Sri Guru Está Presente en Todo " Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura"

Sri Guru Está Presente en Todo

[El siguiente pasaje pertenece a una compilación de enseñanzas de Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, publicada con el nombre de "Srila Prabhupadera Upadesamrta".]

por Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada

1ra. pregunta: En este mundo, ¿son respetados los sadhus genuinos?

Respuesta: En un mundo infestado de engaño, solamente personas engañadoras son honradas. Santos genuinos, que no conducen a las masas por el sendero equivocado, no son respetados en este mundo. En los tiempos modernos, el dejarse engañar por aquellos que mal dirigen a la masas valiéndose de una discurso espiritual presuntuoso, de una u otra manera se ha instaurado como religión de la era (yuga-dharma). Y debido a que los santos verdaderos desean exponer a las personas malvadas y mundanas (asadhus), estos mismos engañadores mundanos, poniendo en práctica una estratagema diseñada para salir ellos bien librados, confunden a las masas al afirmar maliciosamente que los verdaderos santos son pecadores, engañadores y ladrones. La energía ilusoria del Señor, maya, jamás permite que las jivas se vuelvan sinceras (niskapata), y para dicho fin ella se ha ingeniado diversas estrategias para impedirle a las jivas que se asocien con sadhus genuinos.

2da. pregunta: ¿Es posible presenciar el darsana del Señor Supremo sin que primero se haya tenido el darsana de sri guru?

Respuesta: Definitivamente no. Sri Guru es el completamente trascendente (aprakrta) templo de Sri Bhagavan, y Bhagavan siempre reside dentro de ese templo. Bhagavan Sri Krishna, que es controlado con amor, Se manifiesta personalmente dentro del sadhu-guru y siempre permanece ahí. Está escrito en las escrituras:


srutim apare smrtim itare
bharatam anye bhajantu bhava-bhitah
aham iha nandam vande
yasyalinde param brahma


Padyavali (126)

Otros puede que sirvan a los Srutis, a los Smrtis, al Mahabharata y a otras escrituras, porque le temen a la existencia material. Sin embargo, yo adoraré a Nanda Maharaja, que es tan excelso que el Brahman Supremo, la Verdad Absoluta en persona, juega en el patio de su casa.

Muchas personas aseguran estar muy ansiosas de presenciar el darsana de Bhagavan, pero ellas no comprenden que el darsana de Bhagavan sólo es posible a través del darsana del guru. Sin haber presenciado antes el darsana de sri guru, el darsana de Bhagavan no es ni siquiera imaginable. Incluso la misma bhakti no se comienza a manifestar si la entidad conocida como sri guru no está presente.

Sri guru es el único medio mediante el cual nos conectamos con Sri Krishna y se nos concede audiencia directa de Sus pies de loto. Y la manera como Sri Krishna vuelve palpable Su misericordia infinita, es enviando a este mundo a los grandes vaisnavas, a Sus sirvientes más queridos. A decir verdad, sri guru es la personificación de la misericordia infinita de Krishna. Únicamente aquel que nos enseña cómo servir a la Deidad y al Santo Nombre, es sri gurudeva.

No basta servir a sri guru con respeto y veneración en un lugar retirado. Tenemos que servir íntimamente a sri guru; o sea, con un amor y fe profundos (visrambha guru-seva), tal como Srila Raghunatha dasa Goswami sirvió íntimamente a Sri Svarupa Damodara Prabhu.

3ra. pregunta: ¿Qué me pasará si me olvido de sri guru?

Respuesta: En el instante que me aparto de sri guru; en el momento me olvido de aquel que me mantiene atraído a sus pies de loto a cada instante, en ese preciso instante, sin lugar a dudas me desviaré de la Verdad. Y cuando estoy así separado de sri guru, incontables recelos y deficiencias me arrinconarán. Me pasaré el tiempo bañando cuando haga calor y arropando cuando haga frío. En otras palabras, me interesaré más en procurarme confort, que en servir a sri gurudeva.

Si al comenzar cada año, cada mes, cada día y cada momento, yo no recuerdo a mi gurudeva, el que me salva de absorberme en aquello que no tiene nexo con mi posición constitucional o está separado de krsna-bhakti, entonces definitivamente caeré en una situación en la que experimentaré más y más dificultades. Trataré de presentarme como guru y seré tragado por la perniciosa mentalidad de creer que otros deben adorarme como tal. Esto es únicamente dvitiya abhinevesa: infatuarse con los propósitos despreciables de nuestro estado antinatural. El acudir y ofrecer guru-puja por un solo día es insuficiente. Es nuestro deber servir a sri gurudeva a cada instante.

4ta. pregunta: ¿Quién repara en los defectos de los vaisnavas genuinos?

Respuesta: Solamente aquellos que sienten aversión a practicar hari-bhajana, que dependen enteramente de sus sentidos materiales —sus ojos, oídos, narices, etcétera—, y que están condenados a percibir sólo el aspecto exterior de las cosas, son los que buscarán defectos en los vaisnavas. En el Srimad-Bhagavad-gita, Sri Krishna ha declarado que un devoto del Señor nunca es tocado por la desventura; él jamás perece: na me bhaktah pranasyati (B.g. 9.3).

Aquellos que están dedicados exclusivamente al bhajana del Señor, ¿acaso es posible que se degraden alguna vez? En verdad, ellos solamente obtienen el máximo beneficio. Porque mi visión es imperfecta, reparo en las faltas de otros. Por ello, soy incapaz de procurarme mi propio beneficio.

Si yo dependo completamente en las observaciones y percepciones de mis sentidos, entonces me privaré del servicio a Adhoksaja —la Suprema Personalidad de Dios, que está más allá del alcance de mis sentidos—, y también me privaré del servicio a sri gurudeva. Es únicamente debido a mi propio estado deprimente que le permito a mi mente morar en el infortunio de los demás. Yo estoy tan atraído a buscar defectos en los demás, porque personalmente estoy infestado de defectos. Si soy capaz de trabajar para mi propio beneficio, entonces no tendría tiempo para reparar en las faltas de los demás.

5ta. pregunta: ¿Sri guru está presente en todo?

Respuesta: Sí. Los acaryas que componen nuestro asraya-jativa guru varga* están presentes en diversas formas con la finalidad de conferirnos misericordia. Todas estas son manifestaciones de sri gurudeva —aquel que imparte conocimiento trascendental (divya-jñana)—. La imagen del jagad-guru está reflejada en varias entidades idealistas. Mi sri gurudeva está reflejado en toda entidad. El aspecto visaya-jatiya de Krishna (Krishna como el objeto de amor) es la mitad de la Realidad Absoluta. La otra mitad es el aspecto asraya-jatiya (adonde el amor a Dios se refugia). La plenitud de la Realidad Absoluta existe en la múltiple variedad de pasatiempos trascendentales de estos dos aspectos. La percepción completa del aspecto visaya-jatiya es Sri Krishna, y la percepción completa del aspecto asraya-jatiya es mi sri gurudeva. El reflejo trascendental del aspecto asraya-jatiya es la totalidad de la manifestación cósmica consciente, y ésta es solamente la manifestación de mi gurudeva en diversas formas. Aquel que nos enseña a cada momento que debemos dedicarnos a servir a Bhagavan durante toda la vida, es definitivamente sri gurudeva. Este mismo gurudeva está reflejado en el corazón de todo ser viviente. En su aspecto asraya-jatiya, él está presente en todas y cada una de las entidades.
______________
* La línea de gurus impolutos en cuyos corazones reside Sri Bhagavan.

6ta. pregunta: ¿En qué momento alguien obtiene en su corazón un sphurti (visión momentánea) de Bhagavan?

Respuesta: Por buena fortuna, alguien puede percibir a sri gurudeva desplazándose en su corazón; o sea, esa persona puede presenciar en su corazón el darsana de sri gurudeva. Únicamente en un corazón puro como ese ocurre la visión momentánea (sphurti) de Bhagavan. No hay otro medio para alcanzar el servicio al Señor Supremo que servir y complacer a sri guru, el que nos inspira a dedicarnos a servir a Sri Bhagavan a toda costa y en todas las actividades.

7ma. pregunta: Si no me rindo por completo a los pies de loto de sri guru, ¿me estoy engañando?

Respuesta: Definitivamente. Puedo decir que he recibido el mantra del guru, pero en términos reales, si no estoy preparado para acogerme por completo al refugio de los pies de loto de sri guru, entonces en la medida que actúe con falsedad, en esa medida seré engañado.

Jayapataka maharaja LECTURE ON CAITANYA LI LA 16 MARCH 2011 IN SRI DHAM

CAITANYA LILA DAY 1 - 15 MARCH 2011 IN SRIDHAM MAYAPUR

(transcribed by HG Jayaraseswari mataji)
We offer tarpana for Bhismadev in the Ganges. He was a brahmachari since his
birth and did not marry and he had no children to do his tarpana, so we all
accept to do for him because he was a pure devotee of the Lord. Of course
you
could say that he doesn’t need it but it is to our benefit to do it.
So there is one story from the Padma Purana, there was this devotee and he
would go everyday to the Ganges and there he would bathe, recite his
Gayatri,
offer prayers and then take a bucket home and give to his wife and
children.
So this was his daily practice. He was a great devotee of the Ganges.
Actually
Prabhupad said that he wanted to go every day to the Ganges and that if he
could do that it could extend his life. At that time the Ganges was far away
and there were many properties on the way. We were trying to buy all the
properties but it was very difficult. Now the Ganges is very close. So, it
is
easy now but at that time it wasn’t. Prabhupad, he would say, as a child he
would go every day to the Ganges by the Howrah bridge. I don’t know the
Howrah
bridge built then or not but that is where his house was at Mahatma Gandhi
Road
which was then known as Harrison Road.
So, any way, this brahmana one day he was coming back from the Ganges and
there
was a politician but he was born in a Brahmin family – he had a Brahmin
thread
but he was a politician. He cheated, he lied and he was involved in so many
wrong things, he had killed his father who was a rival for him in the court
and
he was a very simple person. He was very proud and came walking and saw a
bull
and he thought why is this bull is blocking the road. He picked up a branch
and started to hit the bull. Now the bull is not a very wise thing. It got
up
and looked, who is this guy and he started kicking with his feet and then
charged and hit him with his horns and the Brahmin flew in the air and he
was
pierced in the heart and he was thrown down and was lying on the road, spot
dead! And the bull went walking on.
Meanwhile this other Brahmin came from the Ganges and he saw a Brahmin lying
dead on the road. And he said let me sprinkle some Holy Ganges water on him.
He
then walked on and after some time he saw some Yamadutas who were injured
and
one was carrying another. He asked them, what happened to you? They shouted
and
said, it is all BECAUSE OF YOU! YOU ARE THE ONE WHO DID IT!! The brahmana
looked puzzled (Guru Maharaj shrugged his shoulders), what did I do??! YOU
SPRINKLED THE GANGES WATER ON THAT SOUL, on that person, he was sinner but
because you sprinkled the Ganges water we did not know who these Vishnudutas
were who said we could not touch him. The Vishnudutas they came and said he
belongs to us as he has been sprinkled with Ganges water, so we are taking
him!
And they took our ropes and they took him. He was a sinner, he was a killer,
a
murderer, he was a thief but we don’t know who these Vishnudutas were who
walked in and we attacked them and they said what is wrong with you? Don’t
you
know, the Ganges is sacred and so they called for the Sudarshan chakra and
they
asked Him to chop our hands and feet and so we had to retreat and it is all
because of you! Why did you give that water to him? So this Brahmin went
back
to the Ganges and paid obeisances again and again and started saying his
prayers to the Ganges. Ganga Mayi Devi ki jai! Ganga Mayi Devi ki jai! Ganga
Mayi Devi ki jai! Like that he was praying and then Ganges being pleased
with
him, the Personality of the Ganges came out and gave darshan to him.
As you saw today, she was on a crocodile had a white flower and wore white
clothes and she asked what blessing do you want? He said I would like to
have
two things: One, when I die I want to be touched by your waters. And second
if
I could go back to the spiritual world otherwise if I cannot at least I
should
be born in the family of a devotee. She said Thathasthu! So be it! So the
Ganges, she is very sacred and she is very much blessed by the Caitanya
Lila,
by the Gaura Lila and we are also blessed that we have the Ganges Bhagirati
flowing right by us. So every year we do this during the festival when we
offer
the Ganga Puja. Ganga Mayi ki jai!
Actually, I have seen in Haridwar, Rishikesh, in Benares and few other
places
they do regular puja of the Ganges. I told them here we should do regular
puja
to the Ganges. They say we are doing once a year. Somehow it is not
happening.
But we hope that some time we would be able to do the puja regularly, at
least
every week, puja to the Ganges. The Ganges goes through the three worlds and
it
purifies, it is the lotus feet water of Vishnu, so it is very sacred and you
can call it the charanamrita of the Lord. Some kings they used to carry
only
Ganges water and that Ganges water day by day it gets more and more pure.
Other
water gets contaminated day by day but the Ganges water gets more and more
pure! We also tested it and the everyday we got 15% more clear and by 9
days
it was very clear. But there is garbage being thrown in the Ganges which is
unacceptable and unfortunate.
Anway, at the house of Srivas Thakur I told one of the Parikrima groups, I
didn’t know it was the Hindi parikrama, I told how Srivas invited Gauranga
to
come to his house and do kirtan because they are the denizens of KRISHNA
PREMA!! Hari bol! So he was invited to the home and there the people were
told
that the people would not understand their ecstasy, so I will only bring
very
confidential devotees who know what these ecstacies are and know how to
appreciate. So that is how the kirtan started. Because Lord Caitanya was
chanting and He would faint and His hair would stand on its ends, He would
cry
loudly and the people thought that He had some mental problem. They did not
know that actually He was in ecstasy of love of Krishna. He came to the
house
of Srivas and there every night they would chant: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna,
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare! Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare! So like
this every day Srivas would have the kirtan of Lord Caitanya in his house.
So people were wondering what is going on inside, but the doors were kept
closed and only devotees were allowed and the others were outside and
wondering, what are they doing there? What are they doing? What is going on?
Chanting Hare Krishna, what else! Hari bol! Hari bol! So inside of course
Lord
Caitanya was dancing and chanting and His kirtan was very ecstatic and
sometimes He would fall on the floor. Sachi mata, when she saw, because she
was the mother, she would be worried, has He got hurt, is He alright? Not
knowing she disturbed His ecstasy. So she kept worrying. Lord Caitanya gave
her
the benediction that during the kirtan she was always in ecstasy and did not
know what was happening. Otherwise she would just be like (Guru Maharaj
posed
like dumbfounded). Ha! Ha! Otherwise she would have disturbed the kirtan. So
like this every day they had the kirtan.
One day Lord Caitanya, He stopped the kirtan, and said today I am not
feeling
ecstasy! I don’t feel any ecstasy! WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
And
everybody was thinking because I must have committed some aparaadh, Lord
Caitanya, Lord Gauranga, He doesn’t feel ecstasy today. Lord Gauranga said
maybe somebody is watching, somebody WATCHING! WHO IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE
HERE!
So Srivas he looked in the house everywhere and he couldn’t find anyone. No
one
is there and so they started kirtan again. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna....But
Lord Caitanya He said again I don’t feel ecstasy. Who is responsible? Why am
I
not feeling any ecstasy any bliss today? Again devotees were thinking what
did
I do? Because a devotee naturally thinks of himself as the culprit. He
doesn’t
find fault with others and blames himself first. So each one was thinking is
something wrong with me? Then again Lord Caitanya said there was must be
someone here because after all He is antaryami, He is Krishna, He is in
everyone’s heart, so He knows who is there or not there. So they saw in the
corner of the house, somehow the mother in law of Srivas was hiding under a
basket and watching. She wanted to see Lord Caitanya dance. Srivas pulled
her
by the hair and threw her out! Now Bengalis are very respectful to the
mother
in law! And they don’t do that. But Srivas had to do this. So then, Lord
Caitanya chanted again Hare Krishna Hare Krishna... Then Lord Caitanya asked
Srivas , who was that? Srivas said, I don’t know! Again Lord Caitanya asked,
who was that? Srivas said, I don’t know! Ha! Ha! Wasn’t that your mother in
law, Lord Caitanya asked. Yes, Srivas said(Guru maharaj made a very straight
face and said yes meekly!)! Ha! Ha! Why did you treat your mother in law so
badly? Anyone who interferes with Your ecstasy My Lord will not be
tolerated, I
am simply made for Your service. So anyone who interferes with your ecstasy,
I
don’t know them! Lord Caitanya said, Srivas you are too much! Ha! Ha! So
Srivas
was totally dedicate to Lord Caitanya.
Srivas, he went to the Bhagavatam class of Devananda Pandit and at time
Devananda Pandit he had this class in Koladweep on the other side of the
river.
So Srivas sat in that and hearing Krishna Lila he felt ecstatic and he
started
to cry in separation. But Devananda Pandit he was basically a mayawadi and
anyway useless for us. Any way Srivas he was ecstatic and crying. So he said
who is this causing disturbance, throw him out! They picked out Srivas and
threw him out and he didn’t know what was happening when he got thrown out!
Any
way Caitanya Mahaprabhu picked him up and chastised Devananda Pandit. He
said
you have offended a pure devotee – you don’t know the slightest meaning of
Bhagavatam and you are giving a Bhagavatam class! You are very offensive!
And
so on and so forth! He said so many things to Devananda Pandit and Devananda
Pandit was very much offended and first he thought who is this person who
can
insult me? He got upset. He was somehow related to Vakreshwar Pandit. So
Vakreshwar Pandit came to him and said, listen, Lord Caitanya is actually
Krishna Himself, but He came in a disguise as Nimai Pandit. Actually you
should
understand that it was predicted that the Supreme Lord would come in a
devotee
form in the Kali Yuga and give us love of Krishna freely to everyone! And
then
they started to study the shastra and found out who Lord Caitanya actually
was.
And then he came to Lord Caitanya, offered his obeisances to Lord Gauranga.
Lord Gauranga told him, you did not offend Me, you offended Srivas, so you
please offer your obeisances to Srivas. So he went to see Srivas and he
offered
his obeisances to Srivas and begged for forgiveness. So he was forgiven.
Srivas
we read in the Bhagavatam how by a little bhakti he is so great.
One time Lord Caitanya had tested Srivas, He told Srivas, you know why do
you
let this mendicant Nityanada into your house? You don’t know what family He
comes from, what He does, He is like an avadhoot. Sometimes He acts like a
child, sometimes like He is swimming in the Ganges! You don’t know about
this
person. I think you should drive Him out of your house for the sake of your
family. Please don’t keep this Nityananda in your house! And then Srivas
said,
Lord, why, why are you testing me? I know that Nityananda is nondifferent
from
You and Nityananda is very dear to You. Even a devotee with a little
devotion
is pleasing to you - what to speak of Lord Nityananda who is Your counter
part!
So even if I see Nityananda wandering or acting strangely I know that He is
transcendental. So I cannot ask Him to leave because I have all respect for
Nityananda. And Lord Caitanya then said, yes I was testing you and you have
passed the test! And Srivas you are so dear to me that even if Lakshmi
Herself
has to beg in the street, the Goddess of Fortune gets broke, you will never
be
broke, you will always have very much plenty in your house and even the dogs
and cats, even the insects in your house will have pure devotion! Hari bol!
Hari bol! Hari bol! So we are like the dog in Srivas’s house. Hari bol! Hari
bol! Hari bol! So Srivas is so dear to Lord Caitanya, so we worship him on
the
altar as the representative of all the devotees. Sri Krishna Caitanya,
Prabhu
Nityananda, Sri Advaita Gadaadhara, Srivas Adi Gaura Bhakta Vrinda! So
Srivas
adi means and all the other devotees. Like Srivas, following Srivas.
I will tell you one more Srivas story and then we will give out prasad. I
think
our seven days of parikrama and the prayaschit morning that my speaking
ability
has come down a bit. I hope tomorrow I would have a little more rest and
speak
a little better. Srivas was a very simple soul, he would believe whatever
people told him. Some of the people told him that if he had kirtan in his
house
the Hussain Shah would send the troops and would harass all the Hindus in
Navadweep, all because of you! You Srivas! It was only a routine change of
troops and nothing special but Srivas thought that just because of me they
are
sending some extra troops and will cause some trouble. He was too simple a
person and could not think that people would just make up things and come
and
tell him. So he decided to worship Lord Nringhadev who protects all the
devotees.
Naamaste Nrsinghaya!...
So while he was offering his puja to Lord Nrsinghadev, Lord Caitanya knocked
on
his door, knock! Knock! Knock! Srivas! Srivas! The person who you are
worshipping is here! Srivas open up! The Person you are worshipping He is
here!
Srivas thought, I am worshipping Nrsinghadev! He opened the door and there
he
saw Lord Caitanya was there and manifesting His four handed form. Hari bol!
He
looked at Srivas and said, you have nothing to worry about Srivas! Nothing
to
worry about! Hari bol! Hari bol! Hari bol! So Srivas Thakur, so many
pastimes
that happened at Srivas Aangan. I only told a few. Srivas is Narada Muni who
came down to participate in Lord Gauranga’s pastimes. So if we are fortunate
we
can also participate in Lord Gauranga’s pastimes. How many of you would like
to
participate in Lord Gauranga’s pastimes? Hari bol! He had so many devotees
who
were doing kirtan – He did kirtan in the street – there were so many people
who
were doing kirtan in Navadweep and they came to the house of Chand Kazi,
like
that there are so many pastimes where Lord Caitanya came and He engaged all
the
residents of Navadweep. So this Navadweep Dham is also known as and non
different from Vrindavan and it is also existing in its spiritual form in
the
spiritual world as Shwetadweep. In Goloka Vrindavan there are four sections
–
Vraja, Mathura, Dwaraka and Shweta. So this land of Lord Gauranga is also
there
in the spiritual world and most of the devotees who are there in Gaura Lila
are
simultaneously there in Krishna Lila as well. Hari bol! Hari bol! Hari bol!
Are
there any questions regarding Srivas?
Question: Srivas was Narada Muni. Narada Muni was a naishtika brahmachari.
How
did he accept the role as a grihastha in Gaura Lila?
GM: You see, Narada Muni is a liberated soul so when they come down to
participate in the pastime of the Lord they can accept any role. So he came
down as Srivas and he accepted the role. So that is in Gaura Lila. So it is
another birth and not the same. So like Lord Brahma, he came down as Haridas
Thakur. Brihaspathi, he came down as Vaasudev Saarvabhauma. So they came and
participated. So what they were in the other lila and now they have no
connection. That is how the Lilas work. Once you are in a Lila, you are
under
the control of Yoga maya. So you are in that Lila until you are required.
Caitanya Chandra Charan from Croatia, his birthday today? Do we have a cake
for him?
Question: We know that Srivas Thakur he left three times and got this prasad
at
his doorstep...
GM: Did you all hear?
Devotees: No
GM: Also we have Marici das making an announcement about...
Question: What is the example that devotees can take from Srivas Thakur’s
life?
GM: He is asking what are the examples we can take from Srivas Thakur’s life
as
a grihastha? (Guru maharaj in the meantime cut a cake.) Hari bol! (Devotee
brought a basket of cookies and guru maharaj took one and said Aha!).
GM: Caitanya Chandra Charan please come forward.
Hari bol! GM did aarti with a candle in the middle of the cake with the
devotee
and his wife. Then the devotee took the cake and showed arti to guru
maharaj.
Devotees sang Hare Krishna....Guru maharaj gave a cookie and cake to
Caitanya
Chandra Charan das. Devotees then came for mahaprasadam from guru maharaj!
Jai Gurudev!

Jrd/15 Mar 2011





GURU MAHARAJ LECTURE ON CAITANYA LILA DAY2- 16 MARCH 2011 IN SRI DHAM




MAYAPUR

Kirtan...
Yesterday we discussed about Srivas. Today we are going to discuss about
Gadadhara Pandit and tomorrow Advaita. Tomorrow we are going to Shantipur.
..
....I am studying poetry. Lord Caitanya said, oh you are reading poetry, let
us
hear some poetry. Ha! Ha! Then Gadadhara composed some poetry and Nimai
Pandit
said , well what are the characters of liberations? Or tell us something
about
liberation. So he said, well you have to suffer first and then only you can
get
liberation and he quoted some verse and Lord Caitanya He said that is not
real
liberation and told him like you go should go back home study again and I
will
see you tomorrow. And like this every day He was defeating him. He is the
Lord
of Saraswati the goddess of learning, so naturally He would defeat everyone.
Later when He took initiation in Gaya, He came back and He was a devotee and
from that time this Gadadhara joined His sankirtan party and Pundarik
Vidhyanidhi was there. So Lord Caitanya, He would call out: Pundarik!
Pundarik!
Pundarik! And devotees thought that well, He is just calling the name of
Lord
Vishnu. But actually He had such great love for His devotee who in Krishna
Lila
is the father of Radharani, King Vrishabhanu and He took birth as Pundarik
Vidhyanidhi. So Mukunda Datta said to Gadadhara let us go and meet my friend
Pundarik? He is PURE DEVOTEE. Gadadhara said, Oh, let us go as he always
wanted
to meet a pure devotee! So then they went and in Chittagong they speak a
special dialect of Bengali called ‘chitkaal kotha’ and (is there a Russian
translator? So those speaking Russian go to the Russian translator ) Mukunda
Datta was speaking with Pundarik Vidhyanidhi and he was speaking in the
local
dialect and they were laughing and talking and making small talk. Meanwhile
Gadadhara Pandit he saw that Pundarik was a very rich person and he had two
people were fanning him and two people were serving him - and on the wall he
had tapestries, he was sitting on a cushion with three pillows and a big
band
playing and at that time he thought that Pundarik was very opulent. So he
thought, where have I come, this is a visaya – a sense gratifier – I thought
I
was coming to the house of a pure devotee, but he is a sense gratifier. He
lives so opulently! Meanwhile Mukunda could understand that Gadhadara was
uneasy, so he began to chant a song about Putana witch, how Putana expressed
a
little bit of motherly affection, too bad I have to kill You, and said I
would
like to be your mother, but what to do, Kamsa asked me to kill you. So she
put
poison on her breast and she was going to kill Krishna by giving her
poisoned
breast in the mouth of Krishna. But because she had expressed some motherly
affection therefore she was already in Vaikuntha in the position as mother
of
Krishna. So when Pundarik Vidhyanidhi heard this he became so much ecstatic
he
started to rip his clothes and threw them and shouted: Krishna! Krishna!
Krishna! You are so merciful! Oh Krishna! I am so fallen and obviously he
had
so much love for Krishna that he did not care for all the material things –
throwing the lamp and other things. So Gadhadara realized that I made a big
mistake – this devotee is really advanced! He loves Krishna so much and he
doesn’t care about these material things. Now I committed a Vaishnav
aparaadh,
I should get forgiven. So how will I get forgiven? If I take him as a guru,
then the guru always forgives the disciple very easily, so I should take
Pundarik Vidhyanidhi as my guru and so he told this to Mukunda. And Mukunda
conveyed this to Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya approved and said, okay, it is
a
very good idea! So he arranged a yajna and Pundarik Vidhyanidhi gave the
Ishta
mantra to Gadhadara Pandit. So Vrishabhanu of Krishna Lila became the guru
of
Gadadhara of Caitanya Lila! Hari bol! Hari bol! Hari bol!
Later Lord Caitanya had sent all the devotees off to preach. So Gadadhara
had
gone close to Khatwa - I think the place is called Barackpore – I may be
wrong
– but he went to this village and everybody there attended the program and
they
all said we want initiation, we want to follow you. We are surrendered to
you.
So Lord Caitanya thought and told Gadadhara since they are all surrendering,
you should stay here and guide them. Gadadhara said but, but, I can’t leave
you! No, you have to stay here and guide them said Lord Caitanya. Gadhadara
said I don’t have any deities. Lord Caitanya around His neck he carried a
deity
of Krishna ... Lord Caitanya said I have this deity which is dearest to me,
I
will give this to you. Then Gadhadara said I don’t have any book, how will I
teach them? Lord Caitanya gave him a manuscript of the Bhagavad Gita, it was
signed by Lord Caitanya, okay I will give you My Bhagavad Gita signed by
Lord
Caitanya. The Bhakitvedanta Charity Trust we did some repairs of the temple
and the same deities and the same manuscripts are still there. And that was
quite a number of years. The whole village is following Vaishnava dharma. On
turns they cook the noon day meal for the deity where the deity comes in a
procession and in his house they have a triple altar, Lord Caitanya,
Pundarik
Vidhyanidhi and this deity of Gadadhara, they put the deity there and the
husband will put the leaf and the food cooked by his wife and they will
offer
prasad to the deity and the deity would eat and they would take the deity
home.
To this day, after 500 years they still follow this system. Hari bol!
So I have seen how Gadadhara was in the preaching mood , when Lord Caitanya
sent everyone out to preach, he went to Jagannath Puri and took a vow of
kshetra sanyas. So there he was worshipping the Gopinath deity which was so
beautiful that He looked like Krishna in Vrndavan and Lord Caitanya also
embraced Him and He was very, very beautiful. So one day when Nityananda
came
from Bengal he brought some special rice paddy, a very fine rice, and
Gadadhara
said, you brought this rice from the spiritual world??! Is to be given to
Gopinath? Please, you have to stay here and take prasad he told Nityananda.
Gadadhara cooked an offering for Gopinath – rice, some dal, cooked some
tender
leaves of spinaches, and he cooked some tamarind leaves – now cooking
tamarind
leaves is not very easy, you have to be very expert cook but he knew how to
cook it and he was cooking. Gadadhara embraced Nityananda and he had taken a
vow that anyone who criticizes Nityananda, he would not see his face, anyone
who did not like Nityananda, he would not associate with him. So he had so
much
love for Nityananda. So the two were together and they were hugging each
other
and crying glorifying Krishna and so this was a very rare moment. In the
middle
somehow Lord Caitanya, He appeared. He said, both of you tell me now, why
did
you not invite Me for the feast? Even if you don’t invite Me, I will
forcibly
take prasad! You cannot deprive Me of this mercy! Divide the prasad into
three
equal equal parts. I want to take prasad with you Nityananda and Gadadhara.
So
the three, Lord Caitanya, Nityananda and Gadadhara took prasad after it was
offered to Gopinath. So this was a very special pastime. Lord Caitanya He
was
praising Gadadhara – you are such an amazing cook, who can cook tamarind
leaves? Cooking tamarind leaves is very difficult but you are good at
cooking
anything! I don’t know who you are but you are able to cook and what you
cook
tastes like nectar! Because Gadadhara is Radharani who came as Gadadhara in
Caitanya Lila and so he was also an expert cook. So it is said that if you
hear
this pastime that Lord Caitanya took prasad with Nityananda and Gadadhara,
how
the Lord is so kind, so merciful, and hear how the three exchanged their
love
of Krishna so much that certainly you will get very soon the lotus feet of
GAURANGA! GAURANGA! GAURANGA!
Later in the Caitanya Caritamrita, there is also the pastime where the Lord
Caitanya, He tries to go to Vrindavan and Gadadhara Prabhu he goes with him.
So
Lord Caitanya told him, please, don’t leave Jagannath Puri , you have taken
a
vow of Kshetra Sanyas and you will now be in Jagannath Puri. But Gadadhara
said, that seeing Your lotus feet, wherever You are is Jagannath Puri! I
will
stay with You! Lord Caitanya said I will be responsible for this, I will be
the
guilty one to let you break your vow and leave Nilachal Kshetra and also
leave
the service of Gopinath. Gadadhara said, simply seeing Your lotus feet is
more
than millions of worship of Gopinath, so I will stay with You! But if You
say
You are responsible, I take all the guilt, I take all the responsibility on
myself, Gadadhara said. I will just take a little peak of you sometime, that
is
all! So they crossed over the river. Then Lord Caitanya said, you are now we
are at the end of Nilachal Kshetra – go back! You go back, I wont take you!
You have to go back! You have to go back and you have to worship Gopinath
and
you have to stay in Nilachal! But then Gadadhara fainted. So then Lord
Caitanya called and told Saarvabhauma Bhattacharya You take him back with
you.
You take him to Jagannath Puri. So then Vaasudev Saarvabhauma he said, to
Gadadhara, these are Caitanya pastimes, Caitanya Lila, who can understand
His
pastimes? Then Gadadhara he returned back with Saarvabhauma Bhattacharya.
One more pastime, Gadadhara he said to Lord Caitanya ever since I gave my
mantra to some devotee who was not qualified, my mind has been very
disturbed,
so I want to get the mantra again. So please give me the mantra. Lord
Caitanya
said, well listen your mantra guru is Pundarik, so are you sure you have not
committed some offence? While the mantra guru is present you should only get
the mantra from him, not from Me. Otherwise My spiritual life will be
affected
and also yours. So I should not give you. Gadadhara asked, if You give me,
what
is the problem? Lord Caitanya said, well, in another 10 days he will be here
as
Pundarik wants to see Me and I think you are also like a magnet and you are
attracting him. So he is coming and you can get the mantra from him. Because
Lord Caitanya was antaryami, He is the Supersoul, He knows everything past,
present and future, He knows all the things. So He knew that Pundarik was
coming. So Pundarik came and then on Odana Shasthi, that is the first day
of
winter he gave re-initiation to Gadadhara prabhu because he told his istha
mantra to someone who was not qualified. That means we should also be
careful
not to give our mantras away to people who are not qualified. So Pundarik
gave
the mantra again to Gadadhara Prabhu. I think in Caitanya Caritamrita it
says
that those who hear these pastimes of Lord Caitanya they will very soon get
bhakti - Krishna bhakti. Hari bol!
When Gadadhara, when he was very old he thought I cannot worship Gopinath, I
have to have some disciple worship because I cannot lift up my arm, so at
that
time next day Gopinath, He was sitting so like Gadadhara could give Him
bath.
So a rare pose of Krishna sitting deity is there, the stone deity sat down
to
let Gadadhara worship Him and now He is known as Tota Gopinath – the sitting
Gopinath. Jai! Before He was standing.
When Srinivas Acarya he came to see Lord Caitanya and Lord Caitanya had left
before, so he was mad and Lord Caitanya had told him you should see
Gadadhara
and hear from him the Bhagavat. So regularly, Lord Caitanya would come and
hear
the Bhagavatam from Gadadhara and Gadadhara would read hundreds of times
maybe
thousands, the pastimes of Prahlad and Dhruva Maharaj. Srinivas Acarya, he
went
to see Gadadhara as at that time he was feeling great separation from Lord
Caitanya. But at that time Gadadhara was not seeing anyone but when he heard
the name Srinivas was outside, he said he would see him. Srinivas said he
would
like to learn the Bhagavatam, I would like to learn the Bhagavatam from you.
Gadadhara said I am happy to teach you Bhagavatam but our Bhagavatam is now
washed out and is covered with tears and it is not visible any more. So he
saw
the Bhagavatam the tears had washed off the words and the Bhagavatam was not
visible. So he said if you want me to teach you the Bhagavatam, you have to
get
me a fresh copy. In those days copies were handcopied by scholars, brahmanas
who would hand write it. So Srinivas went back to Navadweep with the
Bhagavatam
written as all the scholars were here and then came back to Jagannath Puri
and
heard the Bhagavatam. With that we will end the story here! Hari bol!
Did you all see the Boat Festival of Radha Madhav? Were They not BEAUTIFUL??
We have some prasad from the deities which is Ekadasi prasad. Today is
Ekadasi. But we will take two questions – are there any questions?
Devotee (Atul Krishna?): Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Radha and Krishna combined,
so
why did Radharani come again as Gadadhara Pandit?
GM: In Caitanya Lila Gadadhara is in the supporting role as he helps Lord
Caitanya in this Lila. In the Krishna Lila Radharani is the Heroine, She has
the major role. But in Caitanya Lila She comes to support Lord Krishna who
was
taking the mood of Radharani. So in this he takes a broader role,
supportive
role. Any other question? ...Sundari Devi dasi?
... Sundari Devi Dasi: Does Gadadhara sometimes feel like he is Radharani or
as
you explained yesterday that Lilas are separate...
GM: We are just little jivas. Radharani is the internal potency, so we
cannot
understand the Lord or His internal potency what They know, They don’t know.
We
are all jivas – Brahma is a jiva, we are also jivas but we are very small
jivas. So I don’t know what Gadadhara knows, what He doesn’t know but as a
protocol wife of the younger brother according to Vedic custom to associate
with the elder brother was not right But that relationship is not there when
She comes as Gadadhara. So Gadadhara can freely associate with Nityananda.
So
we see that Gadadhara would take advantage and he would associate with
Nitai,
so what He knew, what He did not know, I can’t say. I think He knew because
She was either the external or internal potency and She is the internal
potency.
Devotee: Sometimes the pujaris here dress Gadadhara in a feminine way with
...
I don’t know why in Mayapur I feel Gadadhara he looks so feminine or... and
I
don’t know why the pujaris are making ....
GM: I didn’t know this. Maybe you see something. Ha! Ha!

Jrd/17 March 2011

Why the Feet of Sri Guru by Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja

Why the Feet of Sri Guru
by Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja
One should understand what is sri-guru-carana-padma. The words "sri-guru" are very significant. "Sri" means sobha, beauty; sampada, transcendental wealth, or asset; and srestha, the topmost. "Sri-guru" means that guru who is endowed with sri, with prema-bhakti. The word "sri" is used because there is no question of Sri Guru disappearing or not being manifest. It is only applicable to a guru who is eternally manifest. Otherwise such a word would not be used.

The Only Wealth
In this world, Sri Guru is the only beauty or asset, wealth. There is nothing else. Carana means feet. Sri-guru-carana-padma the feet of Sri Guru are compared to the lotus. This is also very significant. Why are his feet compared to the lotus and not to anything else? The lotus flower looks very nice and beautiful, and it also provides very sweet honey, madhu. The bumblebee collects honey from different flowers, but especially from the lotus flower. So what sort of special quality is there in the honey collected from the lotus flower that is not present in the honey collected from other flowers? It is a special type of honey known as padma-madhu. The disciple who is like a bumblebee, who is very hungry and greedy for that honey, relishes it.


Mellow of Bhakti
Although the lotus flower grows out of the water, it is not touched by it. One of the synonyms for water is rasa, mellow. The feet of Sri Guru are compared to a lotus, but this lotus grows in the transcendental water of bhakti-rasa, the mellow of bhakti. Such are the lotus feet of Sri Guru. His lotus feet are aprakrta, not material, but transcendental. They are bhakati-sadma, the abode of transcendental bhakti-rasa as well as all madhuri, beauty. The lotus looks beautiful to the eye and is very attractive to the heart.

Similarly, the shining lotus feet of Sri Guru are very beautiful in the eyes of the disciple and very attractive to his heart. All of the activities, form, qualities, and pastimes of Sri Guru are very beautiful in the eyes of the sadhaka-bhakta. Through the eye of meditation the sadhaka-bhakta sees the beautiful lotus feet of Sri Guru. Upon seeing those lotus feet he feels a soothing effect in his afflicted heart. His heart is afflicted with the three tapas, sufferings: adhyatmika, sufferings arising from one's own mind and body; adhidaivika, sufferings arising from nature; and adhibhautika, sufferings arising from other living entities. When the disciple meditates on the beautiful lotus feet of Sri Guru he feels a soothing effect and his affliction is cooled down. At the same time he also smells the nice scent that is coming from the lotus feet of Sri Guru, like the scent that comes from the lotus.


Cooling Shade
The bumblebee wanders everywhere, going to various types of flowers. One type of flower is the ketaki flower. That flower is found in India, but not in the West. The tree on which the ketaki flower grows, like the rose plant, has thousands of thorns. The ketaki flower has a nice scent, and a bumblebee that becomes attracted by the scent from the ketaki flower goes there. But because of the many thorns on the tree his wings become torn and he feels so much pain and affliction.

The bumblebee thinks, "Where to go now? Can I get shelter in a place where there is no pain and affliction? Where can I get peace?" After wandering hither and thither, at last he comes to the lotus flower and experiences the cooling, soothing effect there. He takes shelter inside the lotus flower, sucks the sweet honey there, and thus gets nourishment.

Similarly, the jiva who is wandering and wandering through the innumerable universes and through the innumerable species of life of this material world — brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva — gets only more and more suffering, misery, and torture. There is no cooling effect in the material world, which is like a blazing forest fire — samsara-davanala.

Nobody starts the forest fire, but automatically by the rubbing of two pieces of wood, the whole forest is burned and the animals that live in the forest are burned to ashes. They feel the burning heat, which is very painful. Similarly, the conditioned souls in this material world feel the burning sensation coming from the three tapas: adhyatmika, adhibhautika, and adhidaivika. After wandering through innumerable universes and innumerable species of life, at last the fortunate soul, bhagyavan jiva, comes to the lotus feet of Sri Guru and takes shelter in the cooling shade there. As the bumblebee sucks honey from the lotus flower, similarly, the guru-.-padma, the lotus feet of Sri Guru, allow that jiva, who is compared to the bumblebee, to suck the nice honey whereby he gets real nourishment and also premananda, loving happiness.


Special Type of Honey
Padma-madhu, the honey collected from the lotus flower, is a special type of honey. The Ayurveda-sastra says that it is a good medicine for the eye. If someone has some eye disease due to impurities in the eye the kaviraj, ayurvedic doctor, will advise him to rub some padma-madhu in his eyes. Because of these impurities one cannot see clearly and feels pain. Applying some padma-madhu on the eyes will clean out all the impurities and then one will be able to see clearly. Similarly, the guru-.-padma-madhu, the honey emanating from the lotus feet of Sri Guru, is so sweet and nectarean that if a fortunate disciple gets it and relishes it then the disciple's eyes will be cleansed of the material conception.


Eyes of Knowledge

om ajnana-timirandhasya
jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena
tasmai sri-gurave namah
I was born in the dense darkness of ignorance, blind, without real vision. Sri Guru, by his causeless mercy, has opened my eyes with the torchlight of knowledge.
For a person who has some painful eye disease, who cannot see well, the kaviraj will advise him to apply some padma-madhu by which the drsti-sakti, the power to see clearly, will develop. Then not only will he get nice eyesight but also he will be able to see even very subtle things that he would otherwise never have been able to see. Similarly, when one takes shelter at the lotus feet of Sri Guru and gets the guru's mercy, the guru allows the surrendered disciple to taste that sweet honey emanating from the guru's lotus feet. That is the medicine whereby his material eyes will be cleansed of all material contamination. He develops transcendental vision.
He may have been blinded by the dense darkness of ignorance, ajnana-andhakara, but that will all be gone now. The darkness is dispelled and he receives the eyes of knowledge— divya-jnana-caksu. Sri Guru imparts tattva-jnana, and by his mercy the disciple develops transcendental vision. With that vision he will be able to see the beautiful form of the Supreme Lord, Syamasundar. This is the honey, or madhu, emanating from the lotus feet of Sri Guru; it acts in such a wonderful way. Therefore the phrase, "sri-guru-carana-padma" is very significant — the lotus feet of Sri Guru are compared to a lotus. Why is this comparison made and how to explain it?


Wonderful Characteristic
Padma-madhu cures eye disease and clears out all the impurities from the eye, but it cannot clear the impurities from the heart. However, the honey emanating from the lotus feet of Sri Guru, guru-.-padma-madhu, has such a special and wonderful characteristic that it cures both the eye and the heart. Sri-guru-carana-padma-madhu cleanses and purifies the heart so that it will become a suitable place for Govinda, Krishna, to reside.

tomara hrdoye sada govinda-visram
govinda kohena — mora vaisnava paran
Narottam Das Thakur sings, "O Vaisnava-thakura! Govinda, Krishna, resides in your heart, which is like Vrindavan, the eternal abode of Govinda. He stays there very blissfully and peacefully. He never leaves your heart."
The guru makes the heart of his surrendered disciple a suitable place for Krishna to reside. Because the guru gives the disciple shelter at his lotus feet and allows him to suck that special type of honey that has that wonderful characteristic, the heart of the surrendered disciple is cleansed.


Wandering Hopelessly
The conditioned souls are like a diseased person suffering from various kinds of material ills — bhava-rogi. Their disease is very chronic. They have already taken many medicines — allopathic, homeopathic, and Ayurvedic — but the disease is still not cured. The disease is incurable and has become chronic. They have already lost their vitality, jivana-sakti, and cannot digest any food. They have taken so many medicines, and that has also produced a bad effect.

These days you will find so many strong drugs, but what is their effect? They simply result in chronic incurable disease. People lose their vitality, and they cannot even eat anything because their digestive fire is very low. How can they survive? They are dying. They cannot eat or digest anything.

The kaviraj will advise, "You should only eat one thing — madhu. And especially padma-madhu, the special type of honey from the lotus flower."

He prescribes padma-madhu, whereby they will regain their vitality. This honey will give them life. Any other type of food cannot be given; only padma-madhu is advised. Then they can regain their vitality. Such jivas, wandering through innumerable universes and experiencing the miseries of innumerable species of life, have become completely hopeless. They are only getting suffering, so many material ills — bhava-roga.

If such persons are fortunate, they will come to the lotus feet of Sri Guru. That guru is like a physician, sadhu-vaidya. He knows the perfect and unfailing medicine to cure the material disease, bhava-roga. He knows the cause of the jiva's suffering. There is only one medicine, the honey emanating from the lotus feet of Sri Guru — guru-.-padma-madhu. So, as the lotus allows the bumblebee whose wings are torn by the thorns of the ketaki flower to take shelter inside the flower, similarly, the guru allows the disciple to take shelter at his lotus feet.

The guru-.-padma, the lotus feet of Sri Guru, gives such hopeless wandering souls shelter and allows them to suck honey, whereby they regain their vitality. The suffering jiva gets nourishment and life there. That is why we say, "sri-guru-carana-padma." The lotus feet of Sri Guru are compared to a lotus, and not to anything else. This phrase has great significance.


saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair
uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih
kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam
The spiritual master is honored as much as the Supreme Lord because he is the most confidential servitor of the Lord. This is acknowledged in all revealed scriptures and is followed by all authorities. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master, who is a bona fide representative of Sri Hari.
[Srila Viswanath Chakravarti Thakur, Gurv-astaka, verse 7 ]
Sri Guru is saksad-dharitvena, he is as good as Lord Hari. He does not belong to this material world. He belongs to the spiritual world, Krishna's world. He comes down here out of his causeless mercy, either voluntarily to deliver the fallen souls or when the Lord sends him. Whether he comes here voluntarily or by the will of the Lord, that guru-.-padma descends here to shower his mercy on the suffering conditioned souls who have been drowning in the dreadful ocean of materialistic existence since time immemorial. That guru-.-padma descends and stays here in the material world.
Someone may raise the question, "This material world is illusory, mayika jagat. The three modes of material nature are here, sattva, raja, and tama— goodness, passion, and ignorance. If the guru comes and stays in this material world, will he not be affected by those three modes? How can his transcendental nature remain unaffected in this dreadful ocean of material existence? How does he act here?"

This is very easy to understand from the example of the lotus flower. The lotus flower lives in the water, but it is not affected. It remains untouched. Similarly, although Sri Guru comes here to this material world, he remains untouched. He is never affected by the three modes of material nature. Therefore the feet of Sri Guru are compared to a lotus. The bumblebee that comes to the lotus that is in the water and takes shelter inside that lotus is also untouched by the water. Similarly, the fortunate soul who has taken shelter at the lotus feet of Sri Guru will never be afraid of this material world. Just as the bumblebee takes shelter of the lotus and is protected from being touched by the water, so the disciple who takes shelter at the lotus feet of Sri Guru will not be affected by the material nature. This is the lotus feet of Sri Guru.


Intense Desire
Another point is there. When the sun rises, the lotus blossoms, and when the sun sets the petals of the lotus close. Similarly, the petals of the guru-.-padma will open when it sees the intense desire and crying in the heart of the suffering soul to go back to Godhead and get Krishna. This crying for bhakti is like the rising of the sun.

When the sun sets, the petals of the lotus close. Similarly, a disciple who has developed an intense and burning desire in his heart has come to the guru and received shelter. But many times we see that later on, that disciple loses his bhakti-vrtti, his devotional engagement. Because of committing some offense like nama-aparadha or vaisnava-aparadha he loses his bhakti-vrtti. His bhakti becomes shrunken and he does not carry out the orders of the guru or hear the guru's message. He is avoiding or disobeying his guru. When the sun sets, the petals of the lotus close. Similarly, the guru disappears from the vision of that disciple.


Always Manifest
Of course, for one who has made advancement and developed some taste for this transcendental mellow, this is not applicable. It is only applicable to neophytes who have not yet made much advancement and who have not developed any taste for this mellow. If such a devotee commits some aparadha and associates with offenders and materialistic persons, if he does not do real sadhu-sanga, then the sun will never rise. He will disobey the order of the guru and violate his instructions. The guru-.-padma will disappear from such a disciple who is acting according to his own whims.

This is not applicable for advanced devotees who have developed taste for this transcendental mellow. They cannot leave it because it has become their life and soul. They cannot survive without it. For such a disciple the guru-.-padma will never disappear. He is always with the guru and the guru is always with him. In all conditions he is engaged in the loving service of guru-.-padma. He is a nisthapara-bhakta, who has achieved at least the minimum stage of nistha.

For such a very advanced devotee who has developed a taste— meaning he has come to the minimum stage of nistha, or beyond that, like ruci, asakti, or bhava— for him there is no question of disappearance of the guru. He is with guru. The guru never disappears from him. He always sees and realizes the presence of his guru. For that bhakta, the guru is always manifest. The guru will never leave him. But for one who has not achieved the stage of nistha, the apprehension is there that if he commits some aparadha or violates the guru's instructions, the guru may disappear from his vision. That means the sun will set and the petals of the lotus will close.


Crying Is Required
The sisya or sadhaka should always cry for guru-krpa, the causeless mercy of the guru. Unless you cry for it, you cannot get it. Nobody can get that mercy without crying. For example, when the child cries, the mother runs, thinking, "Oh, my child is crying." The child cannot be pacified by anything without the mother's presence. Because she is engaged in performing household duties the mother may give the child a toy or a doll to play with, but the child will throw down that toy or doll and cry and cry. So unless you cry, how can you get that mercy? This crying is required— karuna na hoile, kandiya kandiya, prana na rakhibo ara. Therefore we sing this song. We must cry and cry for the mercy of guru. Unless you cry how can you get it? Those who have cried have received the mercy.


gurudeva! krpa-bindu diya, koro' ei dase, trnapekha ati hina
sakala-sahane, bolo diya koro nija mane sprha-hina
sakale samman, korite sakati, deho' natha! Jathajatha
tabe to' gaibo, harinama-sukhe, aparadha ha'be hata

kabe heno krpa, lobhiya e jana, krtartha hoibe, natha!
sakti-buddhi-hin, ami ati din, koro' more atma-satha

jogyata-vicare, kichu nahi pai, tomara karuna sara
karuna na hoile, kandiya kandiya, prana na rakhibo ara

Gurudeva! By a drop of your mercy, make this servant of yours more humble than a blade of grass. Give me strength to bear all trials and troubles, and free me from all desires for personal honor.
O lord and master! Invest me with the power to properly honor all living beings. Only then will I sing the holy name in great ecstasy and will all my offenses cease.

O lord and master! When will this person be blessed by obtaining your mercy? I am low, fallen, and devoid of all strength and intelligence. Please make me your beloved servant.

When I examine myself, I find nothing of good value. Your mercy is therefore essential to me. If you are not merciful, I will constantly weep, and I will not maintain my life any longer.
[Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, Saranagati]

This is our prayer. This weeping or crying is required. Unless the child cries the mother will not run and the child cannot get the mother's breast. Similarly, unless you cry, how can you get the darsana of Sri Guru? When the child cries, the mother runs to him. Similarly, although the guru may be in some other part of the world, when the disciple cries the guru runs there. Sri Guru is karuna-maya, he is causelessly merciful. Thus whether he is manifest or unmanifest he gives darsana to his disciple. He may also come in a dream to give his darsana.
This guru-tattva is nitya-tattva— an eternal transcendental tattva. It is eternally prakata, manifest. It is not aprakata, unmanifest. There is no question of guru-tattva becoming unmanifest. This sri-guru-carana is inconceivable. It cannot be understood through one's material knowledge, intelligence, or merit.


Eternal Associate
Sri Guru is a nitya-parikara, an eternal associate of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna. The last limit of guru-tattva is nityananda-tattva. Nityananda Prabhu is gaura-parikara, an eternal associate of Gaura. Similarly, Sri Guru is the eternal associate of both Gaura and Krishna, because in tattva, Gaura and Krishna are one. There is no difference between gaura-tattva and krsna-tattva.

Therefore we say saksad-dharitvena, Sri Guru is as good as Lord Hari. That means that Sri Guru is asraya-tattva, the abode of love. Lord Hari is the only visaya-tattva, the object of love, whereas Sri Guru is asraya-tattva. The guru is called sevaka-bhagavan, the servitor Personality of Godhead, whereas Krishna, Lord Hari, is sevya-bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is to be worshiped. Both are called bhagavan. That is visaya and asraya, the object of worship and the abode of worship. Otherwise, in tattva they are one.

guru krsna-rupa hana sastrera pramane guru-rupe krsna krpa karena bhakta-gane
According to the deliberate opinion of all revealed scriptures, the spiritual master is nondifferent from Krishna. Lord Krishna in the form of the spiritual master delivers His devotees.
[Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.45.]
Krishna showers His mercy in the form of guru. Without that mercy, one cannot understand or approach Krishna or go back to Godhead. Krishna appears before us in the form of guru to help us and act as our friend. Showering His causeless mercy through the guru, Krishna delivers us from unlimited suffering in the material world. Krishna is also in the heart in the form of Paramatma, the caitya-guru. From within, Krishna will give us the intelligence to act in the correct way and not make any mistakes or errors. This is the glory of the lotus feet of Sri Guru. It is incomparable and indescribable.

Embodiment of Mercy
Both the siksa-guru and the diksa-guru are representatives of Krishna. Their krpa, mercy, is unlimited. There is no difference between the siksa-guru and the diksa-guru.

yadyapi amara guru--caitanyera dasa tathapi janiye ami tanhara prakasa
Although I know that my spiritual master is a servitor of Sri Chaitanya, I know him also as a plenary manifestation of the Lord.
[Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.44]
This is the tattva. Therefore we say that Sri Gurudeva is krsna-krpa-sri-murti— he is the embodiment of krsna-krpa, Krishna's mercy. If Krishna's mercy assumes a body and appears before us, that is Sri Guru.

Guru-Bhakti
If someone develops guru-bhakti he will get Krishna.

yasya deve para bhaktir
yatha deve tatha gurau
tasyaite kathita hy arthah
prakasante mahatmanah
Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.
[Svetasvatara Upanisad, 6.23]
One who develops the same type of bhakti for the guru as he develops for Krishna is a very fortunate soul. All transcendental knowledge will be revealed or manifest to him because there is no difference between guru-bhakti and krsna-bhakti. Without guru-bhakti, transcendental knowledge will never manifest. Sri Guru is krsna-priya-jana, a very dear associate of Krishna. He is also radha-priya-sakhi, a very dear girl companion or maidservant of Srimati Radharani, like Rupa Manjari, who is Rupa Goswami.
The mula guru-tattva, the original guru-tattva, is nityananda-tattva, Sri Nityananda Prabhu. By gradually descending, Sri Guru, or nityananda-tattva, has come to us. Nitaichand is both the diksa-guru and the siksa-guru. The caitya-guru is His manifestation. This is guru-tattva. They only differ in their activities or lilas. Therefore we say, sri-guru-carana-padma. It is very significant that the lotus feet of Sri Guru are compared to a lotus.


Body, Words and Mind
Bandon mui savadhana mate— one should offer prayers and worship, vandana, with the utmost care. There are three types of vandana: kaya, vakya, and mana— through our body, words, and mind. With our body we fall flat on the ground and offer our dandavat pranamas to gurudeva— kaya-vandana. Through our words we offer prayers and glorify the guru— vacika-vandana. And through our mind we always meditate on the beautiful and transcendentally blissful lotus feet of the guru— manasika-vandana.

If one has money or some material opulence then he should render service through that money. That is kayika, service through the body. If one has some followers or if he is a family man with a wife, son, daughter, friends, and servants, then with those followers or subordinates he should give everything and render loving service to the lotus feet of the guru. That is also kayika. One should serve with all one's capacity, which is why it says bandon mui savadhana mate— with the utmost care one should do vandana.

With one's words one should offer prayers and glorification to the guru. One should also hear from the guru, sravana. Whatever one has heard from the guru, one will speak to others, and in that way others will also hear what he has heard. That is vacika. Pariprasna is also there: If one has some doubts then he should humbly ask questions and get them clarified. These are all types of seva.

In one's mind, manasika, one should put firm and unflinching faith in the words of the guru. One should understand that the guru has manifested before me in various forms to help me and shower his mercy on me. This is how one serves the guru through one's mind. That is the meaning of kayika, vacika, and manasika.

One should think, "Guru-krpa is my only asset, nothing else." Therefore we say bandon mui savadhana mate— I do guru-vandana with the utmost care. Always be careful and never be careless.


Krishna's Trick
Sri Guru tells me that I am an eternal servant of Krishna and thus I should be engaged in His service. But where is Krishna and where am I? How can I serve Him? Is Krishna in the material world? No, Krishna is in the spiritual world, Vaikuntha. That is Krishna's world. Krishna is the only enjoyer. The jiva can never be the enjoyer. Gurudeva says, "Whatever you find in this world is all paraphernalia for Krishna's enjoyment, not for your enjoyment." Krishna's world is Vaikuntha, where there is an abundance of enjoyment.

Just as we want to be free from the clutches of maya, Bhagavan, the Supreme Lord Krishna, also wants to take us out of maya's clutches and engage us in His service. Krishna is the only enjoyer and His desire for enjoyment is unlimited. Thus He wants to enjoy by taking everyone into His domain. We are tiny jivas. We have no capacity to enjoy, because the jiva is not the enjoyer. We have only developed this purusa abhimana, the thought that I will enjoy and enjoy. It is only our misconception, because the jiva has no capacity to enjoy. Krishna has unlimited capacity to enjoy in unlimitedly different ways, and the jiva is to be enjoyed, upabhogyam.

Krishna is there in His abode, vaikuntha-rajya, the spiritual world, and we are here in the sakuntha-jagat, the miserable material world. How then can we serve Him? Krishna has made a trick for us, and that trick is Sri Gurudeva. Krishna has sent Sri Gurudeva to this material world to spread here Krishna's samsara, His household or family. It is Krishna's desire that His samsara be manifest in this world. All sadhus and mahajanas are gurus, so Krishna has sent them to manifest His samsara. So in this material world gurudeva has opened Krishna's samsara.

The Supreme Lord has not said, "You go and make your own samsara." Rather, Krishna has said, "Go there and do My samsara." So by Krishna's desire, gurudeva has come here and opened Krishna's samsara. Krishna is his eternal master, nitya-svami. Gurudeva has completely surrendered and dedicated his life, kaya, mana, vakya— body, mind and words, to Krishna. That is gurudeva.

Those who take shelter at the lotus feet of such a Sri Guru— he takes them and makes them enter into Krishna's samsara. Gurudeva says, "I am doing Krishna's samsara, giving everything for the enjoyment of Krishna. You please come and enter into Krishna's samsara. Then you will be free from the clutches of maya. You will be free from all material sufferings."


Enter into Krishna's Family
Gurudeva may construct a cottage in a solitary place and engage himself in bhajana by the side of Radhakund or Syamakund. Why would he leave, especially to go to the Western world where maya is very strong, where there are many gross materialists? He goes because his heart bleeds, seeing the suffering of the jivas. He has given up all these things to give us the opportunity to do hari-bhajana, service to Krishna. He teaches us and gives us the opportunity to serve Krishna. We have forgotten Krishna, so just to revive our memory he has come here. He has opened Krishna's samsara. He has opened a factory and we have become an employee in that factory. Thereby we will enter into Krishna's samsara.

Some people may say, "I am doing hari-nama, chanting, 'hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare.’" You may be chanting, doing hari-bhajana, but unless you enter into Krishna's samsara what value is there? Unless you enter into Krishna's samsara there is no value to your chanting. And in order to enter into Krishna's samsara you have to approach a Sri Guru, a bonafide guru.

At that time gurudeva will call you, "Come, come. Enter into Krishna's samsara, which I have opened here." Unless we enter into Krishna's samsara, we cannot chant. It will only be offensive chanting. You may be chanting lakhs and lakhs of nama, but it will simply be offensive, nama-aparadha. Your anarthas cannot be destroyed. Even if you chant lakhs of names offensively you cannot make any advancement at all. Many people may chant, but what are they getting? By that kind of chanting they may go up to Vaikuntha, but gurudeva has come here to teach that you should enter into guru's samsara, that is, Krishna's samsara. You are a servant so you have to render service by entering into the guru-grha. Then you will attain perfection. Otherwise one will never attain perfection.


Krsna-Seva-Yajna
What do we want from entering into the samsara of the guru? Shall we take everything and not give anything? The guru has given you so much, but unless you serve in the house of the guru there is no benefit. Therefore the guru says, "Come and join, enter into my samsara, that is, Krishna's samsara. Then all your anarthas will be destroyed."

So, dedicate your body, mind, and speech, your soul and everything, to the service of Sri Guru. You have come to the house of the guru. That means he has opened a factory and you should be an employee in that factory. Sri Guru will give you employment. Who will give you employment otherwise? Will the government give you employment? No. But the guru will give you employment in the factory that he has opened. That employment is service to Krishna, krsna-seva-yajna. Unless you join that seva-yajna, rendering service in the guru-grha, guru's asrama, you cannot get the real benefit.


Obstacles
Gaurasundar Mahaprabhu speaks and teaches through Sri Guru. So, dedicating everything, kaya, mana, vakya— one's body, mind, and speech, one should serve Sri Guru. Then perfection is guaranteed. That is definite, no matter what obstacles or impediments may come. So many obstacles are there. In the material world there is danger at every step. Great stumbling blocks are there, but if you completely surrender through your body, mind, and speech then all impediments and stumbling blocks will be destroyed within a moment. In this very life you will attain perfection. There is no doubt about it. Without the mercy of Sri Guru, without service to Sri Guru, no one can approach Krishna, understand Krishna, or get Krishna. Therefore, everyday we offer this prayer and worship the lotus feet of Sri Guru.

sri-guru-carana-padma, kevala-bhakati-sadma,
bandon mui savadhana mate
— Originally From "The Worship of Sri Guru."

Sri Guru-vandana / Vyasa-puja The Worship of Sri Guru by Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja

Sri Guru-vandana / Vyasa-puja

The Worship of Sri Guru

by Srila Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja

Chapter Three: The Meaning of Vyasa-Puja

Caitanya-Caritamarta Adi 17.16

tabe nityananda-gosanira vyasa-pujan

nityanandavese kaila musala dharana

Nityananda Prabhu then arranged to offer Vyasa-puja, or worship of the spiritual master, to Lord Sri Gaurasundara. But Lord Caitanya carried the plow like weapon called musala in the ecstasy of being Nityananda Prabhu.

PURPORT

By the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu arranged for Vyasa-puja of the Lord on the night of the full moon. He arranged for the Vyasa-puja, or guru-puja, through the agency of Vyasadeva. Since Vyasadeva is the original guru (spiritual master) of all who follow the Vedic principles, worship of the spiritual master is called Vyasa-puja. Nityananda Prabhu arranged for the Vyasa-puja, and sankirtana was going on, but when He tried to put a garland on the shoulder of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He saw Himself in Lord Caitanya. there is no difference between the spiritual positions of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu, or Krsna and Balarama. All of Them are but different manifestations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. During this special ceremony, all the devotees of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu could understand that there is no difference between Lord Caitanya and Nityananda Prabhu.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is svayam-bhagavan, the Original Personality of Godhead.

vrajendra-nandana yei, saci-suta haila sei,
balarama ha-ila nitai

Srila Narottam Das Thakur, Ista-deva Vijnapti(from Prarthana)

The son of Maharaj Nanda, Krsna, is Caitanya; and Nitai is Balarama. Krsna is avatari, the source of all avataras. Balarama is avatara, an incarnation. Brahma-samhita gives the example of the lamp. From one original lamp many lamps can be lit and all the lamps have the same potency of living light. Mahaprabhu showed that there is no difference between avatara and avatari. Nityanandavese kaila musala dharana --- in the ecstasy of being Nityananda Prabhu, Lord Caitanya showed the form of Nityananda, carrying the plow-like weapon called musala."… when [Nityananda Prabhu] tried to put a garland on the shoulder of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He saw Himself in Lord Caitanya." Thus there is no difference between avatara and avatari, no difference between Caitanya and Nityananada, no difference between Krsna and Balarama. This is siddanta. The gaura-avatara is a purna-avatara, complete incarnation, not an amsa-avatara, partial incarnation. Prabhodanada Saraswatipad has described this in Caitanya-candramrta:141

yadi nigadita-minady-amsavad gauracandro
na tad api sa hi kascic chakti-lila-vikasah
atula-sakala-sakty-ascarya-lila-prakasair
anadhigata-mahattvah purna evavatirnah

If someone says that Lord Caitanya is an amsa-avatara like Lord Matsya, or if not that then a lila-avatara or a saktyavesa-avatara, then he does not understand the actual glory of Lord Caitanya, the Original Personality of Godhead who is full of allperfect and incomparable potencies and wonderful pastimes.

(Sri Caitanya-candramrta 141)

It is not an easy thing to understand Gauranga Mahaprabhu. He is a purna-avatara, not an amsa-avatara. He is saktiman, the energetic, and atula-sakti, having incomparible potencies. Through his potencies He has manifestad a wonderful lila. One cannot understand this lila-tattva through material knowledge or scholarship.

Mercy of Mahaprabhu

na yogo dhyanam na ca japa-tapas-tyaga-niyama
na veda nacara kva un bata nisiddhady-uparatih
akasmac caitanye vatarati daya-sara-hrdaye
pumarthanam maulim param iha muda lunthati Jana

Now that Lord Caitanya, His Heart filled with the ocean of mercy, has descended to this world, those living entities who had formerly never practiced yoga, meditated, chanted mantras, performed austerities, followed various Vedic restrictions, studied the Vedas, performed spiritual activities, or refrained from sins, have become able to easily plunder the crest jewel of all goals of life, which is prema-dhana.
(Sri Caitanya-candramrta 111)

There are those who are very, very sinful persons; those who have not practiced yoga, meditation or austerity; those who have not studied the Vedas and are bereft of Vedic knowledge; those who have performed no vows and have no good behavior. They have only asadacara, bad behavior. Still, Mahaprabhu is so wonderfully merciful. He is an ocean of unlimited mercy, daya-sagara. He does not consider their lack of qualification. Mahaprabhu offers this prema to them all indiscriminately. When Mahaprabhu appeared, everyone drowned in this ocean of prema.

patrapatra-vicaranam na kurute na svam param viksyate
deyadeya-vimarsakah na hi na va kala-pratiksah Prabhu
sadyo yah sravaneksana-pranamana-dhyanadina durlabham
dhatte bhakti-rasam sa eva vagaban gaurah param me gatih

He does not consider whether a person is qualified or not. He does not see who is His own and who is an outsider. He does not consider who should receive and who should not. He does not consider whether it is the proper time. The Lord at once give that nectar of pure devotional service that is difficult to obtain even by hearing the messages of the Lord, seeing the deity, offering obeisances, meditation, or following a host of spiritual practices. That Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Gaura Hari is my only shelter.
(Sri Caitanya-candramrta 77)

Confidential

Gauranga Mahaprabhu is my only shelter. Without the mercy of Gauranga Mahaprabhu no one can understand bhagavata-tattva.

srimad-bhagavatasya yatra paramam tatparyam utenkitam
sri-vaiyasakina duranvayantaya rasa-prasange pi yat
yad radha-rati-keli-nagara-rasasvadaika-sadbhajanam
tad vastu prathanaya gaura-vapusa lokevatirno harih

Because they are very difficult to understand, Sukadeva Goswami had only briefly hinted at the sweet amorous lastimes of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna in his description of the rasa dance in Srimad Bhagavatam. Now Lord Hari has descended to this world in a golden form to reveal the truth of these pastimes.
(Sri Caitanya-candramrta 122)

Gaura Hari descended to reveal the truth about Lord Krsna's dancing with the gopis, rasa-lila prasanga. The Bhagavata is the sweetest, most ripened, nectarean juicy fruit of the Vedic tree --- nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam (SB.1.1.3)

Its essence is rasa-lila. But the speaker of that Bhagavata, Sukadeva Goswami, very purposefully described that rasa-lila indirectly. Why? Because such bhaktas who can understand, who can relish its mellow, are very, very rare. In order to elaborately reveal this radha-krsna-gudha-rasa-prema-lila, the conjugal living affaire between Radha and Krsna which are very, very confidential -- and to preach it in this world, Mahaprabhu appeared. Without the mercy of Mahaprabhu no one can understand Srimad Bhagavatam, bhagavata-tattva.

Storehouse of Prema

Yaha, bhagavata pada vaisnavera sthane
Ekanta asarya kara caitanya-carane

Go and approach a vaisnava-gaura-priya, a dear devotee of Gauranga Mahaprabhu. Study and hear Bhagavata from him and completly take shelter at the lotus feet of Caitanya Mahaprabhu --- ekanta asaría kara caitanya-carane.(Cc Antya 5.131)

Mahaprabhu is prema-purusottama, he gives Krsna-prema. That prema is like an unlimited ocean. Whoever is the custodian of that storehouse of prema and whoever is the doorkeeper of that storehouse, by their mercy you can get it. Nityananda Prabhu is the custodian and Sanatana Goswami is the doorkeeper. Therefore, here you see Mahaprabhu manifested Himself in the form of Nityananda Prabhu. Nityananda Prabhu is more merciful, more munificent more magnanimous than Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Nityananda Prabhu distributes prema with two hands, not with one hand. He is always intoxicated with that prema-madira, intoxicating prema. He is avadhuta-dharana, one who has the nature of a madman. He is more indiscriminate than Gaurasundar. Previously there were very strong doors and bolts on that storehouse, but when Mahaprabhu appeared and gave the custodianship to Nityananda Prabhu and engaged Sanatan Goswami as the doorkeeper, they broke open the doors. Sanatan Goswami wrote a commentary on the tenth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam called Brhad-vaisnava-tosani, and thus he opened the door, unbolted it, and called everyone, "O my brothers, please come! Now the door is open. It is unbolted. Come and take this mellow Drown yourself in this unlimited ocean of prema. If you take this prema then you will consider the position of Lord Brahma to be very, very insignificant." Mahaprabhu knows the nature of these two personalities, therefore He appointed them in these positions. Without the mercy of such vaisnavas no one can understand bhagavata-dharma-tattva. Nirmatsaranam satam vedyam - only the vaisnavas who are nirmatsara, non-envious, can understand bhagavat-dharma-tattva.(S.B.1.1.2) Otherwise no one can understand the Bhagavata. The Bhagavata will never reveal Himself before them. Only those who are nirmatsara, and free from crookedness, kapatya, can understand bhagavat-dharma.

Three Crooked Persons

There are three types of crooked persons, dhana-kapati, bala-kapati, and prema-kapati. Dhana-kapatis are those persons who have much wealth, but they never spend it for the propagation of bhagavata-dharma. They never give donations to bhakta-bhagavata, the vaisnavas who are propagating bhagavat-dharma. They are the number one type of kapati, crooked person. They never spend there wealth for the service of Sri Guru, Krsna, or the vaisnavas, but instead they spend so much money in other ways. They are krpana, misers. They cannot understand bhagavata-dharma. They cannot get the mercy of Mahaprabhu. They cannot get prema, even though Mahaprabhu is offering it.

The second type of kapati, crooked , duplicitous person, is the bala-kapati. He has strength, but even though Mahaprabhu's tumultuous kirtana is going on, he is not dancing in that kirtana. He has strength, but he doesn't dance, tandava-nrtya, in gaura-kirtana.

The third type of kapati is the prema-kapati. He has not gotten prema, but he develops the abhimana, "Oh, I am a vaisnava. I am a great devotee." These three types of kapatis cannot get Mahaprabhu's mercy.They cannot understand bhagavata-dharma-tattva. They cannot get prema unless they give up their kapatya and enviousness and serve sadhu, guru and vaisnava --- niskapata-seva. They should render service without duplicity and get the mercy of Mahaprabhu. Even though Mahaprabhu is living prema indiscriminetly, they cannot get it.

Real Vyasa-puja

In his purport Srila Prabhupada writes, "Nityananda Prabhu arranged for the vyasa-puja of the Lord… Since Vyasadev is the original guru (spiritual master) of all who follow the Vedic principles, worship of the spiritual master through the agency of Vyasadev is called vyasa-puja."

Sri Bhaktisiddanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada Maharaja introduced the ceremony of vyasa-puja in our line on his 50th birthday. From that day, every year it has been going on. On his 52nd birth anniversary, Srila Bhaktisiddanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada Maharaja gave a lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam describing the meaning of vyasa-puja. He said, "vyasa-puja jeans the puja of all gaudiya-vaisnava-acaryas." From this statement we can understand the purport of vyasa-puja. It is not only the puja of Vyasadev, or of Krsna, or of Gaurasundar, or of guru. That is not real vyasa-puja. Vyasa-puja means the puja of all pure gaudiya-vaisnava-acaryas. That is real vyasa-puja.

In this bhaktivinode-dhara we find a mantra for vyasa-puja:

sri damodara svarupa,sri rupa, sri sanatana,sri ragunatha,sri jiva,bhatta yuga,sri krsnadasa kavirajadi, srimad bhaktivinoda,srimad gaurakisora dasa, srimad bhaktisiddanta sarasvati, srimad bhaktivedanta svami padanka sarvebhyo gurave namah

I offer my obeisances to the footprints of all the gurus, Srila Svarup Damodara Goswami, Srila Rupa Goswami, Srila Sanatana Goswami, Srila Ragunatha Das Goswami, Srila Jiva Goswami, Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami, Srila Ragunatha Bhatta Goswami, the devotees beginning with Srila Krsna das Kaviraja, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, Srila Gaurakisora Das Babaji, Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati and Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Vyasa-puja means the worship of all of these gaudiya-vaisnava-acaryas.

Merciful Gift

Bhaktivinode Thakúra has said, "Gaudiya-vaisnava-siddhanta is the opinion of all gaudiya-vaisnava-acarya-mahajanas. Whatever gaudiya-vaisnava-siddhanta we have received, that is guru-varga-dhana --- the merciful gift of all the gaudiya-vaisnava-acaryas. That is their lila-vaisistya, the wonderful characteristics of the lila of that guru-vaisnava-acarya. "Gaudiya-vaisnava-siddhanta is the krpa-vaisistya, the special characteristics of their merciful lila. If we do not observe this festival, if we do not remember and glorify the gaudiya-vaisnava-acrayas, it Hill be a great disservice towards them. If we do not discuss their vaisistya, their wonderful characteristics, if we remain inactive, not observing the appearance day and disappearance day of such acaryas, mahajanas, then it will be an anyaya, a great injustice. Without their mercy we cannot understand this gaudiya-vaisnava-siddhanta. Through Sriman Mahaprabhu is wonderfully merciful, indiscriminately living Krsna-prema, still, we cannot have it without their mercy.

No Compromise

Bhaktivinode Thakur, a great acarya in our line, has said that if you want to develop pure bhakti then you should not even slightly compromise with abhakti, non-devotion. Our revered spiritual master Srila Prabhupada also said there should be no compromise. Where is the question of compromise? Bhaktivinode Thakur emphatically said, "It is better to have an empty cowshed than to have a dusta-goru, a wicked cow." That means that in this bhaktivinoda-dhara, in this flow coming from Bhaktivinode Thakúr, there is no question of impurity, no question of checking the flow. Crookedness and enviousness are not allowed.

Best Type of Worship

In the Eleventh Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, Krishna said to Uddhava:

Mad-bhakta-pujabhyadhika
Sarva-bhutestu man-matih

The worship offered to My bhakta, My dear devotee, is better than worship offered directly to Me.

(Bhag. 11.19.21)



Also, in Caitanya-bhagavata, Mahaprabhu said,

Amara bhaktera puja-ama haite bada
Sei prabhu veda-bhagavate kaila dadha

In the Vedas and Puranas the Lord has firmly declared, "Worship of My devotees is better than worship of Me.

(Cb. adi1.8)

Therefore, in this vyasa-puja Nityananda Prhabhu was offering worship and Mahaprabhu appeared in the form of Nityananda Prabhu, because Nityananda Prabhu is a bhakta. He is Balaram.

Anera ki katha, baladeva Masaya
Yanra bhava-suddha-sakhya-vatsalyadi-maya
Tenho-apanake karena dasa-bhavana
Krsna-dasa-bhavavinu ache kona jana

(Cc.adi 6.76-77)

Because He is Krishna's elder brother, Balaram's mood is suddha-sakya-vatsalya --- a mixture of pure sakhya, brotherhood, and vatsalya, parental love. What to speak of others, even He says, "I am Krsna-dasa." Krsna-dasa-bhava vinu ache kona jana --- Are any who are not Krsna-dasa?

Nitai is Guru

That same Balaram is Nitai. Guru Krsna-rupa hana sastrera pramane-sarstra-pramana describes that Krishna appears as guru.(Cc.adi1.45) Nityananda offered vyasa-puja to Gaura because Gaura is svayam-bhagavan, the Original Personality of Godhead. But when Nitai was going to put the garland on Gauranga Mahaprabhu, He saw himself there. That means that vyasa-puja is his puja, Nityananda's puja, because Nityananda is guru. He is bhakta, bhakta-rupa, bhaktavatara.

Panca-tattvatmakam krsnam
Bhakta-rupa-svarupakam
Bhaktavataram bhaktakhyam
Namami bhakta-saktikam

I offer my obeisances unto the supreme Lord, Krishna, who is nondifferent from His features as a devotee, devotional incarnation, devotional manifestation, pure devotee, and devotional energy.

(Cc.adi 1.14)

Bhakta-rupa is Chaitanya, and bhakta-svarupa is Nityananda. Mahaprabhu manifestad the form of Nityananda, because guru is the manifestation of Nityananda. These evidences are found in the Vedas and in the Bhagavata. If you want to get prema-bhakti, the only means is that you should offer worship without duplicity. Serve pure vaisnavas without duplicity and get their mercy. Then you will get the mercy of Mahaprabhu; then you will get prema. Otherwise you cannot get prema. Worshiping the vaisnavas and glorifying the vaisnavas' names, forms, and pastimes is the only means.

Very Powerful

Serving the vaisnavas; taking the dust or the foot washing water of the vaisnavas; and adharamantra, tasting the remnants of the vaisnavas foodstuffs --- these three are very powerful. No one can estimate or evaluate the potency in these three things. Therefore they are amulya-vastu, invaluable. Narottam Das Thakur has therefore sung:

Vaisnavera pada-dhuli tahe mora snana Heli
Tarpana mora vaisnava nama
Vaisnavera ucchista tahe mora mano-nistha
Vaisnavera namete ullasa

The dust of the vaisnavas' lotus feet is my bathing water. My mantra for offering oblations, tarpana, is the names of the vaisnavas. My mind is firmly convenced of the spiritual benefit obtained by eating the remnants of foodstuffs left by the vaisnavas. The names of the vaisnavas are my happiness.

(Srila Narottam Das Thakur,Prathana 35)

Who is a Vaisnava?

Another question comes, vaisnava-ke? Who is a vaisnava? You should understand who is a vaisnava, otherwise you will be confused. '

kanaka-kamini,' 'pratistha-baghini.'
Chadiyache jare,sei to vaisnava
Sei anasakta.' Sei suddha-bhakta.'
Samsar tatha pay parabhava
Yatha-yoga bhoga, nahi tatha roga,
Anasakta' sei ki ar kahabo
'asakti-rohita,' sambandha-sahita,'
visaya-samuha sakali 'madhava'
se 'yukta-vairagya.' Taha to' saubhagya,
taha-i jadete harir avivaba
kitane jahar, 'pratistha-sambhar.'
Tahar sampatti kevala 'kaitava

Money, women, and fame are like tigers. A vaisnava gives them up and keeps them at a distance. Such a devotee, who is without material attachments, is a suddha-vaisnava. Such a devotee had conquered over the material world and its illusions of enjoyment. Accepting only what is needed in the service of the Lord, he remains free from the diseased mentality of material enjoyment and dedicates himself to the Lord's service. Free from all false attachments, he sees everything is meant for the pleasure of Sri Krishna. He knows that to engage everything in the service of Krishna is real renunciation. Because he understands that the true position of renunciation is in dedicating everything to Krishna, he is truly fortunate. Although he lives within the material world he dwells within the revelation of Krishna's pastimes and experiences the extension of the spiritual world within the material world. On the other hand, one who chants the holy name of the Lord for name and fame is simple a hypocrite and a cheater.

(Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati,Vaisnava-ke 11-13(from Mahajana-racita Gita)

Completely Detached

A vaisnava is one who has given up the desire for possessing kanaka and kamini, gold and women. And pratistha-baghini ---he is not running after name, fame, adoration or prestige. Such a person is a vaisnava, a pure devotee. A vaisnava is not attached too or attracted to kanaka, kamini, or pratistha --- wealth, women or prestige. He is completely detached from them. His only attachment is to the lotus feet of Krishna. A vaisnava has completely defeated the material world of maya. He is yukta-vairagya --- although he has everything he is not attached. He is anasakta, completely indifferent. He utilizes everything for the enjoyment and living service of Krishna, guru and Gauranga.

'asakti-rohita,' sambandha-sahita,'
visaya-samuha sakali 'madhava'

He is fixed and established in his pure, eternal, loving relationship with Krishna. He understands that everything found here in the material world is all paraphernalia for Krishna's enjoyment and there is nothing here for the jiva's enjoyment. Krishna is the only visayi, meaning one who has material wealth, land, property, and money. All of these things belong to Krishna. One who knows this is a yukta-vairagi, a renunciate who uses everything for Krishna's pleasure, not a phalgu-vairagi, a false renunciate. Such false renunciation is described:

Kirtane jahar, 'pratishta-sambhar.'
Tahar sampatti kevala 'kaitava'.

One may be doing kirtana, dancing, chanting, and playing mrdanga, "din-din-din-din-dah!" Playing the cymbals, "dah! dah! dah!" But he is only doing it for the name, fame, and prestige. Whatever sampati, reward, he gets is kaitava, only cheating. His bhajana is only duplicitious, crookedness and enviousness. He is not a vaisnava. One should understand who is a vaisnava.

Best Worship

Jiva Goswami Prabhu in Bhakti-sandarbha quotes Padma Purana:

Testam pujadikam gandha-
Dhupadhyaih kriyate naraih
Tena pritim param yami
Na tatha mama pujanat

The Supreme Lord Krishna says,"One may offer puja, worship, to Me with gandha, scents, pulpa, flowers, incense, lamp, etc., but if they never offer worship to my dear devotees with all these paraphernalia, I am not pleased with it.

(Padma-purana, karttika-mahatmya(quoted in Bhakti-sandarbha 269.12)



Krishna says to Uddhava

Adarah paricaryayam
Sarvangair abhivandanam
Mad-bhakta-pujabhyadhika
Sarva-bhutesu man-matih
Mad-arthesv anga-cesta ca
Vacasa mas-guneranam
Mayy arpanam ca manasah
Sarva-kama-vivarjanam

My dear devotees render service to Me with great care and respect. They offer obeisances to Me with all their bodily limbs. They worship My devotees, which is greater than worship of Me. They see all living entities related to Me. They engage the entire energy of their bodies for Me.They engage their power of speech in glorification of My qualities and form. They dedicate their minds unto Me and try to give up all kinds of material desires. Thus My dear devotees are characterized.(Bhag.11.19.21-22)

These are vaisnavas. Krishna says, "Mad-bhakta-pujabhyadhika --- the worship offered to them is better than worship offered to Me directly." That worship is vyas-puja of all pure gaudiya vaisnava acaryas. Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada expressed this at his vyasa-puja.

Acarya-avatara Kirtana

Krishna is visaya-vigraha, the object of love, and guru-vaisnava is asraya-vigraha, the abode of love. The only activity of such guru-vaisnavas is hari-kirtana. They have no other activity. Unless the asraya-vigraha-avatara acarya-sri-gurudeva does kirtana, how can you understand the tattva of the visaya-vigraha? How can you understand the tattva of the nama, rupa, guna, parikara, and lila of visaya-vigraha --- the truth about the name, form, qualities, associates, and pastimes of the Supreme Lord? We cannot understand unless acarya-gurudeva does kirtana. No one can understand the sastra-avatara, the incarnation of all sastras, Srimad Bhagavatam. It is the vani, the message incarnation of Lord Krishna. No one can understand the bhagavata-tattva, the purport of this sastra-avatara, unless acarya-gurudeva, who is asraya-vigraha, does kirtana. Sri-nama and sri-mantra have appeared in this material world as sabda-avatara. But unless acarya-avatara does kirtana in the ears of the sisya, disciple, it will not be effective. You will find that the mantra and the holy name are written there in satra, grantha. One may say, "yes, the mantra is written here, so I'll chant it." But unless the mahanta-guru, asraya-vigraha-acarya does kirtana in the ears of the sisya it will never be effective. It is absolutely necessary. Sri-nama, sri mantra, and grantha-bhagavata are all visaya-vigraha. Without the kirtana of the asraya-vigraha they will never manifest. Try to understand. Mahaprabhu will help you. Nityananda prabhu will help you.

One may think, "If I do arcana, worship of the deities in the temple, then I can understand everything," no. You cannot understand adhoksaja, that which is beyond sensory perception. The visaya-vigraha will never manifest without the kirtana of the asraya-vigraha, acarya-avatara, guru, vaisnava. This is absolutely necessary. Therefore puja offered to them is a superior type of puja mad-bhakta-pujabhyadhika.

Therefore when Nityananda prabhu offered vyasa-puja, Mahaprabhu manifestad the form of Nityananda, "I am Nityananda." That is guru-puja, vyasa-puja. This is the purport here.

Kirtana is Required

Mahaprabhu has written, kirtaniyah sada harih, one should always do kirtana of the names of hari. Our tattva-acarya Jiva Goswami in his Sandarbha has written:

Yadyapyanya bhaktih kalau kartavya tada kirtanakhya bhakti- Samypgenaiva

Even though in the age of kali one may perform the above eight branches of bhakti, nevertheless, one must perform kirtana as the principle way of advancing in sadhana-bhakti.

(Krama-sandarbha commentary to Bhag.7.5.23-24)

In Kali-yuga, although one may cultivate other types of bhakti such as smaranam, arcanam, vandanam, dasyam and sakhyam, still one, should cultivate these other types of bhakti only with kirtana --- that is kirtanakhya bhakti.

One must accept a sadhu-guru-acarya-vaisnava and hear kirtana from him. Kirtana is required. Who does kirtana? Asraya-avatara, asraya-vigraha-acarya, vaisnava-guru does kirtana. Without his kirtana you cannot understand this bhakti-tattva. Therefore Jiva Gosvami says, kirtanakhya bhakti-samyogenaiva, and this is our siddhanta. One must approach such a guru-acarya-vaisnava who is asraya-vigraha. His only activity is hari-kirtana. Unless the asraya-vigraha-acarya-guru-vaisnava does kirtana, bhakti-tattva cannot be revealed to you. Although other processes of bhakti are there in Kali-yuga, without the kirtana of the acarya-avatara, bhakti-tattva cannot be understood.

The puja of the asraya-vigraha-acarya-guru-vaisnava is the topmost puja. Therefore vyasa-puja is known as the puja of all suddha-gaudiya-vaisnavas. At the conclusion of the vyasa-puja festival on his 52nd birth anniversary, Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada Maharajá gave a lecture and said, "Real vyasa-puja is the puja of all suddha-gaudiya-vaisnava-acaryas. It is not only the puja of vyasa, not only the puja of Krishna or of Gaurasundar. It is not just guru-puja. It is the puja of all suddha-gaudiya-vaisnava-acaryas. Therefore in our Bhaktivinoda-dhara we find this mantra in the Vyasa-puja Paddhati:

Sri damodara svarupa, sri rupa, sri ragunatha, sri jiva, bata yuga, sri krsnadas-kavirajadi, srimad bhaktivinoda, srimad gaurakisora dasa, srimad bhaktisidhanta sarasvati, srimad bhaktivedanta svami pandanka sarvebhyo gurave namah

This is vyasa-puja.