(2/6) Our Necessity

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
13 March 2020, evening, Sri Nrisingha Palli
Part 2

Tomorrow is the pancham dol and the installation anniversary of Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Radha Gopinath, the Deity of prayojan-tattva, in Hapaniya Dham.

There are three main Deities in Vrindavan, and Srila Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami also wrote about it in Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita. Govinda, Gopinath, Madan-mohan: 'Ei tina thakura gaudiyake kariyachena atmasat—these three Deities have captured the hearts of Gaudiya Vaishnavs.' (Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 1.1.19) Srila Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami says, 'These three Deities have hijacked me.' We also pray: 'Sakti-buddhi-hina, ami ati dina, kore more atmasatha (শক্তিবুদ্ধিহীন আমি অতি দীন কর মোরে আত্মসাথ). O Gurudev, I have no strength, I have no intelligence, please hijack me!' (Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur) 'O Gurudev, I do not have any strength, I do not have any intelligence. Please hijack me from the illusory environment! Please give me some service to your lotus feet. Please rescue me from this illusory bondage and engage me in the service to Govinda.'

The Deities of Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Radha Gopinath are installed in the birthplaces of both our Gurudev and our Param Gurudev. Gopinath is the Deity of prayojan-tattva, the necessity. Sambandha is relationship, abhidheya is practising and prayojan is necessity. The Deity of sambandha, Madan-mohan, was served in Vrindavan by Srila Sanatan Goswami; the Deity of abhidheya, Govinda, by Srila Rupa Goswami; and the Deity of prayojan-tattva, Radha Gopinath, by Madhu Pandit. Tomorrow is the anniversary of Gopinath Deity in the birthplace of Param Guru Maharaj. Srila Sridhar Maharaj was present when they were installed. Srila Puri Maharaj did a fire sacrifice on that day. Srila Jajavar Maharaj, Srila Madhusundan Maharaj, Srila Krishna Das Babaji Maharaj and others were also present on that day.

We find a pastime about Sri Dhruva Maharaj described in Srimad Bhagavatam. Dhruva Maharaj first worshipping Krishna but for some material things – he wanted to get the throne of his father and become the king. So, he prayed to Krishna, 'O Krishna, please give me the kingdom.'

In Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, we find two things. First is this:

কৃষ্ণ যদি ছুটে ভক্তে ভুক্তি মুক্তি দিয়া ।
কভু ভক্তি না দেন রাখেন লুকাইয়া ॥

krsna yadi chhute bhakte bhukti mukti diya
kabhu prema-bhakti na dena rakhena lukaiya

"If devotees aspire for enjoyment or liberation, Krishna hides the knowledge about pure devotion from them and dismisses them, giving them enjoyment or liberation."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 1.8.18)

You worship Krishna because you want liberation or material enjoyment, and Krishna will give you everything, but He will hide devotion from you – He will not give you devotion. Like children, we want money, a car, a house, and Krishna will give us everything. When a child cries and asks his fathers to give him something, his fathers will give it to him, and he will forget about his father. In the same way, if we ask the Lord for money, a car, a house, some wealth and property, the Lord will give us everything we ask, but He will take devotion away from us – we will not have any devotion anymore; our devotion will be destroyed. So, if you have some material desires, if you want enjoyment, Krishna will give you that, but you will lose your devotion – you will forget Krishna and enjoy with your material life. This is what is called:

কৃষ্ণ যদি ছুটে ভক্তে ভুক্তি মুক্তি দিয়া ।
কভু ভক্তি না দেন রাখেন লুকাইয়া ॥

krsna yadi chhute bhakte bhukti mukti diya
kabhu prema-bhakti na dena rakhena lukaiya

"If devotees aspire for enjoyment or liberation, Krishna hides the knowledge about pure devotion from them and dismisses them, giving them enjoyment or liberation."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 1.8.18)

There are some things that are necessary for a temple (for example, a boundary wall is necessary to protect the temple from external disturbances), but we must not become attached to such things. Our priority and attachment must be sravan and kirtan. Our mind must not focus on walls and other things – our mind should focus on sravan and kirtan. This is the main thing for us.

The second thing written in Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita is this:

কৃষ্ণ কহে,—আমা ভজে, মাগে বিষয়-সুখ ।
অমৃত ছাড়ি’ বিষ মাগে,—এই বড় মূর্খ ॥
আমি-বিজ্ঞ, এই মূর্খে ‘বিষয়’ কেনে দিব ?
স্ব-চরণামৃত দিয়া ‘বিষয়’ ভুলাইব ॥

krsna kahe,—"ama bhaje, mage visaya-sukha
amrta chhadi' visa mage,—ei bada murkha
ami—vijna, ei murkhe 'visaya' kene diba?
sva-charanamrta diya 'visaya' bhulaiba"

"Krishna says, 'They worship Me desiring material happiness — leaving aside nectar, they ask for poison. They are big fools, but I am intelligent: Why will I give these fools material things? Instead, I will give them the nectar of My lotus feet and make them forget the material world.'"

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.22.38-39)

Krishna says, 'They worship Me asking Me to fulfil their material desires. Those who do this are foolish, but I am not foolish, I am intelligent – why must I give material things to them? I will give them Myself, and they will forget material desires.'

So, when Dhruva Maharaj went to worship the Lord, he practised meditation for five years until Krishna finally became pleased with him. Because Krishna never comes Himself first (He comes later), He first sent Narad Goswami to Dhruva Maharaj. Dhruva Maharaj took initiation from Narad Goswami, and Narad Goswami taught him how to practise properly. After Dhruva Maharaj had practised properly for some time, Krishna finally came Himself. He said, 'Here, Dhruva, take your kingdom. How many kingdoms do you need? Take anything you want!' Dhruva Maharaj replied, 'I am very sorry, Prabhu. I am shy... Now that You have come to me, I do not need any kingdom. You have come, and that is sufficient for me. I am feeling shy - it was very foolish of me to want the kingdom.' So, this is:

কৃষ্ণ কহে,—আমা ভজে, মাগে বিষয়-সুখ ।
অমৃত ছাড়ি’ বিষ মাগে,—এই বড় মূর্খ ॥
আমি-বিজ্ঞ, এই মূর্খে ‘বিষয়’ কেনে দিব ?
স্ব-চরণামৃত দিয়া ‘বিষয়’ ভুলাইব ॥

krsna kahe,—"ama bhaje, mage visaya-sukha
amrta chhadi' visa mage,—ei bada murkha
ami—vijna, ei murkhe 'visaya' kene diba?
sva-charanamrta diya 'visaya' bhulaiba"

"Krishna says, 'They worship Me desiring material happiness — leaving aside nectar, they ask for poison. They are big fools, but I am intelligent: Why will I give these fools material things? Instead, I will give them the nectar of My lotus feet and make them forget the material world.'"

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.22.38-39)

Dhruva Maharaj forgot his kingdom because He had got Krishna's mercy and service to the Lord.

Krishna always tests us. He gives us troubles, pain, struggles, but no matter what happens in your service to the Lord, you must remember:

তোমার সেবায় দুঃখ হয় যত,
সেও ত' পরম সুখ ।

tomara sevaya, duhkha haya yata,
seo ta' parama sukha

"No matter how much unhappiness comes when I try to serve You, even all unhappiness is a source of great happiness for me."

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

If some sadness comes in your service, if some problem or danger comes, that is mercy. And struggle must come because the Lord will test you.

How many years did the Pancha Pandavs (Yudhisthir, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakul and Sahadev) live in exile in the forest? After the exile, they all fought in the war (Krishna was with them), and they got their kingdom back. After that, Krishna decided to test Kunti Devi to see how much she loved Him. He told her, 'Auntie, your sons have got their kingdom back and become kings. Now My job is finished, so I am going back to Dvaraka.' Kunti Devi was very clever, she knew Krishna was testing her. She replied, 'Prabhu, without You, this kingdom is nothing for us, it is useless. You are here, and we have everything. We do not need any kingdom. Without You, a kingdom is nothing.'

We must always accept, or embrace, this kind of love in our lives...

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READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Practise Daily
2) Our Necessity
3) Seal Your Life
4) Keep Your Ears Open
5) Live for the Lord
6) Move Forward