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Bhakta-Bhav

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Kolkata—Worldwide, 27 September 2020, part 1

 

Haribol.

Jay Om Vishnupad Jagad-Guru Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jay
Visva-varenya Srila Guru Maharaj ki jay
Om Vishnupad Paramahamsa-kula-churamani Jagad-Guru Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jay
Jay Om Vishnupad Bhagavan Sri Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur Prabhupad ki jay
Jay saparikara Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharva Govinda Sundarjiu ki jay
Sri Rupanuga-guru-varga ki jay
Namacharya Haridas Thakur ki jay
All the assembled devotees ki jay
All the worldwide devotees ki jay
All the assembled sannyasi-vrinda ki jay
Samagata Sri Gaura bhakta-vrinda ki jay
Bhakta-prabara Prahlad Maharaj ki jay
Suddha-bhaktir-vighnar vinasankari Bhagavan Nrisinghadev ki jay
Sri Sada-Siva Gangadhar ki jay
Giriraj Govardhan ki jay
Harinam sankirtan ki jay
Nitai Gaura prema-anande Hari Hari bol

I am offering my humble obeisance to all the devotees, all the sannyasis, brahmacharis. I am giving my full obeisance to you all, please accept my humble obeisance.

Today is an ekadasi day—it is Hari-vasar tithi, Padmini Ekadasi. It is a very good day. This year, we have Purushottam month and therefore this one extra ekadasi. The presiding Deity (adi-devata) of the supreme month (adi-mas) is Govinda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna Himself. The extra ekadasi in Purushottam month is called Padmini ekadasi. It is a very auspicious day. We should always think about Krishna, always offer worship to Krishna during this time. Some vidhi-marga is there and is necessary to practise. I will tell later about the glory of this Padmini ekadasi—there is some story that happened between Nanda Maharaj and Lord Krishna, how Krishna rescued Nanda Maharaj on the next day (dvadasi day) after Padmini ekadasi. There are so many kinds of pastimes of Krishna in His Vraja-lila, and one of His pastimes is related to this day.

Anyhow, I can see all the devotees, and it is very nice to see you all. Actually, I heard yesterday that one of our devotees had passed away... Devotees always come and when their work is finished, Krishna takes them... What more can I say? Devotees always serve, and if Krishna needs their service in some other part, in some other way, He engages them in the way He likes to. It depends upon the will of Krishna. Hearing that devotee had passed away yesterday, I am very sad. Mahaprabhu says, "Krishna-bhakta-viraha vina duhkha nahi dekhi para (কৃষ্ণভক্ত-বিরহ বিনা দুঃখ নাহি দেখি পর): I cannot see any other sorrow except that of separation from a devotee of Krishna." Separation from devotees is very painful. Sriman Mahaprabhu also showed us what that separation is like when He was in Gambhira. He showed separation (viraha) and mood of devotion (bhakta-bhav). Coming as a devotee in this audarya-lila in Kali-yuga, Krishna Himself shows what is the mood of devotion. Embracing bhakta-bhav, He appeared as a devotee. As Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, He shows what is the mood of a devotee, how a devotee must not only act, but what kind of behaviour and mood a devotee must have. He taught this. We can see the teachings of Mahaprabhu and we can realise what is necessary to have if we want to have the mood of a devotee, what the mood of devotion is. Mahaprabhu Himself shows all this in His audarya-lila.

Krishna's lila is madhurya-lila (sweet amorous pastimes), and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's lila is audarya-lila (magnanimous pastimes). He shows His magnanimity, devotional mood, and He also shows separation (the mood of Srimati Radharani—what sort of separation from the Lord She experiences).

So, we must always feel very sad when we face separation from devotees. When the disappearance day of some devotee comes, we must always remember their good activities, their service, their service mood. We should always remember devotees' service mood.

বৈষ্ণবের গুণ-গান করিলে জীবের ত্রাণ
শুনিয়াছি সাধুগুরুমুখে

vaisnavera guna-gana karile jivera trana
suniyachhi sadhu-guru-mukhe

"Singing the glories of the Vaishnavs rescues and protects the jiva soul. I heard this from the mouth of sadhus and my Guru."

('Jayare jayare jaya paramahamsa mahasaya')

"If you remember the glories of Vaishnavs, if you speak about the glories of Vaishnavs, devotees can rescue you from all kinds of bondage (jivera trana). All sadhus, gurus, Vaishnavs always say this."

বৈষ্ণবের গুণ-গান করিলে জীবের ত্রাণ
শুনিয়াছি সাধুগুরুমুখে

vaisnavera guna-gana karile jivera trana
suniyachhi sadhu-guru-mukhe

"Singing the glories of the Vaishnavs rescues and protects the jiva soul. I heard this from the mouth of sadhus and my Guru."

('Jayare jayare jaya paramahamsa mahasaya')

By the mercy of Gurudev, we are all trying to serve Gurudev's misison. Everybody, in every corner of the world, is trying to serve the Mission of Srila Guru Maharaj, the Mission of Srila Gurudev through their heart, through their mind, and through their activities. This mission Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math was founded by our Founder Acharya Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, and it was given a proper form and expanded by the main personality in our life—our beloved Gurudev Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj. He gave so much love and affection to you all, all over the world, he gave his very life for you all and for myself also—he gave his life to make me a good boy. I am also always trying to satisfy him. I do not know how much I can do, or how much I have been able to do, but I am still trying to satisfy him and satisfy his devotees.

In His audarya-lila, Sriman Mahaprabhu teaches us devotional mood. In Sri Krishna's pastimes, there is santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, madhura-rasa (relationship of neutrality, servitude, friendship, parenthood, and consorthood), and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu showed only santa, dasya, sakhya, and vatsalya (relationship of neutrality, servitude, friendship, and parenthood). He did not enter so much into madhura-rasa, He mostly spread santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya-rasa, and He appeared in this world as Pancha-Tattva (He Himself, Sriman Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Advaita Acharya, Sri Gadadhar Pandit, and Srivas Pandit). Nityananda Prabhu is actually non-different from Him (dui dehe eka rupa—Gaura and Nitai are one, but appear in two forms). To perform His lila, the Lord Himself appears in two forms, as Gauranga and Nitai, just as Krishna appears in Dvapar-yuga as Krishna and Balaram. In Dvapar-yuga, it is Krishna and Balaram, and here in Kali-yuga They are Gauranga and Nitai. In this way, akhilarasamrita sindhu Lord Sri Krishna (emporium of all rasas) manifested Himself as Gauranga Mahaprabhu. I want to remember this today.

[His Divine Grace then reads Chapter 'Devotional Mood (Bhakta-Bhav)' from Guidance 3.]

There are many examples of temporary mood in this material world, but the eternal nitya-siddha mood is manifest within the servitors in the transcendental domain. The mood that comes from the side of servitors is bhakta-bhav, and the nitya-siddha mood of the service-accepting object of service is called bhagavad-bhav.

Accepting the mood of a devotee in His audarya-lila, Sri Krishna-chandra taught about service to the Lord: He manifest Himself as Gaura, magnanimity incarnate, and within the Pancha-tattva and personally explained to different devotees how to serve Sri Krishna, the emporium of all rasas, in four types of mood (dasya, sakhya, vatsalya and madhura). His prakasa-tattva Sri Nityananda Prabhu helped Him by teaching His followers about the brilliance of the eternal state of perfection (nitya-siddha-bhav) in the vatsalya-, dasya- and sakhya-rasas. Sri Gaurasundar is the source of all incarnations and Sri Advaita Prabhu is His devotee incarnation (bhaktavatar)—he taught his followers the moods of dasya and sakhya. Srivas and other pure devotees, as well as Sri Gadadhar Pandit and other intimate devotees, served Lord Krishna in their own singular peculiar mood. Therefore, manifesting the pastime of a devotee, Sriman Mahapabhu Himself taught four types of devotion, namely dasya, sakya, vatsalya, and madhura; His very own manifestation (prakasa-tattva) Sri Nityananda Prabhu taught devotion in the moods of dasya, sakhya and vatsalya; and His devotee incarnation (bhaktavatar) Sri Advaita Acharya Prabhu taught devotion in the mood of dasya and sakhya. These three are bhagavad-vastu (parts and parcels of the Lord), but they accepted the mood of devotees. Among them, Sri Gaurasundar (Mahaprabhu) is the Lord's original form (svayam-rupa), Nityananda Prabhu is His immediate personal expansion (svayam-prakasa) and Sri Advaita Prabhu is His direct expansion (svamsa) Mahavisnu.

Some of the Pancha-tattva represent an energy or a devotee of the Lord (sakti-tattva or bhakta-tattva), they do not come from the Lord or the Lord's potency directly—they are asraya-tattva (they give shelter). Sri Gadadhar Pandit, Sri Svarupa Damodar, Sri Ramananda, Sri Rupa and other are sakti-tattva and they serve Krishna in madhura-rasa. Each of them has their own mood (rasa), they do not manifest several moods like Mahaprabhu or His tattva. Pure devotees like Srivas Pandit represent only dasya-rasa, they also do not manifest several moods.

When we say pure devotees and intimate devotees, we must not think that devotees like Srivas Pandit are external devotees. Internal original energy (antaranga svarupa-sakti) of the Lord is the embodiment of madhura-rasa, Srimati Radhika. Gadadhar, Svarup, Ramananda, Sri Rupa and others are followers of Sri Radhika and they situated within eternal perfection (nitya-siddha-bhav) in madhura-rasa, that is why they are considered intimate devotees (antaranga-bhakta) whereas devotees like Srivas Pandit are situated within pure dasya-rasa, therefore they are considered examples of pure devotees (suddha-bhakta).

Although Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu are visaya-tattva (They are the Lord or the Lord's direct potency), They show four, three and two devotional moods. In audarya-lila, devotees of the Lord do not manifest the mood of the Lord in which He relishes devotional mellows (sweet amorous pastimes of Lord Krishna)—such enjoyment and turning Mahaprabhu into a gaura-nagari enjoyer is refrained from. The writer of Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata described the pastimes of Sri Chaitanyadev in the mood of a devotee, and mentioned in some places that Mahaprabhu reclined like Visnu, that He manifested the forms of Lord Rama, Nrsimha, Varaha. Therefore, rasa-lila, parakiya-rasa, etc. (intimate loving pastimes, pastimes of paramour love) relished by the source of all avatars, the original form of the Lord, is not manifest in His audarya pastimes in Gaura-lila because they are peculiar to Krishna-lila. In this regard, Srila Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami Prabhu wrote:

yasoda-nandana haila sachira nandana
chatur-vidha bhakta-bhava kare asvadana

"The same Supreme Personality of Godhead who appeared as the son of mother Yasoda has now appeared as the son of mother Sachi, relishing four kinds of devotional moods."

vatsalya, dasya, sakhya—tina bhava-maya
sei nityananda—krsna-chaitanya-sahaya

"Sri Nityananda Prabhu always assists Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in vatsalya, dasya, and sakhya moods."

advaita-acharya-gosani bhakta-avatara
krsna avatariya kaila bhaktira prachara
sakhya, dasya,—dui bhava sahaja tanhara
kabhu prabhu karena tanre guru-vyavahara

"Srila Advaita Acharya Prabhu is an incarnation of a devotee. He is in the category of Krishna, but He descended to preach about devotional service. His mood is sakhya and dasya, but the Lord sometimes treated Him as His spiritual master."

srivasadi yata mahaprabhura bhakta-gana
nija nija bhave karena chaitanya-sevana

"All the devotees of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, headed by Srivasa Thakura, have their own devotional moods in which they serve Him."

pandita-gosani adi yanra yei rasa
sei sei rase prabhu hana tanra vasa

"Personal associates like Gadadhara are are all situated in their respective transcendental moods. Thus the Lord submits to various mellows according to the transcendental mellow of His devotee."

tinha syama,—vamsi-mukha, gopa-vilasi
inha gaura—kabhu dvija, kabhu ta' sannyasi

"In Krishna-lila the Lord's complexion is blackish. Holding a flute to His mouth, He enjoys as a cowherd boy. Now the selfsame person has appeared with a fair complexion, sometimes acting as a brahman and sometimes accepting the renounced order of life."

ataeva apane prabhu gopi-bhava dhari'
vrajendra-nandane kahe 'prana-natha' kari'

"Therefore the Lord Himself, accepting the mood of the gopis, now addresses the son of Nanda Maharaj, 'O master of My life! O My dear husband!'"

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta, 1.17.275, 296, 298-303)

Sri Gaurasundar is not Syamasundar, maintainer of cowherd boys and inciter of amorous pastimes, He is not the Flute-Holder, nor the Chief Enjoyer. Moreover, He is a non-different form of Sri Radhika, the main asraya-vigraha in transcendental loving pastimes—renouncing all kinds of enjoyment He takes on the form of a brahman and a sannyasi. Attempting to destroy the characteristic peculiarity of Mahaprabhu's eternal form and eternal mood, people have come up with an unsanctioned by the scriptures idea of "Gaura-nagari" (considering Gaura-Krishna as an enjoyer).

Sri Krishna Chaitanyadev, Sri Nityananda Prabhu and Sri Advaita Prabhu are Supreme Lord and visaya-tattva (worshippable Deity, Lord), therefore more than one devotional moods can be discerned within Them. However, it is impossible for the sakti-tattva (energies of the Lord) or asraya-tattva (the worshipper, shelter) to simultaneously be within several moods.

Because asraya-tattva devotees' mood is complete and exclusive, they always serve Krishna in the shelter of their mood. Because Sri Krishna Chaitanyadev shows four devotional mellows, His devotees—His devotees have four types of eternal devotional mood of service. Srivas Pandit, et al. show dasya-bhav; Sri Nityananda Prabhu et al. sakhya-bhav; Puri Goswami et al. vatsalya-bhav; Gadadhar Pandit, Svarup, Ramananda et al. madhura-bhav. Because Sri Nityananda Prabhu shows three moods, His followers show service in these three moods as well (dasya, sakhya, vatsalya).

Sri Advaita Acharya's followers are dasya and sakhya-rasa devotees. If one enters the branches of Sri Achyutananda, Sri Gadadhar Pandit Goswami Prabhu, one will see that the service to Krishna is manifest there in eternal madhura-rasa mood.

Sri Gaudi Das Pandit is one of the twelve cowherd friends (dvadasa-gopalas) in Vrndavan, and his disciple Syamananda Prabhu followed his Guru in the sakhya-bhav and simultaneously exhibited madhura-bhav entering the association of Srila Jiva Goswami Prabhu, a follower of Sri Rupa Goswami. Sri Syamananda Prabhu is considered to be an avatar (isvarakoti). Therefore, it is not impossible for him to exhibit more than one devotional mood.

The detachment from the material world that is seen within the santa-bhav (neutral, detached mood) of the nirvisesvadis, or the stone-like unconscious state of the offenders of the Lord, demons, etc. is not the santa-bhav of devotees. The former are antagonistic to the pastimes of the Lord, but the latter (devotees filled with neutral devotion for the Lord) assist the pastimes. If one thinks that the neutral mood of devotees is the same as the state attained in Buddhism and other impersonalist doctrines (chinmatravad, mayavad, achinmatravad), then they will have to fall down due to the grave offence—they neither know proper conception, nor think rationally. The waters of the Yamuna, the sand of Yamuna, the bamboo stick in the hands of Lord Krishna, the bugle of Lord Baladev, etc. are not material things or unconscious matter—they are conscious and contribute to the service for satisfaction of Krishna's senses. The affection that is present in dasya-rasa is not fully bloomed in santa-rasa, it is present there partially. However, even though affection is not fully manifest, they always, at every moment contribute to Krishna's service, and their identity is so exalted that so many devotees, including Brahma and Uddhav Maharaj aspire to be born in that Vraja Dham as blades of grass, bushes, creepers.

asam aho charana-renu-jusam aham syam
vrndavane kim api gulma-latau-sadhinam
ya dustyajam svajanam arya patham cha hitva
bhejur mukundapadavim srutibhir vimrgyam

(Srimad Bhagavatam, 10.47.61)

The gopis have completely left behind their beloved husbands, sons, and other family members, as well as social rules, and have sought out the lotus feet of Sri Krishna whom all the Vedas are looking for—O, will I ever be born in any form as some creeper in Vrndavan so that the dust from the holy feet of these gopis may fall on my head? Srila Raghunath Das Goswami Prabhu said in his Vraja-vilasa-stava (102):

yat kinchit trna-gulma-kikata-mukham gosthe samastam hi tat
sarvananda-mayam mukunda-dayitam lilanukulam param
sastrair eva muhur muhuh sphutam idam nistankitam yachnya
brahmader api sa-sprhena tad idam sarvam maya vandyate

"The grass, shrubs, insects, and other creatures in Vraja—everything there—are all-joyful, dear to Mukunda, and make a special contribution to His Pastimes. Bhagavatam and other scriptures, even Brahma, Uddhava, and other great souls constantly and openly worship them. I bow down and pray to all this paraphernalia."

There are five devotional mellows, or moods, in Goloka: santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya and madhura; and in Vaikuntha there are three and a half: santa, dasya and formal sakhya. There are two types of sakya-bhav—one is formal sakhya and the other one is informal. In formal sakhya-rasa, devotees cannot climb on the Lord's shoulder or offer Him their food remnants; they maintain a sober composure. That is why the higher part of sakhya-rasa is present in Goloka or Vraja, but not in Vaikuntha. When Arjuna saw the universal form of Lord Sri Krishna, he thought that he had committed an offence of calling Krishna his friend, engaging Him as his chariot-driver, etc. but in Vraja, the friends of Krishna do not treat Him so formally. Even the santa and dasya rasas in Vraja are different from those in Vaikuntha. In Vraja, santa and dasya rasas are stunningly beautiful and devoid of grandeur and opulence. Seeing the great opulence of Narayan, Vaikuntha servants are attracted to the servitude to Narayan; but the servants of Krishna who live in Vraja (Raktaka, Patraka, Chitraka, and others) are naturally drawn to being Krishna's servants and assisting Him in His various duties, whether it is Gopendra-nandan Sri Krishna's service at Govardhan or any other non-opulent service. They are attracted by the sweet and simple personality of Lord Sri Krishna, nothing else.

The diversity and individually that is found in Vaikuntha and Goloka or in the various devotional mellows of Vraja is fully present within the corresponding relishers of these mellows (devotees). Only if we judge from an impartial point of view (if we assume the position of a third party, so to say), then we can see that there are higher and lower moods. In Vaikuntha, devotees use only the middle part of their transcendental bodies to serve Narayan (from navel up to the upper limbs), and in Vraja devotees serve with the lower parts of their transcendental bodies as well. However, if devotees serve Krishna with all their transcendental body, from head to toes, it does not mean that servitors in Vaikuntha use their lower part of body (from navel to lower limbs) for their own service and activities. There is no question of enjoyment in the place where all hesitation or limitations (kuntha) are left behind, however the servitors in Vaikuntha do not show the use of their lower body in service out of respect. Vaikuntha servitors consider using the lower part of the body or the whole body to be an example of the limited world—applicable to the souls that are bound by material illusion and subject to the results of their karma. Those who do not know their true identity and have no idea about the world of Goloka, always use their entire body for the illusory mundane works.

 

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Attachment to Service or to the Self?
'They want some relation, but actually they take from the devotees more than they give. Such is this world, people always think about themselves. People do not serve properly—they come to use Gurudev, they do not come to surrender to Gurudev..'

 

Yadi gaura na ha'ta
'Who would have known Sri Radha's glory? If Sri Gaura would not have come, who would have known Sri Radha's glory?'
যদি, গৌর না হ'ত

Sometimes some bondage, some problem may come in our spiritual life, but it is Krishna
testing us: how much love and affection do we have for our Guru, for the Lord?

"HUMILITY, TOLERANCE, GIVING HONOUR TO OTHERS | HUMILITY, TOLERANCE, GIVING HONOUR TO OTHERS"