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

Vyasadev composed 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. Who stayed in Badrinath at that time? Narad Goswami, who was Vyasadev's Gurudev. So, Vyasadev came to Narad Goswami and said:

"Gurudev, I do not feel happy at heart. I have composed so many books, but I do not feel happy."

"How will you be happy? Yes, you have written many books, but inside those books, you have mixed karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, sankhya-yoga, etc. Compose such a scripture where there would be only bhakti-yoga, and nothing else."

After all, it is possible to get the Lord only through devotion (bhakti). You cannot get 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 this time, Vyasadev remembered Sukadev.

Sukadev was in his mother's womb at that time. Do you know how many years he stayed in his mother's womb? Your children stay for ten months, but 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 called to Sukadev, "Sukadev, come out! Come out!" Sukadev replied (from his mother's womb), "No, I will not come out." "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?" 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." Then, 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 then? What do our children do? They 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 Bhagavatam, so it must be true. You can see that when a cow gives birth to a calf, the calf starts running within two hours. So, if a baby calf can start running in two hours, can the Lord's own associate not do that? If he can stay in his mother's womb for twelve-years, he can also run once he is out of it.

So, Sukadev started running away, and Vyasadev tried to catch up with him, calling to him, "O Sukadev! Listen to me! Listen to me!" Sukadev did not care—he kept running, start naked. In this way, four years passed, and Sukadev was now sixteen.

In the meantime, you have heard that one brahman cursed Pariksit Maharaj, the king. The brahman cursed him to die within seven days from a bite of a snake. After this curse, Pariksit Maharaj called 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 what he must do and what he must not do, who he must pass down the responsibility for this and that. However, 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 did not see anyone—he saw only the Lord with his eyes. He did not see any trees, grass, great buildings and people. He was as if blind. He could see only the Lord. So, Sukadev came there, he 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 what Sukadev will tell." In reply to Pariksit Maharaj's question, Sukadev spoke the entire Bhagavatam for seven days.

To this day, some people hold a week of Bhagavatam and read Bhagavatam for the whole week. This Bhagavatam was not written by anyone. Sukadev Goswami spoke it, and Suta Goswami was present in that assembly, and he 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 simple and everyone can understand it. The first book is 'Prakrita Utser Sandhane' (In Search of the Original Source), and another one is 'Parama-ananda-maya Dhamer Dhan' (Gift of Transcendental Abode). They contain two lectures that Srila Gurudev spoke in Mexico and Australia, and we 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 can you do not to get any birth again? The religion of this Kali-yuga is:

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

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

"In the Kali-yuga, Krishna appears in the form of the Name. The entire world is delivered through that Name."

(Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi-lila, 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. It is necessary to chant the Holy Name. This is the real benefit.

হরে কৃষ্ণ নাম জপ অবিরাম
যে কই দিন আছে ত প্রাণ

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

"Incessantly chant the Holy Name of 'Hare Krishna' 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 abhiram
ye kai dina dehe achhe ta prana

"Incessantly chant the Holy Name of 'Hare Krishna' 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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