An Auspicious Birth

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Basirhat, 13 January 2021, part 2
Translated from Bengali

We keep on coming to this world again and again. There is a sloka in Vishnu or Padma Purana, you can also find it in Srimad Bhagavatam,

জলজা নবলক্ষাণি স্থাবরা লক্ষবিংশতি
কৃময়োরুদ্রসঙ্খকাঃ পক্ষিণাং দশলক্ষনম্
ত্রিংশললক্ষাণি পশবঃ চতুরলক্ষাণি মানুষাঃ

jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati
krmayo rudra-sankhyakah paksinam dasa-laksanam
trimsal-laksani pasavah chatur-laksani manusah

"There are 900,000 species living in the water. There are also 2,000,000 nonmoving living entities, such as trees and plants. There are also 1,100,000 species of insects and reptiles, and there are 1,000,000 species of birds. As far as quadrupeds are concerned, there are 3,000,000 varieties, and there are 400,000 human species."

We have been born 900,000 times in water—we have been born as all kinds of crocodiles, sharks, fish; there are so many kinds of fish living in water. We have been born 2,000,000 times as all kinds of trees, plants, hills, etc. We have been born 1,100,000 times as all kinds of insects, spiders, frogs, snakes, ants, etc. We have been born 1,000,000 times as birds—you can see so many kinds of birds flying in the sky. We have been born 3,000,000 times as all kinds of animals—cows, goats, sheep, cats, pigs, dogs. And we have been born 400,000 times as humans in all kinds of countries. You can see also how many devotees from different countries are with us also—Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, etc. They all come from so far. Can you imagine where their home is? It is right under the earth (on the other side of the globe). This Earth is like a ball—it is evening here for us now, but it is only early morning for them. It is just the opposite there. There are such countries. I have even been to the places where the sun never sets—it is light there all day long. We find it hard to stay there because we are used to sleeping during the night, but there it is day all day long—the sun only sets there for 5-10 minutes and then again rises. When I saw this, I thought, "Oh God, what kind of country have I come to?" I went there at another time also and that time there was no day—the sun did not rise and it was dark all day long. It is dark there twenty-four hours a day! I have been to that place, and we have a temple there. In this way, we have been born in very different countries before. Having crossed all these 8,400,000 species we have got this human birth here in Bharata-bhumi (India).

দুর্লভ মানব জন্ম লভিয়া সংসারে ।
কৃষ্ণ না ভজিনু দুঃখ কহিব কাহারে ॥

durlabha manava janma labhiya samsare
krsna na bhajinu duhkha kahiba kahare?

"I have got a very rare human life in this world, but I have not worshipped Lord Krishna. Whom can I tell of my misery?"

ভারত-ভূমিতে হৈল মনুষ্য-জন্ম যার ।
জন্ম সার্থক করি' কর পর-উপকার ॥

bharata-bhumite haila manusya janma yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara

"One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India should take advantage of his birth and bring benefit to all other people."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi-lila, 9.41)

We have been born here in India—the place where there are so many pure things that you will not find anywhere else in this world, the place where the Lord has come so many times (He appeared here in Satya-yuga, Treta-yuga, Dvapar-yuga, Kali-yuga). This is a pure land. The Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati are here. There is the Themes and many other rivers in other countries, but you can never find there such beautiful things as you find here...

We have been born as human beings in this wonderful land, but we must fulfil the purpose of this birth and we must help others. What does 'help others' mean? It means to give people something having got which they will not have any other desires. When people talk about helping others they mean giving somebody ten, fifty or a hundred rupees, giving somebody some food, a blanket in winter, etc. But these things are trifle. If you give somebody a blanket, a month or two later they will again want something. If you give somebody ten or fifty rupees, next time you see them they will ask you for a hundred rupees. All these things do not stop desires. Yet Mahaprabhu has given us such a gift, such mercy that you will be astonished to think about it.

শ্রীকৃষ্ণচৈতন্য-দয়া করহ বিচার ।
বিচার করিলে চিত্তে পাবে চমৎকার ॥

sri-krsna-chaitanya-daya karaha vichara
vichara karile chitte pabe chamatkara

If you consider the mercy of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, you will be wonder-stricken to realise it.

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi-lila, 8.15)

What has He given us? What has the Lord given us coming in this Kali-yuga? Going door to door He distributed His very own Name to everyone. There is no difference between the Lord Himself and the Lord's Name, the Lord's form, the Lord's pastimes. Mahaprabhu went door to door calling out to everyone,

জীব জাগ, জীব জাগ, গোরাচাঁদ বলে ।
কত নিদ্রা যাও মায়া-পিশাচীর কোলে ॥

jiva jaga, jiva jaga, gorachanda bale
kata nidra yao maya-pisachira kole

Sri Gorachand says, "O souls, awake! O souls, awake! How much longer will you sleep in the lap of the witch Maya?"

"You are sleeping in the lap of the witch Maya! Wake up! Worship Krishna!"

উঠরে উঠরে ভাই আর ত সময় নাই
'কৃষ্ণ ভজ' বলে উচ্চৈঃস্বরে

uthare uthare bhai ara ta samaya nai
'krsna bhaja' bale uchchaihsvare

Wake up, wake up, brother, there is no time! Worship Krishna!

"Chant loudly the Lord's Name, 'Krishna! Krishna!'"

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