Mahaprabhu's Teachings

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Nrisingha Palli, 21 March 2021, part 5

We have just sung,

(ওহে) বৈষ্ণব ঠাকুর দয়ার সাগর
এ দাসে করুণা করি ।
দিয়া পদছায়া শোধহে আমারে
তোমার চরণ ধরি ॥

(ohe) vaisnava thakura dayara sagara
e dase karuna kari
diya pada-chhaya sodha he amare
tomara charana dhari

"O worshippable Vaisnava, ocean of grace, be merciful to this servant. Give me the shade of your feet and purify me. I clasp your feet."

"Prabhu, I am your servant." We are not anyone's master. We are all servants. Why do we call each other 'Prabhu'? Because he is my master, and I am his servant. You must always remember this. Even if you do not get on well with somebody, you must still offer each other obeisances so that you do not make any Vaishnav-aparadh. This is the remedy—the only way to save yourself from Vaishnav-aparadh is to offer obeisance to each other. This is the custom.

We have come to this line, we have not come for fighting. There had been so much fighting there before—I fled and came here, "Good luck to you, I am going." I have no greed for big buildings. We made everything ourselves, and they are themselves spoiling everything now. It is painful to see this because it is all the Lord's property. I made everything on the order of Gurudev—Gurudev gave his order, and I made whatever he wanted. Anyhow, I am happy to be here, at least I can sleep now peacefully. You know what was my position when I left that temple, I was on the verge of death. I am not sad about anything because I know you are all with me, everybody accepted me as their servant, that is my happiness. There are many senior devotees from the times of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj, there are many of his disciples in our society—after Srila Swami Maharaj Prabhupad they came to Gurudev, Gurudev accepted them, and they are also accepting me as their menial servant, that is my happiness. They have given me a place at their feet, and this is my happiness—I do not need any money, great buildings, wealth, etc.

নাহি মাগি দেহসুখ বিদ্যা ধন জন ॥
নাহি মাগি স্বর্গ আর মোক্ষ নাহি মাগি ।
না করি প্রার্থনা কোন বিভূতির লাগি ॥

nahi magi deha-sukha, vidya, dhana, jana
nahi magi svarga ara moksa nahi magi
na kari prarthana kona vibhutira lagi

"I do not pray for bodily pleasure, learning, wealth, or followers. I do not pray for heaven, I do not pray for liberation, and I do not pray for any supernatural powers."

(Sri Siksastakam, 4.1-2, Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur)

This is Mahaprabhu's kirtan. Mahaprabhu put it so nicely.

ন ধনং ন জনং ন সুন্দরীং কবিতাং বা জগদীশ কাময়ে ।
মম জন্মনি জন্মনীশ্বরে ভবতাদ্ভক্তিরহৈতুকী ত্বয়ি ॥

na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagadisa kamaye
mama janmani janmanisvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi

"I do not want wealth, I do not want followers, I do not want beautiful women, I do not want to be a poet. I only want causeless devotion to Your lotus feet. Give me that kind of devotion to Your lotus feet so that I could do Your service life after life."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Antya-lila, 20.29)

Outside people will not understand all this. They always say, "Dhanam dehi, vidyam dehi, rupam dehi, bharyam dehi, yasam dehi: make me rich, make me clever, make me beautiful, give me a good wife, make me famous."

নাহি মাগি দেহসুখ বিদ্যা ধন জন ॥
নাহি মাগি স্বর্গ আর মোক্ষ নাহি মাগি ।
না করি প্রার্থনা কোন বিভূতির লাগি ॥

nahi magi deha-sukha, vidya, dhana, jana
nahi magi svarga ara moksa nahi magi
na kari prarthana kona vibhutira lagi

"I do not pray for bodily pleasure, learning, wealth, or followers. I do not pray for heaven, I do not pray for liberation, and I do not pray for any supernatural powers."

(Sri Siksastakam, 4.1-2, Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur)

This is Mahaprabhu's teachings, it is necessary to hear it. Read Siksastakam nicely, learn what is said there. What does Siksastakam say?

চেতোদর্পণমার্জ্জনং ভবমহাদাবাগ্নিনির্ব্বাপণং
শ্রেয়ঃকৈরবচন্দ্রিকাবিতরণং বিদ্যাবধূজীবনম্ ।
আনন্দাম্বুধিবর্দ্ধনং প্রতিপদং পূর্ণামৃতাস্বাদনং
সর্ব্বাত্মস্নপনং পরং বিজয়তে শ্রীকৃষ্ণসঙ্কীর্ত্তনম্ ॥

chetodarpanamarjanam bhavamahadava nirvapanam
sreyah kairava chandrikavitaranam vidyavadhujivanam
anandambudh ivardhanam pratipadam purnamrtasvadanam
sarvatmasnapanam param vijayate srikrsnasankirtanam

"The Holy Name of Krishna cleanses the mirror of the heart and extinguishes the fire of misery in the forest of birth and death. As the evening lotus blooms in the moon's cooling rays, the heart begins to blossom in the nectar of the Name. And at last the soul awakens to its real inner treasure a life of love with Krishna. Again and again tasting nectar, the soul dives and surfaces in the everincreasing ocean of ecstatic joy. All phases of the self of which we may conceive are fully satisfied and purified, and at last conquered by the all-auspicious influence of the Holy Name of Krishna."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Antya-lila, 20.12)

তৃণাদপি সুনীচেন তরোরিব সহিষ্ণুনা ।
অমানিনা মানদেন কীর্ত্তনীয়ঃ সদা হরিঃ ॥

trnad api sunichena taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih

One who is humbler than a blade of grass, more forbearing than a tree, who gives due honour to others without desiring it for himself, is qualified to always chant the Holy Name of Krishna.

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Antya-lila, 6.239)

Who has the right to chant kirtan? Those who can sing well? Whom does Mahaprabhu give the right to chant kirtan? To those who are humbler than a blade of grass, who are more tolerant than a tree. Be humble, tolerant, and give honour to others. Those who have these qualities, they have the right to chant kirtan. Srila Prabhupad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur says, "Kirtana chhadiba pratistha magiba—I will give up kirtan and seek prestige. O naughty mind, what kind of a Vaishnav are you?" You think you have become a Vaishnav, but ask your mind—has your mind become a Vaishnav or not? We always suffer from greed, lust, we always pray, "Dhanam dehi, vidyam dehi, rupam dehi, bharyam dehi, yasam dehi: make me rich, make me clever, make me beautiful, give me a good wife, make me famous." Can we give all this up? Can we give up kanak, kamini, pratistha? Are our senses controlled? Have we controlled our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin, mind, intelligence, ego? Have we learnt to control our mind? Is your mind sitting here now or is it sitting at home or in some other bad place? Many are here, but many people's minds are not here. So, if you cannot control and conquer your senses, then how is it that you have become a Vaishnav? Who of us is a Vaishnav here? We have all come here to become servants of Vaishnavs, not Vaishnavs. You must remember this.

নাহি মাগি দেহসুখ বিদ্যা ধন জন ॥
নাহি মাগি স্বর্গ আর মোক্ষ নাহি মাগি ।
না করি প্রার্থনা কোন বিভূতির লাগি ॥

nahi magi deha-sukha, vidya, dhana, jana
nahi magi svarga ara moksa nahi magi
na kari prarthana kona vibhutira lagi

"I do not pray for bodily pleasure, learning, wealth, or followers. I do not pray for heaven, I do not pray for liberation, and I do not pray for any supernatural powers."

(Sri Siksastakam, 4.1-2, Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur)

I do not pray for any extraordinary riches or powers. This is Mahaprabhu's teaching.

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