THE GUARDIAN OF DEVOTION (3)

COMPLETE DEDICATION

By His Divine Grace Sri Bhakti Raksak
Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj

Quality is necessary, indispensable in Krishna consciousness. Not partial dedication, but in connection with Krishna, the dedication must be of the whole self, nothing less. The demand from an autocrat is categorically different. Krishna is not satisfied with any partial service. He wants to swallow the whole thing, not less than that. His is the demand of an autocrat. But He is the Absolute Good, and He is Beauty. He is Harmony, He is the Law. He is everything. But His demand is such. Self-giving is a symptom of sraddha. Otherwise, intellectualism, just reading scriptures has no value. And also the physical association of the sadhu also has no value if there is no sraddha. Insects, germs, and many other things are in physical association with a sadhu. The association through dedication, sraddha, is all important. And sraddha means that if we dedicate ourselves to Krishna, we get everything. We receive whatever is necessary to result in fulfillment of our whole self.

Our Guru Maharaj laid much stress on the service. We were not allowed to read so much even Srimad Bhagavatam and the books of the goswamis. Go and do service. The serving nature will attract your connection with the real thing. And no scripture, or knowledge, or even close connection with a saint can help if there is no dedication, self-surrender, self-giving. If I am asked by a sadhu, or by the guru, to read a particular book, that is service. And if I read a book to enhance or increase my knowledge, that may be jnana. If I myself, take the initiative to read sastra, that may contribute to some knowledge, but there is no service as such. As Rupa Goswami states, “Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau” (it is possible to understand Him only through surrender). Otherwise, if we do not approach with a spirit of service, then everything may be imitation, but we won’t come in contact with reality. This is the speciality of Gaudiya Math, ordered by our gurudeva, and also by Mahaprabhu and Rupa Goswami. That is the key to Vaikuntha, to deal with the infinite: surrender, service, dedication. Without knowledge and without much energy, one can attain fulfillment. Energy to move the hill, or the mountain, is not necessary. And to read all the religious literatures of the world just to store them within the belly also won't come to any good.

THE BELL WILL RING AUTOMATICALLY

A typical example was shown in Mahabharata. Krishna foretold that when the rajasuya yajna, the great sacrifice of Maharaj Yudhisthir, finished, the bell would ring automatically. There was some bell, and when that bell rang automatically, then everyone would know that the yajna had been completed. So, everything was finished, but the bell did not ring.

Then Bhima spoke to Krishna, “The bell is not ringing although the whole yajna has ended.”

“No, one thing is still remaining,” Krishna replied.

“What is that? What kind of thing?”

“Vaisnava-seva, service to the Vaishnava.”

“What do You say? So many munis, big rishis, Narada, Vyasadev, and Yourself have eaten and are satisfied. And You say that Vaisnava-seva has not been done?”

“Yes.”

“Where is that Vaishnava?”

Then Krishna indicated, “Go to the outskirts of the town, There you will find one man of the lowest caste. He does not go anywhere, He is satisfied with taking the name of the Lord. Going on in his own way, he does not care for the passing of the world. His eyes are always full with devotion.”

They went with their chariots to bring that man, and they found an ordinary poor man of the lower class. They wanted to take him to the rajasuya, so they approached him with folded palms. The man was perplexed, “Oh, so many big men have come to my cottage. What is the matter?”

He was informed, “We have come for you, You must go and take some food there.” What could he do? He could not avoid the situation; he had to go. Draupadi cooked many palatable dishes. She was thinking that so many rishis, munis, even Lord Krishna had been fed, but Vaisnava-seva had not been done. With all her heart’s might she prepared various kinds of cooked food. And the man was given the food, and he took it. But the bell wasn't ringing.

“What is the matter?” Bhima asked. “It is finished, but the bell did not ring.”

Krishna explained, “There must be some kind of offense committed against the Vaisnava-seva, so the bell did not ring.”

“What are You saying?”

“Do You have some doubts about something, some conception against him?”

Then they asked one another if anyone had thought any evil about the man. And at last, Draupadi admitted, “I had something in my mind: that the man is low-born, I prepared so many curries with utmost skill, but the man mixed all the curries together and then eat them. He does not know how to eat because he comes from a very low caste. I had that in my mind.”

Krishna said, “Because there is some contempt for the Vaishnava, the bell is not ringing.”

So they had to go to the man once again, and again he was brought. And this time, all were waiting with great respect when he was taking prasadam. And the bell rang with each and every morsel.

Niskinchana: he does not want anything, no name, no fame, nothing of the kind. Such a person does not aspire for anything. but is wholesale dedicated to the Lord. And he may be found anywhere, without any show of external grandeur. The richness is of the heart. No knowledge, education, elevated birth. power, or opulence is necessary. Krishna consciousness is so full, so self-sufficient and absolute, that even a particle of Krishna consciousness contains all opulence, all education everything. Service, sell-dedication, saranagati (surrender)—that’s what is necessary,

apichet suduracharo, bhajate mam ananya-bhak
sadhur eva sa mantayah, somyag vyvasito hi sah

(Srimad Bhagavad-gita: 9.30)

You fail to understand, but he is all right. He must be considered a sadhu, the real honest man, and nothing else. He has no obligation to name, fame, or the things which attract us. He has self-contentment. Contentment does not require anything; it can stand alone. That is contentment, fulfillment. Krishna consciousness is so self-sufficient that it does not depend on anything to establish itself, being self-established.

NATURAL HUMILITY—THAT IS WEALTH

There was one Vaishnava, Vasudev by name, in Kurmaksetra, just beyond Puri on the southern side. He was a leper, but what sort of leper? Many worms would fall from his wounds to the ground. So that they would not die, he gathered those worms and again put them in the wounds. He was a brahman. Anyhow, he understood in his internal mind, “The Lord is coming and I shall have a chance to have His darshan.” Mahaprabhu went there, and after seeing, went away. When Vasudev heard that the Lord, one “sadhu” of extraordinary capacity, had come and gone only a short time ago, he was disappointed and fell to the ground. “What is that ? I could not have a glimpse of That Lord. He came and went away, and I did not have the capacity to have His connection, His darshan.” Mahaprabhu had walked almost a mile when suddenly He felt some attraction pulling Him backwards. He had to run, run back. He found Vasudev and embraced him. Vasudev’s whole body was transformed. The leprous body vanished, and a beautiful one emerged in its place.

Vaishnavas rather feel they are the poorest of the poor. Amongst the humble, they are the most humble. They will feel they are lower than a blade of grass. That is dainya. Bhaktivinod Thukur has written in one place how we are able to measure a Vaishnava. How can we understand? What is the key to diagnosis? Dainya: humility—natural, real humility. A show of humility has no value; imitation has no value anywhere. Proper humility can only occur when one feels his connection with the autocratic Lord, his master. Then only can he feel humble. The servant of an autocrat has no position, no ego whatsoever. So, natural humility is a wealth. What sort of wealth can capture the Autocrat? The real servant has that position with the master. He is also attracted to that sincere servant. He is not heartless. He may be an autocrat, but He is not heartless. So, service is necessary, nothing else. How can we attain that position, continue, and develop? How is it possible? Sraddha will make us understand it. Only one thing is required, and nothing else: laulyam api mulyam ekalam. We think that we are such sound devotees, but we are devotees in dress. But the real inner hankering you feel should be wholesale. Otherwise, only want, and you will have it, but there must not be any adulteration in that wanting, It must be sincere laulyam. No complaint can come against you, from any quarter. If you do not want, you don’t have. The only price is to really want it. Don’t refuse it. Understand the value of it, want it, and you will have it. Sraddha is a real regard to have: this is the thing, the highest thing, and only that can satisfy, my quench, my inner thirst. By giving your small self, you can get the whole infinite. How can we develop that sincere hankering? By the contact with the sadhu and with the help of the scripture, we can try to satisfy that inner demand. The inner demand can only be satisfied by Krishna consciousness.

THE GREATEST TREASURE

This is the justification of the declaration: Sarva-dharman parityajya, mam ekam saranam varja (Srimad Bhagavad-Gita: 18.66). Give up all conceptions of duty, all phases of duty. And “mam ekam,” only reserve one. That is my, and your, position by nature, by constitution. Try to understand this, and act. “Aham tvam sarva-papebhyo”: whatever undesirable, sinful reaction that may exist, everything will vanish. No repentance will come to you; you will have all satisfaction. This is the assurance. The greatest treasure ever found is so clearly and boldly put. The call is so bold and clear, ”Give up all phases of duty and come to Me alone, and you won't have to repent for any loss.” And Mahaprabhu says:

yare dekha, tare kaha ‘Krishna’-upadesa

There is no other duty. if you want to do anything good for the world, only go talk about Krishna. Try to distribute Him, who can compensate for all other alternatives. Try to distribute that central and absolute thing to help the people, the environment. No other duty will help. Enlist yourself and you will be loved. Your compassion and disposition will increase more and more. So many will be benefitted. There can be no holier duty, as He has come in this Age of Kali. Mahaprabhu said:

yare dekha, tare kaha ‘Krishna’-upadesa
amara ajnaya guru hana tara’ ei desa

“Accept this because I have ordered it. Know that it is My instruction, so the ego that you have become a guru and are distributing Krishna consciousness, that dirt won't touch you. It is My order. With this idea on your head, go on distributing Krishna. Talk about the heart of the heart.”

CONTENTS

Editorial
Declaration of the Spiritual Succession
(1) Complete Dedication
(2) Pure Devotion
(3) The Only Enjoyer
(4) The Wave of Love
(5) The Krishna Conception of Divinity
(6) Personal Knowledge
(7) Service to Guru
(8) Marching on to Glory
(9) An Experience on the Way
(10) Advent of Golden Moon
(11) Holy Talks of the Supreme Lord

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