(3/9) Hanker and Try

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
20 November 2020, noon, part 3
Translated from Bengali

We have recently had a big festival. I do not know if all temples and places made this festival or not, but it is necessary to make it. It was the annakut mahotsav. 'Anna' means rice, and 'kut' means a mountain, so 'annukut' means a mountain of rice. Can you answer who made this festival?

Devotee: Krishna?

No! Nanda Maharaj did it, satisfying the desire and order of Krishna. Everything in this world happens by the wish of Lord Krishna. Whether something is good or bad, whether it is stealing, robbing or any mischief, everything happens by the will of the Supreme Lord. Even those who criticise and abuse others are also necessary in this world. People see tilaks or neckbeads and say something bad. If there are no such people in this world, then who will criticise you? So, even such people are necessary in this world. If there was no darkness, we would not be able to understand the glory of light.

When I went to Saint Petersburg, Russia, there was no night. The sun set and then again rose after about fifteen minutes. And when I went there in the winter, I saw that the sun never rose! It was night the whole day. I thought, 'My, what kind of country have I come to?!' It was impossible to understand when I must sleep and when I must get up because the sun was either always in the sky or it was always dark. Can you imagine twenty-three hours and forty-five minutes of sunlight. We have a temple there, in Saint Petersburg. I went there for Gurudev's service three–four times.

People come from all these various places, they chant the Holy Name and practise Krishna consciousness. You have seen many of them come at the Gaura Purnima time – so many foreigners come to do the parikrama. They spend lakhs of money to come and do Sri Nabadwip Dham parikrama. I know that some have already bought the tickets even now in November (the tickets are cheaper when you buy them beforehand), but the Indian government is not giving visas now because of the pandemic. If they can get the visa, they will come. They are thinking even now, 'When will Gaura Purnima come and we go to Nabadwip again?' This is what a strong desire is. They hanker, and they try.

I have told you that it is the Damodar Month now, and this is the month dam-bandhan lila. The glory of this pastime is that Mother Yasoda wanted to bind Krishna, but every time she tried to do it, the rope was two fingers too short. These two fingers are desire and mercy. Desire means trying, making an effort. For Krishna, you must try and try continuously, without stop. 'I am tired', 'I do not like to do it' – no! If you chant the Holy Name but do not feel happiness, then you must understand that this is not the Holy Name you are chanting. When the Holy Name sprouts in your heart, then you will feel happiness. But if you do not like chanting the Holy Name and you get tired, then this is not the Holy Name. 'Namaksara bahiraya bate tabu nama kabhu naya (নামাক্ষর বাহিরায় বটে তবু নাম কভু নয়) – it will no doubt sound like the letters of the Name, but it can never be the Name proper' (Sri Sri Prema-vivarta). What you chant can be the letters of the Holy Name, but it can never be the Holy Name proper.

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Size: 26.7 Mb
Length: 64 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Result of Great Fortune
2) Beyond the Walls of Your Ego
3) Hanker and Try
4) Govardhan's Arrangement
5) Krishna, Stealer of Pride
6) Annakut Mahotsav
7) Who Are You? Where Are You?
8) Enter Service Plane
9) Taking the Holy Name