Rivet Yourself to Sadhu-Sanga

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Vaishnav Seva Programme, Bangaon,
31 January 2021, part 8

Devotee: Maharaj, we were singing this in 'Nitai mora jivana dhana, Nitai mora jati'. What does it mean?

ye dese nitai nai, se dese na yabo
nitai-vimukha janava mukha na heriba

"I will never go to a place where Nitai has not been to. I will not look at the face of people averse to Nitai!"

Yes, it is true: we will not go to the place where Nitai is not worshipped. It means you will not associate with those who do not worship Nitai. If you think, "Oh, I will not go to the place where there is no Nitai," then you will say, "I will not go for preaching abroad—there is no Nitai there!" Yet we come abroad to spread Nitai's mercy. Gurudev is supremely merciful, he is Vaishnav Thakur—he comes to all the countries to rescue such fallen souls as ourselves.

[His Divine Grace resumes kirtans, chanting, 'Yasoda Nandana Krsna' and the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, and then continues the class.]

মূকং করোতি বাচালং পঙ্গুং লঙ্ঘয়তে গিরিম্ ।
যৎকৃপা তমহং বন্দে শ্রীগুরুং দীনতারণম্ ॥

mukam karoti vachalam pangum langhayate girim
yat krpa tam aham vande sri-gurum dina-taranam

"The dumb can speak, the lame can climb a hill—all it takes is mercy from Gurudev."

(Bhavartha Dipika)

First, I am offering my full obeisance at the lotus feet of my Divine Master Om Vishnupad Jagad-guru Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj begging him for his causeless mercy, aspiring to serve him; after that, I am offering my full obeisance to all assembled guru-varga, godbrothers, to all the listeners, to all the motherly lady devotees, and all the devotees. I am offering my obeisance at your holy feet and praying for your mercy to this low soul.

So, today is a very auspicious day. A day without Hari-katha is a bad day. It is not a cloudy day that is a bad day; a bad day is the day without any Hari-katha. We have got this opportunity to sing kirtan, which we have been doing until now, and now we can speak some Bhagavad-katha. We start by offering our obeisances and prayers to Sri Guru and Vaishnavs. There is no other way for us except for praying to them—we can only pray, "Please, Prabhu, forgive my offences." I have been an offender for many lifetimes, and I pray that my Guru and Vaishnavs may forgive me.

শক্তিবুদ্ধিহীন আমি অতি দীন
কর মোরে আত্মসাথ ॥

sakti-buddhi-hina ami ati dina
kara more atma-satha

"I am devoid of ability and intelligence, and greatly distressed. Please accept me."

"Please hijack me, take me from this illusory world and throw me at the lotus feet of the Lord, so that I can spend this life serving my Guru and Vaishnavs." This is the only prayer to Sri Guru and Vaishnavs, this is our only desire. We are averse to Krishna souls—we have forgotten the Lord:

কৃষ্ণ ভুলি' সেই জীব অনাদি-বহির্ম্মুখ ।
অতএব মায়া তারে দেয় সংসারাদি-দুঃখ ॥

krsna bhuli' sei jiva anadi-bahirmukha
ataeva maya tare deya samsaradi-duhkha

"Having forgotten Krishna, the soul wanders throughout the universe. Being thus covered by illusion, the soul goes through all kinds of material suffering."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 20.117)

We have forgotten the Lord; as a result, we are now suffering from the burning agony of three-fold miseries. If you want to escape this world, the only way to do it is to take shelter at the holy lotus feet of the Lord. That is why, we must serve pure devotees; we must surrender at the lotus feet of Sri Guru and Vaishnavs.

দৈন্য, আত্মনিবেদন, গোপ্তৃত্বে বরণ ॥
'অবশ্য রক্ষিবে কৃষ্ণ'—বিশ্বাস পালন ॥

dainya, atma-nivedana, goptrtve varana
'avasya raksibe krsna'—visvasa palana

"Humility, self-submission, embracing the Lord’s guidance, maintaining the faith that 'Krishna will certainly protect me'."

ভক্তি-অনুকূল মাত্র কার্য্যের স্বীকার ।
ভক্তি-প্রতিকূল ভাব—বর্জ্জনাঙ্গীকার ॥

bhakti-anukula matra karyera svikara
bhakti-pratikula bhava—varjanangikara

"Engaging only in activities that are favourable to devotion, rejecting everything unfavourable to devotion."

Be humble, surrender yourself, and always aspire for the association of pure devotees.

'সাধুসঙ্গ', 'সাধুসঙ্গ'—সর্ব্বশাস্ত্রে কয় ।
লবমাত্র সাধুসঙ্গে সর্ব্বসিদ্ধি হয় ॥

'sadhu-sanga', 'sadhu-sanga'—sarva sastre kaya
lava-matra sadhu sange sarva siddhi haya

"Good association", "good association," all the scriptures keep saying. Only by good association can you get all perfection.

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.22.54)

You can never get any result or any perfection without saintly association (sadhu-sanga). Good, saintly association is our only path, our only way.

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