Exclusive Path

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Singur (West Bengal), 5 February 2021, part 2
Translated from Bengali

Many of us have taken initiation, but many of us have not been able to become a disciple. Yes, you have taken initiation, but one does not become a disciple just by taking initiation. Nobody passes the final exams at school just by getting admitted to a school—you must fail if you do not study. In the same way, in Krishna consciousness and spiritual practice the first step is guru-padasraya—taking shelter at the holy lotus feet of Sri Guru. Once you surrender at his holy lotus feet, you can start serving him. However, if we do not take proper good association of great devotees (sadhu-sanga) and Vaishnavs (Vaishnav-sanga), if we do not practise the nine kinds of devotional practices starting from sravan, kirtan, etc., if we do not practise the panchanga (five main devotional practices—sadhu-sanga, Nama-sankitan, Bhagavat-sravan, Mathura-vas, sraddhaya sri-murtir sevan; association of saints, chanting the Holy Name, listening about the Lord, residing in a holy abode of the Lord, worshipping Deities with faith), we will be removed from devotion. We may have entered the path of devotion, the world of devotion, however it does not take long to get removed from there. It is very difficult to progress down the path of devotion, but it is very easy to get removed from it. Remember this. One gets removed because of Vaishnav-aparadh, seva-aparadh, dhama-aparadh, Nama-aparadh. Always keep far from any Vaishnav-aparadh, seva-aparadh, dhama-aparadh, Nama-aparadh (offences to devotees, service, holy places, and the Holy Name). To your last breath you must be very careful about it and always try to avoid offences.

We have been averse to Krishna since the time immemorial. Outside people worship many demigods and demigoddesses, they can understand very well who is their father, mother, friends, relatives, wife, daughter, son, son-in-law, etc., but they do not understand who Guru is, who the Lord is. Do you know what Lord Krishna says in Srimad Bhagavad-gita? He says, "My devotees do not know anybody except Me, and I also do not know anybody except My devotees." These are Krishna's own words. Those who are exclusive, one-pointed devotees do not know anything or anyone except Krishna—they become crazy taking the Name of Krishna. So, this very Krishna has taken the heart and halo of Srimati Radharani and appeared as Gauranga Mahaprabhu right next to your door here in Sri Nabadwip Dham. He went door to door telling everyone,

জীব জাগ, জীব জাগ, গোরাচাঁদ বলে ।
কত নিদ্রা যাও মায়া-পিশাচীর কোলে ॥

jiva jago, jiva jago, gorachanda bale
kata nidra yao maya-pisachira kole

Sri Gorachand calls, “O souls, awake! O souls, awake! How long will you sleep on the lap of the witch Maya?

"O souls! Stop sleeping! Wake up! How long more are you going to sleep on the lap of Maya?"

Maya Devi always removes us from the service of the Lord—she gets her power from the Lord Himself and with that power she always tries to remove and keep us far from service. This Maya Devi always conspires against us and throws us into the desires of enjoyment and liberation. However, if you want to get the Lord, you will never get Him through any material activities (karma), any knowledge (jnana), any mystic practices (yoga), or attempts to get liberation (mukti)—no matter how much you may practise all these things, you can never get the Lord through that. If you want to get the Lord, you must get devotion. There is no other way to get the Lord except through devotion. No matter how wise you are, no matter how much knowledge you have, you will not get the Lord through that. If you are to get the Lord, you need devotion. You know, Srimati Radharani never went to any university—She only 'studied' at the University of Devotion. She worshipped (aradhana) the Lord through Her devotion, that is why Her name is Radharani—'She who worships the Lord the most.' That is why She is the highest among all gopis, She is the crest-jewel of all gopis.

So, taking the heart and halo of this Srimati Radharani, Krishna appears in this Kali-yuga as Gauranga Mahaprabhu. He wanted to know, "Why does Radharani cry so much taking My Name? What sort of happiness does She get when She is serving Me?" Lord Sri Krishna comes in Kali-yuga to taste all these thing as Gauranga Mahaprabhu, a combined form of Sri Sri Radha Krishna.

শ্রীরাধায়াঃ প্রণয়মহিমা কীদৃশো বানয়ৈবা-
স্বাদ্যো যেনাদ্ভুতমধুরিমা কীদৃশো বা মদীয়ঃ ।
সৌখ্যঞ্চাস্যা মদনুভবতঃ কীদৃশং বেতি লোভা-
ত্তদ্ভাবাঢ্যঃ সমজনি শচীগর্ভসিন্ধৌ হরীন্দুঃ ॥

sri-radhayah pranaya-mahima kidrso vanayaivasvadyo
yenadbhuta-madhurima kidrso va madiyah
saukhyam chasya mad-anubhavatah kidrsam veti lobhat
tad-bhavadhyah samajani sachigarbha-sindhau harinduh

"'What is that great glory of Sri Radha's love? What is My extraordinary loving sweetness and charm that Sri Radha enjoys? And what is the joy Sri Radha feels by experiencing My sweetness and charm?' Yearning to taste these three sentiments, the moon—Krishna-chandra—was born from the ocean of the womb of mother Sachi."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi-lila, 1.6)

— : • : —

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

• Listen to the audio or download (1.2 Mb, 3 min)