Greatest Sadness

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Speaking online to the devotees in Singapore,
1 May 2021, part 2

Nitai Charan Prabhu (a Mexican devotee and a saffron brahmachari—a very nice and very humble devotee) left his body the day before yesterday. It happened in the evening. He went for the arati in Ekachakra—when the arati finished and everybody gave 'jay', he paid dandavat and did not wake up... He left his body there. His cremation happened yesterday in the morning. Some local dham-basis took his body and burnt it on a wooden pyre in Ekachakra, on the bank of the Yamuna river (you know that there is Yamuna River in Ekachakra). Everything was done very nicely and properly for him, but I feel a little sad... When Ray Ramananda and Mahaprabhu were talking to each other, when Mahaprabhu was asking questions and Ray Ramananda was giving answers, one of the questions was, "What is the biggest sadness?"

দুঃখ-মধ্যে কোন্ দুঃখ হয় গুরুতব ? ।
কৃষ্ণভক্ত-বিরহ বিনা দুঃখ নাহি দেখি পর ॥

'duhkha-madhye kona duhkha haya gurutara?'
'krsna-bhakta-viraha vina duhkha nahi dekhi para'

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu asked, "Of all kinds of distress, what is the most painful?" Sri Ramananda Ray replied, "Apart from separation from the devotee of Krishna, I know of no unbearable unhappiness."

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta, Madhya-lila, 8.247)

Do you think that the biggest sadness is when your father dies, your mother dies, your wife dies, your husband dies, or your son or daughter dies? No, it is not. Separation from a devotee (bhakta-viraha) is the greatest sadness in our life. We have lost so many devotees in our life, we have lost so many great personalities... A few days age we also made a festival in Siliguri in honour of Srila Gurudev's disappearance. I was there. Every year when this day comes it is intolerable for me. I can tolerate everything, but when this day comes, it is intolerable. I feel very emotional and cannot control myself...

When Krishna left Vrindavan, the same thing happened to all the Vraja gopis—especially to Srimati Radharani, Mother Yasoda, and Nanda Maharaj. They also cannot tolerate separation from the Lord. This kind of feeling of separation must come to us too...

বিষয়ে যে প্রীতি এবে আছয়ে আমার ।
সেই মত প্রীতি হউক চরণে তোমার ॥

visaye ye priti ebe achhaye amara
sei-mata priti hauk charane tomara

"May I have the same affection and attraction to your feet that I now have for material things."

(Gitavali, 4.5, Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur)

We are very attached to our material things, but this kind of attachment must come to spirituality (to the spiritual values). We have some relationship with our husband, wife, son, father, etc., but this kind of relation must come to us towards the Lord and Gurudev.

Srila Sridhar Maharaj writes about Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur,

কৃপয়া হরিকীর্ত্তনমূর্ত্তিধরং
ধরণীভরহারক-গৌরজনম্ ।
জনকাধিকবৎসলস্নিগ্ধপদং
প্রণমামি সদা প্রভুপাদপদম্

krpaya hari-kirtana-murti-dharam
dharani-bhara-haraka-gaura-janam
janakadhika-vatsala-snigdha-padam
pranamami sada prabhupada-padam

"He is the embodiment of Hari-kirtan. He mercifully relieves Mother Earth of the burden upon her. He is an associate of Sri Gaura, and more kind and affectionate than a father. Eternally I offer my obeisance to my master's feet."

"Krpaya hari-kirtan"—he is the worshippable Deity embodiment of Hari-kirtan. His entire being was only Hari-kirtan...

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