(14/15) Covet All, Lose All

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Kalarait (Kolkata), 4 December 2020, part 14
Translated from Bengali

কৃষ্ণ-কৃষ্ণ-কৃষ্ণ-কৃষ্ণ-কৃষ্ণনাম-কীর্ত্তনং
রাম-রাম-গান-রম্য-দিব্য-ছন্দ-নর্ত্তনম্ ।
যত্র তত্র কৃষ্ণনাম-দান-লোক-নিস্তরং
প্রেম-ধাম-দেবমেব নৌমি গৌর-সুন্দরম্ ॥

krsna-krsna-krsna-krsna-krsna-nama-kirtanam
rama-rama-gana-ramya-divya chhanda-nartanam
yatra-tatra-krsna-nama-dana-loka-nistaram
prema-dhama-devam eva naumi gaura-sundaram

'Later, the Supreme Lord travelled to the holy places of pilgrimage in South India with the clever intention of delivering the fallen souls. Appearing as a beautiful young renunciate, He distributed the sweet Names of the Lord, singing: "Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna he," as He strolled down the different pathways, entered temples, and visited homesteads during the sacred pilgrimage. Infused with an inconceivable type of divine inspiration, the Lord freely chanted "Rama Rama" and joyfully danced with the most charming gestures. Irrespective of time or personal qualification, the assembled bystanders were delivered by the Lord, who inspired them to chant Krishna's Holy Names. I offer my obeisances to that beautiful Golden Lord, Gauranga Sundar, the divine form of Krishna prema.'

(Prema-dhama-deva Stotram, 22)

This is so beautiful! It was written by our Param Gurudev. He also wrote about Srila Prabhupad,

সুজনার্ব্বুদরাধিতপাদযুগং
যুগধর্ম্মধুরন্ধর-পাত্রবরম্ ।
বরদাভয়দায়ক-পূজ্যপদং
প্রণমামি সদা প্রভুপাদপদম্

sujanarvuda-radhita-pada-yugam
yuga-dharma-dhurandhara-patra-varam
varadabhaya-dayaka-pujya-padam
pranamami sada prabhupada-padam

'I am offering obeisance to Prabhupad (Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur), whose holy lotus feet are worshipped by millions of pious souls, who is the establisher of the religion of the age (Krishna-sankirtan), who is the presiding divine successor (at the Visva-Vaisnava-Raja Sobha, the assembly of Vaisnavs of the whole universe), who fulfils the desires of the dispellers of all fears I offer obeisance at his holy lotus feet. I eternally offer obeisance to the radiance emanating from the toenails of my master’.

(Sri Sri Prabhupada-padma Stavakah, Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj)

Remembering Jagad-Guru Srila Prabhupad, remembering my Gurupadpadma, remembering Param Gurudev, I would like to finish at this for today.

বাঞ্ছাকল্পতরুভ্যশ্চ কৃপাসিন্ধুভ্য এব চ ।
পতিতানাং পাবনেভ্যো বৈষ্ণবেভ্যো নমো নমঃ ॥

vanchha-kalpatarubhyas cha krpa-sindhubhya eva cha
patitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah

'Again and again I offer my obeisance unto the Supreme Lord's devotees, who are saviours of the fallen, oceans of mercy, and wish-fulfilling trees.'

We have a little time left before the bhoga arati. Do you have any questions? My Gurudev's appearance day will be soon. It will be on 1 January this year, the first day of the year. In English, they call this day 'Happy new year'. Please come to Nabadwip to our new Chaitanya Saraswat Math temple in Nrisingha Palli. There has been only one big festival this year, and after that there have been no festivals [due to the pandemic]. So, this festival will be big this time because the government is not giving permission to make festivals but we have got permission to arrange a festival for five hundred people. I am inviting you all; please come. If anybody has questions, you can ask one–two questions.

Question: Gita is called the highest Upanisad (su-upanisad). At the end of the eighteenth chapter, it is said 'Srimad-bhagavad-gitasupanisatsu brahmavidyayam yoga-sastre sri-krsnarjuna-samvade (the conversation of Sri Krishna and Arjuna in Srimad Bhagavad-Gita Upanisad, the yoga scripture of transcendental knowledge).' So, there appear to be two books that are called Upanisad. But it is Gita that is called the teacher of living one's life (জীবনযাত্রার পাঠক).

Yes, Gita teaches how we must live our lives. And Gita is not the only Upanisad, there are other scriptures that are parts of Upanisads. 'Upanisad' means good advice (upades) of Krishna.

Question [the same person]: So, if we do not accept Gita...

We must accept Gita. This is the first, primary scripture.

Question [the same person]: What is the 'yoga' mentioned here:

অনন্যাশ্চিন্তয়ন্তো মাং যে জনাঃ পর্য্যুপাসতে ।
তেষাং নিত্যাভিযুক্তানাং যোগক্ষেমং বহাম্যহম্ ॥

ananyas chintayanto mam, ye janah paryupasate
tesam nityabhiyuktanam, yoga-ksemam vahamy aham

'I bear the responsibility of acquiring and protecting the necessities of My fully dependent devotees who are always absorbed in thought of Me, and who worship Me in every way.'

(Srimad Bhagavad-gita, 9.22)

Yoga means bhakti-yoga.

Question [the same person]: But if the practitioner is not fit, where will devotion come from?

It will come. First, make yourself a proper receiver.

Question [the same person]: Then why should we read Bhagavatam?

We must go slowly, gradually.

Question [the same person]: Why do we not just read Bhagavatam instead? Bhagavatam contains everything, if we read the tenth canto—

No, no, you cannot do this. People have no right to read this.

Question [the same person]: There are twelve cantos in Bhagavatam, but what is the need of all the other cantos except for the tenth one?

Try to understand this. People feel attracted to reading about the amorous pastimes described in the tenth canto, but they have no right, no qualification to understand it. You cannot give class on that part unless you have the qualification to do so.

Question [the same person]: So, when people chant those kirtans about rasa-lila, is this wrong?

Yes, it is wrong. Srila Prabhupad said:

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-patha, the path of spontaneous affectionate service, while we ourselves shall live within the Vedic guideline.'

When people hear about the rasa-lila, they think that the pastimes of Radha-Krishna are the same as when boys and girls in this world fall in love. But this is not the same! This kind of conscousness only cheats people out of devotion. They have no right to understand those pastimes. One western devotee once asked our Gurudev, 'Can you describe Krishna-lila?' And Gurudev replied, 'If you hear it, you will become pregnant.' Because when people hear about those pastimes, they do dirty things. Your lust has not gone away from you, then how can you hear about rasa-lila? How much audacity they have! The love in rasa-lila is devoid of lust! Do you understand what this is?

This is also why in our Gaudiya line, you will not see so many Gaura-Gadadhar Deities (Gadadhar is the incarnation of Srimati Radharani). Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur installed these Deities, but nobody from our guru-varga did that after him. We have Gaura-Nitai. Gaura-Nitai are sakhya-rasa Deities. That is safe for you. You can see that people keep Radha-Krishna Deities in many places, but this is wrong – it should be Gaura and Radha-Krishna.

Question [from the same person]: I have one more question. Before, Krishna used to be always worshipped alone. Where does the worship of Radha-Krishna come from?

Radhrani is Krishna's sakti (potency). You cannot worship the Master of Potency without His potency.

Question [from the same person]: I have also heard that when Mahaprabhu met with Ramananda Ray, Mahaprabhu showed His form as Radha-Krishna.

Yes, what you are saying is right. Rasa-raja maha-bhava chaitanya-svarupa: He showed that His original identity was a combined form of Radha (maha-bhava) and Krishna (rasa-raja). They met in South India, in Kovvur.

We cannot worship Radha-Krishna Deities – we must keep service to the Divine Couple in our hearts. We have no right to worship Them.

Question [from the same person]: But everybody says that we must worship Radha-Krishna.

No! This is wrong! Do you not see what we do? We worship Mahaprabhu, and we say, 'Nitaiyer karuna habe Vraje Radha Krsna pabe (নিতাইয়ের করুণা হবে ব্রজে রাধাকৃষ্ণ পাবে): you can come to Radha-Krishna in Vraja if you get Nityananda Prabhu's mercy.' You can never worship Radha-Krishna without worshipping Gauranga Mahaprabhu.

Question [from the same person]: We have forgotten our own father because some great persons come to us and tell us to go to Vrindavan, to shave our heads, wear tilaks and cry, 'Radhe! Radhe!' But we forget who has given us birth – we forget Nitaichand.

Guru Maharaj told that Mahaprabhu said, 'Mukhe bole ra-ra-, dui nayane bahe dhara (মুখে বলে রা-রা- দুই নয়নে বহে ধারা)—those who behold Srimati Radharani cannot even pronounce Her Name, they keep saying "Ra-ra-".' Mahaprabhu could not even pronounce Radharani's Name! Even when He came to Jagannath, all He could say was 'Ja-ja-ga-ga, Ja-ja-ga-ga'. But we have not been in Vrindavan even two days and we start saying, "Radhe! Radhe!'

Prabhupad told one story that happened in Bangladesh. Some man always wore tilaks and said, 'Jay Nitai! Jay Nitai!' One day, dacoits came to his door. Knocking at his door, they cried, 'Jay Nitai! Jay Nitai!' The man thought that some devotees must have come. He opened the door, and the dacoits cleared his house and went away! So, there are many people who will say 'Jay Nitai', but they will come to rob you.

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READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Demolish Wall of Ego
2) Live in Hari-Katha
3) Do Not Waste Time
4) Waiting—Not Wanting
5) Focus on the Lord
6) Stepping over Liberation
7) Beyond Karma-Misra Bhakti
8) Evading Maya's World
9) Descend of Scriptures
10) Please Come Home!
11) Do Not Live Like Outside People
12) Fruits of faith
13) Pure Sankirtan in Pure Association
14) Covet All, Lose All
15) Kali-Yuga Brahmans