(10/13) Greatest Gift

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sitalpur (Bagnan), West Bengal,
31 January 2021, part 10

Guru Maharaj gave a very beautiful lecture about the wealth from the abode of greatest happiness (published as a book Paramananda-maya Dhamer Dhan).

Narad Goswami, Vyasadev, Vyasadev’s father, Parasara, who is a great authority in scriptures, were present at the assembly of Pariksit Maharaj. All the assembled personalities were actually the highest authorities in their scriptural schools. Atri Rishi, Vasistha Rishi, Chyavan Rishi, Saradvan Rishi, Aristanemi, Bhrigu Rishi, Angira Rishi, Gabastinemi and many other great personalities were sitting at that assembly when Sukadev, a young boy of sixteen, walked in naked, without 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.’

In reply to this request, Sukadev gave Pariksit Maharaj guidance, which took him seven days to describe. 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 (who do not know themselves) have thousands of questions in their minds, but those who know who they are and understand that their true identities (understand that they are souls) do not have questions – their only question is how their souls can get benefit: ‘How can I get from this mundane world to my real home as quickly as possible?’ There is a beautiful verse in Srimad Bhagavatam:

শ্রীমদ্ভাগবতং পুরাণমমলং যদ্বৈষ্ণবানাং প্রিয়ং
যস্মিন্ পারমহংস্যমেকমমলং জ্ঞানং পরং গীয়তে ।
তত্র জ্ঞানবিরাগভক্তিসহিতং নৈষ্কর্ম্ম্যমাবিষ্কৃতং
তচ্ছৃণ্বন্ সুপঠন্ বিচারণপরো ভক্ত্যাবিমুচ্যেন্নরঃ ॥

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)

নিগমকল্পতরোর্গলিতং ফলং
শুকমুখাদমৃতদ্রবসংযুতম্ ।
পিবত ভাগবতং রসমালয়ং
মুহুরহো রসিকা ভুবি ভাবুকাঃ ॥

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 ripe fruit of the desire-tree of Vedic literatures. This fruit has emanated from the lips of Sri Sukadev Goswami, so it 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 a narrative that came out of Sukadev Goswami’s holy mouth. The highest liberated souls reject heaven as something temporary and undesirable and desire to only always (eternally) serve the Lord.

‘O sons of nectar, sons of nectarean ocean! Please listen to this matter of subjective evolution, which is the transcendental devotion to the Divine Master and Lord Sri Krishna. It has come down from Goloka Dham to Narad Goswami, from Narad Goswami to me and has now appeared in this mundane world for you all through Sukadev Goswami. When it is Sukadev Goswami himself who is distributing it, it is becoming sweeter and sweeter. Take it, be happy, be joyful and get love for Krishna, the wealth of your transcendental life.’ This is how Vedavyas describes Srimad Bhagavatam.

At the end of Srimad Bhagavatam, on its last page, 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 as well as attachment and service to Krishna. This is the actual fruit of a practitioner’s life.’

শ্রীমদ্ভাগবতং পুরাণমমলং যদ্বৈষ্ণবানাং প্রিয়ং
যস্মিন্ পারমহংস্যমেকমমলং জ্ঞানং পরং গীয়তে ।
তত্র জ্ঞানবিরাগভক্তিসহিতং নৈষ্কর্ম্ম্যমাবিষ্কৃতং
তচ্ছৃণ্বন্ সুপঠন্ বিচারণপরো ভক্ত্যাবিমুচ্যেন্নরঃ ॥

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 the expression Vedavyas uses – ‘supreme happiness.’

This is how the knowledge of Srimad Bhagavatam has come down to this world. This knowledge is the main goal of life for everybody, not only liberated souls:

আত্মারামাশ্চ মুনয়ো নির্গ্রন্থা অপ্যুরুক্রমে ।
কুর্ব্বন্ত্যহৈতুকীং ভক্তিমিত্থম্ভূতগুণো হরিঃ ॥

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

‘Although all atmaramas [those who take pleasure in atma, or the spirit self], especially those established on the path of self-realisation, are free from all kinds of material bondage, they desire to render unalloyed devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which means that the Lord possesses such transcendental qualities that He attracts everyone, including liberated souls.’

(Srimad Bhagavatam, 1.7.10)

The Lord attracts even liberated souls! If you realise this, you will understand why it is necessary to study Bhagavatam.

I have written two very beautiful books, the third and the fourth volumes of Upadesh. The entire gist of the conception presented in Bhagavatam is there. Read these books at home. Study the scriptures.

The highest attainable 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 else; if you hear about Him, you will not want to hear anything else. To distribute this Krishna-katha, Krishna personally comes in this Kali-yuga as Gauranga Mahaprabhu. There is no other religion except the gift of transcendental love, and there is no one else except Sri Gauranga who has ever given anything like this in this world!

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

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

‘Just consider Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy! If you do, you will feel astonished in your heart.’

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 1.8.15)

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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Length: 119 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) In Search of Hidden Treasure
2) Know Your Own Identity First
3) Sambandha Jnana: Launching Pad
4) Utter Desperation
5) Path to Qualification
6) Sincere Devotion
7) Highest and Rarest
8) Rivet Yourself to Sadhu-Sanga
9) Genuine Benefit
10) Great Gift
11) Enter the Land of Faith
12) Unchaste Faith
13) A Test of Faith