'May You Always Remain In This Line'

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama Adhivas, evening
Sri Nrisingha Palli, 22 March 2021, part 5
Translated from Bengali

Gurudev told me, "You are doing everything, but you did not take care of me. You do not understand how you must take care of me." What does it mean? So many come for festivals—some come just to see the festival, and some come to do service. Everybody is not the same. That is why it is said, "Sraddha anusare haya bhakti adhikari. Your devotional qualification depends upon your faith." You cannot buy devotion at the market with money. Which 'market' can you get devotion at? You can only get devotion at the market of devotees. Devotion is where devotees are. Wherever Bhakti Devi (the Goddess of Devotion) stays, she wants a clean place. What is the dust and sand? Kanak, kamini, pratistha (desire for money, women, and fame); kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, matsarya (lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness, envy); rupa, rasa, gandha, sabda, sparsa (desire for enjoyment through eyes, tongue, nose, ears, and skin).

So many devotees have come from many places. Sripad Niriha Maharaj went collecting house to house and came back in the car with all the rice, dal, etc. This time we collected not only rice and dal. I told everyone that foreign devotees are not coming, so I told devotees to give some dal, plates, sugar, etc. Devotees from Amadpur and Golpur sent all sugar. Somebody sent oil, somebody sent dal. Many different devotees sent everything for the festival. It is a great joy that all the devotees together are making this festival of Sri Nabadwip Dham parikrama. It is my great joy that you went door to door leaving all shyness, all shame. What is there to be ashamed of anyway? Many devotees came bringing many ingredients. I do not want to tell everyone's names now. I am also trying to do everything so that you do not have to struggle. We now have a very nice new building, so the accommodation is now much better than last year.

One day in January (two months ago), when I was doing a programme in Bankura, the owner of the land (where the new Prasadam Hall is being built now) called me and said, "If you want that thirty-acre land, you have to register it now. It is already late, you have to pay now." I thought: Where will I get so much money? I had ten-twelve lakhs, and they were asking for another ten-twelve lakhs. I called Srila Janardan Maharaj, and he said, "Do not worry, I will send it." Then, the land was registered and purchased, but now it is necessary to make a Prasadam Hall, and I want to make another three-four floors above it because I know many of you do not like to walk far to the new guesthouse—many think, "I will bathe outside, it is OK, I do not need a room—I can stay on the veranda, but I can always be there at the class and kirtans." I can understand it, I know many of you do not want to walk so far, so I will start building some rooms above the Prasadam Hall after the festival. When the construction of the Prasadam was to start, I also worried where I would get money, and mainly Purujit Prabhu (Venezuela) and Ravindra Krishna Prabhu (Sinapore), along with some other devotees, took care of it. You can also see here an old lady, a devotee from Australia. She gets pension every month and gives most of it to me, and on top of that she also does some collection from other devotees. One devotee from London has also sent a donation. Devotees love me very much, I cannot even say it...

Seeing your devotion and love, I do not want to leave you and go anywhere. I want to stay together with you. I always think about your eternal benefit, I always pray that you can cut this illusory bondage and stay forever in the eternal abode of the Lord—I pray that we will meet with you all again there.

So many devotees have come from so many places, I cannot tell all names now. Do not think, "Oh, Maharaj forgot about me, he did not mention my name." I remember everyone's names. Madhumangal Prabhu came from Bokaro, Sanjiv Prabhu came from Delhi, Ramasundar Prabhu called yesterday. I told Madhumangal Prabhu to bring some medicine because devotees will walk a lot and may need help, and he is a doctor, working at a hospital. During the Ekachakra festival, Krishna Kanta Prabhu came, he is also a doctor. Madhumangal Prabhu works as a doctor and makes programmes on Sunday, and there are so many devotees in Bokaro now—many young boys have come to this path in this way. "Prana achhe yara, sei hetu prachara (প্রাণ আছে যার সেই হেতু প্রচার): as long as you have life in the body, you must preach."

It is so hard for people to give their child to the temple, but you can see that here we have four lady devotees. Two elder ladies and two young girl who said they did not want to get married and live a family life (they want to stay as brahmacharini). It is good. I have no objection. If anyone wants to stay at the temple and live as a brahmachari, then they must be given a chance. They have faith that the Lord will take care of them. "Avasya raksibe Krsna visvasa palana (অবশ্য রক্ষিবে কৃষ্ণ বিশ্বাস পালন): we must believe that Krishna will certainly protect me." Krishna protects me, Krishna looks after me.

There is also Kamalendu Prabhu, Sudevi Didi. They are staying with me and doing so much, working day and night. They have decorated the temple so nicely. They always take care of my food, health, etc. I never worry about these things myself, but they always worry and watch how I sleep, what I eat, etc. They always look after me. If I get thirsty, they always give water, etc.

So, the Lord has given us this chance to serve, and we must take this advantage and use it wisely.

There is also Shanti Prabhu, Kishor Prabhu, Keshto Prabhu, Tarok Prabhu. They are always enthusiastic to cook, they take care of your prasadam department. I have taken all Gurudev's burden in 1991, and I have never asked Gurudev for anything. There are senior devotees present here, Ashok Prabhu, Rama Prabhu and others, they have known me from my brahmachari days, can you say that anyone has ever come to straight Gurudev and asked him for a room to stay? Never. Everyone who came would always come and ask me. I always managed accommodation and all the other managerial things. During Gaura Purnima I did not even go to my room—I stayed at the office all the time and slept sitting there. This was my situation.

This time many devotees from Siliguri could not come because of the problems with trains... Anyhow, so many devotees have come here. Many devotees have helped. I am paying my full obeisance to them and expressing my gratitude to them. I do not want to belittle anyone. May the Lord bless them. I pray for them to the Lord that He may give them intelligence and devotion so that they may always remain attached to the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krishna. I cannot give you blessings so that you may increase your material wealth, it is an offence, and it is not necessary to do that. What is necessary and all I can pray for is that you may remained attached to the lotus feet of Lord Krishna, so that you may get devotion to the lotus feet of Lord Krishna. Always remain in this line, always stay together, then you will get supreme benefit. Birth after birth we have been enjoying wealth, eating, sleeping. Even animals eat, sleep, and enjoy. Birds, beasts get to eat, but we have not got this life to eat. We have got this body to practise Krishna consciousness, to serve the Lord. If we do not use this body in the service of the Lord, then there is no use in having this body. Always remember this.

Now, we shall chant some kirtans...

— : • : —

{ 2001  |   2002  |   2003  |   2005  |   2009  |   2010  |   2011  |   2012 }
{ 2013  |   2014  |   2015  |   2016  |   2017  |   2018  |   2019  |   2020  |   2021 }

• Listen to the audio or download (3.7 Mb, 9 min)