(8/13) Devotional Depth

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Tarakeshwar, 10 February 2021, part 8

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 reddish soles of 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 the assembled guru-varga, to all my 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 lowly soul.

Sravanam (listening about the Lord), kirtanam (chanting the Lord’s Name and glories), smaranam (remembering the Lord), archanam (worshipping the Lord’s Deity), vandanam (offering obeisances and prayers to the Lord), dasyam (serving the Lord as a servant), sakhyam (serving the Lord as a friend), atma-nivedanam (submitting yourself to the Lord), pada-sevanam (serving the Lord’s lotus feet). These are the nine kinds of devotion. You must remember them. There are also five limbs of devotion:

সাধুসঙ্গ, নামকীর্ত্তন, ভাগবতশ্রবণ ।
মথুরাবাস, শ্রীমূর্ত্তির শ্রদ্ধায় সেবন ॥

sadhu-sanga, nama-kirtana, bhagavata-sravana
mathura-vasa, sri-murtira sraddhaya sevana

‘Associate with sadhus, chant the Holy Name of the Lord, listen to Srimad Bhagavatam, reside in Mathura and worship holy Deities with faith.’

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.22.124)

সাধুসঙ্গে কৃষ্ণনামে—এই মাত্র চাই ।
সংসার জিনিতে আর কোন বস্তু নাই ॥

sadhu-sange krsna-nama—ei matra chai
samsara jinite ara kona vastu nai

‘I desire only to chant the Name of Krishna in the association of sadhus. There is no other way to conquer this material world.’

(Sri Sri Prema-vivarta, 6.13, Sri Jagadananda Pandit)

Srila Sanatan Goswami was instructed:

জীবে দয়া, নামে রুচি, বৈষ্ণব সেবা ।
ইহা বহি সনাতন নাহি আর ধর্ম্ম ॥

jive daya name ruchi vaisnava seva
iha bahi sanatana nahi ara dharma

‘Be merciful to the souls, chant the Holy Name happily and serve Vaishnavs. Sanatan, except for this, there is no other religion.’

Being kind to the souls means that we must bring them to this path. We have been living in aversion to Lord Krishna since time immemorial – we have forgotten the Lord. We forget who is our actual family and relative; instead, we take those who are averse to Lord Krishna, who have no knowledge of the self, for our relatives and call them ‘family’. It is said in the scriptures that ‘Krsna-bahirmukha jivera nahi Krsna smrti-jnana (কৃষ্ণবহির্ম্মুখ জীবের নাহি কৃষ্ণস্মৃতি-জ্ঞান). Souls that are averse to Krishna have no knowledge or remembrance of Krishna’ or remembrance of Krishna’ (Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.20.123). That is why we must worship devotees.

Why do we worship Tulasi and offer water with Tulasi? The Lord has given much importance to Tulasi Devi (Bhakti Devi), so devotees wear Tulasi neckbeads and chant on Tulasi beads. Moreover, you cannot perform any spiritual ritual without Tulasi. What can you ever attain without worshipping Tulasi?

ধূপ, দীপ, নৈবেদ্য, আরতি
ফুলনা কিয়ে বরখা বরখানি ।
ছাপ্পান্ন ভোগ, ছত্রিশ ব্যঞ্জন
বিনা তুলসী প্রভু এক নাহি মানি ॥

dhupa, dipa, naivedya, arati
phulana kiye varakha varakhani
chhapanna bhoga, chhatrisa byanjana
bina tulasi prabhu eka nahi mani

‘You shower mercy upon those who offer you incense, lamps, food, worship and flowers. The Lord does not accept any of fifty-six grain offerings or thirty-six vegetable offerings without Tulasi leaves.’

(Sri Chandrasekhara Acharya)

We must serve Tulasi. Keep Tulasi at home. If somebody has not come to this path, you must explain it to them. Offer water and obeisances to Tulasi every day. Always serve Tulasi.

যাঁকো দরশে পরশে অঘনাশ হোই
মহিমা বেদ পুরাণে বাখানি ॥

yako darase parase agha-nasa hoi
mahima veda purane vakhani

‘By seeing or touching you, all sins are destroyed. Your glories are sung in the Vedas and Puranas.’

(Sri Chandrasekhara Acharya)

Just seeing or touching Tulasi destroys all sins.

We must serve our guru, Vaishnavs and the Lord with all our hearts, souls, minds and bodies, extracting and smearing mellows of deep love from our hearts. We must do it internally, with all our hearts – not in some external way, within the external world. You must serve internally.

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