(1/7) Serve and Study

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Nrisingha Palli, 26 December 2020, part 1
Translated from Bengali

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.

After a long time, we are again present here at Sri Nrisingha Palli, Sri Nabadwip Dham. Nabadwip Dham is non-different from Vrindavan Dham, and the place in Nabadwip where we are now is called Godrumdwip.

There are nine (nava) islands (dvipa) in Nabadwip, and each of the nine kinds of devotion reside on a corresponding island here. The nine kinds of devotion are sravanam (hearing about the Lord), kirtanam (chanting the Lord's Name and glories), smaranam (remembering the Lord), archanam (worshipping the Lord's Deity), vandanam (offering obeisances and prayers to the Lord), dasyam (serving the Lord as a servant), sakhyam (serving the Lord as a friend), atma-nivedanam (submitting yourself to the Lord), pada-sevanam (serving the Lord's lotus feet). Do you remember which kind of devotion resides in Godrumdwip? I have written a book (Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya-mukta-mala) about the nine islands, and there are other books also explaining it. Tell me which island is Godrumdwip.

Devotee: Smaranam.

No. [Others try to answer, His Divine Grace asks another devotee] You tell.

Devotee: Kirtanam.

Yes. All failed, only one has passed.

You must study. If you stay here in Godrumdwip, but do not know what kind of devotion resides here, then what will people say about you? You can see there is a beautiful picture showing the nine islands (on the cover of the Nabadwip Dham book), I have told about it so many times during the lectures also. In the centre of Nabadwip is Antardwip (Mayapur), and all around it are the eight other islands. This island of Godrumdwip where we are present is the island of kirtanam. Simantadwip is the island of sravanam (Simantadwip is near Mayapur, where the temple of Lord Jagannath is). Near Nidaya Ghat, there is Rudradwip, the island of sakhyam. Mamghachi, where we go last on the last day, is in Modadrumdwip (the island of dasyam). I tell these things during the parikrama of Sri Nabadwip Dham, but sometimes people cannot hear the lectures properly during the parikrama... Jahnudwip is the place of vandavam, Ritudwip is the place of archanam, Koladwip is the place of pada-sevanam, and Madhyadwip is the place of smaranam.

আদৌশ্রদ্ধা ততঃ সাধুসঙ্গোঽথ ভজনক্রিয়া ।
ততোঽনর্থনিবৃত্তিঃ স্যাৎ ততো নিষ্ঠা রুচিস্ততঃ ॥
অথাসক্তিস্ততো ভাবস্ততঃ প্রেমাভ্যুদঞ্চতি ।
সাধকানাময়ং প্রেম্ণঃ প্রাদুর্ভাবে ভবেৎ ক্রমঃ ॥

adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango 'tha bhajana-kriya
tato 'nartha-nivrttih syat tato nistha ruchis tatah
athasaktis tato bhavas tatah premabhyudanchati
sadhakanam ayam premnah pradurbhave bhavet kramah

'First, there is faith; then, saintly association and practising life. After that, unwanted habits gradually go away, spiritual life becomes stable, and spiritual taste comes. Then comes attachment, feeling and finally transcendental love. This is how love for the Lord comes to those who practise Krishna consciousness.'

(Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, 1.4.15-16)

Faith is the root of devotion. Whatever field it is, faith is always the main thing.

'শ্রদ্ধা' শব্দে—বিস্বাস কহে সুদৃঢ় নিশ্চয় ।
কৃষ্ণে ভক্তি কৈলে সর্ব্বকর্ম্ম কৃত হয় ॥

'sraddha'-sabde—visvasa kahe sudrdha nischaya
krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya

'Sraddha is a firm, determined faith that by serving Krishna all actions are accomplished.'

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.22.62)

You must know these basic things; otherwise, you are staying here in Nabadwip but do not know anything... We sing in one of the kirtans:

বজ হুঁরে মন শ্রীনন্দনন্দন
অভয় চরণারবিন্দ রে ।

bhajahu re mana sri-nanda-nandana
abhaya-charanaravinda re

'O mind, serve the son of Nanda's lotus feet, which make one fearless.'

শ্রবণ, কীর্ত্তন, স্মরণ, বন্দন,
পাদসেবন দাস্যরে ।
পূজন, সখীজন, আত্মনিবেদন
গোবিন্দ দাস অভিলাষ রে ॥

sravana, kirtana, smarana, vandana
pada-sevana, dasya re
pujana, sakhi-jana, atma-nivedana
govinda-dasa-abhilasare

'Govinda Das desires to engage in the nine practices of devotion: hearing about, glorifying, remembering, praying to, attending to, serving, worshipping, befriending, and surrendering to the Lord.'

You can find the nine kinds of devotion listed in this kirtan.

I wrote about the nine islands very nicely in this book (Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya-mukta-mala). When I read it, I am thinking as if I am right at the parikrama. You must do Sri Dham parikrama the whole year, every day. Even when you do this parikrama, you must speak in front of others about the holy places. If you take devotees to Vrindavan on a tour (Vraja-mandal parikrama), you must know about the pastimes in Vrindavan. I have also written about the glories of Sri Puri Dham, but I have not written about Vraja-mandala, I have not got time yet. I have very little time... I will try to make it by next Vraja-mandal parikrama. But there are books about the glories of Sri Nabadwip Dham and Sri Puri Dham that describe all the places we go to during the parikramas.

I compose nice books. If you keep these books with you and read them all the time, it is good. It is necessary to always read and study books. You must both do service and always study. Always work hard.

— : • : —

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Length: 49 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Serve and Study
2) Eagerness to Study
3) Watch Your Activities
4) Serve with Love
5) Exemplary Service Mood
6) Deep Faith and Service
7) Service Acumen