(4/7) In Search of Real Benefit

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Tarakeshwar Temple, evening class,
11 February 2021, part 4
Translated from Bengali

At first, there were no books, and all knowledge was passed down orally. For example, Suta Goswamipad never wrote any books – he only spoke everything. As you know, Vyasadev composed Srimad Bhagavad-gita, Garuda Purana, Agni Purana, Padma Purana and so many other great scriptures. All scriptures came out from him, but even having composed all those great works, he did not feel happy at heart. What did he do then? He went to Badrinath Ashram where Narad Goswami, Vyasadev’s gurudev, was staying at that time. Vyasadev came to Narad Goswami and said,

‘Gurudev, I do not feel happy at heart. Even though I have composed so many books, I still do not feel happy.’

‘How can you be happy? Yes, you have written many books, but you mixed karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, sankhya-yoga and all other possible kinds of yoga inside those books. Compose such a scripture where there will be only bhakti-yoga, and nothing else.’

It is possible to come to the Lord only through devotion (bhakti). You cannot come to the Lord through material activities (karma), knowledge (jnana) or mystic powers (yoga). So, Narad Goswami told Vyasadev to write a scripture where there would be only bhakti-yoga. At that time, Vyasadev remembered Sukadev.

Sukadev was in his mother’s womb. Do you know how many years he stayed in his mother’s womb? Unlike common children who stay in their mothers’ wombs for ten months, Sukadev stayed in his mother’s womb for twelve years! So, when Vyasadev got the order from Narad Goswami and remembered Sukadev, he came to his wife and appealed to Sukadev, ‘Sukadev, come out! Come out!’

‘No, I will not come out,’ Sukadev replied (from his mother’s womb).

‘Why will you not come out?’

‘Because if I come out, illusory environment will attack me.’

All the rishis also worried, ‘What will become of him and his mother?’ Then, they had an idea, ‘Listen, Vyasadev. You have the power to stop Maya (illusory environment). Stop Maya for five minutes so that he can come out.’ Vyasadev came to Sukadev again and asked him, ‘If I stop Maya for five minutes, will you come out of your mother’s womb?’ Sukadev replied, ‘Yes, I will.’

Do you know how he came out of his mother’s womb? What do our children do? They only lie. But Sukadev was twelve years old, so when he came out of his mother’s womb, he started running! How is it possible? This is written in Srimad Bhagavatam, so it must be true. You can see that when a cow gives birth to a calf, the calf starts running within just two hours. So, if a baby calf can start running in two hours, can the Lord’s associate not do that? If he can stay in his mother’s womb for twelve years, he can also run once he comes out.

So, Sukadev ran away. Vyasadev tried to catch up with him, calling to him, ‘O Sukadev! Listen to me! Listen to me!’ but Sukadev did not care – he kept running, stark naked. In this way, four years passed. Sukadev was already sixteen.

In the meantime, as you have heard, a brahman cursed King Pariksit Maharaj to die from a snake bite within seven days. Receiving this curse, Pariksit Maharaj summoned all the sages and great souls – there were many sampradayas, and he invited representatives of each sampradaya. When everyone assembled, they started advising Pariksit Maharaj on what he must do and what he must not do, to whom he must pass down the responsibility for this and that. Hearing all those sages, Pariksit Maharaj did not feel happy at heart. Eventually, Sukadev appeared at this assembly.

When Sukadev came, he did not pay obeisance to anyone because he could not see anyone – he saw only the Lord with his eyes. As if blind, he did not see any trees, grass, big buildings or people; he could see only the Lord. So, Sukadev came, was given an asan to sit on, and then he asked Pariksit Maharaj, ‘Tell me, what is your question?’ All the assembled sages (including Sukadev’s father Vedavyas and grandfather Parasara Muni) said, ‘We will all accept and follow whatever Sukadev says.’ In reply to Pariksit Maharaj’s question, Sukadev spoke the entire Bhagavatam for seven days.

To this day, there are people who hold week-long Bhagavatam reading. Bhagavatam was not written by anyone. Originally, Sukadev Goswami spoke it, and Suta Goswami, who was present at that assembly, heard it. Later, he went to Naimisaranya and spoke it again to 60,000 sages. This is how Bhagavatam appeared. At first, it was not written by anyone, but now it is printed as a book.

The question that Pariksit Maharaj asked Sukadev Goswami was, ‘How can I get real benefit?’ He asked him only one question.

We have printed two small books that we take with us for preaching. Sometimes, people cannot read difficult books, cannot understand anything, but these books are written in simple language and everyone can understand what is written in them. The first book is ‘Prakrita Utser Sandhane’ (In Search of the Original Source), and the other one is ‘Parama-ananda-maya Dhamer Dhan’ (The Gift of Transcendental Abode). They contain two lectures that Srila Gurudev spoke in Mexico and Australia, and I have made these two small books from those lectures.

So, Pariksit Maharaj asked Sukadev Goswami, ‘How can I get real benefit?’ Do you know how you can get real benefit in Kali-yuga? What should you do not to get any birth again?

কলিকালে নামরূপ কৃষ্ণ-অবতার ।
নাম হৈতে হয় সর্ব্বজগৎ-নিস্তার ॥

kali-kale nama-rupe krsna-avatara
nama haite haya sarva-jagat-nistara

‘Krishna appears in Kali-yuga in the form of His Name, and the entire world is delivered through that Name.’

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 1.17.22)

The Lord’s Name, beauty, qualities, pastimes and associates are non-different from the Lord Himself, so everybody must chant the Holy Name. This is the religion of Kali-yuga. It is necessary to chant the Holy Name. This is where your real benefit lies.

হরে কৃষ্ণ নাম জপ অবিরাম
যে কই দিন আছে ত প্রাণ

hare krsna nama japa abhirama
ye kai dina dehe achhe ta prana

‘Incessantly chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra (the Lord’s Names) for as long as you have life in this body.’

Do you understand?

হরে কৃষ্ণ নাম জপ অবিরাম
যে কই দিন আছে ত প্রাণ

hare krsna nama japa abhirama
ye kai dina dehe achhe ta prana

‘Incessantly chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra (the Lord’s Names) for as long as you have life in this body.’

For as long as you have life in this body, you must only chant the Holy Name all this time.

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Size: 39 Mb
Length: 81 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Mahaprabhu's Order
2) Chad Kazi: Defeated Again
3) Listen and Learn
4) In Search of Real Benefit
5) Rescue Programme
6) Eating Up Old Rice
7) No Other Shelter