— { SERMONS OF THE GUARDIAN OF DEVOTION, I } —

CHAPTER TWELVE
EVERY WORD IS A SONG

“Where every word is a song, every step is a dance,
and the flute is the favourite attendant…”
(Sri Brahma-samhita)

Every word is a song… but this is not a sound of this plane. This is from some other world, some other world that is so soft, so sweet, so heart-capturing. It is a world where correct behaviour occurs most sweetly and harmoniously. Every word is like a song (katha ganam). Every movement is sweet, like dancing (natyam gamanam api). It has been described in this way. Everything is replete with the highest degree of beauty. This is the land of beauty—there everything is beautiful. Everything has the touch of beauty divine. The prime cause is charming, attracting, and arresting heart and soul, “Stop!”

There is a land of such existence. Our aspiration is for such a life (radhika-madhavasam). We can sincerely foster the idea to feel attraction to a life of such a plane, where everything is of a musical character. The flute of Krishna guides everything. That can even draw out the life from the body.

The sound is so charming, it appears that one’s very feeling wants to come out of bodily existence. Whatever part of our body is touched with any sort of such dealing, that part seems to disconnect from the other parts, and—if it is possible to imagine it—that part runs to join the subject. If there is colour, the eye wants to feel it, as though separating himself from the other parts of the body. There is such a competition: “I don’t want your connection, O body! I want to run towards that direction—a call has come from there.” The hands, the eyes, the touch—all faculties will compete; whatever part is touched will want to run away from the other friendly companions.

Once, after conducting the parikrama (circumambulation) of the whole Vraja-mandala (the perimeter of Sri Vrindavan), Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupad asked his disciples, “Which pastimes attracted you most? Which location in Vrindavan has attracted you most?” When he asked me this question, I replied that Kadamkhandi, the place of Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu’s bhajan, attracted me most of all. Midway between Nandagram and Yavat there was an asram where Srila Rupa Goswami settled and used to write his book Sri Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu. That place attracted me most. Again, after a year or two, when we were at Sri Radha-Kunda in the company of Srila Prabhupad, he very suddenly remarked, “Your place. That place of yours…” I was astounded. “What, where is my place?” He said, “Your place is Kadamkhandi, the place of Srila Rupa Goswami.” I thought, “Oh, he had some purpose when he inquired a year or two ago which location was attractive to who; he kept these things on his mind, and accordingly today he is saying, ‘Your place.’”

So he was very particular about ruchi-pariksa, or to examine the taste of a particular person for a particular lila and a particular group of service. It is necessary for the Acharya to examine his disciple and determine the place where he is to be located. He must determine where his disciple stands and accordingly, in harmony with that innate taste, help him in his march towards that land of his aspiration.

The destination has been settled, but how shall I reach it? When shall I reach it? Those who come to my aid to take me there—they are my masters, my Gurus: Siksa-gurus and Diksa-guru. Whoever helps me to go there is my Guru. He is my guide who will help me to reach my located destination, the station of my innermost hankering (radhika-madhavasam prapto yasya prathitah krpaya sri-gurum tam nato ‘smi). He has helped me to locate my destination; he has educated me how and what to aspire after, and how to reach that highest aspired shelter. I have attained all these things through him. He is my all-in-all in life, the master of my life. There is a boat, and he is the helmsman (guru-karnadharam). I have surrendered unto him, I have accepted him. I have boarded his boat and he is taking me towards the goal of my life.

The human body (nr-deham) has been compared to a boat. By utilising my resources in this body and mind, my Gurudev, as the helmsman, is guiding me towards the goal. One who does not take this opportunity after coming into the human species commits suicide. He commits suicide by failing to take advantage of crossing the ocean of life and death, birth and death, birth and death. The very nature of the ocean of mundane existence is waves—life and death, birth and death. The helmsman to take us across this ocean of life and death, birth and death, is Gurudev. It is said in the Srimad Bhagavatam that anyone who misses this chance is committing suicide:

nr-deham adyam sulabham sudurlabham
plavam sukalpam guru-karnadharam
mayanukulena nabhasvateritam
puman bhavabdhim na tares sa atmaha

(Srimad Bhagavatam, 11.20.17)

Here, the Lord is inferring: “So many boats are passing, and I am helping like a favourable wind. The helmsman is Guru, and I am the favourable wind. The boat is this human body, and you should all take this opportunity to cross the ocean of life, birth, and death. The world is compared to the infinite. It resembles infinity; it is very difficult to cross the ocean of life and death, birth and death. If you want to escape these troubles (janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarsanam), you must take the chance. Otherwise, you will lose so much that it amounts to suicide.

The grace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu presupposes some selection, but Sri Nityananda Prabhu’s grace has no selection. He gives His grace to whoever He comes across. Nityananda Prabhu is so magnanimous that He saves whoever He comes across on His way. His mercy is so raw, undiscriminating, and broad. Nityananda Prabhu is most benevolent. Mahaprabhu has a sort of discrimination, but Nityananda Prabhu does not care for any discrimination whatsoever. Whether one is a fit or an unfit candidate, he is still counted as worthy. Such is His mercy.

Never dare to approach Sri Sri Radha and Krishna, neglecting the grace of Lord Nityananda (hena nitai bine bhai, radha-krsna paite nai). So, our revered Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj laid stress on Nityananda Prabhu. Nityananda Prabhu is Lord Balaram. Nityananda Prabhu’s grace is stressed for the fallen; His grace is real wealth for them because discrimination has hardly a place in it. Although not much, we nonetheless find some sort of discrimination in the magnanimity of Lord Gauranga. But Nityananda Prabhu is more generous. So first go to Nityananda Prabhu, and by His grace you will go to Mahaprabhu. And by the grace of Mahaprabhu you will easily reach Sri Sri Radha-Govinda in Vrindavan. This is the way shown to us.

yatha yatha gaura-padaravinde
vindeta bhaktim krta-punya-rasih
tatha tathotsarpati hrdy akasmad
radha-padambhoja-sudhambu-rasih

(Sri Chaitanya-chandramrita, 88)

“As devotion unto the lotus feet of Sri Gaurasundar is attained by a greatly pious person, unexpectedly the ocean of nectar which is the service of the lotus feet of Sri Radha is accordingly born within his heart.”

Percolated by the mercy of Sri Gauranga, try to approach Srimati Radharani. Then there will no possibility of any dirt entering you and disturbing you in that plane. That will be percolated by Sri Gauranga. If you have the shelter of Sri Gauranga you can be sure that you will very safely, smoothly, and intimately attain to the service of Srimati Radharani. Otherwise it is very dangerous, and sometimes suicidal. If you do not approach through Sri Gauranga, the attempt will be reactionary. It is very dangerous to approach Sri Vrindavan and Srimati Radharani directly. You must approach commanded by Sri Gauranga. In other words, if you can appreciate the life of Sri Gauranga, the ideal of Sri Gauranga, then kama (mundane desire), etc., will be exhaustively eliminated. You will be really purified to be acceptable to that domain of the highest lila.

So here, in Koladwip, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave His best to all (kuliya-gramete asi’ sri-krsna-chaitanya, hena nahi, ya ‘re prabhu na karila dhanya). He gave the most desirable service, service of the sweetest type. Such service is found in Vrindavan, and Mahaprabhu Sri Chaitanyadev recommended Vrindavan life as the highest. Neither knowledge nor power can even approach this Vrindavan service. In Vrindavan, heart is everything. Sri Uddhav also said,

asam aho charana-renu-jusam aham syat,
vrndavane kim api gulma-latausadhinam
ya dustyajam svajanam arya-pathan cha hitva
bhejur mukunda-padavim srutibhir vimrgyam

(Srimad Bhagavatam, 10.47.61)

“Ignoring society and even scriptures, they (the Gopis) have given themselves up to the Absolute. They gave up their own relatives, and what is socially considered to be holy; they gave up everything for the cause of the service of the Lord.” So Uddhav, the highest type of devotee, said, “I aspire after a birth as a blade of grass or some plant in Vrindavan, so that the footdust of the Gopis easily falls on my head.” So high is the position of the Gopis and Vrindavan. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu recommended that very thing, with the added feature of distributing it to others. Giving it to others, one may have a wholesale dealing with a life so divine. All conceptions of dharma (duty), adharma (irreligion), jnana (knowledge, renunciation, liberation), etc.—they are very, very low in comparison to these affairs of Vrindavan. Here, the heart is everything. Whoever has tenacity to follow this line has the greatest hope of success in life.

And again, distya yad asin mat sneho, bhavatinam mad apanah (Srimad Bhagavatam, 10.42.44): “It is supposed that one who gets My connection is fortunate, but I consider it My fortune that I got your (the Gopis’) connection. Others say that anyone who gets My connection is fortunate. But I consider Myself fortunate because I have your connection. I am the most fortunate. It is My fortune that I have your connection, so it is sure that I shall be yours—I shall always be yours.” Such things were spoken by Krishna when He met the Gopis at Kuruksetra. Such things are unattainable—people cannot even think so high, that such a life is possible. Bhaktya sanjataya bhaktya (Srimad Bhagavatam, 11.3.31): bhakti will produce more bhakti, and that bhakti will also produce more bhakti—in this way. Nothing else comes as a fruit. Bhakti is such a thing, it is its own reward.

yasyah kadapi vasananchala-khelanottha-
dhanyatidhanya-pavanena krtarthamani
yogindra-durgama-gatir madhusudano ‘pi
tasyah namo ‘stu vrsabhanubhuvodise ‘pi

(Sri Prabodhananda Saraswatipad)

Here it has been told that once the flow of the wind had touched some part of the cloth or dress of Srimati Radharani; that wind touched Krishna’s body, and Krishna was besides Himself with cheer, with gladness, with pleasure: “Oh! I felt a touch of the wind that blew past the dress of Radharani—I am so fortunate!” And who is that Krishna? All the religious experts, scholars, yogis, etc., they are all hunting after Krishna’s grace and that Krishna, He thinks Himself fortunate if He gets a little touch of the breeze that blew past the dress of Srimati Radharani. So pure is Srimati Radharani. Her surrender, Her service, is so pure, that even a touch of that wind makes Krishna, Bhagavan, the Supreme Lord Himself, think that He has gained the highest fortune. He feels, “I am so fulfilled in My life.”

Srimati Radharani’s position is first and foremost. Sri Jayadev Goswami has written that Krishna wants the footdust of Srimati Radharani (dehi pada-pallavam udaram; Gita Govinda). However, ordinary people cannot understand this. Only the followers of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, by His grace, can understand anything of the substance of Radha-dasyam, the servitude of Srimati Radharani. So Radha-dasyam is the highest aspiration of the Gaudiya Vaishnav.

After Sri Chaitanyadev took sannyas, He wandered throughout South India, and conquered the religious conceptions there. At Benares, Sri Svarupa Damodar also wanted to take sannyas, but the function was half-done. When the Lord arrived at Puri, Sri Svarupa Damodar became as though mad, and with his sannyas function half-completed he ran to Puri. His name was Purusottam, and his brahmachari name was Svarupa Ananda. So, with this name still, he ran to Puri, like a madman, to see his guardian and friend, his everything. He greeted Sri Chaitanyadev with this sloka:

helodhunita-khedaya visadaya pronmilad amodaya
samyach-chhastra-vivadaya rasadaya chittarpitonmadaya
sasvad-bhaktivinodaya samadaya madhurya-maryadaya
sri-chaitanya-dayanidhe tava daya bhuyad amandodaya

(Sri Chaitanya-chandrodaya Nataka)

“O ocean of mercy, Sri Chaitanya—that mercy which effortlessly dispels all lamentation; that mercy within which absolute purity resides; that mercy within which supreme ecstasy is revealed (overshadowing all else); that mercy which ends all scriptural debates by its appearance; that mercy which charms all directions by its pastimes of divine love—by its absolute sweetness may that all-expansive mercy of Yours, the bestower of all goodness, awaken in our hearts.”

Sri Svarupa Damodar fell at the feet of Sri Chaitanyadev, with this sloka on his lips. “O great ocean of mercy, Sri Chaitanyadev, let Your grace be distributed to one and all. You are the ocean of grace—let that grace be distributed to one and all. It is the grace which once begun never comes to end in any other wave; it will never produce any bad thing thereafter. Your daya, Your mercy, is of such quality that if anyone gets a particle of it, then in no time that mercy will eliminate any bad position. Mando means ‘bad position,’ so amandodaya is such daya that won’t bring inauspiciousness at any time.” Like a mad friend fallen at his feet, Sri Svarupa Damodar sang this sloka to Sri Chaitanyadev. In the line of instruction from Sri Chaitanyadev, Sri Svarupa Damodar is first, then Sri Rupa-Sanatan (visvambhara priyankara, sri-svarupa-damodara, sri-gosvami rupa-sanatana). Sri Svarupa Damodar’s position is such. In Vrindavan, his position is Lalita-sakhi. Bhuyad means asirvada, blessings: “I bestow my blessings to one and all; one and all may get the blessings of Sri Chaitanyadev.”

A hint of the particular standard of Srimati Lalita Devi’s service has been given by Srila Rupa Goswami:

radha-mukunda-pada-sambhava-gharmabind-
nirmanchanopakarane krta-deha-laksyam

When Lalita Devi finds a drop of perspiration at the feet of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda, she furiously engages herself to remove it. “How has it come there? We are circumambulating Them to see that not the least pain can enter this domain to trouble Them. But how, without our notice, has this perspiration appeared? Perspiration, perspiration!” So she is furiously chastising herself, and wants to immediately take birth one lakh (100,000) times—with that force she comes to remove that drop of perspiration from the lotus feet of either of the Divine Couple. If the least difficulty is seen in the serving area, the Lord’s Associates can’t tolerate it in any way, and such eagerness, self-abuse and earnestness is found in them. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said:

sanatana, deha-tyage krsna yadi paiye
koti-deha ksaneke tabe chhadite pariye

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Antya 4.56)

“O Sanatan, to attain the service of Krishna, I want to immediately die ten million times. I am ready to embrace ten million deaths if that helps me serve Him.”

The Hladini-sakti, the feeling potency, is Srimati Radharani. Even She feels dissatisfaction within Herself: “I can’t…” This holds the extreme position: “I can’t do My service, My duty; I can’t do it.”

At the meeting in Shyamanta-panchaka at Kuruksetra, Krishna Himself suddenly fell at Srimati Radharani’s feet and begged forgiveness: “I am an offender, a criminal to Your position. You are so self-giving, I cannot fulfil My real duty towards You. Your service to Me is so loving, I can’t do My duty to You.” But Srimati Radharani said, “It is I who am committing offences, because I am still living despite Your separation. In Your separation I am still living—that proves that I am the offender. I am the offender, not You, because I am living. That is sufficient proof that I am not fit for You. Why did I not die with the separation? There is the proof.”

Krishna fell at Her feet: “Your position is so high, so high. So long I was without You, increasing My different duties. Without trying to satisfy You, I engaged Myself in consideration of different duties.” But Srimati Radharani said, “No, no, it is I who am the offender, that I did not die without Your company. We find in the scriptures that the male has such freedom, but not the female. So I should have died in the separation, and You have no offence that You left Me to do so many duties here and there. You have so many duties to discharge, but I am only for Your service. As such, I could not keep up the standard.” Such was the meeting at Kuruksetra.

So in Krishna’s pastimes, the potencies are Sandhini, Samvit, and Hladini. Hladini holds the highest position because of wholesale self-surrender. Next is Samvit, and then third is the position of the Sandhini. Thinking, feeling, and willing: willing is Sandhini, thinking is Samvit, and feeling is Hladini. Ordinarily we may think that feeling is the last of all, but no, it is the first. Feeling is first. Feeling, real feeling, has been given such a high position. We are all under feeling. We are all searching, and feeling is commanding. We think feeling is the result. No. Feeling is commanding everything. First feeling, then thinking, then willing. Generally the karmis give the better hand to willing—willpower—all command; and the jnanis place everything in thinking—“We command the will, so we are holding the high position.” But feeling is at the basis of everything. He, or It, or She—is commanding everything. It has been told like that; we have to understand the position of feeling. Hare Krishna.

CONTENTS

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