(5/8) Mahaprabhu's Teachings

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

We have just sung:

(ওহে) বৈষ্ণব ঠাকুর, দয়ার সাগর,
এ দাসে করুণা করি’ ।
দিয়া পদছায়া, শোধ হে আমারে,
তোমার চরণ ধরি ॥

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

‘O Vaishnav Thakur! You are an ocean of mercy; please be merciful to this servant – grant me the shade of your feet and purify me. I am clasping your feet.’

(Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

‘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 (prabhu), and I am his servant (das).’ 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-aparadha. This is the remedy. The only way to save yourselves from vaishnav-aparadha is to offer obeisance to each other. This is the custom.

We have not come here, to this line, for fighting. There had been very much fighting before, so I fled and came here, thinking, ‘Good luck to you all! I am out of there!’ I have no greed for big buildings. We made everything, but they are now spoiling everything. It is painful to see this because it is all the Lord’s property. I made everything on Gurudev’s order: Gurudev gave his order, and I made whatever he wanted. Anyway, I am happy to be here. At least I can sleep peacefully now. You know what my position was 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 Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj’s times, and there are many of his disciples in our society. After Srila Swami Maharaj Prabhupad, they came to Gurudev, and Gurudev accepted them. Now they are accepting me as their menial servant, they have given me a place at their feet, and this is my happiness. I do not need any money, great buildings, wealth or anything else.

প্রভু ! তব পদযুগে মোর নিবেদন ।
নাহি মাগি দেহ-সুখ, বিদ্যা, ধন, জন ॥
নাহি মাগি স্বর্গ, আর মোক্ষ নাহি মাগি ।
না করি প্রার্থনা কোন বিভূতির লাগি’ ॥

prabhu! tava pada-yuge mora nivedana
nahi magi deha-sukha, vidya, dhana, jana
nahi magi svarga, ara moksa nahi magi
na kari prarthana kona vibhutira lagi’

‘O Lord! I am submitting this appeal at Your feet: I do not pray for any bodily pleasures, knowledge, wealth or companions. I do not pray for heaven or liberation, neither do I pray for any godly opulence or powers.’

(Sri Gitavali, Sri Siksastaka, Srila Bhaktivinod 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

‘O Supreme Lord (Master of the Universe, Jagadiswar)! I do not desire any wealth (religion, money or material desires), any followers (wife, sons, servants or maidservants) or material knowledge (beautiful poetry). My only prayer is that I may birth after birth have pure devotion to You, devoid of seeking any result.’

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 3.20.29)

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.’

প্রভু ! তব পদযুগে মোর নিবেদন ।
নাহি মাগি দেহ-সুখ, বিদ্যা, ধন, জন ॥
নাহি মাগি স্বর্গ, আর মোক্ষ নাহি মাগি ।
না করি প্রার্থনা কোন বিভূতির লাগি’ ॥

prabhu! tava pada-yuge mora nivedana
nahi magi deha-sukha, vidya, dhana, jana
nahi magi svarga, ara moksa nahi magi
na kari prarthana kona vibhutira lagi’

‘O Lord! I am submitting this appeal at Your feet: I do not pray for any bodily pleasures, knowledge, wealth or companions. I do not pray for heaven or liberation, neither do I pray for any godly opulence or powers.’

(Sri Gitavali, Sri Siksastaka, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

This is Mahaprabhu’s teachings. It is necessary to hear it. Read ‘Siksastakam’ nicely and learn what is said in it. What does ‘Siksastakam’ say?

চেতোদর্পণ-মার্জ্জনং ভব-মহাদাবাগ্নি-নির্ব্বাপণং
শ্রয়ঃকৈরব-চন্দ্রিকা-বিতরণং বিদ্যাবধূ-জীবনম্ ।
আনন্দাম্বুধি-বর্দ্ধনং প্রতিপদং পূর্ণামৃতাস্বাদনং
সর্ব্বাত্ম-স্নপনং পরং বিজয়তে শ্রীকৃষ্ণসঙ্কীর্ত্তনম্ ॥

cheto-darpana-marjanam bhava-mahadavagni-nirvapanam
sreyah-kairava-chandrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam
anandambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamrtasvadanam
sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam

‘Sri Krishna-sankirtan cleanses the mirror of the consciousness and extinguishes the forest fire of material existence; it is a white-lotus moon emanating rays of mercy and preparing one for the life in paramour love for the Lord; it expands the ocean of ecstasy, allows to taste the highest nectar at every moment and purifies the entire self. May this Sri Krishna-sankirtan be supremely victorious!’

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 3.20.12)

তৃণাদপি সুনীচেন তরোরিব সহিষ্ণুনা ।
অমানিনা মানদেন কীর্ত্তনীয়ঃ সদা হরিঃ ॥

trnad api sunichena taror iva sahisnuna
amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih

‘One who is humbler than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree and who gives honour to others without desiring it for themselves is qualified to always chant the Holy Name of Krishna.’

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 3.6.239)

Who has the right to chant kirtan? Those who can sing well? No. Whom does Mahaprabhu give the right to chant kirtan? To those who are humbler than a blade of grass and who are more tolerant than a tree. Be humble, tolerant and give honour to others. Those who have these qualities have the right to chant kirtan. Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur said, ‘Kirtana chhadiba pratistha magiba (কীর্ত্তন ছাড়িব প্রতিষ্ঠা মাগিব). Instead of chanting kirtan, you only beg for prestige – O naughty mind, what kind of a Vaishnav are you?’ You think you have become Vaishnavs, but ask your minds: have your minds become Vaishnavs 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 minds? Are your minds sitting here right now, or are they sitting at home or in some other, bad place? Many people are sitting 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 Vaishnavs? Who of us is a Vaishnav here? We all have come here to become servants of Vaishnavs, not Vaishnavs. You must remember this.

প্রভু ! তব পদযুগে মোর নিবেদন ।
নাহি মাগি দেহ-সুখ, বিদ্যা, ধন, জন ॥
নাহি মাগি স্বর্গ, আর মোক্ষ নাহি মাগি ।
না করি প্রার্থনা কোন বিভূতির লাগি’ ॥

prabhu! tava pada-yuge mora nivedana
nahi magi deha-sukha, vidya, dhana, jana
nahi magi svarga, ara moksa nahi magi
na kari prarthana kona vibhutira lagi’

‘O Lord! I am submitting this appeal at Your feet: I do not pray for any bodily pleasures, knowledge, wealth or companions. I do not pray for heaven or liberation, neither do I pray for any godly opulence or powers.’

(Sri Gitavali, Sri Siksastaka, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur)

‘I do not pray for any extraordinary riches or powers.’ This is Mahaprabhu’s teachings.

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