Lacking or Slacking?

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Bankura Anniversary Festival,
26 January 2021, part 10
Translated from Bengali

Anyhow, much has been already said today—I have told you about Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami and how Sri Radha-Raman appeared in this world through his service. Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu, Srila Sanatan Goswami Prabhu and many other Vaishnavs came and arranged a Vaishnav festival.

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)

The Lord says, "When someone has no other thoughts but surrenders to Me alone, I take care of all their necessities—even of their food." The Lord is the master of everything, but we have forgotten Him, as a result of which we are suffering in this world from the three-fold miseries.

When Mahaprabhu went to Gaya and saw His guru for the first time, He said,

সংসার-সমুদ্র হৈতে উদ্ধারহ মোরে ।
এই আমি দেহ সমর্পিলাঙ তোমারে ॥

"samsara-samudra haite uddharaha more
ei ami deha samarpilana tomare"

"Please rescue Me from this ocean of material existence! I am surrendering Myself to you."

(Sri Chaitanya-bhagavat, Adi-khanda, 17.54)

"Please rescue Me from this ocean of material existence! I have surrendered My mind, heart, soul, everything to you." We also sing in one of the kirtans,

কবে শ্রীচৈতন্য মোরে করিবেন দয়া ।
কবে আমি পাইব বৈষ্ণব-পদছায়া ॥

kabe sri chaitanya more karibena daya
kabe ami paiba vaisnava-pada-chhaya

"When will Sri Chaitanya be merciful to me? When will I reach the shade of the Vaishnavs' feet?"

কবে আমি ছাড়িব এ বিষয়াভিমান ।
কবে বিষ্ণুজনে আমি করিব সম্মান ॥

kabe ami chhadiba e visayabhimana
kabe visnu-jane ami kariba sammana

"When will I give up this mundane ego? When will I honour the Lord's devotees?"

We think that we need so many things, we lack so many things, that is why we leave the temple and go to stay at home. Rich people become proud, "I do not need anything, I am rich! I have so many things! There is no lack in my life." What is this? Do you think you can take anything with you? You will have to leave everything in this world...

Rich people earn millions, and they give one rupee to the Lord. I have told you before—Gurudev knows everything, he knows who does what and who does not do what. He can understand everything. It is not like Gurudev will always accept your faulty service. Somebody goes to the market and steals some money. You think you are in Govardhan, so nobody will know that you did not go to the market—you want to do something else, but you do not want to go to the market. You may not go, but how many days do you think Gurudev will tolerate your faulty service? Why does service go away? When you ask, "Why did I lose my service?" The answer is only one—you must think, "It is my own fault. I have made offence to service, that is why the Lord has taken this service from me." Take the calendars and read it—there are thirty-two kinds of seva-aparadh (offences of service) and ten kinds of offences of the Holy Name.

— : • : —

{ 2001  |   2002  |   2003  |   2005  |   2009  |   2010  |   2011  |   2012 }
{ 2013  |   2014  |   2015  |   2016  |   2017  |   2018  |   2019  |   2020  |   2021 }

• Listen to the audio or download (1.4 Mb, 4 min)