Greatest Gift

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Vaishnav Seva Programme, Bangaon,
31 January 2021, part 10

Guru Maharaj spoke a very beautiful lecture about the wealth that is found in the land of greatest happiness.

Narad himself was also there; Vyasadev himself was there; Vyasadev's father, Parasara, the authority in scriptures was there. All the assembled personalities were actually authorities in their own scriptural school. Atri Risi, Vasistha Risi, Chyavan Risi, Saradvan Risi, Aristanemi, Bhrigu Risi, Angira Risi, Gavastinemi, et. al. Everybody was sitting at the assembly, and Sukadev, a young boy of sixteen, walked in naked without having any sense in his eyes (he could not see anything in the material world). Pariksit Maharaj asked him, "Please, tell me what is good for me. I have only seven days to live, I must die any time within seven days from now, but I do not know what is good for my life. Everybody respects you, please advise me about the supreme goal of life. I am king, but I do not want all this happiness, please guide me, tell me how I can reach the highest attainment."

This guidance was described then during seven days. What guidance was it? First, it is necessary to know what or who you are, why you are suffering, and how you can get relief. Those who have not seen themselves—those who do not know themselves—have thousands of questions. Those who know who they are do not have questions—their only question is how their soul can attain benefit. There is only one question.

Those who have not seen themselves ask thousands of questions—many questions can arise in such people' minds, but "How can I get from this mundane world to my real home as quickly as possible?"—this is the only question for those who can understand their own real form of soul. There is a beautiful verse in Srimad Bhagavatam:

srimad-bhagavatam puranam amalam yad vaisnavanam priyam
yasmin paramahamsyam ekam amalam jnanam param giyate
tatra jnana-viraga-bhakti-sahitam naiskarmyam aviskrtam
tach chhrnvan su-pathan vicharana-paro bhaktya vimuchyen narah

Srimad Bhagavatam is the spotless Purana. It is most dear to the Vaishnavas because it describes the pure and supreme knowledge of the paramahamsas. This Bhagavatam reveals the means for becoming free from all material work, together with the processes of transcendental knowledge, renunciation and devotion. Anyone who seriously tries to understand Srimad Bhagavatam, who properly hears and chants it with devotion, becomes completely liberated.

(Srimad Bhagavatam, 12.13.18)

nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam
suka-mukhad amrta-drava-samyutam
pibata bhagavatam rasam alayam
muhur aho rasika bhuvi bhavukah

"O expert and thoughtful men, relish Srimad Bhagavatam, the mature fruit of the desire tree of Vedic literatures. It emanated from the lips of Sri Sukadeva Goswami. Therefore this fruit has become even more tasteful, although its nectarean juice was already relishable for all, including liberated souls."

(Srimad Bhagavatam, 1.1.3)

Nobody wrote this holy scripture of Srimad Bhagavatam with a pen. Srimad Bhagavatam is what came out of Sukadev Goswami's mouth. The highest liberated souls reject heaven as something temporary and undesirable and desire only to always, eternally serve the Lord—eternally, for the whole eternity.

"O sons of nectar, sons of nectarean ocean! Please listen to this matter of subjective evolution which is the divine devotion to the Divine Master, Lord Sri Krishna, that has come down from the Goloka Dham to Narad Goswami, from Narad Goswami to me, and has appeared in this mundane world for you all through Sukadev Goswami. When it is Sukadev Goswami himself who is distributing it, it becomes sweeter and sweeter. Take it, be happy, be joyful, get love for Krishna—get the wealth of your transcendental life." Vedavyas describes Srimad Bhagavatam in this way. Also, at the end of Srimad Bhagavatam, he described the identity of Srimad Bhagavatam in this way, "When liberated souls (who have no attachment to this mundane world) practise this, they will get supreme happiness, joy, ecstasy, and attachment and service to Krishna. This is the actual fruit of practitioners' life." This is the description Vedavyas gives on the last page of Srimad Bhagavatam.

srimad-bhagavatam puranam amalam yad vaisnavanam priyam
yasmin paramahamsyam ekam amalam jnanam param giyate
tatra jnana-viraga-bhakti-sahitam naiskarmyam aviskrtam
tach chhrnvan su-pathan vicharana-paro bhaktya vimuchyen narah

"Srimad Bhagavatam is the spotless Purana. It is most dear to the Vaishnavas because it describes the pure and supreme knowledge of the paramahamsas. This Bhagavatam reveals the means for becoming free from all material work, together with the processes of transcendental knowledge, renunciation and devotion. Anyone who seriously tries to understand Srimad Bhagavatam, who properly hears and chants it with devotion, becomes completely liberated."

(Srimad Bhagavatam, 12.13.18)

"After you hear it, read it, and realise it, you will get supreme happiness of the transcendental world." This is an expression of Vedavyas—"supreme happiness." This is how the knowledge of Srimad Bhagavatam has come down to this world, and this knowledge is the main goal of life for everybody, not only liberated souls,

atmaramas cha munayo
nirgrantha apy urukrame
kurvanty ahaitukam bhaktim
ittham-bhuta-guno harih

"All different varieties of atmaramas [those who take pleasure in atma, or spirit self], especially those established on the path of self-realization, though freed from all kinds of material bondage, desire to render unalloyed devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead. This means that the Lord possesses transcendental qualities and therefore can attract everyone, including liberated souls."

(Srimad Bhagavatam, 1.7.10)

The Lord attracts even those who are liberated souls! Therefore, we must study Bhagavatam...

I have written two very beautiful books, Upadesh, volumes 3 and 4. The whole gist is there. Read these books at home, study the scriptures. This highest wealth is Krishna—if you serve Him, you do not have to serve anyone else; if you see Him, you do not have to see anything or anyone else; if you hear about Him, you will not want to hear anything else. To distribute this Krishna-katha, Krishna Himself comes in this Kali-yuga as Gauranga Mahaprabhu. There is no other religion except for the gift of transcendental love, and there is no one else except Sri Gauranga who ever gave anything like that in this world!

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, you will be wonder-struck to realise it."

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

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has given such a great gift to this world that if anyone accepts this gift, they will know no want—everything will become fulfilled for them.

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