The following is a transcription of a discourse delivered by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on December 11, 2000

 

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Today is the last day, and then we will proceed to Rio. We will be there for about three days. I’m pleased that so many devotees are here and so many took initiation — my heartly blessings to you and your wife.

Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Mādhava Mahārāja: Sundarānanda.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Sundarānanda Prabhu and his wife.

Vrajanātha Prabhu: Rāmeśa.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Rāmeśa Prabhu, all, that we could all come.

Devotee: Satyarāja Prabhu.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Satyarāja Prabhu, yes. And all [who came] to help me in my preaching.

Devotee: Kuñja-bihārī.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: I know that he’s the root cause of my coming to Brazil.

Govinda Bhakata Prabhu:  Kuñja-bihārī Prabhu kī jaya!

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: He invited me to come (Devotees clap).

(Because of a tape problem, the following has not been checked with the tape)

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Anyhow I’m happy that I’m carrying the order of my śikṣā-guru, Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja. As he requested and ordered me, I followed his orders, and I’m very happy that I’m following his orders, helping so many. Not only new ones but also the disciples, the senior disciples of Svāmījī. I’m helping them as well. This is my main reason for coming here or anywhere in Western countries. And by the causeless mercy of my śikṣā and dīkṣā-guru, I’m successful in this. I know very well that so many obstructions are coming, and some warn devotees not to attend my classes. But even still sincere devotees, those who want to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, are coming. A true, bona fide guru will not forbid one to go to a high-class devotee. That is why I’m saying they also commit offences to their guru and other Vaiṣṇavas. For example, Kaṁsa, Jarāsandha, and Duryodhana were warning all not to side with Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍavas. But sincere devotees were never intimidated; they sided with Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍavas. But I’m not disturbed, not worried. Whatever they may do. They are my, like god-brothers and children. Because of ignorance, they are doing so. So I don’t worry. I’m very humble and sympathetic to them. I want their welfare and good. I never took their offences. An ignorant baby can pull the father’s hair and pass stool in the mother’s lap, but the parents never become angry. So I don’t take offence, but also I pray to Kṛṣṇa that He should also be merciful to them. Otherwise, He may take offence.

Now, I request you all to strictly and boldly follow what I have given in my classes. Even in dreams, you should be very strong in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and not give up, like tigers, like Brazilian tigers. Now, some devotees are coming, initiated…

(Break in class while the names of the new initiates are announced)

Now, we come to the point. We explained yesterday that any process, any sādhana, that we perform is not sādhana if it is not to attain rati or bhāva. So, the goal of our sādhana is to attain rati. If you are chanting, remembering, and reading books but have no goal to attain rati, then it is a semblance of sādhana, not pure sādhana. So we explained that rati. Now, how can we achieve these kinds of rati? We should start from śraddhā:

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

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā 23.14-15)

[“In the beginning there must be faith. Then one becomes interested in associating with pure devotees. Thereafter one is initiated by the spiritual master and executes the regulative principles under his orders. Thus one is freed from all unwanted habits and becomes firmly fixed in devotional service. Thereafter, one develops taste and attachment. This is the way of sādhana-bhakti, the execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles. Gradually emotions intensify, and finally there is an awakening of love. This is the gradual development of love of Godhead for the devotee interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”]

So adau śraddhā. What is śraddhā? Can you define it? What faith?

Devotee: Faith that you will achieve Kṛṣṇa. Faith in the process.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: No.

Devotee 2: Faith in sādhu, śāstra and guru.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Not full.

Devotee 2: The smallest particle.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: You should define.

Govinda Bhakata Prabhu: It has been explained…

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: You should hear patiently and try to judge yourself whether this transcendental śraddhā is in you or not. And if not, then try to practice it.

Govinda Bhakata Prabhu: Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja has explained in Caitanya-caritāmṛta that the word śraddhā means that one has a firm and unflinching conviction, that all I have to do is engage in kṛṣṇa-bhakti. To render unflinching one-pointed service to the guru. And by this one-point devotional service, I have no other obligations. I have no obligations to relatives or society; I have no obligations to demigods, and I don’t have to perform any other extraneous activity. This one-pointed devotional service determines this, and all other obligations are entirely fulfilled. By this determination, one serves only Kṛṣṇa, and because Kṛṣṇa is the root of all existence, and by serving Him, all the branches are satisfied.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Now I think that you have some idea, but you should know more. These are outer symptoms. To have strong faith in the words of Hari, guru, and Vaiṣṇava is also an outer symptom, especially in the words of guru, a qualified Vaiṣṇava and śāstra-varga. So, this is also an outer symptom. What is the inner? What is the constitutional form of this śraddhā? The guru or Vaiṣṇava gives it, and that is, a desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. Again, you should hear. A desire to serve Kṛṣṇa is the internal constitutional form of bhakti, of śraddhā. When a strong desire is awakened in the heart of a devotee by a qualified Vaiṣṇava and the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and guru, he vows, “I should serve Kṛṣṇa, even if anyone cuts me in pieces, I will not give up chanting, remembering, and glorifying [the Holy Name] of Kṛṣṇa.” So he will be like Haridāsa Ṭhākura, who could not stop chanting even when beaten in twenty-two marketplaces. Also, Prahlāda Mahārāja was poisoned; he was given so many things, but he never stopped remembering Kṛṣṇa.

Don’t sleep, sit like me, not like this.

(Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja slumps over, showing how some devotees are sitting)

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Sit upright, and with your eyes like this… (Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja opens his eyes wide) Anyone sleeping, I must see them. So I want you to sit like this… (Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja shows someone sitting upright and attentive) I’m over 80 years old, sitting like this (upright), and you… (Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja again shows how some devotees are sitting) Then? What was I saying? Now you should judge yourself, place your hand on your heart (Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja puts his hand on his heart) and ask, is my śraddhā transcendental? Or unreal? Or this mortal material thing? Are you ready to give up your life for Kṛṣṇa and guru and Vaiṣṇavas? Really? If you are, then this real śraddhā, transcendental śraddhā is there. If I had a barometer to place in your heart and check, everyone would fail. Only a rare person would be qualified. I want you to have this real and transcendental śraddhā. I’ve come to inspire you for this. Always be ready to give up your life for the service of, for the benefit of Kṛṣṇa and his devotees.

You know, there was a devotee, a disciple of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, who jumped in the face of death. He took the garments of his gurudeva, and he changed the dress of his gurudeva because his gurudeva was in danger, so many wanted to kill him. And thus, he gave an example of what is called guru-sevā. And who is he? The sannyāsa-guru of Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja, and my dīkṣā-guru. That is Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja. At that time, there were so many disciples of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, but all ran away, keeping their feet on their heads. What did I say to you in the last? Keeping their feet on their heads? They ran away, forgetting ‘where is Prabhupāda’, but only this one disciple remembered.

So we should try to be like this. Otherwise, any difficulty is coming, and at once, you can change your guru or give up chanting and remembering. You may become a Christian, too. This is very bad, no śraddhā at all. For instance, Western people have changed, divorced first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and even twenty-six times. They are going for the record in the Guinness Book. Here also, I have noticed. I noticed one Prabhu had changed his guru so many times. He also came to me and told me, “I want initiation.” I told him that when he was unsatisfied, he would leave me. He wanted to take ekadāsa-bhāva. I know that he’s not qualified for this. I know that the guru and the disciple are also not qualified to take ekadāsa-bhāva.

All are making so many offences to Kṛṣṇa. This is guru-aparādha, vaiṣṇava-aparādha, nāmāparādha. We should avoid it. Even I know they have changed their guru, Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja. And for this offence, Kṛṣṇa must manage a new, special hell for them. So they are going to hell even. So you should not be like that.

So this transcendental faith should come in the words of the guru, in the words of Kṛṣṇa, in the words of the Epics. Also, in one’s constitution, the desire to serve Kṛṣṇa should be there. If you are so bold, then Kṛṣṇa will help you, the guru will inspire, and they will always help. And if you are doing this, then gradually, niṣṭha will come. What is niṣṭha? And what is aniṣṭha? We should try to know. And then try to come from aniṣṭhitā-bhakti to niṣṭhitā-bhakti. I know you are not qualified yet to be in niṣṭhitā-bhakti. When niṣṭhitā-bhakti comes, there are so many symptoms. Can you speak something on niṣṭhitā-bhakti?

[Note – Because we do not have access to the tape of this class, the following notes only show what was discussed. If anything is unclear or incorrect, please excuse us. Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Vana Mahārāja discusses the following six stages discussed in Mādhurya-kādambinī about aniṣṭhitā-bhakti (unsteady bhakti), utsāha-mayī (filled with an enthusiasm based on over-confidence, which is thus feeble and short-lived), ghana-taralā (irresolute, sporadic, endeavours in devotion), vyūḍha-vikalpa (indecisiveness resulting from contemplating a diversity of alternatives, doubts constantly assailing one’s resolve), viṣaya-saṅgarā (battle with desire for worldly sense objects and temptations), niyamākṣamā (inability to uphold vows), taraṅga-raṅgiṇī (delighting in the mundane benefits afforded by bhakti)]

Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Vana Mahārāja: So the sādhaka, when he enters into devotional service, at that time he first accepts the lotus feet of a bona fide guru. So first comes śraddhā, firm faith in the guru’s lotus feet. So Jīva Gosvāmīpāda has explained this in Bhakti-sandarbha (Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Vana Mahārāja recites one śloka).

Śraddhā is when he has firm faith in the śāstras, guru, and he is also one-pointed. He thinks that if I serve the lotus feet of my guru, my life will be successful. And then when he serves the lotus feet of gurudeva, that gurudeva gives his mercy or bhakti to the disciple. This is called the tendency to serve Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. The disciple always follows the rules and regulations.

Then Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda describes another stage called sādhu-saṅga. One should always associate with a bona fide guru and follow the good conduct of sādhus. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmīpāda also explained this about sādhu-saṅga (Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Vana Mahārāja recites another śloka).

So in Mādhurya-kādambinī niṣṭhitā-bhakti and aniṣṭhitā-bhakti are discussed, fixed and not fixed. Six types of aniṣṭhitā-bhakti are described. It is stated that utsāha-mayī first comes into the heart. He performs utsāha-mayī–bhajana. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura explained these things nicely.

Upon receiving dīkṣā or harināma from his gurudeva, the sādhaka is instructed to chant day sixteen rounds daily; however, he enthusiastically chants even more. Because he does not associate with sādhus, he does not experience a taste of harināma after a few days. His chanting of harināma decreases. Then, it is called ghana-taralā. His efforts are either intense or slack.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: The sādhaka is instructed to chant 16 rounds or anything, and by one name, he will be liberated from this world, all miseries will be removed, and his life will be successful. So, some days, he liked it, and he was very enthusiastic. This is utsāha-mayī. But gurudeva said, “You should control your mind and have mamatā (possessiveness) for Kṛṣṇa, and you should chant daily.” After some days, he loses enthusiasm. Then he becomes hopeless, hopeless, what will be. So sometimes very staunch, and sometimes very feeble. This time is very critical. He has given up material sense gratification. But he has not attained a taste, so he is in a dilemma: what to do or not to do. If there is no sādhu-saṅga at that time, he can give up chanting and remembering. This is called ghana-taralā. His efforts are either intense or slack.

Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Vana Mahārāja: Then the sādhaka comes to the stage which is called vyūḍha-vikalpa, extensive indecision. He is thinking, “What to do? What not to do?” At that time, his mind is wholly disturbed because he’s reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and śāstra.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: “Should I continue bhajana in gṛhastha life or give up gṛhastha life and become a renunciant? What to do? Should I remain in family life or give up all these things and be like Śukadeva Gosvāmī and others?” So I know so many are like this, having this consciousness.

Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Vana Mahārāja: Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda in Mādhurya-kādambinī has explained it; he gives an example that when the sādhaka is reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Some ślokas of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam are favourable, and [by reading] other ślokas, he thinks, “This is not favourable for my life.” Therefore, he thinks, “I will do bhajana in my gṛhastha life, or I will do bhajana and reside in Vṛndāvana.” So he reads ślokas of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto eight, prahlāda-carita.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Sometimes he thinks, “This world is like fire; I should give it up.”

Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Vana Mahārāja: Sometimes he thinks that Bharata Mahārāja gave up his kingdom and did bhajana, so I should do this. But another śloka is saying if you cannot control your senses, then you can marry, and another is saying to be renounced like Śukadeva Gosvāmī, Nārada Gosvāmī, like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, and many. He thinks, “What should I do? What to do?”

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: “If I leave, what will happen to my children, my wife? My father is so old. How will he maintain?”

Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Vana Mahārāja: So his mind is wholly disturbed. And also, he’s thinking of sense gratification, so many material things, at that time it’s called viṣaya-saṅgarā.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: He thinks, “I will not take delicious food. I will fast. On Ekādaśī, I will not even take water, sleep, nothing.” He begins, but the next day, he becomes sick and cannot do it. He is fighting with sometimes being well and sometimes being sick. Sometimes, he takes delicious food offered to Ṭhākuraji and other times, he gives that up and wants only one sabjī like śāka. This is viṣaya-saṅgarā.

Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Vana Mahārāja: Then the sādhaka comes to the fifth stage. Niyamākṣamā. Sometimes, he maintains the rules and regulations; sometimes, he does not maintain the rules and regulations. The sixth stage is called taraṅga-raṅgiṇī.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: What is niyamākṣamā? He vows, “From today, I will chant not less than one lakh names, sixty-four rounds. Otherwise, I will not drink water or anything.” But when he chanted up to twenty or thirty-two rounds, he felt a headache and was very hungry, and he wanted so much water and had so much thirst. What to take? He vowed to take nothing, but his headache came, so he gave up. This is niyamākṣamā. He’s not able to uphold his vows. Then taraṅga-raṅgiṇī. What is it?

Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Vana Mahārāja: The desire for name and fame (lābha, pūjā, and pratiṣṭhā) comes into his heart. When the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī chants harināma, people offer him respect and place a garland around his neck; at that time, he thinks he’s a guru.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: The best of all.

Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Vana Mahārāja: The best of all the gurus. This is explained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Upadeśāmṛta. Sometimes, a kaniṣṭha-adhikārī acts like a guru. He has no qualifications as a bona fide guru. The desire for name and fame comes into the heart. So, he also accepts many disciples. This is called the blind guru. So Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, in his verse, śloka, explains this is like a ditch. So, the sādhaka comes to a stage where the desire for name and fame comes into the heart, so Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda has explained that the sādhaka should be very careful and check these things. And we should serve a bona fide guru and read śāstra.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Even some things remain to be explained about niṣṭhitā. It was not completed. There are so many things to explain, we will explain it in Rio. And if you can come, I will explain it to you. You can hear. Try to be sincere and very humble, and try to follow ‘tṛṇād api‘, this śloka. Be very humble, more than a blade of grass, always giving honour to others according to their qualification, and don’t desire your own praise. Be tolerant like a tree; then your name will develop; otherwise, not. This is the process. I explained it in brief. Practise like this, and after one year, I may return. If you follow the same process regularly, your bhakti may come to niṣṭha. Otherwise, [it will be] like a pendulum, here and there.

Gaura-premānande!

Devotees: Haribol!

Source: Purebhakti.com

Image(s) made possible by Pixabay.com, Krishnapath.org and/or Bhaktiart.net
Unless indicated differently, all verse translations and quotes are from the books by Śrīla Prabhupāda (Vedabase.com)