(13/15) Be Sincere and Studious

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Kolkata, preaching programme,
16 January 2021, part 13
Translated from Bengali

We have many beautiful holy books. Last Gaura Purnima, we published Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya-muka-mala. You should read it. Many people travel to Nabadwip, but they do not go to all nine islands – they mostly go for a walk at ISKCON, drop at Paramatala and go back. That is why I published this book about the glory of Nabadwip Dham. If you read it, you can see what pastimes took place on which island – everything is described beautifully there in plain Bengali. Many cannot read high-flown language or even Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur’s poem Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya, so I wrote this book in simple language. Read this book, you will get benefit. When you are at home, you must always read books – you must practise Krishna consciousness and chant the glories of the Lord every single day. Always serve your guru, Vaishnavs and the Lord in this way.

Who is a Vaishnav?

কনক-কামিনী, প্রতিষ্ঠা-বাঘিনী,
ছাড়িয়াছে যারে, সেই ত বৈষ্ণব ।

kanaka-kamini, pratistha-baghini,
chhadiyachhe yare, sei ta vaisnava

‘Those who give up money, women and fame the tigress are true Vaishnavs.’

(‘Vaishnav Ke?’, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur)

One can give up money, one can give up women, but it is very difficult to give up the desire for prestige (name and fame). That is why we sing in one of the kirtans:

ছয় বেগ দমি’, ছয় দোষ শোধি’,
ছয় গুণ দেহ দাসে ।

chhaya vega dami’, chhaya dosa sodhi’,
chhaya guna deha dase

‘Please subjugate my six urges, rectify my six defects and bestow the six good qualities upon this servant.’

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

There are six urges: (1) the urge of speech (vakya-vega), (2) the urge of the mind (mana-vega), (3) the urge of anger (krodha-vega), (4) the urge of the tongue (jihva-vega), (5) the urge of the belly (uddhara-vega), (6) the urge of the genitals (upastha-vega). These urges live within the ten senses (indriya). There are five karmendriya (‘action’ instruments – feet, hands, rectum, genitals, mouth) and five jnanendriya (‘knowledge’ instruments – eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin). Do you know how you can handle these senses properly? By living and practising sincerely, with determination (nistha). Whatever you do, you must do it sincerely and with determination.

There are nine kinds of devotion residing on the nine islands of Nabadwip. For example, the place where we had our temple before is in Koladwip. Koladwip is aparadha-bhanjanera pat (the place where all offences are forgiven), and this island is the abode of pada-sevanam (service to the lotus feet of the Lord). Mayapur is situated in Antardwip: it is the abode of atma-nivedanam (self-submission). Godrumdwip, where our Nrisingha Palli temple stands, is the abode of kirtan (glorification of the Lord). Simantadwip is the abode of smaranam (remembering the Lord). In this way, each of the nine kinds of devotion resides on a corresponding island in Nabadwip.

The first requirement in spiritual life is faith:

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-rasamrita-sindhu, 1.4.15–16)

These are the nine stages of devotion, and each of them also has a corresponding place on the nine islands of Nabadwip. As I said, the first requirement is faith. There are four kinds of faith: kamala-sraddha (soft, fragile faith), taranga-sraddha (flickering, wave-like faith), drdha-sraddha (strong faith) and sudrdha-sraddha (the strongest faith). At first, your faith is very soft, but it should become strong and stronger. Finally, whatever you do, you must do it with the strongest faith and sincere determination (nistha).

If you do not feel taste for chanting the Holy Name – many do not like to chant the Holy Name – then you must understand that there is a disease inside you. When your body has a fever, you do not feel like eating anything, and when you eat something, you do not feel any taste. In the same way, if you feel no taste when you chant the Holy Name, that is because you have some diseases inside you. That is why you must always practise sravan and kirtan in holy association and try to remove your offences. Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur prays:

কবে হবে বল, সে দিন আমার ।
অপরাধ ঘুচি’, শুদ্ধ নামে রুচি,
কৃপা-বলে হবে হৃদয়ে সঞ্চার ॥

kabe habe bala, se dina amara
aparadha ghuchi’, suddha name ruchi,
krpa-bale habe hrdaye sanchara

‘Tell me, when will that day be mine? When, by mercy, will my offences go away? When will I get taste for the pure Holy Name?’

তৃণাধিক হীন, কবে নিজে মানি,
সহিষ্ণুতা-গুণ হৃদয়েতে আনি’ ।

trnadhika hina, kabe nije mani,
sahisnuta-guna hrdayete ani’

‘When will I feel lower than a blade of grass, when will I bring the quality of tolerance to my heart?’

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

‘When will I consider myself lower than a blade of grass? When will the quality of tolerance come to my heart?’ We pray to gurudev also, ‘Gurudev, please give me strength to tolerate everything, to be patient. If my power of tolerance increases, I will be able to always serve my guru, Vaishnavs and the Lord, and I will be able to always chant the Holy Name – then I will get the supreme benefit.’ We must always remember this. Surrender to the holy feet of the sadhus, gurus and Vaishnavs and practise Krishna consciousness – chant the Holy Name, remember and circumambulate the holy dham.

The Nityananda-trayodasi festival is coming soon. I am inviting everyone to Ekachakra Dham. Please come. After that, we will go for Nabadwip Dham parikrama. We do this parikrama together with devotees every year:

গৌর আমার, যে সব স্থানে,
করল ভ্রমণ রঙ্গে ।
সে সব স্থান, হেরিব আমি,
প্রণয়ি-ভকত-সঙ্গে ॥

gaura amara, ye saba sthane,
karala bhramana range
se saba sthana, heriba ami,
pranayi-bhakata-sange

‘In the company of loving devotees, I behold all the places my Gaura visited during His pastimes.’

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

Mahaprabhu predicted:

পৃথিবীতে আছে যত নগরাদি গ্রাম
সর্ব্বত্র প্রচার হইবে মোর নাম

prithivite achhe yata nagaradi grama
sarvatra prachara haibe mora nama

‘My Name will spread to every village and town on this earth.’

(Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu)

Mahaprabhu said, ‘My Name will spread to every village and town on this earth,’ and our guru-varga actually went all over the world preaching this Holy Name, preaching about the Lord and the glories of the Lord everywhere. We must surrender to them – if we can always keep them in our hearts and think about them, we will get the highest benefit.

Jay Srila Guru Maharaj ki jay.
Harinam-sankirtan ki jay.
Nitai Gaura premanande Hari bol.

[His Divine Grace chants ‘Dayal Nitai Chaitanya bale’.]

দয়াল-নিতাই চৈতন্য ব’লে নাচ্ রে আমার মন ।
(একবার) নাচ্ রে আমার মন, নাচ্ রে আমার মন ॥১॥
(এমন দয়াল তো নাই হে, মার খেয়ে প্রম দেয়)

dayal-nitai chaitanya ba’le nachre amar’ man’
(ek-bar) nachre amar’ man’, nachre amar’ man’ [1]
(emana dayala to nai he, mar’ kheye prem’ deya)

‘Dear mind, dance and chant, “O Merciful Nitai! O Chaitanya!” Dance, my mind! Dance! (There is nobody as merciful as Them! They give divine love for the Lord even to those who beat Them!)’

(ওরে) অপরাধ দূরে যাবে, পাবে প্রম ধন ।
(ও নামে অপরাধ-বিচার তো নাই হে)
(তখন) কৃষ্ণনামে রুচি হ’বে, ঘুচিবে বন্ধন ॥২॥
(কৃষ্ণনামে অনুরাগ তো হবে হে)

(ore) aparadha dure yabe, pabe prema dhan’
(o name aparadha-vichar’ to nai he)
(takhan) krsna-name ruchi ha’be, ghuchibe bandhan’ [2]
(krsna-name anurag’ to habe he)

‘(Lo!) Your offences will go away, and you will get transcendental love for the Lord! (There is no consideration of offences in chanting Their Names!) (Then,) you will get taste for Krishna’s Name and your bondage will be removed. (You must certainly get loving attachment to Krishna’s Name!)’

(তখন) অনায়াসে সফল হ’বে জীবের জীবন ।
(নৈলে জীবন তো মিছে হে)
(কৃষ্ণ-রতি বিনা জীবন তো মিছে হে)
(শেষে) বৃন্দাবনে রাধাশ্যামের পাবে দরশন ॥৩॥
(গৌর-কৃপা হ’লে হে)

(takhan) anayase saphal’ ha’be jivera jivan’
(naile jivan’ to michhe he)
(krsna-rati bina jivan’ to michhe he)
(sese) vrndavane radha-syamer’ pabe darasan’ [3]
(gaura-krpa ha’le he)

‘(Then,) your life will be easily successful! (Otherwise, life is useless – without attachment to Krishna, life is useless). (In the end,) you will behold Sri Sri Radha-Shyam in Vrindavan (if you get Gaura’s mercy).’

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Length: 120 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Where Does the Lord Stay?
2) Mahaprabhu's Advent and Gift
3) Coming Out of Maya
4) Make Yourself Qualified
5) Six Limbs of Surrender
6) Sincere and Deep Prayer
7) Lend Me Your Heart
8) Follow the Footsteps of Great Souls
9) Suspicion Leads to Suspension
10) Only One Question
11) We Are Neither Enjoyers, Nor Renouncers
12) False Ego's Folly
13) Be Sincere and Studious
14) Remembering Mahaprabhu's Sannyas
15) Way Out