The following is a transcription of a discourse delivered by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja in New Vṛndāvana, West Virginia, on June 15, 2002 (Bhakta Bandhav Anthology Volume 86)

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja:

hari hari! kabe mora habe henô dina
bimala vaiṣṇave, rati upajibe, vāsanā hôibe kṣīṇa

 Hari Hari! Kabe Mora Habe Henô Dina (1)

[“O Hari! When will such a day be mine? I shall develop attachment to pure-hearted Vaiṣṇavas, by which my material desires will be subdued.”]

antare-bāhire, sama vyavahāra, amānī mānada ha’bô
kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtane, śrī-kṛṣṇa-smaraṇe, satata majiyā ra’bô

 Hari Hari! Kabe Mora Habe Henô Dina (2)

[“No disparity shall remain between my internal and external behaviour. I shall not desire honour for myself and shall instead offer respect to others. I shall remain constantly absorbed in chanting Kṛṣṇa’s names and remembering Him.”]

e dehera kriyā, abhyāse kôribô, jīvana ĵāpana lāgi’
śrī-kṛṣṇa-bhajane, anukūla ĵāhā, tāhe ha’bô anurāgī  

Hari Hari! Kabe Mora Habe Henô Dina (3)

[“I shall perform my bodily activities out of habit, just to maintain my life. I shall become attached only to that which is favourable to bhajana of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.”]

bhajanera ĵāhā, pratikūla tāhā, dṛḓha-bhāve teyāgibô
bhajite bhajite, samaya āsile, e deha chāḓiyā dibô 

Hari Hari! Kabe Mora Habe Henô Dina (4)

[“I shall firmly reject anything unfavourable to bhajana. Absorbed in bhajana, when the time comes, I shall readily give up this body.”]

bhakativinoda, ei āśā kôri’, bôsiyā godruma-vane
prabhu-kṛpā lāgi’, vyākula antare, sadā kā̃de saṅgopane

Hari Hari! Kabe Mora Habe Henô Dina (5)

[“With these aspirations, Bhaktivinoda resides in the forest of Godruma. He always weeps in a solitary place, anxious at heart to receive the mercy of the Lord.”]

I think it will be better to sing these songs in an audience of so many people, instead of songs like yamunā-puline, kadamba-kānane (Yamunā-puline 1). If you sing songs like Yamunā-puline, then all the young ladies will be very attracted, very soon, and they will give their hearts to those who are singing that song. Then very soon, both of them will go to hell.

Devotee: Gurudeva, when we finish the Vaiṣṇava kīrtana, Gaura kīrtana, and then we come to Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa kīrtana, then what can we sing? Because all the songs are so high once we come to Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa tattva.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Sing songs like this: “When will such a day come?” If you sing very high songs…if our Guru Mahārāja and Prabhupāda were present, they would have exclaimed, “Eh! (Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja gestures, beating the devotee).” Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja was also like that. They cannot tolerate this. Once, I said, “Jaya Śrī Rādhe!” and Guru Mahārāja came out of his room, very angry with me. He said, “Who taught you ‘Rādhe Rādhe?’ ”

Devotee: But you are doing this every day, Gurudeva.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Don’t do so (devotees laugh). They were very grave. They wanted to hide everything inside. We should try to follow as much as we can. Otherwise, we cannot control these things. This song (Yamunā-puline) should be chanted at midnight or at night. In the evening, at three or four, we should chant, “Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa,” and then at night, we should chant these higher songs when we are alone, like how Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura used to do.

We should try to learn all this etiquette from them. It is like camphor. If you are singing these things out in the open, oh, it will disappear, go away, evaporate. And especially an uncontrolled teenage girl will be attracted to this. But not a lady like Śyāmarāṇī or Mūlaprakṛti. They have nothing to do with all these things because they are established.

There is a question: there are so many godbrothers — there may be a hundred or thousands of godbrothers on one side — and on the other side, there are so many pure devotees in the line of the disciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura, or like godbrothers of Svāmījī and my Gurudeva, like myself, Vāmana Mahārāja, and Trivikrama Mahārāja. There may be very high-class, developed devotees there, who are in the line of Bhakti Dayita Mādhava Mahārāja or others — so many are there.

With whom should one associate? Should one associate with one’s godbrothers who are not developed, or should one associate with high-class devotees in the line of the disciples of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura, or in the line of Gadādhara Paṇḍita or Advaita Ācārya Prabhu? What is better? Do you understand my question?

Devotee: Last year, in Alachua, Florida, one of our godbrothers told Śrīla Gurudeva, “I know that one of my godbrothers who is one of the big, big GBC leaders (gurus) is not at all following, but because he is my dear friend, I don’t say anything to him.” At that time, Śrīla Gurudeva quoted Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s Upadeśāmṛta, verse five, where Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī is explaining how we should honour others. We should not honour others according to who is my friend…

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Or who is my godbrother…

Devotee: But one who has specifically developed a relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Suppose one is a kaniṣṭha-adhikārī — a materialistic (prākṛta) bhakta who is very proud and who has no attachment for chanting, who has no honour for Vaiṣṇavas — in that case, we should honour him just mentally. But if he is offensive, we should not associate with him at all and should not criticise him. We should honour him from afar, meaning don’t think of him at all if he is offensive. If he is sincere, then we can honour him mentally.

Suppose one is actually initiated in the sense that some relationship with Kṛṣṇa, some sambandha, is there in his heart while he is chanting. He is actually engaged in devotional practices, and he is really a madhyama-adhikārī. In that case, he will show respect and service attitude to those who are superior, share realisations with those who are equal, instruct those who are subordinate in a kind (friendly) way, show compassion to those who are newly coming, and he will avoid those who are envious of bhaktas, Bhagavān and bhakti. Then to such a madhyama-adhikārī, we should show respect physically and mentally. To offer physical respect means to offer obeisances and to cooperate with him.

But suppose there is an uttama-mahā-bhāgavata who is completely free from all faults beginning with the fault of criticising others and who is twenty-four hours a day absorbed in the aṣṭa-kālīya-līlā pastimes of Kṛṣṇa and His associates, who is always fully engaged in Kṛṣṇa’s external and internal service. In that case, we should offer him our head, our heart, all our service, and our mind. Thus, our relationship with others should not be based on the body, relatives, or godbrothers, but on how closely one has a relationship with Kṛṣṇa.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: If someone is not a high-class devotee, he cannot help us. But someone in the line of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Rūpa Gosvāmī, or any highly developed, bona fide Vaiṣṇava can help us. He can also increase our guru-niṣṭhā. But bogus persons who are only our godbrothers and who are not highly developed, how can they help us develop? How can they glorify their guru? They cannot glorify their guru as much as I can glorify Svāmījī, and I think that in so many births, they cannot glorify Svāmījī as I can. They don’t know his glory.

namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe

[“My respectful obeisances unto you, O servant of Sarasvatī Gosvāmī. You preach the message of Śrī Gaurāṅga and thus deliver the Western countries, which are filled with voidism and impersonalism.”]

Gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe — they don’t even know what gaura-vāṇī is, and Svāmījī himself has written this śloka. So, we should always seek high-class association, sādhu-saṅga, sādhu-saṅga, sādhu-saṅga. In this kīrtana, sādhu-saṅga is highly glorified. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura always glorifies sādhu-saṅga.

dayā karô śrī ācārya prabhu śrīnivāsa
rāmacandra-saṅga māge narottama dāsa

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Prabhu Dayā Karô More (6)

[“Be merciful, O Prabhu Śrīnivāsa Ācārya! Narottama dāsa begs for the association of Rāmacandra Kavirāja.”]

Rāmacandra-saṅga māge narottama dāsa — Why has Narottama prayed like this? Do you know? Why? Do you know this song? Why did he pray like this? Rāmacandra was junior to Narottama, and Śrīnivāsa was his godbrother. Why did he pray like this?

Devotee: He was remembering all the great ācāryas, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu, Rūpa-Sanātana…

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: But especially, why is he praying to Śrīnivāsa, “Please allow Rāmacandra to be with me?”

Devotee: Because Rāmacandra was a high-class devotee who could nourish his bhakti.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Though he was a disciple of Śrīnivāsa, he was a siddha-bhakta (a perfected devotee). He was svajātīya-āsaya-snigdha (a devotee who was like-minded, more advanced than oneself and affectionate to oneself), like that. We should try to follow these things to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, there is no way, no way to develop.

(Devotees do kīrtana, then Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja recites maṅgalācaraṇa)

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: My millions of humble obeisances unto the lotus feet of my paramārādhyatama Guru-pāda-padma, oṁ viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja. And unto my śikṣā-guru, Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja, I offer millions of sāṣṭāṅga daṇḍavat praṇāmas.

Yesterday, in our evening class, we were discussing this śloka,

ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahādāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ
śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam
ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ
sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam

Śikṣāṣṭakam (1)

[“Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.”]

We explained that by good fortune, śraddhā comes. There are two kinds of śraddhā. One is śāstrārtha-avadhāraṇa-mayī-śraddhā. This śraddhā comes by hearing śāstra. The other kind is lobhamayī–śraddhā. Hearing the sweet pastimes of Vraja, lobha has come; a greed to serve Kṛṣṇa has actually come. But if, anyhow, that transcendental śraddhā comes, and after that there is no good association, then one will become weak.

That śraddhā will gradually weaken and weaken, and one day, what will happen? It will totally disappear. This śraddhā is the last fraction of the transcendental mood of hlādinī-śakti. This śraddhā is transcendental; so, it can come or disappear. Understand? It may disappear or remain, as she wills. She is like a personality, not only a potency or anything.

All the potencies of Kṛṣṇa have personalities, so bhakti — the mood of Rādhikā (hlādinī-śakti) — also has free will. It depends on her where to go, where to be, where to be merciful, where to disappear. It depends on her.

If she thinks, “He is committing offences to his gurudeva. He has no guru-niṣṭhā. He is not properly respecting Vaiṣṇavas according to their stage,” then she may disappear at once. Kṛṣṇa has made His potency independent, fully independent, as He is. So, if there is no sādhu-saṅga and you have no honour for sādhu-saṅga, then that śraddhā will disappear. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura explains this thing.

In this world, conditioned souls are forgetting their constitutional position. What is that? They are the eternal servants of Kṛṣṇa. Māyā has two powers: āvaraṇātmikā (to cover) and vikṣepātmikā (to throw). She throws the jīvas and also covers them. Vikṣepātmikā is first, and then comes āvaraṇātmikā. She very easily kicks the jīvas far away into this material world, then covers them with two coverings: a subtle body and a gross body. Thus, since time immemorial, the jīva has been going up and down in this material world. Sometimes, he may become Indra or a high-class demigod. And it may be that sometimes he becomes an ant, or a hog, or a pig. This has been explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta:

brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja

Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā 19.151)

[“According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. By the mercy of both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.”]

kṛṣṇa bhuli’ sei jīva anādi-bahirmukha
ataeva māyā tāre deya saṁsāra-duḥkha

Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā 20.117)

[“Forgetting Kṛṣṇa, the living entity has been attracted by the external feature from time immemorial. Therefore the illusory energy (māyā) gives him all kinds of misery in his material existence.”]

kabhu svarge uṭhāya, kabhu narake ḍubāya
daṇḍya-jane rājā yena nadīte cubāya

Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā 20.118)

[“In the material condition, the living entity is sometimes raised to higher planetary systems and material prosperity and sometimes drowned in a hellish situation. His state is exactly like that of a criminal whom a king punishes by submerging him in water and then raising him again from the water.”]

saṁsāra bhramite kona bhāgye keha tare
nadīra pravāhe yena kāṣṭha lāge tīre

Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā 22.43)

[“The conditioned souls are wandering throughout the different planets of the universe, entering various species of life. By good fortune one of these souls may somehow or other be delivered from the ocean of nescience, just as one of the many big logs in a flowing river may by chance reach the bank.”]

kona bhāgye kāro saṁsāra kṣayonmukha haya
sādhu-saṅge tabe kṛṣṇe rati upajaya

Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā 22.45)

[“By good fortune one becomes eligible to cross the ocean of nescience, and when one’s term of material existence decreases, one may get an opportunity to associate with pure devotees. By such association, one’s attraction to Kṛṣṇa is awakened.”]

Sometimes he goes to heaven, and sometimes he goes to hell, and here and there, he becomes a pig or a hog and enters various species of life. Kṛṣṇa is very merciful in giving us this human form of life. Kṛṣṇa sees how we have suffered, and at that time, Kṛṣṇa becomes very merciful. Kṛṣṇa sees, “Now the jīva has become somewhat humble.” Kṛṣṇa engages His mahāmāyā to burn the jīva in fire and hammer him in this world. This is the nature of this world, but we do not remember all these things now. We are very happy here with our wives and children, and so many things. Sometimes Kṛṣṇa pushes us with so many sufferings and so many things. Then for a moment…for example, someone will go to a burning ghat and see, “Oh, this person is dead, and now he is burning in flames.” This is called funeral renunciation. But when he returns from that burning ghat, his sons and daughters and wife come to him weeping and weeping, and then he forgets everything in a moment.

So a jīva is very fortunate, very fortunate to have this śraddhā. At first, that jīva somehow seeks sādhu-saṅga, sādhu-saṅga. Then, he begins to know all these things. He hears, “Without serving Kṛṣṇa, we cannot be happy. There is no other way to be happy. The only way to be liberated from the sufferings of this world and to be eternally happy is by sādhu-saṅga and serving Kṛṣṇa in sādhu-saṅga.” When he realises this at that time, though that jīva is full of anarthas, the hlādinī-vṛtti of svarūpa-śakti at once, in a very minute form, descends there.

This is the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Or, Śrīmatī Rādhikā is even more merciful than Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa wishes, “Be merciful to them,” at once Śrīmatī Rādhikā, in a minute form, in the form of śraddhā, will descend there in the heart of that jīva. If this happens, then sādhu-saṅga comes again next. Before śraddhā was present, that was ‘first’ sādhu-saṅga. It may be that by sādhu-saṅga…what class of sādhu-saṅga? A madhyama, madhyama-kaniṣṭha, madhyama-madhyama, or even a kaniṣṭha may be present. A jīva will seek that class of sādhu-saṅga, and this śraddhā will descend.

Then he will tell that person, “Why not accept a guru? If you want bhakti, you should accept a high-class guru.”

Then he asks, “Do you know a guru?”

“Yes, I know a guru.” He does not tell him, “I am a guru.” He says, “I know a guru who can help you.” That person then follows him and goes to that high-class guru and hears, not only for one day, but for two days, three days, four days. It may be that he will hear from him for years. Then he thinks, “Oh, he can help me serve Kṛṣṇa.” Then he decides, “I should accept him as my guru.” There are so many stories like that, of a disciple going and testing a guru.

There was a young boy who wanted to take initiation from a highly cultured or bona fide guru. He went to the Ganges and told his gurudeva, “I want to take your shelter. Please initiate me.”

“Have you taken a bath? You should take a bath in the Ganges and come to me after having purified yourself.” He went to the Ganges, took a bath, changed his clothes, put on tilaka, and went to Gurudeva. In the meantime, Gurudeva had arranged a sweeper and told the sweeper, “You should collect some dry leaves and dust, but it should not be impure. Then, from far away, when that person is coming to me for initiation, throw that dust on him. Please do not throw it on his body, but throw it far away from him. But be alert; he may come and beat you.”

When that person was coming back from taking a bath, the sweeper then threw the basket full of dirt, leaves and everything towards him. It landed far away from him, but some dust touched him, and he became furious. He took a stick and followed the sweeper, but she ran away. Again, he took a bath, thought, “Now I am pure,” and came to Gurudeva. But Gurudeva told him, “Return after one year. You should come to me when there is no more anger in you. You are very angry, so you must return to me after practising.”

Then, after one year, he again came to Gurudeva. Gurudeva told him, “You should take a bath.” He went and took a bath in the Ganges and was again on his way to Gurudeva. At the same time, Gurudeva told the sweeper, “Now you should take some dirt, and you should throw it not on his body, but nearby him, closer than the last time, so that some dust and leaves will touch his body.” The sweeper did so, and he became very angry again, but he did not take a stick in his hand like the last time.

His eyes became red, and he thought, “Oh, this is very bad.” But anyway, his anger subsided. He went and took a bath, then came back. Gurudeva told him, “You should wait another year and come back to me again.” After another year, that person came back, and Gurudeva told him, “You should take a bath.” At the same time, he said to the sweeper, “This time, put a basket of dirt and dust on his head. He will do nothing, but still, you should be careful.”

When that person was coming back from having taken a bath, the sweeper then threw that basket full of dust on his head. That person at once folded his hands and did praṇāma to the sweeper. “Oh, you are really my guru. You are my guru. You have taught me how to tolerate.”

Gurudeva told him, “There is no need to have another bath. You are qualified now. You should come and take initiation.” Then, without taking a bath, he gave him initiation. There are so many stories. I told only this one.

I think that anger is the biggest enemy, more than anything. That is why the guru first tells us, “At the time of chanting, you should not use your index finger. You should keep it outside your bead bag.” But we don’t follow; we don’t follow. Sometimes we follow, but if someone insults us, we will insult them too. We should try to learn this.

So, there is ‘first sat-saṅga’ and then ‘second sat-saṅga.’ In the ‘second sat-saṅga,’ after śraddhā, one realises the necessity of taking initiation from a high-class guru. If one is sincere, Kṛṣṇa will manage a high-class guru. But if one is not sincere, if one wants a worldly position and gain, there are so many gurus for this. Kṛṣṇa manages that very class of ‘guru’ for them. Really, he is not a guru, but a ‘kanguru.’

Now, in ‘second sādhu-saṅga,’ he accepts a guru and dīkṣā as well. That initiation may be of two kinds. One kind is only anuṣṭhānikī (external formality). The sacred thread is given, and a fire sacrifice, and anything is done. But what is real, bona fide dīkṣā (vidvad-rūḍhī, or internal initiation)? He realises everything, as Vijaya and Vrajanātha did in Jaiva-dharma. They saw Caitanya Mahāprabhu singing and dancing with all His associates, and their hearts melted. They were weeping and rolling on the earth. This is real dīkṣā.

This formal dīkṣā is like a class, a course. This course can be completed in a few days, a few months, or a few years, or it may be prolonged for years and years. But when you realise the relation between Kṛṣṇa and your soul, then this is real dīkṣā. You should try to realise this kind of internal dīkṣā.

After taking dīkṣā, he begins to hear from gurudeva (or a śikṣā-guru). Sometimes the dīkṣā-guru is also the śikṣā-guru. When he becomes a śikṣā-guru, then he becomes more familiar, more familiar. Like what? Like an uncle. Like Kṛṣṇa used to play much more with Sunanda and Nandana than with Nanda Bābā. They were the youngest brothers of Nanda Bābā. Kṛṣṇa used to play with them as if they were His brothers. Śikṣā-guru is very familiar in that way. They can sit on one bed and play like friends.

They can have their arms around each other’s shoulders and laugh and joke. For example, I never sat below Svāmījī, never. We used to sit at the same level, joke, and do so many things. We used to cook together and everything. Also, there was a devotee of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, Janārdana Mahārāja. He was a svajātīya-āsaya-snigdha Vaiṣṇava. In the whole Gauḍīya society, in the whole Sarasvatī line, I had chosen him as a svajātīya-āsaya-snigdha Vaiṣṇava. We used to discuss so many things, like friends.

If I were trying to sit on a somewhat lower level than them, they would come down to my level, like this. A śikṣā-guru — in a joking way, without concealing anything, without hiding any fact — can tell him anything. Sometimes a guru may be like this. But a disciple should be so advanced and high-class.

Then, after hearing the sweet pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu, by that inspiration, he can now sing or explain the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. If anyone has not really heard and not served gurudeva (śikṣā-guru, dīkṣā-guru), then he cannot do so. If he is speaking hari-kathā but he has not served and is not in the line, then what will happen? After some time, he will be a Sahajiyā.

I have seen so many like this in my life. So many have deviated, so many. Not only one, but thousands and thousands. They were very powerful, thinking, “I am now the next ācārya after my gurudeva.” But they left, so many. You should try to be very careful in this regard.

After this, that disciple — having heard and served his guru so much — may always be chanting nāmābhāsa at that time. But sometimes, very rarely, the pure name may come. At that time, so many anarthas have disappeared. Now, they are removed or dormant. But if they have a chance, they can wake up again. How? For example, if you cut the grass of a field and level it. There is no grass there now. But when rain comes, when water comes, that grass will grow again very soon. Or you can see with a banyan tree, if you cut it anywhere, it will sprout again. Only when you take it out from the root, if you uproot it, will it not come again. Like this, avidyā (ignorance), or anarthas, are now removed for that devotee.

This is the process by which transcendental bhakti, from a very minute point, comes into the hearts of jīvas. But in the meantime, if any aparādha comes, then like a mad elephant, it will uproot that creeper of bhakti. This has been explained in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta and the Rūpa-śikṣā. So, by adopting this process of hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, then these seven kinds of fruits that are told in this śloka (Śrī Śikṣāṣṭakam 1) may come, otherwise not. That is why we see, here and there, that this chanting is not yielding any fruit for devotees.

They are doing nagara-saṅkīrtana so much, but when there is no one, when they are alone, they will not do saṅkīrtana. They will jump five or six feet high in the air, jumping so much here and there when there are so many people to see them. But when no one is around to see them, they will not chant or dance. When they go outside, they will take their mālā and chant, “Hare Kṛṣṇa.” But when there is no one there to see them, they will keep their mālā aside and sleep.

This is not the process. By following like this, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam and up to ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanam, these seven fruits will not come; surely, they will not come. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam — what is the meaning of ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam?

Devotee: Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam means the cleansing of the mirror of the heart from all material conceptions of life and seeing within the heart the reflection of the Lord and myself as spirit.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: More?

Devotee: The heart is like a mirror, so by chanting under guidance, having received some śraddhā and doing service under guidance, then this heart, which is like a mirror, starts to be cleansed. If one is hearing and chanting but has not served the guru and Vaiṣṇavas, they are not under guidance, and that chanting will not have an effect. But when one has heard and served, and one is under guidance, then when they are chanting, that heart which is like a mirror, but is now covered with so much dust, will begin to be cleansed.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Very good. One kīrtana. (Break in audio)

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: You should know that Kṛṣṇa has a very beautiful form. No one is more beautiful than Kṛṣṇa. Nārāyaṇa is beautiful, Rāmacandra is beautiful, Dvārakādhīśa is beautiful, even Mathureśa is beautiful, but not like Vrajendra-nandana Śyāmasundara.

śyāme! ramā-ramaṇa-sundaratā-variṣṭ hasaundarya-
mohita-samasta-jagaj-janasya
śyāmasya vāma-bhuja-baddha-tanuṁ kadāhaṁ
tvām indirā-virala-rūpa-bharāṁ bhajāmi?

Śrī Gāndharvā-samprārthanāṣṭakam (3)

[“O Śyāmā, the entire world is enchanted by the beauty of Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa, but the beauty of You embraced by Śyāma with His left arm, is super excellent. When will I worship You, whose unique beauty is rare even for Lakṣmī-devī?”]

Rūpa Gosvāmī is praying, “Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful, attractive, having all qualities. But, He cannot be like this, without Rādhikā. Kṛṣṇa has given His heart to Rādhikā, and She is controlling Him.” It is very rare to have the darśana of Kṛṣṇa. Brahmā and Śaṅkara cannot even remember a particle of His foot dust in trance. But if you will remember a particle of the foot dust of Śrīmatī Rādhikā, Kṛṣṇa will think, “Oh, he is remembering My most beloved!” and at once, He will be controlled.

yo brahma-rudra-śuka-nārada-bhīṣma-mukhyair
ālakṣito na sahasā puruṣasya tasya
sadyo vaśī-karaṇa-cūrṇam ananta-śaktiṁ
taṁ rādhikā-caraṇa-reṇum anusmarāmi

Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhi (4)

[“Following in the footsteps of our previous ācāryas, I meditate upon the footdust of Śrīmatī Rādhikā, whose unlimited power instantly controls the Supreme Person Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is not easily seen even by great souls like Brahmā, Śiva, Śukadeva, Nārada Muni and Bhīṣma.”]

If Kṛṣṇa is so beautiful, then to serve Kṛṣṇa, how beautiful should an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa be? They should be more beautiful than Kṛṣṇa, as Śrīmatī Rādhikā is more beautiful than Kṛṣṇa. It is a fact; Kṛṣṇa is most beautiful. But the beauty of Śrīmatī Rādhikā attracts Kṛṣṇa. So, to attract and to serve Kṛṣṇa, our constitutional form should be most beautiful. If you are not like that, you cannot serve Śrīmatī Rādhikā. We have these things, but in a latent position in our souls. We have all these things here in our hearts, all the qualities a maidservant of Rādhikā should have. But now, it is covered with māyā.

This is the meaning of ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. Ceto-darpaṇa — for example, if there is dust on a mirror, then you cannot see your reflection in that mirror. But if you remove the dust, then you can see your reflection. At that time, if ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam is done, then your heart will be like a mirror. For example, there are some books or something inside a glass almirah. You can see inside, but cannot touch what is inside.

So, at that time, if ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam is done, then sometimes you can see your siddha-svarūpa. This is the meaning. But you cannot use that svarūpa. You can see it only sometimes, like a semblance. A jīva is so fortunate to have this. Therefore, we should know that there is something very beautiful within us, and there are very beautiful qualities in us. But first, we will have to remove aparādha. First, is aparādha.

Then gradually, anarthas will be removed. You know the anarthas. I have explained them so many times. What are they? There are four kinds, and each kind is also of four kinds. The four kinds are svarūpa-bhrama (illusion about one’s real identity), asat-tṛṣṇā (hankering for that which is temporary), hṛdaya-daurbalya (weakness of heart), and aparādha (offences). We are doing all these things. We should try to stop them.

We should not commit an aparādha (offence). But sometimes we are bound to commit an aparādha. It may be that we are not offending gurudeva. It may be that you are not offending Vaiṣṇavas, but it is very, very hard. Sometimes we don’t give proper respect to Vaiṣṇavas. This is also a kind of aparādha. Especially, if you are chanting the holy name and you have this conception of “I and mine” in your body and mind. This is one kind of nāmāparādha. This is very hard to remove, this conception of “I and mine.”

Devotee: We have a conception of “Ahaṁ mameti — I am this body, and everything in relation to this body is mine.” This is also an aparādha (offence). It is in the category of sva-tattva-bhrama (illusion about one’s own spiritual identity). This is an anartha, and it is also an offence in chanting the holy name.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: This is very hard to remove, very hard. Also, when we are chanting, we do not have such a strong belief in the holy name that the name is identical to Kṛṣṇa Himself. Then we can chant “Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa” very easily, leaning on a wall or sitting in a chair. What is this? Our hearts are not melting. This is also a kind of aparādha. It is very hard to remove, but you will have to do so, positively. You will have to do so.

After that is laya (drowsiness), vikṣepa (distraction), apratipatti (incompetence), kaṣāya (contaminated consciousness), and rasāsvāda (taste for mundane pleasure), and there is still something after that. What is that? [The eradication of the four types of anarthas occurs in five stages (Mādhurya-kādambinī, Third Shower, Text 4b):] Eka-deśa-vartinī (partial), bahu-deśa-vartinī (extensive), prāyikī (almost complete), pūrṇā (complete), and ātyantikī (absolute). So many things are there.

We think that bhakti is very easy. A Vaiṣṇava can say, “Oh, bhakti is very easy.” But for whom? We say this to attract beginners. “Bhakti will come very soon, very soon.” And for those who are sincere, bhakti may be very easy. But for those who have so much intelligence, duplicity, hypocrisy, diplomacy, kuṭīnāṭī (deceit), jīva-hiṁsā (envy of other living entities) and all these things, bhakti is very hard. We will have to give up all these things. You should try to promise, “I will give up all these things for Kṛṣṇa.” For example, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī was an ideal devotee. Prahlāda Mahārāja was an ideal devotee. All those who are coming should try to be ideal devotees. But if everyone who comes is put into a container, then, like a strainer with some holes, so many will go through it. Only a few rare people will be ideal devotees like that. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura or Narottama Ṭhākura has written like this. We should think, “I am not qualified.”

gaṇaite doṣa, guṇa-leśa nā pāobi,
ĵaba tuhũ karôbi vicāra
tuhũ jagannātha, jagate kahāosi,
jaga-bāhir nahi muĩ chāra

Mādhava, Bahuta Minati Kôri Taya (2)

[“Encountering only my faults, You will not find a speck of good qualities when considering my appeal. You are known throughout the world as Jagannātha (Lord of the Universe); therefore, even a contemptible person like me is not beyond Your consideration.”]

Do you know this song? It is very good. We should think like this, as Vidyāpati has told in this song. If Kṛṣṇa will consider whether we are qualified or not, we will think, “In millions of lives and lives, I will not be qualified, so You should give me both things, both the pot for mercy (container) and the mercy.” Anywhere Narottama has also prayed in this way. Also, in one of the ślokas of Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, in one of the last verses of his Śrī Govardhana-daśakam:

nirupadhi-karuṇena śrī śacī-nandanena
tvayi kapaṭi-śaṭho ’pi tvat-priyeṇārpito ’smi
iti khalu mama yogyāyogyatāṁ tām agṛhṇan
nija-nikaṭa-nivāsaṁ dehi govardhana! tvam

Śrī Govardhana-vāsa-prārthanā-daśakam (10)

[“The causelessly merciful Śrī Śacīnandana, who is most dear to you, has offered me to you. Therefore, although I am deceitful and wicked, do not consider my qualification or lack thereof. O Govardhana, please give me residence by your side!”]

He is praying to Govardhana, “O Govardhana, please be merciful to me. Don’t see my faults and my demerits. You should be merciful, causelessly merciful.” Gaura-premānande!

Devotee: You were talking about nāmāparādha and nāmābhāsa. In Jaiva-dharma, Bābājī Mahārāja says that if you take the five mahā-pāpas (great sins) and you multiply them by millions of times, the reaction is not as severe as if you would commit nāmāparādha. Can you explain that? What are the five mahā-pāpas, and how is nāmāparādha worse?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: It will take so much time. We can discuss it at Lake Washington.

Devotee: You explained that the first type of śraddhā can even arise from contact with the first level of madhyama. You said that in the first type of sādhu-saṅga, one is coming in contact with a low-level madhyama or even a kaniṣṭha, and that at that time, they may get some very minute particle of śraddhā. Can this come from someone who is not a mahā-bhāgavata?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Yes, because in his heart, a madhyama-adhikārī has some minute part of hlādinī-śakti. He has that śraddhā, so something is there. By that minute particle of śraddhā, he can help others, no harm.

Devotee: But a kaniṣṭha can do so?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: A kaniṣṭha? No, a kaniṣṭha cannot help. He can only say, “You should come to my Ṭhākurajī,” and he can give others the mahā–prasādam remnants of Ṭhākurajī or the tulasī or candana or anything that was offered to Ṭhākurajī, like this.

Devotee: To increase sukṛti.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Yes.

Devotee: Can the one who has minute śraddhā also give someone else minute śraddhā?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: By hari-kathā, by hari-kathā. But only the three kinds of mahā-bhāgavatas can really help them.

Devotee: A low-level madhyama can give his very minute śraddhā?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: He can give something as he knows hari-kathā. But he should be sincere, otherwise not. He should always be sincere.

Devotee: Is it the symptom of a madhyama that he will definitely always take advantage of the opportunity to inquire from an uttama?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: The four qualities of a madhyama have been explained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and in Caitanya-caritāmṛta in three stages. This subject has been cleared there.

Devotee: His behaviour follows:

kṛṣṇeti yasya giri taṁ manasādriyeta
dīkṣāsti cet praṇatibhiś ca bhajantam īśam
śuśrūṣayā bhajana-vijñam ananyam anya-
nindādi-śūnya-hṛdam īpsita-saṅga-labdhyā

Śrī Upadeśāmṛta (5)

[“One should mentally honor the devotee who chants the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, one should offer humble obeisances to the devotee who has undergone spiritual initiation (dīkṣā) and is engaged in worshiping the Deity, and one should associate with and faithfully serve that pure devotee who is advanced in undeviated devotional service and whose heart is completely devoid of the propensity to criticize others.”]

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Yes.

Devotee: Īpsita-saṅga-labdhyā (Śrī Upadeśāmṛta 5), he is always desiring the saṅga of an uttama-adhikārī.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Yes. An uttama-adhikārī, even by glancing at someone, can give bhakti. But for a madhyama-adhikārī, even if he is madhyama-uttama, he will help them by speaking hari-kathā. Thus, greed may come by that. They can be madhyama, madhyama-kaniṣṭha, madhyama-madhyama, like this. What were you asking?

Devotee: In the Jaiva-dharma, it says that if you commit the five kinds of mahā-pāpas and you multiply that severity by millions of times, you don’t get as bad a sinful reaction as you get if you commit nāmāparādha. Can you explain?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: What are the five mahā-pāpas?

Devotee: I don’t know, that was the question.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Oh, you should know. First is avidyā (ignorance). What ignorance is that? To forget Kṛṣṇa. Then comes aprārabdha-karma (the accumulated stock of sins that are lying in a dormant condition), kūṭa (sins that are tending towards producing seeds), bīja (the desires to commit sinful activities), and prārabdha-karma (fructified sins). These are the five mahā-pāpas.

And if it is multiplied millions of times, even that is not equal to the result of committing nāmāparādha. Why? Because all these mahā-pāpas may go away by chanting a semblance of nāma. But it is very hard for aparādha to go away, very hard, very hard. Apologise to the person you have offended, and if he is merciful, he can forgive you. Otherwise, continue chanting harināma, harināma, harināma, weeping and weeping, with repentance, “Why did I do so? Why did I do so?” Then it can be forgiven. Gaura-premānande!

Source(s): Purebhakti.com, Serve Love – Bhakta Bandhav (Bhakta Bandhav Anthology transcribed and edited by the Bhakta Bandhav Team)

Image(s) made possible by Pixabay.com, Krishnapath.org.in, Keystone Press / Alamy Stock Photo and / or Bhaktiart.net

Unless indicated otherwise, all verse translations and quotes are from the books by Śrīla Prabhupāda (Vedabase.com)