The following is a transcription of a discourse delivered by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja in New Vṛndāvana, West Virginia, on June 14, 2002 (Bhakta Bandhav Anthology Volume 86)

madhu-madhura-smita-lobhita-tanu-bhṛtam
anupama-bhāva-vilāsam
nidhuvana-nāgarī-mohita-mānasa vikathita-gadgada-bhāṣam

Sakhe, kalaya gauram udāram (3)

[“His smile, sweet like honey, allures all embodied beings. His pastimes are filled with unparalleled sentiments of pure love (bhāvas). His mind is captivated by the heroine of Nidhuvana, as He utters indecipherable words in a choked voice.”]

Devotee: This song is written by Rādhā-mohana, a great devotee of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is calling upon us to liberate ourselves from material existence by singing about the sweet pastimes of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His sweet qualities, and His beauty. He explains, in the words of his song, who Caitanya Mahāprabhu actually is. He is actually Kṛṣṇa, who needed to fulfil three desires.

Even though Kṛṣṇa is pūrṇānanda (all-perfect bliss), still there were three things that He could not understand: what is the glory of the love of Śrīmatī Rādhikā? What is it about Him that She relishes and tastes alone, that no one else can, including Himself? How does She taste the sweetness of His form, His qualities, His pastimes, and His flute playing? And also, what is the nature of Her happiness? What is the extent of Her happiness, which is ten thousand times the happiness that He feels?

Because He could not understand these three things in his form as Kṛṣṇa, He took the form of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is Kṛṣṇa, covered by the bhāva and the lustre of Śrīmatī Rādhikā.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: What is that line, nidhuvana-nāgarī-mohita-mānasa?

Devotee: This means that Kṛṣṇa is so absorbed and enchanted and bewildered by the love of Śrīmatī Rādhikā, Her unnata-ujjvala-bhāva, Her parakīya-bhāva, Her mādanākhya-mahābhāva. Being completely absorbed in it, He accepts that mood and Her complexion and becomes Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Very good. Thank you.

Devotee: What is the meaning of nidhuvana-nāgarī?

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Do you know the meaning of nāgarī? Kṛṣṇa is nagara (hero), and Śrīmatī Rādhikā is nāgarī (heroine). When They are meeting and enjoying in so many ways, that is called Nidhuvana. Nidhuvana means that very thing. And the forest where these pastimes happened was called Nidhuvana. But Nidhuvana means the vilāsa (pastimes) of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.

(Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja recites Maṅgalācaraṇa)

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: First of all, millions of humble obeisances unto the lotus feet of my paramārādhya Guru-pāda-padma, oṁ viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja. And the same millions of sāṣṭāṅga daṇḍavats unto the lotus feet of my śikṣā-guru, oṁ viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja.

My śikṣā-guru is very kind to me, very kind, very kind. He inspired me to go everywhere. He called me personally. “You should come with me right now and join me in my preaching. We will preach together.”

I answered very humbly, “Now I am in Mathurā, serving my Gurudeva. Let us see, on another occasion, I may come.” You know that Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura ordered his disciple, Svāmījī, “Write English articles and preach in all the Western and Eastern countries.” And he completed this order after forty-three years, very quickly. And I, I obeyed Svāmījī within eighteen years, so no harm.

I see his glory in the midst of mountains and valleys, up and down. In places where it is always raining, here and there. Why did he go to these places? Only because he was so causelessly merciful. In his heart, he used to feel the miseries of these living entities. Not only men and women, but also the trees, the creepers, and everyone. This is the nature of a high class of uttama-bhāgavata.

Even Kṛṣṇa cries and weeps for His deviated souls. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is mahā-vadānya, “Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te — He is munificently bestowing kṛṣṇa-prema, the rarest of all gifts.” And His pure devotees — mahā-bhāgavatas like Svarūpa Dāmodara, Rāya Rāmānanda, Rūpa Gosvāmī, and all others — they are even more, more, more merciful, because Caitanya Mahāprabhu does everything through them and He bestows His mercy through them. Thus, His devotees are causelessly merciful.

Svāmījī also ordered me to do the same. I am very happy, very happy to come here. Especially, so many heartfelt blessings…I cannot give blessings because he is like a godbrother to me, so many thanks to him. I am not qualified to give my blessings. I can only pray for Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja to bestow his mercy upon you.

Today, our Upananda Prabhu has promised, “I will give my whole energy, wealth, reputation, and everything for Kṛṣṇa consciousness.” He was maintaining and managing one factory, but now he has given up everything. Anything coming from that source will be used in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is better. To give up anything is not good. Understand what I said?

Devotee: To give up something is not first-class. First-class is to use everything in kṛṣṇa-sevā.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: To use everything in Kṛṣṇa’s service.

anāsaktasya viṣayān
yathārham upayuñjataḥ
nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe
yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate

prāpañcikatayā buddhyā
hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ
mumukṣubhiḥ parityāgo
vairāgyaṁ phalgu kathyate

Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.255-256)

[“When one is not attached to anything, but at the same time accepts everything in relation to Kṛṣṇa, one is rightly situated above possessiveness. On the other hand, one who rejects everything without knowledge of its relationship to Kṛṣṇa is not as complete in his renunciation.”]

This is vairāgya (renunciation), not giving up everything. To give up anything is not such a good, high-class of vairāgya. Vairāgya is that everything — our position, our wealth, our family, our everything — is for Kṛṣṇa. This is really vairāgya.

So, he has promised this today. I thank him. My blessings are with him.

I am very happy. I never thought that so many devotees would be here with me, and we would go to these places that Svāmījī visited. I am very happy. You are all encouraging me and inspiring me. I am indebted to you all, especially all these devotees.

Today, I want to explain something about the Śikṣāṣṭaka of Mahāprabhu. These are very high-class teachings. It was relished by Śrīla Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself, along with His companions such as Svarūpa Dāmodara and Rāya Rāmānanda. It is the essence of all the Vedas, Upaniṣads, Purāṇas, everything. It is the conclusion of the Vedas.

Devotee: It is the subject established by the Vedas.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Yes. We cannot understand it from the outside. We cannot understand these teachings externally. But when we read the explanation of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Sammodana-bhāṣya, then each word gives so much pleasure and deep meaning. Everything is given here: sambandha (relationship), abhidheya (process), and prayojana (goal) — everything, fully. What is in the Vedas, especially what is in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and more especially what is in the Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, very clearly everything is included in this.

Mahāprabhu used to enjoy all these things. He has not written anything except these eight ślokas. Some say that He wrote some other ślokas like, “Na prema-gandho ’sti (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 2.45),” but only this Śikṣāṣṭaka is authentic. We cannot say anything for sure about other ślokas, but this Śikṣāṣṭaka is authentic. Here, I want to explain something that will encourage us in bhakti.

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.”]

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura is giving some explanation. He is doing praṇāma to Pañca-tattva: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, patita-pāvana Nityānanda Prabhu, to He who called Him from Vaikuṇṭha, Goloka Vṛndāvana, that very Sītā-nātha Advaita Ācārya, gaura-śakti Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa (who is Nārada) and all the bhaktas. After that, he begins his explanation.

bhagavān brahma kārtsnyena
trir anvīkṣya manīṣayā
tad adhyavasyat kūṭa-stho
ratir ātman yato bhavet

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.2.34)

[“The great personality Brahmā, with great attention and concentration of the mind, studied the Vedas three times, and after scrutinizingly examining them, he ascertained that attraction for the Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the highest perfection of religion.”]

You know that for transcendental things, the Vedas are the only pramāṇa (evidence). No human being can be evidence of transcendental things. No conditioned or liberated human being can be evidence. But the Vedas come from the nose of Kṛṣṇa Himself. It is transcendental. And these prayers of Śikṣāṣṭaka came from the mouth of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, so there is some difference, some speciality of these Śikṣāṣṭaka prayers of Mahāprabhu.

Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura is saying that those who are in this world, who have accepted the endless chain of birth and death, suffering and sorrows — anywhere in this world, in any species of life — they are all conditioned souls, and they are all suffering. Those who are in this world will have to suffer. Old age will come, and you will have to suffer. And one day, death is sure. No one can avoid death.

All conditioned souls suffer in this world. Sometimes a man marries a very beautiful, qualified, lovely lady, and a woman marries a very good, young, strong, and qualified man. They marry, why? To become happy. After that, they can have two sons, three sons, one daughter, two daughters, very beautiful and qualified. But what happens? After some time, she is attracted to another very good young person and goes with him.

Their children then take so many drugs and become mad. Some children even turn against their father. Some children become degraded. The daughters also become like that. Now the father is alone; the mother is alone, and the children are in the hospital and here and there. Can they avoid this? Thus, in every way, everyone is immersed in that class of endless suffering.

This is the only hope that Brahmā has explained. He is very intelligent and an expert in taking the essence of all Vedic literature because he has four heads. His four heads are very intelligent. We cannot be as intelligent as he is. He said, “Everyone in this world is suffering. Our only hope is what? Bhakti to Puruṣottama (the Supreme Personality).”

What is bhakti? What is bhakti? First, we should know what the seed of that bhakti creeper is. This bhakti creeper begins in this world, crosses beyond Vaikuṇṭha, then beyond Dvārakā and Mathurā, and then goes to Vṛndāvana. That creeper is very long and tall. But what is the seed of that bhakti creeper? How does it come? That seed is the desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. The seed of the bhakti creeper is only what? That seed is the desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. This is the seed of the bhakti creeper.

Where can it be found? Can it be found at any shop? Yes, but not in any general or ordinary shop. It can only be found in the shop of Nityānanda Prabhu, not elsewhere. He is a wholesale dealer of these seeds. We can have it from Him and His guru-paramparā, beginning with Svarūpa Dāmodara, Rūpa Gosvāmī, up to Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Śrīla Prabhupāda, our Gurudeva, and Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja. They are authentic. We can find this seed only at their shops.

We cannot have this seed from those with a false ego who think, “I am a guru.” Nowadays, in Kali-yuga, there are so many gurus with a false ego. They are distributing passports and visas for Goloka Vṛndāvana. They themselves have no passport for India or here and there, but they have this passport for Goloka Vṛndāvana, and they can easily distribute it and make a lot of money. They have an office for that. They are bogus gurus, ‘kangurus.’ Please don’t believe them; don’t believe them. Those who are actually serving Guru, Vaiṣṇava, guru-paramparā, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu, only they can give this seed of bhakti.

But it is very rare in this world. Brahmā is thinking, “How can all these living beings be happy? Only through bhakti.” But what is that bhakti? What is bhakti? Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ (BRS 1.1.11).

Devotee: Śrīla Gurudeva ordered me to explain what bhakti is.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Not only bhakti, but uttama-bhakti.

Devotee: Transcendental devotion. What is uttama-bhakti? There are many definitions in śāstra, but empowered by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmīpāda has given the most perfect, beautiful, and comprehensive definition of transcendental devotion in his famous verse of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu.

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
jñāna-karmādy-anāvrtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ
bhaktir uttamā

Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.1.11)

[“The cultivation of activities which are meant exclusively for the pleasure of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, or in other words, the uninterrupted flow of service to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, performed through all endeavors of the body, mind and speech, and through the expressions of various spiritual sentiments (bhāvas), which is not covered by jñāna (knowledge aimed at impersonal liberation) and karma (reward-seeking activity), and which is devoid of all desires other than the aspiration to bring happiness to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is called uttama-bhakti, pure devotional service.”]

He is saying what is uttama-bhakti, transcendental devotion. It is not easy. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ — the constant, uninterrupted, unbroken cultivation of all endeavours…

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Try to understand, again and again.

Devotee: Just as if you were to take honey from a jar and pour it, it will not come out in pieces. It will come out in a thick stream, without any break. So, when the cultivation of all endeavours of body, mind, words, and internal moods (bhāvas, spiritual emotions), when they are all flowing without any break, in a continuous flow, and they are done exclusively for the benefit and happiness of Kṛṣṇa, this is called bhakti.

But it will be called uttama-bhakti when this cultivation of all endeavours of body and mind and words and heart’s feelings is completely devoid of any other type of desire. And also, one’s endeavour is not covered by karma, fruitive activity, or jñāna, the cultivation of knowledge for the aim of attaining an impersonal type of liberation, and other things such as yoga, mystic power, or dry renunciation.

When these things are not covering bhakti and there is no smell of any other desire, and all one’s endeavours are engaged continually in Kṛṣṇa’s service by body, mind, and words…also this word ‘anu’ indicates ‘continuous endeavour’ and also ‘anugatya (under guidance).’ When those endeavours are performed under the guidance, under the care and protection and direction of a mahā-bhāgavata liberated ācārya who is himself directly related to and serving Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, then that activity can be called uttama-bhakti. Without the guidance of a liberated soul, then:

mahat-kṛpā vinā kona karme ‘bhakti’ naya
kṛṣṇa-bhakti dūre rahu, saṁsāra nahe kṣaya

Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya-līlā 22.51)

[“Unless one is favoured by a pure devotee, one cannot attain the platform of devotional service. To say nothing of kṛṣṇa-bhakti, one cannot even be relieved from the bondage of material existence.”]

Without the guidance of a pure devotee, then anything that we do — even our hearing and chanting — cannot be bhakti. What to speak of being bhakti, it is very far away from bhakti. It will not even cause one’s entanglement in this dreadful material existence to diminish. So, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmīpāda is giving this instruction: if you want to come in the line of transcendental bhakti, be under guidance and in that guidance, completely engage all your senses in the service of Kṛṣṇa.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: This kind of uttama-bhakti, this highest class of bhakti, is not in this world — never. Where is it? It is especially found in Goloka Vṛndāvana, among the Vrajavāsīs like Śrīdāmā, Sudāmā, Madhumaṅgala, the friends of Kṛṣṇa, or among Nanda Mahārāja, Mother Yaśodā, and the elderly gopas and gopīs, who have a mood of parental affection for Kṛṣṇa. And it is especially in the gopīs, not anywhere else. This is uttama-bhakti.

When we follow the associates of Kṛṣṇa, as a sādhaka (a practitioner), it is called bhakti. But it is not uttama-bhakti. The bhakti in this world are of three types: sādhana-bhakti, bhāva-bhakti, and prema-bhakti. Now, we should try to understand what sādhana-bhakti is. We are like a sādhaka. Really, we are not sādhakas, but we can come in the category of a semblance of a sādhaka, because sometimes we deviate from bhakti and give up. We sometimes have no faith in the guru, no faith in the Vaiṣṇavas, no faith in chanting the holy name, no faith in the words of śāstra.

This happens only due to bad association. When there is no high-class association of a high-class bhakta, then we deviate from bhakti. Therefore, I think that sādhu-saṅga, sādhu-saṅga, sādhu-saṅga is most essential in our life. If one has been degraded from bhakti, it is only due to a lack of high-class association, nothing else. Why do we wear these neck beads? Can you say why? Why?

Devotee: We wear these tulasī neck beads and have tulasī-mālā because tulasī is very near and dear to Kṛṣṇa. One who wears tulasī, even from a material point of view, is protected from many material diseases. But more importantly for the sādhaka, tulasī is so near and dear to Kṛṣṇa that through her association, bhakti comes more easily. Therefore, we always take shelter of tulasī and pray for her mercy to attain the goal of bhakti.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: We should know that tulasī is Vṛndā-devī. Her svarūpa in full is Vṛndā. Kṛṣṇa and Rādhikā and the gopas and gopīs cannot be out of Vṛndāvana. What is Vṛndāvana? The forest of Vṛndā. Vṛndā means ‘group,’ and in the groves of Vṛndā, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa can play. That is called Vṛndāvana. Without the mercy of Vṛndā-devī, we cannot realise what is śraddhā, niṣṭhā, ruci, āsakti, bhāva, prema, mahābhāva, and other things.

Vṛndā is the predominating deity of Vṛndāvana and the kuñja pastimes of Vṛndāvana. She is not ordinary. If she can give love and affection and uttama-bhakti to Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā, then can she not give worldly wealth, reputation, and life maintenance? Can she not? Surely, she can. So, what are we doing? Nonsense. We have no belief in Vṛndāvana. That is why we wear these neck beads. These tulasī neck beads have been worn since the time of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And before that, even Brahmā and Nārada and all others have worn these tulasī neck beads. It is very powerful, very, very powerful. Vṛndā-devī is always here, taking away all kinds of bad things and purifying our hearts. Those who want to become bhaktas should wear tulasī.

Tulasī dekhi, juḓāya prāṇa, mādhava-toṣaṇī jāni (Śuddha-bhakata 7)—”Upon seeing tulasī, my heart becomes satisfied because I know that she pleases Mādhava.” So, we should wear tulasī. Don’t doubt tulasī, and think, “There is merely some wood there.” Don’t think like this. And also, try to follow and observe Ekādaśī, surely. Ekādaśī is the mother of bhakti. This śikhā has some meaning. It is not merely a śikhā. This śikhā means ‘bhakti śikhā.’ All knowledge will come like a flame (śikhā).

Yama Mahārāja has told his Yamadūtas, “Bring me all the persons who have no tilaka, no kaṇṭhī-mālā, and who have never even once done praṇāma to Ṭhākurajī.” There are so many things. We should try to follow all these things. What our guru-paramparā has accepted is very favourable for bhakti.

Now we are coming to our point. Brahmā was thinking, and he ascertained that no one can be happy in one’s mortal life by making money, seeking a position, or becoming the president of America, or even the whole world, or the whole universe. No one can be happy through that. They can be happy only through pure bhakti. He is saying that this bhakti is very rare, very rare. It begins from where? From that seed of bhakti. Who gives that seed? Guru.

How does he give it? What is the price of that seed? Only śraddhā (faith), a high-class of śraddhā. We should pray, “I am giving you my whole śraddhā, and you should give me that seed.” Then you will have to promise to plant that seed in your heart and always water it. Then it will come as a very beautiful sprout, and very quickly it will be turned into a very high-class of creeper with so many sweet fruits, sweeter than grapes. Grapes may be sour, but the fruits of that creeper will never be sour — never, never, never.

The guru gives this seed. What is that seed? The desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. What is the outer symptom of that seed? Faith in Guru, faith in Vaiṣṇava’s words, faith in Kṛṣṇa’s words, and faith in śāstra. If there is a lack of any one of these things, then really that is not śraddhā. When śraddhā comes, then for Guru, for śāstra, for Hari, Kṛṣṇa, he can give his life very easily, like Prahlāda Mahārāja, like Haridāsa Ṭhākura.

Devotee: What is the difference between Kṛṣṇa’s words and śāstra? Because we only know Kṛṣṇa’s words from the śāstra.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: What Kṛṣṇa told Uddhava, what Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna, these are Kṛṣṇa’s words.

Devotee: But that is in the śāstra.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: But they are His words directly. And what is in the Purāṇas and other things, it has come through a sādhu, and that has been written. That is śāstra. Especially what Kṛṣṇa told anyone…like what did Kṛṣṇa say to the gopīs? Na pāraye ’haṁ niravadya-saṁyujāṁ (Śrīmad–Bhāgavatam 10.32.22) — these are Kṛṣṇa’s words. What Kṛṣṇa said to Uddhava are His words directly. What Kṛṣṇa said Himself are His own words, like this. There is a difference between that and śāstra.

Devotee: Bhāgavatam also contains the words of Rādhārāṇī. These are not Kṛṣṇa’s words. Higher than Kṛṣṇa’s words are Rādhārāṇī’s words in the Bhāgavatam.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: Yes, so many things. This is śraddhā. Do you all understand? What did I say?

Devotee: You said that the internal symptom of faith is the desire to serve Kṛṣṇa. This is externally shown as faith in the guru’s words, in Kṛṣṇa’s words, in śāstra, etc.

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)