(4/8) Loving Service Connection

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Noon preaching programme in Adra,
13 November 2020, part 4
Translated from Bengali

মূকং করোতি বাচালং পঙ্গুং লঙ্ঘয়তে গিরিম্ ।
যৎকৃপা তমহং বন্দে শ্রীগুরুং দীনতারণম্ ॥

mukam karoti vachalam pangum langhayate girim
yat krpa tam aham vande sri-gurum dina-taranam

'The dumb can speak, the lame can climb a hill—all it takes is mercy from Gurudev."

(Bhavartha Dipika)

First, I am offering my full obeisance at the lotus feet of my Divine Master Om Vishnupad Jagad-guru Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, begging him for his causeless mercy and aspiring to serve him; after that, I am offering my full obeisance to all the assembled guru-varga, all my godbrothers, to all the listeners, to all the motherly lady devotees and all the devotees. I am offering my obeisance at your holy feet and praying for your mercy to this lowly soul.

When Mahaprabhu went to the house of Sridhar Prabhu, He drank water from a glass with a hole. One time, when Mahaprabhu to Sridhar Prabhu, He asked him, 'Can you give Me some water?' Sridhar Prabhu saw that he had no good glass at home, so he gave Mahaprabhu the only glass he had, saying, 'Here is a glass, but it has a hole. Will You drink from it?' Mahaprabhu took the glass and, closing the hole with His hand, drank from it. It happened at a placed known as Sridhar Angan in Mayapur. (We have a book about Sri Nabadwip called Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya-mukta-mala, you can buy it if you have money with you – everything about the nine islands of Nabadwip is written in it. Otherwise, come to Nabadwip – when we do Sri Nabadwip Dham parikrama, we visit that place.) The original house is not there now, but there is a small temple in a garden. Sridhar Prabhu sold banana stems, banana flowers and bananas at the market. Mahaprabhu would often come to Him and fight. Sridhar Prabhu said, 'Can You not see any other shop at the market? Why do You always come to my shop? There are many banana stalls here, why do You not go there?' The problem was that Mahaprabhu always asked half the price for everything, and if Sridhar Prabhu refused to sell for half the price, Mahaprabhu would start fighting with him. If Sridhar Prabhu asked for a rupee for something, Mahaprabhu would bargain to buy it for half a rupee. In the end, Sridhar Pandit would give vegetables to Mahaprabhu for free. He was afraid, 'He is a brahman boy, I do not want to make any sin. What if He curses me? Better if He takes whatever He wants and goes away.'

In Dvapar-yuga, when Krishna came to Vidura's house, He ate banana skin! When Krishna came there, He called out to Vidura, 'Hey, Vidura, are you home?' Vidura was not at home, and Vidura's wife was taking a bath at that time. As soon as she heard Krishna calling and understood that Krishna had come to their house. She got so excited that she did not even think to put on any clothes – she came in front of Krishna just as she was, unclothed! Krishna closed His eyes and threw His uttariya on her. Vidura's wife was so excited and happy that she did not even think that she had no clothes on. It is the truth. Then, she wanted to give Krishna something to eat, but she was so happy that when she started peeling bananas, she unconsciously put banana skin on the plate and threw the banana away! Vidura came home. 'Hey, what are you doing?! Are you pulling My friend's leg?' She was perplexed, 'Why? What am I doing?' Then she saw that there were banana peels on the plate instead of bananas, and Krishna was sitting and sucking a banana peel!

This is the kind of joy you must feel when Vaishnavs come.

Although Krishna ate banana skin at Vidura's house, He did not eat raj-bhog that Duryudhan offered Him.

Another time, Sudama Vipra came to visit Krishna. What did he bring for Krishna? He was a very poor brahman, so he could only bring some flat rice for Krishna. Krishna took it happily. Sudama went all the way to Vrindavan, from very far. He struggled so much. When he decided to visit Krishna, Sudama's wife told him, 'Do you think Krishna will recognise you when He sees you?' But Krishna was waiting for him, thinking, 'When will Sudama come?' Not only was the way to Vrindavan very long, but Krishna's palace in Dvaraka is also enormous – it takes so long to walk from its gate to the palace! As soon as Sudama came, Krishna embraced Him, made him sit on His own throne and started massage his feet. 'You have come from so far, your feet must be hurting.' Krishna personally served Sudama's feet, and not only Krishna – Krishna's wives (Rukmini, Satyabhama and others) were there too, and Krishna told them, 'You must also serve the feet of My friend Sudama.' This is the service that Krishna Himself did.

When there was a festival one day, do you know what kind of service Krishna took on? When all the guests came, they took off their shoes and kept them in some place at the entrance. Krishna came to that place and, cleaning all the shoes, kept them all neatly aside. Krishna served the shoes of devotees!

Mahaprabhu also would personally serve prasad to everyone.

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Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Sincerely, Conscientiously and Without Offences
2) Greatest Benefactors
3) Learn to Call the Lord
4) Loving Service Connection
5) Exclusive Enquiry
6) Rare Birth, Rare Gift
7) Devotional Progress
8) Step on Clean Path