(7/8) Watch the Road

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Basirhat, noon programme, 28 February 2021, part 7
Translated from Bengali

What happens to those who do not understand what Krishna consciousness is, who do not follow the proper line? What happens when a train derails? It falls over. So, if we go off track – if we stop following the line of devotion – we will fall over into a ditch. We must follow the proper line that is described in Srimad Bhagavatam.

কৃষ্ণবর্ণং ত্বিষাঽকৃষ্ণং সাঙ্গোপাঙ্গাস্ত্রপার্ষদম্ ।
যজ্ঞৈঃ সঙ্কীর্ত্তনপ্রায়ৈর্যজন্তি হি সুমেধসঃ ॥

krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah

‘Very intelligent people engage in sankirtana-yajna (congregational chanting of the Holy Name) to worship the Supreme Lord who always chants the Name of Krishna, who possesses non-black (golden) lustre, and who is surrounded by His various associates and weapons.’

(Srimad Bhagavatam, 11.5.32)

This means that Krishna steals Radharani’s colour and mood and appears in this Kali-yuga as Gauranga Mahaprabhu. We always say, ‘Krishna, Krishna’, but the worship of Radha-Krishna is the highest subject matter.

মাতল হরিজন কীর্ত্তন-রঙ্গে ।
পূজল রাগপথ গৌরব-ভঙ্গে ॥

matala hari-jana kirtana-range
pujala raga-patha gaurava-bhange

‘We will worship the path of raga-marga (spontaneous loving service) from afar and live in adherence to the Vedic rules and regulations.’

(Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad)

If you venture into raga-marga first, the seeds of your devotional creepers will be destroyed.

ব্রহ্মাণ্ড ভ্রমিতে কোন ভাগ্যবান্ জীব ।
গুরু-কৃষ্ণ-প্রসাদে পায় ভক্তিলতা-বীজ ॥

brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija

‘Having travelled throughout the universe, some fortunate souls receive the seed of the devotional creeper by the mercy of Sri Guru, who is non-different from Krishna.’

মালী হঞা করে সেই বীজ আরোপণ ।
শ্রবণ-কীর্ত্তন-জলে করয়ে সেচন ॥

mali hana kare sei bija aropana
sravana-kirtana-jale karaye sechana

‘As caring gardeners, they plant this seed and water it with sravan (hearing) and kirtan (chanting, practising).’

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.19.151–152)

You can nourish your seeds by watering them with sravan (hearing) and kirtan (chanting, practising), but if you pour too much water, your seeds will rot and die. This is what sahajiyas do. They pour too much water, destroying their own devotion. There is no devotion in sahajiya (imitation). What they show is called chhala-bhakti (pretence of devotion).

শুদ্ধভক্ত-পালন, শুষ্কজ্ঞান-তাড়ন,
ছলভক্তি-দূষণ-রাম ॥

suddha-bhakta-palana, suska-jnana-tadana,
chhala-bhakti-dusana-rama

‘Gauranga Mahaprabhu passionately removes all deceit. He takes care of His pure devotees and drives away dry knowledge. He delights in refuting bogus devotion.’

(Sri Kalyan-kalpataru, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

We must know the proper line of Krishna consciousness.

In the kirtan we were singing it is said that Mahaprabhu comes together with His associates. The next question that can arise is how we can come to the Lord.

দৈন্য, আত্মনিবেদন, গোপ্তৃত্বে বরণ ।
‘অবশ্য রক্ষিবে কৃষ্ণ’—বিশ্বাস পালন ॥
ভক্তি-অনুকূল মাত্র কার্য্যের স্বীকার ।
ভক্তি-প্রতিকূল ভাব-বর্জ্জনাঙ্গীকার ॥

dainya, atma-nivedana, goptrtve varana
‘avasya raksibe krsna’—visvasa palana
bhakti-anukula matra karyera svikara
bhakti-pratikula bhava—varjanangikara

‘(1) Humility, (2) self-submission, (3) accepting that the Lord is your maintainer, (4) keeping faith that “Krishna will certainly protect”, (5) engaging only in what is favourable to devotion, (6) rejecting what is unfavourable to devotion.’

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

It is necessary to have humility and surrender.

দীক্ষাকালে ভক্ত করে আত্মসমর্পণ ।
সেইকালে কৃষ্ণ তারে করে আত্মসম ॥

diksa-kale bhakta kare atma-samarpana
sei-kale krsna tare kare atma-sama

‘Devotees submit their entire being when they take initiation. At this time, Krishna accepts them as His very own.’

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 3.4.192)

We think that initiation means just getting the beads: ‘I have got the mantra, so I have taken initiation.’ No! It is necessary to surrender yourself. Initiation (diksa) means divine knowledge (divya-jnana). Do we have divine knowledge? We have so much material knowledge, but do we have divine knowledge? Many people have taken initiation, many people have much material knowledge, but how many people actually have divine knowledge?

দীক্ষাকালে ভক্ত করে আত্মসমর্পণ ।
সেইকালে কৃষ্ণ তারে করে আত্মসম ॥

diksa-kale bhakta kare atma-samarpana
sei-kale krsna tare kare atma-sama

‘Devotees submit their entire being when they take initiation. At this time, Krishna accepts them as His very own.’

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 3.4.192)

What is initiation? It means surrendering everything and leaving both enjoyment (bhoga-tyaga) and renunciation (tyaga-tyaga). How do you renounce renunciation? For example, you are following ekadasi and thinking, ‘I will get this result,’ or you are practising Krishna consciousness and thinking, ‘I am practising this because I will get this and this result.’ We must leave such thoughts. Do not do something in the hope of getting something in return. This hope that ‘I will get something’ means lust, desire. Devotees never want anything. Genuine devotees want only one thing: they want love for the Lord. They always think, ‘How can I please the Lord?’

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Length: 40 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Be Serious
2) Quality Is Not Cheap
3) Tie Your Mind
4) Ask Your Heart
5) Tired of Struggling?
6) Proper Worship
7) Watch the Road
8) Regulated Life