Proper Service Life

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Disappearance day of Srila Haridas Thakur
Sri Nrisingha Palli, 1 September 2020, part 1
Translated from Bengali

Today is a very special day. This past week there have been such special days as the appearance of Lord Vamanadev and appearance day of Srila Jiva Goswami Prabhu on dvadasi, the next day (yesterday, trayodasi) was Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur's appearance, and today, on ananta-chaturdasi, it is Srila Haridas Thakur's disappearance. Tomorrow is purnima, so everybody must shave their heads in the morning after mangal arati. [Addressing male devotees:] You must shave your heads every purnima. Personally, I shave my head twice a month—I do not like to let the hair grow even for one month. I have no attachment to this hair. It is the souls of the material world that are attached to such things. You cannot use this hair in service, so if it is of no use, it is better not to keep it then. [Does not apply to ladies.]

Three new devotees received initiation this morning. I have told it many times that you do not become a disciple just by taking initiation. Taking initiation means you get admitted into a school, and you do not pass the exam just by getting admitted into a school—it is necessary to study. In the world of devotion, it is also like that—it is necessary to study. There are sixty-four types of devotional practices, and there are five among them that are main:

সাধুসঙ্গ, নামকীর্ত্তন, ভাগবতশ্রবণ ।
মথুরাবাস, শ্রীমূর্ত্তির শ্রদ্ধায় সেবন ॥

sadhu-sanga, nama-kirtana, bhagavata-sravana
mathura-vasa, sri-murtira sraddhaya sevana

"One should associate with devotees, chant the Holy Name of the Lord, hear Srimad-Bhagavatam, reside at Mathura and worship the Deity with faith."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 22.124)

What does it mean to serve Deities with faith? We have no right to enter the Deities' room to worship the Deities, we have no right to enter the kitchen to cook, but we can connect everything we do with the Lord. For example, if you serve cows in the goshala, you can use the cows' milk in the service of the Lord, then in this way, by serving cows you can serve the Lordships. Even washing the dishes is also service to the Lordships. Cutting vegetables is also service to the Lord. The topmost practices among the five main practices are sravan and kirtan. I watch everyone—some keep silent during kirtans, I see that you cannot chant the kirtans with your mouth, out loud. How many kirtans have you learnt by heart, Prabhu?

Devotee: None so far.

Not even one? Why not? You have been here for so many days, you have been sitting for the morning and evening kirtans. There are five kirtans chanted every morning and five kirtans chanted every evening, you can learn them by heart. You do not need to keep reading them from a book to learn them by heart—if you just chant and chant, you will automatically remember them. Reading books is for studying, but when you do kirtans, you do not just read them; you cannot chant kirtans from your heart just by reading them. You have no devotion for kirtan. When you join sankirtan, this is the highest service to the Lord. When you do sankirtan, when you chant the glories of the Lord, everybody becomes happy. Just as when somebody glorifies you, you become happy—when you glorify the Lord, the Lord becomes happy. That is why I always tell you to memorise kirtans. 'Memorise' means you can simply sit here and as you chant the kirtans you can remember them. I never read any books to remember the kirtans—I just chanted them with everyone and remembered them in this way. Even when I am alone, I chant kirtans in my mind to myself.

Wake up and chant,

শ্রীকৃষ্ণচৈতন্য প্রভু জীবে দয়া করি' ।
স্বপার্ষদ স্বীয় ধাম সহ অবতরি ॥

sri-krsna-chaitanya prabhu jive daya kari'
svaparsada sviya dhama saha avatari

Being merciful to the souls, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu descends with His associates and abode.

অন্ত্যন্ত দুর্লভ প্রেম করিবারে দান ।
শিখায় শরণাগতি ভকতের প্রাণ ॥

atyanta durlabha prema karibare dana
sikhaya saranagati bhakatera prana

To distribute the most rare form of divine love, He teaches surrender, which is the life of the devotees.

দৈন্য, আত্মনিবেদন, গোপ্তৃত্বে বরণ ॥
'অবশ্য রক্ষিবে কৃষ্ণ'—বিশ্বাস পালন ॥

dainya, atma-nivedana, goptrtve varana
'avasya raksibe krsna'—visvasa palana

Humility, self-submission, embracing the Lord’s guardianship, maintaining the faith that 'Krishna will certainly protect me'...

ভক্তি-অনুকূল মাত্র কার্য্যের স্বীকার ।
ভক্তি-প্রতিকূল ভাব—বর্জ্জনাঙ্গীকার ॥

bhakti-anukula matra karyera svikara
bhakti-pratikula bhava—varjanangikara

Engaging only in activities that are favourable to devotion, rejecting everything unfavourable to devotion ...

ভজ রে ভজ রে আমার মন অতি মন্দ ।
(ভজন বিনা গতি নাই রে)

bhaja re bhaja re amar mana ati manda
(bhajan vina gati nai re)

"Serve! Serve! My mind is so foolish. There is no way other than service! O my foolish mind! There is no way other than service."

ঠাকুর বৈষ্ণবগণ করি এই নিবেদন
মো বড় অধম দুরাচার ।

thakura vaisnava-gana kari ei nivedana
mo bada adhama durachara

"O worshippable Vaisnavas, I offer you this prayer. I am very fallen and wicked."

These are all morning kirtans. You must chant all kirtans. There are also Nityananda Prabhu's kirtans — "Akrodha paramananda Nityananda Ray," "Nitai-guna-mani amar." Sriman Mahaprabhu's kirtans—"Gauranga dyuti pada yara dhana sampada." Try to understand that the Lord becomes happy through kirtan. If you have some desires in your mind and heart, how will you keep the Lord there? You must give space in your heart for the Lord. If your heart is full of kanak, kamini, pratistha, kama, krodha, lobha, moha, etc. (desire for money, companions, fame; lust, anger, greed, illusion), then where will He sit? Keep some space for the Lord in your heart. It is necessary.

কাম, ক্রোধ, লোভ, মোহ, মদ, অভিমান সহ
আপন আপন স্থানে টানে ।
ঐছন আমার মন ফিরে যেন অন্ধজন
সুপথ বিপথ নাহি জানে ॥

kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, abhimana saha
apana apana sthane tane
aichana amara mana phire yena andha jana
supatha vipatha nahi jane

"Lust, anger, greed, illusion, pride, and ego all pull me in their own directions. Thus my mind wanders like a blind man who does not know the right way from the wrong way."

Do not do what your mind wants. Our mind is blind, it does not know which way is good, which way is bad. Just as a blind man cannot walk without somebody's help, our mind is also blind and needs a bona fide guru who can direct it towards the right path. That is why I tell you to read scriptures, to come for kirtans.

There also mangal arati kirtans—

kali-kukkura-kadana yadi chao he
kali-yuga-pavana kali-bhaya-nasana,
sri-sachi-nandana gao he

If you want to tame the dog Kali, then chant 'Sri Sachi Nandan!' He is the saviour and destroyer of fear in Kali-yuga.

gadadhara-madana nitai-era prana-dhana,
advaitera prapujita gora
nimai visvambhara srinivasa-isvara,
bhakata samuha-chita-chora

He is Gadadhar's joy, and Nitai's life and wealth. He is worshipped by Advaita Acharya. He is known as Nimai, and is the maintainer of the universe. He is Srivas Thakur's Lord, and He steals the devotees' hearts.

nadiya-sasadhara mayapura-isvara,
nama-prabartana-sura
grhijana-siksaka nyasi-kula-nayaka,
madhava-radhabhava pura

He is the moon of Nadia, the Lord of Mayapur, and the inaugurator of Hari-nam-sankirtan. He is the teacher of the householders and the leader of the sannyasis. He is Madhava replete with Radha's heart.

sarvabhauma-sodhana gajapati-tarana,
ramananda-posana vira
rupananda-vardhana sanatana-palana,
haridasa-modana-dhira

He is the purifier of Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya and the deliverer of Maharaj Prataparudra. He is the maintainer of Ramananda Ray and the hero of all. He is the guardian of Srila Sanatan Goswami and the joy of Srila Rupa Goswami. He is the delight of Haridas Thakur and is perfectly sober.

vraja rasa-bhavana dustamata-satana,
kapati-vighatana-kama
suddha bhakta-palana suska-jnana-tadana,
chhala-bhakti-dusana-rama

He is absorbed in Vraja's rasas. He is the dispeller of misconception, lust, and deceit. He is the maintainer of the pure devotees and the dispeller of dry knowledge. He is the eradicator of pseudo-devotion and the reservoir of all pleasure.

You must chant all kirtans. You must remember the bhoga arati kirtan ('Bhaja bhakata-vatsala Sri Gaura Hari') by heart. If you go for preaching and somebody tells you to chant the bhoga arati kirtan, what will you do? They will ask you how many days you have been in the Math that you cannot chant it. What will the householder devotees say? Householders wake up in the morning, do mangal arati, chant kirtans, give class, etc. Those who are true householder devotees practise properly. Practice makes perfect. Our sangha's name is Chaitanya Saraswat Krishna-anusilana sangha—Krishna consciousness is practised here. There should be nothing else except for discussions about the Lord and service to the Lord. There are so many works—building for the Lord, building for devotees, service to the devotees. Everything is service for the devotees, and you must take part in this service otherwise your life will pass in vain. Whether you live in a house, in a temple or in a jungle, you must always think about the Lord: "Grhe thako, vane thako, sada 'Hari' bole dako (গৃহে থাক, বনে থাক সদা 'হরি' বলে ডাক), whether you stay in a house or in a forest, always call out the Holy Name."

কি শয়নে, কি ভোজনে, কিবা জাগরণে ।
অহর্নিশ চিন্ত কৃষ্ণ, বলহ বদনে ॥

ki sayane, ki bhojane, kiba jagarane
aharnisa chinta krsna, balaha vadane

"Whether you are sleeping, eating, or resting, always chant the Name of Krishna."

(Sri Chaitanya-bhagavat, Madhya-khanda, 28.28)

When Mahaprabhu was leaving Nabadwip, He said to everyone:

যদি আমা'-প্রতি স্নেহ থাকে সবাকার ।
তবে কৃষ্ণ-ব্যতিরিক্ত না গাইবে আর ॥

yadi ama'-prati sneha thake sabakara
tabe krsna-vyatirikta na gaibe ara

"If you have any love and affection for Me, then only say 'Krishna'—do not say anything except 'Krishna.'"

(Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata, Madhya-khanda, 28.27)

He asked devotees, "Do you really love Me? Do you have any love and affection for Me?" They replied, "Yes, we do, Prabhu." And Mahaprabhu said, "Then, I want to tell you one thing." What advice did He give?

যদি আমা'-প্রতি স্নেহ থাকে সবাকার ।
তবে কৃষ্ণ-ব্যতিরিক্ত না গাইবে আর ॥

yadi ama'-prati sneha thake sabakara
tabe krsna-vyatirikta na gaibe ara

"If you have any love and affection for Me, then only say 'Krishna'—do not say anything except 'Krishna.'"

(Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata, Madhya-khanda, 28.27)

"You must chant the Name of Krishna and tell others to chant His Name."

Anyhow, when I come here, I usually do not get time to give class, but I was thinking that today, on this ananta-chaturdasi, I will stay to give class...

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