— { DIVINE ASPIRATION } —

CHAPTER THREE:
THE GREATNESS OF THE VAISHNAVA

Question: On the path of devotional service, how is one to improve his own condition?

Srila Sridhar Maharaj: Through superior association. In business, if you want something but you have insufficient capital to purchase it, you can join with a greater capitalist and your business will develop. Similarly, if you want to improve your condition in Krishna consciousness, find a ‘capitalist’; on your own you may not gain so much, but with their help, you can advance more quickly.

ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLE

Help is of two kinds: from sadhu and sastra, from saints and scriptures. The living agent is sadhu, and the passive, sastra. There is no other way to improve but by sadhu-sastra-krpa—by their mercy.

krsna-bhakti-janma mula haya ‘sadhu-sanga’
krsna-prema janme, tenho punah mukhya anga

(Chaitanya-charitamrita,. Madhya 22.83)

The very beginning of krsna-bhakti, devotional service, is association—the help of the sadhu. And in the higher stage, when your dormant love for Krishna awakens, that association is still the most essential principle to help you. The birth of devotion is from there; its nourishment is also from there; and at the end, when you have almost attained the final stage, then also, with the help of some superior you are to continue your service. So, the sadhu is all-important, from the beginning to the final goal. At the final stage also, no direct connection with Krishna is admissible but you are to do some service only under the direction of the sadhus. The eternal servitors are there, in different departments of service, and you will be taken in and directed: “Serve Krishna under his direction, or her direction.” So, sadhu-sanga is always necessary.

TELESCOPIC SYSTEM

Do not have disgust towards the sadhu, thinking: “Oh, he’s just a man—why should we do service to him, why should we do vaishnav-seva? Why is it recommended so much in different scriptures? It is always said, ‘You are to be dependent on sadhu’; but I want God Himself! Why will he come between me and God?” Do not think like that. Rather, you can understand the importance of the sadhu by the example of the telescope. In a telescope there are so many lenses coming between myself and the object of my search, but they help my vision. The guru-parampara, the disciplic succession, is working in this way, like a ‘telescopic system’.

The devotees’ aspiration therefore is dasa-dasa-dasa-anudasa, tad dasa-dasa, to be the servant of the servant of the servant of Krishna’s servant’s servant. His understanding will be: “There are so many gurus, and they are thinking about my welfare.” To have so many gurus means that so many guardians are always trying for my fortune.

We find in this world that a man who has many servants always waiting on his order thinks he is holding a very good position. But in the case of a devotee it is just the opposite. He will think that if he has so many gurus, so many guardians looking after his welfare, then he is really a wealthy man: “I am fortunate when so many guardians are looking out for me and are pleading my case on the upper level.” To have a connection with the guru-parampara to be servant of the servant, to be under the guardianship of the great Vaishnavs, is a great fortune. It is a fortunate life.

BE CAREFUL

For the beginner, faith in the Vaishnav is not apparent. The newcomer in devotion says, “I want Bhagavan, God, Krishna. Why is the impression always given to us, "Oh, you must get the krpa, the mercy, of a Vaishnav; you must get his blessing. You must go to him to have your fortune? Why this tedious thing, that the Vaishnav is always coming between Bhagavan and myself?” But when the aspirant is grown up, his faith in the Vaishnav becomes more established. Ultimately, even our attention to the vigraha, the Deity, and the sastra, the Scripture, may leave, but we must always submit to the Vaishnav, the Lord’s living agent.

So the first cause of nama-aparadha is offence to the Vaishnav:

satam ninda namnah paramam aparadham vitanute
yatah khyatim yatam katham u sahate tad-vigarham

(Sri Padma Purana)

“To blaspheme the saintly persons who are engaged in preaching the glories of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra is the worst offence at the lotus feet of the Holy Name. Nama Prabhu, who is identical with Krishna, will never tolerate such blasphemous activities, even from one who passes as a great devotee.”

While taking the Name, especially at the beginning of spiritual practice, the first warning is this: “Be careful in your association with the sadhus. They are truly your utmost well-wishers, the agents who are carrying good to you. So be very alert not to commit any wrong against them. Don’t misunderstand them; try to have faith in them. Their goodness is beyond your understanding. They love you so much. You cannot love yourself as much as they do, because they see you as the property of their Lord. From that standpoint they love you; and that love is very high, in quality and quantity. So be very careful; don’t commit any wrong against the sadhu—you must always remember this.”

yadi vaisnava-aparadha uthe hati mata
upade va chinde, tara sukhi yaya pata

(Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya 19.156)

“If the devotee commits offence to the Vaishnav while cultivating the creeper of devotion, his offence is compared to a mad elephant that uproots the creeper and breaks it. In this way the leaves of the creeper become dried up.”

If a great crime is committed against the sadhu, the Vaishnav, then the whole of the offender’s devotional life will be demolished. The Lord will be enraged with him: “My devotee is going to give him all wealth, and he is kicking him? What is this? He is the most wretched.” So we must be careful about this offence of satam-ninda the first nama-aparadha: offence to the Holy Name.

MERCIFUL NITAI

Still we see that Nityananda Prabhu is the most merciful, even to the offenders. His nature is of a peculiar type, such that whom even Mahaprabhu is rejecting, He is keeping, giving assurance: “No, no, don’t be hopeless.” Nityananda Prabhu’s mercy was shown in this way in the pastime of Mahaprabhu and Kala Krishna Das.

Kala Krishna Das was accompanying Mahaprabhu on His journey in South India, and there he did something wrong. He left Mahaprabhu’s personal association, enticed by the Bhattatharis, the gypsy women. This occurred in the south, Kerala-Karnataka, the place of Madhvacharya. The people of that province, both men and women, are reputed to be very beautiful. Their complexion is very good, as well as their features and their figures; Gandhi referred to that place as the ‘land of the fairies’. Kala Krishna Das was enticed, and left Mahaprabhu’s association. That even in the direct company of Mahaprabhu, Kala Krishna Das was deviated is certainly for our instruction. But utilising His special power, Mahaprabhu rescued Kala Krishna Das from the gypsy’ camp. Later, after taking him to Jagannath Puri, Mahaprabhu released him from His service, saying, “He is of such a nature; but, anyhow, I have taken him from the hands of those vilifiers. Now I release him; he may go anywhere.” But Nityananda Prabhu utilised Kala Krishna Das, again giving him service: “Go to Sachi Devi and inform her that Mahaprabhu has arrived in Puri safely after two years of touring in the south country. Give news of Mahaprabhu’s safe arrival to Sachi Devi.” Despite Mahaprabhu’s rejection, still Kala Krishna Das was utilised, by Nityananda Prabhu.

WAIT AND SEE

I remember a similar case when I was preaching in Madras. Hayagriva Brahmachari—later he became Sripad Madhav Maharaj—and I were preaching there, and we sent one boy to the Madras Centre of Gaudiya Math. He was staying there and serving as a brahmachari, but then he became misguided. Sripad B.P. Tirtha Maharaj, who was at that time quite elderly, was in charge of the Math there, and he punished that fallen brahmachari by sending him away from the Math. He managed to stay in some other place in the city, but then, after Sripad Tirtha Maharaj had left Madras, that boy came to Hayagriva and me, pleading: “You please give permission to let me stay in the Math.” We told him, “Guru Maharaj is very soon coming here; come at that time.” Then when Guru Maharaj came to officially open the new lecture hall we put the case to him: “This boy came for service, but then he had to leave for such a reason; but now again he wants to stay in the Math. What should we do with him?"

EXTENSION OF GRACE

Then our Guru Maharaj, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, said: “Mahaprabhu did not take Kala Krishna Das after he was seduced when the Bhattatharis showed him a lady. So, I can’t accept him. But Nityananda Prabhu kept him and gave him engagement. So you should keep him.” A peculiar position we then found ourselves in! I thought: “Gurudev, you are all-in-all our leader, our unconditional Lord; you can’t accept him, then how can we give him shelter, being under your guidance?” That was a puzzle: “How can we do it? If you can’t accept, then how can we?” But Guru Maharaj has said, “I can’t accept him; but you should keep him.” And we had to adjust to that.

From this we can trace the line of benevolence and causeless mercy. The line of causeless mercy is extending from the Centre, but the extension gets the more intense position: “take yourself to the mercy department; perhaps, there is some arrangement to help, to accept you.” Just as in a hospital, the general department disappoints the patient: “No, we can’t accept such patients as you here. But, you may try the other department. There, you will find more accommodation.” And after going there and checking, the patient finds them to be of such type: “Here we can accept all. There is arrangement for you.” In this way we find the servants are more benevolent, even more than their Lord. It is inconceivable.

LOVE AND ABUSE

In seeing the mood of humility as expressed in different ways by Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami and Vrindavan Das Thakur, I also came to some revolutionary understanding about this.

While writing Sri Chaitanya-Charitamrita, Kaviraj Goswami expressed humility of such a degree that he says, “My position is the worst; I am a sinner far worse than Jagai and Madhai; I am lower than the worm in the stool. If anyone hears my name, his merit will be diminished; if anyone speaks my name, he commits sin—such a wretched person I am. But the grace of Nityananda Prabhu has taken me up from such a nasty pit, taken me to Rupa-Sanatan, to Raghunath Das, and to divine Vrindavan. I should not proclaim this; I should not speak in such a way, that ‘I have got something’—but if I do not say so, then it will show ingratitude to Nityananda Prabhu. I would be a traitor to Him. So I shall have to say, ‘I have got something,’ and that is by the grace of Nityananda. It is all His property, His grace; otherwise, there is no worth at all in me.”

With so much humility Kaviraj Goswami approached the public and appealed to them to come to Gaura-Nityananda. But Vrindavan Das Thakur, in his writing, says, “I appeal most fervently and with the greatest humility to you all: accept Nityananda and Sri Gauranga! You’ll get the best benefit of your life. This I urgently beg you, with the utmost humility, with a straw between my teeth. But if such appeal of mine fails, and if still you want to put blame on Nityananda-Gauranga, then I just kick you! I kick such a demoniac person.”

eta parihareo je papi ninda kare
tabe lathi maron tara sirera upare

(Chaitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 11.63)

“If in spite of hearing the glories of Nityananda, one blasphemes Him, then I kick the head of such a sinful person.”

To this, the ordinary commentators will say, “Kaviraj Goswami and others are humiliating themselves so much. They are appealing in such a humble way. But this Vrindavan Das! What kind of egoistic fellow is he? He says he kicks those who do not come to hear his Gaura-Nityananda. He’ll kick them! Such a boast, so proud, is he a Vaishnav? Is this type of person a Vaishnav? Trnad api sunichena, taror api sahisnuna: more humble than straw, more tolerant than a tree—is he of this type?”

A NEW PATH

This is how Vrindavan Das Thakur’s statement is met by the ordinary thinkers; but not long after joining the Gaudiya Math, I heard a revolutionary remark from our Guru Maharaj, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, in which we find a most peculiar explanation. He said: “For those who had no chance, no possibility of entering into devotional service, Vrindavan Das Thakur has created a path by this statement. For those who had no chance of getting any service, Vrindavan Das Thakur has given that chance, by kicking them.” How is it so? Guru Maharaj explained, “Vrindavan Das Thakur has pronounced such a bold expression against those unbelieving persons to wound their feelings so that Krishna will come to their aid. Just as if the son of a gentleman does wrong to some other person, then the gentleman will come to help: “Oh, what he has done to you, don’t mind it; look here, I am giving something to you—be pleased and go on happily.” So, because Vrindavan Das Thakur has in such an ostentatious way apparently committed some wrong against that particular unbelieving section, it will draw Krishna’s attention; Mahaprabhu’s special attention will be drawn towards them: “My son has done some damage to you; don’t take it badly, but forgive and forget—now I am giving something to you, come.”

In this way, Vrindavan Das Thakur has made a new path by threatening the unbelievers in Gaura-Nityananda. By his strong remark of a very abusive character, he has given the chance to those fellows to draw the greater and more special attention of the authority.

IMBUED WITH KRISHNA

But this kind of statement, as we see given by Vrindavan Das Thakur, can come only from the fully surrendered soul. One who is fully surrendered to Krishna can say such things.

Krishna is the Absolute Good, and everything in the soul that is fully surrendered to Krishna, everything in the pure Vaishnav, cannot but be goodness. Just as iron when put into the fire becomes of the nature of fire, so the fully surrendered soul is imbued with Krishna in every part.

sarva maha-guna-gana vaisnava-sarire
krsna-bhakte krsnera guna sakali sanchare

(Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya 22.75)

“A Vaishnav is one who has developed all good transcendental qualities. All the good qualities of Krishna gradually develop in Krishna’s devotee.”

Every part of a pure Vaishnav—his wrath, his abusing, everything in him—is pure and good. Whether by his blessing or his curse, through him Krishna is giving something. Nalakuvar and Manigriv were cursed by Rishi Narada to become trees, but that misfortune was managed in such a way that they came to be born in Vrindavan, so that when their tree-form would be uprooted by Krishna, they would get the chance to go to Goloka for their eternal service.

So any connection with a Vaishnav is able to give such an ultimately beneficial result. But that does not mean that we shall deliberately go to offend him! It is not meant like that, and we should not take it in that way. To do so would be inconsistent with the meaning; it would be suicidal.

AFFECTION THE CONTROLLER

The Lord Himself says, aham bhakta-paradhino asvatantra iva dvija: “I am dependent on My devotees.” This was told by Lord Narayan to Durvasa Muni in the case of Ambarish Maharaj. Through affection, the infinitesimal jiva soul, by constitution the Lord’s potency and fully dependent on Him, can conquer or control his Possessor, his Lord.

We find that the law of affection is such. In Indian families, the mother formally has nothing; she has no property, no right; but she commands reverence and a high respect, and through this, she holds a superior position even to that of the father. The father holds the property; the mother holds no such property, no such formal right, but she has ‘social right,' and through it she holds the greatest respect of the children. There is a popular sloka which says that the father is considered ‘higher than the heaven,’ and the mother, ‘higher than the land where we stand.’ It is also said, and we see, that both the mother and the father help to raise the children, but in that the mother’s quota is far greater than the father’s; so her dignity, her superiority, is much greater than his. This is the custom in varnasrama-dharma: the mother has no legal possession, but she has social or moral possession.

DURVASA AND AMBARISH

When Durvasa Muni ran to Lord Narayan for shelter, being chased by the sudarsana chakra due to his offence against Ambarish Maharaj, Lord Narayan told him:

aham bhakta-paradhino,
hy asvatantra iva dvija
sadhubhir grasta-hrdayo,
bhaktair bhakta-jana-priyah

(Srimad Bhagavatam, 9.4.63)

“I am dependent on My devotees. O you brahmin, I am not at all independent of them—I am dependent on them, as if I have no freedom of My own. Yes, freedom I have, but through My devotees’ affection, I am reduced to such a position that it is as if I have none. In the case of My devotees I cannot but be partial. My independent thinking has no place there, so much indebted I think I am to them. Sadhubhir grasta-hrdayo: My whole heart has been ‘swallowed’ by them, those saints, devotees. They have swallowed Me, and I may not have any independent thinking, but only their interest at heart. By their service they have acquired such a position with Me.”

Such an admission is a wonderful thing! Durvasa Muni wanted impartial judgement from the Lord: “I am a brahman; Ambarish is a ksatriya; I am a sannyasi; he is a grhasta in household life. So my prestige is above him. And You are ‘Brahmanya-Deva.’ You are supposed to be the supporter of the brahmans. So I have a claim to You, that You must make a fair judgement in this case.” Lord Brahma and Mahadev Siva had both frustrated Durvasa: “Go to Narayan, we can’t do anything in this matter; we can’t interfere.” Then Durvasa had to approach Narayan for shelter. And Narayan replied: aham bhakta paradhino, “I am helpless; I am dependent on My devotees!”

NARAYANA’S STRICTURE

But Narayan also made a good argument to Durvasa “Yes, you are a brahman; but Ambarish was also observing the Ekadasi vrata, which is connected with Me. You observed that same vow, it is true, and you also knew, like him, that the paran, the time for breaking the fast, is a part of that vow. Then what wrong did Ambarish do? What was his fault? Only in order to observe, to give respect to the vow, he did paran in your absence. And you also did paran on time; but you are his guest, so he only took a drop of water to observe the indispensable part of the vow. He only took a drop of water; he did not feed himself without feeding you—and you were enraged with him? What he did, in his observance of the vow, he only did it for Me. And that disturbed you. You say that you are more akin to Me than Ambarish? The difference between you two arose where? You both acted in observance of My vow—and he was at fault? What reason is there? Who is nearer to Me, you or he?”

“You say that you are a brahman, a sannyasi, that you are all these great things, and that you have the higher position. But when you went to burn him with that jatam, that fire-demon created from the hair you plucked from your head, Ambarish did not step back. He did not run to save his life. But when Sudarsan came to attack you—a brahman, a sannyasi—you were running through the whole universe to save your life. Then, who is a sannyasi, you or he? When faced with the fire, he did not budge an inch to save his life. He stood, with the attitude: “If I have done anything wrong, let my life be finished.” But you ran everywhere: to Brahma, to Siva. Finally you came here fearing for your life. Then whose renunciation is superior?”

In this way Durvasa was given stricture; he was rebuked, chastised, by Lord Narayan.

THE GREATNESS OF THE VAISHNAVA

Then Lord Narayan told Durvasa, “You will have to go back to Ambarish. I cannot give any judgement against My devotee. He will give judgement in this case. Go to him, and see how generous he is.” What was Durvasa to do? He had to come before his opponent for judgement of his case. He found Ambarish still standing in the same spot, mortified: “The brahman is troubled on my account, and he is my guest. Some accident happened in such a way that Sudarsan chased him, and he is running in every direction. But, he is my guest; without feeding him, how can I take food?” In this way Ambarish was standing there in a mournful condition: “It is bad luck for me, that when my guest is waiting I could not feed him as is proper. How can I take food when my honoured guest is disturbed and running this way and that? How can I?”

Just as he was thinking this, Durvasa appeared, chased by Sudarsan: “Maharaj, save me! There is no other saviour in this world for me except you. I have come to you. Please, save me!”

Then Ambarish began to pacify Sudarsan. He prayed: “If for a single day I have done any devoted activity for Narayan, O Sudarsan, please pacify yourself. This brahman is my honourable guest, and I cannot tolerate that you will disturb him in my presence. Please, stop.” So Sudarsan had to withdraw, and Durvasa was saved. Then Durvasa was fed as the guest of Ambarish. And, astonished by the magnanimity of Ambarish, Durvasa announced:

aho ananta-dasanam,
mahattvam drstam adya me
krtagaso ‘pi yad rajan,
mangalani samihase

(Srimad Bhagavatam, 9.5.14)

“O King, today I have experienced the greatness of the devotees of God, of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because in spite of my offence against you, you have prayed for my protection.”

Durvasa was astounded to find the depth of generosity in the servitors of Ananta, Narayan. That great rishi began to speak aloud, to announce on all sides the magnanimity, the nobility of the servitors of Narayan: “How great they are! I did so much wrong towards him, and he saved my life from the danger that came as a reaction! I insulted him, and he is honouring me so much.”

So for one who has nothing, who thinks that he is not an independent entity but a slave, fully dependent on the Absolute, for him the Absolute has the proper recognition.

Lord Narayan Himself sent Durvasa to be judged by Ambarish, His devotee. Brahma failed, Mahadev failed, and Narayan Himself admitted: “I also failed; I could not do anything independent of you, My devotee. You are the judge.” The Lord makes the highest judge His devotee, His servant. We find it is like this.

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