The following is a transcription of a discourse delivered by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja in Cessnock, Australia, on February 25, 2002  (Bhakta Bandhav Anthology Volume 82)

 

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: In our morning class, we were discussing the glorification of Nāma Prabhu. You know that Nāma Prabhu is Himself Kṛṣṇa and Herself Rādhikā. All kinds of power and opulence and causeless mercy are in the holy names. These names are very powerful. The glorification of the holy name mentioned in the śāstra has not been adequately conveyed. Nāma Prabhu has only been partly glorified. Do not doubt anything, whether all kinds of prārabdha-karma (fructified sin) and aprārabdha-karma (unfructified sin) and everything else are removed by chanting the holy name. This same question was there, and I explained it very well earlier. He remembers it; therefore, he will speak shortly on this topic. You should hear carefully.

[A devotee describes that śuddha-nāma (the pure holy name) is transcendental. There is no difference between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa and Their names. Nāma is pure, but at different stages of chanting, it is known as nāmāparādha and nāmābhāsa. There are various gradations within nāmāparādha and nāmābhāsa. Only śuddha nāmābhāsa can remove all sins and avidyā (ignorance). Only śuddha-nāma can give kṛṣṇa-prema. Sins will be eradicated only to the degree that one will chant nāmābhāsa.]

Devotee: By chanting one nāmābhāsa, someone is guaranteed liberation in some lifetime as long as they don’t commit a vaiṣṇava-aparādha. If they continue to chant nāmābhāsa, then gradually they will become free from all prārabdha, aprārabdha, kūṭa (the tendency to sin), bīja (seeds of sinful desires), and all types of karma are destroyed. Is that correct or not?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: First, what is prema-bhakti? Can you define what prema-bhakti is? Śuddha-bhakti and prema-bhakti are the same thing. They are only different names for the same thing. What is śuddha-bhakti?

Devotee:

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā

Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.1.11)

[“Perpetual, ardent endeavour meant exclusively for Śrī Kṛṣṇa and performed out of genuine kindness to Him, when neither prone to any selfish, ulterior desires nor eclipsed by impersonal knowledge, fruitive work, or any other occupation, is known as uttama-bhakti.”]

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: What is that? What idea do you have about this? What is your idea? You should explain it in your own words.

Devotee: That kind of bhakti which isn’t covered by jñāna or karma or any other desires…

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: What is prema-bhakti, or śuddha-bhakti? Up to how much is its limit? Up to the bhāva of Śrīmatī Rādhikā. Understand?

Beginning from Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, all the way up to mahābhāva, rūḍha, adhirūḍha, mohana, modana, mādana, the mood of Rādhikā — this is prema-bhakti. But there are so many gradations, beginning from śraddhā to the highest limit of bhakti. A man may be very cruel, he may be sinful, he may be more wretched than Jagāi and Mādhāi, but still śraddhā may come because it is not under the control of karma, jñāna, yoga, or anything.

Anyone, even Kṛṣṇa Himself cannot control it. But it begins from where? From śraddhā, the idea that “by serving Kṛṣṇa, our life will be successful.” The tendency to serve Kṛṣṇa is the last transcendental fraction of bhakti. A man may be wretched, characterless, and so on, but bhakti may come to him. Through the medium of the high-class association of bhaktas, the desire comes that “I should serve Kṛṣṇa.” The bhaktas give him that desire. This is called śraddhā.

But its outward or external symptom is faith in Kṛṣṇa’s words and faith in the words of Guru and sādhu. What more? The idea that “If my life is gone, no harm, but I will not give up bhakti.” This will also come gradually. This is the last fraction of transcendental bhakti. From here, millions of stages of bhakti are there. In Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu or Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi, they have touched on some of the important stages. But no one can fully define all the stages of bhakti. It is like an endless ocean.

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, like a very expert person, divided all the millions of stages of bhakti into so many categories. Then his followers, such as Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, Jiva Gosvāmī, and Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, divided his categories into so many fractions. In the future, some devotees may also come, and they will make even more fractions. Why? To make bhakti more easily available.

We know that Vedavyāsa first divided the Veda into four major parts. Then he wrote the Vedānta-sūtra, and later the Mahābhārata. Then again, he explained Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as an explanation of Vedānta-sūtra. He also wrote so many Purāṇas. Like this, the ocean of bhakti is unlimited.

The holy name is Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa Themselves. Due to our various stages of chanting, the pure holy name manifests in greater or lesser degrees. The pure holy name is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in transcendental Goloka Vṛndāvana, playing in so many ways in the five rasas. Rāsa-līlā is there, Bhramara-gīta is there, Vaṁśī-vaṭa, and all other things are there. More than that, even those things which have not been explained in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other scriptures, everything is there in the pure name. Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa-līlā pastime that has been described in śāstra is from one night only. Nothing has been told about the other rāsa-līlā pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. There may be some special characteristics of different rāsa-līlā pastimes.

In this way, the glory of the holy name is an unlimited ocean of rasa, and no one controls its mercy. The mercy of the holy name is unlimited and uncontrolled. If Nāma Prabhu Himself wants anyone to be liberated and their prārabdha karma to be destroyed, then why doubt this? There should be no doubt, no question at all. But still, we explain it in various ways. You should know that it is very hard to realise whatever we will explain because the influence of māyā is always covering any transcendental thing. There are no pure words in this material world to describe that transcendental reality.

You will only be able to understand and have realisation by performing sādhana. Otherwise, your doubt will not be removed even if Kṛṣṇa Himself comes and explains so many things to you. However, if you practice bhakti-yoga, then these things will gradually be realised. Depend more on practising bhakti-yoga, chanting the holy name, “Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa,” in high-class association. Then the holy name will reveal itself in your heart.

Then no doubt will come. From the beginning of my life, I have never doubted what was written in the śāstra or what our Gurudeva said — never. I chanted so much, and also served Vaiṣṇavas and Guru thoroughly and sincerely, so I never had any doubt. But for my own realisation, I would always humbly ask my Gurudeva some questions. You should try to follow all these things. Then, gradually, all unwanted things will disappear, and you will be calm and quiet, engaged in bhajana. Bhajana means serving Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.

nikhila-śruti-mauli-ratna-mālā-
dyuti-nīrājita-pāda-paṅkajānta
ayi mukta-kulair upāsyamānaṁ
paritas tvāṁ hari-nāma saṁśrayāmi

Śrī Kṛṣṇa-nāmāṣṭakam (1)

[“O Hari-nāma! The tips of the toes of Your lotus feet are constantly being worshipped by the glowing radiance emanating from the string of gems known as the Upaniṣads, the crown jewels of all the Vedas. You are eternally adored by liberated souls such as Nārada and Śukadeva. O Hari-nāma! I take complete shelter of You.”]

The holy name is served only by those who are mukta mahāpuruṣas (liberated souls). We baddha jīvas (conditioned souls) cannot serve the holy name. We can only do some exercises of the tongue and mind.

śrī-caitanya-mano-’bhīṣṭaṁ
sthāpitaṁ yena bhūtale
svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ
dadāti sva-padāntikam

Prema-bhakti-candrikā

[“When will Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, who has established the mission in this world that fulfils the internal desire of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, give me shelter at his lotus feet?”]

But Kṛṣṇa is so merciful that even if you are practising this in the association of high-class devotees, serving your Gurudeva truly — like śrī-caitanya-mano-’bhīṣṭaṁ, serving the innermost heart’s desire of Guru, in this way — then very soon you will have perfection and you can realise all these things. Understand?

Try to chant more. Chanting only sixteen rounds with your mind going this way and that way will not do. Try to come to the stage of chanting one lakh, and chanting as Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has said in his Jaiva-dharma, as Rūpa Gosvāmī has said:

tan-nāma-rūpa-caritādi-sukīrtanānu-
smṛtyoḥ krameṇa rasanā-manasī niyojya
tiṣṭhan vraje tad-anurāgi-janānugāmī
kālaṁ nayed akhilam ity upadeśa-sāram

Śrī Upadeśāmṛta (8)

[“The essence of all advice is that one should utilise one’s full time – twenty-four hours a day – in nicely chanting and remembering the Lord’s divine name, transcendental form, qualities and eternal pastimes, thereby gradually engaging one’s tongue and mind. In this way one should reside in Vraja (Goloka Vṛndāvana-dhāma) and serve Kṛṣṇa under the guidance of devotees. One should follow in the footsteps of the Lord’s beloved devotees, who are deeply attached to His devotional service.”]

vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ krodha-vegaṁ
jihvā-vegam udaropastha-vegam
etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ
sarvām apīmāṁ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt

Upadeśāmṛta (1)

[“A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind’s demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world.”]

Try to follow, beginning from where? Vāco-vegam, mana-vega, krodha-vega, jihvā-vega, udara-upastha-vega, and beginning from śraddhā. Even if you are not chanting so much, don’t miss out on high-class association, hearing from them and serving.

tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

Bhagavad-gītā (4.34)

[“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realised souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.”]

Then it will come automatically. Try to follow all these things. What is your question?

Devotee: The question this morning was that for those disciples of Svāmījī (Śrīla Prabhupāda) who have not committed any aparādha before, who are newly coming into association, and who are chanting “Hare Kṛṣṇa,” is this śuddha nāmābhāsa?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: No, something may be there in the beginning. Nāmābhāsa also has some symptoms. What they are chanting may be the beginning stages of nāmābhāsa. Then, suppose one is always associating and continually chanting, without committing any aparādha, one will gradually reach the stage of real nāmābhāsa, that is, chāyā-nāmābhāsa (a shadow of the holy name).

Devotee: So, in the beginning, one is chanting nāmābhāsa, but without śraddhā.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: No harm – whether he is chanting with śraddhā or without śraddhā. Knowingly or unknowingly, if you put your hand in fire, it will burn, like this.

Devotee: So, will that quality of nāmābhāsa, unknowingly chanting, remove all prārabdha and aprārabdha-karma?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Yes, if he is gradually and continually chanting. Its effects will not be controlled by anything. Gradually, it will bring him into association, and his chanting of the holy name will develop. Any other questions? Because we have only tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.

Devotee: There is a story about a brāhmaṇa and his wife. She took a piece of the cow, and some of it turned into carrots, some of it turned into garlic, and some of it turned into onions. The blood also turned into red lentils. Is that true?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: It is quite true, quite true. We should not take these things. We should never take these things. Vyāsadeva has written the truth. He has written like this.

Devotee: Can you recount the history? Most devotees are unaware of the history. Can you recount the history of the brāhmaṇa and his wife?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Vyāsadeva knows everything — past, future and present. He saw what kinds of qualities are in various things. It has been said in the Bhagavad-gītā that there is sattvic (the material mode of goodness), tamasic (the material mode of ignorance), rajasic (the material mode of passion), and then nirguṇa (transcendental). The nature of people, trees, creepers, fruits and everything else has been categorised into these types: sattvic, rajasic, tamasic and nirguṇa.

Vyāsadeva saw what qualities were favourable for bhakti and what qualities were there in what things. He saw that the onion is tamasic and that it possesses all the qualities found in meat. It is like cow meat. The onion has the same qualities as those found in cow meat. What result will come from taking cow meat? The same result will be obtained from taking onions. So much lust and so many bad things will come from taking onions.

Like this, according to their qualifications, Vyāsadeva has explained all these things. Garlic has very bad qualities. He said it came from the cow’s bones. Please don’t take it. Other things are also like this. We should try to follow. If you do not follow, then all the bad qualities will come. The same effect that would come from taking cow’s meat, its bones, its hooves and other things, will come from taking all these things. It has been strictly stated in all śāstras, so we should believe it. It depends on scientific evidence. Tomorrow is Nityānanda Trayodaśī, so from the beginning we will glorify Him and all His tattva. Today, I am going to explain something that will benefit you. One should try to set a goal in life. You have heard so many things from the śāstra about this. But Caitanya-caritāmṛta and other epics have thoroughly discussed this and clarified that the goal is love. This love is prayojana. Prayojana means the ultimate goal.

But this prema is also of how many kinds? Five kinds. Actually, it is of twelve kinds: five primary kinds and seven secondary kinds, for a total of twelve kinds. The five primary kinds are śānta (neutrality), dāsya (servitude), sakhya (friendship), vātsalya (parental affection) and madhura (conjugal love). These are primary. According to rati, prema is also divided into five kinds: śānta-rasa, dāsya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa, and madhura-rasa. And the secondary kinds are hāsya (comedy), adbhuta (wonder), karuṇa (pathos), raudra (anger), bhayānaka (horror), bībhatsa (disgust) and vīra (chivalry).

Other ācāryas and other incarnations of the Supreme Lord have come and have preached in this world from time to time. But Kṛṣṇa gave that prema even to creepers and trees. What prema did He give? No one could have given what Kṛṣṇa gave at that time. Trees are like inert. But there are so many kinds of trees. He made the creepers like sakhīs and the trees like friends and gave them prema. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave more than this:

dīna hīna patita pāmara nāhi bāche
brahmār durlabha prema sabākāre jāce

Nitāi Guṇa Maṇi (3)

[“Without discriminating, Nityānanda Prabhu freely offered this rare prema to all, even to the fallen and wretched who did not desire it (no one could avoid it!), although it is difficult to attain, even for Lord Brahmā.”]

It is rare even for Brahmā, but yet, He went door to door and gave this prema. Also, through Nityānanda Prabhu, Haridāsa and others, He distributed this love to all. But especially Caitanya Mahāprabhu came to give unnata-ujjvala-rasa śrī, the beauty of that unnata-ujjvala parakīyā-bhāva. This is the highest aim and object of any soul, to serve like Rūpa Gosvāmī — outwardly being the associate of Caitanya Mahāprabhu like a sādhaka, and in one’s siddha form, serving in a mood like Rūpa Mañjarī. This is the highest thing. There is nothing beyond this for the sādhaka-jīva (soul). This is the highest thing. This has been said everywhere. Not everywhere, but in rare places, Rūpa Gosvāmī and his associates have said like this.

Now, we will have to practice for this. But you cannot practice. Even Kṛṣṇa never gives the power to do bhajana. It depends on Kṛṣṇa and also His associates. Although you know all these things, you still cannot practice. You may practice for some days, but then lust may come, a headache may come, cancer may come, so many diseases may come. You may also be pāgala (mad). Like in the morning, a devotee said to me, “I am pāgala, I cannot.”

If you haven’t set your goal, then you cannot accomplish anything. You are not qualified to do anything. But be sincere. Be like the cātaka bird. Do you know the cātaka bird? She may die, but she will not take even a drop of water from any tank, any pond, from the Ganges, the Yamunā, or from the ocean. She is always looking towards the sky. Throughout the year, she may not take water. She will only take water if rain falls during a particular special constellation, svāti-nakṣatra, that comes every fifteen or seven days. She will only take water during that time. Otherwise, she may die.

A sādhaka, a rare sādhaka, a fortunate sādhaka will be like that; “I want only that.” What is that?

“I want to serve Rūpa Mañjarī. I want to be a dāsī of Rūpa Mañjarī.” You should give up everything else and only have one fixed goal: “I want to be the lotus-foot dust of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s lotus feet.”

ādadānas tṛṇaṁ dantair idaṁ yāce punaḥ punaḥ
śrīmad rūpa-padāmbhojau dhuliḥ syāṁ janma-janmani

Śrī Dāna-keli-cintāmaṇi (175)

[“(Clutching a straw between my teeth, I pray this again and again:) ‘May I become the dust on the lotus feet of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, birth after birth.’ ”]

Birth after birth after birth, I only want to be the dust of the lotus feet of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.

śrī-rūpa-mañjarī-pada, sei mora sampada,
sei mora bhajana-pūjana
sei mora prāṇa-dhana, sei mora ābharaṇa,
sei mora jīvanera jīvana

Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī-pada (1)

[“The lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa Mañjarī are my treasure. They are the veritable purpose of my bhajana and worship. Her lotus feet are the wealth of my life. They are the ornament of my life and indeed, the very life of my life.”]

Who prayed like this? Perhaps Narottama Ṭhākura. Very high-class. You should have a goal like this and be sincere about it. Life is short.

labdhvā su-durlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte
mānuṣyam artha-dam anityam apīha dhīraḥ
tūrṇaṁ yateta na pated anu-mṛtyu yāvan
niḥśreyasāya viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.9.29)

[“After many, many births and deaths one achieves the rare human form of life, which, although temporary, affords one the opportunity to attain the highest perfection. Thus a sober human being should quickly endeavour for the ultimate perfection of life as long as his body, which is always subject to death, has not fallen down and died. After all, sense gratification is available even in the most abominable species of life, whereas Kṛṣṇa consciousness is possible only for a human being.”]

Life is short. Don’t engage even a particle of your energy in other things. You should realise this and then follow the process to achieve this goal. Don’t lose a moment of your time to worldly things. Don’t do so. Always be like that and be very bold and strong. Don’t waste your time!

Rūpa Gosvāmī is present; Sanātana Gosvāmī is present; Mahāprabhu is present; Kṛṣṇa is present; our guru-varga are present. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura is present. My Gurudeva, Śrīla Prabhupāda, and Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī are all transcendental. They cannot die. If you call out to them, they can come and help us at once. Don’t waste your time. Begin from śraddhā, from where you are. But don’t give even a moment to worldly sense gratification. If you sincerely hear my words, you can follow. I cannot tell you any more than this. I have said everything.

Kṛṣṇa is so merciful; Mahāprabhu is so merciful. They descended into this world. They gave up a place like Goloka Vṛndāvana, and They came to this world and walked barefoot, weeping and weeping, going door to door, saying, “I come to your door instead of you coming to Mine. Please chant even one holy name, and I will make you successful.” Still, we don’t listen.

When I go to India, the devotees become weak. Why do they become weak? I don’t know. They want something more, more, more. But I have given everything. Now, you should water that seed. You should give water, cool air, and some nourishment. That is sufficient. Then that seed will become a tree, having so much shade, so many flowers, so many fruits. Fruits will be there on the branches of that tree, among the leaves of the tree, among the mañjarīs — everywhere fruit, fruit, fruit, fruit, fruit. And these fruits will be very sweet.

You should take these fruits and also distribute them, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu has instructed. Mahāprabhu came like a gardener and instructed everyone to take the fruits and help Him distribute them. He said, “Alone, I cannot distribute all these fruits.” He instructed all His associates, such as Nityānanda Prabhu, Svarūpa Dāmodara, and Advaita Ācārya, “You should engage others like this as well.” Then they engaged Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, and all others like this. They also instructed them to engage others in this way. In this way, it has come to us, and we are giving this. In this way, follow all these things completely and sincerely. Then you will realise the fruit yourself. Don’t waste your time. Don’t waste your time and go on like this.

Devotee: Gurudeva, you said there are five kinds of rati, such as śānta, dāsya, etc. Sometimes you explain rati is like prema, like when Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī prayed, “O mind, please have this rati.”

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Rati is of so many kinds. There is sthāyi-rati of dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya, mādhurya. Then, on that platform, if vibhāva, anubhāva, sāttvika-bhāva, and vyābhicārī-bhāva meet in proportion, then it is bhakti-rasa, and then it is prema.

Devotee: But sometimes you explain rati as bhāva, bhāva-bhakti.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Sometimes, but here I am talking about prema-rasa. First, there is rati, and on that platform of rati, vibhāva, anubhāva, uddīpana, ālambana, and so many things will come and meet together. Then it will be rasa. Then, bhakti-rasa is like prema-rasa.

Devotee: So, what is rati that it means both bhāva and prema?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Rati is that sthāyi-bhāva. That rati has now come in a special way.

kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ
krīyatāṁ yadi kuto ’pi labhyate
tatra laulyam api mūlyam ekalaṁ
janma-koṭi-sukṛtair na labhyate

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā 8.70)

[“Pure devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be had even by pious activity in hundreds and thousands of lives. It can be attained only by paying one price — that is, intense greed to obtain it. If it is available somewhere, one must purchase it without delay.”]

Kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ — this is like the beginning of rati. It is a general rati. No special rati is here. But when through the association of a bhakta and according to your constitutional rati, which is now in a latent position, when both mix, then gradually that rati will blossom or develop, and it will peep out from inside: “I like this; I like this.”

Guru will see this and then decide what your rati is. Then, as you go on like that, your svarūpa will come, your siddha-deha will come. And on that siddha-deha, when vibhāva, anubhāva, sāttvika-bhāva, vyābhicārī-bhāva and all these things come, then it will be bhakti-rasa. Please learn all these things.

grāmya-kathā nā śunibe, grāmya-vārtā nā kahibe
bhāla nā khāibe āra bhāla nā paribe

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Antya-līlā 6.236)

[“Do not talk like people in general or hear what they say. You should not eat very palatable food, nor should you dress very nicely.”]

Only try to maintain your life. Don’t go towards sense gratification. Don’t waste your time on these things. Be satisfied with whatever comes easily. Always be engaged in your practice of bhakti-yoga, as Rūpa Gosvāmī has explained. What has Rūpa Gosvāmī said?

ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-
saṅgo ’tha bhajana-kriyā
tato ’nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt
tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ

athāsaktis tato bhāvas
tataḥ premābhyudañcati
sādhakānām ayaṁ premṇaḥ
prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ

Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.4.15-16)

[“In the beginning, one must have a preliminary desire for self-realisation. This will bring one to the stage of trying to associate with persons who are spiritually elevated. In the next stage, one becomes initiated by an elevated spiritual master, and under his instruction, the neophyte devotee begins the process of devotional service. By execution of devotional service under the guidance of the spiritual master, one becomes free from all material attachment, attains steadiness in self-realisation, and acquires a taste for hearing about the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This taste leads one further forward to attachment for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which is matured in bhāva, or the preliminary stage of transcendental love of God. Real love for God is called prema, the highest perfectional stage of life.”]

In the heart of the sādhaka, first śraddhā (faith) develops. After that comes sādhu-saṅga (association with saints), bhajana-kriyā (regulated devotional activities) and then anartha-nivṛtti (the clearing of unwanted habits). Next, the sādhaka develops niṣṭhā in bhajana (fixed determination in devotional service), followed by ruci (taste). Then, he develops āsakti (intense attachment) to bhajana and to the object of bhajana, Vrajendra-nandana Śrī Kṛṣṇa. After this, śuddha-sattva (pure unalloyed transcendental existence) descends into the heart of the sādhaka in the form of bhāva (spiritual emotions), and finally prema arises. This is the gradual development of love of Godhead.

How does śraddhā come? How does transcendental śraddhā come?

Devotee: There are two types of śraddhā. General śraddhā means faith in the words of sādhu, śāstra and Guru.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Do you remember that śloka? Bhaktis tu…

Devotee:

bhaktis tu bhagavad-
bhakta-saṅgena parijāyate
sat-saṅgaḥ prāpyate pumbhiḥ
sukṛtaiḥ pūrva-sañcitaiḥ

Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa (4.33)

[“Bhakti becomes manifest through the association with the Lord’s devotees. The association of devotees is obtained through previously accumulated piety.”]

How does bhakti come? Bhakti never comes through our own efforts. Bhakti is a transcendental entity. How does she come into the heart of any jīva? She comes only through the association of a sādhu (sādhu-saṅga).

kṛṣṇa-bhakti-janma-mūla haya ‘sādhu-saṅga’
kṛṣṇa-prema janme, teṅho punaḥ mukhya aṅga

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā 22.83)

[“The root cause of devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa is association with advanced devotees. Even when one’s dormant love for Kṛṣṇa awakens, association with devotees is still most essential.”]

How do we attain this śraddhā, which is the first stage of bhakti? Only through the association of sādhus. There are two kinds of śraddhā. The general kind of śraddhā is called vaidhī-śraddhā. The other kind comes from fear and is known as śāstrārtha-avadhāraṇa-mayī-śraddhā. That śraddhā is generated through fear of the scriptures. For example, we read the fifth canto of Bhāgavatam, which describes the different hellish planets and states that the jīva, upon leaving its gross body, is punished by Yamarāja in different types of hells. Hearing this, he becomes fearful and thinks, “I should perform devotional service, and thus I will become free from sin. Otherwise, if I do not perform service to Kṛṣṇa, then I will have to suffer so much in this birth and the next birth.” This is ordinary śraddhā.

When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was discussing with Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya, they were discussing different types of bhakti. When Rāmānanda Rāya quoted this śloka, kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ, Mahāprabhu became very happy because it describes the actual śraddhā that we are interested in, rāgānugā-śraddhā. How does that come about?

vrajera nirmala rāga śuni’ bhakta-gaṇa
rāga-mārge bhaje yena chāḍi’ dharma-karma

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi-līlā 4.33)

[“Then, by hearing about the pure love of the residents of Vraja, devotees will worship Me on the path of spontaneous love, abandoning all rituals of religiosity and fruitive activity.”]

Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī described this special type of śraddhā, that upon hearing the very, very, sweet pastimes of Kṛṣṇa and His eternal associates, what will happen? A greed may come in the heart, “I also want to serve in the footsteps of the eternal associates of Kṛṣṇa.” So, there are two types of śraddhā. One is that vaidhī-śraddhā, which will take you to Vaikuṇṭha. It will not take you past that. That type of śraddhā is practised by all other sampradāyas, especially from Śrī Rāmānujācārya, Śrī Viṣṇusvāmī, and Śrī Nimbāditya. You can get that type of śraddhā in other sampradāyas.

But in the sampradāya of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we are specifically interested in that śraddhā which descends from the heart of the Vrajavāsīs through the guru-paramparā by the process of hearing. Like Parīkṣit Mahārāja, who was his dīkṣā-guru? Who did he take the mantra from? That is not clearly given. But he took everything from the heart of Śukadeva Gosvāmī. How?

Simply through the process of hearing. That is called bona fide dīkṣā, real śraddhā, pāramārthika–śraddhā.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: There is something wrong in your explanation. It is not perfect.

Devotee: What is a sādhu?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: You should explain.

Devotee: Sādhu comes from the word ‘sat,’ meaning eternal. A devotee who is established in his eternal relationship with the eternal, original Supreme Personality of Godhead is called a sādhu. Or we can say sādhanoti sādhayati ca kṛṣṇa-prema iti sādhu — sādhu means that person who can teach you the process of bhakti. He is practising in his own right and can teach you how to develop pure love of Godhead. He can also give you that kṛṣṇa-prema; he is called a sādhu.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: But you should know that there is not only one type of sādhu. There are so many categories of sādhu. Depending on what category of bhakta you are associating with, that kind of śraddhā will come to you. It will not all be the same. If Nārada comes and infuses you with some of his potency – even if he does not infuse you with any potency, even if you make him angry, what does he give? What did he give to Nalakūvara and Maṇigrīva? Kṛṣṇa came Himself to liberate them. So, there are different categories of sādhu-saṅga and different categories of śraddhā. There are first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and so on.

Devotee: How is this śraddhā transmitted? The sādhu is speaking hari-kathā and in the form of śabda-brahma (transcendental sound), transcendental pāramārthika śraddhā is being inculcated within his heart. This is the process by which pāramārthika śraddhā comes. Through hearing from a high-class sādhu, the seed of this mood is inculcated within the heart.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: What is śāstrārtha-avadhāraṇamayī-śraddhā?

Devotee: This kind of śraddhā is symptomized by fear that if we do not engage in bhakti, then ultimately, we will go to hell. We do bhakti with this motivation.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: This kind of śraddhā is favourable for vaidhī-bhakti. And the top result that may come from this śraddhā is that it may take you into Vaikuṇṭha, but not more than that.

Devotee: The next kind of śraddhā is lobhamayī–śraddhā. By hearing hari-kathā from the lips of a rasika, bhāvuka devotee — one who is drowning in the ocean of bhakti-rasa—by hearing such sweet hari-kathā about the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, then this inculcates lobhamayī–śraddhā in the heart. One hears the pastimes of Śrīdāmā and Madhumaṅgala, the pastimes of Mother Yaśodā. By hearing such pastimes, one develops a greed, that “I would like to serve like that.”

One may hear the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa with the damsels of Vṛndāvana, and by hearing such pastimes, one may develop a greed that “I would like to serve like that.” This lobhamayī–śraddhā, being watered by the process of hearing and chanting, will ultimately lead one to Goloka Vṛndāvana.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: I am giving one example. You know that previously Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura was a brāhmaṇa boy with many good qualities. His character was very high. He was always serving his father and mother. But somehow, he was in the trap of Cintāmaṇi, a prostitute. But she was not an ordinary prostitute. She was always singing the glories of Kṛṣṇa in a sweet melody, always doing kīrtana. She was also very beautiful. She would only sing the songs of Kṛṣṇa’s sweet pastimes.

Like Nārada Ṛṣi, what is he doing?

nārada muni, bājāya vīṇā, ‘rādhikā-ramaṇa’ name
nāma amani, udita hoya, bhakata-gīta-sāme

Nārada Muni (1)

[“The supremely rasika Nārada Muni plays his vīṇā, singing the names of Śrī Rādhikā-Ramaṇa. Hearing this kīrtana, Śrī Rādhā and Śrī Rādhikā-Ramaṇa Themselves immediately descend, dancing and tasting the bhāva of Their devotees.”]

“Nārada muni, bājāya vīṇā, ‘rādhikā-ramaṇa’ name,” like this. She would sing very sweet songs of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. Many boys would come to hear her kīrtanas. Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura came there and heard her kīrtana and was so attracted by her beauty. He began visiting her more often. He would give her money, and she would always sing so many beautiful songs to Bilvamaṅgala. By continuously going there, he gradually came to know many things about Kṛṣṇa, many things indeed. Even though a prostitute sang it, he gradually knew so many things.

But after some time, she eventually took all his money. And you know that one day, his father died. He was so attached to this prostitute that he could not stop himself from going there because he was so lusty. It was raining so much. It was a cold day. The river was overflooded, and there was no way to cross it. There was no boat there, and it was very dark in the middle of the night. He gave something to the brāhmaṇas, fed them, but yet, he collected so many things in his gamchā for that prostitute and left.

He was thinking, “How can I cross this river?” Finally, he saw a log or something, and he thought, “I should cross the river by this.” He took the help of that, and anyhow, with much difficulty, he crossed the river. He was trembling because of the severe cold. He went near the house of that prostitute, but the wall around the house was very high. It was very difficult to go over. He saw that a rope was hanging from the wall, and so he grabbed that rope and, somehow, though he was trembling so much, he climbed to the top of the wall. But after that, he became senseless and fell down onto the other side of that wall, on the side of the prostitute’s house.

A loud sound came from that fall. The prostitute heard this sound and thought, “Is it raining? What sound was that?” She told her maidservant to see what it was. She quickly looked outside and saw a person lying nearby. She thought, “Perhaps he has fallen down from the top of the wall?” She went outside with a torch or some other light and saw that he was Bilvamaṅgala.

They both took him inside the house and warmed him up. When he came to his senses, the prostitute asked him, “How did you come here?” Really, what he had used to cross the river was not a log or anything, but it was a dead body. Therefore, a terrible smell was emanating from Bilvamaṅgala. But he could not smell it because he was so lusty. He was totally immersed in lust, so no bad smell came to him. He never noticed the dead body. Apparently, it was a dead body, but he never noticed it.

And that was not a rope on the wall outside the prostitute’s home. It was actually a very long, poisonous snake. He was catching hold of that snake, but he never realised that it was a snake. A snake is also like that, very lusty. The prostitute said, “Bogus boy. If you had even a fraction of such taste for Kṛṣṇa, then you would go to Kṛṣṇa. What is inside my body? Only stool, urine, and all these things are covered with very beautiful skin. But really, it is nothing. If you remove this skin, you will only see urine, and so many things, and so much bad smell will come from all the stool in my body. If you pass wind, then the smell will cover the whole area, and you will hold your nose in order not to smell it. So, my body is composed of these things, and yet, you are so attached to it.”

She rebuked him, and because of previous impressions, her words penetrated the heart of Bilvamaṅgala; at once, he left. What is this? Sukṛti (spiritual pious activities accumulated over millions of lives) was there, so he took it seriously and immediately left, deciding, “I will go to Vṛndāvana, where Kṛṣṇa is.” He was going there, remembering the ślokas of the kīrtana of that prostitute. On the way to Vṛndāvana, after one day, two days, three days, four days, five days, he saw so many beautiful girls pulling water from a well. He saw a very young, very, very beautiful lady there. His eyes were attracted to her.

He went to her and asked, “Can you give me water?” and she gave him some. Then he was thinking about something. That lady returned home, and he followed her, making a decision along the way. When she reached her house and entered it, he went to her door and knocked. Now he was in the dress of a sādhu, like us. He had nothing. Her husband did praṇāma to him and asked, “What do you want? How can I serve you?”

“Oh, I am okay. I want to meet your wife.” He was sincere, so he never took it as anything bad. He went inside and said to his wife, “A sādhu who followed you from that well wants to meet you. I don’t know why.” She was also sincere. She came there and asked him, “What do you want? How can we serve? You can take prasādam here, and you can rest here.”

He said to her, “I have a request. Can you give me your two hairpins?”

“Oh, why not? I must give them to you if you like.” She gave them to him, and in front of everyone, he took these two hairpins and plucked out his eyeballs. So much blood was coming. He thought, “Now everything is okay.” He was not weeping or anything. He thought, “These eyes are very bad. They have cheated me so many times. Now they cannot cheat because I cannot see. Now I will only remember Kṛṣṇa.”

He continued going to Vṛndāvana, chanting, “Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa.” In the meantime, Kṛṣṇa saw this and thought, “How will he go to Vṛndāvana?” At once, Kṛṣṇa came there like a boy, with His stick, and He asked Bilvamaṅgala, “O Bābā, where are you going?”

“I am going to Vṛndāvana. Who are you?”

“I am a local boy. I am also going to Vṛndāvana. I live in Vṛndāvana, but I was here for some reason. I can take you to Vṛndāvana. You can hold My stick, and I will take you there.” Bilvamaṅgala held onto his stick, and then what was he doing? He prayed:

cintāmaṇir jayati somagirir gurur me
śikṣā-guruś ca bhagavān śikhi-piñcha-mauliḥ
yat-pāda-kalpataru-pallava-śekhareṣu
līlā-svayaṁvara-rasaṁ labhate jayaśrīḥ

Śrī Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta (1)

[“All glories to Cintāmaṇi and my initiating spiritual master, Somagiri. All glories to my instructing spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who wears peacock feathers in His crown. Under the shade of His lotus feet, which are like desire trees, Jayaśrī (Rādhārāṇī) enjoys the transcendental mellow of an eternal consort.”]

He began to glorify Kṛṣṇa. He was thinking, “This boy will never understand all these things,” and so on the way to Vṛndāvana, what was he doing? Offering so many prayers. They were so beautiful, and it was very pleasing to the ears of Kṛṣṇa, so this collection of prayers was given the name “Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta.”

Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī and all others have written commentaries on these prayers, which are very beautiful and excellent. This is the thing. This is what? Transcendental śraddhā, coming from sukṛti. Very gradually, that impression came, and Kṛṣṇa made it so favourable. Then he went to Vṛndāvana, and he developed very soon.

Devotee: When he was going to Cintāmaṇi, was that also sādhu-saṅga?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Kṛṣṇa arranged like that. It was a part of sādhu-saṅga, but don’t follow (Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja and devotees laugh). You should not follow.

Devotee: So, if we come to a sādhu with any material reasons, then that may change and then our desires will become pure?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: No harm. Yes, sādhu-saṅga may change our reasons. Bilvamaṅgala has accepted her as his vartma-pradarśaka-guru.

Devotee: Was she a pure devotee?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: No, she was not, but Kṛṣṇa made this arrangement. If a person is totally detached from worldly desires, then he is on the path of a jñānī. He cannot be a bhakta. All his desires have been burnt, so he cannot come to bhakti. And those who are too attached to this world are like karmīs. It is very hard to make them devotees.

But those who are not attached so much, who are not detached so much, like Bilvamaṅgala and others, then very quickly, they will come in the line of pure bhakti. But if all your desires and everything in your heart has been burnt by nirviśeṣa-jñāna (impersonal knowledge), then in your whole life, you cannot have love and affection, pure bhakti. That is called śraddhā. What is after śraddhā? What is sādhu-saṅga? How many kinds of sādhu-saṅga are there?

[A devotee says that according to one’s past sukṛti and saṁskāras, one has a particular opportunity or a greater opportunity for bhakti. According to one’s past accumulation of spiritual pious deeds for many, many births, one attains the association of a certain quality of a sādhu. A self-realised soul. There are three levels of pure sādhus: mūrcchita-kaṣāya (those in whom a trace of material contamination still lies dormant), nirdhūta-kaṣāya (those who have thrown off all material impurities), and bhagavat-pārṣada-deha-prāpta (those who have obtained perfected spiritual bodies as eternal associates of the Lord).]

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Here, sādhu-saṅga, sādhu-saṅga, sādhu-saṅga has been said, but for what kind of sādhu-saṅga? She explained the three levels of sādhus. The first example is Nārada in his previous birth. The second example is Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and the third example is Nārada Gosvāmī, who has perfected himself. In his first stage, Nārada was a sādhu, but you know, he was not a very high-class sādhu. He was still practising.

Bhakti lives in the hearts of sādhus. Pure bhakti is in the pure sādhu. So, if a bhakta is not pure, then pure bhakti will not be there. He can cheat you. He must cheat you. Pure bhakti is in the pure heart of a pure bhakta. At that time, Nārada was only a bhakta, not a pure bhakta. But he can still help us through his hari-kathā. Then, there is a sādhu like Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Like with Parīkṣit Mahārāja, he will tell us sweet hari-kathā and also infuse us with some potency. But if a sādhu like Nārada Ṛṣi, who has perfected himself, will come and say, “Pure bhakti should come,” then at once, at once, quickly pure bhakti will come, and you will dance.

evaṁ-vrataḥ sva-priya-nāma-kīrtyā
jātānurāgo druta-citta uccaiḥ
hasaty atho roditi rauti gāyaty
unmāda-van nṛtyati loka-bāhyaḥ

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.2.40)

[“By chanting the holy name of the Supreme Lord, one comes to the stage of love of Godhead. Then the devotee is fixed in his vow as an eternal servant of the Lord, and he gradually becomes very much attached to a particular name and form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As his heart melts with ecstatic love, he laughs very loudly, cries or shouts. Sometimes he sings and dances like a madman, for he is indifferent to public opinion.”]

At once, he will quickly be like this. Mahāprabhu told the tigers and bears and elephants, “You should dance and chant ‘Kṛṣṇa.’ ” They then bent down on their knees and began to chant, “O Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa,” in their own languages. Like this, bhakti always lives in the pure hearts of the pure devotees. Otherwise, if you go to a so-called sādhu who is really not a sādhu, and whose heart is not pure, then their bhakti is what? Amalgamated with karma and jñāna.

Then, he can only give you something like that because undivided, pure bhakti-rasa is not there in his heart, so he cannot give that. Thus, you may be cheated. And it is seen in this world, these kinds of cheating gurus who are cheating themselves and all others that “I am a sādhu, I am a sādhu,” like this. They cannot give pure bhakti. Even if a sādhu is not speaking and you go to him, some rays of bhakti will come to you, and you will see that you are becoming one-pointed.

These are the symptoms of a sādhu. You should try to know all these things. If there is no pure bhakta, no pure bhakti will come. They cannot explain all these things. They have not realised anything. They have not practised at all. They always want to cheat others in the name of bhakti.

When Bilvamaṅgala left his house, he had many children, both boys and girls. His wife and his mother were there, and he was the only person who could look after them. But when he left, what did he do? Did he make any arrangements for his sons and daughters, always thinking, “This is my responsibility?” No, he kicked all these responsibilities out like a football. He forgot everything. He had no further responsibility. Now his only responsibility was what? “Where is Kṛṣṇa? Where is Kṛṣṇa? Where is Kṛṣṇa?” Like Mahāprabhu:

kāhāṅ mora prāṇa-nātha muralī-vadana
kāhāṅ karoṅ kāhāṅ pāṅ vrajendra-nandana

kāhāre kahiba, kebā jāne mora duḥkha
vrajendra-nandana vinu phāṭe mora buka

Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā 2.15-16)

[“(Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to express His mind in this way:) ‘Where is the Lord of My life, who is playing His flute? What shall I do now? Where should I go to find the son of Mahārāja Nanda? To whom should I speak? Who can understand My disappointment? Without the son of Nanda Mahārāja, My heart is broken.’ ”]

Only this, only this. Bhakti is like this, through sādhu-saṅga. Then there is bhajana-kriyā (devotional activity). What is bhajana-kriyā?

(Inaudible)

Devotee: She said that one attains a quality of sādhu according to one’s degree of sukṛti, and yet I heard that Śrīla Prabhupāda said that he is creating the sukṛti of his disciples. So, I see a paradox there. If a person only attains the association of someone like Śrīla Prabhupāda due to sukṛti, why did he say, “I am creating their sukṛti”?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: You should not take all these things like this. You cannot understand. All these things cannot be explained in a few words. Her idea was not to explain like this. There is something more here. What was that? Sādhu-saṅga may create new sukṛti. She has not said that only past sukṛti is there. Some present sukṛti will also come by hearing. Thus, more inspiration will come from this, and one will quickly advance. Understand? New, new sukṛti will come.

In that śloka, bhaktis tu bhagavad-bhakta, ‘sukṛtaiḥ pūrva-sañcitaiḥ’ means that sukṛti is accumulating, more and more and more and more and more and more. So much sukṛti will be there from the past, from the future and from the present, and thus, when that accumulation of sukṛti acquires strength, then sādhu-saṅga will come.

Devotee: To reconcile the two: after millions of births, those of us who came to Śrīla Prabhupāda personally and through his books could do so by dint of sukṛti. Then, by associating with him, he gave us more sukṛti so that we could meet you.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: It is all right. This is because I never cheat. I’m trying to give you whatever pure bhakti I have in my heart. I don’t have any desire for self-gain at all.

Devotee: Gurudeva, you mentioned that only a sādhu, a pure devotee, can impart all of these tattvas. But we see that many, many devotees become very learned, and they can speak many, many tattvas, but are they really giving that tattva just because they can remember it, or is it what is deep within the heart of that sādhu that matters?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: They can give as much as they have. As much as they are pure, as much as they possess bhakti within them, that much they can help. They may help you so much, but only to the extent of their stage can they help anyone.

Devotee: Any bhakta may have learned so many things….

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Learning will not do. I know she has never gone to college. I never went to college. I have not read “ka, kha, ga,” anusvara or visarga (the ABCs of Sanskrit grammar). I have never read all these things. I know many learned devotees in Mathurā and elsewhere. They have read all four Vedas and know so many things. They can speak Sanskrit. They have learned so much, but they have no bhakti at all. Many of them are totally influenced by Māyāvāda, and even those who are not give less preference to bhakti than to worldly responsibilities and money-making. They are constantly involved in politics, making money, and pursuing their material interests. I know so many renowned and learned people of this calibre.

Come to the University of Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Try to come to and believe in the school of Śrīla Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, who became totally blind in the last stage of his life due to his severe renunciation. Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja was also illiterate, and he could not even write his own name in Bengali. Still, he was accepted as the guru of the most learned person in the entire universe at that time: Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. We should try to be like them.

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)