Bogus Kirtan—Bogus Devotion

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Tarakeshwar, 10 February 2021, part 11

Yesterday I told not to make too many things—make some luchi and aloo-dum, and then they force me to take it, but I get a problem if I eat it. I can take one piece, it is sufficient.

Devotee: Will you take rice then?

No, no, I will not. I took yesterday, and today my legs are paining.

বিষয়ে ভুলিয়া অন্ধ হইনু দিবানিশি ।
গলে ফাঁস দিতে ফেরে মায়া সে পিশাচী ॥

visaye bhuliya andha hainu divanisi
gele phamsa dite phere maya se pisachi

Maya, this witch, has put a noose round my neck, and, becoming blind and forgetting myself in the pleasures of the material world, I pass day and night.

মায়ারে করিয়া জয় ছাড়ান না যায় ।
সাধুকৃপা বিনা আর না দেখি উপায় ॥

mayare kariya jaya chhadana na yaya
sadhu-krpa vina ara na dekhi upaya

It is not possible to conquer maya by engaging in maya. I see no other way to get relief except for the mercy of sadhus.

অদোষ-দরশি-প্রভু, পতিত-উদ্ধার ।
এইবার নরোত্তমে করহ নিস্তার ॥

adosa-darasi-prabhu, patita-uddhara
ei-bara narottame karaha nistara

Prabhu, you see no fault in others, you are the saviour of the fallen. Please deliver Narottam this time!

Srila Narottam Das Thakur sang this kirtan... You can read these kirtans sometimes and try to understand their meaning. Read the kirtan guide, it will be good.

Before, one person used to come with his party and do kirtans. Is it still going on? Has it stopped?

[Devotees explain what is going on and how the party comes to chant for money, dressed as Radha and Krishna.]

Just think what is going on... And if I come and ask for one or two sacks of potato, they will not give it. They do not want to serve the Lord. People cannot understand this... If you follow such kirtan singers, they will tell you can eat meat, you can eat fish. That is why it is said:

কোটি জন্ম যদি করে শ্রবণ কীর্ত্তন ।
তবু না পায় ব্রজেন্দ্রনন্দন ॥

koti janma yadi kare sravana kirtana
tabu na paya vrajendranandan

"If you practise hearing and chanting for millions of lives, you may still not get the Son of Nanda who dwells in Vraja."

অসাধুসঙ্গে ভাই কৃষ্ণনাম নাহি হয় ।

নামাক্ষর বাহিরায় বটে তবু নাম কভু নয় ॥

asadhu-sange bhai krsna-nama nahi haya
namaksara bahiraya bate tabu nama kabhu naya

"Brother, the Name of Krishna never appears in bad association: the letters of the Name may appear, but the Name never does."

(Sri Sri Prema-vivarta, 7.1)

People chant those kirtans house to house for their own purpose. When it comes to the service of the Lord, there is karma-misra bhakti (devotion mixed with material desires), jnana-misra bhakti (devotion mixed with desire to know something), jnana-sunya bhakti (devotion devoid of any pursuit of knowledge). We are interested in jnana-sunya bhakti. Not jnana, knowledge—we must renounce knowledge. Karma-misra bhakti means you serve the Lord, thinking or hoping you will get something in return. The Lord says:

কৃষ্ণ কহে,—আমা ভজে, মাগে বিষয়-সুখ ।
অমৃত ছাড়ি’ বিষ মাগে,—এই বড় মূর্খ ॥
আমি-বিজ্ঞ, এই মূর্খে ‘বিষয়’ কেনে দিব ?
স্ব-চরণামৃত দিয়া ‘বিষয়’ ভুলাইব ॥

krsna kahe,—ama bhaje, mage visaya-sukha
amrta chhadi' visa mage,—ei bada murkha
ami—vijna, ei murkhe 'visaya' kene diba?
sva-charanamrta diya 'visaya' bhulaiba

"Krishna says, 'They worship Me, desiring material happiness—leaving aside nectar, they ask for poison. They are great fools. I am very intelligent though. Why will I give these fools material things? Instead, I will give them the nectar of My lotus feet and make them forget the material world."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 22.38-39)

Therefore, if you do all that (practice bogus kirtan), you will not get any result. People do this to earn money, they make business.

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