Worshipful Stance

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Kolkata-Worldwide, 19 July 2020, part 4

Are there any questions from anybody today?

Question: What is the meaning of Srimati Radharani's halo?

This is a very high question. Srila Sridhar Maharaj gave this name—"heart and halo." In Bengali, it is "bhav" and "kanti."

We are fallen souls, so we cannot explain such things with this material mouth. It is very hard because our mouth is not aprakrita (transcendental)—our mouth is prakrita (mundane). We sometimes say bad things, we sometimes criticise others, we have so many bad qualifications, so we cannot explain such highest things with this mouth. There are things that we must understand within ourselves but cannot express to others.

This question is related to gopi-bhav, but not everybody is Raya Ramananda. We do not want to become sahajiyas—we must be very serious and we must always avoid the antaranga-lila of Radha-Krishna (intimate pastimes of Radha and Krishna).

মাতল হরিজন কীর্ত্তন-রঙ্গে ।
পূজল রাগপথ গৌরব-ভঙ্গে ॥

matala hari-jana kirtana-range
pujala raga-patha gaurava-bhange

"From afar we shall worship the raga-path, the path of spontaneous affectionate service, while we ourselves shall live within the Vedic guidelines."

We chant the Holy Name, we practise kirtan, and we should do that "pujala"—in a worshipful mood. We worship Radha-Krishna's combined form and Their lotus feet. We can only worship Them. We can only worship Radharani's heart and halo, but we cannot express such things in public.

Question: I make a living by selling vegetarian meals. Can I also distribute our books to the customers?

Of course, book distribution is a very important part of preaching. Distribute our books, and you can also give Guidance 3 to them—they can read there what is our Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, what Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj made this temple for. It is written there about it.

...Where is Srila Janardan Maharaj today? Actually, I give Srila Ashram Maharaj and Srila Janardan Maharaj position as my Gurus. I saw in Gurudev's time, they were always with Gurudev, they would always take prasadam together with Gurudev—I was just a little boy at that time, I would always be at the back, and I was very happy. I am still a baby in front of Srila Ashram Maharaj, Srila Janardan Maharaj. Gurudev may have given me the position of the acharya, but not in front of them—in front of them, I am a baby. I keep them in my heart as my gurus. I saw them from the beginning in 1992 when I was a little boy—they were always with Gurudev, and I would watch from far and fulfil whatever instruction Gurudev would give...

Srila Janardan Maharaj: We saw also your activities in Nabadwip—you would be building and building, from the beginning. And Gurudev was very happy with that. Sometimes, Gurudev would say that you were taking money from him without asking and you would use it for building.

Yes, I did that...

Srila Janardan Maharaj: Now we see that Gurudev has given charge to you, and that is enough for us.

Are there any other questions?

Question: How should I deal with envy?

Try to rectify yourself and develop the consciousness that you are not the master, but a servant of your wife. We sometimes use our wife as our servant, we think that we are the boss of the house, but Srila Gaura Kishor Das Babaji Maharaj said, "You have got married, it is not a problem, but you will do the shopping, your wife will cook, offer the bhog, and take prasadam first, and after that you will take her remnants." This is how you can give up your envy. You must think that your wife is not your servant—rather, you are the servant of your wife.

Question: Are you doing the festival in Dum Dum Park tomorrow?

Yes, I will be at Dum Dum Park tomorrow and will make some small festival here. We will offer Srila Sridhar Maharaj his favourite 'chaunsa' mango. I will go to the market in the morning and buy it myself.

Question: What other prasadam did Srila Sridhar Maharaj like?

Aloo posta (potato curry with white poppy seeds), kolai dal (urad dal), sukto, anaraser chutney (pineapple chutney), luchi (puri) with aloor dum (potato in rich gravy), aloo bhaji (chips/French fries). I know Srila Janardan Maharaj also likes sukto.

Srila Janardan Maharaj: Yes...

But I do not like sukta.

Devotee: You like posta-bara (patties of mashed white poppy seeds).

Yes, I like posta bara.

Srila Janardan Maharaj: Do you like aloo-posta?

Sometimes, but now I am not taking potato at all. My doctor told me I had gained three kg weight, so he told me not to eat potato. I never take potato since then.

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