(10/13) Ultimate Word of Scriptures

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Basirhat, 13 January 2021, part 10
Translated from Bengali

We cannot serve all 330,000,000 demigods. What do the scriptures say?

'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)

If you have faith in Lord Krishna, then all other activities and duties are automatically fulfilled – it is not necessary to serve any gods or demigods. Your debts to your father, mother, rishis and demigods are cleared. You are accused of leaving the service to your parents and becoming a sadhu, but if you worship Krishna, all other duties and debts are fulfilled:

'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)

For example, if you worship Durga today, you will not have any money left to worship Kali. If you worship Kali, you will not have any money left to worship Laksmi. If you worship Laksmi or Kartik, you will not have any money left to worship Ganesh. If you worship Siva, Parvati will get angry that you do not worship her. Who will you worship then? That is why it is said that the worship of all gods is automatically fulfilled if you worship Krishna.

সর্ব্বধর্ম্মান্ পরিত্যজ্য মামেকং শরণং ব্রজ ।
অহং ত্বাং সর্ব্বপাপেভ্যো মোক্ষয়িষ্যামি মা শুচঃ ॥

sarva-dharman parityajya, mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo, moksayisyami ma suchah

‘Give up all kinds of religion and surrender to Me alone. I will liberate you from all sins, do not despair.’

(Srimad Bhagavad-gita, 18.66)

Lastly, this sloka is given in the eighteenth chapter of Srimad Bhagavad-gita. What does it say? ‘Leave all religions – the religion of serving your friends, the religion of serving your father, the religion of serving your mother, the religion of Muslims, the religion of Christians, Buddhism, Hinduism, and so on. Leave all religions. (You must leave even the Hindu religion!) Follow My religion – worship Me. I will liberate you from all sins.’ This is the gist meaning of Srimad Bhagavad-gita. If anybody asks you what the gist of Srimad Bhagavad-gita is, you should know that the meaning is this: ‘Leave all religions and surrender to Me, I will save you from all sins.’ This is the last word of Srimad Bhagavad-gita. This is so beautiful.

There is also another sloka in Gita:

অপি চেৎ সুদুরাচারো ভজতে মামনন্যভাক্ ।
সাধুরেব স মন্তব্যঃ সম্যগ্ব্যবসিতো হি সঃ ॥

api chet suduracharo, bhajate mam ananya-bhak
sadhur eva sa mantavyah, samyag vyavasito hi sah

‘If even a very sinful person serves Me exclusively with devotion, he should be regarded as saintly because his resolve is perfect.’

(Srimad Bhagavad-gita, 9.30)

A person can be very bad, a person may have done so many bad things, but if they leave everything and surrender to the Lord, the Lord liberates them from all sins – He takes them on His lap and gives them the right, or qualification, to serve Him. So many nice, beautiful things are expressed in Srimad Bhagavatam and Srimad Bhagavad-gita. If you do not try to understand it, if you do not study what is said in the scriptures, then how will you learn? You must study, you must listen to Hari-katha. You do not become educated just by getting enrolled into a school – you must attend the lessons and study. Otherwise, if you do not study, you will fail. Here, too, it is the same – you will fail if you do not study and practise Krishna consciousness. If you do not practise properly, if you do not come to the classes, if you do not do anything, you must fail. Practice makes perfect.

You must practise kirtan. Wake up early in the morning, and chant five kirtans in the morning and five kirtans in the evening. How many minutes does it take? Fifteen–twenty minutes. Can you not give this time to the Lord? You are busy the whole day! Men gossip the whole day at tea stores, and women gossip the whole day about what their neighbours, mothers-in-law, daughters-in-law and other relatives have done, but how does this affect your spiritual life? You are wasting your time on gossiping, but the time is passing.

দিন যায় মিছা কাজে নিশা নিদ্রাবশে ।
নাহি ভাবি মরণ নিকটে আছে বসে ॥

dina yaya michha kaje nisa nidra-base
nahi bhavi marana nikate achhe base

‘My days pass in useless work and nights are wasted on sleep. It never occurs to me that death is there, waiting right next to me.’

(Sri Kalyan-Kalpataru, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

Death can come at any time. You have some days in your hand, then do not waste this time – practise Krishna consciousness.

জীবন অনিত্য জানহ সার,
তাহে নানাবিধ বিপদ ভার
নামাশ্রয় করি’ যতনে তুমি,
থাকহ আপন কাজে ॥

jivana anitya janaha sara
tahe nana-vidha vipada-bhara
namasraya kari’ yatane tumi,
thakaha apana kaje

‘You must know the main truth that this life is not eternal and full of various dangers. Carry on your life but try your best to take shelter in the Holy Name.’

(Sri Gitavali, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

We do not prohibit you to do your work – nobody tells you to leave your homes and go stay in a jungle, becoming a naga-sannyasi. Whether you are staying at home or in a forest, just always chant the Holy Name.

অপরাধশূন্য হয়ে লহ কৃষ্ণ-নাম ।
অচিরাৎ তুমি পাবে কৃষ্ণ-প্রেম-ধন ॥

aparadha sunye haye laha krsna-nama
achirat tumi pabe krsna-prema-dhana

‘Chant the Holy Name of Krishna without offence and you will quickly get the treasure of divine love to Krishna.’

You must make yourselves free from offences and chant the Holy Name of Krishna. There is no other way. This is the last word. No matter what one may say, this is the ultimate word.

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Length: 112 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) An Auspicious Evening
2) An Auspicious Birth
3) Turning Back Home
4) Beyond Perverted Comfort Zone
5) What Are Your Plans?
6) Life In Lord's Family
7) Not So Fast, Not So Cheap
8) Mano-dharma vs. Bhagavat-dharma
9) Eternal Values
10) Ultimate Word of Scripture
11) Guided and Misguided
12) Exclusive Zone
13) Insurmountable Devotion