— { HOLY ENGAGEMENT } —

EPILOGUE:
HOLIEST ENGAGEMENT

“At least you are My intimate friend, so I won’t deceive you. You can believe Me. I promise.” How shamelessly Krishna expressed Himself! He has come so intensely to plead for Himself, for our benefit. A record is kept in Srimad Bhagavad-gita for our guidance.

Even more than that, Krishna Himself came as Mahaprabhu in order to preach for Himself. He came as His own canvasser with a group and brought Srimati Radharani along with Him: “If necessary I shall show how charming a position you can have in Devotional Service. I shall show you how service can be so beautiful and dignified. Come along with Me.”

Baladev came as Nityananda to canvass. Krishna and Balaram came to canvass for Themselves as Mahaprabhu and Nityananda. Vrindavan came to canvass for itself as Nabadwip.

We are more indebted to the canvasser than the actual party. We are connected more intimately and we are thankful to the canvasser first, especially when the Lord Himself has come to canvass. How beautiful, how magnanimous, how sacrificing! What sort of Love Divine is found there!

We came to seek something good, and Mahaprabhu proposed the direction. I became somewhat charmed there, and felt, “Yes, this is very charming, very beautiful, and very capturing.” Then I searched for one who could distribute such things of satisfaction to my inner heart, and somehow I found my Master. He is canvassing exclusively for Mahaprabhu, and very strongly—surcharged with infinite energy to work on account of Sri Gauranga. With such intensity was that great dynamo! Then I accepted him and tried to offer myself to be taken within his shelter. I led my life following his order as much as I could, and now also I find that I am still under his shelter and doing some sort of duty as asked and ordered by him. In this way I am passing my days trying to have the core of his advice from the different scriptures such as the Srimad Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, and trying to find the culmination of what Mahaprabhu and our Gurudev expressed. With deeper and deeper thinking, I gradually received some satisfaction. If I were to not say that I am getting satisfaction then I would be doing some injustice to Gurudev and his associates. No other ideas or proposals can draw my attention. Rather, I am gaining firmer faith day by day in the teachings of Mahaprabhu, Vyasadev, the Vraja-lila, etc. Though Their Nature is infinite, I find Their position is becoming stronger within me, and I must be satisfied with what little I can get. At the same time I feel in my good faith that this sort of life must be extended to others also. Thus I am passing my days.

By distributing Mahaprabhu’s message we are not going out to do anything bad, but according to our conception we are trying to do the holiest thing. Our purpose is of the holiest type ever possible to conceive, so we must go forward with this programme to do good for others, the best for others, and at the same time to get it for ourselves. There can be no engagement more holy than this in the world. It is the holiest engagement and has the blessings of the Lords Nityananda and Sri Gauranga. It is duty to Them. It is Their department.

Preaching is the special department of Sri Gauranga and Nityananda Prabhu. Nabadwip Dham is the place of Their blessings. Our prayer to Them is that, absolving us of all offences, They may utilise us. Here in Koladwip, Nabadwip, at the place of forgiveness of all offences, aparadha-bhanjan-pat, we are praying that They may forgive us for all our previous offences and engage us in Their service to spread Krishna consciousness together with Gauranga consciousness.

srimach-chaitanya-sarasvata-mathavara-udgita-kirtir jaya-srim
bibhrat sambhati ganga-tata-nikata-navadvipa-koladri-raje
yatra sri-gaura-sarasvata-mata-nirata-gaura-gatha grnanti
srimad-rupanuga sri-krtamati-guru-gauranga-radha-jitasa

“At this supremely enchanting divine ashram, materially destitute and spiritually loving devotees of Sri Gaura-Saraswati, who are expert at favourable practices of Krishna consciousness, constantly chant within their hopeful hearts the glories of Lord Sri Sri Gaurasundar, the greatly magnanimous source of all incarnations of the Lord, following in strict adherence the line of Sri Sri Rupa-Raghunath, the inexhaustible storehouse of the wealth of divine ecstatic consorthood love, being eternally eager to engage in the loving service of Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharva Govindasundar and Their associates. This effulgent and supremely worshippable king among all temples Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math is situated within Koladwip, which is non-different from Sri Govardhan, the king of mountains, on the enchanting bank of the revered Bhagirathi River, who rescues all fallen souls, in Sri Nabadwip Dham, a holy abode of touchstones that is non-different from Sri Vrindavan. Capturing Jayasri (the Goddess of Victory—Srimati Radharani), it exists eternally, leaving the entire creation of moving and non-moving entities astonished in the extremely cooling and loving shade of the soaring victory flag of its ever-increasing celebrated renown.”

CONTENTS

Introduction: Divine Transformation
An excerpt from Sri Dasa-mula by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur
• (1) Devotees’ Pilgrimage
• (2) Searching Life's Secret
• (3) Recognising Divinity
• (4) The Inner Domain
• (5) The Greatest Benediction
• Epilogue: Holiest Engagement

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