaichand.

(Sri Chaitanya-bhagavat, Adi-khanda, 1.77)

Nityananda Prabhu's mercy is such that He rescues whoever simply falls before Him—He does not consider who is higher, who is lower:

উত্তম, অধম, কিছু না করে বিচার ।
যে আগে পড়য়ে, তারে করয়ে নিস্তার ॥

uttama, adhama, kichhu na kare vichara
ye age padaye, tare kraye nistara

"Nityananda Prabhu does not consider who is good and who is bad, He saves anyone who falls before Him."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi-lila, 5.208-209)

Everybody considers whether the person is very qualified or not qualified at all, but Nityananda Prabhu's mercy is such that He does not consider this. However, the problem here is that it is necessary to call Nityananda Prabhu—if you fall at His feet but think about other things in your mind, then what result will you get?

We have come to this holy abode of Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Ekachakra Dham, the land of His pastimes. You can see the old trees growing near our temple—Nityananda Prabhu played here in this very place. Padmavati Devi's umbilical cord was buried there—when Nityananda was born, the umbilical cord was cut off and buried there. This is how the place got its name, Naripota. Nityananda Prabhu's heart and soul is here—this is the land of His pastimes. All land and property that you see here belongs to Nityananda Prabhu. It is our fortune—in some birth, we have got some sukriti somehow—Gurudev bestowed his mercy on us, and we have got a temple in this kind of place now. When I first came here, there were rice fields and some mustard fields—we made a pandal and did the festival right in the field. It was 2008. There was a festival in 2009, 2010—Gurudev was present in this world at that time. After Gurudev left, the temple was finally inaugurated in 2011, you know it. The mercy is Sri Gurupadpadma is extremely unlimited...

You often listen to melodious kirtans, lila-kirtans, but singing for 10-25 rupees is not a real kirtan. Reading Bhagavatam for 25 rupees is not proper reading. I know that you can pay 1,000-5,000 rupees and listen to Bhagavatam or kirtan, but this reading or this kirtan will not bring you any benefit. Do not go to odd places, do not to listen from odd, random places. You can see—we sing in one of the kirtans from Saranagati,

সর্ব্বস্ব তোমার চরণে সঁপিয়া
পড়েছি তোমার ঘরে ।
তুমি ত' ঠাকুর, তোমার কুকুর
বলিয়া জানহ মোরে ॥

sarvasva tomara, charane sapiya,
padechhi tomara ghare
tumi ta' thakura, tomara kukura,
baliya janaha more

"I have offered everything at Your feet and taken shelter in Your home. You are my Master; please consider me Your dog."

বাঁধিয়া নিকটে আমারে পালিবে,
রহিব তোমার দ্বারে ।
প্রতীপ-জনেরে আসিতে না দিব,
রাখিব গড়ের পারে ॥

bandhiya nikate amare palibe
rahiba tomara dvara
pratipa-janere asite na diba
rakhiba gadera pare

"Tie me up nearby and maintain me. I will remain at Your doorstep. I will not allow anyone who is against You to enter, I will keep them outside."

I will not let those who are against devotion come close. Some people say "Nitai, Nitai" with their mouths, but what is next? There was one devotee of Nitai in Bangladesh: some Muslim dacoits came to this house at noon, crying, "Jay Nitai! Jay Nitai! Open the door please." The man thought that devotees had come, but when he opened the door, he saw the men holding a gun—they took his gold and other things and went away. So, there are many people who will say "Jay Nitai" and will come to rob you. When you go to Vrindavan, so many go about saying, "Radhe Radhe! Jay Radhe!" showing off what big devotees of Radharani they are, but do they know how much Radharani cried for Krishna when Krishna left? They only say "Radhe Radhe" to fill your stomach: they go house to house, begging people for food and saying "Radhe Radhe"—they do this to gratify their senses. There is a marketplace where sometimes on Sundays or other days a party comes and chants Hare Krishna, collecting money in this way. The main thing is begging, but they are chanting the Holy Name(?) to impress people, to show off. They only come to chant to collect money and make a show in front of people. Doing such kirtans and surrendering your heart, mind, and soul to the Lord is not the same thing.

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